SS Stewart Guitar--When was it made?

by MIKE
(Troy,Al)

I have this old ss stewart arch top guitar. The stamp on the inside says "S35". Does this mean it was made in 1935?

ANSWER

Hi, Mike--

The guitar was most likely manufactured for Harmony Guitars during the 1950's.

From the Blue Book:

"Instruments also produced as Stewart & Bauer. Instruments previously produced in Philadelphia, PA, during the late 1800s.
S.S. Stewart was a major banjo producer of the late 1800s, and was one of the first to apply mass production techniques to instrument building with good consequences. Stewart became partners with well-known guitar builder George Bauer, and issued guitars under the Stewart & Bauer trademark from Philadelphia.
After the company was dissolved, Stewart´s family put out guitars under the S.S. Stewart´s Sons trademark. The Stewart name also appears on a series of entry level to medium grade guitars built by Harmony (circa 1950s); and others for Weymann. These later models are not at the same level of quality as the Philadelphia-era models."

Lynne

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