Knutsen Harp Hawaiian Guitar    

A nice reddish top distinguishes this specimen. It may be mahogany or Spanish cedar – like so many of Knutsen’s instruments, it’s very difficult to tell. Likewise the back and sides – mahogany or ?

hhw17.jpg (16870 bytes) hhw17side.jpg (16055 bytes) hhw17back.jpg (14497 bytes)

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(images copyright Gregg Miner)

Knutsen Archives Inventory Number

HHW17

                 Category

Hollow Neck Hawaiian Guitars

                 Body Style

"'Weissenborn-shaped' Harp Hawaiian"

                 Current or last known owner

Folk Music Center, Claremont, CA / Ben Harper

                 Year (approx)

1920-1927 or 1928. Possibly earlier (back to 1914?)

                 Label

"C. KNUTSEN, Manufacturer of ALL KINDS OF STRINGED INSTRUMENTS"

                 Label Code LA8 (top portion only)

                 Courses / Strings

12 course: 6 strings on neck, 2 bass, 4 treble

                 Frets

inlaid wood

                 Scale length 25"
                 Neck Joint hollow, square, taper begins between first and second fret

Woods

Top

mahogany or Spanish cedar

Back & Sides

mahogany? 

Neck

fir (headstock)

Fingerboard

koa

Bridge

mahogany

Headstock veneer

none

Binding, trim

Top

rope

Back

none

Fingerboard

2 double inlaid stripes

Headstock(s)

none

Soundhole

rope

                 Inlay

celluloid dot and diamond fret markers

                 Pickguard

none

Dimensions Upper Bout 3-3/8"
Lower Bout 9-1/2"
Body at endpin 14-3/4"

                 Comments

 

 

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