This is superb, thanks for all you do Scott, we love you here in Athens, you’re a treasure and thank you for improving every instrument I’ve brought to you. Also, thanks to staff member Joel for a fine job refretting that Stratocaster!
Thanks so much. It is a bittersweet moment that we have moved away from athens and are now setting up shop in Sante Fe New Mexico. We can still do your work but you will have to send the guitar to us there. Thanks so much for your business!
So great to see this, I remember my dad bringing home a Harmony in the late 60's. They were obviously a budget guitar but all the elements were there, nice to see them being rebuilt and having a new life and sounding better than ever!
Love to see new life being given to these old catalog guitars. I reattached the neck to an old Kay archtop that had been in its case in a closet for a generation; it was an emotional moment when I first strung it up and considered how long it had been since it made music. Old guys have a song or two in them, yeah? Keep up the good work.
You're the best old friend. Glad to see you're still building guitars. You forgot more than most will ever know about guitars. Just thinking about the worlds biggest guitars you made for the Hard Rock Cafe in Dallas and the mechanical reverb plate you built me in your dad's factory. You're a genius man! Love your guitar playing and nice studio!
That’s great! Thanks so much. I was in Garland seeing my mom recently and I drove by the spot where your studio was when we built that plate reverb. I always wondered What ever happened to it and to you? I always thought about building a new one? Hit me up at baxendaleguitar@att.net.
I recall visiting your factory in the 1980s and you had The Hard Rock Cafe Les Paul and Strat bar tops and you saying “If I could only find the proper strings, these would play in tune!”
You are an amazing artist. Thank you for bringing many of those the most wonderful vibrant playable musical instruments into the world. My Mossman dreadnaught has amazing sustain and projection and beautiful tone. Built by you in 1986. Wish I would have taken you up on offer to learn how to creat inlays for guitars. Your a master.
Must have been ‘63 and obsessed with Dylan. I was 13 and my mom taught me a Harmony. How I wish I still had! I had no idea what I had. Years later a friend gave me a J50. I still didn't know. Today at 72 yo. I am so fortunate to have a Martin om28 and a couple of Seagulls. Still obsessed. That one you restored sounds incredible. Tops audio there too
Sound really Good👍 The necks on most of those Harmony and Kay’s are not optimum, but they’re playable. I have run across a few Harmony flat tops with pretty nice necks. The best candidates for conversion are the Kalamazoo’s/Cromwells and other Gibson off brand made in Kalamazoo like The LG-1 and L-GO but those vintage models now are pretty expensive. Some old 1920s /30s Regals and Oahu’s are decent candidates along with some teens and 20s parlor Guitars from Lyon Healy and other makers that were ladder braced.
The Harmony necks are fine. We have rebuilt Kalamazoos, Oahu, Regal, Bruno, etc. the Harmony neck are just as good as those. They are almost all 25” scale with a 1.750” nut. I actually prefer the deep v necks with no trussrod or the early steel reinforced necks.
@@scottbaxendale323 👍great work your doing saving those old Guitars. They have a cool vibe. Those old enough to remember growing up around those makes it even more special. Best! Dennis
I've got a late 50s block-logo Sov 1203 I picked up recently and I've been teeter tottering on doing the bracing conversion. I think I'm just going to bite the bullet. I love ladder bracing but.... its just so tempting to have this done and it needs a neck reset already anyways.
Brandon Nelson McCoy Are you going to send it to us? I just posted a clip of one on #baxendaleconversions on Instagram to hear the difference. Everything you love about how that sounds as a ladder braced guitar will only be enhanced tenfold with our proprietary tuned bracing.
@@scottbaxendale323 Thanks! But this one is a keeper. Even with 1/2" high action past the 12th, it sounds killer. It had supposedly had a neck reset but I knew at the price I was paying for it, that either wasn't true OR it wasn't a good reset.
I love my H1203 Baxendale conversion. You need to let him do the conversion. It quickly became my favorite over a 1993 Gibson J-30 I have had since new and my a Martin 000-28. I love those other ones too, but the conversion has a mojo that can't be described. I think I am going to have him do a 12 string for me too.
You can always send it to us to be remanufactured into a new world class acoustic guitar. We just relocated the shop to Sante Fe NM. Email me at baxendaleguitar@att.net to get started.
Liked. Nicely done. If I was assured to get a unit that sounds at least this brautiful, I would be all over it. The problem is that there are no guarantees and I assume that this is one if the best examples.....
@@scottbaxendale323 Every 1260 I have simply set back up to play is an amazing guitar! With the voicing and bracing upgraded like you do, they simply have to sound amazing! (I call them boomers with the ladder bracing) Like you say, simply amazing wood on a budget. Thanks for your dedication to the craft.
