Weymann guitars

Last updated
Weymann
Formerly
  • Weymann & Son
  • Keystone State
  • Weymann & Co.
Company type Private
Industry Musical instruments
Founded1864;161 years ago (1864) in Philadelphia
FounderHenry Arnold Weyman
Headquarters
Philadelphia
,
United States
Key people
(Founder) Harry William Weymann (Current Director) Niko de Weymann
Products Classical, acoustic and tenor guitars, banjos, mandolutes, ukuleles
Website weymann.store

Weymann Guitars is an American manufacturing company of musical instruments. Established in 1864 & headquartered in Philadelphia, Weymann remains one of the oldest musical instrument companies in the United States. Originally founded as H. A. Weymann and Son by German immigrant Heinrich "Henry" Arnold Weymann (Wegmann). Weymann patented several musical instruments & components, including the mandolute, variable geared tuning Machine head and "Jumbo" body acoustic guitar which was produced during the turn of the century, nearly two decades before any other maker in the musical instrument industry.

Contents

Weymann's most notable artists include Jerry Garcia [1] of the Grateful Dead & Jimmie Rodgers [2] who is considered the pioneering father of country music as well as actor & musician Johnny Depp,. [3] [4]

Since its inception, the company has manufactured classical, acoustic and tenor guitars, banjos, mandolutes and ukuleles, along with high-grade hardware, bridges, components & tuning Machine heads. [5]

Since 2015, Weymann has expanded their high-grade musical instrument hardware, producing limited-edition guitar tuning Machine heads, guitar bridges, wood parts & components.

The current Director, Niko de Weymann (born September 6, 1984) is an American musical industry executive, artist, luthier, engineer, historian, and philanthropist who both designs and engineers several of the new Weymann product lines. Niko de Weymann is also the founder of The International Musical Instrument Registry & Database IMIRAD. [6] [7] [3]


Early history

H. A. Weymann (Wegmann)

Mandolute, patented by Weymann in 1913 Weymann mandolute.jpg
Mandolute, patented by Weymann in 1913

Heinrich Arnold "H.A." Weymann (Wegmann) migrated to America in 1852, arriving in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was naturalized in 1858 and in 1864, opened a small business. In 1865, his business was reported to have an annual taxable income of $136 - as referenced by the Philadelphia Inquirer. It has been said, H. A. Weymann's early business was in the jewelry & watch retail, along with clocks, harmonicas, sheet music, and small general retail goods. [4] Weymann had 7 children, his first born being Harry William (H. W.) Weymann.

H. W. Weymann

When H.A. Weymann died in 1892, it was Harry who took control of the business, and retained the name business name. [8] [9] [10]

Innovations

This Weymann Orchestra Style 4 banjo (1926), is displayed at the American Banjo Museum as an example of highly decorated Jazz Age banjos. Weymann Orchestra Style 4 banjo (1926), American Banjo Museum.jpg
This Weymann Orchestra Style 4 banjo (1926), is displayed at the American Banjo Museum as an example of highly decorated Jazz Age banjos.

When H.A. Weymann died in 1892, his son, Harry William Weymann, took over the business. Harry was motivated and determined to build a music company, opposed to the then current, retail business. Harry set forth a plan to manufacture and wholesale his own musical instrument line and in 1894, the first evidence of Weymann's manufacturing appeared in the S.S. Stewarts Banjo & Guitar Journal. According to an article in the Fretboard Journal, there is evidence of Weymann's employing a talented luthier named Carl C. Holzapfel who had arrived from Germany. [11] [3] [12]

In 1899, the Philadelphia S.S. Stewart Banjo factory closed following the death of the company's founder. Harry Weymann purchased a selection of materials and equipment from the factory and hired ex-Stewart workers to further develop his manufacturing business.

From late 1899 onward, H. A. Weymann began to receive significant media coverage in the Music Trade Review, along with local news press such as the Philadelphia Inquirer. From 1900 onward, Banjo production would become a large portion of manufacturing. Noteworthy, Weymann banjos from the late 1890s and early 1900s have unique traits also found in S.S. Stewart instruments. [13]

Jerry Garcia

Jerry Garcia was the guitarist and frontman for the band Grateful Dead who began his career playing a mid-grade Weymann banjo. To acquire the instrument, Jerry and his wife used their recent wedding cash and sold all of Jerry's previous instruments to afford the banjo. Jerry and his wife nicknamed the banjo "John" as the instrument had been previously inlaid with the name "John" in its Peghead. Jerry Garcia welcomed this unique oddity, as his middle name was also "John". Jerry played "John" up into the 60's where it was replaced with a high-end gold-plated Weymann. [1]

Weymann Museum

In 2017, Weymann announced their plans to develop a private museum, dedicated to the preservation of Weymann estate & factory content. The Weymann collection of instruments and antiquities, span several centuries.

Patents

References

  1. 1 2 Rothman, Sandy. "The Banjo Years". thebestofwebsite.com. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  2. ↑ Journal, Fretboard. "The Jimmie Rodgers Special". Fretboard Journal. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 Guitar World. "A Century-old Super Jumbo by Weymann". Guitar World. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  4. 1 2 Robinson, Charles (2 January 2014). "Weymann Guitars". Leaving This World. Robinson, Charles. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  5. ↑ AN EARLY 1917 WEYMANN UKULELE by Charles Robinson on Leaving This World, 15 Jan 2019
  6. ↑ Online, IMIRAD. "About". IMIRAD - international Musical Instrument Registry & Database. IMIRAD - international Musical Instrument Registry & Database. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
  7. ↑ .COM, Reverb. "Weymann Feedback (Current)". Reverb.com. Reverb.com. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
  8. ↑ Gruhn, George (8 October 2019). "Weymann Model 848". Vintage Guitar Magazine. Vintage Guitars Magazine. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  9. ↑ Robinson, Charles (June 2016). "Weymann History Part 1". Leaving This World. Charles Robinson. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  10. ↑ Network, Musician (3 June 2016). "The George Gruhn Show". Youtube - George Gruhn Show. The Musician Network. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  11. ↑ Fretboard Journal (20 September 2008). "No. 11, 2008". Fretboard Journal. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  12. ↑ University of Rochester (1882). "S.S. Stewart's Banjo & Guitar Journal". urresearch.rochester.edu. Rochester University. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  13. ↑ PBS. "S.S. Stewart Banjo". PBS.org. PBS. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
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