Germany
J.P. Jerusalem

Spruce, Flamed Maple, ebony, metal
ca. Early 20th century
Length: 48.8 inches; Width: 17.5 in; Depth” 3.5 in; Body Length: 20.5 in; , Scale length is 25″ (G-bass string 38”)
Strings – Lutes – Guitars

Label inside: J.P. JERUSALEM / Musikinstrumente / und Apparate / Spezialitat: Meister – Gitarren, Zithern / und Mandolinen / Aachen / Robensstrausse  34

This early and rare double neck guitar may be referred to as a Schrammel or Contraguitar, a type of harp guitar that wasn’t used for classical music but for folk music. The body is wider than the modern classical guitar as well as being slightly deeper. This harp guitar has an interesting body in the shape of a shield. The top is made of spruce and the back and sides flamed maple. It is believed to have been built between 1900 and 1920. On the inside there is a label which reads in German that it is made by J.P. Jerusalem, Aachen (Germany), a specialist on building master guitars, zithers and mandolins. The guitar can be played like a normal 6-string guitar with 9 additional floating harp strings tuned in Eb, D, Db, C, B, Bb, A, Ab and G.