Knutsen Harp Hawaiian Guitar
Unbelievably, this instrument - nearly identical to the
previous instrument (HHW22), including the label - has
had the treble strings removed, with an almost identical patch!
In fact, both of the inlaid pieces (actually, inserted like puzzle-pieces into
open holes in the spruce top) on opposite sides of the fretboard are exactly the
same as those on HW22. So they must be "decorative inserts," as strange as
they appear.
I assumed the right one was replaced as on HHW22 also - to abandon the treble
string tuners, and just fill with a solid piece.
However, this one has an additional mystery. There are four holes along
the length of the treble side of the neck, just below the nut. Clearly,
someone had attempted to attach something here in order to string and tune the
four trebles again! Or could they be holes from sort of original Knutsen
attachment - with the solid top inlay thus also original? It doesn't seem
like it would work with simple zither pin tuners - they wouldn't clear the
corner. And if some sort of extension(s) (like for the sub-basses) were
attached, these strings would have been quite long.
Nevertheless, this might not have been the first time that Knutsen possibly
utilizied some unknown outside-the-body treble attachment -
HHW16 has a similar mystery. In fact, on that one, there IS no patch
where tuners could have even theoretically gone.
I lean toward the scenario that both instruments (this and HHW22) had similar
treble arrangements (to tuners in the top) and then had similar alterations.
If done by Knutsen himself, they would have had to have been quick, as he would
pass away very soon after these were built. I suspect he would have also
done something to hide the holes in the bridge as well (as he did on
HHW18). This will undoubtedly remain another
Knutsen Knundrum...
Click on a
picture to enlarge
(image copyright Dennis Lake)
Knutsen Archives Inventory Number |
HHW23 |
|
Category |
Hollow Neck Hawaiian Guitars |
|
Body Style |
"'Weissenborn-shaped' Harp Hawaiian" |
|
Current or last known owner |
Dennis Lake |
|
Year (approx) |
1920-1927 |
|
Label |
McDuff Street with harp-uke |
|
Label Code | LA11 | |
Courses / Strings |
12 > 8 course: 6 strings on neck, 2 bass, originally 4 treble |
|
Frets |
inlaid wood |
|
Scale length | unknown | |
Neck Joint | taper begins around the 1st fret | |
Woods |
Top |
spruce/koa? |
Back & Sides |
koa? |
|
Neck/Head |
fir? |
|
Fingerboard |
koa? |
|
Bridge |
mahogany |
|
Headstock veneer |
unknown |
|
Binding, trim |
Top |
rope |
Back |
rope |
|
Fingerboard |
two inlaid wood stripes |
|
Headstock(s) |
none |
|
Soundhole |
rope |
|
Inlay |
dot fret markers |
|
Pickguard |
koa? |
|
Dimensions | Upper Bout | |
Lower Bout | ||
Body at endpin | ||
Comments |
|
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