Sorry folks, I’m getting behind again. Spent most of the weekend on our home office remodel (a ways to go). Managed to unpack my 3 “surprise packages” (too bad you’ll have to continue to wait…).
One was this nice 3/4 scale Knutsen. Kerry restored it for the owner, and it’s ready to go, new frets, etc. I got pictures done, so will list this over at HGM before long.
I’m pretty sure it’ll be a new Inventory # in the Archives as well (but will have to methodically check all first).
Problem is, I’ll be right in the middle of this, when another email comes in…what am I supposed to do?
The latest was from the owner of a very cool Knutsen teardrop steel guitar – this one definitely new to the Archives. Note how it appears much more round than all the other known teardrops.
As I said in Blog #1, I’ve got a couple dozen new Knutsen instruments to add to the Archives. Not only new discoveries, but I’ve also got to try to keep up with the existing entries, as some of these change hands. I suppose I don’t have to sweat it, but I like to know where things are, and it’s sometimes fun to follow the meandering paths of these odd little treasures.
As an example, quite a while back, I got photos of a new harp-uke from local guitar player and swap-meet-frequenter, David Kalish (aside: if I’m not mistaken, Kalish once played steel guitar on a track for Rickie Lee Jones while John Doan played harp guitar…I know the album came out – did they make the cut?).
Anyway, this uke became Inv # HU12, and by then, David had sold the uke to Intermountain Guitar & Banjo, who love Knutsens about as much as I do. It must have sold, and then that person consigned it, for a month ago, several folks alerted me to 2 new harp-uke listings at Elderly Instruments. One was specimen HU20 (still available), and one was HU12 (a couple guys were able to peg the specimens, as I do, by wood grain, defects, proportions, etc.). Next thing you know, HU12 is in Belgium. The owner bought it from Elderly and says “It’s an instant favourite in my collection, which is dominated by vintage Martin ukuleles.” He (going by the stage name Ukulelezaza) soon sent me a link to the first video with the new Knutsen.
So, from Los Angeles (where it was built) to Salt Lake City, to who-knows-where, to Lansing, Michigan, and now happily ensconced in Belgium. Hey, we could have taken a series of photos of it along its journey like the Traveling Gnome in Amelie!
Ahh.. I love Knutsen teardrops/pineapples. They’re so weird!