Actually, not all these players are "missing in action." Some have seemingly disappeared from the face of the earth, some we haven't quite tracked down yet, others I've corresponded with and am waiting for more info to write them up (or not). These images are all from the Internet, and in some cases, we don't know who they are. In others cases, we don't know how much they actually play the instruments they appear with.

So this is the rogue's gallery. If you see yourself here, please write in! If you see someone you recognize, or know the whereabouts of, let us know!  

- Gregg Miner 

Nov., 2010: Especially sad is when we learn too late of these "lost" players, and the work and music they may have left behind.  Such is the case of Doug Whittier, who passed away on Nov 11, 2010 in Victoria BC.  

Jim Andrews

Jim has recorded 3 albums (instrumental and vocal) using a German schrammel guitar (Frank Doucette, who contributed the info to theMusic page, has a copy of one of them). We've been unable to track down Jim by his last known phone or address.

Mickey Fischer

This is one of the few photos I have ever seen of the fabled Mickey Fischer. The rumors are that he's been building and playing strange hybrid harp guitars since the 'seventies. I finally got an email for Mickey (now in northern California), and we've corresponded briefly, but have a long ways to go before I can obtain photos and info on the forty HGs he says he's built (there are 3 in the Galleries), and get other info. Mickey is often touring, in the past opening for Taj Mahal and Bonnie Raitt.
3/11/05: Benoit Meulle-Stef found another photo of Mickey - added to the Sightings page.
2010: I continue to receive emails from various friends of Mickey both looking for him, or having recently just seen him.  I even get a phone message from Mickey himself every 1 or 2 years, but the elusive man defies all attempts at a meeting.

Benoît Meulle-Stef found this fellow on the site of Paris luthier Alain Quéguiner. François appears to have recorded a CD or two, but I haven't found a way to contact him to see if this harp guitar is on it. A nice photo of it is in the Form 5 gallery also. Alain doesn't appear to be interested in being included in the site, so has not yet been added to the Luthier page.

I found Sean on well-known luthier William Cumpiano's site here. About 1989, Bill built "the Remora" for Sean. It is an add-on electric sub-bass section for Sean's Martin guitar. Sean has one brief sound sample of it, and is hoping to record a new piece on it any day now. He says, "The answer about me as a regular harp-guitarist is a definite no, for now.  I believe that will change as I record with the new system and get more and more excited.  However, I don't imagine I'll become a touring performer on the instrument.  Most likely, I'll write a concerto for it (I'm really a composer by trade) and record it.  Last year an orchestral work of mine was performed by the BBC Symphony and recorded with a radio interview by BBC Radio 3.  Since the experience was really heartwarming, I'm staying in touch with them about a future concerto."

Ekkehard Reisser (now Ekard Lind)

January, 2013: I was asked by Professor Lind to remove the remarkable photo of Reisser and his instrument, and comments by the builder (1970s) Dieter Hopf.  Serious researchers may contact me for information.

Francesco Taranto

Benoît Meulle-Stef unearthed this gentleman, who plays several historical guitars, including this Mozzani. I'm waiting to hear from him as of January, 2005.

Francesco's web site

Mike Wallace

I stumbled upon Mike on one of my "harp guitar" searches. Someone had a post about his Christmas album with harp guitar listed on it. When I called Mike, he admitted that, while he has two Dyers (one in repair), he has not yet really played it nor recorded with it. He's a very decent 6-string player, so let's keep our fingers crossed.

Doug Whittier
(1968 - 2010)

The late Doug Whittier was one of the very first active participants of the old Yahoo harp guitar Forum.  You may remember his wonderful and distinctive instrument, which he designed and built himself. 

I only heard from him once after the inception of Harpguitars.net, when he explained that work and life were taking up too much time for him to keep his harp guitar playing active.  

He expressed a desire to do more with the instrument and become more engaged with our community, and I know that there are many of us who had that same desire and will always miss the opportunity to have gotten to know Doug and hear his instrument and music.

Doug, who worked at Sierra Systems for many years as an IT specialist, will be remembered for his many talents, but the thing he was most proud of was the beautiful harp guitar he built himself. - Jenny Laing.