No, it’s not the infamous leg lamp from A Christmas Story (although I do feel like I’ve won a “major award”)…

It’s just the largest – or longest – harp guitar I’ve yet to receive.

Or so I hope.

So let’s take it inside and open this sucker!

(Careful with that crowbar – you’ll poke your eye out)

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Hmmm…I seem to have opened it from the bottom; I wanted to open at the top.

(turning around…)

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Wait a minute…this is the bottom too!

(fully unwrapping…)

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What the H-E-double-hockey-sticks….!?!?

Yes, it can only be…

…the “push-me-pull-yu

…Harmony

……Orchestral

………Harp

…………Guitar!

 

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Seeing this beast in the flesh is a whole new experience (it’s over 50 inches long)!

With its unique history – told in two blogs (“Three-part Harmony” and “More Harp Guitar Harmony”) – and outrageous, seemingly nonsensical appearance, this acquisition is obviously a major coup for The Miner Museum of Vintage, Exotic & Just Plain Unusual Musical Instruments.  It could even be the new poster child.

It’s one of extremely few surviving instruments (possibly between two and four, of just eight produced), this being the Hart family specimen (seen with previous owner Jeff Hart’s cousin Stew in the blogs), which has been in the family since originally receiving it as a gift from their relative, the very same Schultz who founded the Harmony company.

More to come after I fully examine it, including looking for signs of a “Harmony” stamp and the patented hollow neck.  It’s gorgeously appointed and in surprisingly good condition (in original case!).  It’ll need a fair amount of work (mainly on the guitar section’s top), so after restoration I’ll re-string it and do a new feature on it.

I am indebted to Jeff Hart for deeming my collection the ideal home for this delightfully ungainly treasure.  The instrument itself was pulled out of storage in Maine, and the sale and crating was kindly handled by Jeff’s old Caribbean sailing buddy Dennis Mortimer, director of the Alberts-Langdon Asian Arts Gallery in Boston.

Needless to say, I feel like Ralphie on Christmas morning!