And I do mean everything.

Back in 2004, included from the very beginning of Harpguitars.net, I had posted a short page on “Harwood” harp guitars.  That unassuming article has since expanded in surprising directions and grown by leaps and bounds, fueled by a continuing wave of new discoveries from all sorts of friends, colleagues, strangers and unwitting eBayers.

Bob Jenkins, a direct descendant of the family whose company produced the Harwood brand instruments finally joined the fun, and his 2011 Fretboard Journal article written by collaborator Bill Graham is not to be missed.  Bob also started his own Harwood page and I was sorta hoping he would take over the company history and other instrument portions of this increasingly-popular topic.  He may one day, but meanwhile, the only way it made any sense to update my page at this point was a complete and massive rewrite – including my version of the history we now know or theorize.  Much of this was still in Bob’s head and nowhere is it published and organized, so with his blessing (and indispensable help), I bit the bullet (billet?) and tackled it.

All my other Harwood blogs and endless “New Discovery” sidebars, along with extensive new research into the Jenkins Company history by Bob Jenkins and myself, has been rounded up, re-assembled, re-written and re-published as a completely new, full-public-access “Harwood Harp Guitars” article.  It’s a bit hard core – over 11,000 words – feel free to browse what looks intriguing or refer to its various sections for your own ongoing investigations.

These instruments happen to be an extremely important part of American harp guitar history and – with more and more Harwood guitars and mandolins being found, collected, played and appreciated by the masses – it’s time to understand and appreciate the Jenkins story as well.