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Unofficial Harmony Guitar Home Page
This Page is written and maintained by Rothman's Guitars, Southold NY
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I am always interested in hearing about unusual Harmony guitars. Email me and I look forward to hearing about your unique guitar.
·
Harmony Caribbean and Colorama Guitars
· Other Instruments by Harmony
·
Some Important Links
François Demont Harmony Data base: This site has the most comprehensive assortment of Harmony Guitars On the Internet. Models, pictures and other information. A must for all Harmony Fans.
· Bill Arnolds Harmony guitar page check out his collection of Harmony Guitar Pictures.
· Silvertone/Harmony Guitar and amp pictures by Dan Marvicsin. He has a nice selection of of instruments, so take a look.
What is known about one of the most prolific manufactures of guitars in this country? There has been a lot written about the Harmony Guitar Company, but there isn't a lot of information on these guitars. These guitars continue to show up everywhere. Many a guitar student started on one of their student instruments. How many beginning players had a sunburst Stella by Harmony to learn on? . Most of my basic knowledge about them comes from what I've read in American Guitars by Tom Wheeler and from the ones I've seen or owned over the years. From the acoustics I used to sell to the yard sale electrics I used to find, I've seen quite a few different guitars.
My experience with these guitars goes back to the early 60's. My first guitar was a Harmony acoustic and learning to play guitar was inspired by one of these student instruments. The guitars in my store at that time were mostly Harmony made, and I would spend hours looking through Jobber catalogues at these guitars. Targ and Diner, Buegelson and Jacobson, and C. Bruno had pages of assorted Harmonys to look at. I alwaysloved the look of the Black Sovereign with white pickguard that hung in the store. This most expensive guitar Grandpa Dave stocked, a whole $ 80, always caught my eye. The last new (old stock) American made acoustic finally was sold around 1980. This was after I borrowed it to travel across country. I remember playing that little "O'" style guitar, jamming on a California beach. I was always impressed by how it was able to project and carry a tune, given the circumstances.
What is known about these Harmonys? The Harmony name was a registered Trademark # 627412. Established in 1892, one of the largest manufacturers of student guitars rivaled only by the likes of Kay, they produced countless numbers of instruments. Surviving up until the time the import manufacturers took over the market, Harmonys were everywhere. The general quality of Harmony instruments was lacking the attention to detail that the more expensive guitar makers were able to achieve. They would ultimately slop glue all over the inside and do other things to reflect the fact that they were mass-produced. At the height of the guitar boom in the 60's, they were making close to 1000 guitars a day and finding their way into many American homes.
. Harmony was after all, one of
the most prolific manufactures of musical instruments. Harmony was one of the largest
manufactures of musical instruments. They supplied many of the big mail order
catalogues through the years. Sears marketed many of the Harmony instruments under the Silvertone label. After all, Sears owned this Chicago guitar company. These instruments were the same Harmony made instruments except for the label and accounted for almost half of the instruments made. Little was done to differentiate between them. There were also a large number of "House
Brands" made by Harmony. At one point, before WWII, there were 57 assorted names on the same Harmony instrument. Wholesalers and private labels would use these guitars as a part of their line. Along with manufactures like Kay and Regal,Harmony supplied a lot
of instruments over the years. I have had many other type of instruments made by Harmony. By 1915 they were the largest manufacturer of ukuleles in America. They not only made ukuleles and banjos but they had a whole line of these folk instruments. Their baritone ukes and tenor guitars still show up as unplayed cast offs from the main stream of instruments. The long neck "Pete Seeger" banjos I've seen have had both the "Holiday"
label and Harmony label. They made an interesting bluegrass banjo with a Bakelite/plastic rim and resonator. Harmony also made violins during the early part of the century. At this time they were America's only large-scale violin manufacture. After giving up violin making for 19 years they began again in 1938 to fill the need of the student violinists.
Over the years the Harmony style of making guitars evolved just like the rest of the manufactures. The pre-war guitars, through the 40's, had clubbier necks. Earlier ones were v-ed. Some of the Archtops had a bigger paddle like headstock similar to the evolution of Gretsch Guitars. Into the 50's the graphics changed as with the size of the headstock. Smaller and simpler seemed to be the direction. Even the color of the logo seemed to change as time went on. When the guitar boom of the 60's happened, the guitars got simpler and more mass-produced. After all, they were making an average of 1000 instruments per day, during this period. That's a lot of guitars! The detailing on the headstock on the Patrician went from an ornate red, white and blue to a simpler plain graphic. The earlier guitars had some inlay on the headstock, while later it appears most decoration was stenciled. Even the sound hole rosette on some of the flat tops was stenciled on. Cheaper models almost always had painted binding along with painted fret markers.
