Hermann Hauser guitars are famous and popular not only in Japan but also around the world. They still have a great influence on the world of classical guitar, such as many guitar manufacturers producing models called “Hauser models”. Do you know that the Hermann Hauser Workshop sells not only guitars but also the strings for classical guitar? I’ve bought the Hermann Hauser strings directly from the Hermann Hauser Workshop, so I’ll explain how to do it.
- Hermann Hauser strings work well with Hermann Hauser guitars and “Hauser models”
- Hermann Hauser strings are hard to find not only in Japan but also overseas
- How to order Hermann Hauser strings from the Hermann Hauser Workshop
- Let’s order Hermann Hauser strings from the Hermann Hauser Workshop
- It’s easy if you can solve the problem of sending money overseas
Hermann Hauser strings work well with Hermann Hauser guitars and “Hauser models”
Hermann Hauser strings are the classical guitar strings sold by the Hermann Hauser Workshop.
The treble strings are made from nylon, and the core wires of the bass strings are also made from nylon. There is nothing unusual about Hermann Hauser strings in terms of specifications, but they have a strong personality that other strings do not have.
I put it on my Hermann Hauser III guitar and found it worked very well:
It will probably work well with guitars called “Hauser models” as well.
Hermann Hauser strings are hard to find not only in Japan but also overseas
Hermann Hauser strings are not well known in the world, let alone in Japan.
The reason for this is low availability. In Japan, T.KUROSAWA & CO.,LTD. handles them, but overseas there are almost no online shops that handle them, including “Strings by Mail”.
Hermann Hauser strings are good strings. But even T.KUROSAWA & CO., LTD. has an unstable stock and no loose sells, which makes it difficult to use them regularly.
How to order Hermann Hauser strings from the Hermann Hauser Workshop
I thought, “Then why not order directly from the Hermann Hauser Workshop?” I contacted them directly, and they were willing to sell them to me. Let me explain how to do that.
You can order Hermann Hauser strings even if you don’t own a Hermann Hauser guitar
My first questions were, “Would the Workshop even sell the strings directly to me?” And, “I don’t own a Hermann Hauser guitar at the moment, is that still OK?”
In the end, there was nothing to worry about the questions. Anyone can order Hermann Hauser strings, and of course they are shipped to Japan.
It is also possible to order by email and in English rather than German.
Kathrin Hauser, the 4th generation of the Workshop, is in charge of the email exchange.
This is a great opportunity to deal directly with world-renowned luthiers.
The price is about the same as a slightly expensive string. It is also possible to order strings one by one.
The price is a concern, but it was not as high as expected, just a slightly expensive string.
| Types of strings | Price (Euro) | Price (converted into yen at 1 euro = 140 Japanese yen) |
| 1 set of strings | 15.55 Euro | 2,177 yen |
| 1st string | 2.19 Euro | 307 yen |
| 2nd string | 2.34 Euro | 328 yen |
| 3rd string | 2.52 Euro | 353 yen |
| 4th string | 2.71 Euro | 379 yen |
| 5th string | 2.84 Euro | 398 yen |
| 6th string | 2.96 Euro | 414 yen |
It is interesting to note that the price difference between treble and bass strings is small.
In the case of the Savarez “New Cristal Cantiga”, for example, the difference is almost double. 3 treble strings are 913 yen. On the other hand, 3 bass strings cost 1,782 yen. For Hermann Hauser strings, the total for 3 bass strings is 1,191 yen, not much different from 987 yen for 3 treble strings.
For this reason, it seems that the cost can be reduced by replacing only the bass strings without changing the treble strings.
Shipping costs are based on weight
You may be concerned about the shipping costs from Germany to Japan. It depends on the weight of the parcel.
| Weight | Shipping costs (Euro) | Shipping costs (converted into yen at 1 euro = 140 Japanese yen) |
| Up to 2kg | 10.99 Euro | 1,539 yen |
| Up to 5kg | 45.99 Euro | 6,439 yen |
If the parcel exceeds 2kg, the shipping costs will increase significantly. So it is better to keep it under 2kg if possible.
By the way, when I measured the Hermann Hauser strings on hand, they weighed 33g per set.