That should be a great candidate for our conversion process! We moved our shop to Sante Fe NM and you can send it to us there. Email: baxendaleguitar@att.net
Remember when you performed emergency CPR on my Harmony for me? My wife bought it off of Pete S from the PS on our third date back in 2002 where it had been on the wall since who knows when. It’s in need of the full treatment, Scott:) I’d love to talk to you about what it would take to get to it talk like it wants to.
@@cugir321 they range in price from $850-3000 depending on model, age, woods, etc. The H1260 Sovereign sells for $2300 with a new case and new guitar warranty. See our inventory at www.staygoldguitars.com/baxendaleconversions
OK.....much respect for your talent, but turning one of these old gems into a Martin clone, is really disappointing. Am on my 4th Sovereign 1260 rebuild & to me they sound amazing, as is....ask Jimmy....ask Pete ! Yes, the necks need a reset & yes the tops are bellied but the tone sings....beautiful bell like notes, even up the neck...subdued bass (my preference to hear the high melody) Most, if not all tops will remain stable & have had no tuning issues or problems on my less invasive fixes. To my mind, Martins are fine in there place...Bluegrass and country strumming. Too nasal & steely for finger picking & acoustic rock lMHO. If you want a guitar to sound like a Martin...buy one....or a Japanese wannabee (YAMAKI, Daion, etc). Leave the ladder bracing alone....thanks for listening
They made many many thousands of those. I’ve rebuilt around 2500 and there will always be plenty of them around with ladder bracing for the purists. However, they sound significantly better after I put my bracing in them. Not all X bracing is the same, not by a long shot. The 40’s era H1203’s sound as good or better than 30’s OM-18’s for a tiny fraction of the money. It’s a no brainer. What we do is also the greenest tech in a “new” remanufactured instrument that is in the market. New factory acoustic guitars built in mass quantities are taxing the environment, rebuilt guitars do not.
@@scottbaxendale323 Fair comments....l still prefer Sovereign tone for what l play.....and your comment that tone is vastly improved, is subjective....and a little self serving. There is a clip on here somewhere that compares an original to an X - braced...it may not be your work but you may have seen it. Proof in the pudding IMHO. I bow to your experience but agree to disagree with your thesis...
@@chrisburnett3554 Like I said, what I’m doing is a drop in the bucket in relation to the number of guitars out there. Of course I’m self serving, why wouldn’t I be since this is how I make my living? Jeff Tweedy loved his and Robert Plant couldn’t put Luther Dickinson’s H1260 Bax/Conversion down.
Another point, Every single Stradivarius violin that is in the world, except one in the museum in Cremona that has been there since it was made, has had the scroll cut off it’s original neck and a new neck made that has a longer scale length and a steeper neck angle resulting in a much taller bridge with more down pressure on the top. This has been done to every single Strad violin because of the improvement in the sound and playability. What we do is a lot more than just change the top bracing. We remanufacture the entire guitar. We change the bridge thickness, design, and neck angle to improve the playability and also enhance the tone, so it’s a lot more than just x bracing.
You are lucky to live in a country so full of Harmonys (most of which l would not touch with a 10 metre pole), but up here in Canada, Sovereigns are scarce as hens teeth...and fetch hundreds of dollars, even in rough shape. Well over $1,000 in good Nik. Keep on bracing, if you must. I don't mean to disparage your craft. I am still learning my luthier skills. lt is a difference in our perception of tone, l guess ?! We are both bringing trainwrecks back to life (you get most of the train...l get the caboose). A good thing for sure...Cheers
This is superb, thanks for all you do Scott, we love you here in Athens, you’re a treasure and thank you for improving every instrument I’ve brought to you. Also, thanks to staff member Joel for a fine job refretting that Stratocaster!
Thanks so much. It is a bittersweet moment that we have moved away from athens and are now setting up shop in Sante Fe New Mexico. We can still do your work but you will have to send the guitar to us there. Thanks so much for your business!
Scott is doing the lords work!
I was playing my 1975 Mossman great plains last night. It’s been 45 years since you put your initials in it. Glad to see you’re still plucking away.
So great to see this, I remember my dad bringing home a Harmony in the late 60's. They were obviously a budget guitar but all the elements were there, nice to see them being rebuilt and having a new life and sounding better than ever!
Love to see new life being given to these old catalog guitars. I reattached the neck to an old Kay archtop that had been in its case in a closet for a generation; it was an emotional moment when I first strung it up and considered how long it had been since it made music. Old guys have a song or two in them, yeah? Keep up the good work.
Cool beans.
I always did like Over the Rainbow too, & for many reasons.
Nice to know all that history and why Baxendale is one of the best guitars in the world. Great sound and player!
