Knutsen Harp Hawaiian Guitar HHW23

Unbelievably, this instrument - nearly identical to the previous instrument (HHW22), including the label - has had the treble strings removed, with an almost identical patch!
In fact, both of the inlaid pieces (actually, inserted like puzzle-pieces into open holes in the spruce top) on opposite sides of the fretboard are exactly the same as those on HW22. So they must be "decorative inserts," as strange as they appear.
I assumed the right one was replaced as on HHW22 also - to abandon the treble string tuners, and just fill with a solid piece.
However, this one has an additional mystery. There are four holes along the length of the treble side of the neck, just below the nut. Clearly, someone had attempted to attach something here in order to string and tune the four trebles again! Or could they be holes from sort of original Knutsen attachment - with the solid top inlay thus also original? It doesn't seem like it would work with simple zither pin tuners - they wouldn't clear the corner. And if some sort of extension(s) (like for the sub-basses) were attached, these strings would have been quite long.
Nevertheless, this might not have been the first time that Knutsen possibly utilizied some unknown outside-the-body treble attachment - HHW16 has a similar mystery. In fact, on that one, there IS no patch where tuners could have even theoretically gone.
I lean toward the scenario that both instruments (this and HHW22) had similar treble arrangements (to tuners in the top) and then had similar alterations. If done by Knutsen himself, they would have had to have been quick, as he would pass away very soon after these were built. I suspect he would have also done something to hide the holes in the bridge as well (as he did on HHW18). This will undoubtedly remain another Knutsen Knundrum...

Knutsen Archives Inventory Number		HHW23
Category		Hollow Neck Hawaiian Guitars
Body Style		"'Weissenborn-shaped' Harp Hawaiian"
Current or last known owner		Dennis Lake
Year (approx)		1920-1927
Label		McDuff Street with harp-uke
Label Code		LA11
Courses / Strings		12 > 8 course: 6 strings on neck, 2 bass, originally 4 treble
Frets		inlaid wood
Scale length		unknown
Neck Joint		taper begins around the 1st fret
Woods	Top	spruce/koa?
	Back & Sides	koa?
	Neck/Head	fir?
	Fingerboard	koa?
	Bridge	mahogany
	Headstock veneer	unknown
Binding, trim	Top	rope
	Back	rope
	Fingerboard	two inlaid wood stripes
	Headstock(s)	none
	Soundhole	rope
Inlay		dot fret markers
Pickguard		koa?
Dimensions	Upper Bout
	Lower Bout
	Body at endpin
Comments