Not a mandolin at all, but it does have scroll!!

[Jake Wildwood]

Just did a bit of regular service on this instrument for a friend... really, really a joy!









(Click here for the full post)

[Charles E.]

Jake, what a beautiful, big old gal! That looks like a handfull.

[F-2 Dave]

She's a beaut. I couldn't help but wonder while admiring the pictures, is there anyone still alive that can wail on one of these? Did a quick search on that popular video sharing site and behold, a guy wailing on a 1913 Gibson harp guitar. Very cool.

[Jake Wildwood]

Charley: It's actually surprisingly lightweight for its bulk. I never expected that.

Dave: There sure are folks who can do something with them...! But I find it exasperating. If this were my rig, I'd probably remove 1/2 the bass strings so I could sort out what they were while playing!! That said, I tried to do a vid clip on this today with a bit of noodling I'd gotten down on it, but I kept getting interrupted. Maybe tomorrow.

[pjlama]

Soooo cool Jake, what a cool piece, congrats.

[Gregory Tidwell]

Just saw one of these on two recent episodes of Cajun Pawn Stars. Nice!

[Tavy]

Fantastic - got to just love those - now we just need someone to build the mandolin version!

[Bertram Henze]

Looks like built by Thomas Chippendale.
Either that, or Gibson moved parts of their manufacturing to Lothlorien...

[hank]

Jake is that diagonal bracing rod with tension adjustment original to the instrument? How is it anchored at the ends? What a structural overload to manage the stress of those ten heavy gauge harp strings with those two wooden necks and keep it so lightly built. Thanks for sharing, what an amazing instrument. Can't wait to hear her sing with that bass harp rattling your bones.

[onassis]

I take it the turn-buckle is original equipment. Does it anchor into a second neck block in the scroll?

Edit: Hank and I seem to be wondering the same thing!

[Jacob]

Mandolin versions from the Eye Candy:

Harp mandolinetto by Stephen Sedgwick.


Harp mandolin by H.F. Eibert Stringed Instruments


Harp mandolin by David Newton


Vintage Larson harp mandolin

[hank]

I would love to try and play it as rusty as my guitar skills have become. I'm gonna have to find and play my Windham Hill DVD with The late Michael Hedges playing one with about half those strings. How much do these cost if you can find one not destroyed by all that tension?

[hank]

"Either that, or Gibson moved parts of their manufacturing to Lothlorien..."

[Jake Wildwood]

Hank: I think store value on these guys is roughly $7000-7500 these days, maybe less "on the street." I'm just overjoyed that I can actually spend a little time with this one while it hangs out here awaiting pickup again...

Everyone else: Yup, turnbuckle and rod are original and it does anchor into the neck block -- which extends from the guitar neck all the way to the harp side. Also, internally are 2 very giant bars running along the treble and bass side of the instrument, lending major support right to the end block.

And yep, I too think these belong in Middle Earth or at the very least on a Harry Potter set. The wide-eyed wonder folks get when seeing these is reason enough for their being built!

[Marty Jacobson]

Beautiful instrument, Jake. Must be a blast. I hope to build a harp OM some day. I think that even if you never pluck the strings on the harp portion, they would ring sympathetically if tuned right and sound really cool.

I couldn't help but wonder while admiring the pictures, is there anyone still alive that can wail on one of these?

And to your point, Dave, Andy McKee pretty much has the harp guitar thing down.

[hank]

5 harp strings on this one

[hank]

Muriel Anderson, this one has an interesting Chet Atkins/Jetro Burns story. She had this harp guitar fitted with half step toggles at the top.

[jackc]

Don't forget Stephen Bennett. Notice that none of these players is playing a Gibson...too big, and too heavy. But very cool anyway.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Miy7YjxtAHY

[sunburst]

Yes, the Larson brother's harp guitars feel better, sound better, and transport easier, (I almost bought one once...) so they became the player's choice in vintage harp guitars most of the time, and the template for many current harp guitar builders to replicate or use as a jumping off point. While the Gibson harps are spectacular to look at, the Larson harps are wonderful instruments to play.

[Jim Garber]

Notice that none of these players is playing a Gibson.

I would think that one reason, besides ungainliness is that those teens Gibson guitars had some pretty hefty necks. I don't know if Gibson made those into the Loar era and beyond.

[hank]

Looks like Randy Wood has one for sale on EBay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-1918-GI...fcbdd68&_uhb=1

[hank]

And here's a fixer upper on EBay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Gibson-Harp-...370dc7f&_uhb=1

[hank]

It may be the reason no ones playing them is the high cost as well. A new Doolin starts at $6500.

[sunburst]

It may be the reason no ones playing them is the high cost as well. A new Doolin starts at $6500.

You think $6500 is high for a hand made harp guitar?! A bargain, it seems to me.

[Jim Garber]

It may be the reason no ones playing them is the high cost as well. A new Doolin starts at $6500.

What!? There are no Eastman or The Loar harp guitars yet. Then again, Gregg Miner of harpguitars.net was selling this Holloway harp guitar for a reasonable price. looks like there are no more of these.

I always thought it would be interesting to make a clamp on harp contraption to be used with a std guitar. I am sure there would be a great market for such a thing.