Seems like they've actually got around to really resurrecting the
vintage Harmony guitars, although they haven't resurrected the top-of-
the line H77s.

http://harmonyguitars.com/ProductHome.asp?pl=vintage

death.ferret69@googlemail.com wrote:

> Seems like they've actually got around to really resurrecting the
> vintage Harmony guitars, although they haven't resurrected the top-of-
> the line H77s.

> http://harmonyguitars.com/ProductHome.asp?pl=vintage

The H77 was simply the (admittedly, better-looking) red sunburst version 
of the better-known H75.

The rebirth of so many "proper" Harmony electric models is welcome news, 
though I agree that the lack of the H75/H77 is puzzling.

However...

The H59 Rocket appears to have been upgraded with the same sort of 
pickups that were fitted to the 75/77 (I wonder whether Fender are 
making these under the correct DeArmond brand-name?).

The version of the Rocket shown at 
<http://harmonyguitars.com/ProductLine.asp?pl=vintage&pid=FDE63714958C1DFECA37C33F82CDB698E47F7EE23CA8A0AB> 
is ungainly (IMHO) compared to the H77 (it always was) but it looks as 
though it should sound similar (assuming a similar quality for pickups).

One other thing: the guitars I've looked at there (the Rocket, the 
Stratotone Jupiter) appear to have glued-in necks. The originals were 
all bolt-on.

death.ferret69@googlemail.com wrote:
> Seems like they've actually got around to really resurrecting the
> vintage Harmony guitars, although they haven't resurrected the top-of-
> the line H77s.
> 
> http://harmonyguitars.com/ProductHome.asp?pl=vintage

Let me just add that over the last year or so, I've seen several Far 
East guitars that mimicked the H75 - to a certain extent.

wrote in message 
news:b38c6403-3c9c-4735-a10e-b2185b585b38@l64g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
> Seems like they've actually got around to really resurrecting the
> vintage Harmony guitars, although they haven't resurrected the top-of-
> the line H77s.
>
> http://harmonyguitars.com/ProductHome.asp?pl=vintage

Looks like another "Danelectro job", with someone purchasing the name and 
goodwill and then manufacturing copies (possibly in China?).

Copied from website:

"From 1961 through 1969 Harmony continued to grow expanding to a plant of 
132,000 square feet of manufacturing and warehouse space, and 600 employees. 
Then as imported instruments began taking a larger share of the American 
market, the company was purchased by a conglomerate along with some other 
companies. There was heavy indebtedness, and the factory equipment and other 
assets were sold at auction to satisfy the creditors and they finally 
liquidated. Today Harmony is owned by Charlie Subecz, His a strong 
background in the music instrument business and continues to maintain the 
Harmony quality of old. With manufacturing control of the specifications and 
quality, the Harmony line continues to be a large player in the music 
industry retail sales. Along with new and creative guitars the instrument 
line also includes wind, and percussion instruments and accessories. The 
offering may have changed but the quality of these instruments is still a 
protected tradition at Harmony"

George

On Jun 13, 2:22 pm, JNugent  wrote:
> death.ferre...@googlemail.com wrote:
> > Seems like they've actually got around to really resurrecting the
> > vintage Harmony guitars, although they haven't resurrected the top-of-
> > the line H77s.
> >http://harmonyguitars.com/ProductHome.asp?pl=vintage
>
> The H77 was simply the (admittedly, better-looking) red sunburst version
> of the better-known H75.
>
> The rebirth of so many "proper" Harmony electric models is welcome news,
> though I agree that the lack of the H75/H77 is puzzling.
>
> However...
>
> The H59 Rocket appears to have been upgraded with the same sort of
> pickups that were fitted to the 75/77 (I wonder whether Fender are
> making these under the correct DeArmond brand-name?).
>
> The version of the Rocket shown at
> <http://harmonyguitars.com/ProductLine.asp?pl=vintage&pid=FDE63714958C...>
> is ungainly (IMHO) compared to the H77 (it always was) but it looks as
> though it should sound similar (assuming a similar quality for pickups).
>
> One other thing: the guitars I've looked at there (the Rocket, the
> Stratotone Jupiter) appear to have glued-in necks. The originals were
> all bolt-on.

