|
The
Illustrated
Encyclopedia of Look for Special Feature pages for expanded studies! A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W Z The following are all known entries related to harp guitars, hollow-arm "pseudo" harp guitars, "harp guitars" only in name, and similar instruments.
Compiled by Gregg Miner |
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| Name (Date of birth-death)
Notes |
Location during instrument production |
Date of specific instrument (+/or patent) or years of production | Instrument form(s) built (+/or patented) applicable to this study | Instrument example(s) | |
| Abel, Roger Alain | France | 1979 | harp guitar patent |
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| Abelspies, John F.C. | Glasgow, Scotland (U.S. Patent) | 1893 | harp guitar | ||
| Adams
Michael Holmes of Mugwumps Online lists 3 different Adams entries, spanning the timeframe at right: Adams & Loffmark, Adams Bros. & Co., and Adams, Loffmark & Wright. |
Dwight, IL | 1894-1903+ | harp guitar | ||
| Adler, Johannes | Markneukirchen | c.1933 | harp guitar | ||
| Akeson, Charles | Minneapolis, MN | 1893-? | harp guitars | ||
| Albertini Known from a single listing in a 1938 Sotheby's auction: "An Italian guitar, the peghead with three extra strings, in rose and pinewood." |
Italy | harp guitar | |||
| Allison, S. O. Two mandolinettos are known by this maker and this one harp guitar, of which the original neck is missing. Curiously, the bridge shows that it had 5 sub-basses and 3 trebles! - likely a fascinating specimen if a complete one ever turns up. -GM |
St. Louis, MO | July 4, 1899 (stamped on back strip) | harp guitar |
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| Almcrantz, Gerhard The label on the left specimen reads "Manufacturers of and dealers in the Celebrated Almcrantz guitars and all kinds of musical instruments"; the right specimen label is unreadable. |
Chicago, IL | pre-1895+ | harp guitars | ||
| Altpeter, Franz W. Special Feature! | Chicago, IL | 1922-1928 | harp guitars, harp ukes | ||
| Amberger, Max | München | c.1902-1913 | harp guitars | ||
| American Conservatory (see Lyon & Healy) | |||||
| Anderson, Carl C. | San Francisco | 1950-1960's | hollow arm guitar |
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| Anderson, Otto (builder for Chris Knutsen) Special Feature! | Port Townsend, OR | c.1895-1898 | harp guitars, hollow arm guitars & violin | ||
| Anfossi, Jean-Pierre | Seine, France | 1923 | harp guitar patent |
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| Angerer, Franz II (1851-1924) Angerer was a pupil of the Viennese makers Ferdinad and Leopold Feilnreiter. |
Vienna | .1881-1900 | harp guitar |
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Arkhuzen / Arhuzen / Argusen / Archusen Ivan F. Arkhuzen of St. Petersburg came second in Makaroff's competition. Unfortunately, there were only six guitars entered into the competition and so there was not much choice for the nine panelists. - Stephen Sedgwick A whole family of luthiers, originally from Denmark. Robert Arhuzen was arguably the best. Spelling is an issue, since we get it back from the Cyrillics, but in the original tongue it would be (probably) Arhuzen. -Oleg Timofeyev |
Moscow | 1850s-1900s | harp guitars |
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| Arias, Vicente (1840-1913)
An important maker in Spanish guitar history. There are about 28 Arias guitars in existence. -Stephen Sedgwick Vicente Arias made guitars around 1870. He lived and worked in Ciudad Real, and at the end of his career he had a workshop in Madrid. His instruments display a remarkable mastery, comparable to those of Antonio Torres and Manuel Ramirez. Some famous guitarists like Francisco Tarrega played the guitars of Vicente Arias. In the course of his career Arias received various prestigious prizes at exhibitions in Barcelona, Madrid, Brussels and Buenos Aires. According to an up-to-date census, there are 24 guitars by Vicente Arias in existence. -from site of Raphaella Smits |
Spain | 1890 | harp guitar | ||
| Arkhuzen, Robert I. (1844-1920) | Moscow | . | harp guitar |
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| Bauer, Anton | Linz, Austria | c.1903-1905 | harp guitar |
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| Bauer, Matthäus | Vienna | 1836-? | harp guitar |
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| Bay State (John C. Haynes Co. brand name) | Boston | c.1894 | harp guitar | ||
| Behee, Joseph H. | Kansas City, MO | c.1907-1917 | hollow arm guitars (lyre form)hollow arm guitar | ||
| Berardi, Angelo | Missoula, Montana | 1922 | harp guitar | ||
| Biancato, A.
