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Updated February 2024


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All contents  by Gregg Miner, unless otherwise noted
Contributors to this page: Frank Doucette

Disclaimer: Harpguitars.net is not affiliated with, nor endorses the music of, nor necessarily shares the philosophical, political or religious views of any of the artists on this page.

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Harp Guitar Player Archives

This page debuted in 2004 with less than 20 bona fide harp guitarists. At this point, there are several hundred harp guitar players at all levels out there.  This page includes those who perform with a harp guitar regularly, or, at minimum, have recorded with some form of harp guitar more than a single time.  These players include full-time harp guitar-exclusive players, full-time musicians who utilize harp guitar for a small to large part of their material, and various part-time players (who may or not play the instrument exclusively). 

The majority of these musicians play the most recognizable basic form of harp guitar – one which contains sub-bass "harp" strings to the left of the standard neck.   An increasingly common form adds "super-treble" harp strings on the opposite side of the neck, while other experimenters may add additional banks of strings.  Inclusion on this page - a growing index of players of the instrument - requires that these players all actually utilize (i.e. play, by distinct, individual plucking during its use) the various harp strings of their instruments.

The Music page includes albums by additional amateur and professional musicians who have recorded at least one track on a harp guitar. 

We first highlight players of all styles who have become most visible through the annual Harp Guitar Gatherings.  Players of contemporary music are listed next, followed by players of historical music, then kontragitarre players, a melancholy In Memorium section, then a final link to historical harp guitarists.


Players of the Harp Guitar Gatherings

Biographies & Links 

 
Lou Alano
Don Alder
Stanley Alexandrowicz
Alex Anderson
Muriel Anderson

Leon Atkinson
Drew Baldwin
Tony Barnard
Stephen Bennett
Larry Berwald

Nate Blaustein

Travis Bowman
Pete Bradshaw
Jason Carter
Andreas David

Alex de Grassi
Phil DeGruy
John Doan
Tim Donahue
Mike Doolin

Frank Doucette
Ed Dowling
Jamie Dupuis
Bill Dutcher
William Eaton

Mark Farley
Steve Farmer
Philippe Fouquet
Joe Giacoio
Brian Henke
Stacy Hobbs
Scott Holloway
Brad Hoyt
Stephanie Jackson
James Kline

Claude Laflamme
Carter Lancaster
Dan LaVoie
Ed Littlefield, Jr.
Tommy Loose

Kip Martin
Sean Martin
Andy McKee
Keith Medley
Jon Mendle

Gregg Miner
Mark Miner
Jake Murphy
Kinloch Nelson
Michael O'Brien

Paul Oorts
Dan Pease & Bettie Swarts
Jon Pickard
Martin Pleass
Dave & Tone Powell
Paul Price
John Riley
Don Ross
John Schneiderman
Dan Schwartz

Tom Shinness  
(1960 −2017)

Randall Sprinkle
Hirokatsu Takai
(1963−2018)
Matt Thomas
Oleg Timofeyev
The Zingaresca Duo


Jeff Titus
Brian Torosian
Andy Wahlberg



Contemporary Music Harp Guitar Players
Other Players Around the World

In the rapidly-growing world of harp guitar it has become all but impossible to keep track of all the new players and the extent of their activities.  Therefore, the Players list below makes no determination or distinction between which are professionals, amateurs or in-between; full- or part-time; nor to what extent harp guitar is used or showcased.  Some of these performers may be brand new up-and-coming stars while others have already retired from the instrument.

Brin Addison
Henrik Andersen
Baris Ari
Andy Bacon
Don Bartlett
Adrian Bellue
Tim Bertsch 
Barry Bickel
Günther Böcksteiner
Dusty Bohdan
Ken Bonfield 
Steve Borman
Gabriele Bortolato
Jay Buckey
Keith Calmes
Dale Campbell
Javier Rubio Carballo
Adam Carney
Gaëdic Chambrier
Joe Conklin

Edgar Cruz
Joachim Csaikl
Fernando Deghi
Dick Dilloff
Jim Dorman
Ilya Druzhinin
Michael Dunn
Antoine Dufour
James Earp
Jonathan Ebanks
Electric Harp Guitar Group
Charlie Faege
Francesco Faldani
Andre Feriante
Patryk Filipowicz
Pino Forastiere

 

 

Jimmy Galloway
Jose Garmenzzi
Doug Geeting
Paolo Giordano
Joesf Glaude
Brian Gore
Calum Graham
Todd Green
Echo Greywolf
Emmerich Haimer
Nate Hagen
Iwan Hasan 
Julien Heurtebise
Tom Hoelle
Keith Johnson
JRJ
Andy Kasab
Kaki King
John Klingler
Harald Koll
Antonio Koudele
Don Kush
Van Larkins
Martin Larose
Christian Lavernier
Lester Levy
Tommy Loose
Eric Loy
Murilo Martinez
Stuart Masters
Rob Mastrianni
John McHugh
Tony McManus
Pat Metheny 

Joe Morgan
Nathaniel Murphy

 

