How to identify a Hanika guitar?

 

Helmut Hanika, the founder of the company, mainly started from 1956/57 with the „Soli“-archtop guitars. These instruments didn´t have a label inside the guitar but a little „Soli“-sticker downright the top and a golden paper label („Zettel 1“).

From the year 1965/66 there were the first „real“ labels. These were very simple, containing the year of construction and the original signature of Helmut Hanika. After a few years the model name was also specified in the upper right corner („Zettel 2“).

Some years after Armin Hanika´s entry into the father´s workshop and his master´s examination, the label was completely redesigned in 1990. The company name, product name, month and year of construction and the model name are now shown. These labels can be signed by either, Helmut or Armin Hanika („Zettel 3“).

In 1995/96 the „Zettel“ 3 has been revised. Armin Hanika developed a new logo with a stylized guitar around the i-point of „Hanika“ and this logo was included into a new label. There you can find the year of construction and the model name again. Also these labels can have both signatures, Armin or Helmut Hanika („Zettel 4“).

1999, meanwhile the workshop is managed by Armin Hanika alone, there is a complete restructuring of the model range which results in a new label, based on the oldest one, but with the picture of a lying Hanika guitar. These labels are only signed by Armin Hanika („Zettel 5“).

After a long period of constancy, in February 2017, we decided to design a modern new label. Important for the future was to integrate a reference about the origin and the history of Hanika guitars. Here you can find our logo with the stylized guitar again and the signature of Armin Hanika („Zettel 6“).