Knutsen Harp Guitar
This instrument is pictured on p. 68-69 in the Noe/Most book.
The images below are from the original seller, The Red Fiddle.
Note the new shape of the bass headstock.
You can see that it had seven tuners on the neck, with a hole for an eighth. The
image on the right, from the book, shows the new separate eighth tuner that Dan
Most re-installed. The strings are configured so that the "g" and
"e" strings are doubled! As there is another instrument (HGS25) with
the g string doubled, and because the eighth single tuner sticking out of the
top seems too wacky even for Knutsen, I suspect that he or someone else added
this later. But with Knutsen, it's certainly possible that it's original!
The binding and ornaments are quite fancy on this one.
Based on the proportions, it appears to be a 3/4 size instrument (~19"
scale length).
Additional photos and information can be found in From
Harp Guitars to the New Hawaiian Family by Noe & Most.
(left 4 images copyright Dick Fiscus, right image Tom Noe)
Knutsen Archives Inventory Number |
HGS5 |
|
Category |
Seattle Harp Guitars |
|
Body Style |
"Lower Bass Point" |
|
Current or last known owner |
Dan Most Estate |
|
Year (approx) |
1911 |
|
Label |
"C. Knutsen, Sole Patentee of the 11-string harp guitar" |
|
Label Code | SE2 | |
Courses / Strings |
18 course: 8 strings on neck (G&E doubled), 5 bass, 7 treble |
|
Frets |
straight |
|
Scale length | unknown | |
Neck Joint | no heel | |
Woods |
Top |
spruce |
Back & Sides |
mahogany |
|
Neck |
curly maple w/rosewood strips |
|
Fingerboard |
dyed pearwood |
|
Bridge |
unknown |
|
Headstock veneer | dyed pearwood | |
Binding, trim |
Top |
multi-colored wood |
Back |
ivoroid | |
Fingerboard |
none |
|
Headstock(s) |
none |
|
Soundhole | 3 multi-colored rings | |
Inlay |
fancy pearl fret markers |
|
Pickguard |
none |
|
Comments |
(Noe/Most, p.68-69) |
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