From the early days of electronics through the baby-boomers and to Generation X , No other musical Instrument seems to have mirrored the time like the Harmony Electric Guitar. Here is a short guide through the last 50 years of an American Electric Guitar
The Harmony Hollywood Electric Model Guitar
At the start of the 50’s as the use of electronics, pickup and amplifiers were perfected and the electric Spanish guitars (H-62 & H-60 Models) were very popular among musicians.Harmony developed the Hollywood H-50 Archtop to compete with the version of Gibson’s ES-125. This was a non cutaway, single pickup,with a Tone Emphasizer and was A Grand Auditorium model with separate tone and volume controls. The H-205 or H-191 Tube amps were available as an option with the guitar.
By the mid 50’s Harmony came out with the Riviera a blue two tone with a single pickup and 8 ft chord. For advanced player was the Coram, a super auditorium size guitar single coil chrome pickup with an adjustable bridge and listed for $49.00. By the early 60’s Harmony would offer the Hollywood guitars with the new DeArmond pickup with the mounted tone and volume controls.
These DeArmond single and double pickups, known for dependability and precision and were used in the Hollywood models from the 50’s. The Harmony Hollywood was the only Electric Spanish arch top to survive this time period. These guitars gave way to the thinner electric arch tops and the popularity of the flat tops. The Rocket, Meteor and higher end guitars slowly replaced them.
Harmony's answer to Fender Stratocaster
One of the early Harmony solid body guitars was the Stratatone (1954) guitar that was modeled after the Fender Stratocaster. It was lightweight designed with a single cutaway to access the higher frets and listed for $64.50. By the early 60’s they expanded their line of Stratatones with new and unique features. They were also offered as Silvertones and sold through Sears and Roebuck catalogue. They disappeared in the mid 60’s with the coming of the Harmony Bobkat.
Harmony Rocket Guitars-Rock & Roll To The Stars
As the space age came about in the early 60’s, it had a wide influence on the youth of America. Mix that with Rock and Roll and America had the Rocket. The Rocket was unique looking and sounding with the DeArmond pickups that still are searched out by today’s musician The Rocket camein the hollow and semi-hollow bodies. It was one of the more popular of all Harmony’s guitars and a cheap alternative to the Gibson ES-125’s and ES 130’s.
The Rocket 11 and 111 had 2 & 3 pickups along with the “type W “ tailpiece and the richly colored cherry red lacquer finish and although, Harmony tried to emulate Gibson and Fender in some models, held there own as a popular guitar for baby-boomers($125.00 in 1968) along collectors and players from the Generation X. The sound is so unique the market for it is as big as it was in the early 60's.
Here is a Guitar list of Solid, Hollow and Semi-hollow Harmony Electric guitars from the Database. The Database is on going and does not have the exact dates and models. Model numbers still pop up now and again because of the amount of guitars that were manufactured. For this reason, collecting them is so popular.
Rocket -(1959-72) H-53 H-54 H-54 1 H-56 H-56 1 H-59 H-59 1 H-654 H-656
Silvertone 1439 Airline 7952 Airline 7282 Alden 9968 Holiday AL 9289 Holiday AL 9407
(1952-1965) H42-H44-H45-H47-H49-H48-H88
Stratatone-
And the Silvertone H42 #1326 #1327 #1420 #1421 #1423 # 7208 #7215 #R265 and
The Stratatone Mars
- H19(Solid body)- #1478 #1478 1 #1478 2 #1488 #1488 1 Alden #9213 Holiday AL# 9213
Silhouette
t (1963-72) H14 H15 H15V H16B H16R H16W H17 H616 H617 H618
Bobka
And the Silvertones #1476 # 1477 #1477 2 #1477 3 Airline 7250 Holiday AL 9275
H14 Barclay H15 Heath or Heathkit TG26
Barclay
(1955-64)
Espanada
(1947-59) H51 H52 H56(Roy Smeck) H57 H58 H60 H62 H63 H65
Spanish Guitar
#8358 #8380 #8410 #8884 #1317 #1320 #1322 #1348 #1350 #1352 #H41(Spanish)
Silvertone #1350 #1352 #1373 #1384 #1385 #1427 #9017
Rebel (1968-71) #H682 #683 #684 H82 H81 H82G Silvertone #1453 the Holiday
(1958-72) H60 H61 H70
Meteor
(1952-67) H37 H38 H39 H41
Hollywood
H 75 H76 H77 H78 Airline #7230 #7280 Heath TG46 Holiday AL 295 Regal R273 Silvertone #1429 #1454 #1485 True tone #7230
Thin Line
(1954-72) H1 H2 H3 H4 H20 H5 H6 H20 H601 H607 H7 Holiday AL 9222 Roy Smeck #8352
Lap Steel Guitar
H79 (hollow body)
12 String Electric
Other Brand Names
Roy Smeck models were sold under Harmony. Smeck was a remarkable performer with over 500 recordings to his credit. He was a master at fretted instruments and was known world wide. He also played a guitar behind his back long before Jimmi Hendrix did.
The Harmony Silvertone Electric guitar was a Sears’s brand name some of the brand was built by Harmony. Airline, Regal, Holiday and Heath were some other brands.
There are numerous brand names all made in America by Harmony. In 1975 there was Harmony guitars built in Asia and imported back to the states. The guitars will have “est. 1892” stamped by the Harmony logo. The American guitars will not. To this day Harmony electric guitars are being sold as low end Beginner student guitars by JCPenney.
From the early days of electronics through the baby-boomers and to Generation X, No other musical Instrument has mirrored time like the Harmony Electric Guitar. There are still countless numbers of Harmony Electric model guitars and Amplifiers still around.Cool classics with the great appointments like the DeArmond pickups and the retro looks. Pure Americana. Vintage Harmony Eectric guitars being Bought and Sold on Ebay as vintage collector guitars alongside the Martin and Gibson classic guitars.
The Harmony Database
The Silvertone World - http://www.silvertoneworld.net/default.html
Harmony USA
Jim Galloway - Professional Musician/Published Songwriter for 30 yrs. With over 200 Articles in Recording/Music Buisness/ Resources/Vintage Instruments
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