Organology: Harp Guitar "Relatives"

Note to the casual reader or researcher: This Reference Gallery features historical instruments that are not harp guitars, but “relatives” or distant “cousins” – presented on Harpguitars.net for historical and organological comparison.

Mixed Family Hybrids & Other Related Forms
by Gregg Miner
Updated April, 2014

Non-family specific instruments similar or related to harp guitars. Many can be considered "hybrids" or "one-offs."

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Note: Despite the bissex' name ("twice six"), the 2 distinct nuts carrying 6 strings each, and what has been previously been written (Baines, et al) the tuning is not 6 standard neck strings and 6 descending basses. According to Joscelyn Godwin (1974) the tuning is the then-standard five neck strings (down to A), then the first sub-bass G still on the same neck, continuing on to the second neck with F-E-D-C-B-A.  Thus, it is the same principle as Carulli's decacorde (several decades later) that descended to C.  To clarify, while strung as (6+6), it is tuned 7+5, where Carulli's is (5+5).

While all researchers (including Godwin) point out the sharping levers for the six longer bass strings, the photos clearly show that there are eight levers, one for each of the 7 "extra" strings, plus the standard A (5th string) on the neck (the highest string lever appears broken off). The bissex by Thiphanon also has 8 sharping levers.

A third bissex by the obscure violin maker Pacquet, was hiding in plain site at the Paris museum, alongside its other two. It had been labeled "arpi-guitarre" - but after questioning by myself and Benoit Meulle-Stef (late 2011), they realized it was, in fact, a bissex (the extension is broken off).  Note how the bridge, offset neck, body shape and distinctive 7-ribbed semi-flattened bowl are clearly patterned off the Naderman (with the Thiphanon version a seeming cross between these two). (click for larger images)

On each specimen, but especially the original invention, note how the body is more or less lute-shaped, with a staved, lute-style back.  There is an interesting Naderman document (discovered by Steve Sedgwick) that appears to show his bissex with flat guitar sides, though this may simply be poor artistic license by someone unfamiliar with the new instrument (a 2nd bissex is behind it). Some researchers consider this one of the "first harp guitars" or "oldest surviving harp guitar" - obviously, I consider it more of a "hybrid instrument" (it was created by a harp builder, strangely enough). If one does want to consider it a "harp guitar," I imagine they must also consider most every instrument on this page to also be "harp guitars."

The slightly later French 10-string instrument by Caron is more of a mystery. Note how the gut strings of his invention attach to the tail block.  Two similar specimens are known, with the right one (Paris) showing a fascinating string sharping system for the 4 sub-basses.

The tuning is not known.  Again, if the name is accurate, one is tempted to theorize standard guitar tuning for the 6 neck strings (which was not unknown, but still rare, in 1785).  Godwin postulates a tuning which would appear in a similar, but much later, 1848 instrument, with the known tuning of G A Bb C / d f a c' e' g'.  This is certainly likely, as it resembles that of the French arch-cittern of the same general time frame.

Regardless of tuning, the form alone makes it more of a hybrid invention, like the bissex.

Instruments in this first group are basically all similar theorboed versions of the "lute-guitars" that were very common from 1890-1920. They are as close to a true harp guitar as one can get, and were played by guitar players exactly like harp guitars. All have a standard 6-string guitar neck and generally 4 or 6 sub-basses. The body is of standard lute shape. Not just a wandering minstrel's "folk" instrument, many were built by the finest guitar makers and played by well-known guitarists.

UPDATE, April, 2014: Originally, I referred to these instruments throughout the site as (theorboed) "guitar-lutes," the term I had seen used predominately by English-speaking authors. Some time ago, I realized this was sloppy terminology which went against the proper classification semantics I have been slowly trying to re-write (for many different musical instrument forms).  Thus I scoured my entire site, changing each entry to the more proper "lute-guitar" (the first term being the "descriptor," the second being the prominent basal instrument).

The first 4 images are from the book Danish Guitars and Their Makers by Kenneth Brogger. 

The pear shape, lute back and bridge belong to the lute-guitar family. The headstocks, tuners and soundhole are pure harp guitar!

This strange instrument appears to be a German lute-guitar combined with the floating fingerboard concept of Pacquet's 1784 arpi-guitare - with a theorboed headstock for two sub-basses yet!

In the expanded image, one can see the lute back of this very strange double-neck instrument. The headstocks and tuners also beggar description.

Additional Images

Patent # 346,447

(Available with either 9 or 12 basses!)

Was this instrument based on the previous patent?

From researcher Jurij Fedynskyj : "To be more exact, in my opinion I'd call them both banduras, as the strings on the neck as most likely basses, and not melody strings. The presence of frets on one simply allow for bass line. Realistically, most kobzar banduras are frettable on the neck, but we don't call the instruments kobza-banduras."

Boothe "sirelin," 1928,
Pat #1,684,467

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