Knutsen Harp Mandolin
A similarly fancy model as the previous specimen, but with
different inlays. The pickguard is the exact same shape, but with inlay. The
body is nearly identical except for the headstock. Most amazing is that it has
the exact same cut label, with "sole" and "of
the" again scribbled out (as does the following specimen)!
The owner writes, "This mandolin was originally owned by my grandfather, Roland Nolte. He
was born in Fairmont, Minnesota in 1903 and came to Seattle in the 20's. He worked as traveling salesman in the Everett, Monroe,
Snohomish, Washington area north of Seattle. He mainly sold china dishes and some toys, but he may have also sold musical instruments.
We really don't know when he got this mandolin. My mother recalls it laying around the house when she was a small girl in the '30's,
although no one ever played it. When I received it in the late 60's, it was quite scratched up, and
being 14 at the time, thought it would be a good idea to refinish it. So, unfortunately it does not have the original finish - although 35
years later, it looks about the same as it did before. I believe everything else is original except for the nut. The tailpiece has the
letters JSM scratched onto it. Not the initials of any of my relatives, so I don't know what they stand for or where they came from."
Click
on a picture to
enlarge
(images copyright Duane Hoffmann)
Knutsen Archives Inventory Number |
HM20 |
|
Category |
Harp Mandolins |
|
Body Style |
"Guitar-shaped, Lower Bass Point" |
|
Current or last known owner |
Duane Hoffmann |
|
Year (approx) |
1910-1913 |
|
Label |
"C. KNUTSEN, Sole Patentee of the..." (cut label, "sole" & "of the" scribbled out!) |
|
Label Code | SE4 | |
Courses / Strings |
4 courses: 8 strings on neck |
|
Scale length |
unknown |
|
Woods |
Top |
spruce, refinished |
Back & Sides |
mahogany |
|
Neck |
mahogany |
|
Fingerboard |
ebony |
|
Bridge |
unknown |
|
Headstock veneer |
dyed ? |
|
Binding, trim |
Top |
multi-colored wood purfling, ivoroid |
Back |
ivoroid |
|
Fingerboard |
ivoroid |
|
Headstock(s) |
ivoroid |
|
Soundhole |
multi-colored wood purfling |
|
Inlay |
fancy pearl fret markers, fancy pearl shapes in headstock and pickguard |
|
Pickguard |
black plastic? |
|
Comments |
|
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