❌SOLD❌ Edgar Monch Hauser Style Classical Guitar, 1960

This Edgar Monch Hauser style concert classical guitar is typical of Monch’s work while in Munich, prior to his move to Toronto around 1965.

Edgar Monch was one of the more important classical guitar builders from Munich, the other being Hermann Hauser. Monch lived for some time in Toronto where he was also a highly influential teacher for many early Canadian luthiers including Jean Larrivee. He was himself a student of Marcelo Barbero in Madrid during the 1950s. Born in 1907, Edgar Monch died in 1977.

Classical guitars built by Edgar Monch are professional concert grade instruments and have been played by the time’s top artists including Julian Bream, John Williams, Andres Segovia and Vicente Gomez. While it is generally unusual to find a Monch guitar available for sale, here at The Twelfth Fret we see them from time to time.

This Edgar Monch Hauser Style Classical Guitar looks like it is built in the traditional Spanish ‘slipper heel’ design, with the sides tied into the neck block, but in reality the neck attaches with a dovetail joint. The top is Spruce, the sides, back, head plate, back strap and bridge are Indian Rosewood. The neck is Mahogany, the head attached with a scarf joint, and the fingerboard is Ebony.

This guitar arrived at our shop from its home in Montana with two full length cracks on the back, one of which tore the label. It has been re-humidified and the cracks repaired, though they are visible. The top is free of cracks, though two minor brace repairs were done, and the finish and tuners are original. The action is set to 8/64ths treble and 9/64ths bass.

The original hard shell case is included; its handle has been replaced.

Here are Grant MacNeill’s, Founder The Twelfth Fret – Observations on this Edgar Monch Hauser style concert classical guitar:

“This guitar features a Sitka Spruce top paired with Indian rosewood back and sides has the Original nitrocellulose lacquer finish and original case.

The top is exceptionally clean without any cracks or damage. This is remarkable as the guitar has been in storage for at least 30 plus years in high altitude Montana which is very dry.

The neck is very clean without any chips or damage. The sides have minor finish crazing and minor scuffs but no damage.

The back has two repaired cracks that run the length of the back; you can see the tears in the inside label as they run through the label. 

The crack has been properly glued and cleated and is going to be stable on the long term. It is hard to see in the photos but the repaired back cracks are fairly obvious. The only cure would be to scuff sand the entire back and overspray with fresh lacquer. That would make the back perfect or close to it. That said, one can see the crack through the sound hole so over-spraying the back does not make good sense to me.

I would be inclined to leave this 60 year old guitar as original as possible.

The action is at 8/64 treble and 9/64 bass which is in the median of standard concert classical action. There is some remaining saddle left so I have not elected to do the 12 hole tie block conversion and saddle pedestal shave that I have found necessary on most of the Mönch guitars I have seen.

Tone: it was very “tight sounding” at first. I’ve had it on a Tone Rite for the past month and it has really opened up nicely. Full volume and nice balance and a bit fuller bass than I recall hearing on the last two Mönch guitars.”