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Thread: For those who love changing strings

  1. #1
    Registered User John Soper's Avatar
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    Default For those who love changing strings


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    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: For those who love changing strings

    Not the highest workmanship if I can tell from the photos. Also hard to tell but it looks like purfling might be painted on or even drawn with a Sharpie. Then again, kind of cool in an insane way.
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    Default Re: For those who love changing strings

    Less than half an hour to go and not up to the cost of just the tuners. Obviously posted by the builder, who’s too modest to put his or her name on this mutliply-innovative creature.. Wouldn’t call the craftsmanship very primitive, but it does appear to have a double top at least around the ‘f’ holes. Description shows familiarity with the known elements of lutherie so I’m reminded of the famous Musical Joke - something one might do when cynical about one’s audience.
    Personally, FWIW, I think it’s amazingly clumsy in overall design, and likely to miss the mark on the sympathetic strings for lack of resonator volume, but a high mark for novelty.

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    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: For those who love changing strings

    There have been precursors to this design primarily Chris Knutsen: https://www.harpguitars.net/knutsen/mandolins.htm. A d also the Larson Brothers Dyer harp in struments.

    Many of these did not have the harp strings but there are a few examples that did.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: For those who love changing strings

    Here’s the eBay one:

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    lt does look like it has a double top.
    Last edited by Jim Garber; Jun-30-2022 at 9:31pm.
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    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: For those who love changing strings

    I have an earlier eBay harp mandolin by the same builder. It's sort of the MidMo/Big Muddy of harp mandolins: good quality build with an emphasis on simplicity. The tone is all right although I haven't worked with it enough to figure out what to do with the bass strings. I put in a snipe bid on this latest one but I guess it wasn't high enough.

    There might be one or two ballo liscio pieces in my mandolin/guitar duo's repertoire that could use a little embellishment from the harp side of the instrument.
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    harvester of clams Bill McCall's Avatar
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    Default Re: For those who love changing strings

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Garber View Post
    There have been precursors to this design primarily Chris Knutsen: https://www.harpguitars.net/knutsen/mandolins.htm. A d also the Larson Brothers Dyer harp in struments.

    Many of these did not have the harp strings but there are a few examples that did.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    I remember seeing 2 of the Gibson variety of this type of harp guitar hanging on the wall of Eldon Stutzman’s basement in the early 70’s. Monstrosities.
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    Mando accumulator allenhopkins's Avatar
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    Default Re: For those who love changing strings

    Quote Originally Posted by Bill McCall View Post
    I remember seeing 2 of the Gibson variety of this type of harp guitar hanging on the wall of Eldon Stutzman’s basement in the early 70’s. Monstrosities.
    One of them's still there, displayed over the fireplace in Eldon's son Dave's showroom. Run through the opening website slide show and you'll see it.
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    Default Re: For those who love changing strings

    I owned a modern harp mandolin made by British luthier Stephen Sedgwick that was just a blast to play (even if - or maybe because - I was never quite sure what to do with it!). I've lost contact with the fellow I sold it to ... would love to know where it's residing these days.

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