Jinder Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 Today I was wandering around the town on my own, as my fiancée and her best pal were wedding dress shopping...I happened into a little guitar shop I'd never been in before, and was blown through the wall by three of the greatest guitars I have ever picked up... 1932 Epiphone Zenith Masterbilt archtop:this thing was the size of my L00, but an archtop...it was a very dairy-oriented playing experience, as in it played like butter and sounded like cream...absolutely incredible. Possibly the coolest looking guitar I have ever played, too. 1950s Harmony flattop:this one floored me too-I'm not sure of the model, but it was all-Hog and around J185 size. The thing was barkingly loud, completely mint and just WAS the blues. Utterly mesmerising, I could have sat there playing it forever. Only £375 too...if I wasn't having to finance a wedding in 3 months, I'd be too busy playing it in my living room to be typing this! 1972 Gibson Southern Jumbo:This had seen a LOT of life, and was scarred as hell-huge pickwear on the top and repaired side cracks on the shoulders that made it look like it'd been a weapon in some kind of domestic drama at some point! Added to the fact that it was a contentious Norlin era box, I nearly wrote it off and didn't even pick it up. I'm really glad I did, though...it was unbelievable. I've played some lovely early '60s Birds and SJs, but this smoked the lot-the best sounding Gibson square shoulder I've ever played, by a mile. It sounded rich and mournful, really bewitching and beguiling. Just writing about it is sending a shiver down my spine, and I never thought I'd say that about a Norlin era Gibson...sure, I've played some good-to-excellent Norlins, but this just blew my mind. I wish I wasn't so poor...I would be extremely proud to own all three of these slightly "odd duck" guitars, they had so much personality and so many stories to tell. I just had to share the tale...despite the fact I couldn't make any of them mine, it was a lovely way to spend an hour or two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 Lordy, I am taking my Harmony guitars over to big pond. The price on that mahogany Harmony is insane. Sounds like a what you played was a Harmony H165 - the mahogany version of their spruce top "folk guitar." Those suckers were in production for like 30 years and there are a ton of 'em around. But there ain't nuttin finer than playing hooky for a day and running down to the local purveyor of musical goodies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted June 3, 2010 Author Share Posted June 3, 2010 Zomby, I know nothing about Harmony guitars...is the one I played overpriced? Being a Harmony rookie I thought it was quite reasonable a price for an old, cool and great sounding guitar...I've seen the spruce top version selling for £700+ in London. Are they cheaper in the US? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 Obviously you are in a very different market than I am here out on the prairie. And a Harmony in really good conditon with a straight neck ain't all that easy to find these days. Alot of us started off with Harmony guitars in the 1950s and 1960s and we beat the heck out of those poor things. Some of the Harmony electrics like certain Stratotones are selling here for comparatively big bucks these days but the acoustics get little respect. Probably because Harmony slapped a fairly heavy ladder bracing in their acoustics to try and avoid warranty issues and churned them out in massive numbers. Harmony guitars are strange in that the year they were made does not really enter into it except when you get to the end of the company's days in the early 1970s when they started making their guitars out of cheap laminate rather than decent wood. A 1950s guitar is just not that much more valued than one made in the 1960s. But I would pick a 1950s or early 1960s mahogany Harmony H165 over a Gibson LG-0 any day of the week. Alot more bang for your buck. The ones I have played were well balanced with more sustain and volume than you might expect. What are considered the best of the Harmony acoustics ever made - the Jumbo and Grand Concert Sovereigns - would sell here for the equivalent of something in the 400 - 450 pound range. And you can generally find them for less if ya don't mind springing for a neck reset. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StijnV Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 Hi, The following websites might help you with getting a clear view of the value of those guitars: http://www.vintage-guitars.blogspot.com/ www.gruhn.com www.guitargallery.tv www.bluebookinc.com Kind regards, Stijn Vergeest Gibson Europe Customer Service 00800-4GIBSON1 00800-44427661 www.gibson.com service.europe@gibson.