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).
2. WEYMANN – 1924 Catalog No. 55
There’s a good 30 years of missing catalogs before we come to this one numbered No. 55. If anyone can help locate any please let me know (email contact on the Links page). I don’t believe the catalog numbers mean much, catalog No.50 comes after this No.55 at c.1931 (see below).
I’ve only shown the guitars that are listed in this catalog (6 pages), and the other catalogs below. (If people would like more information on these catalogs I have featured please let me know. I can supply complete digital copies of some of them and let you know where to obtain copies of others).
3. WEYMANN – c.1928 Catalog No. 59
Once again I’ve only shown the guitar pages in this catalog, i.e. four pages.
I believe all the guitars listed in this catalog and the one above are made by the Weymann factory and if there are any prices listed they are retail prices. From what I can gather stores were offered 20% off these prices to give them a profit when reselling.
Weymann guitars were expensive guitars at the time, being comparable with C.F. Martin and Son’s instruments.
4. WEYMANN – c.1931 Catalog No. 50.
I am sure only four of the pages in this catalog are actually made by Weymanns. They are the guitars labelled ‘Weymann’ on the first three pages after the cover and the Weymann Tenor guitars on page 8 after the cover (page 73 in the catalog).
The majority, if not all, of the guitars on the other pages are most likely made by the Harmony Company from Chicago. I recognize a good many of the models as theirs with their distinctive headstock shape. Notice the price of these ‘jobbed’ instruments are significantly cheaper than the Weymann made ones.
In the early 1930’s, after the mainstay of the company, H.W. Weymann died, The company started buying in more and more guitars to resell. By 1935 the company seems to have ceased production but still maintained the popular store for decades more.
4. WEYMANN – c.1930 Banjo Catalog No. 61.
The only other H. A. Weymann and Son catalog I know of is this c.1930 Banjo catalog No. 61.
You can find a pdf copy of this banjo catalog here:
http://crystalforestmandolins.com/Weymann1920Catalog.pdf
Or if you search google you can find reprints.
If anyone has any information of any other H. A. Weymann and Son catalogs I’d be much appreciated if you would contact me on the email address listed on the Links page.
Many thanks and Namaste
Charles
Hello! Nice site! I am researching Weymann as part of my upcoming presentation on Tenor Banjos for the annual Banjo Gathering and stumbled on your site. Very helpful! I have been doing a lot of mining of The Music Trade Review and have turned up a lot of important data. The early Weymann catalog you have cannot be from 1889. In 1869 H.A. Weymann was selling cutlery at 156 N. 2nd. The first appearance in directories of selling musical instruments there is 1875 (could have been earlier). Harry W. is on board by 1884. They added 45 N. 9th Street address in 1894. 43 N. 9th appears in 1886. NO mention of the 1314 Chestnut street address except in this catalog. In 1899 H.A. Weymann relocates to 1022 Market Street. Thus, possible catalog dates are 1896-1899 and triangulating between addresses and documented moves makes this most likely 1898, possibly a year or two earlier. My guess is they were growing and the Chestnut address was added temporarily till they secured the Market St. site. Similar things occurred many times during their existence. There is evidence that they held onto the 156 N. 2nd site at least until the 1930s. BTW last Friday my wife and I visited their new 1924 factory at W. Columbia & Hancock, which is still there and occupied by a vodka distillery. Good vodka, infused with electrolytes so you don’t get dehydrated while you drink! The owners were tickled pink to learn they were in a banjo/guitar factory! Many of the Weymann’s private addresses still exist. I’ll be looking them up soon.
