Harp Guitar-related Instruments

Organology: Harp Guitar "Relatives"

Note to the casual reader or researcher: This Reference Gallery features historical instruments that are not harp guitars, but “relatives” or distant “cousins” – presented on Harpguitars.net for historical and organological comparison.

Mixed Family Hybrids & Other Related Forms

Non-family specific instruments similar or related to harp guitars. Many can be considered "hybrids" or "one-offs."

See bottom of page for image copyright information


*Naderman (Jean-Henri) bissex,* Paris, 1773**	*Thiphanon (Jean-François) bissex, Paris, 1780*	Caron Guitare decacorde, 1784

Swedish
This first group of instruments include what I classify as "true Swedish lutes." Following below are what I term "false Swedish lutes." While many scholars are aware of and discuss the differences, many lump the two indiscriminately together, as do some modern makers who reproduce both instruments. The true Swedish lute is a12 to 15-course instrument strung in gut, with 8 strings on the neck (sometimes doubling the 3 high strings) and 4, 5 or 7 open bass strings. The tuning, developed from the English guitar, was an "open" chord on top with descending basses, much like the Light harp-lutes. Note that I therefore do not include these makers in the Encyclopedia, but that I do include makers of "false Swedish lutes," which share the harp guitar's configuration, tuning and playing technique (and were often made and marketed side by side by various shops).

This group of exquisite, rare photos comes from the Stockholm Music Museum.


Kraft, Mathias Petter, Stockholm, Sweden
177x (8+4, 3 neck strings doubled)	1790 (8+5)	1792 (8+4)	1794 (8+7)


Johan Jerner, Stockholm, Sweden
1791 (8+5)	1792 (8+5)	1797 (8+7	1808 (8+7)


Anders Odendahl, Stockholm?, Sweden, 1812 (8+7)	Erik Ryberg, Uddevalla, Sweden, 181[1?] (8+7)	Lorens Mollenberg, Stockholm, Sweden, 1815 (8+7)	Unknown, Stockholm?, Sweden, 1800s (8+7)

German, Swedish, Danish
Here are the endless varieties of what I classify as either "theorboed guitar-lutes" or "false Swedish lutes" - depending (generally) on the body shape (regardless of country of origin). Originally, the former were (and still are) called "bass-lutes" (Germany), while the latter were/are known as Nordic bass-lutes (Germany) or Swedish lutes or Scholander-lutes (Sweden: named after its most famous player [see Iconography: Harp Guitar Relatives]). As stated above, the "true" Swedish lute from a century earlier (above) was a somewhat different instrument (see Organology Part I).

Instruments in this first group are basically all similar theorboed versions of the "guitar-lutes" that were very common from 1890-1920. They are as close to a true harp guitar as you can get, and were played by guitar players exactly like harp guitars. All have a standard 6-string guitar neck and generally 4 or 6 sub-basses. The body is of standard lute shape. Not just a wandering minstrel's "folk" instrument, many were built by the finest guitar makers and played by well-known guitarists.


Adolf Paulus, 1924	Hermann Hauser, Munich 1924	Hermann Hauser, 1931	Heinrich Fuchs, 1920s	Halbmeyer, 1904	Halbmeyer, Munich, 1909 (spelled Halbmaier on label)	J. H. Zimmerman, Liepzig, 1900s


Gotz (or Goetz?)	Paul Kochendörfer, 1923	Sinfonia, Markneukirchen	Goldklang	M. Zimmer, Nuremberg


Meinel & Herold	"Otwin" brand, Otto Windisch company	Schuster Brothers (Gebrüder Schuster) Markneukirchen, 1920s	C. A. Wunderlich, Siebenbrunn (near Markneukirchen) 1938


Gunter Penzel, Markneukirchen, new	Steffen Gläsel, Markneukirchen, 1999	A. Höllinger, Kiel, Germany	August Schulz	Otto Tittmann	Morik Heinel, Markneukirchen


Unknown, 5-bass	Unknown, 9-bass	Meinel & Herold, 9-bass

Instruments in this second group follow the body shape of the "true" Swedish lute.


Unknown The pear shape, lute back and bridge belong to the guitar-lute family. The headstocks, tuners and soundhole are pure harp guitar!	Herman Carlson Levin, 1927, Gothenburg, Sweden	J. Tielke	Patented Joachim Tielke Bass-laute, distributed by Otto Windisch company

Unknown

This strange instrument appears to be a German guitar-lute combined with the floating fingerboard concept of Pacquet's 1784 arpi-guitare - with a theorboed headstock for two sub-basses yet!

Unknown

In the expanded image, one can see the lute back of this very strange double-neck instrument. The headstocks and tuners also beggar description.

Additional Images

"Harfenlaute" patent, Johann Lührs
Rüstringen, Oldenburg
Nov 6, 1920

Patent # 346,447

"Harfen-Lauten" ("Harp-Lute") distributed by the Otto Windisch Company

(Available with either 9 or 12 basses!)

Was this instrument based on the previous patent?


Boothe "sirelin," 1928, Pat #1,684,467	Arling Shaeffer, Chicago, 1912 "Contra Bass Lute" A theorboed version of a strange large-bodied bowl-back gut strung guitar Shaeffer called the "Eqyptian Lute" with his unique tuners.	In truth, this instrument by Halle does not belong on this page - or even site - at all. In fact, it's not even a guitar! It is just built like one, with a guitar body and -stretching it a bit - a neck and headstock. But it is really some sort of fretless zither, either meant to be plucked or strummed.

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"Swedish Lute" patent, date?	Zimmermann, Leipzig, 1899	J. H. Zimmerman, Liepzig, 1900s	K. Meinel-Bartfritz, 1900	Alfred Brock, Stockholm, Sweden, 1910	Alfred Brock, Stockholm, Sweden, 1920 (6+2)


Paesold, Bohemia, pre-1918	Schuster Brothers (Gebrüder Schuster) Markneukirchen, 1920s	"Otwin" brand, Otto Windisch company	F. Jühling, Dresden, c.1911	Bo Wretling, Stockholm, Sweden, 1947	"Crafton" brand, Gothenburg, Sweden, c.1950	Johann H. Hoffman, Stockholm, Sweden, 1951


H. Levin, New York/Gothenburg, 1902 -1923	Levin, Gothenburg, Sweden, 1952	Wilhelm Kruse	Goldklang	Unknown	Sällskapet Svenska Lutan. 2005


Peder Stochholm, c.1910	Thorvald Lund, c.1925	Thorvald Lund, 1924	Johannes Moller, 1925	J.R. Rieche	Einar Willadsen, Copenhagen, 1898


kobza-bandura hybrid	kobza-bandura hybrid, 20th century
From researcher Jurij Fedynskyj : "To be more exact, in my opinion I'd call them both banduras, as the strings on the neck as most likely basses, and not melody strings. The presence of frets on one simply allow for bass line. Realistically, most kobzar banduras are frettable on the neck, but we don't call the instruments kobza-banduras."


torban, 19th century	torban