Knutsen Harp Guitar    

This Symphony model was first discovered featured on a piece of 1917 Irving Berlin sheet music (left 2 images).  The player is Wilber, of British group Vardon, Perry & Wilbur.  The right two images show the same guitar from an undated postcard of the Rag-Time Six, another British group featuring Vardon and Perry, but with a new player of the Knutsen.
In both cases, the guitar looks very dark, which no surviving Knutsen Symphony models are.  The bottom of the right image guitar shows either wear or perhaps original finish showing through?  Maybe they tried to stain it black to match the black Gibsons if the group.  Note how the circa 1900 guitar already has two added metal tailpiece supports for the neck and bass strings.
See the full images on the Historical Photos page.

hgt38.jpg (12945 bytes) hgt38full.jpg (19859 bytes) hgt38b.jpg (81054 bytes) hgt38fullb.jpg (54773 bytes)

Click on a picture to enlarge
(left images copyright Soren Venema, right images copyright Gregg Miner)

Knutsen Archives Inventory Number

HGT38

                 Category

Tacoma Harp Guitars

                 Body Style

"Symphony"

                 Current or last known owner

Vardon, Perry & Wilber,

              Year (approx)

1898-1902

                 Label

unknown

                 Courses / Strings

11 course: 6 strings on neck, 5 bass

                 Frets

unknown
                 Scale length unknown
                 Neck Joint unknown

Woods

Top

unknown

Back & Sides

unknown

Neck

unknown

Fingerboard

unknown

Bridge

unknown
Headstock veneer unknown

Binding, trim

Top

unknown

Back

unknown

Fingerboard

unknown

Headstock(s)

unknown
Soundhole unknown

                 Inlay

unknown

                 Pickguard

unknown

                 Comments

 

 

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