Most of the guitars I see appear to be from the sixties. Mainly because of the guitar boom during the Beatles generation, there were a large number of guitars sold at this time. Possibly even one half of all the guitars made in this county, more than all the other manufactures together. Most of these were the flat top acoustics. Many a beginner started with a sunburst Stella by Harmony. They bought this name in 1939 and continued to make them as a low-end student guitar. These small body guitars still show up from time to time. Most have a floating wood bridge with the pressed metal tail piece. Some of the older ones have a piece of metal fret like material for a saddle. These models have been seen with both 3X 3 tuners and 6 on a side headstocks. Some of the other budget small guitars have a screwed down rectangular bridge, with many of the older ones being made with solid wood, a lot of them birch, (You can usually tell by the cracks when they dry out.) As you go up the quality scale of these guitars you find Harmony made some nice solid spruce or mahogany top grand concert size guitars. Some of these guitars from the sixties had tortoise binding and pickgaurds. Still a far cry from their Gibson or Martin Counterparts they were nice little guitars. The ones which I have encountered are nice sounding and ones that don't need a neck set are nice playing. The graphics on the headstock varied from plain "Harmony," in script, with "Steel reinforced neck, " to the addition of a musical staff. I still use one today for my camping guitar. The sound projection in the open air, at the beach, is a far cry above many other guitars. Imagine having the original camp guitars by Harmony with the stencil scenes on them. These, along with the cowboy-stenciled guitars, have become quite collectable today.
The better instruments made by Harmony were their Sovereign line of guitars. They acquired this name in the late 30's to represent their more popular instruments. By getting Players like Roy Smeck to endorse their instruments some of these instruments were made to cater to the more serious musician. They had the characteristics of the Gibsons that they were competing with. Large pickgaurds with painted details seemed to copy others. They still had their own unique details. These larger sized guitars had solid tops and real binding. In 1970 Harmony even made an 8-ft version for a NAMM show. This guitar showed the same details of its smaller counterpart. Currently owned by Collector Scott Chinery who said, "These Harmony Sovereigns are one or the best valued Collectable."
The electrics made by Harmony ranged in price and quality. They made many a student instrument. Some of the solid body electrics were fundamental instruments. Their pickups and sound set them aside from the later imports that flooded the market. Models like the Stratotone or the BobKat were designed for the beginner player. Some of the more basic Fender style Harmony electrics were no competition to the real thing, but they did have their place.
Some of the more sophisticated electrics took on the characteristics of the Gibson ES guitars. The Harmony Rocket made to emulate the ES 330 style guitar, was close. Many had 3 pickups along with 6 volume and tone controls. Using DeArmond pickups, along with others, they were able to achieve the sound quality that is still desired today. "Three Pickups', DeArmond designed for today's sound " boasted advertisements for the H-75 and H-77. Maybe they were also trying to copy the Imported Teisco guitars with all the bells and whistles that were coming into the country. There also was an H-62 model that was a knock offof a Gibson L-5. Not bad for the budget minded Jazz guitarist.
Even Harmony basses had a certain appeal to the beginner players. They made basses that emulated the Fender style. They also made hollow bodied bass guitars, along with an acoustic bass. They generally were not up to the same quality of the ones they copied, but this was why the less sophisticated player, could afford to get an instrument they could utilize.
. There was a point when the Harmony Company made even some Fender Acoustics and Vega Archtops. As the competition from the imports forced Harmony to fold a real void was created. It was generally felt that they let it happen. If they could have increased production with more plants they could have kept up with the demand for budget guitars. They had the know how, but they just couldn't make the commitment to expand. At this time they just didn't have the courage to make the investment. It not only opened the way for a real flood of overseas imports, but it marked the beginning of the end for American made consumer goods. Even when the Harmony name was used on these imports into the 70's, the overall quality and mystique was lost. It was a hard thing, to achieve the same quality, when these guitars were becoming even more of a mass produced instrument. But like all the other student grade guitars that were imported at this time, the imported Harmony's were very similar. Maybe it was a sign of the times. Maybe it was a prelude to what was to come. But it sure was a reflection of the state of our country being able to compete, price wise, with the ability to mass-produce goods. You look at these mass produced guitars and see all that was lost with the demise of this company. Harmony still was and is a better product than many of the imports available today. And after all they still are one of the more affordable American Made Vintage Guitars.. It was hard thing to do when you were making a mass produced instrument in the first place. But like all the other student grade guitars that were imported, the imported Harmony's were comparable.You look at these mass produced guitars and see what was lost with the demise of this company. They still were and are a better product than many of the imports available today. And after all they still are one of the more affordable American Made Vintage Guitars.
· · Harmony STELLAS
We all
have had them and we all love them. The number of baby boomers who started guitar lessons on a Harmony student guitar was great. They were affordable and quite playable. The student guitars made by the Harmony Guitar Co. of Chicago were readily available to the masses. Most music stores carried them along with a whole assortment of mail order catalogues. Sears, who owned the Harmony Company, made these guitars available to their customers under the Silvertone Label.
Most of the guitars I see appear to be from the sixties. Mainly because of the guitar boom during the Beatles generation, there were a large number of guitars sold at this time. Harmony made more than one half of all the guitars made in this county, more than all the other manufactures together. Most of these were the flat top acoustics. Many a beginner started with a sunburst Stella by Harmony. Harmony bought the Stella name in 1939 and continued to make them as a low-end student guitar. Using the Stella registered trademark, they marketed these student guitars for the masses. These small body guitars still show up from time to time. Most have a floating wood bridge with the pressed metal tailpiece. Some of the older ones have a piece of metal fret like material for a saddle. I have seen some student guitars with a wood tailpiece from the 40's when metal was a scarce commodity.
