Knutsen Harp Ukulele   

I can't tell if this one is made of a strange cut of koa, or a wavy "curly mahogany" - though I tend toward the latter.  It's certainly attractive enough (the photos never do the three dimensional "glow" justice).  The solid neck/fingerboard is mahogany.  This harp uke has an 8th type of binding; 3-ply wood strips - blonde-green-blonde - and a red wood arm separating strip and soundhole ring.  This is similar to the two larger taropatches, with red substituted for the green strip. 
This instrument was bought new in the state of Washington (where it was built) by a woman named Audell Wilson.  It ended up in Long Beach, where this photo of Audell with her uke was taken about 1930.  After her passing, the family handed it down to the current owner.
The label has a pencil inscription with what appears to be the initials "B.L.M.W." and "B.L.+M.W." (a declaration of love between Ms. Wilson and B.L.?).

hu23.jpg (50490 bytes) hu23arm.jpg (79535 bytes) hu23side2.jpg (47172 bytes) hu23label.jpg (133012 bytes) hu23side1.jpg (44539 bytes) hu23back.jpg (40541 bytes) audell_wilson.jpg (78735 bytes)

Click on a picture to enlarge
(images copyright Gregg Miner)

Knutsen Archives Inventory Number

HU23

                 Category

Harp Ukuleles

                 Body Style

"Standard"

                 Current or last known owner

Glenn Cornick

                 Year (approx)

1910-1914

                 Label

Patent Applied For
C. Knutsen

                 Label Code SE9

                 Courses / Strings

4 strings

                 Scale length

13-5/8"

Woods

Top

koa or mahogany

Back & Sides

koa or mahogany

Neck

mahogany

Fingerboard

n/a

Bridge

unknown

Headstock veneer

none

Binding, trim

Top

3-ply wood binding; blonde-green-blonde

Back

none

Fingerboard

none

Headstock(s)

none

Soundhole

red wood ring

                 Inlay

pearl dot fret markers

                 Pickguard

none

                 Comments

 

 

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