Great information Michael! Thanks for sharing. I have a lot of that information but not all that I haven’t yet posted. I knew the early retail catalog had to be before 1898-99 because they list Martin guitars in that catalog that they must have acquired from the sole Martin distributor C.A Zoebisch & Sons. That distributorship finished in 1898 from memory. But I thought it would have been about 1890. I didn’t expect it to be as late as 1896. This also adds weight that the start of their wholesale most likely commenced about 1900 or a few years prior. I have your email address and will send you some more information you might find interesting.
interesting info and thanks! Nothing on my #1 recording which is a weymann No. 24 serial number in the 27xxx I got nothing its a 00 size with a scale length around 26″ and its amazing. No clue how old or any history on it!!
Hi ducatihawk. Many thanks for your email. It will date from about 1918-19 going on the serial number (see my Weymann dating POST). The trouble is the earliest Weymann catalog I can find (apart from a c.1890’s retail catalog) is dated c.1924, and the number 24 style does not appear in that catalog. Any chance of a few photographs? If so please email to me charles@honucreative.com Many Thanks, Charles
I owned and operated a very modest guitar store in this small East Texas town until I retired over ten years ago. Over the years, I bought and sold many used instruments and in the course of doing so I must have bought a small Keystone State ukulele among them. After cleaning it up and restringing the little uke, I found that it played and sounded better than any other uke that I had played. It has a paper “badge” on the back of the headstock with the information: “Keystone State” with “U.S.A.” just below, followed by what, to me, looks a like a harp with a banner scrolled through it with a very fancy “W” on one end, the symbol “&” in the middle of the banner, and an “S” on the other end. On the top edge of the headstock are two sets of numbers: Holding the uke with the sound hole towards the ceiling, the numbers on the left side are “21709” and on the other side, the number “10” which, I suspect are the serial and model numbers, respectively.
I delight myself and my younger grandchildren by playing a tune or two when they visit and bore that hell out of everyone else. But that little uke is such a delight!
Hi James. Thank you so much for this. That would not only be one of the first Ukuleles Weymann made but also one of the first made in the USA. The ukulele was popularized for a stateside audience during the Panama–Pacific International Exposition, held in San Francisco from Feb-Dec 1915. From my dating of serial number POST that uke would date to 1914.
This makes me think the dating is out by one or two years as I cannot see it being made before the exposition. One other thing, the first detailed Weymann catalog I have is dated c.1924, and the style 10 Ukulele does not appear in that catalog, only the styles 15 and 20. I’d really appreciate if you would send me some photos, particularly include the label you describe, I have not seen that one and hope to do a post of all the different decals and labels that Weymann used. Please send to me at charles@koolaru.com if you feel so included. Many thanks again…Charles
Hello.
Did anybody know that Weymann and son also sold Music boxes at the 1010 Chestnut Street location in
Philadelphia PA?
My family has one and I was wondering at what date would this be around (As I can’t find any information on any music boxes by the Weymann family.)
On the bottom of the music box it’s printed “Weymann & Son everything music” and then 1010 Chestnut Street. Kent
Hi Kent, From the MUSIC TRADE REVIEW it looks like Weymann moved into 1010 Chestnut Street in 1907 and they where there until about 1912 or so. I have a post planned with all the Weymann addresses but not sure when I will get around to publishing them. It does not surprise me that they sold music boxes as they sold ‘everything music’ as the label on your box says. They also sold jewelry and other items. I would have thought they are not likely to have made the music box themselves, but rather purchased wholesale to sell in their retail outlet. Any chance you could send me a couple of photos of the music box? Best Regards, Charles
Yay! Your 1924 catalog has a description of the Model 854. And using your post about serial numbers I know that my 854, S/N 41341 was made in 1927.
Thank you so much for compiling all fo this information and making it available.
Yours,
Bob Barnett
Hi Robert, thanks for the comment. I saw your 854 guitar on the ‘Acoustic Guitar Forum’ some time ago. beautiful guitar! Can I ask you to please go to the register page https://www.leavingthisworld.com/register-your-weymann-instrument/ and fill out the form there about which decal is on the guitar. The reason being your guitar is just on the cusp to when they changed over from one decal to another and it will help with this research. Many thanks, Charles.