That puzzled me too.  My Meteor definitely has a bolt-on neck,
although it's now minus the credit card that was being used to shim
it(!)

I presumed that it was a general reaction to the type of market that
they were aiming for, as Fender repeatedly tried to crack the
semiacoustic market using bolt-on necks without success.

I wonder if the new ones are semi-acoustic, or proper hollowbodies
like the originals?

On Jun 13, 3:01 pm, "George Weston" 
wrote:
>  wrote in message
>
> news:b38c6403-3c9c-4735-a10e-b2185b585b38@l64g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
>
> > Seems like they've actually got around to really resurrecting the
> > vintage Harmony guitars, although they haven't resurrected the top-of-
> > the line H77s.
>
> >http://harmonyguitars.com/ProductHome.asp?pl=vintage
>
> Looks like another "Danelectro job", with someone purchasing the name and
> goodwill and then manufacturing copies (possibly in China?).
>
> Copied from website:
>
> "From 1961 through 1969 Harmony continued to grow expanding to a plant of
> 132,000 square feet of manufacturing and warehouse space, and 600 employees.
> Then as imported instruments began taking a larger share of the American
> market, the company was purchased by a conglomerate along with some other
> companies. There was heavy indebtedness, and the factory equipment and other
> assets were sold at auction to satisfy the creditors and they finally
> liquidated. Today Harmony is owned by Charlie Subecz, His a strong
> background in the music instrument business and continues to maintain the
> Harmony quality of old. With manufacturing control of the specifications and
> quality, the Harmony line continues to be a large player in the music
> industry retail sales. Along with new and creative guitars the instrument
> line also includes wind, and percussion instruments and accessories. The
> offering may have changed but the quality of these instruments is still a
> protected tradition at Harmony"
>
> George

Well, the name's been used on various cheap copies throughout the 80s
and the 90s, so it wouldn't surprise me.

On 13 Jun, 14:53, death.ferre...@googlemail.com wrote:
> On Jun 13, 3:01 pm, "George Weston" 
> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> >  wrote in message
>
> >news:b38c6403-3c9c-4735-a10e-b2185b585b38@l64g2000hse.googlegroups.com...> > > Seems like they've actually got around to really resurrecting the
> > > vintage Harmony guitars, although they haven't resurrected the top-of-> > > the line H77s.
>
> > >http://harmonyguitars.com/ProductHome.asp?pl=vintage
>
> > Looks like another "Danelectro job", with someone purchasing the name and
> > goodwill and then manufacturing copies (possibly in China?).
>
> > Copied from website:
>
> > "From 1961 through 1969 Harmony continued to grow expanding to a plant of
> > 132,000 square feet of manufacturing and warehouse space, and 600 employees.
> > Then as imported instruments began taking a larger share of the American> > market, the company was purchased by a conglomerate along with some other
> > companies. There was heavy indebtedness, and the factory equipment and other
> > assets were sold at auction to satisfy the creditors and they finally
> > liquidated. Today Harmony is owned by Charlie Subecz, His a strong
> > background in the music instrument business and continues to maintain the
> > Harmony quality of old. With manufacturing control of the specifications and
> > quality, the Harmony line continues to be a large player in the music
> > industry retail sales. Along with new and creative guitars the instrument
> > line also includes wind, and percussion instruments and accessories. The> > offering may have changed but the quality of these instruments is still a
> > protected tradition at Harmony"
>
> > George
>
> Well, the name's been used on various cheap copies throughout the 80s
> and the 90s, so it wouldn't surprise me.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Seeing the H49 Stratatone model brought back lots of memories.  While
slightly bevvied and on a BT course in Harrogate in November 1968 I
bought one off one of the lads in my digs.  I paid £17 10s for it.  It
was my only guitar except for my Framus Hawk 12 string for many
years.  It was very frustrating as I couldn't afford an amp for many
years after I got married.  It looked virtually identical to the new
model.  When I took it into Rushworth and Drapers in Liverpool in the
80's for a partial re-fret the repair lad in there got quite excited
as he reckoned that it was an original made in Chicago with a nice
hand-painted body.  I wouldn't know if any of this was true.  I
possibly made a mistake by taking £15 from a mate to help him get him
started on electrics.

