Weymann Jimmie Rodgers Model 890 Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1931)
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Weymann Jimmie Rodgers Model 890 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1931), made in Philadelphia, PA, serial # 45673, natural lacquer finish, mahogany back and sides, spruce top; mahogany neck with celluloid fingerboard, original black hard shell case.
Jimmie Rodgers, the "Father of Country Music" was also the first "Hillbilly" artist to endorse a signature instrument when the Weymann company of Philadelphia introduced the "Jimmie Rodgers Special" Style 890 flat top around 1930. Rodgers was never one to miss a marketing opportunity, and since C.F. Martin (whose instruments he favored) did not indulge artist endorsements Weymann was the "Next Best Thing". The Philadelphia company actually built at least two custom guitars for the "Singing Brakeman's" personal use around 1928-9, and acquired the rights to use his name on this very rare commercial model.
H. A. Weymann & Son of Philadelphia was almost as venerable a company as Martin, founded by German immigrant Henry Arnold Weymann in 1852. Originally a retail firm, they traded in goods such as jewelry and watches mostly imported from Germany. When Henry died in 1892, his son Harry William Weymann took over and steered the business into musical goods, which they began to build as well as import.
In the 1910s and '20s Weymann prospered with banjos and their unique "Mandolute". Their flat-top guitars proved less popular, but were high quality instruments broadly similar to those of C. F. Martin & Co. or Lyon & Healy. Records indicate the Weymann store sold Martin guitars, so they were well familiar with their Pennsylvania neighbor's designs! Weymann's earlier guitars and banjos were often branded "Keystone state" while later models like this carry a "Weymann" gold decal on the headstock rear. The style and serial number are stamped into the headstock's top edge.
Weymann's "Jimmie Rodgers Special Model 890" was rather different from Jimmie Rodgers' personal Weymann guitars, not as flat-out fancy but still a nicely decked-out high grade instrument. It appears in Weymann's 1931 catalog as the top of the line guitar, listing at $90 including the case. This was quite expensive, and the timing couldn't have been worse as the depression was just kicking in. The price was actually double that of Martin's mahogany 000-18 and $5 more than their 000-28, a rosewood guitar.
This model 890 is the earliest one we have seen, probably made in mid-1931. It is built on a 14 5/8" wide 12-fret mahogany body with elaborate colored wood marquetry around the bound edge of the spruce top and multi-herringbone soundhole trim. The mahogany neck has a medium "V" profile and a long 25 1/2" scale. The super flashy full length pearloid fingerboard was illustrated in the catalog; some later versions lack this feature. The solid headstock is also pearloid-faced, with a diagonal "Weymann" logo decal. The proprietary banjo tuners are neatly recessed into the back of the headstock, a distinctive Weymann touch. The top is X-braced and intended for steel strings; Gut was offered as an option "if desired". Oddly the only mention of Rodgers' endorsement on the instrument proper is a small paper label under the soundhole reading "Jimmie Rodgers Special Model -- Victor Recording and National Radio Artist".
Even as pre-war flat tops go this is an extremely rare guitar, with only a handful known to exist. Very few were apparently ever made and most fall into a fairly close serial number range, suggesting a short production span. The few that have surfaced show numerous small variations in dimensions and features suggesting they were individually hand made. This one represents the earliest and most visually striking version, trimmed out in flashy pearloid.
Weymann was brought down by the depression and ceased instrument manufacturing instruments in 1933, after that point selling re-branded Chicago catalog guitars. The Jimmie Rodgers Special is their glorious 6-string swan song, a really fine instrument all around. The sound is powerful and rich, with a bit more top end sing than many similar Martins but never lacking in depth. This is one of the few guitars of the pre-war era truly comparable to the early steel-string Martins, a fine instrument in every way and great and extremely rare piece of fretted history.
Overall length is 38 3/4 in. (98.4 cm.), 14 5/8 in. (37.1 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 1/4 in. (10.8 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.).
Overall this is a very nicely preserved and original guitar for its age, now over 90 years along The very thin lacquer finish is original with some minor checking and typical wear including dings, scratches and scuffs overall with some very minor touchups here and there. The turn of the treble side below the heel has some deeper scratching and there are a couple of deeper dinks on the top. The finish on the back of the neck is very clean, the instrument not appearing to have been actually played all that much.
There are a couple of old spruce grain splits to the spruce top, one just above the fingerboard off the front edge and the other to the lower bass bout, off the back edge. Both were neatly sealed long ago with the lightest finish polish out. The rest of the guitar is crack free.
Internally the very neatly done slim X-bracing and tiny maple bridge plate are original. The bridge itself is a bit of a mystery. It is dark lacquered wood in the period Weymann flat-end style; our best guess is it was lacquered over at some point but it is possible it is an ancient replacement. It was once reattached in either case, with some slight disturbance around the edges and what looks like a tiny plugged pinhole in the treble side of the bridgeplate. The pearl dot bridgepins appear original, or at least period.
The often fragile original Weymann banjo tuners are all intact and functional. The neck looks to have been neatly reset and the frets and bone nut remain original without much wear at all. This is a very lovely sounding and fine playing guitar, even considering the sometimes problematic pearloid fingerboard. These were originally built for steel strings and this one is structurally still quite solid 90 years along. We rarely find high grade, larger body non-Martin flat top guitars of this era and quality that are as functional and as original as this one.
This unique Weymann a delight to play with a very powerful but still responsive tone, equally suited to fingerpicking or flatpick use. The purple-lined hard shell case is original as well, and an even rarer find than the guitar! Pre-war flat tops that are not Martins (or, OK Larsons too) don't come much better than this, a truly historic instrument that is also a joy to play. Excellent Condition.
