WEYMANN ‘KEYSTONE STATE’ JUMBO GUITARS c.1911 -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.

Two Weymann Jumbos

Dimensions of the 2 Instruments are:

                                     WEYMANN SUPER JUMBO          WEYMANN JUMBO
 Serial #                                        15535  Style ?                                 18488 Style 30
 Lower Bout                                   18”                                               16 ½”
 Upper Bout                                                                                       12 ¼”
 Depth   (end block)                       5  3/8”                                           4 ¼”
 Body Length                                                                                     20”
 Scale Length                                 25 ½”                                            25 ¾”
 Overall Length                             40 1/8”                                         39 ½”
 Nut Width                                     1  7/8”                                           1  7/8”

The Lyon and Healy Lakeside Style 270 of 1912, later renamed Style 740, has been claimed to be the first ‘real’ dreadnought sized guitar ever made.  It came in ‘Jumbo Size’, which had dimensions; lower bout 16 ¼”, upper bout 12”, depth at lower bout 5 ¼”, body length approx 20 ½”. Washburn – Prewar Instrument Styles by Hubert Pleijsier p.52.

But up until 2008, when this ‘Washburn’ book was printed, no surviving samples of the Lakeside Jumbos had surfaced.

The Weymann Jumbos pictured date from the same time period as the Lakeside Jumbos.

Two surviving Weymann Super Jumbos are known and only the one Jumbo.  The Super Jumbo pictured looks to be a special order with the initials RM inlayed into the headstock, and with a fancy mother of pearl inlayed fret board.  The other Weymann Super Jumbo example I have seen is more simply decorated.  I managed to purchase the Weymann Jumbo, damaged but now restored. (Featured in a separate post).

(It was not until 1916 that Martin offered a larger guitar with its dreadnought size made under the Ditson brand, and it was not until the 1930’s that Gibson started marketing their range of Jumbo guitars).

Weymann JUMBO 14 Fret Guitar
Weymann JUMBO 14 Fret Guitar

 

POSTSCRIPT.  In May 2015 a 14 Fret Weymann Jumbo Guitar described with a lower bout of 17″ was listed on ebay (pictured).  If you own this guitar, or know who does, I would love to hear from the owner (See my email address in LINKS) to date this guitar from the serial number on top of the headstock.  Being a 14 fret guitar the date could be significant.  Many thanks…Charles

(More detail on the 1913 Weymann Jumbo Guitar here.)

2 thoughts on “WEYMANN ‘KEYSTONE STATE’ JUMBO GUITARS c.1911 -1913

  1. I have a Weymann Super Jumbo, found at a Baltimore area flea market about 10 years ago. It looks like the one on the left in your photo at the top of this article, but has a solid headstock and no frills decoration. I don’t know much about these, but wanted to add one more surviving example to the tally. This one is in sort of rough shape, missing bridge and pick guard, but will be restored one day. Thanks for posting this article; it was full of good information!

    1. Hi Doug, Thanks for the information, and sorry for the late reply, I have not been well. I’d love to see a photo or 2 of that Jumbo, and the numbers on top of the headstock, then I could tell you a bit more about it maybe. Charles

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