You're the best old friend. Glad to see you're still building guitars. You forgot more than most will ever know about guitars. Just thinking about the worlds biggest guitars you made for the Hard Rock Cafe in Dallas and the mechanical reverb plate you built me in your dad's factory. You're a genius man! Love your guitar playing and nice studio!
That’s great! Thanks so much. I was in Garland seeing my mom recently and I drove by the spot where your studio was when we built that plate reverb. I always wondered What ever happened to it and to you? I always thought about building a new one? Hit me up at baxendaleguitar@att.net.
I recall visiting your factory in the 1980s and you had
The Hard Rock Cafe Les Paul and Strat bar tops and you saying “If I could only find the proper strings, these would play in tune!”
You are an amazing artist. Thank you for bringing many of those the most wonderful vibrant playable musical instruments into the world.
My Mossman dreadnaught has amazing sustain and projection and beautiful tone. Built by you in 1986. Wish I would have taken you up on offer to learn how to creat inlays for guitars. Your a master.
Must have been ‘63 and obsessed with Dylan. I was 13 and my mom taught me a Harmony. How I wish I still had! I had no idea what I had. Years later a friend gave me a J50. I still didn't know. Today at 72 yo. I am so fortunate to have a Martin om28 and a couple of Seagulls. Still obsessed. That one you restored sounds incredible. Tops audio there too
Great video. I'm saving up money to send you guys my H162. Can't wait it get it rebuilt.
Kent Nevitt Thanks! We’re excited to rebuild it for you.
Great video, Scott!
The sustain is amazing. :)
Nice guitar playing
Wow!!!
Thank you!
Sound really Good👍 The necks on most of those Harmony and Kay’s are not optimum, but they’re playable. I have run across a few Harmony flat tops with pretty nice necks. The best candidates for conversion are the Kalamazoo’s/Cromwells and other Gibson off brand made in Kalamazoo like The LG-1 and L-GO but those vintage models now are pretty expensive. Some old 1920s /30s Regals and Oahu’s are decent candidates along with some teens and 20s parlor Guitars from Lyon Healy and other makers that were ladder braced.
The Harmony necks are fine. We have rebuilt Kalamazoos, Oahu, Regal, Bruno, etc. the Harmony neck are just as good as those. They are almost all 25” scale with a 1.750” nut. I actually prefer the deep v necks with no trussrod or the early steel reinforced necks.
@@scottbaxendale323 👍great work your doing saving those old Guitars. They have a cool vibe. Those old enough to remember growing up around those makes it even more special. Best! Dennis
Hello i have one of these guitars, long story short the truss rod nut is broken, is the guitar salvageable? thanks love your work!
Yes, we fix broken rods in these sometimes during the conversion process.
Do you do any 1960s hollow body Silvertones? I have a 619 that I bought for ,$70
Yes the H619 is a model we rebuild all the time. Silvertone just means Sears sold it. It is still a Harmony.
I've got a late 50s block-logo Sov 1203 I picked up recently and I've been teeter tottering on doing the bracing conversion. I think I'm just going to bite the bullet. I love ladder bracing but.... its just so tempting to have this done and it needs a neck reset already anyways.
Brandon Nelson McCoy Are you going to send it to us?
I just posted a clip of one on #baxendaleconversions on Instagram to hear the difference. Everything you love about how that sounds as a ladder braced guitar will only be enhanced tenfold with our proprietary tuned bracing.
@@scottbaxendale323 I've been going back and forth on it. Right now, the money is my biggest issue.
Brandon Nelson McCoy I’m always interested in buying that model, if you decide to sell it.
@@scottbaxendale323 Thanks! But this one is a keeper. Even with 1/2" high action past the 12th, it sounds killer. It had supposedly had a neck reset but I knew at the price I was paying for it, that either wasn't true OR it wasn't a good reset.
I love my H1203 Baxendale conversion. You need to let him do the conversion. It quickly became my favorite over a 1993 Gibson J-30 I have had since new and my a Martin 000-28. I love those other ones too, but the conversion has a mojo that can't be described. I think I am going to have him do a 12 string for me too.
Wow! I have an old Harmony guitar with super high action. I picked it up cheap with plans to use it as a dedicated slide guitar.
You can always send it to us to be remanufactured into a new world class acoustic guitar. We just relocated the shop to Sante Fe NM. Email me at baxendaleguitar@att.net to get started.
Liked. Nicely done. If I was assured to get a unit that sounds at least this brautiful, I would be all over it. The problem is that there are no guarantees and I assume that this is one if the best examples.....
We do guarantee the sound and playability of our guitars. All the H1260 Baxendale Conversions sound this good.
