Knutsen Harp Guitar    

The headstock shape of the standard neck points to an early Seattle date. The bass arm tip seems to be shifting from the previous bass headstock (HGS2) to the next (HGS4).
Like several mandolins, Knutsen simply cuts off the "Harp Guitar with 11 strings" portion of the label. This one also has some curious punched numbers and initials on the brace underneath the label. This is the first example of punch-stamping I've ever seen on a Knutsen instrument. But what do they mean? Surely the initials are "C. K."? What of the intriguing numbers? The original owner saw "9 09-11 1917." The new owner and I see 9 9 9 1 1 1817 C.K.  Neither "date" makes any sense: "1917" is simply too late a date of manufacture, and 1817 was ancient history. Any ideas?

hgs42.jpg (24150 bytes) hgs42head.jpg (36932 bytes) hgs42body.jpg (65314 bytes)
hgs42back.jpg (20648 bytes) hgs42stamp.jpg (16216 bytes) hgs42headback.jpg (54713 bytes) hgs42bracket.jpg (36306 bytes)

Click on a picture to enlarge
(left images copyright Ben Levin, right 4 images copyright Søren Venema)

Knutsen Archives Inventory Number

HGS42

                 Category

Seattle Harp Guitars

                 Body Style

"Lower Bass Point, Short Arm"

                 Current or last known owner

Ben Levin, Real Guitars > Søren Venema, Palm Guitars

              Year (approx)

1907-1909

                 Label

"C. Knutsen, Sole Patentee of the" ("of the" crossed out)

                 Label Code SE4

                 Courses / Strings

6 strings

               Frets

straight
                 Scale length 24-1/2"
                 Neck Joint no heel, bracket

Woods

Top

spruce

Back & Sides

mahogany

Neck

red cedar

Fingerboard

walnut?

Bridge

dyed ?
Headstock veneer unknown

Binding, trim

Top

none

Back

none

Fingerboard

none

Headstock(s)

none
Soundhole 3 rings (1 multi-colored)

                 Inlay

dot fret markers

                 Pickguard

none

                 Comments

 

 

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