114 rue de la marlière |
Mouscron, Belgium |
1900 | harp guitar | ||
| Biehl, Tony | Davenport, IA | 1894-1904 | harp guitars | ||
| Birrer, John B. | Newton, KS | 1894 | hollow arm guitar | ||
| Bittner, David 1821-1887 Studied violinmaking under Wilhelm Rupprecht. His single extant harp guitar is based on a Scherzer 10-string. |
Vienna | 1846-1887 | harp guitar |
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| Body, Otto (1835-) | Innsbruck | c.1880 | harp guitar |
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| Bohmann, Joseph
Special Feature! |
Chicago, IL | 1876-1930 | harp guitars, sympathetic string instruments | ||
| Boothe, Albert | Colfax, IA | 1928 | harp guitar-zither hybrid | ||
| Braun & Hauser I have no idea who this Hauser is. |
Munich | c.1913 | harp guitar |
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| Brawer, Anton | . | 1863 | harp guitar |
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Breyer Hermanos A publisher of tango sheet music and also a music store
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Buenos Aires | c.1910-1920 | harp guitar |
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| Brock, Alfred | Stockholm, Sweden | 1910 | false Swedish lutes |
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| Brünn, Josef Lidl | Mähren, Germany | . | theorboed guitar-lute |
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| Bruno
(Bruno & Sons) This company offered unique harp guitars with doubled courses on the neck - most commonly standard "12-string guitar" configuration, but also with 10 strings-on-the-neck (just 4 lower courses doubled). -GM |
. | . | harp guitars | ||
| Buchsteiner, Helmut | . | 1985 | harp guitars | ||
| Calace | . | . | hollow arm mandolins (harp and lyre forms) | ||
| Candi, Cesare
Cesare Candi was an important musical
instrument maker who worked in the last quarter of the 19th
century up to well in the 2nd quarter of the 20th
century. Besides instruments of the violin family he made excellent
mandolins and guitars (6-string and models with additional bass strings)
in the Italian style and tradition. |
Genoa, Italy | c.1910 | harp guitar |
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| Candi,
Oreste Born Nov. 27, 1865, Oreste was the brother of Cesare, above. |
Genoa, Italy | ? | harp guitar | ||
| Carmelo, Catania
This instrument appears on a Carmelo label. Unknown if an instrument like it was actually built. |
Italy | unknown | harp guitar design | ||
| Chiara | . | . | harp guitar |
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| College Line (see Lyon & Healy) | |||||
| Crafton (brand) | Gothenburg, Sweden | c.1950 | false Swedish lute |
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| Dabiero, P | Milan | . | piccolo lyre mandolin | ||
| Dahlmann Manufacturing Co., Henry | Minneapolis, MN | 1893-1899+ | harp guitar | ||
| Deleplanque, Gerard J.
Gerard J. Deleplanque from Lille, France, was a maker of citterns; he has a surviving arch-cittern with a keyed box system from 1792. But some ten years before that, in 1782 he built a ten stringed guitar. - Stephen Sedgwick |
Lille, France | . | harp guitar | ||
| Detmering, J.Ch. (established in 1858) | Hamburg | . | harp guitar |
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| Dietrich, Horst | . | . | harp guitar |
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| DiMauro | . | . | harp guitar | ||
| Dominguez, Manuel | Buenos Aires | 1920 | harp guitar |
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| Dworan, August | Vienna | 1908 | harp guitar |
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| Dyer & Bro., W.J. Special Features (also see Iconography: Larsons and A Dyer Detective Story) | St. Paul, MN | 1871-1939 | harp guitars and hollow arm mandolin family | ||
| Egildo, Emanuele | . | 1926 | harp guitar | ||
| Enzensperger (Enzensberger,
Enzersberger), Bernard I (1788-1865) Bernard I was taught by Georg Thir in Vienna. In 1812 he opened a workshop of his own. He was preoccupied with acoustic studies. In 1831 he had the so-called acoustic guitar patented, after which he chiefly made guitars and zithers. |
Vienna | 1819-1865 | harp guitar | ||
| Enzensperger (Enzensberger,
Enzersberger), Bernard II (1829-1896)
Bernard II also built harp guitars, resulting in some confusion about dates. |
Vienna | 1865-1896 | harp guitar |
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| Espana | Finland | 1970s | hollow-arm guitars | ||
| Feilnreiter | . | . | harp guitar |
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| Fievez, F.
This instrument is an 18th century 10-string guitar,
with 10 single string courses. It pre-dates the Carulli-era 10-string
guitar and must have co-existed with the very earliest 6-course guitars
invented. - Len Verrett |
Lille, France | 18th century | harp guitar | ||
| Fischer, Anton As mentioned in Makarov's Memoirs, Fisher's name was given as the best guitar maker in Vienna (as Staufer the elder had stopped making guitars in 1848), and Makarov had a 9-string guitar built. He decided that Scherzer's were better. |
Vienna | c.1852 | harp guitar | ||
| Fisher, Carl | New York, NY | c.1902 | harp guitar | ||
| Forg, Josef | Munich | c.1930 | harp guitar | ||
| Fuchs, Heinrich | Munich | c.1924 | harp guitar, theorboed guitar-lute | ||
| Fürst, Hans | Mittenwald | . | harp guitar | ||
| Gallegos,
Don Jose
This is the "Guitarpa" displayed at the Great Exposition in London in 1851, which scholars have speculated might have influenced the designs of the mandolins and harp guitars of Orville Gibson. - GM |
. | 1851 | harp guitar | ||
| Galimberti, Luigi
His instruments are labeled "Antonio Monzino & Figli"or "Monzino e Garlandini Milano" (sold through the Monzino & Sons shop) |
Milan | 1910-1930 | harp guitar, harp mandolins |
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| Gallesi, G. | Rome | . | harp guitar |
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Gamberini, Claudio Gamberini ran the plucked stringed area of Mozzani's School-Workshop around 1930, then later joined Mozzani privately when the school closed. -GM |
Bologna | 1950 | harp guitar |
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| Gardelli, Federico (see Longobardi) | Naples | . | hollow-arm mandolin | ||
| Garganese, Vito | Monopoli, Italy | 1915 | harp guitar | ||
| Gaskins, Claude H.
