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Topic: For The Guy Who Has Everything...else |
Mike D
From:
Phx, Az
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Gary Anwyl
From:
Palo Alto, CA
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Posted 18 Jul 2001 3:32 pm |
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The seller doesn't seem to think too highly of it, but it's actually an historically interesting instrument. It appears to be an authentic Knutsen guitar circa 1910-1920.
Knutsen was an early innovator and builder of Hawaiian guitars during the Hawaiian music craze at the turn of the century (which eventually evolved into the electric lap steel that we all love).
The first track on the Tone Poems III CD is played on an instrument similar to this.
There's a very good book, "From Harp Guitars to the New Hawaiian Family" describing the development of the acoustic Hawaiian guitar. It's full of great information and many excellent pictures.
http://www.noeenterprises.com/[This message was edited by Gary Anwyl on 18 July 2001 at 04:37 PM.] |
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Mike D
From:
Phx, Az
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Posted 19 Jul 2001 6:28 am
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| Hi Gary. Yes this one seems to be an "upgrade" from the one on the TP3 CD. That one just sounds amazing. The seller describes the high strings as uke strings and it's pretty obvious he doesn't know what it is. But the folks bidding on it seem to. |
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Ian McLatchie
From:
Sechelt, British Columbia
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Posted 19 Jul 2001 9:41 am
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I have a Knutsen similar to this one, but without the four drone strings on the top, and with slightly less fancy ornamentation (still pretty wild-looking guitar, though).
They're great sounding guitars, without the piercing mid-range of a Weissenborn, but with a rich, mellow upper register and a fatter bass than a Kona. Knutsens are even more lightly constructed than Weissenborns, and Knutsen's choice of materials is sometimes bizarre: mine has a cedar peghead, and had a
mahogany bridge(!) which was badly worn. Joe Yanuziello built me a perfect repro. bridge from Brazilian rosewood, and added a modern nut (Knutsen's look like someone's first whittling project). I still have the neck extension for the bass strings, but don't string them up. Six light gauge strings is enough strain on its poor old top. |
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Mike D
From:
Phx, Az
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Posted 19 Jul 2001 11:18 am
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| Ian is there any extra top bracing to support the bass strings? I'm intrigued at the prospect of building something similar. |
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Ian McLatchie
From:
Sechelt, British Columbia
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Posted 19 Jul 2001 4:02 pm
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Mike: Believe me, the phrase "extra bracing" is not one that would spring into the mind of anyone who takes a peek inside one of Chris Knutsen's instruments! My guitar is straight-braced, and has ONE brace south of the bridge. What's more, the top is made even more delicate by the presence of a pickguard-shaped mahogany piece inlaid next to the soundhole, and a rosette that is not integral to the body, but merely taped into the soundhole. When I found this guitar (in a music store in Edmonton, a city with one of the most extreme and dry climates in Canada [by the way, Keoki, why didn't you snatch this one up?]), it was strung with medium gauge strings, tuned to Dobro G. One brace was loose, and the bridge lifted, but the top was, and remains, only slightly domed. How it survived with so little damage is beyond me. The lightweight bracing presumably plays a big part in the sound - this guitar sustains for DAYS.
Hands down the finest Hawaiian guitar of any sort I've tried is Joe Yanuziello's Hawaiian King. He uses an X-braced design very similar to Martins, I believe. Extra strings, either bass or drone, would certainly require a more rigid structure. Most Knutsens, I understand, bear some significant damage. |
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George Keoki Lake
From:
Edmonton, AB., Canada
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Posted 19 Jul 2001 9:13 pm
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| Ian, had I seen it before you, I probably would have grabbed it. I usually haunt all the music stores and second hand stores on a regular basis, (and this city is loaded with both!), but missed that guitar which you found. Anyway, it's now in good hands and that's all that matters. I'm pleased you have it. |
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Mike D
From:
Phx, Az
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Posted 20 Jul 2001 5:50 am
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| Thanks for the info Ian. |
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