Should I?

[iansmitchell]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-1947-Harmony-Broadway-Guitar-Checkered-Binding_W0QQitemZ200288649180QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar?hash=item200288649180&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

 

I want it, but I'm worried:

 

I' scared because:

No truss rod

Would need work to play all the way up the neck

Probably ZERO resale later

 

How much work would it need? is it possible to INSTALL a truss rod?

 

Is this a good price?

 

I can wait if it's run of the mill.

[bug music]

Looks nice, but if the neck needs to be reset, that can be a big job.

 

- Jay

[iansmitchell]

Well, It can play open chords already, which is probably 60% easy of what I play acoustic, it gets off down the neck...

Is it possible to INSTALL a truss rod?

[bug music]

Well' date=' It can play open chords already, which is probably 60% easy of what I play acoustic, it gets off down the neck...

Is it possible to INSTALL a truss rod?[/quote']

 

Not easily, you would have to remove the fingerboard and route a channel down the middle of the neck. I wouldn't worry about that as much as the separation at the heel he talks about in the ad. Remember all those 1930's big dollar collectable Martin acoustics didn't use truss rods either. If you are comfortable doing a neck reset, then adding a truss rod wouldn't be a problem, but that's out of my league. Just my $.02, YMMV.

 

EDIT: Here's some info about old Harmonys and you can see what would be involved :

http://harmony.demont.net/kamikazie.php

 

- Jay

[Ron G]

Ian: This guitar may be old and may be a curiosity and some may call it "vintage". But when I was a

young pup, Harmony guitars were junk. I'd take a bet this one is, too. My very first guitar was a

Harmony. When I got a Gibson ES-330 a year or so later, I knew the Harmony was junk. Just my

two cents.

[Randy1281734003]

Ron is right, my first was a Harmony and about all it was good for was a canoe paddle. I dont think I would want to spend any money trying to upgrade it. Some people like to stroll down memory lane so to speak with a guitar like that, but after they have them they realise why they got rid of them in the first place, just my opinion.

[Dave]

Yep, in the 60's Harmony was the first guitar that parents purchased for their beginning players. They were cheap and you could play open chords. the electric models had cheap pickups that you could sing through and hear youself in the amp!

 

There may have been a better line in Harmony's offererings somewhere, but they ranked somewhere in the same neighborhood as Kay. You'd be better off buying a new one made offshore. Back then if you wanted a good, relatively inexpensive guitar, you bought Epihone. MY first guitar instructor carried both Harmony and Epiphone. Harmony was the low end and Epi was the good stuff in his store.

[Whitmore Willy]

I am old.....it don't make me vintage.

If you are thinking of buying that box....

Say 3 Hail Marys and an Act of "Patrician".....it's going to take a lot of work or else a miracle for that thing

to be anything other than a wall decoration.

[TWANG]

Actually.. some of the old hamonys aren't as bad a the above reports.

I have a silvertone archtop here, made by harmony, that IS a wall decoration.

 

Let's go over this guitar a bit.

That's a higher priced model.. solid spruce top.

the original working tuners.. cute description, means replace them.

 

back crack repair seems well done.

looks like very nice wood, to me.

 

a gap where the neck meets the body.. neck reset is not only a good idea, I'd say you have to.

you can block a neck, once it's out, and that's cheaper than adding a truss rod. and it works.

 

on mine, the neck bows forward. making the action higher as you go up.. from the neck joint up, that is.

That's the way they normally bow having no truss rod.. forward..

 

all that being said.. it could be saved. But it wouldn't be cheap.

with a pickup at the neck, you'd even have a good spanish electric. nice slide stuff.. they're bright and cutting.. meant to be.

 

But I'd look around for something in better shape. There are Harmony websites with dedicated users and collectors..

I'd start searching one of those.

 

Too bad, though. That could be an ok guitar, but I feel it's overpriced for the problems it has.

 

TWANG

[3 Chord Hippie]

Looked at this one myself, I was more concerned about the repaired crack. I think we can both do better for the money.

[Guitar Chico]

If it only needed some minor adjustments I would say "Well, I don't like it but if you do go for it" but it needs some major work with the truss rod issue so I wouldn't do it.

 

GC

[iansmitchell]

Okay. Yeah I hear harmony made some cheapies, but wasn't that 60's? I atleast THINK this is a prewar model...?

[The_Buffalo]

If you want an arch top acoustic, Godin makes one, called the 5th. avenue, which has a truss rod and will come with a guarantee. Cheaper in the long run than trying to make this Harmony playable.

[Fadedepi]

Ian: This guitar may be old and may be a curiosity and some may call it "vintage". But when I was a

young pup' date=' Harmony guitars were junk. I'd take a bet this one is, too. My very first guitar was a

Harmony. When I got a Gibson ES-330 a year or so later, I knew the Harmony was junk. Just my

two cents.[/quote']

 

 

I'd have to agree with Ron. My first electric guitar was a 1963 Harmony H-53 Rocket....JUNK!! (pic)

I've always had a thing for archtop electrics, ever since seeing Harrison with his Gretsch.

 

 

Faded...

[Ron G]

And I almost forgot: talk about baseball bat necks - Harmony's are more like giant freakin redwoods!

That's the primary reason trussrods were incorporated; so that necks could be thinner.

[duane v]

I just purchased a 1950 German made acoustic archtop about a month ago, and it sounds great but ................

 

It's now at my Luthier having the bow in the neck fixed. Basically the bow has caused the fretboard to slightly separated from the neck.

 

Basically the fretboard is being removed and being re-surfaced and re-fitted with new frets.

 

The neck is being fitted with a truss-rod and re-surfaced so the fretboard has a nice level surface when re-attached to the neck.

 

The hidden pick-up in the fretboard is being re-wired and cleaned.

 

So what was an initially great deal, has all been eaten away by the $500 plus repair cost..... .... So this is my Christmas gift to myself.

[Fadedepi]

duane v,

 

Is that the one with the hidden pick-up? If it is, that guitar is awesome, and worth the extra bucks.

 

Faded....

[iansmitchell]

It's pretty messed up... But I like that character...

[duane v]

duane v' date='

 

Is that the one with the hidden pick-up? If it is, that guitar is awesome, and worth the extra bucks.

 

Faded....[/quote']

 

Yes it is.....

[tulsaslim]

Ian: This guitar may be old and may be a curiosity and some may call it "vintage". But when I was a

young pup' date=' Harmony guitars were junk. I'd take a bet this one is, too. My very first guitar was a

Harmony. When I got a Gibson ES-330 a year or so later, I knew the Harmony was junk. Just my

two cents.[/quote']

 

+1, brother. Junk.

[RSDx]

Yep' date=' in the 60's Harmony was the first guitar that parents purchased for their beginning players. They were cheap and you could play open chords. the electric models had cheap pickups that you could sing through and hear youself in the amp!

[/quote'] LOL - reminds me of my first electric ... a Harmony H15 Bobkat, or something .....had the world's ugliest single coils on it......had it for almost 2 decades before it totally crapped out on me and then I accidentally snapped the hs, so I tossed it. I see Harmony has been brought back from the dead and is re-releasing all their "vintage" guitars, including my old original .... might pick one up someday for old times sake...

[layboomo]

Firewood!

[Memphs1978]

here is my 2cents... i say if it something that you like.. and would enjoy having then go for it... i think they are pretty kool looking guitars they might not be worth the wood that they are made from but they would still make a kick *** wall hanger or somthing to put some money into and make it a player so i say go for it..