Vintage Knutsen C. Nutsen Harp Guitar Made in Tacoma, Washington Circa 1902
Rare Vintage Knutsen C. Nutsen Harp Guitar circa 1902, Tacoma, WA with historical significance in the world of early American guitar building. Ideal for collectors of early American guitars.
This guitar is not in playable condition but all the major parts are there to make it playable again. Has cracks on the back and sides and braces have come loose and top has collapsed, see photos for condition. It has the original tuning machines for all 11 strings and 2 of the internal braces will be included for any future restoration.
To the best of our knowledge we believe the guitar's body is made of Mahogany, the top is spruce and the neck is Western red cedar.
Label inside guitar reads:
C. NUTSEN,
Sole Patentee of the
Symphony - Harp – Guitar
With 11 Strings.
The five extra bass strings are tuned to
D, C, B, A and G, one octave lower than
regular pitch.
Below are excerpts from, George T. Noe and Daniel L. Most's book titled "From Harp Guitars to the New Hawaiian Family, Chris J. Knutsen"
Page:30
"One of the most succesful of Knutsen's instruments developed during this period and which evolved from it's beginnings in Port Townsend in 1900, is a guitar with slanted frets and an almost grand concert-sized body. This is known as the Symphony Harp Guitar. The headstock is solid with upright tuning posts rather than having the round holes with the tuners laid horizontally as on earlier models. The nut is slanted as are all of the frets, while the saddle is placed traverse to the strings. This perhaps represented an early attempt to compensate for the increasing diameter of strings from treble to base. Perhaps another explanation for the slanted nut and frets was to facilitate left-hand fingering (for right-hand guitars) in forming chords and fretting notes in a fingerstyle mode of playing."
"Most of the instruments from this period are constructed of common and readily available woods, such as Western red cedar for necks, lining, neck and heel blocks. Sound boards, or tops, are generally spruce, although occasionally Wester red cedar was employed."