Many Harmonys I've seen incorporate an Hxxx in the serial number. The numbers after the H indicate the model. The numbers before might indicate the sequence number. Dating them seems to be a little more complicated. Some guitars seem to have an F-66, FW-59 or similar number stamped inside the guitar, along with "Made in the USA." This number will indicate the year of manufacture, but it doesn't appear all the time. The F indicated the Fall manufacturing run for the Xmas season. The S indicated that they were being made for the Summer run of instruments. It confirmed the dating of some guitars I have, with what I surmised to be their date of production.
Most of the model numbers in the later 60's have this Hxxx. These H929 Stella models have been seen with both 3 x 3 tuners along with a H933 that had 6 on side headstocks. These guitars were most commonly sunburst. There was natural model, an H927 during the 60's, along with a tenor HTCG929 and a smaller size H9293/4. I have seen some "bananaburst" or Ivory grained finish on some Stellas from the 40's and 50's, which seem to be a No.928 model of the early 60's. Other models from the early 60's were a No. 1141 and No, 930. These earlier models don't seem to have the "H" in the model number. The model number didn't matter because they marketed an assortment of 6 guitars for $ 144 in 1962. At $ 24 a guitar it gave the young student an affordable option. In the late 60's there was a better quality Stella offered by Harmony. This H942 natural (H943 Sunburst) grand concert size guitar offered "time-tested Stella features of construction and finish," and sold for $ 37.50. With its " Steel Reinforced neck" and "Simulated marquetry ring at soundhole, it was an attractive upgrade to the H929 Stella, with the added feature of a screwed down bridge.
Some of the other budget small guitars have a screwed down rectangular bridge, with many of the older ones being made with solid wood. (You can usually tell by the cracks when they dry out.) Some of the H150's and the classical H937s were called the Harmony Studio Specials. These were noted as being "Best for the beginners or 'loaner' Guitar. " They had a short 3/4 scale with less space between the frets that made finger placement and chord formation easier for little fingers.
"Perfection," was Harmonys goal, through out its history. Its claim to have sold "more stringed instruments than all other makers in America Combined- and thus created thousands of friends for Harmony all over the world," held true. They found their way into more American Homes than any other guitar company. They made themselves available to the masses so the student had an affordable option. They are still available today as one of the more affordable American Vintage Guitars. Start collecting today!!
· Harmony Flat Top Guitars 1950-73
There was much more to Harmony’s flat top guitars than their Stella line. Of the thousands+ of kids who started playing guitar, some were fortunate enough to step up to the better made, or “professional” line of guitars. Harmony was most diverse with the different models they offered; they had to keep up with the demand of what was becoming a cult phenomenon. The flat top guitar had transcended the country music genre, and with birth of the folk music revolution, was here to stay.
Harmony Guitars line of Acoustic guitars was quite extensive, by the late 60's. And why wouldn't it be? By the 1960’s there was a music revolution-taking place in this country. They had to cater to the demands of the baby boomers that wanted to be a part of this revolution, so they continued to make an assortment of instruments to cater to this demand.
From 1950 when Harmony offered three flat tops (other than the three Stella guitars they offered,) they grew to giving their customers a choice of 20+ different acoustic flat tops by the 1970’s. This also is an indication of how the flat top acoustic guitar grew in popularity. While they still offered acoustic archtop guitars, no self-respecting “folkie” would be caught playing one.
By 1961 they were starting to establish the different models in the line. The Harmony Jumbo Sovereign, Model No. 1260 with selected mahogany back and sides, spruce top was the best they offered for $ 72.50. They did offer a Model No. 1203 that was the smaller version, both with pinless bridges and “Slim Line: neck with “Torque-Lok Reinforcing rod. Their Grand Concert guitars were offered as a mahogany top model No. 165, a spruce top version of this guitar and a model No. 162, their less expensive model at $ 42.
The late 1960’s yielded away to an ever-increasing line of flat top guitars. The Jumbo sovereigns offered a natural model No. 1260 with a pinless bridge and a deluxe sunburst model No. 1265 with a deluxe pin bridge. The catalog boasted this guitar as being “a professional type addition to the famous family of sovereign quality guitars.” This guitar had a tortoise headstock overlay, along with oversized double pick guard. The model No. 1203 was a Grand concert model “full toned, responsive for solo playing.”
The other models in this line were the Model No. 162 Folk, offered in both full and ¾ size, and they still offered the Model No. 165 Grand concert size that was all mahogany. Adding these to the studio specials and Stella line of flat tops, Harmony was offering more and more acoustic guitars each year.
