And I’m excited to show you this guitar. The vintage guitar community is great group of people. Happy you tuned in and hope you stay watching as there will be some very unique guitars coming.
Al, Thanks for covering Harmony Guitars. I have a small collection of 60's Folk (nylon) guitars which includes a Harmony H-175 and H-177. These 2 are great guitars - I will never sell them. I had a Fender Regal 220 (a Harmony H-173 in disguise) that I let go because it needed some work. I also had the successor to the Harmony H-17x series - a Harmony H6290. Beautiful but it also needed some major lowering of the action so it's gone. The H-17X series are the best. I installed K&K Pure Classical pickups in both, lowered the action, and restrung them with Thomastik Infeld PJ116 strings which really made them come alive. That's the same adjustment I did on all my Folk Nylons and they sound great. I leave the H-177 in DADGAD and the H-175 Standard or DADFAD. So much fun to play. Some observations... The Martin 00-16C seems to be the quietest. Nice guitar, well built but not as special as I expected. The Epiphone EC-100 which is really a Gibson C1 is good but the Harmony's sound better. The Guild Mark I is probably the best build after the Martin and it sounds as good as anything I have. The Goya G-10 is at the bottom as far as sound goes, it's nothing special. For comparison I had a Taylor 214 which couldn't match up to any of them except the Goya so it's gone. Best knock around and traveler is easily the Cordoba Requinto, so easy to play. I consider all of these a 1960's Folk Guitar in that they don't have the intense plinky sound of a true Classical guitar. Two different products. My best recommendation for someone who is starting to play or starting collecting a nylon 1960's Folk Guitar is either a Guild Mark II or Harmony H-174. The Mark I would be better but it seems they have become rare and their price has sky rocketed. Ditto for the H-175 & H-177. Another to consider is an older LaPatrie with the regular (not Godin) head stock. Beautiful woods and build. There seems to be a decent supply of Mark II's out there. Find a good one and you won't be disappointed.
That’s a big comment! Your Welcome for looking at the Harmony. I’ve owned a couple 174’s and they were both decent guitars. I agree with your Mark II comment. Did you see I did a short look at one on the channel already? The Mark I just doesn’t do too much for me, but I have access to one if anyone would like a look it in a review. Dollar for dollar a reasonable price big sounding nylon is a Goya G-17. The lowest model to have Mahogany back and sides in the grand concert sized body. These are wonderful sounding, loud and commanding. Like all Goya’s you have to watch for condition avoiding a hooked neck. I thank you for watching and your thoughts. Oh and you mentioned that Martin. The next full review is going to be of a Martin N-10. Just a day or two away. Happy New Year.
Jerry Reed’s Baldwin electric classical that he put a massive cutaway on was made by Harmony and was an upgrade from this model (mahogany back and sides and rosewood fingerboard and bridge.) Of course what Jerry loved about the Baldwin was the prismatone pickup.
Harmony built for a number of other companies from time to time. Could be anything from a house brand to short production runs when a builder couldn’t keep up with demands. The upgraded model you mention Harmony also cataloged and I’ve owned two. For sure the pickup was the big deal on Reed’s guitar. A need finally answered by Ovation for electric nylon players. Thanks for writing.
Fun to see this video. I have an identical H-173 in the same condition. My wife acquired it new with S&H Green Stamps in the mid '60s. Having access to my guitars, this one has almost no play. Too bad that the Waverly tuners are more valuable for Martin restoration than the rest of the guitar. My opinion is that these are outstandingly ok. Great? Well no… Fun fact: The Baldwin classicals played by Chet Atkins, Jerry Reed and Willie were Harmony with the Prismatone pickup. Of course, we know what happened when Willie's Baldwin got smashed.
I am constantly astounded at the number of people that can not make the connection between Harmony and the cheap Chinese crap saturating the beginner market today. Harmony guitars were one step up from a cigar box with rubber bands on it! They sounded like crap 60 years ago and they have not improved with age. That piece of crap being shown sounds horrid and anyone with ears knows it. NO, it does not sound OK for what it is!
It really Isn’t that bad. I’ve played some very bad sounding Harmony instruments along with some that also played very poorly. This one had very nice action once set up. My mic wasn’t capturing it truthfully for sure. It sounds like you have some desirable guitars and knowledge. Does it sound like a Hirade? Nope. Doesn’t cost like one either. Is it fun to hack around with? Absolutely. They were as I said, department store guitars. Very resistant to cracks, not very resistant to warped necks. Thanks for watching and your comment. I want the comments section to become a respectful place for questions, opinions and discussions. Thanks.
I’m excited to watch!