Only one instrument similar to this patent drawing is known - made by Martin (see Martin). - GM |
Shamokin, PA | 1895 | hollow arm mandolin (harp form) | ||
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Gazzo, Settimo
(Genoa, 1851-1923) Special Feature! (fanciful Italian guitars-on-a-stand which Pasquale Taraffo played) |
Genoa, Italy | 1900's - 1923 | harp guitars | ||
| Geipel, Reinhold | Fleissen, Bohemia | . | harp guitars | ||
| Gelas | . | . | harp guitar | ||
| Gelmini, Giovanni | Italy | 1844 | harp guitar |
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| GEWA | Mittenwald | c.1960 | harp guitars | ||
| Giacinti,
Adolfo
The
label reads: Fabbrica di Chitarre-mandolini,
Mandole-luiti |
Milan | c.1930 | harp guitar | ||
Gibson
Special
Feature! |
Kalamazoo, MI | 1890-present | harp guitars, hollow arm mandolin (lyre form) | ||
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Gil, Manuel |
Buenos Aires | . | harp guitar |
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| Gindlesperger, John W.
Neither one of the two extant specimens are labeled. The left specimen was sold on EBay as such, presumably with input from a vintage guitar expert. The right specimen has a similar aesthetic and design in many ways and has a similar bridge. |
Kansas City, MO | 1898-1926+ | harp guitars | ||
| Giulietti, Tullio (father) Giulietti, Armando (son: 1903-1990) Their instruments were usually sold through the shop of Monzino & Sons. Some instruments were built in collaboration with his father, Tullio. (thanks to Roger Belloni for information) |
Milan | c.1918-1938 | harp guitars |
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| Glaesel, Oscar | Markneukirchen | c.1920 | harp guitar | ||
| Godone, Carlo | . | . | hollow arm guitar | ||
| Goldklang | . | . | false Swedish lute, theorboed guitar-lute | ||
| Gottsmann, Max | Markneukirchen | . | harp guitar |
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| Götz? The extant "basslaute" has a faded "Gotz" inscribed on the soundboard, but is not the Johann Götz of Viennese, ca. 1814-1827. |
? | . | theorboed guitar-lute | ||
| Gould, H.Y. | Tennessee | 1911 | harp guitar | ||
| Graslitz, Anton Hüller The label inside shows "Bohmen" but then reads: "Anton Hüller Graslitz K& K Hoflieferant und Kammerlieferant Seiner K u. K Hoheit des hochw. durchlauchigsten Herrn Erzherzog Eugen v. Österreich"(Austria) |
Bohemia? Austria? | . | harp guitar |
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| Grosjean, J. F. | . | ca. 1840 | "harp guitar" in name only (double harp-guitar) | ![]() |
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| Grunewald, Rene (from 1896 Brown patent # 568,108) An early predecessor of the American "12-string guitar"- called "harp-guitar" due to the extra tone and volume of the 4 doubled lower courses. |
New Orleans, LA | c. 1896 | "harp-guitar" in name only |
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| Guadagnini, Gaetano | Torino, Italy | 1834-1839 | harp guitars |
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| Güttler, Franz Xav. | Vienna | 1908 | harp guitar |
No image.
7 sub-bass Viennese kontragitarre |
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| Hagberg, John | Tacoma, WA | 1898 | hollow arm guitar | ||
| Haid, Georg 1/20/1864-6/16/1851. Studied violinmaking under Ignaz J. Bucher. |
Vienna | 1896-1925+ | harp guitar |
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| Halbmeyer, F.
