Organology

Harp Guitar Form 3a
by Gregg Miner

Hollow Body Extension harp string attachment, Bass arm extension.
Harp guitars with a hollow "harp" arm, which is an uninterrupted extension of the upper bass-side bout.

NOTE TO RESEARCHERS:  Please understand that many of the instruments on this page were not originally referred to as "harp guitars."
To understand why they are classified as such today, it is imperative that you first thoroughly read and comprehend the site author's thesis.

See bottom of page for image copyright information

        American           

Knutsen, c.1897 Knutsen, 1898,
Pat #
D28,300
Knutsen, c.1899 Knutsen, c.1912 Knutsen, c.1914
See also The Knutsen Archives

Knutsen, c.1914-1920
 
Knutsen, c.1914-1920 Eaton family, c.1910
(image copyright Shirley Louis Eaton)
Unknown Unknown
This and the next instrument are "convertible" guitars - lap-style steel playing is the preferred use.
See also The Knutsen Archives
Knutsens harp guitars clearly inspired this individual to design and build his own instrument.
See story in
Iconography: Identified American
Perhaps inspired by Knutsen and Gibson both, these were certainly made by the same unknown builder.

See full image in
Iconography: Unidentified American


Dyer (Larson)

Dyer (Larson)

Dyer (Larson)

Dyer (Larson)

Maurer (Larson) Maurer (Larson)
See also The Knutsen-Dyer Connection and A Dyer Detective Story See also Maurer Harp Guitars

Harmony

"Majestic" (Puntolillo brand), c.1920

Gaetano Puntolillo

Majestic (att)


Almcrantz?, c.1900
(Label reads: "K. F. Simon & Co.  Manufacturers of and dealers in the Celebrated Almcrantz guitars and all kinds of musical instruments")

Angelo Berardi, Montana, 1922
Image 2
This is a very crudely built instruments, though a nice design!
Those this is very Italian in design, the label reads:
Missoula
25-12-1922
Angelo Berardi

Unknown

Unknown

Italian luthier, built in Nathalia (Victoria, Australia) c.1950?

     Latin America

Unknown, Peru, pre-1931
An unusual Knutsen-style instrument from a dated Peruvian postcard

     Portuguese

Antonio Victor Vieira c.1917

See also Featured Harp Guitar of the Month, 9-04

     Austrian / German

Schenk, Vienna, c.1840-1850 (far right: bridge replaced with a Coste-style type)


Felix Seboldt

Seboldt, 1925

Seboldt


Lagler, 1852

Raab

Raab, c.1913

Gabriel Lemböck, Vienna, 1840-1890
Additional images: 1 2

Karl Müller, Augsburg, Bavaria, 1904


Gottfried Wichmann,
Magdeburg, Germany,
June 20, 1920

Patent # 337,166

     French

Achille Jocomoni, Marseille c.1900

Label: "Achillo JOCOMO" with an engraving of this harp guitar. Also signature of A Jocomo on the table plus 5/1900. 
Unknown (also Jocomoni?)

Selmer/Maccaferri

See The Harp Guitars of Mario Maccaferri

        Italian 

Mozzani, c.1910-1940s

See also Marvelous Mozzani! The Incredible Harp Guitars of Luigi Mozzani


Fratelli Masetti (Masetti Brothers), Modena, c.1920s

See also Masetti Harp Guitars

Gamberini, Bologna, 1950

Maccaferri, 1920s
(Italy)

See The Harp Guitars of Mario Maccaferri

Bruno Mattei, Spezia
(for Italo Meschi)
Bruno Mattei, Spezia
(for Italo Meschi)

Settimio Gazzo, 1900's
(Pasquale Taraffo's personal instrument, 8 sub-basses)

Settimio Gazzo, 1909
(Pasquale Taraffo's personal instrument, 8 sub-basses)
Settimio Gazzo, 1911
(Pietro Taraffo's personal instrument, 8 sub-basses)
Settimio Gazzo, 1914
7 sub-basses

See The Harp Guitars of Settimio Gazzo and Other Genoese Luthiers


Francesco Poggi
1924
Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown

Rapisarda, 1936

Luigi Galimberti (for Monzino & Sons), 1910

Severino Riva (for Monzino & Sons), 1911 Armando Giulietti
Milan, 1938

Unknown

See also Monzino

Adolfo Giacinti, Milan

Oreste Candi, Genoa

Cesare Candi, Genoa
(not a "double neck" - it is hollow!)

Cesare Candi, Genoa


Unknown

Unknown
I have no idea of this is Italian or what. It appears in an 1890s Washburn catalog image (but is not referred to). I'm not even if the arm is hollow at any point!

Carmelo Catania

See Carmelo Catania: From Iconography to Reality


     Contemporary (see Luthier page for more Dyer-style instruments)

Mike Doolin, 2006 Stephen Sedgwick, U.K. Jim Hewett Del Langejans Thomas Davis Harry Eibert

Michael Dunn Michael Dunn "Knutsen" tenor Steve Rolig, 1990 Rex James Rex James Des Anthony

Mike Doolin Lance McCollum Steve Wise Morgan Instruments Fred Carlson

"Oracle" for Jeff Titus)

Valentino Natolini, Italy
(an interesting, if unethical, copy of Fred Carlson's "Oracle" for Jeff Titus)

Gianni Pedrini, c.2004 (Italy)
Headstock
close-up
Davide Castellaro (Italy) MIDI harp guitar Davide Castellaro
(for Paolo Giordano)
Duane Noble Pierre Lamour, France Alberto Bonafini, Italy

Rich Mermer

David Enke

Jim Claridge, U.K. Jim Claridge, U.K. Ross Teigen Bob Alexander, Delmundo Guitars

This remarkable series of instruments depicts a guitarrarpa, and are all variations on a similar design.  They were built over ten years by four different French and Spanish makers for Blas Sanchez (see Players page)

Charles (Kico) Dohër, Paris, 1973 J. Castelluccia, Paris, 1974 Tony Pappalardo, Paris, 1976 Manuel Contreras, Madrid, 1983

Steve Wishnevsky Wishnevsky fretless harp bass Wishnevsky 26-string classical (10 single courses on the neck, 16 harp strings)

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What is a Harp Guitar?

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Harp Guitar Family Tree

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Photo Reference Library of Examples.

 


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