The 1971 catalogue showed there was a whole assortment of upgraded Sovereigns. The Jumbo sovereign changed the pickgaurd design, while some of the other flat tops remained the same. A sunburst H1266, Black H1264, both with double pickguard and a Natural H 1260 all had the finest “single-thickness” spruce top. The H1266 Sovereign Deluxe Jumbo model was the fancier guitar they offered. "For Outstanding appearance and performance, a professional guitar of carefully selected materials." It's spruce top and mahogany sides and back, were made to emphasize sustained deep bass and brilliant treble tone quality. The sunburst model that had tortoise overlay on the headstock, block inlays and it’s fancy bridge, made this guitar it’s top of the line instrument. It sold for $ 169.50 in 1971
The other H1203 and H1204 Grand concert sovereigns were also their nicer models, appealing to the more advanced or affluent player. The H182, H1204, H1203 all had slim line necks with celluloid bound headstocks. The H1204, the one that Grandpa Dave stocked, was black, with large decorated pickgaurd. There was also an HTG1201 Tenor guitar that was available. "Harmony Acoustic guitars lead the industry in value-giving. Nowhere will you find greater excellence of construction and finish-and beauty of tone- at the respective prices of the dependable instruments," boasted the 1971 catalogue.
The most interesting additions were the model #s H180 and H181 acoustic guitars. These grand concerts guitars had an adjustable bridge and more unique, a 6 on a side tuner set up. The Harmony H168 pumpkin finish and H167 sunburst, also had six on a side tuners. These grand concert folk guitars had a “tone quality of superior quality.” This year they offered a more deluxe Stella line of guitars. The H942 and H943 were grand concert size Stellas that were moderate priced instruments. The model No. H159 was the moderately priced Jumbo that was offered by Harmony. This natural colored guitar had a stenciled sound hole rosette and large pickguard that was screwed down. Harmony strived to offer guitars a all price points. This guitar listed for $ 49.50 compared to the Jumbo sovereign that listed for $ 149.50. A guitar for everybody!
They continued to manufacture some step down version of these guitars. The H166 Folk guitar and H162 offered quality at 1/3rd the price of the grand concert guitars. Selling for $ 64-$74 they had spruce tops and pinned bridges, while the H165/1 offered a grand concert size guitar that was all mahogany. All boasted, “For the exceptional beauty and outstanding eye-appeal of sound hole decoration, you’ll buy Harmony.” Their distinctive sound hole rosette made them stand apart from the competition.
By the mid 70's the line was simplified. The new Regal Deluxe dreadnaught replaced the Jumbos of a few years earlier. These X-braced solid spruce top guitars used only the finest woods, “to produce the resonant sound for which Harmony was so famous." The only sovereigns, in the line were the H6364, and H6303 Grand concert models. Not quite as fancy as the earlier ones, the still embodied the perfection of tone quality that had made it so popular over the years. These guitars had only Sovereign on the headstock, a departure from earlier guitars.
The Grand concert guitars by this time consisted of 4 models. Varying in color, these grained spruce top guitars were available in sunburst, mahogany, or natural all with adjustable pin bridges. Only the H6362 had a solid spruce top. There still was a Tenor guitar available. The H4101 had similar features to this guitar, but smaller in size.
Harmony had the market cornered. They had price points to appeal to all levels of guitar players. Their focus was the beginner market, but they did always try to offer an instrument that might appeal to the more advanced or professional player. They had the goods, but could they survive the 1970’s?
·
· Harmony Archtops
When you start to look though the old catalogues from the 60's you see a great number of archtops that were in production at this time. It would appear that Harmony must have had a large customer base for these "F" hole guitars. The same price point and features held true to these guitars as discussed earlier. Cheaper models almost always had painted binding along with painted fret markers. . Over the years the Harmony style of making guitars evolved just like the rest of the manufactures. The pre-war guitars, through the 40's, had clubbier necks. Earlier ones were v-ed. Some of the archtops had a bigger paddle like headstock similar to the evolution of Gretch guitars, although even into the early 70's the higher end archtops did sport a larger headstock. Into the 50's the graphics changed as well. Even the color of the logo seemed to change as time went on. When the guitar boom of the 60's happened, the guitars got simpler and more mass-produced. After all, they were making an average of 1000 instruments per day during this period. That's a lot of guitars! The detailing on the headstock on the Patrician went from an ornate red, white and blue to a simpler plain graphic. This H1407 polished mahogany model, with solid spruce top had edges bound in shell celluloid. "Fine tone quality for ensemble or solo playing" boasted a 1962 catalogue.
The number of "f" hole guitars made by Harmony would lend you to believe that there was a great calling for these jazz guitars. The different models, by the late 60's, were as diverse as the kinds of people there were to play them. Their top of the line H1310 cutaway with arched spruce top and "pearlette" block inlays was as good as it got, for the better player. At the cost of $125 in 1970, this guitar was the still a bargain price compared to the Gibsons they tried to rival. If this was out of your budget, for as little as $42.50 you could get an H1215/13 Harmony "Archtone." Still listed as all hardwood construction, these shaded brown mahogany or reddish mahogany were grained to resemble spruce. Even as early as 1962, these budget priced guitars had multilayers of painted binding and fingerboards that were grained to resemble rosewood.
