Biography - Kim Hancock, Dane Hancock & Sean Hancock

Kim Hancock

Born in 1954 on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Kim was always fascinated by the guitar and learnt to play for a short time while he attended TSS (The Southport School) as a youngster. Kim originally learnt cabinet and furniture making as a trade, which gave him an introduction into woodworking and the properties different timbers. In 1990, when his son Dane started to play guitar, Kim’s interest in guitars was rekindled.

For several years he collected and played high-end guitars. Having the opportunity to own a Reyes Flamenco, Kim became very interested in Spanish classical and flamenco instruments. During this time he was able to occasionally repair or refinish instruments, which allowed him to become fluent in the construction and tonal properties of a broad range of different guitars. The natural progression of this curiosity with guitars was to finally construct one instrument. This happened in 1992 and Kim has been making guitars ever since. He has passed on these skills to his two sons Dane and Sean who are also fulltime luthiers.

During his first visit to Guitar Salon International in the USA in 1999 with his sons, Kim had the opportunity to play and study a broad range of concert classical guitars. He was most impressed in a Miguel Rodriguez church door instrument, Kim uses this Rodriguez style to model his own instruments. Kim now lives at Mount Tamborine in the Gold Coast Hinterland where the family workshop is located and still works on constructing guitars while advising his two sons in their lutherie.

Dane Hancock

Born 1979 on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Dane started to play the guitar when he was 11 years old. As Dane was a promising guitar student, his father Kim took up the restoration and repair of guitars and owned many fine classical guitars, which Dane could play. Kim built his first guitar in 1992 and has since taught lutherie to both Dane and his brother Sean.

Dane always kept lutherie a hobby having obtained a Bachelor of Engineering and working as a civil engineer for three years. Being a professional engineer was not as rewarding a job as Dane could hope for, so he took up lutherie again as full time job. Dane builds his classical guitars in the Torres style having acquired a deep appreciation of the work of Antonio de Torres. The most rewarding guitars Dane has built were two Tarrega Torres guitars, built in the style of the famous 1864 Antonio de Torres guitar, which became Francisco Tarrega’s first instrument. These two guitars were both beautiful to behold, with much ornamentation, while still carrying a rich tone and full volume.

Dane and Sean’s great, great grandfather Arthur Collingwood was a well-respected cabinetmaker and artist who worked on many landmark buildings in London, England including West Minster Cathedral. He also and authored a book on wood carving before immigrating to Australia at the start of last century. Dane and Sean have inherited their great, great grandfather’s cabinet making tools which they use day to day to craft their instruments.

Sean Hancock

Born 1981 on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. At age 11 Sean learnt to make guitars from his father Kim. Sean managed to fit building guitars in with his education and gained a bachelors degree in Product Design. Sean won the Nescafe Big Break in 1997 for guitar making which included prize money of $20,000 which he used towards advancing his guitar making craft.

Sean visited GSI (Guitar Salon International) for the first time in 1999 with his father and brother Dane. At this time Sean had the opportunity to play many fine concert classical guitars and was most impressed with a Brazilian rosewood and German spruce Hauser II instrument. Sean used the guitars of Hauser I &II to model his own instruments on. Sean now sells his instruments in the USA through GSI and in Japan through Aura Classical Guitars.

Sean and his brother Dane recently travelled to Japan the USA and Europe and while abroad have manage to play and study instruments from nearly every master classical guitar maker. Although Sean builds his guitars in the style of Hauser I and II he still has a great appreciation of luthiers such as Antonio de Torres and Miguel Rodriguez. Sean has also learned the Spanish method of guitar building from two of the world's greatest Luthiers, Jose and Liam Romanillos while attending the Romanillos Guitar Workshop in Siguenza Spain, 2007.

Sean and Dane’s ancestors, the Doherty family were prominent timber cutters and timber boat builders in Tasmania in the 19^th century. They were among the original cutters of Huon Pine, which is a prized timber for fine cabinet and furniture making and boat building.