And I’m excited to show you this guitar. The vintage guitar community is great group of people. Happy you tuned in and hope you stay watching as there will be some very unique guitars coming.
Al, Thanks for covering Harmony Guitars. I have a small collection of 60's Folk (nylon) guitars which includes a Harmony H-175 and H-177. These 2 are great guitars - I will never sell them. I had a Fender Regal 220 (a Harmony H-173 in disguise) that I let go because it needed some work. I also had the successor to the Harmony H-17x series - a Harmony H6290. Beautiful but it also needed some major lowering of the action so it's gone. The H-17X series are the best.
I installed K&K Pure Classical pickups in both, lowered the action, and restrung them with Thomastik Infeld PJ116 strings which really made them come alive. That's the same adjustment I did on all my Folk Nylons and they sound great. I leave the H-177 in DADGAD and the H-175 Standard or DADFAD. So much fun to play.
Some observations...
The Martin 00-16C seems to be the quietest. Nice guitar, well built but not as special as I expected.
The Epiphone EC-100 which is really a Gibson C1 is good but the Harmony's sound better.
The Guild Mark I is probably the best build after the Martin and it sounds as good as anything I have.
The Goya G-10 is at the bottom as far as sound goes, it's nothing special.
For comparison I had a Taylor 214 which couldn't match up to any of them except the Goya so it's gone.
Best knock around and traveler is easily the Cordoba Requinto, so easy to play.
I consider all of these a 1960's Folk Guitar in that they don't have the intense plinky sound of a true Classical guitar. Two different products.
My best recommendation for someone who is starting to play or starting collecting a nylon 1960's Folk Guitar is either a Guild Mark II or Harmony H-174. The Mark I would be better but it seems they have become rare and their price has sky rocketed. Ditto for the H-175 & H-177.
Another to consider is an older LaPatrie with the regular (not Godin) head stock. Beautiful woods and build.
There seems to be a decent supply of Mark II's out there. Find a good one and you won't be disappointed.
That’s a big comment! Your Welcome for looking at the Harmony. I’ve owned a couple 174’s and they were both decent guitars.
I agree with your Mark II comment. Did you see I did a short look at one on the channel already? The Mark I just doesn’t do too much for me, but I have access to one if anyone would like a look it in a review.
Dollar for dollar a reasonable price big sounding nylon is a Goya G-17. The lowest model to have Mahogany back and sides in the grand concert sized body. These are wonderful sounding, loud and commanding. Like all Goya’s you have to watch for condition avoiding a hooked neck.
I thank you for watching and your thoughts. Oh and you mentioned that Martin. The next full review is going to be of a Martin N-10. Just a day or two away. Happy New Year.
Jerry Reed’s Baldwin electric classical that he put a massive cutaway on was made by Harmony and was an upgrade from this model (mahogany back and sides and rosewood fingerboard and bridge.) Of course what Jerry loved about the Baldwin was the prismatone pickup.
Harmony built for a number of other companies from time to time. Could be anything from a house brand to short production runs when a builder couldn’t keep up with demands. The upgraded model you mention Harmony also cataloged and I’ve owned two. For sure the pickup was the big deal on Reed’s guitar. A need finally answered by Ovation for electric nylon players. Thanks for writing.
Fun to see this video. I have an identical H-173 in the same condition. My wife acquired it new with S&H Green Stamps in the mid '60s. Having access to my guitars, this one has almost no play. Too bad that the Waverly tuners are more valuable for Martin restoration than the rest of the guitar. My opinion is that these are outstandingly ok. Great? Well no… Fun fact: The Baldwin classicals played by Chet Atkins, Jerry Reed and Willie were Harmony with the Prismatone pickup. Of course, we know what happened when Willie's Baldwin got smashed.
Great insight! All I ever got from green stamps was an Emerson clock radio. Thanks for watching this review of a cheap and charming old timer.
I am constantly astounded at the number of people that can not make the connection between Harmony and the cheap Chinese crap saturating the beginner market today. Harmony guitars were one step up from a cigar box with rubber bands on it! They sounded like crap 60 years ago and they have not improved with age. That piece of crap being shown sounds horrid and anyone with ears knows it. NO, it does not sound OK for what it is!
It really Isn’t that bad. I’ve played some very bad sounding Harmony instruments along with some that also played very poorly. This one had very nice action once set up. My mic wasn’t capturing it truthfully for sure. It sounds like you have some desirable guitars and knowledge. Does it sound like a Hirade? Nope. Doesn’t cost like one either. Is it fun to hack around with? Absolutely. They were as I said, department store guitars. Very resistant to cracks, not very resistant to warped necks. Thanks for watching and your comment. I want the comments section to become a respectful place for questions, opinions and discussions. Thanks.