There were several in between models that Harmony
produced. Whether it was the Harmony Master H945 or the Broadway H954, Harmony
had the selection. These guitars were 15 3/4 " X 40 3/4 " in size,
and boasted "offers tone quality, easy playing, at a moderate price."
The Monterey H1325 (16 1/2 " X 41") also had celluloid bound edges
with an elevated ovalled fingerboard. The Monterey also had a "Slim
line" neck with their "TORQUE-LOK" adjustable reinforcing rod.
All these guitars had bone nuts, adjustable bridge and shell or celluloid
pickguards.
Budget priced and fun to play, these archtops
made their way into the attics and under the beds of the American household.
Pushed there by the demand for flat tops during the guitar boom of the late
60's, these Archops faded into the woodwork. The more serious Jazz player was
looking for better quality and the everyday player just wasn't playing this
style of guitar. Most makers of guitars just didn't see the demand for these
guitars. Today, with the rebirth of the jazz guitar and number of guitar makers
making top quality archtops, maybe these Harmony Archtops will come out of the
woodwork. They may never come close to rivaling the quality of the guitars
being made by today's 2nd generation contemporary luthiers like Kim Walker, Tom
Ribbicke, Steve Grimes, and John Monteleone, to name a few. Just as they didn't
try to rival the craftsmanship of the first generation D'Angelico and
D'Aquisto, Harmony served their customers with a more affordable option. Still
available at a fraction of the cost, they are just something fun to play and
affordable to collect.
There is more to come!......................................
UKES
I have had many other type of instruments
made by Harmony. By 1915, the time of the San Franscico exposition when the uke
came into the public eye, they were the largest manufacturers of ukuleles in
America. Through the 60's they continued to have an extensive line of ukuleles.
Their line of 8 models consisted of the No. H685 tenor and No. H695 Baritone
Ukuleles. These instruments evolved to being made with selected striped
mahogany veneers, by the late 60's. The earlier ones were made of seasoned
mahogany, nicely figured. The '62 catalogue lists the Brazilian rosewood
fingerboards as a feature. The smaller soprano ukes consisted of No. 125 ½ as
an excellent beginner's instrument. The No. 119 ½ and the later No. H 98 had
stencil scenes and fingerboards that were "Accurately Molded " out of
polystyrene. The Roy Smeck Uke No. 555 continued in the line, as the better
soprano uke. This also had this plastic fingerboard by the mid 60's. It was the
concert size, and larger, which had a rosewood fingerboard. At $20 list, it was
real Harmony quality. Harmony's wide choice of ukuleles, whether it was "
for fun or educational purpose…gave tangible evidence of their
leadership."
Their baritone ukes and tenor guitars still show up as unplayed cast offs from
the main stream of instruments.
BANJOS
.
Harmony's banjo line consisted of the Roy Smeck Model No.8125 Tenor, "as
a Professional Banjo with powerful ringing tone" The Deluxe 30 bracket No.
28005 came with " modern RESO-TONE construction "which they claimed
to give a snappy brilliant tone. The Standard 16 Bracket, as the others, was
available as a tenor or 5 string. The model No. 8000 Tenor was available for a
$ 45 list price in the early 60's. This was almost half the price of the of the
No. 28125 Roy Smeck 5 string, which was the top of the line banjo with
resonator. The RESO-TONE No. R8005 resonator was available as an option. This
resonator produced an advanced series of instruments with superior tone, so
they claimed, and a powerful banjo "ring and snap."
The long neck "Pete Seeger" banjos I've seen are from the late 60's.
They have had both the "Holiday" label and Harmony label. This
Harmony model H 28132 with a 25 fret, 32 " scale, had a new "Nickled
RESO-TONE Rim. These "plastic" instruments also claimed that this
"non warping" rim produced a superior tone. The prices didn't change
much by the end of the 60's. The No. H28130 Blue Grass Banjo had 22 frets, a
traditional 27 in. scale, and listed for $ 75. The "Glamour of the
traditional Folk banjo" was made affordable for the avid banjo student by
these mass produced instruments.
Harmonys assortment of Mandolins was similar to line of guitars they made. By 1968 it consisted of three basic models. The No. 417 Monteray at $ 59.50 was the top of the line. They also had a No. 410 Monteray at $ 40. The cheaper one of these two "F" hole mandolins was bound only on the top with an ebonized fingerboard, not rosewood. Reflecting the quality of the Monteray archtops, of the time, they were an excellent choice for the student. They offered an "A" style No. 331 Stella Lute Style Mandolin. This had a Flat top and back, with painted binding and reflected the Stella budget line of guitars. They also offered a model No. H35 Harmony Electric Mandolin. "Carefully designed for excellent mandolin tone, and for clean amplification of tone, " boasted the 1968 catalogue. With it's "Gold Tone" DeArmond pickup, it listed for $ 119. With it's pointed cut a way and wavy headstock design, it was the cutting edge for contemporary electric folk instruments. By 1973 they added this design to their acoustic mandolins as a H8025 Harmony Baroque Model Mandolin, "sweeping brilliance of tone and response." The rest of the line remained basically the same with the exception of model number names. They seemed to designate the models as H80** instead of the No. 3**. The name of the models and specs. seems to remain the same. The price went up about a 1/3 in these 5 years.
