Knutsen Harp Mandolin    

A similarly fancy model as the previous specimen, but with different inlays. The pickguard is the exact same shape, but with inlay. The body is nearly identical except for the headstock. Most amazing is that it has the exact same cut label, with "sole" and "of the" again scribbled out (as does the following specimen)!
The owner writes, "
This mandolin was originally owned by my grandfather, Roland Nolte. He was born in Fairmont, Minnesota in 1903 and came to Seattle in the 20's. He worked as traveling salesman in the Everett, Monroe, Snohomish, Washington area north of Seattle. He mainly sold china dishes and some toys, but he may have also sold musical instruments. We really don't know when he got this mandolin. My mother recalls it laying around the house when she was a small girl in the '30's, although no one ever played it. When I received it in the late 60's, it was quite scratched up, and being 14 at the time, thought it would be a good idea to refinish it. So, unfortunately it does not have the original finish - although 35 years later, it looks about the same as it did before. I believe everything else is original except for the nut. The tailpiece has the letters JSM scratched onto it. Not the initials of any of my relatives, so I don't know what they stand for or where they came from."

hm20.jpg (15665 bytes) hm20close2.jpg (21072 bytes) hm20close.jpg (30024 bytes) hm20back.jpg (11742 bytes)

Click on a  picture to enlarge
(images copyright Duane Hoffmann)

Knutsen Archives Inventory Number

HM20

                 Category

Harp Mandolins

                 Body Style

"Guitar-shaped, Lower Bass Point"

                 Current or last known owner

Duane Hoffmann

                 Year (approx)

1910-1913

                 Label

"C. KNUTSEN, Sole Patentee of the..." (cut label, "sole" & "of the" scribbled out!)

                 Label Code SE4

                 Courses / Strings

4 courses: 8 strings on neck

                 Scale length

unknown

Woods

Top

spruce, refinished

Back & Sides

mahogany

Neck

mahogany

Fingerboard

ebony

Bridge

unknown

Headstock veneer

dyed ?

Binding, trim

Top

multi-colored wood purfling, ivoroid

Back

ivoroid

Fingerboard

ivoroid

Headstock(s)

ivoroid

Soundhole

multi-colored wood purfling

                 Inlay

fancy pearl fret markers, fancy pearl shapes in headstock and pickguard

                 Pickguard

black plastic?

                 Comments

 

 

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