By simple calculation, up to 60 sets of strings can be sent with 2kg shipping fee. In fact, due to the weight of the boxes and labels, it would be safer to say “I want it within 2kg including the packaging” when ordering.
Pay attention to international transfer fees
The most difficult part of ordering from the Hermann Hauser Workshop is the international transfer fees.
The Hermann Hauser Workshop does not have a large online shop, so only accepts payments by bank transfer.
From Japan, an overseas remittance (wire transfer) is required.
It is important to note that high fees may be required for this overseas remittance if it is made from a bank account.
For example, UFJ charges an international transfer fee of 3,000 yen even if you use Internet banking (Source: Foreign Remittance | Bank of Mitsubishi UFJ (mufg.jp).
Furthermore, the exchange rate is set under bad conditions. So I felt that I was likely to lose a lot on the fee alone.
Therefore, I used a service called “wise”, which has a low international transfer fee:
The way it works is that you transfer money in yen to a Japanese “wise” account and the “wise” will convert it into foreign currency and transfer it to the overseas bank account.
The transfer fees for using “wise” are very low. When I sent money to the Hermann Hauser Workshop, it only cost me 140 yen:
The exchange rate for foreign currency is also not bad. “Wise” was a service that I haven’t heard much about, but I was able to use it without any problems.
Note that, as this is a service that deals with money, you will need some kind of identification to register, but it can all be completed on your smartphone.
Let’s order Hermann Hauser strings from the Hermann Hauser Workshop
Now, I will explain the actual procedure for ordering Hermann Hauser strings from the Hermann Hauser Workshop.
Send an order email to the Hermann Hauser Workshop
Let’s start by sending an email to the Hermann Hauser Workshop to order the strings.
The email address of the Hermann Hauser Workshop is,
hauser.hermann@t-online.de
as above.
The body of the email might be as follows:
Title: The order of the Hermann Hauser strings
The body:
Dear Hermann Hauser III and Kathrin Hauser,
I’d like to order the Hermann Hauser strings. Could you prepare the invoice for me?
Strings to order:
+ Normal Tension Set x 4
+ Normal Tension 4th string x 8
+ Normal Tension 5th string x 4
+ Normal Tension 6th string x 4
Shipping Information:
Address: 1-1-2 Oshiage, Apt. #201
State: Tokyo-to
City: Sumida-ku
Country: Japan
Zip Code: 131-0045
Name: Ichiro Suzuki
For saving the shipping charges, I would like to make the weight of the package under 2kg. Could you let me know if my order exceeds it?
—
Best regards,
Ichiro Suzuki
Please replace the strings you want to order, the delivery address, and the name with your own from the sentences above.
For more information on how to write addresses in English, see this article:
Send money overseas while looking at the invoice
If your email is successful, you will receive an invoice from Kathrin Hauser:
First, let’s check your address and name on the upper left. Then check that you have the correct order details.
If there are no problems, the payment will be shown as an ‘export price’. So let’s transfer this overseas.
The account information of the remittance destination is written in “IBAN” or “BIC” at the bottom of the invoice, so let’s send money here. Note that IBAN and BIC refer to the same account, just in different formats.
In the case of “wise” introduced above, it was possible to send money with IBAN.
Arrives in about 5 days
Once the remittance is completed, the product will be shipped. In my case it arrived in about 5 days.
The strings are wrapped in paper with the logo of the Hermann Hauser Workshop, which makes me happy.
By the way, you can check where your parcel is on the Japan Post website. But in my case, it arrived before the information was updated. So unfortunately it didn’t help this time…
It’s easy if you can solve the problem of sending money overseas
What I thought when I ordered this time is: ordering Hermann Hauser strings is easy, as long as you can solve the problem of international money transfer.
International money transfers can also be done through banks, as long as you are not stingy with fees. And even “wise” it is not difficult once you download the app and follow the instructions.
If you are concerned about ordering in English, you can order from T.KUROSAWA & CO., LTD.:
If you only want to order one or two sets, it is cheaper to buy them in Japan.
However, the Hermann Hauser Workshop has loose sells for Hermann Hauser strings. If you use it regularly, it’s cheaper to order them directly.
If you want to use Hermann Hauser strings at a lower price, or if you want to interact with the Hermann Hauser Workshop, you can try it.
