GEWA music was founded in 1925 by Georg Walther in Adorf, Vogtland. Georg Walther and a small team of violin makers from the region concentrated on the construction and sale of specially handcrafted instruments and, shortly afterwards, the corresponding cases.
The Vogtland region in Germany is considered one of the world's leading regions for the design, development and construction of classical musical instruments. Some of the most renowned brands in the industry have their origins in our home region, so it was not far-fetched that in the 1930s, Georg Walther decided to have his own series manufactured under the GEWA brand by master guitar makers in the Vogtland region. Bit by bit, the development and sale of instruments under the GEWA brand gained in importance for the company.
Due to the consequences of the Second World War and the occupation of the Vogtland by the Soviet Union, Georg Walther decided to move overnight with 20 of his best employees to Mittenwald in Bavaria. Due to the extensive history of the town, GEWA was quickly able to pick up the old business model in the stringed instruments sector. At the end of the 1980s, the company decided to turn again to its own development of classical and acoustic guitars. Due to reunification, GEWA was able to hire highly qualified guitar makers from the former GDR state enterprise "Musima" (Musikinstrumentenbau Markneukirchen). From then on, guitars were developed in-house at GEWA and manufactured at various production sites. GEWA's most successful instruments include the Pro Arte, Pro Natura and Pro Andalus series.
In 2015, GEWA initially became the European distributor of the legendary roundback guitar brand Ovation with its sub-brands - Applause (entry-level guitars) and Adamas (professional guitars). In 2020, an agreement was reached with the US partner Drum Workshop Inc. to purchase the brand. Since then, the Ovation brand has been part of GEWA Guitars' own brand portfolio. The development takes place in a cooperation between the US production of Ovation in New Hartford and the development department in Adorf. The instruments of the Adamas brand are manufactured in GEWA's own factory in New Hartford, CT, USA.
The GEWA guitar range offers guitarists of all ages and experience levels the right instrument. Instruments for entry-level and beginner players are manufactured in Asia under the GEWA and Caballero (by MR) brands. Compliance with the highest environmental, health and social standards is particularly close to our hearts. We feel obliged to only use water-soluble lacquers; not only for our customers but also for our employees. This prevents allergic reactions from occurring on contact with the skin. In addition, by using these lacquers, we protect our employees from coming into contact with toxic substances that are harmful to the lungs.
In addition to Ovation, the Manuel Rodriguez Guitarras brand became part of GEWA Guitars in 2021. The instruments are developed in close coordination with Manuel Rodriguez III and the Adorf-based development team and manufactured in Europe.
