Oscar Schmidt Inc.
Company type | Private (1871–1939?) Brand (1939–present) |
---|---|
Industry | Musical instruments |
Founded | 1871Jersey City, New Jersey | in
Founder | Oscar & Otto Schmidt |
Fate | Rights to name acquired by Harmony Company in 1939;[1] then by Fretted Industries Inc. in 1978 [2] |
Headquarters | |
Area served | Worldwide |
Products | List |
Parent | U.S. Music Corp. |
Website | oscarschmidt.com |
Oscar Schmidt was a
Through its history, the company has changed its name several times, selling under the names "Oscar Schmidt Inc.," "Oscar Schmidt Musical House," "Manufacturers Advertising Company," "Oscar Schmidt-International Corporation," and "Oscar Schmidt-International, Inc.".
Products currently sold under the Oscar Schmidt brand are electric, acoustic and classical guitars, autoharps, banjos, ukuleles and mandolins. Oscar Schmidt is currently a brand of U.S. Music Corp, a subsidiary of Canadian corporate group Exertis | JAM.[5]
History
Oscar Schmidt (1857–1929) was a German immigrant to the United States who was involved in selling musical instruments in Jersey City, New Jersey. Founded by Oscar and his brother Otto in 1871, the "Otto Schmidt Co." applied for dozens of patents in musical instruments and related equipment. The Oscar Schmidt Company was formally incorporated in 1911.[1]
At the same time, he was buying guitar zithers from another German immigrant and manufacturer, W.F. Menzenhauer, who had a factory in the same city and had developed a fretless guitar zither. Having realised the potential of Menzenhauer's invention, Schmidt partnered with him in 1896, forming together the Menzenhauer & Schmidt Company, therefore expanding the factory and enjoying commercial success.[1]
The success of the guitar zithers by Menzenhauer & Schmidt spread not only throughout the US but worldwide. Schmidt established distributors in several cities of Europe and also in South Africa and Australia. In 1900, Schmidt bought out the company, taking total control. By 1903, the production of mandolins outstripped production of zithers. By those times, Schmidt expanded its range of products, also making banjo and guitars. In 1912, the factory had about 150 employees.[1] At its peak in the early 1920s, the company operated manufacturing facilities in five cities.
The instruments were primarily sold
The company continued to thrive and manufactured a large array of string instruments, with over 150 instruments exhibited at the 1926 Music Convention. The company also operated a wide number of guitar brands such as Stella, Sovereign, La Scala, Oahu, Bruno, Galiano, Miami, Reliance, Bluebird, Collegiate, Avalon, Marcia, Lyra, Victoria and Jewel, all the instruments manufactured by Schmidt.[6]
The company's instruments were intended to be relatively easy to play for
The company struggled during the early 1930s —following the death of Oscar Schmidt in 1929—and was finally dissolved on May 18, 1937. However, in October 1936 just prior to the company's dissolution, a new company had been formed—Oscar Schmidt-International Inc.—which thrived until the spring of 1978 when falling under Chapter 11 control it was purchased by the owners of Fretted Industries Inc.,[2] later renamed Washburn International.
References
- ^ a b c d e Oscar Schmidt Company (1897 – c.1939) by Charles Robinson on LeavingThisWorld.com, 13 Dec 2018
- ^ a b Becky Blackley. The Autoharp Book.
- ^ Oscar Schmidt's Guitarophone
- ^ Oscar Schmidt marxophone
- ^ "JAM Industries Rebrands as Exertis JAM and Reaffirms Commitment to Core Values". Yahoo. Yahoo. 13 October 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
- ISBN 9780977379408