Vintage gibson harp guitar

[Mando Medic]

Are there any mandolin orchestras using vintage Gibson Style U Harp guitars anymore? I have a 1916 that needs a home if there is. Comes with original hard case. I have led a sheltered life and have only seen two Mandolin Orchestras and neither used a harp guitar. Besides orchestras, John Doan, Stephen Bennett, who else uses them? Many thanks, Ken Cartwright

[Walter Newton]

Michael Hedges (http://www.harpguitars.net/players/month-player,2-06.htm) played one onstage the one time I was fortunate enough to see him....you can find a number of other players at the site I linked to.

[james condino]

Michael Hedges could make a dixie cup and a piece of dental floss sound like 15 skilled people playing at once. I saw him play dozens of times; after every show it took me weeks to get the courage to pull my instrument out of the case. He left us far too soon...

All the times I saw him, his concert rig was actually a Dyer harp guitar. As a player, I prefer those and some of the smaller bodied Knudsen models over the Gibsons. The smaller number of bass strings makes them easier to navigate. Hedges also used one of Steve Klein's electric harp guitars.

Ken: I have never seen a Gibson U style in use in a recent Orchestra. Even as a player and builder, they are very difficult to access these days. #The few that I have seen are either disfunctional wall art or (worse) they are locked up in some climate controlled sealed collector's vault. You should be able to find a good home for them quite easily. They regularly fetch between $4000-6500 on ebay. Jon Doan over in Salem would be a good source. I would also suggest checking in with Kerry Char up in north Portland. He almost always has between two and ten harp guitars in his shop.

Luthier Mike Doolin up in Portland builds a lot of Harp Guitars and is another very good resource.

Is that the same Gibson Harp Guitar that I have seen passing hands around Salem a few times in the last couple of decades? I believe it was hanging in a pawn shop for a while when you still had your old shop location downtown.

james condino
www.condino.com

[Walter Newton]

James you're right that the harp guitar I saw him play onstage wasn't necessarily a Gibson - can't remember for sure - though from what I understand he did own one. #It was certainly one of the best shows I've ever seen, his death not long afterwards was really a tragedy.

[sunburst]

I don't see Steve Bennett much anymore, but I took a whole series of measurements from his Larson brothers (Dyer) harp guitar some years ago, thinking of making one one day. He had just gotten it, and it had belonged to his grandfather. He has since gotten at least one other.
I had a very similar one in for some repairs a few years ago, and considered buying it, but didn't. The Larson ones are good sounding and very functional.
I've seen and heard several of the old Gibson harp guitars, and none were anywhere near as playable, good sounding, or functional as the Larson ones.

[Mando Medic]

James, Really good to hear from you. Wondered where you went after Portland. This harp guitar has been in a home in Salem for the past 60 years, in it's case. It's in excellent condition and has 10 bass strings, much more manageable than the 12's. John saw this one a couple of weeks ago but did not buy it. The harp guitar that you recall circulating around town is still in the Pawn shop in Keizer, Oregon. It went through a fire and is in deplorable condition.
I used to work on Doans Knudson's and Larson/Dyer's. I was really afraid that I would become an expert in them, but fortunately he had John Sullivan build him a more contemporary one and for the most part, quit playing the oldies.

I saw Hedges a couple of times and the last time I darned near got up and walked out of the show. He was pulling so hard on the upper frame of the Dyer Harp guitar that he was playing that I heard the wood creak. He did that to bend notes and add vibrato. I had talked to him right before the show and he told me that he had to have frequent remedial repairs done on that one so be prepared. I wasn't prepared. I still have night mares about that show. If he's in heaven, he's probably giving the harp cartakers a fit right now! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[MikeEdgerton]

You might want to take a look at harpguitars.net (http://harpguitars.net/). Those guys are dedicated to preserving the harp guitars place in history.

[delsbrother]

Belgian luthier Benoît Meulle-Stef is on the boards at harpguitars.net all the time. He's a major Gibson harpguitar expert.

Gregg Miner will also sell yours on consignment (if you wish) at harpguitarmusic.com. (http://www.harpguitarmusic.com/index.htm)

[mounmon]

Mandolin orchestra!? We don't need no stinkin' mandolin orchestra! # http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Hans]

Charlie Hoffman showed me a picture of 2 Gibson harps that they had in the shop a couple of years ago...one was left handed!

[Rick Turner]

If any of you are near San Diego in the next few months, go to the Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad. I helped curate an exhibit that is running there where we have assembled over 30 harp guitars old and new, many belonging to HG afficionado and historian Gregg Miner. Check his site at www.harpguitars.net or the museum at www.museumofmakingmusic.org

[brunello97]

I just visited the www.museumofmakingmusic.org site. Very nice looking exhibition, Rick, and the related text was a great read.

The exhibition of Howe-Orme instruments presented on the site is an eye-opener as well.

Mick

[Karen]

In the Winfield picture, the blurry guy on the right is Topeka's own Andy McKee who even made it into the Grisman debate on the other thread. Andy placed third in the fingerstyle competition a couple years back with his slap and hammer-on style. Very talented and a student of Bennett's.
R&K

[Gregg Miner]

Ken (and anyone else with a Gibson HG). Yes, I would be happy to take this on consignment at Harp Guitar Music, but only at the right price. My terms are lower than probably anywhere else. I would say the price estimate above is a bit high - it's gotta be pretty minty to get $6500. There are just too many around (I think thousands were made, not the couple hundred quoted) - and very little demand from players (collectors, yes, but then every collector most likely has one by now...).
Best,

[jackc]

I don't see Steve Bennett much anymore, but I took a whole series of measurements from his Larson brothers (Dyer) harp guitar some years ago, thinking of making one one day. He had just gotten it, and it had belonged to his grandfather. He has since gotten at least one other.
I had a very similar one in for some repairs a few years ago, and considered buying it, but didn't. The Larson ones are good sounding and very functional.
I've seen and heard several of the old Gibson harp guitars, and none were anywhere near as playable, good sounding, or functional as the Larson ones.
Stephen Bennett is playing his Dyer but also a harp guitar that Jim Merrill made for him.

[Gregg Miner]

Sorry if this is not mandolin related, but we ARE on the subject, and besides, how often can I expect to get an NPR interview?
Airs in the last 15 minutes of Weekend Edition tomorrow (8/27/2007):
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=13924188

[DoctorP]

In the 1980's, the Milwaukee Mandolin Orchestra did have John Stropes playing a Gibson U in concerts. It certainly added significantly to the visual effect of a mandolin orchestra and John played beautifully. I confess that that having a harp-guitar and all the other vintage instruments that we had helped create a stronger link to the music.

I attached an MMO group portrait that we used to help document a 1983 Orchestra concert. John left the MMO around 1990 to go on to bigger and better things. We have had no harp-guitar players since, but we're working on it.

DoctorP