(also spelled Halbmaier)
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Munich | c.1900-1908 | harp guitars, quintbass, theorboed guitar-lutes | ||
| Hammig, Friedrich Aug. | Markneukirchen | . | harp guitar |
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| Hansel, Carl | Dresden | 1842? | harp guitar |
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| Hansen, Hans J. | Chicago, IL | 1891 | harp guitar | ||
| Harlan, Peter | Markneukirchen | 1925 | harp guitar |
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| Harmony | Chicago, IL | 1892-1979 | harp guitar | ||
| Harwood ( J.W. Jenkins brand) Special Feature! | Kansas/New York? | from 1885? | harp guitars | ||
| Hartmann Bros. & Reinhard | New York | 1880-1901+ | harp guitar |
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| Hauser, Hermann I | Munich | c.1909-1915 | harp guitars, theorboed guitar-lutes | ||
| Heerbeck, Hubert | . | . | harp guitar | ||
| Heidegger, Eduard | . | . | harp guitar |
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| Heinel, Morik | Markneukirchen | . | theorboed guitar-lute |
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| Herrnsdorf, Paul "Guitarren mit 4 Basssaiten" (no images) Source: Der Gitarrefreund |
Markneukirchen | c.1900-1901 | harp guitar | ||
| Hess, Ernst | Klingenthal | . | harp guitars | ||
| Hilanj, Franz
Hilanj made violins, zither and guitars. A schlagzither in the Leipzig museum is attributed to c.1845. Date of this harp guitar is unknown. |
Wels, Austria | c.1845-? | harp guitar | ||
| Hinz, Richard | . | . | harp guitar |
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| Hoffman, Johann H. | Stockholm, Sweden | 1951 | false Swedish lute |
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| Höllinger, A. | Kiel, Germany | . | theorboed guitar-lute |
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| Holzapfel, Carl C. A German violin maker who made some Stella-like 12-string guitars, and according to a photo discovered by Paul Oorts, also a harp guitar. |
Baltimore | 1900-1930? | harp guitars | ||
| Hopf | . | ?-1951 | harp guitars |
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| Hornsteiner, A. | . | c.1950 | harp guitars | ||
| House of Stathopoulo In 1917 Epi Stathopoulo began labeling instruments with the House of Stathopoulo brand. In 1924 he introduced the Epiphone brand, and in 1928 the Epiphone company was born. |
New York | 1910 | harp guitar |
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| Howard ( Wurlitzer brand) | . | . | harp guitar | ||
| Hoyer, Walter | . | . | harp guitar |
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| Hüller, Anton
Graslitz was a town in former "Boehmen" which belonged to Austria till 1918; then belonged to the new founded state of "Czecheslovakia" from 1918), Czech Republic (the actual name after splitting Czechia and Slovakia into two separate states in 1993). -Martin Albert |
Graslitz | . | harp guitar | ||
| Iucci, Michael A well known maker of banjos |
New York | c. 1910-1930 | harp guitar | ||
| Jacob, Richard | Leipzig | c.1933-1948 | harp guitars | ||
| Jenkins Sons, J.W. (see Harwood, Washington) | Kansas City, MO | 1878-1902+ | . | . | |
| Jerusalem, J.P. | Germany | c.1900 | harp guitar | ||
| Jocomoni, Achille ("Achillo JOCOMO" on label) Patent for this harp guitar taken out in 1897. Inst at left marked 5/1900. Inst at right suspected instrument by this maker. |
Marseille, France | est 1887-1940 | harp guitars | ||
| Jühling, F. | Dresden | c.1911-1915 | false Swedish lute |
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| Kaltenbacher, E. | . | . | harp guitar | ||
| Kellerman, A. | Cologne | . | harp guitar |
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| Kerschensteiner, Franz Xaver (1839-1935) | Regensburg | 1898-1935? | harp guitar |
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| Klein, Max Researcher Andreas Stevens identified this maker as the likely builder of the instrument at right. |
Koblenz | c.1930 | harp guitar | ||
| Klingberg, C. H. I now believe this to be a c.1840 Otto Selling instrument later repaired by Klingberg. -GM |
Sweden | 1886 | harp guitar | ||
| Knudsen, Carl (c.1818-1869) | Copenhagen, Denmark | 1846-1869 | harp guitar | ||
| Knutsen, Chris Special Site! | Port Townsend, WA > Tacoma, WA > Seattle, WA > ? > Los Angeles, CA | 1895-1930 | harp guitars - Hawaiian guitars - mandolins, hollow arm guitars - mandolins - ukes (harp form) | ||
| Kochendörfer, Paul | Stuttgard | 1914-1923 | harp guitar, theorboed guitar-lute | ||
| Konigs | . | . | harp guitar | ||
| Kriner, Lorenz | Stuttgart, Germany | c.1870 | harp guitar | ||
| Kruse, Wilhelm | Markneunkirchen | . | harp guitar | ||
| Kunzmann, Johann | Munich | . | harp guitar |
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| Lacôte, René François Special Feature! |
Paris, France | 1785-1855(?) | harp guitars | ||
| Lagler, Johann | Vienna | 1852 | harp guitar | ||
| Lakeside (see Lyon & Healy) | . | . | . | . | |
| Lamblin | Gent, Belgium | 1807 | harp guitar |
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| Langecker, L. | Munich | 1927 | harp guitar |
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| Langer, Karl | Vienna | 1935 | harp guitar |
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| Larson, August & Carl (See Dyer, Leland, Mauer, Meyers, Stahl, Truax) |
Chicago, IL | 1901-1944 | harp guitars | ||
| Lederer, Horst | . | . | harp guitar |
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| Leland, L. S. (Washburn brand. Possibly Larson built) | Chicago, IL | c.1912 | harp guitar | ||
| Lemböck, Gabriel (1814-1892) | Vienna | 1840-1890 | harp guitar |
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| Levin, Herman C.
