Month: May 2016

Oscar Schmidt Stella Decalcomania Guitar c.1930

Posted on by Charles Robinson

(For more information on DECALCOMANIA as instrument decoration visit this post)

About as decorative as you can get with a guitar.  Concert sized all birch construction with all of the Oscar Schmidt construction traits.  First guitar I bought and quickly found that I wasn’t game to make it into a better playing guitar for fear of decreasing its value, so I resold it.  Mother of toilet seat fret board and an original fancy reflective pick guard, edged in a gold sparkle material, makes this Stella a show pony.

Nickle plated tailpiece and a floral decal (decalcomania is where the abbreviated word ‘decal’ comes from) that simulated inlaid timbers.  Stamped on the headstock with the gold underlined Stella logo.

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Some Interesting VINTAGE ‘PARLOR’ Guitars and their Makers

Posted on by Charles Robinson

I got into vintage guitars not so many years ago because I liked the blues sound of the old Oscar Schmidt Stella guitars. I ended up with about 30 vintage guitars from all different makers, plus others I bought and sold on.  I’ll feature some of these guitars and others I’ve come across.  It’s usually the case that the history of their makers is just as interesting as the guitars.

Some of the guitars that will be featured in individual posts in this section:

Vintage Parlor Guitars
(Click for larger image)

Namaste

WEYMANN GUITARS

Posted on by Charles Robinson

Weymann Guitars

H.A. Weymann (pronounced ‘Y’man) and Son of Philadelphia (1865–1940’s) are best known for their beautifully crafted, elaborate 1920s tenor banjos, but they also made exquisite guitars.  But their numbers are few.  I’ve collected 6 of these guitars and I have been researching their history and the history of the company for some years now.

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Oscar Schmidt ‘Victoria’ Label c.1916 Guitar

Posted on by Charles Robinson

This is a c.1916 Oscar Schmidt made guitar labelled ‘Victoria’. Playing this little gem is Kirtan Artist PRALAD, performing the timeless mantra ‘Nityananda, Nityananda, Haribol – Chaitanya, Chaitanya, Haribol”.

Oscar Schmidt c.1916 'Victoria' Label Guitar
Oscar Schmidt c.1916 ‘Victoria’ Label Guitar

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I AM SPIRIT

Posted on by Charles Robinson

When I was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer I was already doing some meditation and I was also reading Vedic scriptures such as the Bhagavad Gita.  So I understood in principle that I am not the body, but spirit in essence.  This is opposed to what many think, that is, that we ARE our material bodies and we HAVE a spirit.  NO!… I AM spirit soul and at this moment I HAVE this material body.

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