Lehigh Valley Folk Music Society
Instruments
Weissenborn Guitar (Hawaiian Lap Steel)

The Weissenborn guitar, otherwise called a Hawaiian lap steel guitar, and also known by the name “kona” guitar to the avid guitar collector, is the grandfather of the modern Dobro. With its raised string action, frets flush with the fingerboard, square hollow neck and its bright and flaming featherweight koa wood construction, these guitars captivated many a folk musician during the early part of the 20th Century. This style guitar was conceived and built in the early 1920's and 30’s by a German piano and violin maker, Hermann C. Weissenborn, who immigrated to America in 1902 and who lived in Los Angeles. With the boom in Hawaiian music in America created by the Hawaiian music expose at the 1918 San Francisco Exposition, Weissenborn started hand-making ukuleles and these captivating Hawaiian steel guitars. Unlike typical Spanish-neck guitars used for lap playing with a steel slide, these style guitars, with their hollow-neck and unibody koa construction, offered much more volume and sustain. Due to their sweet timbre, expressive tone, eye catching design and the haunting sound of the koa wood, these guitars were an instant hit among folk musicians and stayed in demand only until the advent of the Dobro and the death of its creator, Herman Weissenborn, in 1937. Thus, Weissenborn-style guitars had not been made for 60 years, but thanks to recent national masters of the Dobro, such as Jerry Douglas, these guitars are seeing a resurgence of interest among musicians. They can be used for virtually any musical style from folk, country, rock, gospel, Hawaiian, blues and even South American folk music. Prices for the rare originals have skyrocketed, but fortunately several of today’s great luthiers and guitar makers (for example, Bear Creek Guitars in Maui and David Dart Guitars in Los Angeles) are manufacturing quality reproductions. You are drawn to this instrument in a strange but beautiful way when you first experience its haunting and beautiful sound. There is no other style guitar that sounds like it, and it mysteriously allows your inner thoughts to be so satisfyingly expressed so warmly in music. Once you begin playing this instrument, you will find an escape into your own world of musical dreams and creativity and you will find it very difficult to return, as you continually hear its remarkable sound. To speak further about its quality of sound, read these paraphrased remarks from Christianoyens.com.br of several popular players of the Weissenborn:

“These instruments have magical qualities of sound, both bass and treble, with amazing sustain.”

"The Weissenborn has the gift of human vocal quality; a richness that captures both sweetness and edge. Under capable hands, it will give your music a life that speaks of emotions and colors, experiences and journeys - this is what happens to me every time I play a Weissenborn.”

“It is the greatest sounding acoustic instrument ever made. It is very expressive and it says something new to me everyday. Every time I pick it up it sings something new.

"The Weissenborn is the sound that is in me. Nothing else can channel the spirit of my music."

Yes, the Lehigh Valley Folk Music Society occasionally features an original Weissenborn played by one of its musicians.

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