Knutsen Hawaiian Guitar
Owner and musician Michael Guthrie (http://www.moorafa.com) tells me:
"I found this guitar in Old Town Pasadena, California in 1981 at the Salvation Army thrift store. It was is extremely poor condition, covered in dried mud, coming unglued, the finish was nearly rotted away, the bridge was stuck inside with old rusty strings still attached to some of the tuners, and a broken piece of the top was also inside. Everyone thought I was nuts to try fixing it except a nice old fellow o had a antique furniture repair business next door to the sign shop I worked at. Turns out he used to work for the Louvre Art Museum in France and repaired instruments for them! He helped show me how to do repairs and sprayed a satin clear lacquer finish on it for me. I have been playing it ever since, people love it. Everyone asks me what kind of wood it is - I still don't know, many guys have offered their opinions on what it is."
I don't either! Note: The top, back and sides are all the same wood.
3/22/05: Guitar aficionado Jonathon Kellerman (who is very good at wood guesses) writes: "Has anyone suggested Myrtle? It's used quite a bit up in the Pacific Northwest, mostly for smaller objects such as bowls, etc. Just logged onto Woodworker's Source and the Oregon myrtle wood sample shown looks a whole lot like the guitar. They say the tree can grow to 100 feet, so I'm sure you can get boards wide enough for a guitar. I'm curious about the acoustic properties. From my time up in Seattle I recall it as being a very light wood. My money's on myrtle for this one."
Click on a picture to
enlarge
(images copyright Michael Guthrie)
Knutsen Archives Inventory Number |
HW29 |
|
Category |
Hollow Neck Hawaiian Guitars |
|
Body Style |
"Weissenborn-shaped" |
|
Current or last known owner |
Michael Guthrie |
|
Year (approx) |
1914-1920s |
|
Label |
full "New Hawaiian Family", white | |
Label Code | LA1 | |
Courses / Strings |
6 strings |
|
Frets |
inlaid wood |
|
Scale length | 24-3/4" | |
Neck Joint | hollow, square, taper begins between second and third fret | |
Woods |
Top |
myrtle? |
Back & Sides |
myrtle? |
|
Neck |
cedar |
|
Fingerboard |
mahogany |
|
Bridge |
koa |
|
Headstock veneer |
none |
|
Binding, trim |
Top |
rope |
Back |
none | |
Fingerboard |
none | |
Headstock(s) |
none |
|
Soundhole |
rope | |
Inlay |
celluloid dot fret markers | |
Pickguard |
none |
|
Dimensions | Upper Bout | 10-3/8" |
Lower Bout | 15-1/16" | |
Body at endpin | 3-1/2" | |
Comments |
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