Great video! I have owned a few original Stratotones over the last 30 years, plus an Eastwood, and built a bolt on version with a pine body and Warmoth neck. Love them!
I love Stratotones; yours is a stunning example. The 2 original Stratotones I’ve been lucky enough to see in person were both unplayable & needed a lot of work to do anything but slide on them. They were also way overpriced ($1700.) I owned the Eastwood version several years ago but had to sell it for financial reasons. Fortunately I just bought a Juno & it’s a magnificent guitar. Harmony did a great job of keeping the vibe & spirit of the original but making it easier to intonate & tune as well as having the flexibility of a bridge pickup. To be honest I find myself playing on the neck most of the time, it nails the full warm body of the Hershey Bar. I 100% recommend the Juno to anyone who wants a Stratotone but can’t find a playable example or wants a guitar made with modern quality.
I was so lucky with this one…the action is a little high but it still plays great! I tune it to D standard to make it a bit easier to play too! I really want to try the Juno…one day!!
Again, first Pod XT, now the Harmony Stratotone. I have an original, wasn’t cheap but, I too am a Ribot/ Waits fan and others, so I splurged on it. I don’t regret it either. Mine was copper/ bronze but was painted black, grrrr... oh well. It plays as you described. I had at one time owned the Eastwood version and sold it. The pickups were hotter but, it was similar. Brothers of Harmony unite. Peace and Music
Oh cool...how's the action on yours?? Mine is a bit high but not too bad at all...much better than some others I've seen. I've been trying to get Eastwood and/or Harmony to send me a reissue to try but they mustn't be keen
The SuperFunAwesomeHappyTime Pedal Show! So far the action is pretty decent, fingers crossed. I got the Eastwood first and it was 2nd hand but in perfect shape, it felt similar but squeaky shiny poly finished very updated which is fine. Wish I’d kept it... maybe a Harmony would wipe that regret away.
@@alicesexton5464 I’ve been picking at the black to try and get some of the copper back but, it’s hard on my fingers. I may just try sanding lightly or if that fails take it to the wood like yours. Maybe stain it, just leave the headstock copper, the only original color left.
I have a really beaten up H45…mine is from 62…or at least the pots are dated 1962! My H45 had a non adjustable truss rod (or steel reinforced neck) but since the fretboard was just about peeling off anyways I had a local guitar tech install an adjustable truss rod and it plays really well now…those pickups sound amazing!!
Eastwood sells reissues and they sound pretty nice, and they are not expensive. Interesting guitars for sure :) I love the H45 model too, Lianne La Havas owns one.
this was great...i have one from 1956 .the guy i got it from put in a graphite truss rod and some of the paint was touched up.i love it.i really loved your playing !
Gold Foils are completely different pickups from the Hershey. The Hershey pickup is about 3k ohms DC resistance. The Gold Foils are closer to 10K Ohms DC. Cool guitar and video
@@eDWICHt I’m pretty sure I was using the Fender Bassbreaker 15 Head you see behind me…going into the Two Notes Torpedo Live and then straight into Logic
@@TSFAHTPS Fantastic! Goes to show that a soulful player who also knows what they're doing in terms of production can get stunning results using affordable and practical everyday gear.
I have a reissue '54 H--88 Stratotone Doublet it did not come with Hershey's but closed top mini HB' s I did find a '55 Harmony gold foil that sounds great and I put it at the neck. I put a PAF at the neck but it is covered with a Ric toaster cover that is period correct so it appears factory to all but the very few. I also pulled off the sustain sucking rosewood bridge and replaced it with a Fender Mustang. The bridge is made of bent steel so it too is period correct. The maple neck and solid Ash body creates killer sustain. It looks like a snowflake but it can take out the back wall in club thru my Plexi :-)
How does it smell? One thing I've always appreciated about guitars that have been around for 20 years plus is how they smell. The smell tends to be very unique.
I know what you mean...I don't remember how it smelled when I first got it...and its been hanging on a wall in my house or studio for over a decade now so it smells like my house now!! But I definitely know what you mean
OMG really love your playing Gabor. Wow. Honestly i like your playing more than the guitar of course It doesn't mean that i don't like the guitar though. Stay safe Gabor
Hello, I’ve given thoughts to possibly trying to build one of these from scratch. I’m having a ton of difficulty finding measurements and such for this model. I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind maybe taking your calipers and a measuring tape back to it and helping me out with some initial measurements so I could start to develop some plans. I’m a long way from being in a place to complete this project, however I think it could be fun. Let me know if you are interested. Thanks.
