Our Story

On October 27, 1847, Christian August Seydel founded a harmonica workshop in Klingenthal, Saxony. What began as a small craft business would grow into a globally recognized company that continues to shape the sound of the harmonica to this day.
The history of SEYDEL has been marked by disruption, reinvention, and new beginnings. Yet one thing has always remained unchanged: an unwavering passion for sound. And that is exactly what you can still feel today in every instrument that leaves our workshop.

1847 – The origin of sound

In the 19th century, the town of Klingenthal and the entire Vogtland region were at the heart of musical instrument making. Here, music was never a luxury — it was part of everyday life and a way to earn a living.
It was in this environment that Christian August Seydel founded a small workshop in his own home in 1847, building what was then still a relatively new instrument: the harmonica. It was an opportunity to create something small, portable, and affordable for everyone. Not expensive — but made to be truly good.

Rise – The world discovers SEYDEL

Over time, the small workshop grew into a thriving company. By the 1860s, SEYDEL had already entered the lucrative American market. Just a few years later, the blues emerged in the southern United States — played, in part, on instruments made in Klingenthal.
In 1879, the first SEYDEL harmonicas reached Australia. Through a long-standing partnership with Albert’s Music Store, the legendary Boomerang brand was born and became Australia’s most popular harmonica for decades.

Christian August Seydel passed away in 1882, and his son Richard took over the business. A year later, Richard’s brother Moritz joined the company as co-owner. From then on, the business operated under the name C.A. Seydel Söhne — abbreviated as “C.A.S.S.” for Christian August Seydel & Sons. Since that time, the famous SEYDEL sun logo has carried the initials C.A.S.S. at its center.

By 1900, SEYDEL harmonicas were available on every continent. The small manufacturer from Klingenthal had reached the world. In the 1920s, thousands of instruments left SEYDEL’s workshops every single day. As industrialization and mass production transformed the industry, one principle at SEYDEL never changed: quality is not created through speed, but through experience and precision. That spirit of craftsmanship can still be felt today in every single SEYDEL harmonica.

Das Firmengelände der Firma C.A. SEYDEL SÖHNE in den 1920er-Jahren

The Great Depression, World War II and the centralised economy

SEYDEL’s history has never followed a straight line. It has been shaped by crises, disruptions, and turning points. Yet while old structures disappeared and political conditions made business increasingly difficult, one thing endured: the knowledge of the instrument and a deep passion for sound.
Against the backdrop of the global economic crisis and collapsing exports, SEYDEL joined forces with other harmonica manufacturers from Klingenthal in 1929 to form the Rauner-Seydel-Böhm AG. The venture, however, was not successful. By the end of 1933, the company dissolved, and SEYDEL once again became independent.

With the outbreak of the Second World War, international trade came to a complete standstill. Many employees, including the company’s director, were called up for military service. Production had to be significantly reduced.

In 1949, the company was nationalized. The SEYDEL brand name disappeared entirely from the instruments, yet the knowledge, craftsmanship, and passion for the harmonica remained in Klingenthal. The instruments were sold under names such as Bandmaster, Weltmeister, Vermona, and other invented brands.

After the reunification of Germany, SEYDEL was reprivatized and returned to its former owners. Forty years of a planned economy, along with the loss of connections to Western markets, made rebuilding the business a major challenge. It was a moment that raised a difficult question: is there still something here worth continuing?

The answer did not come from strategy papers, but from people who were not willing to let that knowledge disappear. In 2004, SEYDEL filed for bankruptcy. The remaining employees continued working nonetheless — without pay and without any certainty that the company would survive.
Quite literally at the last moment, new investors were found in the Reisser family. SEYDEL was preserved as a true family-owned company under German ownership. The new owners did not seek to break with the past, but made a conscious decision to carry its tradition forward.

The stainless steel era begins

SEYDEL completely reworked its product range with a rare blend of tradition and technical innovation. While other manufacturers relied on established designs, SEYDEL became the first and so far only harmonica maker to introduce instruments with stainless-steel reeds. The legendary 1847 series thus became a symbol of a new generation of harmonicas: more durable, more stable in tuning, and uncompromisingly direct in sound.

Today, SEYDEL harmonicas are once again played on every continent. The company has grown into a thriving business and is now regarded as one of the most important names in the international harmonica world. As the only manufacturer globally dedicated entirely to the harmonica, SEYDEL represents a rare combination of tradition, precision, and innovative strength. All instruments are still made at the company headquarters in Klingenthal. SEYDEL is 100% Made in Germany.

Since 1847, much has changed — the world, the music, the technology. But one thing has remained the same: the commitment to building an instrument that is more than just a product. Every instrument leaving our workshop is imbued with a soul that reflects our deep love for sound.
We don’t build big instruments — we build great ones.