BOHMANN, JOSEPH

Luthier Joseph H. Bohmann was born in Neumarkt (Bohemia), Czechoslovakia in 1848. He later emigrated to America, and then founded Bohmann's American Musical Industry in 1878. He produced several types of instruments including flattop acoustic guitars, harp guitars, mandolins, banjos, and violins. Bohmann's Perfect Artist violins won a number of international honors, and his American mandolin model was the top of the line in both the Montgomery Ward and Sears catalogs in 1894. Bohmann guitars were available in many different configurations and sizes including 12, 13, 14, and 15 in. bodies. By 1900, Bohmann had thirteen styles of the Concert, Grand Concert, and Standard models. By 1900, Bohmann was offering thirteen grades of guitars. Source: Michael Wright, Vintage Guitar Magazine.