First based in New York, Levin patented a guitar & mandolin double-neck on Dec 21, 1897 (see Patents). He then relocated to Sweden where his company produced "Scholander-lutes" and harp guitars (information provided by Paul Holland). |
New York > Sweden | 1896-1930s | harp guitars, false Swedish lutes |
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| Light, Edward | London, England | 1798-c.1820 | "harp-guitar" in name only, harp-lute family | ||
| Livermore, Ernest N. (see also The Knutsen Archives) | Port Townsend, WA | 1896 | hollow arm mandolin & violin (harp form) | ||
| Longobardi, Catello | Schenectady, NY | 1914 | hollow arm mandolin (harp form) | ||
| Lotz, Robert | Leipzig | c.1820 | harp guitar | ||
| Lüdemann, Julius "Bassguitarren mit 4 bis 9 Kontrasaiten, Bassguitarren in Wappenform, Basslauten mit 4 bis 9 Kontrasaiten (no images). Source: Der Gitarrefreund |
Cologne | c.1911-1912 | harp guitars, theorboed guitar-lutes | ||
| Luis, Harry G. | San Quentin, CA | 1917 | harp guitar-mandolin | ||
| Lund, Lundfred (c.1800-c.1875) | Copenhagen, Denmark | 1844-1875 | harp guitar | ||
| Lund, Thorvald (1876-1930) | Copenhagen, Denmark | 1917-1930 | false Swedish lutes | ||
| Lyon & Healy
(American Conservatory, College Line, Lakeside, Washburn brands) (See also Washburn) |
Chicago, IL | 1864-present | harp guitars | ||
| Maccaferri, Mario | Italy > London > France > New York | . | harp guitars | ||
| Majestic - Puntolillo brandname | . | c.1920 | harp guitar | ||
| Mannello, Angelo | New York, NY | 1886-1906 | harp guitar | ||
| Marchetti, Enrico
An Italian violin builder from Milan, 1855-1930 - Peter Smolders |
Turin, Italy | 1884 | harp guitar |
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| Martin, Christian F. | Nazareth, PA | 1833-present | harp guitars, hollow arm mandolin (harp form) | ||
| Martin, Jos. | Würzburg | . | harp guitar | ||
| Masetti, Fratelli (Fratelli Brothers) | Modena | 1924 | harp guitars |
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| Mast, Joseph | . | 1827 | "harp guitar" in name only (harp guitar or guitar-harp) | ||
| Mattei, Bruno Bruno built the "chitarpas" designed by Italo Meschi |
Spezia, Italy | 1911-1920s | harp guitars |
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| Maurer
(harp guitars built
by the Larsons)
Special Feature! |
Wisconsin | 1880-1944 | harp guitars | ||
| Mayflower
Special
Feature!
This brand name has a very convoluted history. Regardless, this harp guitar is believed to be Larson-built. |
Chicago | 1904-? | harp guitar | ||
| McVey, George J. | Lincoln, NE | 1918 | hollow arm mandolin (harp form) | ||
| Meinel, Adolph;
Meinel & Herold The M & H catalog pages are dated 1940. |
. | ?-1940 | harp guitars, theorboed guitar-lutes | ||
| Meinel-Bartfritz, 1900
Unknown how this Meinel relates to the other. |
. | 1900 | false Swedish lute | ||
| Mettal, Ignaz | Schönbach (Bohemia) | c.1900-1917, 1934? | harp guitars |
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| Meyers, H.F. (some or all believed to be Larson built) | Chicago, IL | c.1910 | harp guitars | ||
| Moller, Johannes (1888-1963) | Copenhagen, Denmark | 1921-1963 | false Swedish lutes | ||
| Monzino,
A. & Sons Special Feature! Information needed! |
Milan | . | harp guitars, hollow arm mandolin (harp form) | ||
| Moser, F. |
Düsseldorf |
. | harp guitar |
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| Mostböck, Otto | Vienna | 1925 | harp guitar |
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| Mouroux, Louis | Seine, France | 1959 | harp guitar patent |
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| Moutron | Paris | 1785 | harp guitar | . | |
| Mozzani,
Luigi
(1869-1943)
Special Feature! A celebrated Italian guitar virtuoso who some consider the Italian equivalent of Tarrega. Though he borrowed his basic designs from Schenck, I consider him the Italian Knutsen - a wild imagination with seemingly no two harp guitars alike! |
Italy | c.1910-1943 | harp guitars, hollow-arm guitars and mandolins | ||
| Müller, Josef | harp guitar |
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| Müller, Karl | Augsburg, Bavaria | c.1904-1917 | harp guitars | ||
| Musik-Union | Vienna | . | harp guitar |
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| Naderman, Jean-Henri The well-known harp maker created what some historians consider the oldest surviving "harp guitar," but I consider it a lute-guitar hybrid. |
Paris | 1773 | Bissex | ||
| Nordwall, Aron | Chicago, IL | 1901 | harp guitar | ||
| Novy, Franz | Vienna | ? | harp guitar | ||
| Nowy, Michael | Vienna | 1922 | harp guitar |
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Nuñez, Francisco |
Buenos Aires | c.1910-1920 | harp guitar |
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| Obrecht, Josef | Vienna | 1936 | harp guitar |
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| Olry Like many of the Lacote instruments, this instrument was modified by Coste. |
harp guitar |
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| Oscar Schmidt Company (see also Stella and Sovereign) |
Newark, NJ | 1879-1978 | harp guitars | ||
| Otwin (see Windisch, Otto) | . | . | . | . | |
| Paesold
