Joseph Bohmann 1916

Born in Bohemia, Bohmann later emigrated to the United States. He eventually settled in Chicago, which was then developing into a major center for instrument making. There, Bohmann began a career in which he emerged as an exceptionally skilled and experimental maker, with a wide range of productions ranging from guitars and mandolins to violins, harp-guitars, and zithers. 

Bohmann was known as a perfectionist who constantly sought ways to achieve greater volume, projection, and clarity from his instruments. His work was praised not only for the quality of its construction but also for its technical ingenuity. He obtained several patents, including innovative bracing systems and sound-optimizing designs that were far ahead of their time. This Joseph Bohmann guitar features several of these patents, such as those for the tuning machines, the arched front and back of the body, the bridge construction, the internal vibration system, and the sloping shoulders of the body. 

The guitar is a fascinating instrument that, despite being over a century old, is packed with revolutionary innovations. The arched maple body has a similarly arched spruce top, supported by unique Z-shaped bracing. Thanks to its body shape and sympathetic metal rods, the guitar has a distinctive sound, and some notes possess beautiful definition and depth. The sound is even reminiscent of a reverb!

What makes Bohmann's instruments so special is the interplay of craftsmanship and experimentation: solid woods, luxurious inlays, complex bracing, and often unique construction details not found in any other builder of the period. His guitars are characterized by remarkable volume and a rich, direct response, qualities rarely found in classical instruments of the time. Due to his technically driven approach and progressive designs, Bohmann is considered by many experts to be one of the first truly “modern” guitar makers in America.