Looking for '30s Swedish catalogs

[snapcase]

As some of you already know, I'm an avid researcher of the old European guitars. Though I pay some attention to the hollowbody electrics (no solid planks, please) my main interest are acoustics of any kind with an special addiction to the archtops. I've been researching the post war makers from all over Europe for a while. From the WWII end to 1970. By the mid '60s the japanese and US made products started to flood the European market. Many makers went bankrupt or sold their business to major companies in that period. The original and unique European styles of building guitars started to decay as the makers started copying what the US makers where doing trying to be competitive. Sadly the European personality of guitar making was gone forever. So no special interest for me beyond this point (1970). I don't want to research clones and copycats.

I'll keep researching the "easy" post war years. Easy because there is some info, catalogs, forums and mates to share good info, opinions and ideas. But now it's time to jump a step back to the '30s. Those years are certainly obscure and hard to research and not much folks show any special interest for the weird pre war stuff. I'm a passionate of that decade. For me, the golden era of the guitar making (at both sides of the ocean, of course). So I'll keep going anyway.

I'm looking for '30s catalogs of Swedish dealers, traders and importers. Obscure or small domestic makers would be great too. Any one knows any source, website or whatever to find any? Anyone having this kind of catalogs to share, swap, trade sell?

Thanks.

[Klangfix]

This is at least something to start with:

www.vintage-guitars.se/Levin_info.htm

Maybe you have already found this. Anyway, you will find some catalogs too including other makers.

The catalogs are here:

www.vintage-guitars.se/Levin_catalogs.htm

[snapcase]

I know that site as well as some others. Thanks anyway, Klangfix.

What I'm actually looking for are not exactly swedish guitars, there are plenty of catalogs of these guitars. It's stunning how well covered is the Levin History. I think there is not a best known history compared with any other old European brand or maker. I guess that a war free territory as Sweden was, has a lot to do about old stuff preservation, unlike other continental countries where many pre war stuff and papers were lost or destroyed in the WWII.

What I'm looking for are German and Czech guitars imported into Sweden before the WWII. Though any Swedish pre war grandma will be always welcome, of course!

[Klangfix]

Today I found a German musical instrument catalog from the 1930´s on internet in a book store. I ordered it even though it was rather expensive, but I will share it later.

[snapcase]

Great!!!! ;D

[mikjans]

Hi Snapcase,

I guess you´re familiar with my books about the Hagström company: "Musik för miljoner" which is in Swedish and is more of a company biography. It ´s in Swedish but there is a Summary in English pdf. Then there ´s "Super Swede" about the guitars and basses, it´s bi-lingual (Swedish and English).

Best, Mikael

[snapcase]

Hi Mikael, I had no idea about those books. Thanks for pointing out.

[mikjans]

Snapcase, Send me an e-mail at <[e-mail]> and we´ll take it from there. /Mikael

[Klangfix]

There is a DVD of the Hagström history too.

[mikjans]

Snapcase - I assume that you´re aware of a couple of other Swedish archtop makers: the Frii brothers and Ramona.
Then there´s a number of Finns as well: Landola, Johannes Malmström, Paul Kurt Lippert etc.

Mikael

[snapcase]

I'm not specially interested in Hagström. My main interest are the acoustic archtops and they didn't made too many of them, and specially of good quality. The few Landolas I saw are laminated budget guitars. Interesting to know but not something I'd like to play at first instance. I've never seen a Malmström or Lippert archtop.

Yes, I'm aware of many scandinavian archtop makers. ;D I know some Frii, Kay-Tone, Andersson, (Highly appealing) Barslev, Crafton, Eriksberg, Excelsior, Ganndal, Jensen, etc... But i've never played any... just seen pictures.

[mikjans]

Hagström´s Jimmy models were laminate, as were all the Hagström achtops made in their Norwegian factory 1947-1962. An interesting fact is that James D´Aquisto purchased a number of Hagström laminate bodies which he used for some of his guitars. One was played by Joe Pass, another by Mundell Lowe (he still uses his). Ther´s also about ten D´Aquisto/Hagström prototypes floating around - laminate.