There is still more to come. Harmony's ability to mass produce instruments made them the number one supplier of student instruments. Their selection of folk instruments was as diverse as all the different instruments they made.
As the space age came about in the early
60's, there was a wide-range of influence on the youth of America. It was the
dream on many a kid to shoot to the stars and explore the outer reaches of the
universe. Back here on earth, there was a music revolution going on and it was
the dream of many to shoot for rock and roll stardom. The instrument makers of
this time were influenced by this parallel dream of the youth of America, when
naming their instruments
My latest direction with Harmony Guitars, comes from the fascination with the
hollow and semi hollow body, thin line guitars from the 60’s. The Harmony
Rockets have always been a guitar that caught my interest. These Rockets, whose
name was influenced by the space race of the 60’s, were fun instruments to
play. The sound that was characterized by the DeArmond pickups they used gave
them a unique sound that is still sought after today. I have acquired several
of these guitars over the past few months and continue to be fascinated by
their details, playability and sound.
The Harmony Guitar Company was very influenced by mans quest to explore the
heavens. They had their Meteors, they had their Stratatone Mars, Mercury and
Jupiters, but one of the more popular guitars was the Harmony Rocket. Whether
it was a Red Rocket or their top of the line H-75, these guitars really rocked.
A cheap alternative to the thin Gibson ES-125s, or the ES-330s, these guitars
gained in popularity as the music revolution took off.
There was a whole assortment of configurations of these guitars. The early 60’s
brought about the single cutaway Rocket with “ultra thin cutaway with golden
tone indox pickups.” They had their one pickup model. This H53, as the other 2
and 3 pickup models had “Harmony’s ultra thin arched tone chamber
construction.” The H54 Rocket II, had two pickups, as the Rocket III, H59 had
three. With a selector switch to permit playing either pickup, these guitars
were very versatile for lead or rhythm players. The catalogues boasted “outstanding
modern design, quality and value.” They all had the hardwood bodies with
celluloid binding.
In the mid 60’s the line remained consistent. Features remained the same, equip
with bezel mounted adjustable gold tone pickups. These DeArmond pickups and
their appointments, tried to appeal to the young market they were targeting. By
1971 the had Golden tone pickups with individual adjusting pole pieces under
each string, " to allow you to balance response." With the addition
of the H56/1 with a “type W,” vibroto tailpiece, Harmony added, “The pleasing
sounds, and effects of vibrato desired by today’s guitarist are had by simply
wavering the arm.” Towards the end of the decade the Harmony Rocket progressed
to compete with the appeal of the double cutaway guitars. These guitars
designated the same models, had similar features. With their richly polished
cherry red lacquer finish, these guitars established themselves in American
guitar history.
One of the more unusual was a Rocket that had
6 on one-side tuners; kind of a cross between the Gibson and Fender guitars
they were trying to emulate. These guitars also had DeArmond pickups and
appointments that tried to appeal to the young market they were targeting. Many
of these guitars were Red, but there were also some sunburst models.
The Rockets were the less expensive alternative in Harmony’s line. The more
expensive H73, for example, sold for $ 175, in 1968. This was almost $50 more
than the similar H56 Rocket VII. This was a fair amount of money at the time,
making the Rockets quite desirable to the young guitarist. No other Harmony
Electric survived in the line like the Rockets did. From their inception in the
early 60's, these guitars evolved and changed to utilize the guitar technology
of the times, up until Harmony gave up guitar production in the early 70's. One
of the more popular hollow body thin line, they are still in demand today. A
vintage American guitar that is still affordable and even today, captures the
dreams of the baby boomer generation while
also appealing to Generation X.
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Harmony
Professional Guitars
Harmony
Hollywood Guitars
Harmony
Stratotone: the other Strat.
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Harmony
Solid Body Electrics
Of the different guitars Harmony made, one of the types that made its way into the American home was the basic solid body electric. What did you do if you wanted to play rock and roll and didn't have an abundance of cash to lay out? Save up for a Fender Stratocaster, after all that was the guitar to own. You could get yourself a Swedish made Hagstrom electric, because that was the poor mans Strat. Or if you were like most of the youth of America and wanted to buy American, you went out and bought yourself a Harmony H-14 electric guitar. These electric guitars had all things the aspiring musician needed. Harmony’s ability to manufacture them for the masses, allowed these guitar players to start out with one.
They were built for rock and roll and you can bet many a garage band rocked with a Harmony Bob Kat. They came upon the music scene and caused an impact that effected many a young player that was starting out. As they out grew these guitars and went on to bigger and better things, these guitars have almost been almost forgotten. Today you can find them, inexpensively, and have piece of American Rock and Roll History.
