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Topic: Anyone own a Knutsen? |
Russ Young
From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
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Posted 19 May 2003 8:32 am |
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Or perhaps an early Kona?
I've been reading the Noe & Most book about Chris J. Knutsen and his guitars ... arguably the inspiration for Herman Weissenborn.
I can't find many references to Knutsens here, although it looks like Ian M. may have one. (Ian?)
I'm now kicking myself because I recall seeing a "Weissenborn"-bodied, roundneck guitar for sale a few months ago on eBay with what appeared to be a crude repair to the neck -- a metal bracket screwed into the back of the neck and the heel block. Now I wonder if it may have been a Knutsen "convertible" -- the predecessor of the Kona.
I also find it a bit ironic that Knutsen and his wife lived just down the street from where the Seattle Guitar Center store is located ... the guitar business sure has changed since 1912. [This message was edited by Russ Young on 19 May 2003 at 09:35 AM.] [This message was edited by Russ Young on 19 May 2003 at 09:37 AM.] |
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Gary Slabaugh
From:
Scottsdale, AZ
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Posted 19 May 2003 9:10 am
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| I used to work for a Knutsen, but as you know there are a lot of those Sweedes in the Seattle area. Never saw a steel at the Sons of Norway festival either. |
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Steinar Gregertsen
From:
Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.
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Posted 19 May 2003 9:41 am
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"...there are a lot of those Sweedes in the Seattle area."
SWEDES?!?!?!? Hrmph!
Knutsen were as Norwegian as the cheese cutter....
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Ian McLatchie
From:
Sechelt, British Columbia
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Posted 19 May 2003 11:40 am
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Yep, I own a Knutsen, Russ, which puts me in pretty select company, I guess. It's one of the "quasi-harp" guitars, with a hollow neck and two bass strings connected to an extension arm on the bass side of the neck, but without the extra drone strings across the top, as some Knutsens have. It's a remarkable guitar, with a very sweet sound and a fuller bass than most Weissenborns I've tried (the sound is actually much closer to a Kona). Beyond its value as a player, it's an extraordinary collectible. Chris Knutsen was one of those people who never knows when to quit, it seems, and his instruments are an amazing hodge-podge of design ideas. This one has a cedar top, with a wave-shaped mahogany inlay on the upper bouts, another armrest shaped one on the lower bass side, and rope binding all around.
It's in great condition and all original except for an accurate replacement bridge made of Brazilian rosewood (the original was soft mahogany, a typically bizarre Knutsen choice) and a modern, corian nut. I still have the original bridge and nut, though, as well as the original wedge-shaped case, lined with flannel suit material. It has a McIntyre pickup installed and sounds absolutely beautiful through a high quality acoustic amp like a Roland. Much as I love it, I'm giving serious thought to selling it, in my continuing quest to get a frying pan before the prices get totally out of reach. If anyone's interested they can drop me a line. I'm still making inquiries, but will probably sell it for something like $2500 U.S. This is all subject to my wife's approval, mind you. The Knutsen is so beautiful that it's the only instrument she DOESN'T want me to sell! |
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Russ Young
From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
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Posted 21 May 2003 7:15 pm
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| If you're not familiar with Chris Knutsen or harp guitars, you might enjoy the Knutsen Archives. [This message was edited by Russ Young on 21 May 2003 at 08:16 PM.] |
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Ian McLatchie
From:
Sechelt, British Columbia
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Posted 22 May 2003 3:24 am
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Great site, Russ. The remarkable thing about Knutsens is not only that all his designs are so eccentric, but no two guitars seem exactly alike. Mine is very similar, but not identical to, this one:
http://home.earthlink.net/~chrisknutsen/hhw8.htm |
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Steinar Gregertsen
From:
Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.
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Posted 22 May 2003 5:53 am
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The book about Knutsen and his creations (and also the whole development of Hawaiian guitars) is amazing and can be found at Elderly; http://www.elderly.com/books/items/531-1.htm
Highly recommended for everyone with an interest in the history of harp guitars and wood bodied Hawaiian guitars.[This message was edited by Steinar Gregertsen on 22 May 2003 at 06:54 AM.] |
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Ian McLatchie
From:
Sechelt, British Columbia
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Posted 22 May 2003 6:28 am
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To amend what I said earlier, apart from the absence of the two bass strings, this is the guitar that most closely resembles mine:
http://home.earthlink.net/~chrisknutsen/hw6.htm
Again, though, no two Knutsen instruments are identical. Mine has a cedar peghead, white tuner buttons instead of black, a white pearl dot instead of a black at the bottom of the "pickguard,"
and a regular wave-shaped mahogany inlay on the upper bouts. In the wide world of luthiery there are few things as weird and wonderful as Knutsen's creations. |
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