Until a few days ago I did not know that H.A. Weymann & Son made violins. Then I had a reader send me in some photos of their Weymann violin with a label clearly stating, “Manufactured by Weymann & Son”.
I do believe if Weymann’s say on the label they are the makers, then they are. If not, at the very least, it would have left them open to criticism by their competitors. Also, if the instrument has a serial number that fits into their sequencing then that is added confirmation it is Weymann made (they sold other instruments they did not make and those did not carry the distinctive gold decal label or a serial number). Continue reading “WEYMANN VIOLINS”→
Holding onto anger and bitterness towards someone who has caused us grief hurts me much more than the person my anger is aimed towards.
I want to tell a true story that is well known in New Zealand. It is about a lady who showed great love and forgiveness to those who caused massive upheaval and pain in her life:
In order to help get this story out to a wider audience, I tell it here in my own words. It is a powerful account that can change lives. There are references at the end of the story if you wish to read more about it.
In 1996, a group of Black Power gang members attacked a rival gang member in Taranaki, New Zealand. It was a brutal attack in which the victim’s face was slashed and several of his fingers were severed with a tomahawk.
The attack occurred outside the house of a family man, Christopher Crean, who’d witnessed the attack as he mowed his lawn.
I want to thank Michael Wright for putting together all these addresses in Philadelphia that either the members of the Weymann family, or the Weymann business (H.A. Weymann & Son) occupied through the years.
I’m hoping, over time, we can add photos of the buildings if they still exist today. Michael has started going around to see what is still standing, but this is difficult in these times of Covid 19. We’re open to receiving photos from anyone who would like to contribute😊.
First of all just a quick list of family members relating to the business, H.A. Weymann & Son, that are mentioned below (yes, it can be very confusing!):
Henry Arnold (H.A.) Weymann (1829-1892)– Founder of H.A. Weymann and Son. Harry William (H.W.)Weymann (1866-1930) – Son of H.A. Weymann and main driver of the company after his father died. William A. Weymann (1869-1918) – Another son of H.A. Weymann who worked for and who had shares in the business. Albert Conrad Weymann (1874-1953) – Another son of H.A. Weymann who worked for and and who had shares in the business. Harry Power Weymann (1889- ) – A son of William A. Weymann (3rd generation).
I’ve been meaning to post about this for some time now in the hope it is of use to someone suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
Up to 12 months ago I had constant diarrhea for 2 years. It started after a particularly hot chilli Indian meal, that I knew at the time I shouldn’t have eaten, however I felt obliged as I was a guest at the meal. The next day was excruciating and no mater what I did over the following weeks the diarrhea continued. I had many tests including 3 different stool tests checking for bad bacteria, a colonoscopy and a gastroscopy (sometimes called an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy) and of course blood tests. Apart from a slightly inflammation of the bowel nothing showed up as a cause.
After 2 years of this, I was thinking it was something I was going to have to live with the rest of my (probably shortened) life.
About 12 months ago I got a throat infection and was prescribed a course of the antibiotic Amoxicillin. My diarrhea immediately stopped. But when I finished the two-week course of the drug the diarrhea came back.
I googled antibiotics and IBS and sure enough there were a few references by sufferers who’d had the same experience, not with Amoxicillin but some other antibiotics, the main one being Rifaximin (Xifaxan). Neomycin, Clarithromycin (Biaxin) and Metronodazole (Flagyl) were also mentioned. As soon as the 2 week course of the antibiotic was stopped the diarrhea returned. One did say that they were cured after two months on antibiotics.
(This post is my personal view and does not necessarily reflect the position of any organization or group).
Cartoon by Navie
In 1976 when I was 26 years old, I said to my younger wife “Do you know in the year 2000 I’ll be 50 years old!” We both burst into laughter. 2000 was so far away! Now it is 2020 and my body is 70 years old and it’s not so funny anymore. The years have gone by in a heartbeat.
As I get older, and because I’m suffering from a terminal disease, I realize my body, and my mind, are never going to get any better than where they are today. Not only have I all the usual onsets of the body deteriorating with its’ aches and pains, but I also have the side effects of taking 6 different drugs daily to keep cancer and other body ailments in check.
So, realizing my body and mind will only worsen from this day onward, I can see why people in my position may contemplate ending their lives. But this is not a solution to the suffering of the body. It is an option that will only cause more suffering to others and the person who kills his own body. Why?
A hundred and twenty-year-old guitar that is an impressive survivor of an era before electricity.
The vintage Bay State guitars were made from about 1887 to 1904 by the John C. Haynes Company in Boston. If you want to know more about the history of Bay State Guitars and the different models and dating of the serial numbers, check out the links to the two pages I have made in conjunction with luthier Sylvan Wells, who owns the Bay State Guitar name:
I also urge you to register your Bay State Guitar by emailing me the instrument details to the address on that page.
c.1897 BAY STATE Concert size guitar Style 207
I have to thank Elaine and Larry for selling me this guitar and having faith that I would restore it and do it justice. It has been a long road in getting it restored, more than 6 years in fact! But I eventually got there. Continue reading “Vintage BAY STATE style 207 guitar – late 1890’s”→
The small Weymann (left) compared to a standard sized budget Weymann, both early 1900’s. Both have spruce soundboards and faux rosewood painted on maple back and sides.
I believe this guitar (on the left of the photo) is a good example of a H.A. Weymann & Son’s attitude to their craft . Many guitars, especially in the early 1900’s appear to be one-off instruments, this could well be one of those. This experimentation and innovation of the company, and attention to detail, is why I like this company.
Making bridges for vintage guitars using minimal tools
– a layman’s approach (Part 1).
I’ve approached this subject in 4 separate posts. It’s necessary to read this Introduction post, Part 1, first or the other posts (Parts 2, 3 and 4) may not make much sense.
While I am merely a hobbyist when it comes to working with wood, it is something I have done my whole life. I don’t have a lot of specialized tools, but I do like precision, so I try to work out methods of doing things that work for me.
Cutting the ‘valleys’ accurately into the guitar bridge blank goes a long way in determining how well a finished bridge will look. I’ve made probably 30-40 guitar bridges, and when I first started I was not comfortable using a drill or a small sanding drum to make these valleys. I didn’t give me enough control.
So, I made a simple jig to sand the valleys by hand, as will be explained a bit further on in this Post. I’m sure there are many other ways to make these pyramid bridges, so take from these posts what you will. I hope someone finds it useful.
There are many styles of pyramid bridges, and it makes sense to individually craft them for a particular guitar.
Top: 20th Century Pyramid bridge Middle: Truncated Pyramid (Chicago) bridge Bottom: 19th Century Pyramid bridge
In the next 3 Posts (Parts 2, 3 and 4) I’ll demonstrate how I make each of these different pyramid bridges.