Founded in 1848, the "k&"k" on the front of their catalog is denotes the "Hungarian-Austrian monarchy" that ended at the close of WW1 in 1918. -Christian Steinbrecher |
Bohemia | pre-1918 | harp guitars, false Swedish lutes | ||
| Paquet | Marseille | c.1784 | "harp guitar" in name only (arpi-guitare) | ||
| Paulus, Adolf | Koln | 1924 | theorboed guitar-lute | ||
| Perlgold (a division of Kurt Gropp Musical Instrument Company) | Leipzig | 1954 | harp guitar | ||
| Pfretzschner, G. A. | . | . | harp guitar |
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| Porto & Figli (Sons), Rosario See Knutsen Patents |
Sicily | 1898-1903 | hollow arm guitars, hollow arm mandolins |
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| Prenosil, Otto | Jihlava (now Czech Republic) | 1943 | harp guitar |
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| Prisner, Josef | Vienna | 19-- | harp guitar | ||
| Puntolillo, Gaetano F. (see Majestic brand) | Naples/New York | c.1920 | harp guitar | ||
| Raab, Hans
This well known, highly regarded, and extremely prolific maker made "bass-guitars," "bogengitarres," "Nordic lutes" and even a lyre-guitar - of every possible design. |
Munich | c.1900-1917 | harp guitars, false Swedish lute, lyre-guitar |
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| Ramirez, Manuel
According to scholar Stephen Sedgwick, Ramirez built at least one 9-string and one 11-string harp guitar (the latter barely discernible in the pictured shop window on the right). He adds that Segovia's famous Ramirez was originally an 11-string. |
Spain | c.1912 | harp guitars |
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| Ramqvist, A | Söderbärke, Sweden | 1897 | harp guitar |
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| Rapisarda, V. | Italy | 1936 | harp guitar |
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| Rastelli, Lodovico (appears to be the remains of a double-neck with 3 sub-basses) |
Genova, Italy | 1866 | harp guitar |
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| Rauschmayr, Erich | . | . | harp guitar |
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| Raymond | . | . | harp guitar | ||
| Regal (Wulshner brand) | . | c.1900-1904 | harp guitars | ||
| Regal
Manufacturing
Co.
A split-off company of Wulschner. Other Wuslchner companies were also involved in the production of these instruments. See the Wulschner entries below. |
Indianapolis, IN | 1901-1904 | .
harp guitars |
||
| . | Regal
Musical
Instrument
Co.
The Regal brand and logo were sold to a new group of businessmen. Eventually that company produced its own, completely different harp guitars. |
Chicago, IL | 1908-1954 | harp guitars, hollow arm mandolin | |
| Rehbach, Rudolf | Nürnberg | 1922 | harp guitar patent |
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| Reisinger,
Ludwig (1863-?) Reisinger is said to have helped modify the Scherzer 10-course harp guitar into the "Schrammel guitar" with up to 12 sub-basses. Ludwig Reisinger was a student of Johann Bucher from 1877 to 1887. In his last year, 1887, he opened his own workshop in Vienna. His guitars followed the Stauffer method very closely, based upon the Luigini Legnani model guitar, still using the free floating adjustable neck. There are at least two known harp guitars made by Reisinger. He was a well respected late 19th century Viennese luthier who also made zithers and violins. - Stephen Sedgwick |
Vienna | 1887-1900 | harp guitars | ||
| Rieche, J.R. | Denmark? | . | false Swedish lute | ||
| Ries (Riess), Nicolaus Georg (1790-1857) | Vienna | 1830-1858 | harp guitar | ||
| Riva, Severino His known harp guitar is labeled "Antonio Monzino & Figli" (sold through the Monzino & Sons shop) |
Milan | 1911 | harp guitar |
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|
| Rosenberger-Margot, Jacob-Damien | Lausanne, Switzerland | 1894 | harp guitar | ![]() |
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Rottola, Innocente
His known harp guitar is labeled Antonio Monzino & Figli" (sold through the Monzino & Sons shop) |
Milan | 1906 | harp guitar |
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|
Roudhloff, D.& A. The brothers D.& A. Roudhloff were prolific makers in London who copied both the styles of Panormo and Lacôte with equal success. The "improved Melophonic Guitar" was a popular model offering two extra strings in the bass, a short playing stringlength of 599mm, and was built either with the traditional rosewood back and sides or in solid pine for the belly, back and sides. -Ian Watchorn |
London | c.1840 | harp guitars |
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|
| Savains | Paris | late 18th century | harp guitar | ||
| Scanzoni, Giuseppe | Cantania | 1895 | harp guitar | ||
| Schandl, Karl | Mittenwald | . | harp guitar |
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| Schenk, Friedrich
Schenk, whose father was a guitar player and teacher, was a disciple of Johann Georg Staufer. The "lyra" form (far left) was built for the Vienna World Exhibition in 1839. He also made the first "bogenguitarres" (the hollow bass arm and headstock forms). Both of these incredible designs directly influenced Mozzani decades later. He also built the 10-course invention (far right) of Croatian guitarist Ivan Padovec in 1841. |