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted June 3, 2010 Author Share Posted June 3, 2010 Thanks Stijn and Zomby! I really appreciate your help! It was indeed an H165. Would that be an all-solid guitar or laminate? All i know is that it sounded heavenly, one of the best blues tones I've ever heard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnt Posted June 4, 2010 Share Posted June 4, 2010 Today I was wandering around the town on my own' date=' as my fiancée and her best pal were wedding dress shopping...I happened into a little guitar shop I'd never been in before, and was blown through the wall by three of the greatest guitars I have ever picked up... 1972 Gibson Southern Jumbo:This had seen a LOT of life, and was scarred as hell-huge pickwear on the top and repaired side cracks on the shoulders that made it look like it'd been a weapon in some kind of domestic drama at some point! Added to the fact that it was a contentious Norlin era box, I nearly wrote it off and didn't even pick it up. I'm really glad I did, though...it was unbelievable. I've played some lovely early '60s Birds and SJs, but this smoked the lot-the best sounding Gibson square shoulder I've ever played, by a mile. It sounded rich and mournful, really bewitching and beguiling. Just writing about it is sending a shiver down my spine, and I never thought I'd say that about a Norlin era Gibson...sure, I've played some good-to-excellent Norlins, but this just blew my mind. I just had to share the tale...despite the fact I couldn't make any of them mine, it was a lovely way to spend an hour or two.[/quote'] Hi Jinder That SJ sounds great what did they want for it? thanks John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnt Posted June 4, 2010 Share Posted June 4, 2010 Today I was wandering around the town on my own' date=' as my fiancée and her best pal were wedding dress shopping...I happened into a little guitar shop I'd never been in before, and was blown through the wall by three of the greatest guitars I have ever picked up... 1972 Gibson Southern Jumbo:This had seen a LOT of life, and was scarred as hell-huge pickwear on the top and repaired side cracks on the shoulders that made it look like it'd been a weapon in some kind of domestic drama at some point! Added to the fact that it was a contentious Norlin era box, I nearly wrote it off and didn't even pick it up. I'm really glad I did, though...it was unbelievable. I've played some lovely early '60s Birds and SJs, but this smoked the lot-the best sounding Gibson square shoulder I've ever played, by a mile. It sounded rich and mournful, really bewitching and beguiling. Just writing about it is sending a shiver down my spine, and I never thought I'd say that about a Norlin era Gibson...sure, I've played some good-to-excellent Norlins, but this just blew my mind. I just had to share the tale...despite the fact I couldn't make any of them mine, it was a lovely way to spend an hour or two.[/quote'] Hi Jinder That SJ sounds great what did they want for it? thanks John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted June 4, 2010 Author Share Posted June 4, 2010 £900...it'd had a hard life but was a great, great guitar. The shop was Treblerock in Bristol. They have a website with the SJ on it at www.treblerock.com if you fancy a peek! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefleppard Posted June 4, 2010 Share Posted June 4, 2010 did the epi look like this? http://www.gbase.com/gear/epiphone-zenith-1938-sunburst Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylor Player Posted June 4, 2010 Share Posted June 4, 2010 One of the best things in the world is finding an old buried treasure in a guitar shop.... .3 in the same day would have me buying a lottery ticket! As for the old Harmony.... I have played many a Harmony and Kay guitar over the years and I have to say that both have a certain blusy charm but Harmonys always played better for me as they had a much nicer feeling neck than their Kay counterparts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted June 4, 2010 Author Share Posted June 4, 2010 Cunk, it was a completely different Zenith to that one-earlier, much smaller (same dimensions as my L00) and no stick pin headstock inlay or pickguard. It's on this page: http://treblerock.com/guitars/acoustic-guitars.html about three guitars down. Really distinctive, Maple back 'n' sides, incredible tone and mojo to the hilt! TP, I agree! I used to own a very aged Kay bass which is all over my first solo record, it looked very cool but sounded dreadful until I ran it through a valve preamp, radically eq'd it and used as dead a set of strings as I could find! It had a very distinctive sound which I have never ben able to replicate in another bass...I gave it away in exchange for a session from a drummer friend of mine, and I kinda wish I'd kept it, as is always the way... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted June 4, 2010 Share Posted June 4, 2010 It was indeed an H165. Would that be an all-solid guitar or laminate? All i know is that it sounded heavenly' date=' one of the best blues tones I've ever heard.[/quote'] Yup, the H165 was made with solid wood. There was also a spruce top version of that guitar as well as another mahogany version made for Fender. If you do jump on the Harmony one thing you have to take care with is the cleaning. Many of the older guitars were finished with shellac so if you clean 'em with the wrong stuff it is swirl city Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.