Direct from the Miner Museum of Vintage, Exotic & Just
Plain Unusual Musical Instruments: I (Gregg Miner, the harp guitar pope) am
selling this ultra-rare harp guitar at a reserve that is $500 less than my total cost. Reserve not disclosed, but a bargain. Reason is simply cash
flow.
Of Knutsen's 160 harp guitars so far cataloged, the rarest and certainly
most unusual are the "Double-Points," of which only a handful have been
found. They seem to be either full-size, 12-strings-on-the-neck
instruments, or more typically, the 3/4 scale instruments, like this one
here. There are only 4 of these currently known to be surviving (see the Knutsen Archives).
The sub-bass string length is close to normal size, but the scale length is 19-1/4".
This begs the question, how were they tuned? My
guess is that they were usually just tuned to standard pitch. In
fact, the original owner of this even scratched into the wood above the
nut "E A D G B E". Using normal tension strings, they are light and
more slack or course, so either heavier strings could be used, or the
strings could be tuned up a couple of steps for a higher-pitched harp
guitar!
This was
my personal instrument. No sooner did I get it back from
restoration, than that very week I was able to obtain another (which I am
keeping). It includes nearly
$1000 in restoration, done by Rufie Barnes of the Claremont
Folk Music Center, who does repairs for Ben Harper, David Lindley and that
gang. Current condition fully disclosed at Harp Guitar Music.
Top is bound with a sort of rectangular checkerboard marquetry. Tiny
label remnant shows this to be one of the very first of these made - c.
1906, and possibly even in Tacoma.
Sold "As Is" - for full photos and description, see: http://www.harpguitarmusic.com/listings/hg-knutsen-t-11-07.htm
In addition to this auction instrument, I currently have several harp guitars of all types on Harp Guitar Music. HGM instruments
are always priced at fair, reasonable market value, not at pretend Blue-book.
Paypal OK, but ONLY if you add an additional
3% to total. Shipping your choice – from ~$40 to
hundreds of dollars depending. EBAY STATED SHIPPING NOT A GUARANTEED PRICE, BUT A MINIMUM. NO
INTERNATIONAL BIDS unless we first do a reality check and get quote on
shipping. Many countries can be
prohibitive.