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Old 06-08-2014, 06:54 PM
Cottonwood King Cottonwood King is offline
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Default Advice on an old Harmony

So, I've done loads of research on old Harmony guitars, and I'm a huge fan of all hog guitars. I know that at the end of the day, they aren't going to be worth a ton, but some folks swear by their sound.

I found this h165 that was completely rebuilt on eBay, and wanted your folks' advice: http://www.ebay.com/itm/301204071509...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

The list of this Luthier's work on the guitar is extensive:

- reset neck
- reinforcement bar reinstalled
- fretboard cleaned up
- re fretted
- new bridge
- refinished with several coats of nitro
- reprofiled neck (into a C neck)
- bone nut and saddle

I don't want to pay his asking price, but feel like this is almost a completely different guitar. I asked my luthier here in town and he said for the work done on it, it wasn't a bad deal.

My big question: anyone have experience with the wood on these? If it's a completely restored all hog guitar with nicely aged wood... could be a nice little guitar!
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  #2  
Old 06-08-2014, 07:16 PM
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sweiss sweiss is offline
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I don't think the asking price is so very out of line for what's been done to it....assuming it's all true.

It's not original, but it may very well be better than the day it left the factory.

He does have 100% positive feedback, so I'd certainly take that into consideration.

Your call, but it looks to me like a fair deal.
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Old 06-08-2014, 07:26 PM
Judson Judson is offline
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The only real concern I'd have would be the neck angle ... the seller mentions all sorts of work that was done, and he says that the neck was re-set in the process. Make sure that's tre. A Harmony of that vintage (with presumably dove tail neck joint and ladder bracing) is almost certainly going to need a neck re-set, and that's going to set you back a couple of hundred at least, so my advice would be to find out if within all that refinishing and sprucing up, the neck angle was honestly addressed.

I have a 1968 Silvertone Sovereign 1220 Jumbo (made for Sears by Harmony) that I have done all the things your seller says plus re-setting the neck. I have maybe $450 in it total, but it was a guitar I've owned since it was new, so I have no purchase price to add into the equation.

Bottom line ... after spending the money, I have a guitar that looks good, plays good and sounds good, but no better than any number of new guitars I could have bought for the same price. I did it mainly for nostalgia of restoring my first real acoustic. I don't think I would want it to be my main guitar. So how badly do you want to own an older restored lower-end acoustic? If the idea is giving you serious GAS then $400 or so is not a tremendous risk ... go for it!
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Last edited by Judson; 06-08-2014 at 07:33 PM.
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Old 06-08-2014, 07:51 PM
bohemian bohemian is offline
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Forgive my ignorance...
Why would someone install a steel reinforcement bar when they come stock with one?

I own the same guitar a 1959 in a 9.5 original condition.
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