alan.darlington@marconi.com wrote:
> On 13 Jun, 14:53, death.ferre...@googlemail.com wrote:
>> On Jun 13, 3:01 pm, "George Weston" 
>> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>  wrote in message
>>> news:b38c6403-3c9c-4735-a10e-b2185b585b38@l64g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
>>>> Seems like they've actually got around to really resurrecting the
>>>> vintage Harmony guitars, although they haven't resurrected the top-of-
>>>> the line H77s.
>>>> http://harmonyguitars.com/ProductHome.asp?pl=vintage
>>> Looks like another "Danelectro job", with someone purchasing the name and
>>> goodwill and then manufacturing copies (possibly in China?).
>>> Copied from website:
>>> "From 1961 through 1969 Harmony continued to grow expanding to a plant of
>>> 132,000 square feet of manufacturing and warehouse space, and 600 employees.
>>> Then as imported instruments began taking a larger share of the American
>>> market, the company was purchased by a conglomerate along with some other
>>> companies. There was heavy indebtedness, and the factory equipment and other
>>> assets were sold at auction to satisfy the creditors and they finally
>>> liquidated. Today Harmony is owned by Charlie Subecz, His a strong
>>> background in the music instrument business and continues to maintain the
>>> Harmony quality of old. With manufacturing control of the specifications and
>>> quality, the Harmony line continues to be a large player in the music
>>> industry retail sales. Along with new and creative guitars the instrument
>>> line also includes wind, and percussion instruments and accessories. The
>>> offering may have changed but the quality of these instruments is still a
>>> protected tradition at Harmony"
>>> George
>> Well, the name's been used on various cheap copies throughout the 80s
>> and the 90s, so it wouldn't surprise me.

> Seeing the H49 Stratatone model brought back lots of memories.  While
> slightly bevvied and on a BT course in Harrogate in November 1968 I
> bought one off one of the lads in my digs.  I paid £17 10s for it.  It
> was my only guitar except for my Framus Hawk 12 string for many
> years.  It was very frustrating as I couldn't afford an amp for many
> years after I got married.  It looked virtually identical to the new
> model.  When I took it into Rushworth and Drapers in Liverpool in the
> 80's for a partial re-fret the repair lad in there got quite excited
> as he reckoned that it was an original made in Chicago with a nice
> hand-painted body.  I wouldn't know if any of this was true.  I
> possibly made a mistake by taking £15 from a mate to help him get him
> started on electrics.

It *is* true that all original Harmony guitars (including the Stratotone 
models) were made in Chicago. Only the inferior copy-type guitars 
("Strats", "Les Pauls", etc) were made in the Far East after Harmony had 
gone bust and the name had been sold.

As for the rest of it... I'll take your word for it.

How old was Rushworth's "repair lad"? If he was about 45 - 50 in the 
80s, it might have been my old mate Garth (Rushworth's repair man for 
years).

The H49 Stratotone "Jupiter" (the "Spencer Davis Model") was a super 
guitar. I once just missed out on one for £35 in Hessy's (1966). It had 
been fitted with a Grimshaw tremolo tailpiece. I still regret being five 
minutes too late - someone else bought it.

PS: It was "Rushworths and Dreapers" (I can't remember whether they - 
correctly - used the possessive apostrophes).