Knutsen 10 String Harp Guitar , c. 1915
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Knutsen 10 String Model Harp Guitar, c. 1915, made in Los Angeles, natural varnish finish, Spruce top, red gum wood back and sides, poplar neck with rosewood fingerboard, black gig bag case.
One of America's most creative (if least celebrated) early 20th century luthiers was Chris Knutsen, who hand-built his always amazingly eccentric instruments on the West Coast from the 1890s up into the 1920s. His original design for a hollow-neck Hawaiian guitar was popularized by Hermann Weissenborn and his Symphony Harp guitars perfected by the Larson Brothers (under the Dyer label), but Knutsen himself never made the leap from craftsman to full-scale manufacturer. He tinkered endlessly with unique and highly original stringed instrument concepts, coming up with one wildly eccentric instrument design after another. Each completely handmade instrument is distinctive, often appearing to be built from found woods and whatever hardware was available.
This medium-sized Harp guitar dates to sometime after his move from Seattle to Los Angeles in 1914, towards the end of his fascination with these multi-sub-bass-string creations. It carries no date markings but the configuration and Hawaiian style wood trim mark it as built in the mid-teens when Knutsen's attentions had mostly begun shifting to lap-style instruments. An illustrated label under the soundhole pronounces this as part of "C. Knutsen's New Hawaiian Family" and indeed some genuine Hawaiian musicians were pictured playing Knutsen's creations in the 1910s. After well over 100+ years this remains a good sounding and quite playable example of Knutsen's work.
Practically everything about this guitar is unconventional. Except for a standard lower bout the lines are fluid to the point of abstract shape; even the headstocks have a liquid sculpture look. The 15 9/16"' wide body is smaller than some of his multi-string models but has typical signature Knutsen features. The sharp pointed lower cutaway has a solid carved block at its apex, as does the extended arm above the neck holding the bank of 4 sub-bass strings. This is much slimmer with less hollow area the earlier "Symphony Harp" design, and the entire guitar is far less bulky and easier to handle. The 4 harp strings are tuned with zither pegs, a light and cheap if not particularly user-friendly way of securing them. The top is bordered in alternating wood marquetry similar to Hawaiian ukes and guitars of the period and the fingerboard is elaborately trimmed the same way. The sound hole has multiple wooden rings and a similar "zipper" pattern rosette, with a comically small decorated inlaid pickguard coming off the lower edge.
The round-backed, surprisingly modern feeling one piece neck has a well-decorated bound rosewood fingerboard; it is secured to the body with screw brackets at the heel and headstock and is (to a limited degree) adjustable for angle. The bridge is a large abstract carved affair, the play strings have an added bone saddle while the adjacent harp strings retain the original fretwire saddle. This is not a guitar for the conservative or faint-hearted player, but rewards the adventurous picker with a powerful and surprisingly sweet and versatile sound, even if the sub-bass strings are ignored. Chris Knutsen was certainly one of the most original designers of fretted instruments in history, but his craftsmanship is somewhat uneven. The instruments of his early Los Angeles period are more "professionally" built than some of his creations (he may have had some help there!) and often are the best playing of his oeuvre; this guitar certainly bears this out.
Overall length is 38 3/4 in. (98.4 cm.), 15 9/16 in. (39.5 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 5/8 in. (9.2 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
Despite its eccentric design this remains a very playable instrument, albeit an odd-feeling one to many pickers. It sounds really excellent with power and projection to spare and a more-useful-than-many sub-bass section. These are more conveniently arrayed for the picking hand than some and with a little practice can be used to good effect.
The instrument is in structurally excellent condition and retains the original very thin varnish finish. This shows average wear consisting of mostly small dings, dents and scrapes but no wholesale loss. There is an area of finger wear to the wood just in front of the diminutive pickguard. The back of the neck has some wear through to the wood but very little in the way of dings and dents.
There are a no top cracks, which is kind of amazing on a Knutsen. The top bracing and bridgeplate are -- literally -- little more than scraps of wood in some places but all remain intact and original with a cleat added under the pickguard. There is a long repaired jagged crack line running through much of the center of the back that has been solidly but visibly sealed up, with some topical finish touch up and polish out. This appears due mostly to inherent instability in the large (and probably unseasoned) piece of wood used. There is another very small side crack at the tip of the cutaway block, and one resealed back/side seam on the lower rim above the waist. These have been sealed and more heavily touched up.
The oddly shaped bridge is original, as are the large wood screws securing it (another Knutsen trademark) while the bone saddle for the play strings is newer. The frets and even the nut appear original, with some wear to the wire and filling/re-cutting of the nut slots. The neck is surprisingly straight and quite playable. The tuners on the six play strings remain original and work as well as they ever did, the original zither peg tuning for the harp strings is intact, functional if not particularly convenient as a wrench is required to tune them. This is about cleanest and one of the most original of Chris Knutsen's off-the-wall masterpieces we have had, very good sounding and better playing than many. Many surviving Knutsen instruments are interesting mostly as museum pieces, this is a functional instrument still suited to actual use by an adventurous player. There is no case but we were able to find a modern gig bag that is a functional if inexact fit. Overall Very Good + Condition.
