There's a really great album of traditional Italian music on mandolin, guitar and harp guitar on David Grisman's record label called "Traversata."
http://www.dawgnet.com/acd_html/acd47.html
While I've been impressed by Muriel Anderson's solo harp guitar playing, the way the instrument was used as a backing instrument for the mandolins on the "Traversata" CD actually speaks to me more. It really sounded impressive.
I think it's because when I hear Muriel Anderson or Michael Hedges do their stuff on harp guitar it's so beyond any of my capabilities that I know that even if I bought one and woodshedded on it for
years, I still couldn't achieve that.
But the accompaniment parts and melodic harp guitar playing on "Traversata" are much more achievable for a normal competent player. It's the first time where I've listened to one and it made actual musical sense to me. I could visualize the parts being played as they were played, and thought: "Yeah, I could do that."
And I could use one in that sort of measured accompaniment and melodic role. Which is probably - in fact, almost
certainly - how most of the harp guitar players back in the harp guitar's heyday a hundred years ago actually used them then. I don't think there were more than a handful (if any) Muriel Anderson and Michael Hedges-level harp guitar virtuosi back then....
Anyway, I'm still disinclined to buy one for myself, but as an instrument the harp guitar made much more sense to me since I bought and listened to that "Traversata" CD. It's just wonderful music, besides, so I highly recommend it on that basis alone.
Wade Hampton Miller