Marma

The Marma company was founded by Karl Bauer in Mainz in 1920 and soon opened another branch in Vogtland. The company traded in bowed and plucked instruments, strings and accessories under the Marma, Guitarola, Guitarion and Silverin brand names. After the Second World War the company completely relocated to Markneukirchen, its original location in Mainz having been bombed. After Karl Bauer's death, his wife Elisabeth took over the business. In the years following the Second World War, MARMA began building its own guitars: it had its own production facility but early on there were also homeworkers who made guitars for MARMA. Frank-Peter Dietrich was responsible for purchasing and export from 1961-1964. In the 1960s, MARMA had its own workshop in which made various models of classical guitars and banjos, as well as steel stringed and electric guitars.