Can you think of a 2021 equivalent to these catalogue guitars? Gretsch do some cheap(ish) solid body Streamliners, and the Squier lineup perhaps... Danelectro seem to charge too much for their stuff, imo.
@@TSFAHTPS Ah yes, but at quite a price. I think the Gretsch G2215 P90 Streamliner JR Jet Club (snappy name I know) gets close: P90 in the bridge, and £280 here in the UK. All the latest Harmonys are gorgeous.
Nice. I used to have a Harmony amp. It caught on fire. Quite shocked and not knowing what else to do, I picked it up and threw it out the window onto the street. I've had two amps catch on fire: the Harmony and a Twin. Anyway I liked the guitar and I liked the video, too. A while back you did a couple videos that was just you playing. Kind of ambient sort of stuff if I remember right. I liked that also, and it would be great to see more of those.
@@TSFAHTPS I've done some research… These pickups can be found on Harmony Stratotone H42, H44, H45 and Silvertone 1326, 1420, 1421. 'Hershey bar' name comes from the similarity of shape with the Hershey chocolate bar and isn't Dearmond's initiative (like 'soap bar' or 'dog ear' for Gibson…). They have a dark and fat tone hence the tone bypass on the Stratotone. There were two periods of Hershey pickups with same look but different winding and output. The 50's ones had a very low output, around 3.8K, and that's the output Mojo Pickups (UK) chose for their reissue version. The other kind came in the late 50's and had very high output, around 10-11K, similar to Dearmond's diamond shaped pickups ("silver foil"). I have two of these 'diamond' pickups and they're as loud as Gibson humbuckers (but with a sound similar to Dearmond 'gold foil' pickups, hefty lows with transparent highs, very balanced tone). If your Hersheys are loud they're possibly from the second era I think, not sure though.
Awesome video! I inherited one of these and I’ve wondered for years what kind of guitar it was. Mine looks exactly like yours but it has a wooden finish and no brand name anywhere. Any idea where I can find more info on it? Thanks a lot man!
A lot of these guitars were modified over the years…I’d imagine someone stripped the paint off yours a long time ago…I’ve seen a few that went pretty much all green from the copper in the paint oxidising! There isn’t a huge amount of information around! You can try and check the pots inside the guitar…there are a few websites where you can date the serial numbers of the pots…that’s how I dated mine to 1952! Other than that, without knowing what brand it had on the headstock or even what colour it originally was there isn’t much more you can do! As far as I know they all came out of the same factory - they painted them different colours and branded them differently depending on which department store they were sold in! Hope that helps!! Thanks Jacob
I love how you played 'in the style of' Marc Ribot on a 52' Stratotone. Well played, sir. Literally and figuratively. ;-)
Thank you very much!!
Great video! I have owned a few original Stratotones over the last 30 years, plus an Eastwood, and built a bolt on version with a pine body and Warmoth neck. Love them!
I love Stratotones; yours is a stunning example. The 2 original Stratotones I’ve been lucky enough to see in person were both unplayable & needed a lot of work to do anything but slide on them. They were also way overpriced ($1700.)
I owned the Eastwood version several years ago but had to sell it for financial reasons. Fortunately I just bought a Juno & it’s a magnificent guitar. Harmony did a great job of keeping the vibe & spirit of the original but making it easier to intonate & tune as well as having the flexibility of a bridge pickup. To be honest I find myself playing on the neck most of the time, it nails the full warm body of the Hershey Bar.
I 100% recommend the Juno to anyone who wants a Stratotone but can’t find a playable example or wants a guitar made with modern quality.
I was so lucky with this one…the action is a little high but it still plays great! I tune it to D standard to make it a bit easier to play too!
I really want to try the Juno…one day!!
In addition, One of the BEST guitar demo I've ever seen. Short, simple, core and beautiful playing. Thanks
Thank you very much choi dh ...that's means a lot to me!!
That fuzz demonstration was awesome!
Thank you!!
I also have one of those little beauties and I deeply love it.
La Bamba!
I thik D'Armond pickups have always been great and often overlooked as such.
Again, first Pod XT, now the Harmony Stratotone. I have an original, wasn’t cheap but, I too am a Ribot/ Waits fan and others, so I splurged on it. I don’t regret it either.
