Oscar Schmidt Inc.

Autoharp OS73C

Ukulele OU5
Guitar OG-2
Stella parlor guitar (1930s)

The Oscar Schmidt Company was and is a musical-instrument manufacturer (also selling under the names "Oscar Schmidt Inc.," "Oscar Schmidt Musical House," "Manufacturers Advertising Company," "Oscar Schmidt-International Corporation," and "Oscar Schmidt-International, Inc."), that designed and manufactured numerous models of parlour instruments including lap harps, Autoharps, chord zithers, the Guitarophone (a zither/metal-disc playing hybrid), the Marxophone and Ukelins. The company, now owned by U.S. Music Corporation, continues to manufacture autoharps, ukuleles, guitars, banjos and mandolins.

History

Founded by Oscar and Otto Schmidt in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1871, the company applied for dozens of patents in musical instruments and related equipment. The Oscar Schmidt Company was formally incorporated in 1911. At its peak in the early 1920s, the company operated manufacturing facilities in five cities.

The instruments were primarily sold door-to-door by travelling musical salesmen from the early 1880s until 1965. The company often employed current events as a marketing strategy. Each year, the company would offer new "special editions" of its products linked to newsworthy events likely to appeal to the sympathy of customers the salesforce would encounter. These special editions would include a small dedication commemorating the event and sheet music also written to commemorate the event. The company's salesmen kept detailed records of the buying habits of customers, and the selection of special editions was made annually with the intent to sell additional instruments to existing customers.

The company's instruments were intended to be relatively easy to play for amateurs. Oscar Schmidt designed small, portable, durable instruments intended to be easy to learn, and useful for family entertainment in the decades between the Civil War and the emergence of radio and later television.

The company name changed to Oscar Schmidt International upon merging with Hoboken's International Musical Corporation in late 1931,[1] and then in 1935 to Fretted Instrument Manufacturers before falling to bankruptcy. The Harmony Company in 1939 purchased rights for Oscar Schmidt trademarks, including Stella, Sovereign, and La Scala.

Current Company

Oscar Schmidt is currently located in Buffalo Grove, IL and is a subsidiary of U.S. Music Corporation. They manufacture Autoharps (the name Autoharp is owned by Oscar Schmidt), ukuleles, guitars, basses, banjos and mandolins.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Becky Blackley (1 September 1983). The autoharp book. I.A.D. Publications. p. 105. ISBN 978-0-912827-01-8.
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