Stella (guitar)
Encyclopedia
Stella was a brand of guitar
s. The Stella brand was owned by the Oscar Schmidt Company
and was founded around 1899. Stella produced low-mid level stringed instruments. Stella guitars were played by several notable artists including Leadbelly
and Charlie Patton
. Doc Watson
began playing on a Stella guitar. Kurt Cobain
of Nirvana
played an acoustic Stella guitar on the recording of the song Polly
from the Nevermind
album. Stella was acquired by the Harmony Company
in 1939. The brand was dissolved in 1974. It has since been reintroduced by M.B.T. International.
by the Oscar Schmidt Company. Other Schmidt brands include Sovereign and La Scala. The Oscar Schmidt Company produced low and mid level stringed instruments such as guitars, mandolin
s, banjo
s and Autoharp
s.
The Company thrived during the first quarter of the 20th Century, producing many thousands of Stella guitars, mandolins and banjos. In 1920, the Oscar Schmidt Company was said to be the largest manufacturer of stringed instrument in the world. Stellas were noted for both their good tone and their relatively low price. The fanciest Stella and Sovereign guitars carried a price tag that was just a fraction of the price of even the cheapest Gibson
or C. F. Martin
instrument.
Although they continued making Autoharps, after struggling through the Great Depression
, the Oscar Schmidt Company finally had to sell off their fretted instrument division in the late 1930s. Schmidt's Stella, Sovereign and La Scala brands were acquired by the Harmony Company
of Chicago, Illinois in 1939. Harmony went on to produce student grade Stella instruments as well as mid-level Sovereign guitars and banjos.
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s. The Stella brand was owned by the Oscar Schmidt Company
Oscar Schmidt Inc.
The Oscar Schmidt Company designed and manufactured numerous models of parlour instruments including lap harps, autoharps, germania harps, chord zithers, regent zithers, and ukelins. The company, now owned by U.S...
and was founded around 1899. Stella produced low-mid level stringed instruments. Stella guitars were played by several notable artists including Leadbelly
Leadbelly
Huddie William Ledbetter was an iconic American folk and blues musician, notable for his strong vocals, his virtuosity on the twelve-string guitar, and the songbook of folk standards he introduced....
and Charlie Patton
Charlie Patton
Charlie Patton , better known as Charley Patton, was an American Delta blues musician. He is considered by many to be the "Father of the Delta Blues", and is credited with creating an enduring body of American music and personally inspiring just about every Delta blues man...
. Doc Watson
Doc Watson
Arthel Lane "Doc" Watson is an American guitar player, songwriter and singer of bluegrass, folk, country, blues and gospel music. He has won seven Grammy awards as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Watson's flatpicking skills and knowledge of traditional American music are highly regarded...
began playing on a Stella guitar. Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
of Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
played an acoustic Stella guitar on the recording of the song Polly
Polly
"Polly" is a nickname for Mary, which was derived from another nickname for Mary, Molly. It is sometimes used as a name in its own right.-Persons:*Polly Adams, English actress*Polly Adler, Russian born American madam and author...
from the Nevermind
Nevermind
Nevermind is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991. Produced by Butch Vig, Nevermind was the group's first release on DGC Records...
album. Stella was acquired by the Harmony Company
Harmony Company
thumb|right|250px|A collection of Harmony guitars:SS Stewart gold acoustic, H73 [[Roy Smeck]], H37 Hollywood, Silvertone 1446, H44 StratotoneThe Harmony Company was an American company that, in its heyday, was the largest musical instrument manufacturer in the USA...
in 1939. The brand was dissolved in 1974. It has since been reintroduced by M.B.T. International.
History
Stella was one of several musical instrument brands made in Jersey City, New JerseyJersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
by the Oscar Schmidt Company. Other Schmidt brands include Sovereign and La Scala. The Oscar Schmidt Company produced low and mid level stringed instruments such as guitars, mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
s, banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
s and Autoharp
Autoharp
The autoharp is a musical string instrument having a series of chord bars attached to dampers, which, when depressed, mute all of the strings other than those that form the desired chord. Despite its name, the autoharp is not a harp at all, but a chorded zither. -History:There is debate over the...
s.
The Company thrived during the first quarter of the 20th Century, producing many thousands of Stella guitars, mandolins and banjos. In 1920, the Oscar Schmidt Company was said to be the largest manufacturer of stringed instrument in the world. Stellas were noted for both their good tone and their relatively low price. The fanciest Stella and Sovereign guitars carried a price tag that was just a fraction of the price of even the cheapest Gibson
Gibson Guitar Corporation
The Gibson Guitar Corporation, formerly of Kalamazoo, Michigan and currently of Nashville, Tennessee, manufactures guitars and other instruments which sell under a variety of brand names...
or C. F. Martin
C. F. Martin & Company
C.F. Martin & Company is a US guitar manufacturer established in 1833 by Christian Frederick Martin. Martin is highly regarded for its steel-string guitars, and is a leading mass manufacturer of flattop acoustics with models that retail for thousands of dollars and vintage instruments that often...
instrument.
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, the Oscar Schmidt Company finally had to sell off their fretted instrument division in the late 1930s. Schmidt's Stella, Sovereign and La Scala brands were acquired by the Harmony Company
Harmony Company
thumb|right|250px|A collection of Harmony guitars:SS Stewart gold acoustic, H73 [[Roy Smeck]], H37 Hollywood, Silvertone 1446, H44 StratotoneThe Harmony Company was an American company that, in its heyday, was the largest musical instrument manufacturer in the USA...
of Chicago, Illinois in 1939. Harmony went on to produce student grade Stella instruments as well as mid-level Sovereign guitars and banjos.