by Gregg Miner, as part of The Knutsen Archives
NOTE: The following is my suggested sequence of the evolution of Knutsen's bass string headstocks with approximate dates. As new evidence and examples come to light, I will continue to refine or reorganize it.
The original One Armed Guitar, patented in 1896, with short bass arm and no extra strings. | Knutsen received his second patent in 1898 for his harp guitar with a long arm. This original design could hold 2, 3 or 5 bass strings, and sometimes had none. 1897-1898 | The Symphony style prototype allowed more room for proper tuners and nut posts for the 5 bass strings. 1898-1899 | Perhaps realizing that it looked too much like an elephant's trunk, Knutsen experimented with his first personal "lefty" (reversed for diagram). 1898-1899 | Ultimately, he designed the very attractive new bass headstock. The arm retains a slight bend from the previous design. 1898-1899 | The arm is smoothed out for the final "mature" Symphony
model. 1899-1902
See further details below |
The "Evolving Symphony" headstocks begin with a gradual
change from the standard Symphony shape. 1902-1903
See further details below |
An extra flare is added at the end. 1903-1904 | The new flare is lengthened, while the right pointed flare is now being reduced. 1904-1906 | The new Seattle period Lower Bass Point harp guitar is introduced.
The first models have a very similar headstock, with further reduced
right flare. (Type 1a) 1906-1908
|
The concave tip becomes convex and the headstock more vertical. (Type 1b) 1907-1909 |
The
top of the headstock becomes smooth as the point in the middle is removed. (Type 1c) 1910-1912 |
The extra point is re-introduced, the two bordering areas
scalloped. (Type 2a) 1911-1913 |
An extra point on the left is added as the headstock becomes
more vertical and bulbous. (Type 3a) 1912-1913 |
Four
points are retained while the top point gets a club shape. (Type 3b) 1912-1913 |
The club is removed as the
upper left point moves to the top and the bass headstock becomes completely
vertical. (Type 3c) 1913-1914 |
The
point at upper right is moved further upwards. (type 3d) 1913-1914 See further details below |
Possibly the last type of bass headstock used, from a
specimen dated (Type 3e) 1913-1914. Still vertical, but the top left point is rounded while the other points shift a bit. |
To illustrate how difficult analysis and arrangement of the Knutsen instruments is:
(#HGT1)
This is the "mature" Symphony model as in the 6th black
silhouette above - probably the earliest form without the
"kink." Believed to be patterned by hand, it may be that each
is slightly different. Regardless, the Symphony bass headstock shape
gradually changed in the next year or two into versions like the next
example.
|
(#HGT29)
This appears to be the latest true "Symphony" model in
the Archives so far. Nevertheless, it may have again gradually morphed,
rather than jumped, into the next example.:
|
(#HGT36) This is representative of the next (7th) silhouette above - the first "Evolving Symphony." Though it has indeed "evolved" from the first photo, it does appear more closely related to the second photo than to the next "Evolving Symphony" (8th silhouette above). However, these examples incorporate a new bridge design, which provided a place to finally draw the line of separation between the two "models." After more instruments are found, we may find that this one gradually morphs again into the next! |
Similarly, silhouettes #9 & 10 above appear
as close to each other as the styles preceding and following.
Yet here is another separation of "models" - happily, an easier
choice, as here the noticeable "lower bass point" was added to the
body.
Here's a look at the fascinating final period Seattle harp guitar bass headstocks. I've sized them roughly the same and lined up the nuts. These seem to show a smooth progression between the "types" I have assigned above. Note how the vibrating length of the basses increases in succession, and the use of tuning pins, then return of geared tuners! | |||||
Type 3c gradually becomes: | Another 3c, which is morphing closer to: | Type 3d, which extends upwards further into: | Another 3d, which I believe finally becomes: | Type 3e (with the same tuners arrangement) |
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