Instrument Profile:
Eaton/Reuter Harp Guitar
Commissioned by Bob Gore

	This one-of-a kind instrument was designed by RV Director William Eaton and built by our Director of Training, John Reuter. It is patterned after one of William's previous harp guitars, with the addition of eight strings across the treble side with an octave-dividing bridge, for a total of 28 playable strings. The top is Spanish cedar, and the neck, bridges, and body are all of flamed maple.
In fact, most of the instrument's structure including the neck, top body rim, and harp arch are carved from one solid piece of maple. The "telescoped" lower portion of the sides and the back are made from wood cut from the same board and sanded to thickness. The neck features a flamed maple fingerboard with brass frets and is inlaid with graphite bars in addition to a truss rod.
	This instrument is fitted with two Fishman saddle transducers for the guitar and bass harp strings, and a Fishman harp soundboard transducer for the octave harp strings on the treble bout. These pickups run through separate buffered preamps and then out to a stereo jack with custom brass jackplate at the bottom of the instrument.

Listen to an mp3 recording of this instrument being played by designer William Eaton.