Philosophy

I have been a musician for over 30 years and have played guitar from New York City to Athens, GA, to LA, and back. I have been fixing, tweaking and modifying guitars for over 20 years. I have been making guitars for ten years out of my desire to find an ultra-responsive, clear, articulate, warm (even greasy) guitar that sounded like the old country, soul, and rock records that I love.

My guess was that the plastic finishes, production parts and production-line processes of the countless new guitars I had purchased over those 30 years (running total was around 40 guitars) had something to do with it, and every "vintage" guitar I ever owned either had lots of "issues" and was too valuable to be modified/altered or even properly fixed. So, "why not make a guitar with the same processes as those great vintage axes and use the highest quality parts available today?" I wanted to build a guitar with the resonance and acoustic tone of a vinatage axe and make it available to musicians today. And so my guitar-making journey began.

After many trials and tribulations, the guitars that you see on this site were born. Great materials, true processes, and lots of attention to detail: that's the formula that creates great electric guitars, and that is the simple formula I use to make Hahn guitars. They are not new under the sun, but they play and sound really good. I put my heart into each one, and play it, tweak it, play it and tweak it, and play and tweak it some more, until it's done.

If you are looking for a guitar with a true, woody tone, great resonance, great electric energy and dynamics, then look no further. This is what my guitars are all about, and I hope you get a chance to own one.

Build Philosophy

The philosophy of Hahn Guitars is straightforward make a simple guitar, the right way. Build musical instruments.

"My goal with the Model 228 is to build a guitar as inspired in its execution as in its original, brilliant design."

Only the highest quality woods are used for our necks and bodies. I build primarily with swamp ash and alder for the bodies (6 3/4 to just under 8 pounds), and maple necks are available with maple or rosewood fingerboards.

Pickup choices are limited in production guitars as I have found great pickups that work with my guitars. Typically, I build with lower output “vintage” tone pickups, or the hotter variety for those who want to drive their amp a little harder. Tone is still well within the “vintage” spectrum with these hotter pickups. Of course, custom orders can be made, and any pickups can be requested.

When the neck is placed in the pocket, you can lift the guitar up and carry it around  the fit is that tight. The integration of the neck and body in my guitars is second to none.

Sound

There is nothing like the clarity and tone of a great vintage guitar. We believe that, while no new guitar can achieve its full potential without being played extensively, our guitars start at the best possible place in terms of tone, expressiveness, responsiveness, and aesthetic beauty.

I am building the guitar that you would have bought as a pure production model in the 50s you can break it in or relic it yourself by playing it!

The sound of a Hahn guitar is unmistakeable it's new, but it sounds old. The tone is absolutely clear, but is not analytical the goal is a coherent ringing tone where each string is articulate, but blends seemlessly with the next and all the others musicalilty! You can hear the strings snap when you snap ‘em and they sound plunky when you pluck ‘em, and you’ll have consistent, true sustain up and down the fretboard.

Play these guitars through a blackface or tweed (or silverface!) amp and you are in heaven!