One of America's most creative (if least celebrated) early 20th century luthiers was Chris Knutsen, who hand-built his always amazingly eccentric instruments on the West Coast from the 1890s up into the 1920s. His original design for a hollow-neck Hawaiian guitar was popularized by Hermann Weissenborn and his Symphony Harp guitars perfected by the Larson Brothers (under the Dyer label), but Knutsen himself never made the leap from craftsman to full-scale manufacturer. He tinkered endlessly with unique and highly original stringed instrument concepts, coming up with one wildly eccentric instrument design after another. Each completely handmade instrument is distinctive, often appearing to be built from found woods and whatever hardware was available.
This medium-sized Harp guitar dates to sometime after his move from Seattle to Los Angeles in 1914, towards the end of his fascination with these multi-sub-bass-string creations. It carries no date markings but the configuration and Hawaiian style wood trim mark it as built in the mid-teens when Knutsen's attentions had mostly begun shifting to lap-style instruments. An illustrated label under the soundhole pronounces this as part of "C. Knutsen's New Hawaiian Family" and indeed some genuine Hawaiian musicians were pictured playing Knutsen's creations in the 1910s. After well over 100+ years this remains a good sounding and quite playable example of Knutsen's work.
Practically everything about this guitar is unconventional. Except for a standard lower bout the lines are fluid to the point of abstract shape; even the headstocks have a liquid sculpture look. The 15 9/16"' wide body is smaller than some of his multi-string models but has typical signature Knutsen features. The sharp pointed lower cutaway has a solid carved block at its apex, as does the extended arm above the neck holding the bank of 4 sub-bass strings. This is much slimmer with less hollow area the earlier "Symphony Harp" design, and the entire guitar is far less bulky and easier to handle. The 4 harp strings are tuned with zither pegs, a light and cheap if not particularly user-friendly way of securing them. The top is bordered in alternating wood marquetry similar to Hawaiian ukes and guitars of the period and the fingerboard is elaborately trimmed the same way. The sound hole has multiple wooden rings and a similar "zipper" pattern rosette, with a comically small decorated inlaid pickguard coming off the lower edge.
The round-backed, surprisingly modern feeling one piece neck has a well-decorated bound rosewood fingerboard; it is secured to the body with screw brackets at the heel and headstock and is (to a limited degree) adjustable for angle. The bridge is a large abstract carved affair, the play strings have an added bone saddle while the adjacent harp strings retain the original fretwire saddle. This is not a guitar for the conservative or faint-hearted player, but rewards the adventurous picker with a powerful and surprisingly sweet and versatile sound, even if the sub-bass strings are ignored. Chris Knutsen was certainly one of the most original designers of fretted instruments in history, but his craftsmanship is somewhat uneven. The instruments of his early Los Angeles period are more "professionally" built than some of his creations (he may have had some help there!) and often are the best playing of his oeuvre; this guitar certainly bears this out.
Overall length is 38 3/4 in. (98.4 cm.), 15 9/16 in. (39.5 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 5/8 in. (9.2 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
Despite its eccentric design this remains a very playable instrument, albeit an odd-feeling one to many pickers. It sounds really excellent with power and projection to spare and a more-useful-than-many sub-bass section. These are more conveniently arrayed for the picking hand than some and with a little practice can be used to good effect.
The instrument is in structurally excellent condition and retains the original very thin varnish finish. This shows average wear consisting of mostly small dings, dents and scrapes but no wholesale loss. There is an area of finger wear to the wood just in front of the diminutive pickguard. The back of the neck has some wear through to the wood but very little in the way of dings and dents.
There are a no top cracks, which is kind of amazing on a Knutsen. The top bracing and bridgeplate are -- literally -- little more than scraps of wood in some places but all remain intact and original with a cleat added under the pickguard. There is a long repaired jagged crack line running through much of the center of the back that has been solidly but visibly sealed up, with some topical finish touch up and polish out. This appears due mostly to inherent instability in the large (and probably unseasoned) piece of wood used. There is another very small side crack at the tip of the cutaway block, and one resealed back/side seam on the lower rim above the waist. These have been sealed and more heavily touched up.
The oddly shaped bridge is original, as are the large wood screws securing it (another Knutsen trademark) while the bone saddle for the play strings is newer. The frets and even the nut appear original, with some wear to the wire and filling/re-cutting of the nut slots. The neck is surprisingly straight and quite playable. The tuners on the six play strings remain original and work as well as they ever did, the original zither peg tuning for the harp strings is intact, functional if not particularly convenient as a wrench is required to tune them. This is about cleanest and one of the most original of Chris Knutsen's off-the-wall masterpieces we have had, very good sounding and better playing than many. Many surviving Knutsen instruments are interesting mostly as museum pieces, this is a functional instrument still suited to actual use by an adventurous player. There is no case but we were able to find a modern gig bag that is a functional if inexact fit. Overall Very Good + Condition.