Monday, July 11, 2011

Harmony Vintage Guitars - Some Noteworthy Models

By Alan Brenner


Harmony Guitar Company, founded by Wilhalm Schultz in 1892, was purchased by Sears in 1916 and by 1928 was the largest producer in the US. Harmony reached its peak in 1965 but as competition from low-end competitors increased they reduced production and focused on student guitars that were sold through JCPenny. The name Harmony was finally sold in 1975 marking the end of Harmony vintage guitars.

The name is now used by "The Original Hamony Guitar Company, Inc" based in Palatine, IL. Though there are plenty of vintage guitars like a vintage Guild guitar, below are some of the Harmony guitars you may come across while looking for a good vintage guitar.

H44 Stratotone, sold from 1953 to 1957 for around $75, is a Spanish electric guitar belonging to the Stratone solid body family. The H44 has a thin-body finished in copper-bronze coating and had a slide switch to switch between bass and treble emphasis.

H49 Startotone Jupiter, sold from 1958 to 1965 for around $150, is an electric hollow body guitar. The Jupiter offered a 3-way switch, volume control, tone control, and blender control for its double pickups. The design was a natural spruce top, ultra-slim neck, rosewood fingerboard, celluloid edges, and 7 inlaid positions.

H50 Jazzbox, sold from 1947 to 1951 for around $95, is a Spanish electric guitar. This archtop guitar had a solid spruce top and maple body. A unique feature was the Kluson tuners.

H54 Rocket 2, a piece of hollow body electric guitar, was sold from the year 1959 to the year 1967 at an average price of $120. It has the feature of single cutaway, moreover underwent quite a few changes over the passage of time. Initially tendered in sunburst finish but was modified to red color in 1963. However, the Golden Tone pickups were remodeled in 1966.

H54-1 Rocket 2, sold from 1968 to 1971 for around $140, this is the double cutaway version of the H54.

H58 Jazzbox, sold from 1958 to 1962 for around $130, was one of the Roy Smeck Models. Endorsed by Roy Smeck (1900 - 1994) the H58 was an auditorium size archtop electric guitar with a natural and black body.

H59 Rocket 3, was a vacant body electric guitar sold at an average price of $150 in the year from 1960 to 1967. Just like the Rocket 2, Rocket 3 was a solo cutaway and a sunburst finish which was then modified into red color in 1963. The only upgraded feature was that it had a variant of 3 pickups instead of 2 asit was the case with Rocket 2.

H59-1 Rocket 3, sold in 1968 for around $150, this is double cutaway version of the H59. Also has the 3 pickups.

Not only does the Harmony Guitar Company produced more than 10s of millions of guitars but it had also given well over 100 models, and well over 50 brand names are associated with this guitar under whose title the company had launched them throughout its lifetime. However, this article constitutes only a few of the models which I like.

There are a lot of guitars to select from and a great number of reasons to choose any given model. So when you are ready to find a vintage guitar just do a quick search for Ibanez guitars for sale or whichever brand you prefer and good luck.




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