@@scottbaxendale323 Every 1260 I have simply set back up to play is an amazing guitar! With the voicing and bracing upgraded like you do, they simply have to sound amazing! (I call them boomers with the ladder bracing) Like you say, simply amazing wood on a budget. Thanks for your dedication to the craft.
Would my Airline Jumbo be a candidate for this upgrade? Best I could guess it’s a 1958
That should be a great candidate for our conversion process! We moved our shop to Sante Fe NM and you can send it to us there. Email: baxendaleguitar@att.net
Remember when you performed emergency CPR on my Harmony for me? My wife bought it off of Pete S from the PS on our third date back in 2002 where it had been on the wall since who knows when.
It’s in need of the full treatment, Scott:) I’d love to talk to you about what it would take to get to it talk like it wants to.
Email pictures to baxendaleguitar@att.net
Price on average? Sounds like a couple thousand
@@cugir321 they range in price from $850-3000 depending on model, age, woods, etc. The H1260 Sovereign sells for $2300 with a new case and new guitar warranty. See our inventory at www.staygoldguitars.com/baxendaleconversions
I have a h1260 that needs work. but I don't have a case for it any ideas
Send it to us to be Remanufactured and we can provide a new case for it as well.
that would be amazing but honestly I'm really nervous about mailing it. I would die if something happened to it lol
@@rocktrollr.i.p2451 we ship them all over the world and don’t have problems.
i definitely think about it. how long do they usually take
@@rocktrollr.i.p2451 currently the turnaround time is around 6-8 months, but you don’t pay anything until the guitar is ready.
OK.....much respect for your talent, but turning one of these old gems into a Martin clone, is really disappointing. Am on my 4th Sovereign 1260 rebuild & to me they sound amazing, as is....ask Jimmy....ask Pete ! Yes, the necks need a reset & yes the tops are bellied but the tone sings....beautiful bell like notes, even up the neck...subdued bass (my preference to hear the high melody) Most, if not all tops will remain stable & have had no tuning issues or problems on my less invasive fixes. To my mind, Martins are fine in there place...Bluegrass and country strumming. Too nasal & steely for finger picking & acoustic rock lMHO. If you want a guitar to sound like a Martin...buy one....or a Japanese wannabee (YAMAKI, Daion, etc). Leave the ladder bracing alone....thanks for listening
They made many many thousands of those. I’ve rebuilt around 2500 and there will always be plenty of them around with ladder bracing for the purists. However, they sound significantly better after I put my bracing in them. Not all X bracing is the same, not by a long shot. The 40’s era H1203’s sound as good or better than 30’s OM-18’s for a tiny fraction of the money. It’s a no brainer. What we do is also the greenest tech in a “new” remanufactured instrument that is in the market. New factory acoustic guitars built in mass quantities are taxing the environment, rebuilt guitars do not.
@@scottbaxendale323 Fair comments....l still prefer Sovereign tone for what l play.....and your comment that tone is vastly improved, is subjective....and a little self serving. There is a clip on here somewhere that compares an original to an X - braced...it may not be your work but you may have seen it. Proof in the pudding IMHO. I bow to your experience but agree to disagree with your thesis...
@@chrisburnett3554 Like I said, what I’m doing is a drop in the bucket in relation to the number of guitars out there. Of course I’m self serving, why wouldn’t I be since this is how I make my living? Jeff Tweedy loved his and Robert Plant couldn’t put Luther Dickinson’s H1260 Bax/Conversion down.
Another point, Every single Stradivarius violin that is in the world, except one in the museum in Cremona that has been there since it was made, has had the scroll cut off it’s original neck and a new neck made that has a longer scale length and a steeper neck angle resulting in a much taller bridge with more down pressure on the top. This has been done to every single Strad violin because of the improvement in the sound and playability. What we do is a lot more than just change the top bracing. We remanufacture the entire guitar. We change the bridge thickness, design, and neck angle to improve the playability and also enhance the tone, so it’s a lot more than just x bracing.
You are lucky to live in a country so full of Harmonys (most of which l would not touch with a 10 metre pole), but up here in Canada, Sovereigns are scarce as hens teeth...and fetch hundreds of dollars, even in rough shape. Well over $1,000 in good Nik. Keep on bracing, if you must. I don't mean to disparage your craft. I am still learning my luthier skills. lt is a difference in our perception of tone, l guess ?! We are both bringing trainwrecks back to life (you get most of the train...l get the caboose). A good thing for sure...Cheers
same name dude cool bets name eve though only true legends have our name
Do you play guitar?
@@scottbaxendale323 itried i was decent
@@scottbaxendale2806 contact me at baxendaleguitar@att.net and I’ll send you a t-shirt, send your size. I can’t believe there are two of us out there?