Mine was copper/ bronze but was painted black, grrrr... oh well. It plays as you described. I had at one time owned the Eastwood version and sold it. The pickups were hotter but, it was similar.
Brothers of Harmony unite.
Peace and Music
Oh cool...how's the action on yours?? Mine is a bit high but not too bad at all...much better than some others I've seen.
I've been trying to get Eastwood and/or Harmony to send me a reissue to try but they mustn't be keen
The SuperFunAwesomeHappyTime Pedal Show!
So far the action is pretty decent, fingers crossed. I got the Eastwood first and it was 2nd hand but in perfect shape, it felt similar but squeaky shiny poly finished very updated which is fine. Wish I’d kept it... maybe a Harmony would wipe that regret away.
@@alicesexton5464
I’ve been picking at the black to try and get some of the copper back but, it’s hard on my fingers. I may just try sanding lightly or if that fails take it to the wood like yours. Maybe stain it, just leave the headstock copper, the only original color left.
I just got a mint h45! I believe it’s a 55ish because no truss rod. Nice playing and sounding guitar. Gold H44 is what I need!
I have a really beaten up H45…mine is from 62…or at least the pots are dated 1962! My H45 had a non adjustable truss rod (or steel reinforced neck) but since the fretboard was just about peeling off anyways I had a local guitar tech install an adjustable truss rod and it plays really well now…those pickups sound amazing!!
Great new format, like others said, especially because of the songs you played, which are really good and give us context for the tone of the guitar!
Thanks Wilfried
Eastwood sells reissues and they sound pretty nice, and they are not expensive. Interesting guitars for sure :) I love the H45 model too, Lianne La Havas owns one.
I loved this video, the format was cool, and I hope to see more like it.
I really liked the song, and the guitar sounded great, but that song... nice!
Thank you very much!! I'll try to do more
this was great...i have one from 1956 .the guy i got it from put in a graphite truss rod and some of the paint was touched up.i love it.i really loved your playing !
Thank you Scott!!
Really looking forward to this! Thanks guys.
Hope you enjoy it!
Great tones. Really enjoyed the episode.
I’ve been eyeballing the new Harmony lineup. The Juno and Silhouette models particularly.
Thank you very much Tom!! Same here...the new Harmony guitars look great...hopefully I will be able to get my hands on them sometime!!
Wow, fantastic stuff! Great playing mate!
Thank you very much Ben!!
Great video! The new format works really well. I love the guitar, and that opening song is amazing. Very Twin Peaks vibe to it.
Thank you very much Randy!!
A friend had one. He used it for slide. It sounded great!
I love the first tune Gabor ... please make that into a full song and release it 👍
Gold Foils are completely different pickups from the Hershey. The Hershey pickup is about 3k ohms DC resistance. The Gold Foils are closer to 10K Ohms DC. Cool guitar and video
I love the format, please more guitars (Alex‘ too)
What a fantastic video, thanks for the effort!
Also, what a lovely guitar and your playing is outstanding, too!
Thank you very much!!!
@@TSFAHTPS You're very welcome! May I ask what amp you used for this demo?
@@eDWICHt I’m pretty sure I was using the Fender Bassbreaker 15 Head you see behind me…going into the Two Notes Torpedo Live and then straight into Logic
@@TSFAHTPS Fantastic!
Goes to show that a soulful player who also knows what they're doing in terms of production can get stunning results using affordable and practical everyday gear.
@@eDWICHt the Fender Bassbreaker is a great sounding amp…one of my favourites!!
Fantastic demo
Thank you very much!!
I have a reissue '54 H--88 Stratotone Doublet it did not come with Hershey's but closed top mini HB' s I did find a '55 Harmony gold foil that sounds great and I put it at the neck. I put a PAF at the neck but it is covered with a Ric toaster cover that is period correct so it appears factory to all but the very few. I also pulled off the sustain sucking rosewood bridge and replaced it with a Fender Mustang. The bridge is made of bent steel so it too is period correct. The maple neck and solid Ash body creates killer sustain. It looks like a snowflake but it can take out the back wall in club thru my Plexi :-)
How does it smell? One thing I've always appreciated about guitars that have been around for 20 years plus is how they smell. The smell tends to be very unique.
I know what you mean...I don't remember how it smelled when I first got it...and its been hanging on a wall in my house or studio for over a decade now so it smells like my house now!! But I definitely know what you mean
What about taste? How does it taste?
