Guitars

Guitar Pedals & Musical Accessories

Guitar Pedals

Guitar Pedals

Guitar Pedals

Musical Accessories

Musical Accessories

Musical Accessories

History of Soviet guitars

There are many guitar manufacturers in the world: Fender, Gibson, ESP, LTD, Jackson, Yamaha, and many other foreign brands. The key word is «foreign» for a Soviet citizen in the 50s.

And what is happening at this time with the production of guitars in a country with an «Iron Curtain» and a ban on everything Western - in the USSR and in the countries of the communist camp?

Everything western of USSR borders was called the West, including the US and Canada. Already in the 30s, the first working prototypes of guitars with pickups appeared in the West, and in the 50s their large-scale production was launched.

Meanwhile, in the Soviet Union, the production of electric guitars was in the hands of local craftsmen who produced guitars in single copies, which is why the presence of a guitar in the house of a Soviet citizen was very rare and was considered almost a luxury item.

However, in the early 50s, industrial production of acoustic guitars was created. Thus in 1954 the first jazz style acoustic guitar «Cremona LIGNATONE» (Czechoslovakia) and «HERRNSDORF» (GDR) appeared. In the early 60s, acoustic guitars with installed pickups were already being produced - «Murphy ART410».

In 1956 the Moscow Musical Instruments Factory produced the first electric guitar - Hawaiian electric guitar with one detachable pickup.

In 1958, the first unique electric guitar «Musima Spezial» with a built-in pickup in the neck (relog) was produced in the GDR.

In the late 50s, the Czechoslovak musical instrument factory mass-produced electric guitars with a pickup - «Jolana NEOTON». After which they created a huge range of models, among which were the «Jolana» bass guitars. In 1960, the famous semi-acoustic electric guitar «Musima Record 15» began to be mass produced in the GDR.

In the mid-70s, the world-famous Soviet guitar «Ural» and later the guitar «Aelita» appeared. The multitude of switches on the guitar gave rise to an equal number of jokes and legends because the switches had virtually no effect on the sound. However, guitar makers of that time brought guitars to an acceptable condition with the help of a soldering iron and ingenuity :)

The guitar industry continued to develop, and production quality, design, and sound improved. New brands «Roden» and «Formanta» appeared, which had quite great prospects not only in the Soviet Union but throughout the world.

I enjoy finding a new home for vintage, rare, and historically valuable musical instruments. Over 9 years of work, my team and I have helped a lot of people around the world collect big collections of vintage guitars with a large history. Today, musicians perform their concerts using guitars from our store, and great connoisseurs open exhibitions and museums in the USA, United Kingdom, Canada, and Germany.

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