Levin Guitars Information please
Robert McCourty
boys and girls network here at RMMGA. My buddie has a "Levin"
classical/spanish, made in Goteborg Sweden by A. B. Carlson.
Some say it was an export brand name of Goya Guitars. (before they were
bought by Martin) Hagstrom used to make a line of guitars called Goya,
but me thinks the classical Goyas are a horse of a totally different
color. To make it more confusing I found information relating to a
famous luthier "Luis Goya" from Spain. Did Luis get his name on guitars
in Sweden or was there another Goya in the woodshed? Lot's of grey
areas. Looking for basic value of the instrument (it looks and sounds
great) and as much history about Levin /A. B. Carlson as possible. Can
anyone out there help with more info? Thanks and Caio.
Robert
JOHNPEARSE
The firm of Herman Carlson Levin was established in Goteborg, Sweden in the
late 1800s and produced some truly great guitars over the years. (You may have
seen the well-known photograph of Django Reinhardt playing an arch-top guitar
with multiple binding. Well, that was a Levin!) In the late fifties and the
early sixties they were very prominent in the emerging European Folk Scene,
introducing high quality instruments at surprisingly modest prices. One of
their most successful models was a dreadnought which they called the
"Goliath."(I had one in 1960. Sure wish I had it now!) I got to know the
company president, Goran Levin, in the seventies when I was helping them
develop a fingerstyle ragtime model. He told me that, when the folk line was
introduced into the American market a decision was made to change the name as
Levin was thought by the importer to sound too Jewish! After some thought
Goran came up with the Goya name. It was, he said, a little private
joke."Goyische" being Yiddish for non-Jewish.
In the late seventies, Martin became interested in purchasing the Levin plant
with a view to having a line of European Martin guitars made there. I was
invited to fly over to Goteborg to assist Martin's John Huber with preliminary
discussions. The deal went through, Levin was bought and a few prototype
European Martin prototypes were built. (They were very good! Sure wish I'd
bought one!)
However, what with one thing and another -- Martin going through a crippling
union-related strike, money being in short supply - the European Martin
project got back-burnered and, I presume, eventually forgotten. To the best of
my knowledge, the Levin name is now defunct, though Martin did use (may even
still use) the Goya name for an inexpensive line of imported guitars from the
Orient.
John Pearse.
Neil Harpe
This thread is of particular interest to me at this time. Last Sunday, at a
flea-market, I purchased an interesting (and quite nice sounding, with great
action) acoustic Hagstrom guitar - for $35!
It has a sunburst, too! At first glance, it looks like a Gibson. But it has
a strange combination of fan-bracing and pin bridge. No fingerboard markers,
peghead shape very nearly the same as a Gibson. Vaguely dread-not shape,
only slightly smaller. I would say, judging from the amount of finish
crazing, that the guitar was made some time during the 1950's.
I have it here at my studio. It's a nice guitar for taking a few moments
break from my art work. Has anybody in this group come across a guitar like
this? Unlike my friend, Mr. Pearse, I know next to nothing about European
guitars. I do know Swedish cars, though! I drive a '66 Volvo 122S wagon & a
'67 Volvo P-1800. I like the idea of having a Swede guitar to accompany me
to the various Volvo car events I attend, by-yiminie!
Neil (anything from Sweden is okay with me) Harpe
Robert McCourty
<johnp...@aol.com> wrote... extremely valuable and pertinent
information about Levin Guitars.
John...can't thank you enough. My friend will be most pleased to learn
of the uniqueness of his instrument. I knew the members of RMMGA would
come through. Love this group!
Thanks again.
Robert
P.S. I use your strings exclusively. Excellent!
robert_mccourty
>>This thread is of particular interest to me at this time.
Neil. Hope you got to read John's response. It was excellent. I
can send it to you if your newsreader missed it.
I found this follow up (by you) accidentally.
Hope you got the info.
Cheers,
Robert
Robert Abramowitz
>-------snipping---------<
>....a decision was made to change the name, as
> Levin was thought by the importer to sound too Jewish! After some thought
> Goran came up with the Goya name. It was, he said, a little private
> joke."Goyische" being Yiddish for non-Jewish.
I love this story! Goya "folk guitars" were quite common in Southern
California back then; my friend Neil Fond always called his Goya a
"shiksa", which is a Yiddish word for a non-jewish female as is "goya".
I knew at the time that the guitars were made by Levin, and I always
had a nagging feeling that there was a joke in there someplace.
Thank you!
Bob Abramowitz