Vienna | 1836-1875 | harp guitars |
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| Scherr,Emilius Nicolai (1794-1874) | Philadelphia, PA | 1831 | "harp guitar" only in name |
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| Scherzer, Johann Gottfried (1834-1870)
Scherzer was apprentice to the Johann Georg Staufer along with
noted maker C.F. Martin. While Martin moved to America, Scherzer stayed
in Vienna and eventually took over his master’s business. |
Vienna | 1852-1870 | harp guitars |
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|
| Schlesinger, Adolf | Vienna | , | harp guitar |
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| Schmidbauer, Jakob |
Regensburg |
. | harp guitar |
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|
| Schmidt, Oscar (see Oscar Schmidt Company) | . | . | . | . | |
| Schulz (Schultz), August | Nuremberg | c.1903-1917 | harp guitars, theorboed guitar-lutes | ||
| Schuster, Carl Gottlob | . | 1824 (birth date?) | harp guitar | ||
| Schuster, L. P. "Bassguitarren" (no image) Source: Der Gitarrefreund |
Markneukirchen | c.1910-1911 | harp guitar | ||
| Schuster Brothers (Gebrüder
Schuster)
Founded in 1854. One of the guitar brand names was "Cid." -Christian Steinbrecher |
Markneukirchen | c.1920s | harp guitars, theorboed guitar-lutes | ||
| Seboldt, Felix | Munich | c.1920s | harp guitars | ||
| Selling, Otto Fredrik Otto Fredrik Selling lived and was active as a luthier in Stockholm during the 3rd quarter of the 19th century. He made both guitars and bowed instruments and there are indications that he made pianos too. Three 6-string guitars and four preserved bass-guitars (three 10-string examples and one 12-string example) by Selling are known. Otto F. Selling build his guitars in the Viennese style but differ from those made by other makers through small details, like beautifully carved wood on the bridge. An eye-catching aspect of the Selling guitar is the long characteristic headstock with carved sideward violoncello scroll that carries back-standing tuning pegs. This is seen on five of the seven known guitars by Otto Frederik Selling. -Alex Timmerman |
Stockholm, Sweden | c.1850-1875 | harp guitars |
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| Selmer (see Maccaferri) | France | . | . | . | |
| Shaeffer, Arling | Chicago | 1890-1912+ | harp guitars, Shaeffer lutes | ||
| Shutt, Albert | Topeka, KS | c.1912-1963 | harp guitars | ||
| K. F. Simon & Co. Known label reads "Manufacturers of and dealers in the Celebrated Almcrantz guitars and all kinds of musical instruments" (see Almcrantz) |
. | c.1900? | harp guitar | ||
| Simon, Mathias | Mittenwald | . | harp guitar |
|
|
| Sinfonia
Part of the MUSIMA group; produced instruments until the mid-1990s. -Christian Steinbrecher |
Markneukirchen / Klingenthal | ? | harp guitars, theorboed guitar-lutes | ||
| Sovereign ( Oscar Schmidt brand) | . | until 1935 | harp guitars | ||
| Stahl, William C. (harp guitars built by the Larson brothers) | Milwaukee, WI | 1903-1925+ | harp guitars | ||
| Staufer / Stauffer, Johann Georg (1778–1853)
Both spellings were used by the maker himself. Certain pictured specimens at right may be suspect. A double-necked guitar (Doppelgitarre) made in 1807 was not a harp guitar. |
Vienna | 1800-1853 | harp guitars |
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| Staufer / Stauffer, Johann Anton (1805–1851?)
Son of the famous J. G. Staufer, J.A. may have had more to do with the training of the guitar pupils, like harp guitar makers Scherzer and Schenk. He also built (or sold) nearly all of the Staufer harp guitars. Certain pictured specimens at right may be suspect. |
Vienna | 1833-1840s | harp guitars |
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| Stella ( Oscar Schmidt brand) | . | until 1935 | harp guitars | ||
| Sterling | . | . | harp guitar | ||
| Stewart (fancy Wurlitzer brand?) | . | . | harp guitar | ||
| Stecher, Josef | Salzburg | . | harp guitar |
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| Stochholm, Peder (1843-1921) | Copenhagen, Denmark | 1903-1921 | false Swedish lutes | ||
| Stöhr, Carl | St. Pölten, Austria | . | harp guitar |
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|
| Stöhr, Franz | Wiener Neustadt, Austria | 1934 | harp guitar |
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| Strobel, Fritz | Klingenthal | 1930s | harp guitar | ||
| Stumcke, Charles This little known American maker copied Scherr's well-known "patent harp-guitar" of the 1830s. |
Boston | c.1853 | harp-guitar in name only |
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| Supertone Brand name of Sears Roebuck & Co, possible made by Harmony |
Chicago | c.1915-1930s | harp guitar |
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| Swozil
(Swosil), Josef
Swosil was likely a pupil of Scherzer and built a
number of these instruments with 13 strings. The guitar played by
Strohmayer in the Schrammel Quartet photos is by Josef Swosil, |
Vienna | 1879+ | harp guitars |
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| Tannhauser | . | . | harp guitar | ||
| Tappert, Henry G. | Cincinnati, OH | 1900 | harp guitars |
