Knutsen Harp Guitar    

This instrument was sold by The Red Fiddle to the National Music Museum.
Note the unusual main headstock design - nothing else like it has been seen.  More unusual is the binding - a wonderful 3-ply layer of herringbone, multi-colored purfling and herringbone.  The headstock has probably been touched up - painted black or re-veneered - and I suspect the crude "upside-down butterfly" inlay of abalone is non-original.  This one has a strange case of fingerboard degradation - currently undergoing restoration, the museum's technician believes that something in Knutsen's dye caused this.  Note the bluish tint to the fretboard.

Click on picture to enlarge
(images copyright and courtesy National Music Museum)

Knutsen Archives Inventory Number

HGS16

                 Category

Seattle Harp Guitars

                 Body Style

"Lower Bass Point"

                 Current or last known owner

Red Fiddle > National Music Museum

              Year (approx)

1906-1908

                 Label

SE1

                 Courses / Strings

18 course: 6 strings on neck, 5 bass, 7 treble

               Frets

straight

                 Scale length ~19"
                 Neck Joint unknown

Woods

Top

spruce

Back & Sides

unknown

Neck

unknown

Fingerboard

unknown

Bridge

unknown
Headstock veneer unknown

Binding, trim

Top

multi-colored purfling bordered on each side by herringbone

Back

ivoroid

Fingerboard

ivoroid

Headstock(s)

ivoroid
Soundhole 3 rings of herringbone and/or multi-colored purfling

                 Inlay

fancy fret markers and headstock inlay

                 Pickguard

none

                 Comments

 

 

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