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vintage harmony rocket
Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 8:55 pm
by robert(original)
so.....
this is a friends guitar, we are trying to figure out what modle it is and have come up empty handed.
i think its a rocket, but its not as.....japanese looking as most rockets i have seen.
anyone got any ideas?
Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 9:27 pm
by Will
Might be one of the USA Harmonys that was made in Chicago - is it Harmony branded? I've seen Kay Switchmasters with that same topology. The knobs are 50s Harmony "Dakaware" knobs, though Kays were mad in the same factory. Is that a spruce top?
Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 9:37 pm
by robert(original)
it is branded as a harmony, and its actually inlaid on the headstock.
the top appears to be solid spruce, but becuz the f-holes are covered in dust and finish drips its rather hard to see the if the grain follows thru, but im pretty sure its solid.
Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 9:42 pm
by Justin J
i got some knobs exactly like those from an old radio.
Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 10:28 pm
by Will
Those knobs were used on a lot of the stuff made for Sears, including Silvertone radios
Someone had a link to scans of old Sears catalogs somewhere, I think it was Westtexasred
Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 10:59 pm
by jcyphe
It has those Gibson made P-13 pickups that came in alot of Harmony and Silvertones, nice.
Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 12:03 am
by dodgedartdave
A while back, i posted a Harmony website with tons of info. I though it was in resources. I can't find it now. Maybe someone else will remember where it is.
Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 12:49 am
by DGNR8
how does it sondz?
Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 1:02 am
by Mages
yea, that looks older than a harmony rocket. I saw some of those pickups on ebay the other day going for a shitload. here's the website I think dave is talking about
http://harmony.demont.net/
Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 1:07 am
by robert(original)
i didn't get to play it actually.
im pretty sure its a rocket, just an older/later one,
i looked through about a million and a half pics of rockets and altho i did not see one that was identical, i still saw the same parts, inlays, pickups, knobs and everything on the others.
Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 1:16 am
by Mages
it looks like an
H62. the comments on that page are great:
# Carl Croce - 2008-03-04
In 1957, when I was 4, as a birthday present for my father, my mother ordered a non-cutaway acoustic archtop from Montgomery Ward and paid for it up front. About a month later, accompanied by a letter of apology that the model she ordered was out of stock, and hoping she would accept an upgrade instead, the Harmony H62 arrived. I couldn't quite reach around the body 3 years later when I started guitar lessons, but I could and did play it - carefully - by the time I turned 9. I have been playing it ever since. The H62 can ring Wes Montgomery octaves, growl Brian Setzer leads and purr Joe Pass chord melodies. I will always play this guitar.
# Charlton - 2008-03-21
I absolutly love my H62 (1959 model). I bought my blonde beauty at a pawn shop. This model is so great the neck is just the right size, the action is just about perfect. I own other guitars but I guess you already know this my go to axe.
# anonymous - 2008-04-09
Had the opportunity to restore an H62 with the intention of selling it for a sweet profit. But once I had her set up and playing, there was no way I'd sell this guitar. You'll have to pry her from my cold dead hands.
# nuttysadguy - 2008-05-16
I've been playing one of these for the last 15 years. I've recorded several CDs with it. One of the most versatile guitars ever. Awesome clean sound through a twin reverb. The neck is chunky - good for big hands. The pickups are my favorite ever. I think they are the same as Gibson was using at the time (1954?). If you can find one buy! You won't be sorry.
Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 11:50 am
by Bacchus
jcyphe wrote:It has those Gibson made P-13 pickups that came in alot of Harmony and Silvertones, nice.
Shocking.
I was waiting for you to show up with the model name, the year/factory of production, and an anecdote about some obscure artist who uses this guitar.
CHINK FOUND IN JCYPHE'S ARMOUR/JCYphE NOT INFALLIBLE ect.
Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 10:20 pm
by jcyphe
BacchusPaul wrote:jcyphe wrote:It has those Gibson made P-13 pickups that came in alot of Harmony and Silvertones, nice.
Shocking.
I was waiting for you to show up with the model name, the year/factory of production, and an anecdote about some obscure artist who uses this guitar.
CHINK FOUND IN JCYPHE'S ARMOUR/JCYphE NOT INFALLIBLE ect.
No, i just don't care. The best thing about that guitar is the pickups and I just told you what they were. It's obvious it was harmony, those guitars are so abundant, there is nothing rare about them really.
Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 4:49 pm
by Bacchus
No anecdotes?
Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 4:54 pm
by luke
What's that black shit around the pickups?
Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 4:57 pm
by Bacchus
Malik wrote:What's that black shit around the pickups?
It's yer ma.
Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 4:59 pm
by luke
BacchusPaul wrote:Malik wrote:What's that black shit around the pickups?
It's yer ma.
I feel dirty, but it had to be done.
Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 6:33 pm
by Bacchus
Malik wrote:BacchusPaul wrote:Malik wrote:What's that black shit around the pickups?
It's yer ma.
I feel dirty, but it had to be done.
And so's yer ma. On both counts.
Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 7:46 pm
by robert(original)
OH SHIT PAUL!
that was hilarious!
Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 9:37 pm
by ElCapitan
malik walked right into that.