Category: WEYMANN RESEARCH & Guitars

For research purposes, I have set up a page with a form so that Weymann owners can register their stringed instruments (Banjos, Mandolins, Ukuleles, Guitars, Mandolutes etc.).

My aim is to gain information that will help make dating these instruments more accurate as well as providing general information.

I really do hope that if you own a Weymann instrument  you will kindly register it on my page with the registration form. It only takes a minute and all contact information will kept confidential.  Here’s where to Register:

REGISTER YOUR WEYMANN INSTRUMENT

So far I have almost 100 instruments registered.  As more are added,  more information is unlocked. It’s early days but already some interesting facts have come to light, and I will do a post about this in the near future.

UPDATE 20th May 2019:   There are now over 200 instruments registered.  Keep them coming in.  I hope to do a post soon of some of the insights that are revealed from the registration of these 200 instruments.

Many thanks  . . . . .Charles

This is a rare early 1917 Weymann Ukulele, very similar to a Martin Style 0 soprano ukulele.  Style 0 indicates that the edge is unbound and this was not introduced by Martin until 1921/22.

Originally I thought this was a 1914 Ukulele, but after contacting ukulele aficionado Tom Walsh*, he questioned the information this dating was based on.  I now agree with him and believe this is a 1917 Weymann made instrument.  However this is still a rare early stateside made ukulele. (please see more about this in the dating section below).

*Tom Walsh  co-authored the book: “The Martin Ukulele: The Little Instrument That Helped Create a Guitar Giant” and is a director of The Ukulele Hall of Fame Museum.

Jim Temple, halfway ‘round the world (in Texas) from where I live in Brisbane, Australia, bought a little uke years ago and was amazed by its sound. He’d played it for several years before he was finally able to identify it with help from a visit to my website.  He’s dang near 80 years old but he said he will remain a member of our Weymann family so long as he has breath!

Continue reading “AN EARLY 1917 WEYMANN UKULELE” →

A question for Weymann fans; I am hoping a Weymann descendant, or someone can help with this please.

Buying an old guitar for about $100 some years ago started me on a journey to discover more about Weymann guitars. It’s been difficult at times to ferret out information about this maker whose manufacturing arm ceased almost 90 years ago.

Most difficult has been finding an image of H.W. (Harry) Weymann – (1866-1930).

Initially all I could find were these likenesses in the 1922 Philadelphia Inquirer:

Continue reading “H. W. WEYMANN PORTRAIT – A Question . . . .” →

1.  MARTIN  INSTRUMENTS made for WEYMANN & SON.

When his father died in 1888 and Frank Henry Martin took over the mantle as the head of C.F. Martin & Co, the company was dealing with a distribution problem. C.A. Zoebisch & Sons had exclusive distribution rights to all Martin instruments and Frank Martin did not think they were devoting sufficient effort to promote their guitars.
(Correction: Harry W. Weymann’s death was in 1939, not 1930, see the newspaper obituary in this POST).

At that time, H.A. Weymann & Son were retailers and had been purchasing Martin guitars from Zoebisch & Sons and selling them in their shop (see c.1890 Weymann retail catalogue).

Continue reading “The C.F. MARTIN & Co. / H.A. WEYMANN & Son. Relationship” →

There are four H.A. Weymann and Son instrument catalogs that I know of still existing that feature guitars:

There is also a c.1930 Banjo catalog which only contains banjos.

1. WEYMANN  – Early 1890’s Retail Catalog.  Additional Information added 21 Sept 17: This catalog has been dated from 1896-1899 by a reader, see his comment on this post below.

Only four pages in total, this retail catalog shows  that Weymann was making guitars at this early date under their own “Weymann’s Highest Grade” and “W and S Keystone State” labels.

Some people date this catalog to 1889 but I think it is more likely a few years later than that (thus the early 1890’s).

Continue reading “H. A. WEYMANN & Son – CATALOGS” →

That the Weymann manufacturing business evolved out of their retailing is significant.  Their retail establishment initially allowed Weymann to have a ready market for what they produced, as well as access to the end user that we would today term ‘extensive market research’.
It allowed them to experiment and produce a wide range of instruments, where other makers could not.”

Continue reading “H.A. WEYMANN & SON Innovations” →

 

This is an early H.A. Weymann and Son made guitar dated c.1906. Labelled ‘Keystone State’ with their early gold decal shield shape that was discontinued about 1910. It has deep red Cuban mahogany back and sides, spruce top, mahogany neck and Brazilian rosewood fret board.  It has a serial number of 6044.  Weymann’s very early guitars did not have serial numbers, and they started adding them about 1900.  Sometime around 1910 they also added style numbers.

This guitar is larger than the standard sized guitar of the era.  This would have been called Grand Concert size.  It has similar measurements to C.F. Martin and Co. 12 Fret size ‘O’ guitar.

 

 

Continue reading “Weymann ‘Keystone State’ O Sized Guitar c.1906” →

first saw this guitar when it was in pieces. It has a lower bout measurement of 16 1/2″. (Further measurements are in this post).  It is stamped on the top of the headstock with serial number 18,488 and Style number 30. It has the gold decal which was used from about 1910 to 1915.

Continue reading “Weymann ‘Keystone State’ Jumbo Guitar c.1913” →

Further proof that H. A. Weymann and Son was an innovator in stringed instrument development is a few surviving 12 fret flat top Jumbo and Super Jumbo guitars.

Continue reading “WEYMANN ‘KEYSTONE STATE’ JUMBO GUITARS c.1911 -1913” →

A sweet sounding maple backed Weymann that would have been the lower end of the Weymann price range in it’s day.  It has a stylized painted faux rosewood finish over the maple. Beautiful spruce top.  Before this was repaired it was split in half along the side (see the first photo in the gallery), which is probably the reason the finish is in such good condition. We retained it’s ladder bracing and the only real addition was a new ebony bridge and an additional top up coat of French polish.
I think it would have originally had gut strings but seems to take lightweight Silk and Steel strings well.  As with all H.A. Weymann and Son instruments the workmanship is superb.

Dimensions:
Overall Length: 37″
Body Length: 18″
Lower Bout: 12 1/4″
Upper Bout: 8 3/4″
Depth at Base: 3 3/4″
Scale: 24 1/2″

Continue reading “WEYMANN Late 1890’s Budget/Student Guitar” →