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View Poll Results: Harp Guitar: Pointless or World of difference?
Pointless 23 19.33%
World of difference 57 47.90%
dont care 6 strings is enough 39 32.77%
Voters: 119. You may not vote on this poll

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  #16  
Old 07-03-2011, 04:19 PM
AndrewG AndrewG is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JRB View Post
Me and mine.



You just don't know until you know. Or something like that. Probably the most harp guitars you'll see at once, and the most harp guitar players you'll see at once (with two of them playing behind their heads, no less) until you go to one of the Harp Guitar Gatherings.



Gregg Miner, Stephen Bennett, John Doan, Muriel Anderson, Carter Lancaster, Jeff Titus, Andy Wahlberg... The list goes on and on. Check out Harp Guitar Music for CDs and other harp guitar stuff. Visit www.harpguitars.net to learn more than you will ever be able to know about harp guitars.

And perhaps "pointless" is a pretty harsh word for something you just don't get.
What a glorious cacophony that must be!
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  #17  
Old 07-03-2011, 04:48 PM
Wade Hampton Wade Hampton is offline
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AndrewG wrote:

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Originally Posted by AndrewG View Post

-
What a glorious cacophony that must be!

Oh, I don't know - that probably depends on what they chose to play.

If it was something simple like "Grandfather's Clock" or "Amazing Grace," I'll bet it sounded pretty cool.

If, on the other hand, they decided to play "Orange Blossom Special" or "Flight Of The Bumblebee," yeah, it would probably be pretty cacophonous!!


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  #18  
Old 07-03-2011, 07:27 PM
ResoN ResoN is offline
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I have never played a harp guitar, but I've always been very interested in them. I hope to add one to my collection someday. The extra range would be really fun to work with.
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  #19  
Old 07-03-2011, 08:04 PM
Howard Klepper Howard Klepper is offline
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Originally Posted by Morgan1 View Post
Sorry to go a bit off track, but I've never understood why they're called harp guitars. They're more zither like than harp like. Anybody know where the name came from?
From the resemblance to a harp.
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  #20  
Old 07-04-2011, 12:01 AM
JRB JRB is offline
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The most comprehensive definition of the harp guitar: What Is a Harp Guitar? by Gregg Miner, the "Harp Guitar Pope."

Wade, the traditional closing song for the Harp Guitar Gathering concerts is "The Water Is Wide." Here's a video from Harp Guitar Gathering 5. Unfortunately, the sound is such that you can't really hear the harp strings.

http://www.youtube.com/user/GMiner#p/u/36/pawgzVGC9-4

Also, what a keen eye you have. It is indeed a Knutsen, and it is all koa, single piece top and back. Imagine what koa that size would sell for now... As I'm sure you all know ( ), Chris J. Knutsen not only invented the American harp guitar (and licensed his design to the Larson Brothers), he also created the Hawaiian guitar (and then taught Herman Weissenborn how to make them).
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  #21  
Old 07-04-2011, 12:33 AM
Wade Hampton Wade Hampton is offline
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Wow, what a cool guitar, John. Congrats. And I don't want to attribute your pioneering spirit strictly to the fact that you live in Kansas City, where the women are strong, the men are problem-solvers and the children are excessively well-behaved, but eating good barbecue has been PROVEN to increase brain function. Since you live in the epicenter of the known barbecue universe, that's probably why you're so smart!

Hey, stop by Zardoz BBQ and snarf some down for me next time you're in that neighborhood!

Back to the Knutsen harp guitar: how long have you owned this particular gem? Does it have a hardshell case that fits it, and if so, is original or a modern one that you or somebody else had made?


Wade Hampton "BBQ Boy" Miller
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  #22  
Old 07-04-2011, 08:19 AM
arie arie is offline
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Hollywood GC has a Dyer model 6 from the 20's upstairs. Every time I see it it's in a different state of neglect. When I can get in tune it sounds really good but that store doesn't know how to deal with it. Hanging on the wall with it's strings popped off -what a shame. They want 12k for it by the way. I have some exposure to harps as my wife has one so I can see the potential coupled with a guitar. Once you get yourself sorted out on one they have a lot of range to play with. When I can source some wood large enough to make one I'll build one when I get the chance. Here's an interesting page on building one:

http://www.niteowlguitars.com/SN_HG_Dev_10-005.html

The Dyer over at HWD GC is a Larson built, and I've been wanting to play a Larson for a long while and finally got a chance! It has a very "sweet" tone throughout it's range that I haven't heard anywhere else. Once you do hear it you're not too likely to forget it.

Last edited by arie; 07-04-2011 at 08:24 AM.
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  #23  
Old 07-04-2011, 08:21 AM
Morgan1 Morgan1 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Howard Klepper View Post
From the resemblance to a harp.
But I don't think they resemble a harp. The strings of a harp are perpendicular to the soundboard but on a "harp" guitar, they are parallel, like a zither. Without frets under the "harp" portion of the guitar, they're exactly like a zither.

I still say they should be called zither guitars.
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  #24  
Old 07-04-2011, 11:33 AM
Howard Klepper Howard Klepper is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Morgan1 View Post
But I don't think they resemble a harp. The strings of a harp are perpendicular to the soundboard but on a "harp" guitar, they are parallel, like a zither. Without frets under the "harp" portion of the guitar, they're exactly like a zither.

I still say they should be called zither guitars.
Zithers:





Harps:





Harp guitars:







Last, the "Harp-style zither":



The distinguishing feature of a harp would appear to be that the strings have their support on an arm that is free of the sound box, and this arm does not run underneath and parallel to the strings so that the strings can be shortened by pressing to the arm (i.e., not a "neck"). No harps I have seen have strings perpendicular to the sound board. Biblical or "lyre harps" have strings that run nearly parallel to the soundboard like a guitar's.
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Last edited by Howard Klepper; 07-04-2011 at 11:51 AM.
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  #25  
Old 07-04-2011, 12:08 PM
Wade Hampton Wade Hampton is offline
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And the guy in the middle is saying:

"But WAIT a minute - how can we play "Wipeout" if we don't have a drummer to take the drum solo?!?"



whm
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  #26  
Old 07-04-2011, 12:55 PM
Howard Klepper Howard Klepper is offline
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The guy seated in the middle is Mozzani. One of the great players of his day, and a great and influential builder. He taught Maccaferri to build.

He played a mean "wipeout."
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  #27  
Old 07-04-2011, 01:07 PM
JRB JRB is offline
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Al Carruth playing his true harp guitar (with an actual harp soundboard, constructed like an actual harp, and everything), built for around $100:

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  #28  
Old 07-04-2011, 01:25 PM
Morgan1 Morgan1 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JRB View Post
Al Carruth playing his true harp guitar (with an actual harp soundboard, constructed like an actual harp, and everything), built for around $100:

Now THAT looks like what I'd call a harp guitar! Sorry but the others look more like zithers.
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  #29  
Old 07-04-2011, 01:31 PM
Wade Hampton Wade Hampton is offline
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And I'll bet it sounded terrific, too. Did you get to hear Al Carruth's harp guitar played in isolation, John?


whm
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  #30  
Old 07-04-2011, 06:02 PM
trion12 trion12 is offline
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Not a harp guitar but this one by Linda Manzer for Pat Metheny is pretty wild!


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