Multi-course Guitars

Organology: Harp Guitar "Relatives"

Note to the casual reader or researcher: This Reference Gallery features historical instruments that are not harp guitars, but “relatives” or distant “cousins” – presented on Harpguitars.net for historical and organological comparison.

Multi-course Guitars *
(also known as "Multi-stringed Guitars")

Not to be confused with harp guitars, these are "extended-range" guitars with extra bass strings beyond the standard guitar's low E string (though some may be tuned higher than this low E). They are (with rare exceptions) fully fretted across all courses (7, 8 and 10 are common). If the lower frets are never used by the player, they can said to be played in the manner of harp guitars.

See bottom of page for image copyright information

8-string guitar, Vicente Arias, 1899

Peter Blanchette "archguitar" by Walter Stanul, 1981

Unlike the original, fully-fretted instrument (shown here), two of Stanul's early archguitars were harp guitar forms with theorboed basses (like James Kline's archguitars, made by others)

Charles Vega "guitarra teorba"

Despite the name, this is not a harp guitar or "theorboed" instrument

Richard DiCarlo

This 8 string was the brainstorm of guitarist Michele Ramo. The range of this instrument is 6 octaves. It is a 34-fret (high D) instrument. The 7th string is low A (.070) and the 8th string is double low D (.080, sometimes .100). The last two strings are played like a fretless bass. Being thus fingered with the left hand instead of played open, this hybrid instrument cannot be considered a harp guitar, but instead, a rare Multi-Course Fretted/Fretless Guitar combo.

Alberto Bonafini, Italy, 2006

This 8-string cannot be classified as a harp guitar, yet that is how it is intended to be played, the last two strings intended to be played open.

Tonaharp, c.1916,
Pat #1,168,153

A 3-tuning Hawaiian guitar

Ramirez 10-string, 1973

There are many additional sources for Multi-course guitars, including these two centered on "10-string guitar" activities:

http://www.tenstringguitar.com/

http://www.cathedralguitar.com/

* Course refers to a set of one, two or three strings that are tuned and played as a unit representing one note on an instrument. Strings in a course can be tuned in unison or octaves. Example: the mandolin has eight strings arranged in four courses – meaning four pairs of strings, the two strings of each pair being tuned the same and played together as a single “note.” An instrument can have mixed courses, such as an 8-course Renaissance lute, which has 1 single course and 7 double courses.

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