American Roots

The story of Harp Guitars: Passion • Imagination • Artistry continues in the American Pacific Northwest where Knutsen—independent from European tradition—developed his own unique American version of the hollow arm harp guitar; a guitar with an extra sound chamber (arm) to support floating harp strings. This instrument—not directly connected to the European Romantic movement—remained specific to the cultural identity of the American Northwest, where it gained popularity that spread to the rest of America.

The Pacific Northwest, particularly Seattle, was both the birthplace of the American hollow-arm harp guitar in the late 1880s and the early 1900s, and a gateway to the gold rush in Alaska. The region lived a dream of limitless possibilities as a land of golden opportunities, pioneer dreams and fearless exploration. Even today, the Seattle area retains its cachet as a land of innovation (Microsoft & Amazon), imagination and dreams. As the wealth—whether real or the product of fevered imaginations—of the gold rush poured in, industry was founded, and immigrants built cities and a cultural fabric. Along with the vibrant growth came a deep appreciation for aesthetics and a taste for refined crafts clearly seen in beautifully designed Victorian- and Edwardian-style homes.

The Knutsen Family

Knutsen harp guitars of that period are exceptional examples of artistic quality and craftsmanship with fantastically shaped bodies, suggestive of different instruments and influences from other parts of the world. Their beautiful inlay points to higher artistic ideals and inspirations. Seattle—with its adventurous, open-minded spirit, frontier-trading mentality and taste for exquisite craftsmanship—contributed to the creation of this American branch of the harp guitar. W.J. Dyer & Bros. and Larson Brothers companies—who licensed the production of the harp guitar, and made it available in both Chicago and Los Angeles—helped popularize Knutsen’s instruments.

Other makers such as Gibson Mandolin and Guitar Company (Kalamazoo), Jenkins Company (Kansas) and Lyon & Healy (Chicago) introduced harp guitars that featured jumbo bodies and extra sub-bass strings attached on an extra neck or on a specially designed neck extension. These instruments were clearly intended to produce greater volume and penetration in an era of small parlor guitars. These harp guitars were experiments in response to American country and Western players, who began to demand more volume early in the twentieth century.