WEYMANN ‘f’ Sound-hole Guitars - Styles 24, 30, 648, 748 and 848

H.A. Weymann & Son made at least five styles of ‘f’ sound-hole guitars. Once their manufacturing ceased in about 1933 they also commissioned ‘f’ hole guitars along with other instruments from manufacturers such as Harmony. Here I am only talking about the guitars Weymann manufactured themselves.

Weymann’s were always experimenting with different products and at the time it appears their ‘f’ hole guitars were only moderately successful. This could have been because they were so different and because the price was expensive ($50 retail in 1928 for the 748 style was more expensive than a comparable Martin guitar at the time). However today these guitars are sought after and can sell for US$3,000 and up.

With limited Weymann catalogues (c.1924, c.1928 and c.1931 only) it is hard to know how many ‘f’ hole styles Weymann made over the years. However, the photo below shows they were in production from at least 1917:

Weymann ‘f’ hole guitars have lots of reverb and sustain and are well suited for blues playing. They all carry the distinctive Weymann ‘W’ metal tailpiece which is cool as hell! Most, if not all models have a fixed bridge where the strings go through it from a fret-wire saddle. I’m told the bracing is also different to allow for the ‘f’ hole positions. Like most Weymann guitars they are very lightweight.

So a bit about the different Styles:

STYLE 24

Update: March 2021: I’ve just become aware of this model and I have completed an individual post about it. However here are a few photos and a description:

It dates from 1917 and is a smaller guitar being 12″ wide at the lower bout and is constructed with Brazilian rosewood front and back with a stained spruce soundboard. Black and white purfling around the top edge. This example is in near original condition and is owned by Richard Barnes, who also supplied the photos. See more about this guitar and Richard here.

c.1917 ‘f’ hole Style 24 – Owner Richard Barnes.

STYLE 30

This Style 30, together with the Style 24, would have been a radical design at the time (1916-17). All other guitars had a round sound hole. I have almost 80 Weymann guitars in my Weymann Instrument Registry but only 2 Style 30 ”f’ hole guitars. And they both were in pretty bad shape when found by their owners.

#1. c.1916 ‘f’ hole Style 30, before, during and after restoration – Owner Bill Yates.

c.1916 ‘f’ Hole Style 30 Weymann Guitar, before, during and after restoration. Rosewood back and sides with spruce top. Measurements: Lower bout: 12 3/4″, Upper bout: 9 1/4″, Depth at End Pin: 3 7/8″.

#2. c.1921 ‘f’ hole Style 30, as found – Owner Charles Quinn.

c.1921 ‘F’ Hole Style 30 Weymann Guitar, before, during and after restoration. Unsure of Back and sides construction, probably rosewood. Widest point on the soundboard is approximately 12 7/8″.

The photo on the left below is also Charles Quinn’s c.1921 Style 30 guitar next to a photo of another found on the web. This looks to be a Style 24 or Style 30 guitar or another Style altogether. Unknown date, but notice the high position of the ‘f’ holes, in the later Styles (648,748 & 848) the ‘f’ hole position is lower.

The Style 30 does not appear in the c.1924 Weymann catalog so in the years from 1921-1924 it was most likely discontinued.

STYLE 648

Appears in the 1924 and 1928 catalogs:

Standard size (which I believe for Weymann means 13 1/2 ” at the widest on the lower bout?). Made from Brazilian rosewood back and sides with a spruce top in contrast to the later 748 Style which was mahogany back and sides, most likely Cuban mahogany.

While I have 5 Style 748 registered at this time I have no Style 648’s and so no photos, sorry!

STYLE 748

(Related Post: JOHNNY DEPP’S WEYMANN GUITAR )

Style 748 appears in the c.1928 and 1930-31 catalogs:

Weymann Guitar Style 748 c.1930-31 Catalog

As mentioned above the principle differences from the 648 model is that the 748 has mahogany back and sides instead of rosewood and has an extra thin strip of black & white purfling around the top edge bound with rosewood. The 748 also has a rosewood fingerboard whereas the 648 has ebony. Measurement is 13 1/2″ at the lower bout, and the spruce is stained a rich chocolate color.

To date I only have 5 Style 748 guitars registered out of a total of 80 Weymann guitars. All of these 5 examples are dated in the years 1927 to 1930. A good example appeared on ebay some years ago:

c.1927-28 ‘f’ hole Style 748 – Source ebay

Here is another example:

c.1928 ‘f’ hole Style 748 – Owner Thomas G

And yet another example,

c.1927 ‘f’ hole Style 748 – Owner Neil Reck

Thanks Neil for providing the great photos, this guitar looks to be in great original condition. Thanks also the measurements:

Lower Bout: 13 5/8″
Upper Bout: 9 5/8″
Scale Length: 25″
Body at Neck: 3 1/2″
Body at Endpin: 4″

STYLE 848

This is an extremely rare model and is distinguished by it’s larger ‘auditorium’ size (14 1/2″ at it’s widest on the lower bout), and by it’s distinctive banjo style headpiece with geared banjo tuners.

There’s an article in Vintage guitar magazine online featuring this c.1928-30 model 848 guitar:

And a youtube video of George Gruhn playing and talking a little about it:

There’s one other guitar which is a Style 848 or a special order version of it that appeared on Retrofret some years ago:

This guitar is described as a Delux model (1928), natural varnish finish, curly maple back, sides and neck; spruce top, with ebony fretboard.

Further description on Retrofret:

“This Weymann flat top is one of the fanciest and most unusual 1920’s guitars we have ever encountered, visually and sonically a most unique instrument. It is superbly made, with elegant touches everywhere-quite the most deluxe Weymann guitar we have ever encountered. The back and sides are outrageous fiddleback maple, with an extra bound and raised rim on the sides, front and back, as seen on the Philadelphia company’s high-end Mandolutes.

The neck is also tightly grained laminated flame maple, with a heavy bound ebony fingerboard inlaid with a pearl tree-of-life pattern. The banjo-style headstock is elaborately inlaid with a pearl floral pattern and carries 6 recessed Weymann banjo tuners with pearl buttons. The top design is most unusual, with f-holes in the waist area, a moveable bridge and a heavy brass tailpiece. The edges are bound with half-herringbone and multiple layers of celluloid. The sound is unexpectedly deep and rich, with good definition and plenty of sustain.

Overall length is 38 in. (96.5 cm.), 13 7/8 in. (35.2 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 in. (10.2 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.). This instrument has had a lot of use and repair over the years but remains substantially original”.

SUMMARY of these ‘f’ hole Guitars

Style 24. . . . .Body Rosewood, 12″
Style 30. . . . Body Rosewood, 12 3/4″
Style 648. . . Body Rosewood, 13 1/2*
Style 748. . . Body Mahogany 13 1/2″
Style 848. . . .Body Mahogany 13 7/8″**
*To be confirmed
**Measured at 13 7/8″ but would probably be described in a catalogue as 14″

If you have a Weymann ‘f’ Hole guitar I’d love to hear from you: email – charles@koolaru.com

Many Thanks

Charles aka Chaitanya das

WEYMANN ‘f’ Sound-hole Guitars – Styles 24, 30, 648, 748 and 848