Harp guitar

The harp guitar (or "harp-guitar") is a stringed instrument with a history of well over two centuries. While there are several unrelated historical stringed instruments that have appropriated the name “harp-guitar” over the centuries, the term today is understood as the accepted vernacular to refer to a particular family of instruments defined as "A guitar, in any of its accepted forms, with any number of additional unstopped strings that can accommodate individual plucking." [cite web
url=http://www.harpguitars.net/history/org/hgorg.htm
title=What is a Harp Guitar?
publisher=www.harpguitars.net
month=July | year=2007] Additionally, in reference to these instruments, the word "harp" is now a specific reference to the unstopped open strings, and is not specifically a reference to the tone, pitch range, volume, silhouette similarity, construction, floor-standing ability, nor any other alleged "harp-like" properties. To qualify in this category, an instrument must have at least one unfretted string lying off the main fretboard. Further, the unfretted strings can be, and typically are, played as an open string.

This family consists of a virtually limitless variety of different instrument configurations. Most readily identified are American harp guitars with either hollow arms, double necks or harp-like frames for supporting extra bass strings, and European bass guitars (or kontragitarres). Other harp guitars feature treble or mid-range floating strings, or various combinations of multiple floating string banks along with a standard guitar neck.

Harp guitar players

Historical harp guitar players include the great Italian virtuosi Pasquale Taraffo (1887-1937), [ See http://harpguitars.net/players/taraffo/taraffo.htm and http://guidodeiro.com/taraffo.html. ] Mario Maccaferri, Luigi Mozzani, and Gian Battista Noceti. [G. Noceti is mentioned in the March 22, 1903 Sunday New York Times in an article titled "DOINGS OF SOCIETY IN FRANCE; Spring Arrives in Paris, but the Riviera Season Is Still On -- The Misses Newhouse Give a "Pink Tea" -- Soiree at Mme. Von Olendorff's." See http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9C05E7DD1F3DEE32A25751C2A9659C946297D6CF&oref=slogin.] Viennese and French virtuosos who often played instruments with extra, floating bass strings include Carulli, Coste, Giuliani, Mertz, Padovec and Sor. [http://www.harpguitars.net/players/players.htm#past]

Current Harp Guitar Makers / Luthiers

[http://www.hoffmanguitars.com/new%20harp%20guitars.htm Charles A. Hoffman]

Notable harp guitarists

* Muriel Anderson
* Stephen Bennett
* John Doan
* William Eaton
* Beppe Gambetta
* Michael Hedges
* Dan LaVoie
* Andy McKee
* [http://www.harpguitarguy.com Andy Wahlberg]
*Robbie Robertson (during The Last Waltz)
*Jimmy Page
*Pat Metheny
*Jeff Martin
*Michael Lardie

ee also

*Archlute
*Multi-string classical guitar
*Theorbo
*Harp ukulele
*Harp mandolin

References

External links

* [http://www.harpguitars.net/players/players.htm Modern Harp Guitar players]
* [http://www.harpguitars.net/players/encyclopedia_of_hg_players.htm Encyclopedia of Harp Guitar Players of the Past]
* [http://www.harpguitars.net/history/makers.htm Encyclopedia of Historical Harp Guitar Makers]
* [http://www.harpguitars.net/luthiers/luthiers.htm Modern Harp Guitar Builders]
* [http://www.harpguitars.net/articles.htm Harp Guitar Articles]
* [http://www.harpguitars.net/ Information on the harp guitar] on Gregg Miner's subscriber-supported Harpguitars.net site
* [http://www.harpguitars.net/forum_rules2.htm The Harp Guitar Forum]