JUDY FREEMAN’S WEYMANN c.1911 Tailpiece Guitar

H. A. Weymann & Son was a different type of wholesaler because they had a very stable and large retail outlet to augment the production from their workshop. They produced many different designs of guitars, often in small runs, but I suspect they also made guitars to order, or to satisfy the creativity of their crafts people. Consequently, the variety of their guitar styles never ceases to amaze.

I have photos of various Weymann guitars I want to feature in individual posts.  I’m going to start with this guitar owned by a very nice lady,  Judy Freeman, who has given me permission to share photos and information about her guitar.  Whether this is a one-off instrument or a limited run, I guess we’ll only know if another turns up:

Weymann c.1911 Brazilian rosewood guitar

This guitar is special for a number of reasons:

  1. Brazilian rosewood back and sides.
  2. The size is large for an early 1900’s guitar. It is approximately the size of a Martin 12 fret – 6 string 00 guitar, but a bit longer in total length, 39” (Martin’s 00 is 37 ¾”).
    Measurements are:
    Total length 39”
    Body length 19 ½”
    Width (Lower Bout) 14 ½”
    Upper Bout 10”
    Depth at End Pin 4 3/8”
    Ladder braced
  3. This is the first use of the distinctive Weymann ‘W’ metal caste tail piece I have come across. This style of tailpiece was used right up to the early 1930’s for Weymann’s ‘f’ hole koa wood and mahogany guitar styles 648, 748, and 749 (post to follow soon on these styles).  This is the best design for a metal tailpiece I’ve seen, I’m surprised they didn’t patent it:
    Weymann’s caste ‘W’ metal tailpiece

    The guitar has a serial number of 11321 and no style number.  This is not unusual because style numbers were not introduced on Weymann instruments until serial number approximately 15000 or later.  Just about all instruments with the early gold decal as this guitar has, didn’t have style numbers.

    Some more photos showing the beautiful herringbone binding, the early gold decal, engraved mother-of-pearl fret markers, the original tuners and the Brazilian rosewood back and sides:

Thanks again Judy!

Namaste, Charles

6 thoughts on “JUDY FREEMAN’S WEYMANN c.1911 Tailpiece Guitar

  1. What a wonderful looking guitar! Ms. Freeman is, no doubt, very proud of it, and justifiably so. It would be a treat to hear it played and an ‘once-in-a-lifetime” experience to play it. Thanks, Ms. Freeman, for making the photos available to my favorite Weymann enthusiast, Charles Robinson, in order to share them with others. Charley, with one more feather in your cap, you’ll look like a bird! Great job, my friend.

    1. Jim it’s just as well we live in different countries, I think we’d be dangerous together! Charley

    1. Keep your eye out for the next post, there’s a Weymann guitar there with ‘tree-of-life’ fretboard inlays.

  2. Sweet looking guitar . I am not a big fan of metal tail pieces but this W style has some nice style to it 😂👍🏻. Nice post , thanks Charles. Look forward to reading about more featured guitars .

    1. Ahhh, so good to have loyal fans, thanks Jiva. Yes I thought incorporating the ‘W’ in this Weymann tail piece was very clever. Charles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *