Harmony H22

Early to mid- 60's USA made hollowbody 4-string bass. No case. Single passive DeArmond p/u. Single cutaway. Solo/rhythm switch, volume, and tone knobs. Maple laminated body (?). 30 in. scale...LONGscale flatwound strings fit this one in spite of short scale! No pickguard on this one. Aftermarket Ping vintage-style enclosed tuning machines (at $30.00) installed by me. Earlier refinish by someone else was an amber toner w/ shellac finish. Not a professional job, but acceptable. Cool, funky-looking retro bass!

This bass kicks arse with an iron boot! Anything from bright punk-trash bass tones to meaty old skool Motown, British invasion sounds can be dialed in on this bass. The two-way switch goes from a more bassy sound to a more trebly sound; used in conjunction with the tone knob allows for a very wide tonal pallete. Use either an Ampeg svt-200 w/4x10 cab or an Ampeg B-100R rocket combo amp.

Nice straight neck and very little fret wear considering its age. I do my own set-ups so its just like I want it. I put new tuners on it... I had to enlarge the hole by drilling it out to 12mm - - never try this unless you have woodworking experience or you could ruin your instrument!! The tuners that I replaced were el cheapo nickel tuners (not original) that someone else installed.

It's 40+ years old and it still works great. Sounds durable to me.

te he he... good luck!!

I've been playing 18 yrs pro and semi-pro. I have Fender USA P-Bass, Rickenbacker 4003, Ampeg amps. Larrivee and Martin acoustic guitars. If it were stolen, I doubt that I could easily replace it; and definitely not for free!

harmony h22 (semi acoustic) we call them in the u.k. made in Chicago early sixties .Has 30inch scale when measured from nut to bridge but strings attach another 4 inches further on at end of soundboard so youc can't use short scale medium scale stings.The bridge is similar to a hofner beatles bass bridge completely adjustable and good qality as is everything about this guitar.This bass is completely hollowbody and doesn,t have the central wooden strut that some hollowbodies have eg epiphones.

Yes it sounds like a double bass,like a sixties beatle bass,I use it for sixties ,blues ,country.Great sound doesn,t have the projection and cutting edge of a fender precision but has more character.

I might just have been lucky but mine has no factory flaws, just needed bridge adjustment for correct intonation low e string has deep sound which can cause things to rattle a bit if you hit it hard but I can accept that as it is a medium priced acoustic instrument.

I,ve done small gigs with it but it is light and much more delicate than a slab of wood bass which is the next thing I,ll need to get for gigs.

Been playing as a hobbby 25 years,used to own a fender precsion. I like the fact that this is a well designed and well made instrument.I don,t think this quality could be repeated cheapley the woods used and the materials used are high qaulity. I don,t intend to sell it the guitar has got character.

MINE IS A 1965 MODEL. SPECS ARE PRETTY MUCH THE SAME A EVERYONE ELSES HERE. I WOULD ADD THAT THE FINGERBOARD PROFILE IS PRETTY MUCH THE SAME AS THE ONE ALEMBIC USED ON THEIR SHORT SCALE SERIES ONE MODEL. SOUNDS GOOD WITH 50-100 TUBE AMPS, SMALLISH CABS, MAYBE ALITTLE TREM AND SPRING REVERB IN THE LIVING ROOM. GREAT FOR RECORDING

BOUGHT THIS TO REPLACE ONE (1962 MODEL) THAT I LET SLIP THROUGH MY FINGERS IN A TRADE. GOOD FOR VERY LOW VOLUME SITUATIONS, ANYTHING ELSE AND THE FUNDAMENTAL NOTE IS MASKED BY SUBTLE FEEDBACK. HOWWWWEL 'N WOOOOOF! THIS IS CAUSED BY THE FACT THAT THE WONDERFUL DEARARMOND PICKUP SYSTEM IS VERY MICROPHONIC. BEING MOUNTED DIRECTLY ON THE TOP OF THE BASS, THE INSTRUMENTS STRONGEST POINT IS ALSO ITS WEAKEST. I'D RECOMMEND LEAVING THE BASS IN THE TRASH BIN IF SOMEONE HAS ROBBED THE ORIGINAL PICKUP. FLIMSY INSTRUMENT, NEVER MEANT TO LAST BEYOND THE SUMMER OF LOVE.

THESE HAD BAD SET-UP. YOU WILL NEED TO WORK WITH IT SOME, BUT IT'S WORTH IT. OFTEN THE NECKS ARE BOWED FROM YEARS OF TOO MUCH STRING TENSION. LOW TENSION FLATWOUNDS, SUCH AS THOMASTIKS, WORK WELL ON THESE. IF THE TRUSS ROD ID BUSTED, THERE IS A SIMPLE FIX DEMONSRATED AT FRETS.COM

FRAGILE BEAST. LEAVE IT AT HOME, LESS SOMEBODY TRIP OVER IT AND BREAK IT. THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS MANY OF THESE HAVE ENDED UP IN THE LANDFILLS OF THE WORLD. I WOULD SAY THAT THESE ARE GENERALLY GOING FOR TOO MUCH DOUGH THESE DAYS. BUYER BEWARE.

NO SUCH THING. BUT THAT CAN'T STOP YOU FROM HAVING FUN WITH ONE OF THESE.

THESE ARE PRETTY COOL BASSES, BUT OVERPRICED ON THE MARKET NOW. JUST KEEP IN MIND THAT IT MAY TAKE A BIT OF WORK TO GET IT UP TO PLAYING SPEED. A DANO OR JERRY JONES REISSUE MAY BE MORE REWARDING, IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR THAT OLD SEMI-HOLLWBODY BASS SOUND. HAVE FUN.

At the time that I bought it on eBay, my Harmony H-22 had the same features as listed elsewhere in this group: 2-tone tobbacco sunburst, single cutaway body, single passive DeArmond bass pickup in the neck position, (non-functional) 2-way tone switch, one volume & one tone control, crappy "button" tuners meant for a guitar, rosewood bridge, wooden endpiece with cheaply cut wedges for the strings to slot into, a long thin (Bill Wyman?)neck with no side dots, etc. Unfortunately, the previous owner was less than forthcoming about the overall condition of the instrument and it arrived poorly packed, looking like it had been stored in a barbecue joint near the greasy slow cooker (it had more caked-on grease and gunk on the instrument than anything I had ever seen...besides maybe old engines). The batwing pickguard that these basses are famous for was missing, of course. I was really disappointed when I unpacked it.

The good news was/is that it was undamaged and, with a little elbow grease and a lot of rubbing compound & polish, it looks faithfully original now, if a bit "salty". I didn't stop there, however. I first replaced the tuning keys with chrome bass mini-Grovers, which really improved the sound and sustain from the added mass, and better calibration. I also scored a second, identical DeArmond bass pick up on eBay (what luck!) and installed it in the midway position between bridge and neck. I tossed out the broken 2-position switch and replaced it with a 3-way Les Paul-type right angle switch so that I could isolate or combine pickups in the middle position, as necessary, for a really wonderful hollow tone. Finally, I got a replacement tortoise shell batwing pickguard and truss rod cap from a website that specializes in old Harmony instruments and parts (type in Harmony Guitars in www.google.com and you'll find it). So now I have the most unique yet near-factory looking H-22 anywhere, and it's a killer blues bass, hands down. Remember "Keep On Running" by The Spencer Davis Group"? The bass intro is Muff Winwood playing an H-22. Ditto for "I'm A Man" and "Gimmie Some Lovin'". This instrument has that Meresy Beat bass sound, similar to Chas Chandler of the original Animals.

How would I know, really? It was from about 1965, so it had 35+ years of abuse before I got to it to "rescue" it, like some lost greyhound. Some of the chrome was rusted, but I replaced those parts with identical originals. The finish was nearly shot, but came back with a LOT of rubbing.

It's a lightweight bass, and cases are hard to find due to the wide bout, so be VERY careful handling and traveling with this instrument. It's cheap, but it's got SOUL, so you don't want to swing it at some slam dancer from the stage, or let it fall over in the studio. I replaced the plastic strap buttons with chrome Strap-Loc buttons (I'm a retired pro and I've dropped a lot of basses on stage by clowing around, so I've learned to avoid embarassment by using a good quality strap lock system). It's also very sensitive to climate change, particularly cold. I wouldn't use it without a backup, for the same reasons as above (I've learned my lessons on the road the hard way). However, I'd use it on stage as my first bass at this point because I like it so much. Tone is the thing, and this has tone to spare. Not a good "poppin'" funk bass, too fragile for wild punk (though it'd sound fine), but a great R&B, Blues, and Reggae bass for anyone who wants to fill out the bottom, and make people drool from the reverse snobbery of using a cheap bass that sounds cooler than their expensive pieces of crap from the Guitar Center.

Forget it. Harmony is history (actually, it's now made overseas). I'd trust a good guitar repairman at this point, and find parts on eBay, like I did.

I've been playing bass since 1965 and have always wanted this sound, but could never really get it from my various P-Basses, Rickenbackers, Mosrites, etc. The closest I've come is with a few old Hofner Beatle basses I've owned, but I strongly prefer this axe for a number of reasons, including not looking like a Paul McCartney wannabee. I'd flip if it was stolen and start the search for a new one immediately. I wish it had come with side dots on the neck, which I had added by my guitar tech.

