Schmidt's Stella, Sovereign and La Scala brands were acquired by the Harmony Company of Chicago, Illinois in 1939. This also is an indication of how the flat top acoustic guitar grew in popularity. Martin instruments.ДЄfter struggling through the Great Depression, the company sold their fretted instrument division in the late 1930s, but continued to make autoharps. From 1950 when Harmony offered three flat tops (other than the three Stella guitars they offered,) they grew to giving their customers a choice of 20+ different acoustic flat tops by the 1970вЂ™s. Top-of-the-line Stella and Sovereign guitars cost a fraction of the lowest-end Gibson or C. Appointments include a rectangular rosewood bridge, a trapeze tailpiece, a screwed down tortoise plastic pickguard, and 6-on-a-plate tuners with white plastic buttons. Stella instruments were noted for their good tone and relatively low price. This Harmony Stella H913 12-string guitar has a ladder braced solid birch top, dark brown finished birch back and sides, and a 12-fret neck with an ebonized fingerboard.

In 1920, the company was said to be the world's largest manufacturer of stringed instruments. The company thrived during the first quarter of the 20th century, producing many thousands of instruments.

The company produced low and mid-level stringed instruments such as guitars, mandolins, banjos and autoharps. Other Schmidt brands included 'Sovereign' and 'La Scala'. Stella was one of several musical instrument brands made in Jersey City, New Jersey, by the Oscar Schmidt Company. Sovereign guitar - Syd Barret's first guitar

Stella guitar identification