Jimmie Rodgers, the "Father of Country Music" was also the first "Hillbilly" artist to endorse a signature instrument when the Weymann company of Philadelphia introduced the "Jimmie Rodgers Special" Style 890 flat top around 1930. Rodgers was never one to miss a marketing opportunity, and since C.F. Martin (whose instruments he favored) did not indulge artist endorsements Weymann was the "Next Best Thing". The Philadelphia company actually built at least two custom guitars for the "Singing Brakeman's" personal use around 1928-9, and acquired the rights to use his name on this very rare commercial model.
H. A. Weymann & Son of Philadelphia was almost as venerable a company as Martin, founded by German immigrant Henry Arnold Weymann in 1852. Originally a retail firm, they traded in goods such as jewelry and watches mostly imported from Germany. When Henry died in 1892, his son Harry William Weymann took over and steered the business into musical goods, which they began to build as well as import.
In the 1910s and '20s Weymann prospered with banjos and their unique "Mandolute". Their flat-top guitars proved less popular, but were high quality instruments broadly similar to those of C. F. Martin & Co. or Lyon & Healy. Records indicate the Weymann store sold Martin guitars, so they were well familiar with their Pennsylvania neighbor's designs! Weymann's earlier guitars and banjos were often branded "Keystone state" while later models like this carry a "Weymann" gold decal on the headstock rear. The style and serial number are stamped into the headstock's top edge.
Weymann's "Jimmie Rodgers Special Model 890" was rather different from Jimmie Rodgers' personal Weymann guitars, not as flat-out fancy but still a nicely decked-out high grade instrument. It appears in Weymann's 1931 catalog as the top of the line guitar, listing at $90 including the case. This was quite expensive, and the timing couldn't have been worse as the depression was just kicking in. The price was actually double that of Martin's mahogany 000-18 and $5 more than their 000-28, a rosewood guitar.
This model 890 is the earliest one we have seen, probably made in mid-1931. It is built on a 14 5/8" wide 12-fret mahogany body with elaborate colored wood marquetry around the bound edge of the spruce top and multi-herringbone soundhole trim. The mahogany neck has a medium "V" profile and a long 25 1/2" scale. The super flashy full length pearloid fingerboard was illustrated in the catalog; some later versions lack this feature. The solid headstock is also pearloid-faced, with a diagonal "Weymann" logo decal. The proprietary banjo tuners are neatly recessed into the back of the headstock, a distinctive Weymann touch. The top is X-braced and intended for steel strings; Gut was offered as an option "if desired". Oddly the only mention of Rodgers' endorsement on the instrument proper is a small paper label under the soundhole reading "Jimmie Rodgers Special Model -- Victor Recording and National Radio Artist".
Even as pre-war flat tops go this is an extremely rare guitar, with only a handful known to exist. Very few were apparently ever made and most fall into a fairly close serial number range, suggesting a short production span. The few that have surfaced show numerous small variations in dimensions and features suggesting they were individually hand made. This one represents the earliest and most visually striking version, trimmed out in flashy pearloid.
Weymann was brought down by the depression and ceased instrument manufacturing instruments in 1933, after that point selling re-branded Chicago catalog guitars. The Jimmie Rodgers Special is their glorious 6-string swan song, a really fine instrument all around. The sound is powerful and rich, with a bit more top end sing than many similar Martins but never lacking in depth. This is one of the few guitars of the pre-war era truly comparable to the early steel-string Martins, a fine instrument in every way and great and extremely rare piece of fretted history.
Overall length is 38 3/4 in. (98.4 cm.), 14 5/8 in. (37.1 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 1/4 in. (10.8 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.).
Overall this is a very nicely preserved and original guitar for its age, now over 90 years along The very thin lacquer finish is original with some minor checking and typical wear including dings, scratches and scuffs overall with some very minor touchups here and there. The turn of the treble side below the heel has some deeper scratching and there are a couple of deeper dinks on the top. The finish on the back of the neck is very clean, the instrument not appearing to have been actually played all that much.
There are a couple of old spruce grain splits to the spruce top, one just above the fingerboard off the front edge and the other to the lower bass bout, off the back edge. Both were neatly sealed long ago with the lightest finish polish out. The rest of the guitar is crack free.
Internally the very neatly done slim X-bracing and tiny maple bridge plate are original. The bridge itself is a bit of a mystery. It is dark lacquered wood in the period Weymann flat-end style; our best guess is it was lacquered over at some point but it is possible it is an ancient replacement. It was once reattached in either case, with some slight disturbance around the edges and what looks like a tiny plugged pinhole in the treble side of the bridgeplate. The pearl dot bridgepins appear original, or at least period.
The often fragile original Weymann banjo tuners are all intact and functional. The neck looks to have been neatly reset and the frets and bone nut remain original without much wear at all. This is a very lovely sounding and fine playing guitar, even considering the sometimes problematic pearloid fingerboard. These were originally built for steel strings and this one is structurally still quite solid 90 years along. We rarely find high grade, larger body non-Martin flat top guitars of this era and quality that are as functional and as original as this one.
This unique Weymann a delight to play with a very powerful but still responsive tone, equally suited to fingerpicking or flatpick use. The purple-lined hard shell case is original as well, and an even rarer find than the guitar! Pre-war flat tops that are not Martins (or, OK Larsons too) don't come much better than this, a truly historic instrument that is also a joy to play. Excellent Condition.