Organology

Harp Guitar Form 3a

Hollow Body Extension harp string attachment, Bass arm extension.
 Harp guitars with a hollow "harp" arm, which is an uninterrupted extension of the upper bass-side bout.

NOTE TO RESEARCHERS:  Please understand that many of the instruments on this page were not originally referred to as "harp guitars."
To understand why they are classified as such today, it is imperative that you first thoroughly read and comprehend the site author's thesis.

See bottom of page for image copyright information

        American           

Knutsen, c.1897 Knutsen, 1898,
Pat #D28,300		 Knutsen, c.1899 Knutsen, c.1912 Knutsen, c.1914
See also The Knutsen Archives
Knutsen, c.1914-1920
 		 Knutsen, c.1914-1920 Eaton family, c.1910
(image copyright Shirley Louis Eaton)		 Unknown Unknown
This and the next instrument are "convertible" guitars - lap-style steel playing is the preferred use.
See also The Knutsen Archives		 Knutsens harp guitars clearly inspired this individual to design and build his own instrument.
See story in Iconography: Identified American		 Perhaps inspired by Knutsen and Gibson both, these were certainly made by the same unknown builder.

See full image in
Iconography: Unidentified American

Dyer (Larson)

Dyer (Larson)

Dyer (Larson)

Dyer (Larson)

 Maurer (Larson) Maurer (Larson)
See also The Knutsen-Dyer Connection and A Dyer Detective Story See also Maurer Harp Guitars

Harmony

"Majestic" (Puntolillo brand), c.1920

Gaetano Puntolillo

Almcrantz?, c.1900
(Label reads: "K. F. Simon & Co.  Manufacturers of and dealers in the Celebrated Almcrantz guitars and all kinds of musical instruments")

Angelo Berardi, Montana, 1922
Image 2
This is a very crudely built instruments, though a nice design!
Those this is very Italian in design, the label reads:
Missoula
25-12-1922
Angelo Berardi

Unknown

     Austrian / German

Schenck, Vienna, c.1840-1850

Felix Seboldt

Seboldt, 1925

Seboldt

Lagler, 1852

Raab

Gabriel Lemböck, Vienna, 1840-1890
Additional images: 1 2

Karl Müller, Augsburg, Bavaria, 1904
Gottfried Wichmann,
Magdeburg, Germany,
June 20, 1920
Patent # 337,166

     French

Achille Jocomoni, Marseille c.1900

Label: "Achillo JOCOMO" with an engraving of this harp guitar. Also signature of A Jocomo on the table plus 5/1900. 		 Unknown (also Jocomoni?)

Selmer/Maccaferri

        Italian 

Mozzani, c.1910-1940s

See also Marvelous Mozzani! The Incredible Harp Guitars of Luigi Mozzani

Gamberini, Bologna, 1950

Maccaferri, 1920s
(Italy)

Full Maccaferri section coming soon!

 Bruno Mattei, Spezia
(for Italo Meschi)		 Bruno Mattei, Spezia
(for Italo Meschi)
Little is known of Settimio Gazzo, who built the instrument of the harp guitar virtuoso Pasquale Taraffo. Was there a "Gazzo school" of builders or design? Or are all these in the next two rows his? They share many common features, with headstocks all different, ranging from simple to quite ornate! Most have "feet" to secure somehow to the stand, a trademark Gazzo feature. 

Settimio Gazzo, c.1910
(Pietro Taraffo's instrument, 6 sub-basses?)

6 sub-basses Gazzo?

(Sergio Reguzzoni's instrument, 6 sub-basses)

(Sergio Reguzzoni's 2nd instrument, 7 sub-basses)

Settimo Gazzo, c.1910
(Pasquale Taraffo's instrument, 8 sub-basses)

Settimo Gazzo copy by Antonello Saccu (for Beppe Gambetta)

Gazzo
(very similar to Pasquale Taraffo's instrument, 8 sub-basses)

I've lost track of the owner of this one - Mario Vecco. Help anyone?

Rapisarda, 1936

Luigi Galimberti (for Monzino & Sons), 1910

 Severino Riva (for Monzino & Sons), 1911 Armando Giulietti
Milan, 1938

Unknown
See also Monzino

Adolfo Giacinti, Milan

O. Candi, Genoa, 1870

Unknown

Unknown
I have no idea of this is Italian or what. It appears in an 1890s Washburn catalog image (but is not referred to). I'm not even if the arm is hollow at any point!

Catania Carmelo

This harp guitar design appears on a label by this obscure maker. Here's hoping that a similar instrument was actually built!

     Portuguese

Antonio Victor Vieira c.1917

See also Featured Harp Guitar of the Month, 9-04

     Contemporary (see Luthier page for more Dyer-style instruments)
Mike Doolin, 2006 Stephen Sedgwick, U.K. Jim Hewett Del Langejans Thomas Davis Harry Eibert
Michael Dunn Michael Dunn "Knutsen" tenor Steve Rolig, 1990 Rex James Rex James
Mike Doolin Lance McCollum Steve Wise Morgan Instruments Valentino Natolini, Italy
(a very nice, if unlawful, copy of Fred Carlson's "Oracle" for Jeff Titus)
Gianni Pedrini, c.2004 (Italy)
Headstock close-up		 Davide Castellaro (Italy) MIDI harp guitar Davide Castellaro
(for Paolo Giordano)		 Duane Noble Pierre Lamour, France Alberto Bonafini, Italy
Ross Teigen Bob Alexander, Delmundo Guitars Bob Alexander, Delmundo Guitars

This remarkable series of instruments depicts a guitarrarpa, and are all variations on a similar design.  They were built over ten years by four different French and Spanish makers for Blas Sanchez (see Players page)
Charles (Kico) Dohër, Paris, 1973 J. Castelluccia, Paris, 1974 Tony Pappalardo, Paris, 1976 Manuel Contreras, Madrid, 1983
Steve Wishnevsky Wishnevsky fretless harp bass Wishnevsky 26-string classical (10 single courses on the neck, 16 harp strings)

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What is a Harp Guitar?

To

Harp Guitar Family Tree

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Photo Reference Library of Examples.

 


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