Jolana (guitar brand)

The history of musical instruments manufacturing in former Czechoslovakia started when engineer Ferdinand Machalek created the first piano pickup in the middle 1940s. The origins of the first electric guitars date back to 1953, when the Resonet factory managed by Josef Růžička designed the first instruments in the country. The company manufactured not only guitars but other wooden goods, including furniture.[1] Designer Vladimir Vlček created the first model, a lap steel named "Akord" which came into production in 1954. It was followed by other Resonet's guitars, "Arioso" and "Arco". Those models were commercially successful, being awarded at the Expo 58 in Brussels.[2]

The "Grazioso", a model based on the Fender Stratocaster, was an immediate success not only in Czechoslovakia but outside the country as well. The model was exported by Resonet under the name "Futurama", with notable musicians such as George Harrison, Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton among its users.[1] The instrument's success was partly due to a UK embargo on US imports only lifted in 1959.[4]

In 1959, a new guitar factory, Neoton, opened in Hradec Králové. Managed by Ruzicka, it was soon renamed "Jolana" – likely after Růžička's daughter's name–.[1] The first Jolana guitar was made in 1960. Semi-acoustic models ("Diskant" and the successful "Tornado" in 1963, then followed by the "Alexandra") were also designed by Jolana, expanding its offer. Moreover, "Alexis" and "Pampero" (bass versions of Alexandra and Tornado models) came out in 1965. That same year, a new solid body guitar was introduced, the "Hurricane", with its bass version, "Typhoon", in 1965.

The Harmonika company was in charge of Tornado production in the city of Hořovice. By the late 1960s, three major factories produced electric guitars in the CSSR: CSHN, Varhany Krnov and the aforementioned Harmonika. 1975 marked the beginning of production of Jolana guitars in the Harmonika Horovice factory.[2] Jolana continued making electric guitars and basses until the end of the 1980s, developing models such as "Diamant" – a Gibson Les Paul copy.[1]

Harmonika (later known as "Delicia") started to manufacture several models such as Cavallero, Tornado, Basora, Diskant 2, Marina 2, Onyx, Jantar, Strat, Studio and Studio Bass. In 1993, Delicia was acquired by "Bohemia Musico S.R.O.", becoming "Bohemia Musico Delicia". The company began producing guitars for renewed foreign brands such as Epiphone, Hohner, Spector, American Showster, MTD and others.

In 2003, "New Bohemian Electronics Corp" (NBE), a manufacturing company established two years before, bought the brand "Jolana" to Delicia, which therefore ceased to produce guitars, focusing on other instruments. NBE is currently the largest manufacturer of electric string instruments in Europe.[1] After that, NBE resumed the production of some Jolana guitar models (Grazioso, Tornado, Diamant), remaining active to the present day.[1][2]

Semi-acoustic guitar model, Rubín

A peculiarity of some models is that the same body was used for guitar and bass, which reduced production costs. Nevertheless, the two versions differ in scale of their neck and the specific hardware.[5]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jolana.

• Jolana Futurama series –illustrated history of Jolana Futurama guitars series
• Hungarian Jolana blog –refurbishing and collecting vintage Jolana guitars