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Rebel with a Cause
The 1960’s came into full swing by the end of the decade. There was a war going on, and revolution in the air.. Rock and Roll was alive, kids were getting electric guitars so they could be heard and make their statement. What better name for the new innovative ideas that Harmony was coming up with, than the Harmony “Rebel” guitar
This was one of the most unusual hollow body Harmony electric to come out of Harmony’s research and development The H81, H82G (Avocado Green Model) and H82 (Sunburst) all had a type "W" Vibrato Tailpiece, and thin body, 1 3/4 " deep, and most distinctive, a double Florentine (pointed) cutaways. These guitars were boasted to be " Great for playing in a group, or for your own entertainment.” The thin Body allowed for a tone chamber construction that assured a pleasing acoustic resonance to balance the "electronic" Tone. With "Spectacular" tone and volume and the catalog boasted an "Easy, Visual, Stick-shift" controls. These allowed you to adjust the volume and tone with a series of slide switches. The catalogue boasted how you can produce your favorite effects by knowing your setting with a visual reference. These slide controls were 2 each for each of the one or two pickup models, with an on/off switch for each Pickup
These guitars were reminiscent of the Gibson Trini Lopez guitar. They even had a six on a side headstock, adding to the look. These $ 119 list guitars were a guitar were built of laminated maple, with celluloid binding on the top and back edge. The hardwood neck in reinforced with Harmony’s "Tork-lok rod."
This was a period of other double cut a way guitars, for Harmony. By 1971 even the Rockets, that earlier were single cutaway, added a 2nd cutaway. The top of the line H71, H72 and H61 were their Professional grade double cutaway electric guitar, all had a double venation (round) cutaway. By the 70's they all were utilizing two Adjustable Golden Tone Double pickups. The adjustable pole pieces under each string were to balance the response. Adjustable bridge, "Ultra slim" finger boards, and short scales for easy chording made these guitar easy to play. Having gotten away from the triple pickup H75 model of the earlier 60's these double pickup were available with or without a bigsby true vibrato tailpiece, in Sunburst finish. The Red H72 had a 6/side headstock and could optionally be ordered with the vibrato.
The quality of these guitars stood out, compared to previous Harmony guitars. These New Models with new designs and features, and incorporated the latest technology in guitar design, as they approached their final years. The features that Harmony became known for utilizing in their guitars were kept in place, as they added these contemporary features they were striving to compete with the big boys. Their guitars got better but it was getting harder to produce an instrument that could compete with the imports that were begging to flood the market. They were making an instrument to appeal towards the profession player. Although they weren’t able to compete, they kept trying, right up until their final days
Harmony Colorama and Caribbean Guitars
The
year was 1955 and Harmony came out with a new, bright , shiny, original look.
Ahead of their time or 30 years too late,
these Harmony guitars took on a new concept of color. These bright, flower power colors of
the 60’s or the Deco look of the 20’s
merged together to give these Harmonys a unique look. The Harmony “Caribbean” guitars, named after their delicate pastel and
metallic finishes, were given their name because of the colors found in the
fabulous vacation spots of the tropical seas to the south. These bright colors
were set off with metal trim. This made for an unusual looking guitar with lines that resemble the deco
look of the 1920’s. The Flat tops
guitars had six different “Holiday Colorama” color combinations and were as
distinct looking as any guitar I’ve seen.
Colors like Spring Green, Sahara Yellow, Copper, and Tangerine made for
a festive line of guitars.
The “Colorama” style of the Stella “Sundale” guitars also carried this surge of vibrant color to Harmony’s lowest priced flat tops. The graphic design and color seemed to be on the cutting edge of what they coined “a modern trend---the swing into the new concept of mass color.” These Stella Sundale Guitars came in the same standard sizes and were made with hardwoods. Their chrome tailpiece and floating bridge set off the bold graphic patterns and bright colors.
Even the line of archtops from 1955 took on the Holiday Colorama theme. The Monterays came in several different patterns and color schemes. The Model 952 had matching red fret markers to set off the bold red graphics on the top of the guitar. The Catalina Arched Guitar was the predecessor to James D’Aquisto’s Blue guitar that Scott Chinery modeled his Blue Guitars from. With their Pacific Blue and Dawn Blue color combination, they were as blue as guitars get. These auditorium size guitars were dependable, hardwood construction with celluloid pickgaurds. The Harmony Montclair was at the forefront of modern guitar style. Available in both auditorium and grand auditorium sizes, they were finely crafted with ovalled fingerboard, and celluloid bound edges.
Nothing compared in uniqueness than some of the electric archtops from this period. The most unique looking guitar I’ve seen is the Harmony Espanada, with its metal binding. This model H-62 guitar, although similar to the H-64 of the 60’s, was interesting because of its metal binding. This top of the line, quality guitar, was black polished finish, had two pickups, and wide bands of fluted “Harmometal,” binding. This binding was designed to protect the edges on the guitar, but was more reminiscent of the edge found on the Formica countertops and kitchen tables of the 1950’s. “An extraordinary instrument for the advanced player.“ Also produced was the non-cutaway Riviera. Boasting the metal as: “Harmometal,” meant the newest in styling, the most perfect protection, the most all around beauty.”