Grab one of these basses if you ever see one for sale at a reasonable price (under $300). They're amazing instruments, and the DeArmond pickup is rated at 12+ ohms, which is WAAAYYY loud for a bass. The 2nd DeArmond bass pickup alone cost me a cool $100.

Made in Chicago, Illinois USA sometime in the early/mid 1960s. It's pretty representative of a 60s hollowbody bass guitar, with a maple neck, rosewood board with dot inlays (but no side markers)and laminated maple top, back and sides. It has a two tone sunburst finish reminiscent of a 50s Fender, white binding on the body and a single cutaway. Electonics are pretty basic: one DeArmond pickup in the neck position, one each tone and volume control plus a massive two-way selector switch that serves no apparent purpose, with a huge batwing white pickguard. The bridge is wooden chunk adjustable for height only and the strings pass through a combination tailpiece/mute. The tuners are pretty cheesy button-knob affairs that are hard to turn but nonetheless keep the bass in tune once set. The neck could do nine innings at Shea Stadium.

I play rock, blues, and some country through a Nemesis NP-112 combo and a blackface Bassman with a 2x12 cab. The bass is set up with Thomastik flatwounds that have been on the bass for about five years. Overall, the sound is dense, woody yet has a distinct growl you wouldn't expect from a cheapo hollowbody 60s bass. It works well for trad rock/R&B, does OK for country, but it really excels for swamp-bucket roadhouse blues. It's pretty much a one-trick pony, but it really makes cool tones for what it does.

OK----this is a 40 year old entry level hollowbody bass guitar from Harmony. They cranked out guitars, basses, amps etc. by the boatload for a generation of budding Beatlemaniacs, surfers and rockers. Having said that, it's astounding that I still see these instruments selling for surprisingly high prices. Build quality is OK, but don't expect the level of detail from Gibson, Fender, Rickenbacker etc. instruments of the same era. The tuners and bridge are pretty primitive, and the electronics are basic in the extreme. Somehow these 60s Harmonys tend to be far better instruments than they should be, given their bargain-basement origins.

I wouldn't consider this as a main bass, even though it has a nice, growly voice that suits my style of playing. It's simply too lightly built to withstand a lot of abuse. Harmony built thousands of these basses in the 60s, yet very few seem to survive today. Maybe the players who own them know they have a good thing and aren't giving them up.

The original Harmony company went out of business long, long ago. Customer support is nonexistent, but there are many Harmony guitar pages on the Internet, and the brand still attracts many enthusiasts who are willing to share information.

This is the first bass I ever bought when i starte playing in 1977. Currently, it's rubbing elbows with a 62 Jazz Bass reissue, a 70s Precision, a 90s T-bird, a reissue Danelectro 6-string bass and a 60s Hagstrom 8-string bass. I've played the Harmony for 23 years, and it may not be the first bass I reach for, but I plan on keeping it. I don't think I would replace it because it would be very hard to find one (they don't come up on the market often). If you do happen to see a 60s Harmony H-22 for sale, BUY IT. You may end up with a companion for life.

Manufactured in 1963 in Chicago,Il. 4 strings, laminate top, sunburst
finish.One passive Dearmond pickup near neck- volume, tone and stove
top coil split switch. Maple neck,(med. chunky) rosewood board, pearl dot markers.
Single soft cutaway, creme binding on top and back. Rosewood bridge-
strings anchor at tailpiece. Medium scale, white plastic button
tuners and strap buttons. Truss rod adjust on headstock. No case.

Nails 60's hollowbody vibe through a variety of amps. THE bass for the
blues. Darker sound- would KILL for reggae. Not much sustain, but
plenty of thump- gets closer to an upright sound when played over the end of the fingerboard. The pickup is surprisingly loud. Have used both onstage and in the studio with
excellent results. Only complaint would be the tuners- they're cheap.
But I won't replace them- they work and are original.

Well, these were made pretty cheaply. I'm happy the bass survived this
long intact. After all, it's nearly 40 years old. I got mine used from a friend. He found her on the web two years ago.

If you're an animal onstage I wouldn't let you borrow it. Like I said,
the pegs and strap buttons are cheap. I don't jump around like I used
to, so it's a non-issue. Depending on the gig, I usually don't bring a backup. Not recommended for death metal or grindcore.

non-issue

Pro since 1983. I've owned many basses in my time and very few have
been as fun to play. ALWAYS gets comments at the gig. Feels like your
favorite pair of jeans. I wish it had the Gibson bass boost circuit-
that would definitely move some furniture. The prices on these babies
have been rising-( thanks, Bass Player magazine), so get yer' mitts
on one before it's too late.