Hermann Weissenborn: The Father of the Acoustic Lap Steel Guitar

Hermann Weissenborn (1863–1937)

Hermann Weissenborn was a German-born instrument maker who became one of the most influential figures in the history of Hawaiian-style lap steel guitars. Born Karl Hermann Heinrich Weissenborn in Hannover in 1863, he first trained as a piano repairer and craftsman before emigrating to the United States at the beginning of the 20th century. After time working in New York’s bustling piano industry, he eventually settled in Los Angeles, where his life took a decisive turn.

Introduced to Hawaiian music through local players and teachers, Weissenborn began experimenting with building instruments suited to the new steel-guitar style that was spreading from Hawaii to the U.S. mainland. In 1913, at around 50 years old, he crafted his first hollow-neck Hawaiian guitar. These designs gave the instrument a uniquely resonant and sustained voice that set them apart from conventional guitars of the time.

By the early 1920s, Weissenborn had established himself as a full-time luthier, producing steel guitars of varying levels of ornamentation, often built from Hawaiian koa wood. His instruments were celebrated for their shimmering, bell-like tone, and they became a staple for musicians during the Hawaiian music craze of the 1920s. Even as competition grew from louder resonator guitars and later electric instruments, Weissenborn’s craftsmanship retained its reputation for elegance and tonal purity.

Weissenborn worked until the mid-1930s, passing away in Los Angeles in 1937. Though relatively obscure in his own lifetime, his instruments were rediscovered in the 1960s folk revival and later championed by players like David Lindley and Ben Harper. Today, “Weissenborn” has become a generic term for the style of acoustic lap steel guitar he pioneered, cementing Hermann’s legacy as a master craftsman whose vision permanently shaped the sound of slide guitar.