The 50’s saw a basis for later Harmony guitars. They still had their H-62 and H 60 Electric Spanish cutaway guitars, along with other non-cutaway electrics. Harmony’s new “Uno-tone Guitar,” an acoustic electric Spanish flat top was an new concept in guitar playing. It also was a forerunner to the Acoustic Electric guitars that have become quite popular today. Most interesting were some of the earliest Stratotone guitars. These solid body electrics were the predecessor to what was to come in guitar playing. At this time, Leo Fender was developing a solid body electric guitar that would revolutionize guitar playing.
Harmony still had their line of Ukes and other instruments but these Colorama guitars seemed to be the main core of the line. Ahead of their time, these Harmony guitars are some of the most interesting American made instruments to date. The bold color and unique binding, along with their other innovative manufacturing ideas, made for some real gems from the 1950’s.
I've written about the trend towards the budget instruments. There continues to
be more and more interest in these beginner/cheap guitars. As with the Harmony
guitars of the 1960's there are several other manufacturers that still are an
excellent value today. You have many of the big makers like Harmony and Kay who
were quite prolific in their manufacturing still coming up on the vintage
market. Along with Valco , Supro, Regal, and Premiere you can still find a lot
of interesting guitars.
Many of the guitars that were made as beginner instruments have long been
forgotten. They sat in people's attics, were sold at Yard sales and ended up in
the landfill. As more of today's contemporary collectors are finding out, these
can be fun guitars to own and collect. As the big name makers price themselves
away from the main stream collector, there are loads of fun instruments out
there. Whether you are using them to decorate the music room, or making a real
attempt at playing or learning to play them, there is a huge selection of these
so called Ameritrash instruments.
Some of the more interesting guitars I've encountered in the last few years are
some of these guitars. I have found some of the Regal guitars from as far back
as the 30's to be reasonable and fun. I've found a few with Mother of Toilet
seat fingerboards and interesting stencil designs. As the Harmony Stencil
guitars of the 50-60's become quite collectable so do some of these other
guitars.
There have been a few Electric Archtops made by Premiere, a New York based
manufacturer of the 50's and 60's, that have been quite nice guitars. They lack
the craftsmanship and detail of a more expensive Gibson of Guild, but they can
be quite fun. They have stock electronics, plywood tops, no real binding and
painted inlays, but they still can have a nice amplified sound. Find one in
good condition and you can have an excellent 2nd guitar for alternate tunings
or slide.
Solid body electrics seem to pop up quite frequently. I have had a few Supro
electrics, which were very similar in detail to Fenders. They had nice
electronics and details which included Kluson tuners. Not bad for a guitar that
is affordable and interesting. Along with the inexpensive mail order
instruments that were available through Sears and Montgomery Ward, these
guitars are still affordable and fun.
As I document and research these cheap guitars I am going to find out more and
more about them.
There are lots of them out there, they are still affordable, and you can have
fun collecting them. The interest in these guitars is growing and you might as
well find some while you still can. The next venue might just be the Eurotrash
and Asiatrash that pushed the Ameritrash makers out of the guitar Business.
We keep finding some weird and unusual guitars. They are out there. Many a collector has overlooked Alot of the oddball stuff. I've written about Harmonys, " ash", and the imports, "Asiatrash" but have said little about my assortment of older interesting guitars. One thing I noticed from the guitar show I exhibited at was people took note to older odd guitars.
Some of my unusual stuff consists of older historic guitars. Many an instrument from the early part of this century has been overlooked. People have been involved with buying up the guitars with names like Martin, Gibson, and Fender that they have over looked many of the lesser-Known American guitars. Acoutics by Larson bros, and Archtops by Vega have long been passed over by the collector. Of late these seem to be the guitars many people are looking for. Just as these people have passed the early Guilds and Epiphones, the next wave of older American Guitars appear to be a great value.
As I continue to find interesting guitars I take
notice to the different instruments I've found. The little parlor guitars from
the turn of the century can be fun guitars. I've found an interesting Rosewood
parlor guitar, The Vernon by Bruno. This guitar, solid wood, with a pyramid
bridge was distributed by C.Bruno and sons, (Still in business today) . It was
possibly made by Regal and was a bit better than you average student guitars.
Some of the other Regal made guitars are of a cheaper quality, but some I have,
have perloid finger boards and headstocks, real wall hangers, but still
playable. In the same vain of the older Harmony guitars, these student guitars
were quite abundant for many years and still can be found by looking 
.
Perhaps one of the most unusual guitars I've found is the Paramount Style "L" . Ordered by, William Lange, this guitar was made by the CF Martin Company in 1933. There were 36 of them made, some tenors some six strings. This guitar is unusual in that it has no sound hole, just a row of small holes around a banjo type resonator. Some of these guitars did have a round sound hole, i.e. the one in the Chinery collection and the one in the Roy Acuff Museum, but is questioned whether it was original. Langes creation never hit it off, they never made more than the original 36 of them.
I can go on about many of the other weird stuff that's out there, but I've got to keep this to a minimum, and save it for another issue.
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