Joe Myers
Gerry Nelson
William Nicholson
Cameron Olson
Dave Pearson
Kim Person
Harald Peterstorfer
Federico Procopio
Michelle Qureshi
Matt Redman
Kyle Reeder
Julien Régnier-Krief
Kevin Rones
Scot Ryder
Alex Samodum
Blas Sanchez
James Schaller
Tony Seeger
Rick Sky
Darrius Spangler
Robert Len Stallard
John Stropes
John Thomas
Roger Toye
Jan Vanek
Mark Vickness
Malta Vief
Simon Wahl
Walk Off the Earth
Roger Wang
Adam Werner
Yasmin WIlliams
Yaouen
Morihiko Yasuda

Mickie Zekley

Historical Music Harp Guitar Players

 

Jamie Akers
Stanley Alexandrowicz
Radmila Besic
Mark Bueno
Frank Bungarten 
Carlos Castilla 

Dennis Cinelli
(195? −2012)
Alain Cloutier
Fabrizio Ferraro and Adam Marec 
Carlo Fierens
Karel Fleischinger
Beppe Gambetta
Fabrizio Giudice
Vincenzo Giura
Cristian Guarinos
Tyler Hawkins
Alvaro Henrique
Bin Hu
Hans-Werner Huppertz
David Jacques
Douglas James
Edin Karamazov
James Kline

Andreas Koch
Atushi Kudou
Mark Anthony McGrath
Conall McKay
Jon Mendle
Rolf van Meurs
Rui Namora
Vladimir Ondrejčá k

Petra Polackova
Christian Saggese
John Schneiderman
Raphaella Smits
Pavel Steidl 
Jouni Stenroos
Oleg Timofeyev
Brian Torosian  
Robert Trent
Jan Tuláček
Ganesch del Vescovo
Moran Wasser
Brigitte Zaczek
 
Mauro Zanatta
Miodrag Žerdoner


Our Kontragitarre Playing Cousins


In Memoriam

Michael Hedges 
(1953-1997)

Michael Hedges is a name well known among harp guitar aficionados. The 1986 release of his composition "Because It’s There" can be credited with reawakening a great deal of interest in an instrument that had become little more than a pawn shop curiosity. Michael is also known for changing the way people play the guitar. He pioneered the use of slapped harmonics, percussive use of the guitar body, and 2-handed tapping techniques. He was always searching for new sounds with his 6-strings, his harp guitars, an even a few instruments without strings. Michael used Dyer harp guitars, a Knutsen and a custom made Klein electric harp guitar. Tragically, Michael was killed in a car accident in 1997. -FD

See: Featured Player of the Month, 2-06

Dennis Cinelli
(195? −2012)

The late Dennis Cinelli was inspired to pick up the guitar after hearing Jimi Hendrix.  His direction changed to jazz after hearing players such as Charlie Christian and Django Reinhardt.  He worked as a jazz musician for some years before performances by Andres Segovia and Julian Bream signaled another change of direction.   Dennis was known as a top notch classical guitarist, mandolinist, and lutenist, and an expert in the history of the lute and early guitar.  He was a consultant for, and endorsee of, La Bella strings.  Since 1989, he was on the faculty of Montclair State University in New Jersey.  He performed and recorded with a copy of an 1856 Scherzer guitar with 4 sub-bass strings.  He left, too soon, at the peak of a very successful career in classical music performance and education.-FD, GM

Tom Shinness
(1960 −2017)

Tom Shinness was born into a musical family. His father and older siblings would often play Dixieland music around the house. Tom’s father’s multi-instrumental talents proved to be a primary influence. Tom received his first 6-string guitar, and formed his first band, in the third grade. He took up the cello in fifth grade, played drums and bass in school bands by 7th grade, received a school award as outstanding vocalist in 9th grade, and developed an original piano style in high school. Tom continued to add new instruments to his arsenal to satisfy his insatiable desire for new sounds. He developed a particular fondness for, and skill with, the 1913 Gibson harp guitar highlighted on "Translucent Harp," one of his many recordings that showcased original instrumental music with jazz, folk, pop and ambient elements. Tom was one of the earliest and through the years, most popular, Harp Guitar Gathering Performers.-FD, GM

See: Gregg's Blogg: Tom Shinness Harp Guitar Memories

Hirokatsu Takai
(1963−2018)

Hirokatsu Takai (also known as TakainoMoheji) had a real can do attitude.  With a broken collarbone and little knowledge of the English language (except for the lyrics to all Beatles’ songs), Hiro left his native Japan to join us as a special guest at the 7th Harp Guitar Gathering.  The connection came to be when Hiro entered and won a Japanese guitar competition where Stephen Bennett was a guest judge.  The instrument Hiro used then was also a testament to his spirit.  It began life as a double-neck Alvarez acoustic guitar.  He attached a small koto to the top of the 12-string neck to create a one-of-a-kind koto harp guitar.  Due to his irrepressible good humor and musicality, Hiro was also a featured guest at the 10th and 15th Harp Guitar Gatherings.  At the latter, he debuted his new 36-string instrument (6 guitar, 7 fretless bass, 12 koto, and 11 super-trebles), made by Benoit Meulle-Stef, that he dubbed King Gidorah. The entire harp guitar community mourns his loss. -FD/GM

See: Gregg's Blogg: Hiro Takai, Rest In Peace

 

I have also done Blogs on other performers who occasionally dabbled with harp guitar that deserve to be remembered:

Gino di Michele

Dave Evans

Soren Venema

David Lindley

Mickie Zekley

Paul Brett


Encyclopedia of Harp Guitar Players of the Past


 

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