Knutsen Harp Guitar, c.1907
"Vibe" to spare, and priced to sell!
SOLD

This beautiful early Seattle-period, full size harp guitar has seen better days.  But it is not remotely a "basket case" like some old Knutsens – it is all easily restorable, and priced accordingly.  (Heck, its worth the price just as an unplayable collector's "wallhanger"...)

It has been repaired once (in the distant past): wood shims in a couple top cracks and large areas of replaced ivoroid binding telling some of the tale.  The typical Knutsen screws holding down the dyed bridge have also been removed(?) and filled.  The fifth fret pearl inlay also looks new and non-Knutsen-ish (while the 12th looks right, but was re-worked?).  Everything else appears original, including the remaining fancy inlays and inlaid pickguard, one of the extremely few ever seen on a Knutsen harp guitar.  (It is identical to one he used on harp mandolin #HM23 in the Archives, and similar to that of #HGS38 – proof that the pickguards were orginal and not added)  It even has an original (I think) Knutsen-period case.

Area of biggest concern is the lifting top on the lower bass bout (the intricate purfling is fairly intact).  If it were mine, I think I'd simply remove the back, stabilize anything necessary on the top, replace a cracked back brace and flatten out the back before putting it back together with a better back binding job.  Some cracks in the arm side are probably not too problematic (the scuffing there is from taking in and out of the case over and over – my own Knutsen harp mandolin has the exact same issue...).  

Then string it up (bass side of the neck has typical light bending at the body) and be prepared for what would most likely be a great-sounding vintage harp guitar!  (Did you notice that this one has over 13-1/2 frets to the body?!)

Sold "as is" as affordably as I think I can make it, this is another great opportunity to get into the vintage harp guitar world!

– Gregg "Sir Gregory" Miner

Specifications: 

• All original, except for old repairs
• Cedar(?) top
• Mahogany back, sides & neck, rosewood headplates, fir sub-bass block
• Fancy pearl inlays
• Five sub-bass strings (tuned descending D-C-B-A-G)
• 24-3/4" scale
• 1-13/16"nut width
• Dimensions: 15-7/8" lower bout, 4-1/4" depth at tail block, 42-1/2" total length
• Original(?) case
• Price: $1375 SOLD

CDs & DVDs by Stephen Bennett, John Doan, Muriel Anderson, Andy McKee, Stacy Hobbs, Tom Shinness, Dan LaVoie, James Kline, Larry Berwald, Bill Dutcher, Gregg Miner, Pasquale Taraffo
To learn more about harp guitars, please visit Harpguitars.net
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