@@grosebud4554 a bit woody
It's a beauty
I LOVE that guitar...so good!!
Cool intro tune
Thank you very much!!
OMG really love your playing Gabor. Wow. Honestly i like your playing more than the guitar of course It doesn't mean that i don't like the guitar though.
Stay safe Gabor
Thank you very much!!!
Nice heavy surf fuzz piece.
Thank you very much!!
Hello, I’ve given thoughts to possibly trying to build one of these from scratch. I’m having a ton of difficulty finding measurements and such for this model. I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind maybe taking your calipers and a measuring tape back to it and helping me out with some initial measurements so I could start to develop some plans. I’m a long way from being in a place to complete this project, however I think it could be fun. Let me know if you are interested. Thanks.
Great clip and demo 👍👍👍
Thank you very much
@@TSFAHTPS - Nice deeper dive info and the playing really helps showcase some of what the guitar is capable of. Well done. 👍
Can you think of a 2021 equivalent to these catalogue guitars? Gretsch do some cheap(ish) solid body Streamliners, and the Squier lineup perhaps... Danelectro seem to charge too much for their stuff, imo.
Yes Harmony now do a very similar guitar
@@TSFAHTPS Ah yes, but at quite a price. I think the Gretsch G2215 P90 Streamliner JR Jet Club (snappy name I know) gets close: P90 in the bridge, and £280 here in the UK. All the latest Harmonys are gorgeous.
Nice. I used to have a Harmony amp. It caught on fire. Quite shocked and not knowing what else to do, I picked it up and threw it out the window onto the street. I've had two amps catch on fire: the Harmony and a Twin. Anyway I liked the guitar and I liked the video, too. A while back you did a couple videos that was just you playing. Kind of ambient sort of stuff if I remember right. I liked that also, and it would be great to see more of those.
Thank you Dustin!! Yeah I did the "Tuesday Morning" videos...I try to film some more...been crazy busy lately!!
Well done my man.
Thank you very much!!
I'm Ribot admirer too. These pickups have the reputation of being very low output right?
I'm not sure...to me they seem to have about the same output as my Jazzmaster...just a LOT darker...I've never measured them so not sure
@@TSFAHTPS I've done some research… These pickups can be found on Harmony Stratotone H42, H44, H45 and Silvertone 1326, 1420, 1421. 'Hershey bar' name comes from the similarity of shape with the Hershey chocolate bar and isn't Dearmond's initiative (like 'soap bar' or 'dog ear' for Gibson…). They have a dark and fat tone hence the tone bypass on the Stratotone. There were two periods of Hershey pickups with same look but different winding and output. The 50's ones had a very low output, around 3.8K, and that's the output Mojo Pickups (UK) chose for their reissue version. The other kind came in the late 50's and had very high output, around 10-11K, similar to Dearmond's diamond shaped pickups ("silver foil"). I have two of these 'diamond' pickups and they're as loud as Gibson humbuckers (but with a sound similar to Dearmond 'gold foil' pickups, hefty lows with transparent highs, very balanced tone). If your Hersheys are loud they're possibly from the second era I think, not sure though.
i have one of the h44's plays great .... was a gig guitar for over 20 years and shows it... are you an ozzie? got a mate in perth...drummer
Great vid!!!🔥🔥🔥
Thank you
Wondrous
Harmony was never owned by Sears. Harmony built guitars for Sears none of which were labeled Harmony. The proprietary line by Sears was Silvertone
Awesome video! I inherited one of these and I’ve wondered for years what kind of guitar it was. Mine looks exactly like yours but it has a wooden finish and no brand name anywhere. Any idea where I can find more info on it? Thanks a lot man!
A lot of these guitars were modified over the years…I’d imagine someone stripped the paint off yours a long time ago…I’ve seen a few that went pretty much all green from the copper in the paint oxidising! There isn’t a huge amount of information around! You can try and check the pots inside the guitar…there are a few websites where you can date the serial numbers of the pots…that’s how I dated mine to 1952! Other than that, without knowing what brand it had on the headstock or even what colour it originally was there isn’t much more you can do! As far as I know they all came out of the same factory - they painted them different colours and branded them differently depending on which department store they were sold in! Hope that helps!! Thanks Jacob
How much and we’re did you get it
All I remember is that it was under $1k ...around 10-12 maybe even 15yrs ago...I bought it on eBay off a seller here in Australia!
FUZZ ❤️