The Weissenborn Hollowneck Guitar

Origins of the Hollowneck Design

Before Hermann Weissenborn’s name became synonymous with the hollowneck lap steel guitar, earlier experiments were already taking place on the U.S. West Coast. Instrument maker Chris Knutsen, working in Seattle in the early 1900s, built unusual guitars with extended necks designed for Hawaiian-style playing. These prototypes hinted at the potential of the design, but it was Hermann Weissenborn, a German immigrant craftsman in Los Angeles, who refined the idea and gave it its most iconic form.

Hermann Weissenborn’s Innovation

By around 1913, Hermann Weissenborn began producing guitars with a fully hollow neck that extended into the body of the instrument. Unlike a standard acoustic guitar, which has a solid neck joined to the body, Weissenborn’s design created one continuous resonant chamber. This gave the guitars:

  • A rich, sustained tone prized by slide players

  • An ethereal, shimmering quality often compared to a human voice

  • A lighter, more responsive feel compared to conventional guitars

His Los Angeles workshop produced several thousand instruments between the 1910s and 1930s, most crafted from Hawaiian koa wood. Weissenborn offered four styles, ranging from the plain but elegant Style 1 to the highly ornate Style 4 with rope binding and decorative inlays. These instruments became the benchmark for Hawaiian music during its 1920s boom.

The Legacy of the Hollowneck

Though production ceased after Weissenborn’s death in 1937, his instruments never truly disappeared. Collectors, folk revival musicians, and artists such as David Lindley and Ben Harper later brought the sound of the hollowneck back to prominence. Today, vintage Weissenborns are considered rare and highly valuable, often fetching thousands of dollars at auction.

Just as importantly, modern luthiers around the world continue to build faithful replicas and creative reinterpretations of the hollowneck design. Whether styled after original 1920s models or crafted with new tonewoods and features, these guitars keep Hermann Weissenborn’s innovation alive for a new generation of slide players.

Why the Hollowneck Still Matters

The Weissenborn hollowneck is more than a historical curiosity — it remains one of the most expressive acoustic instruments ever built. Its voice is instantly recognisable: warm, open, and endlessly resonant. Whether you’re a professional musician, a collector, or simply a fan of unique acoustic sound, the hollowneck represents a timeless piece of guitar history.