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 musical instrument manufacturing company established in 1871. During its long existence, Oscar Schmidt has produced a wide range of string instruments, not only guitars but also numerous models of parlour instruments such as autoharps, celtic harps, guitar zithers, the "guitarophone" (a zither/metal-disc playing hybrid),[3] marxophones[4] and bowed psalteries (or "ukelins").[1]
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]