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| Theophano | . | . | theorboed guitar-lutes | ||
| Thiphanon, Jean-François | Paris | 1780 | Bissex | ||
| Thomsen, Anders (1911-1996) | Copenhagen, Denmark | 1936-1996 | harp guitar | ||
| Thorel | Mirecourt | . | harp guitar |
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| Tiefenbrunner, Georg (1811-1880?) | Munich | c. 1880 | harp guitar | ||
| Tieri, Raffaele | New York, NY | c.1920s | harp guitars | ||
| Tittmann, Otto | . | . | theorboed guitar-lute |
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| de Torres, Antonio (1817-1892)
A total of three 11-course harp guitars are known by this famed maker of Spanish guitars. - Stephen Sedgwick |
. | 1884 | harp guitars |
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| Tosi Music Company | 63 Hanover Street, Boston, Mass | c.1900s | harp guitar |
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| Tournier, Joseph Alexis | Paris | 19th century | harp guitar | ||
| Towell, Thomas E. | Arkansas | 1941 | harp guitar patent |
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Trapp, Hermann "Bassguitarren" (no image) Source: Der Gitarrefreund |
Germany/Bohemia | c.1905
|
harp guitars | ||
| Truax Adjustable Bridge Co (possibly made by Larson) | Battle Creek, MI | c.1902 | harp guitars | ||
| Uhlmeyer, Leo
Image of Uhlmeyer's shop here. |
. | c.1900 | harp guitar | ||
| Vallejo, Rafael | Granada | 1789-92 | harp guitar | ||
| Vinaccia | Naples | 1900 | harp guitar | ||
| Vissenaire | Lyon | 1825 | harp guitar | ||
| Volkman, Anton | . | . | harp guitar | ||
| Volkmar Scherzer | Markneukirchen | c.1930 | harp guitar | ||
| Wach, Michael "Kontra-Bassguitarren" (no imagem claims a patent on this) Source: Der Gitarrefreund |
Munich | c.1905-1909 | harp guitars | ||
| Waldo Manufacturing Co. | Saginaw, MI | 1891-1903+ | harp guitar |
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| Walthari | Germany | 1900s | harp guitar |
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| Washburn (Lyon & Healy brand) | . | 1883-1928 | harp guitars, hollow arm guitars (lyre form) | ||
| Washington
According to Mugwumps, a J.W. Jenkins brand (seen in the 1930 Tonk Bros catalog) |
Kansas City, MO | ?-1930 | harp guitar | ||
| Wesely, Josef | Vienna | . | harp guitar |
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| Weymann & Son, H.A. | Philadelphia, PA | 1864-1940s | harp guitars | ||
| Wichard, Frank F. | Benton, St. Louis, MO | c.1884 | harp guitar | ||
| Wichmann, Gottfried | Magdeburg, Germany | 1921 | capo-system for harp guitars | ![]() |
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| Willadsen, Einar | Copenhagen, Denmark | 1898 | false Swedish lute | ||
| Windisch, Otto (Otwin brand guitars)
No examples known. The 4 instruments pictured from an existing catalog, and 2 intriguing mentions of a "Lyra-Gitarre" and "Lyra-Mandoline" in his 1909 catalog. -Christian Steinbrecher |
Markneukirchen | 1909 | theorboed guitar-lute, false Swedish lute, Tielke bass-lute, "Harp'Lute" |
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| Wiroso-Röthner | . | . | harp guitar |
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| Wohltat,
Rudolf (or Wohlfahrt? Label hard to read) |
Odrau,
East Sudetenland (built in what became Czechoslovakia, and is now split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia) |
. | harp guitar | ||
| Wolfsecker, A. | . | . | harp guitar |
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| Wretling, Bo | Stockholm, Sweden | 1947 | false Swedish lute |
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| Wulshner & Son
There are three separate split-off companies of the original Emil Wulshner company. Strangely, the clues point to all three being involved in the production of the strange Regal harp guitars with the short bass strings. At least some of these instruments are believed to be Larson built. |
Indianapolis, IN | c.1899-1900 | harp guitars | ||
| Wulshner Music Company | Indianapolis, IN | c.1900 | harp guitars | ||
| Wunderlich, Carl Anton | Siebenbrunn (near Markneukirchen) | 1938 | harp guitar, theorboed guitar-lute |
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| Wurlitzer, Rudolph | Cincinnati, OH | 1856-1940s | harp guitars | ||
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Wurzelholz |
. | . | harp guitar |
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| Zalud, Pavel | Terezín, Czechoslovakia | c.1900 | harp guitar |
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| Zimmer, Max | Nuremberg | c.1910-1913 | theorboed guitar-lute |
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| Zimmermann, Julius Heinrich | Leipzig, St. Petersburg | 1890s-1920s | Russian & German harp guitars, false Swedish lutes, theorboed guitar-lutes |
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Key contributors to this page:
Michael Holmes of Mugwumps Online,
Benoit Meulle-Stef, Stephen Sedgwick, Christian Steinbrecher, Alex Timmerman
Other contributors: Martin Albert, Kenneth Brogger, Paul Holland, Peter Smolders, Gary Southwell,
Oleg Timofeyev, Len Verrett, Ian Watchorn
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