We’re delighted to be an official UK dealer for Hanika guitars. You can now buy Hanika guitars direct from Classical Guitar Academy. We carry a small range of standard models plus our own customshop models, designed specifically to our preferences based on feedback we’ve accumulated from customers over the years.

I first met with Gergely Szurgyi, one of Hanika’s sales representatives (and a superb guitarist, by the way!) back in March 2024 and discussed a number of Hanika guitars. Hanika make a large range of mid-high end classical guitars, which is one of the reasons I was so keen to collaborate with them. Armin Hanika, having taken over the business from his father Helmut in 1993, is clearly impassioned to create classical guitars of the very highest quality. This passion filters down through all of Hanika’s guitars, from the Professional and Concert lines (in which we have particular interest), through to the Recital and Studio lines. Having handled, inspected, played and listened to various Hanika guitars, I can attest to the high level of craftsmanship of these instruments.

What impressed me immediately was the boldness and easy playability of every guitar I tried. All of Hanika’s guitars have a certain firmness and assuredness in the way they feel and the way in which they respond to touch. Although each model has it’s own characteristics, you can still hear a distinctly ‘Hanika’ signature sound in every guitar. The way the instrument responds to pressure is fascinating. I found that these guitars were not just accepting the way in which I played, but working with me, encouraging me and suggesting ideas as I played. This collaborative experience between player and instrument is one that I found very exciting, and is a rare treat.

Of all the guitars I tried during Gergely’s visit, it was the Natural Doubletop that excited me the most. Whilst the standard model features Indian Rosewood, this special customshop version features stunning Ziricote back and sides. I’ve found that Ziricote guitars bring a fine balance of crispness and depth. Indian Rosewood is no doubt a superb tonewood, but can occassionally presents the tone with a shade too much warmth or airiness. This blousy quality softens the definition and impact of the tone, which can leave the player wanting more. I find myself playing harder when this happens in a bid to find that little something I’ve been missing, but this has the unintentional effect of squashing my dynamics, creating a flatter shape to my phrases. The Ziricote attenuates this airy and breathy quality and brings sharper definition to the tone without adding any perceivable brightness. Paired with the double cedar top, this combination brings power, depth and supreme definition, leaving plenty of dynamic range to play with.

Our range of Hanika guitars will go on sale from June 2024, and will most likely grow year on year as we acquire more instruments for our customers. You can find out more about these guitars on the Hanika website. You can find our current stock of Hanika guitars here.