Harmony 306A

Again, same features, except mine has 3 inputs. Which is actually cool. I often take it with me for hotel room jams because it is quiet and three people can plug in

I have a ric 330 and normally use this in stereo with a vox pathfinder. I love this amp. it's quiet but when you crank it, it is perfect for that velvet underground sort of clang. I tend to use this amp for recording noise and feedback. Also, as a note, if you use a smokey amp in sequence with this amp, you triple the volume and get some of the hottest fuzz I've ever heard. It's pretty wild.

Well, I need new tubes and there is a lot of noise coming out of it right now. (mind you, it's the good kind not the bad kind)
I would gig with it but I would probably service it first. It is 40 years old after all

do they even exist any more?

I've been playing for eight years and I would never give this amp up. I am a big fan of wilco, spiritualized, r.e.m. and this fits in perfectly. I alway use it for recording because it does one thing really well for me. And because it is so quiet you can actually drive it hard for recording with out waking up the people next door.
as an aside, I also have a 30 watt harmony solid state that I found in a dumpster that is also quite good.

Read the first review for features. Mine is identical, so I'll just give you a few extra comments...Basic tube amp from 1962. 4 inputs (two channels) plus vibrato. The amp is all hand wired, point to point. The components are not mounted to a board of any type, they're just in there. It's not that clean looking but should make repairs easy.

My amp is not very loud. It's pushing maybe 5-10 watts, but that could just be from the age of the components. Review#1 added a new transformer - I may try that too.

Construction is interesting: The sides are wood but the baffle, top and bottom are pressed paperboard. Obviously a cost saving measure, but also fairly lightweight.

For features, I give it a seven. It is not versatile - but it's not supposed to be!

I was looking for a nice warm, thick, vintage tone and this amp has it. But again it's not very loud.

The amp and speaker were dead when I got it. I cleaned everything up, plugged in two RCA black-plate 6V6's, a RCA black-plate rectifier, and two JAN/Phillips 12AX7's. I stuck in a Bozak woffer and tweeter pirated from an old floor speaker. Now it sounds good and is surprisingly quite (no hiss/hum) for 40 year old amp.

I play it on 6-10 volume and 10 on tone (all 'treble'.) At 8, the amp just starts to overdrive. I think an original (type) speaker would compliment this much better than the woofer/tweeter setup I have now - they really don't "breakup" at all. However, when I plug in my DOD Flashback Fuzz - now we're really talking! Again not much volume, but killer tone IMHO. (Incidentally, that means In My Humble Opinion, in case you didn't know - like me!)

I give rate it an 8 for sound, but that would be a 10 if I had full power output and a vintage speaker!

I don't really 'gig' per se, but I would feel comfortable taking it to a coffee shop night. It's not loud enough for anything else. I give it a 9 for reliability. After all it is 40 years old and all original. The only real 'problem' was a blown speaker.

n/a

I look at it like this: $50 amp. $16 speakers. $30 tubes. That's $96 for a fairly clean, vintage 1962 hand-wired tube amp - that works! Maybe I was just lucky but still give it a 9 for overall value.

A very basic, simple all tube amp, with two channels, each with volume, and bass/treble, or tone, along with a vibrato channel. Tubes are 2x6v6, 2x12ax7, 5y3, and 6sh7(for vibrato). Cardboard cab, white chicken knobs, dark blue tolex/ampegish looking grill cloth. Came with 1965 CTS alnico 12"speaker. Runs I think about 12-15 watts, particularly after my tech replaced the dying transformer, with an upgrade. Came with NOS tubes. Tech tells me its a 65.

This is one heck of an inexpensive vintage tube amp that I use for amplified harp. Sounds alot like my techs 50s Fender tweed deluxe, except a lot, lot cheaper. With the cardboard cab it just seems it wouldn't sound this good, but it does. My tech was pretty pleased after it was recapped, and upgraded transformer, same here. Counting purchase price($80), recap, transformer, my total cost is $200. I had heard about the Harmony line of Valco? amps, made in Chicago. I had heard this particular model would make a great harp amp, it does. What a bargain. Creamy overdrive, quiet after cap job, again very tweed deluxish sound, a great low/lower mid watt blues amp. Guitar sounds great through this amp also.

As long as you dont sit on it, and you have it serviced, its reliable. I will gig with it some, though so far have only rehearsed. I have a great tech. Harmony went out of business years ago. I have two other old vintage amps, a 63 Ampeg Reverberocket, and 60 tweed Gibson GA-18 Explorer.

Warranty, ha, ha!! Who cares.

Been playing about 29 years, semi pro over 20. Played in a regionally popular string band for about 14 years, but got into blues about 10 years ago, retired from string band, have played in several local blues bands, and play in Christian group on Sundays at our Methodist church. Have couple other amps already mentioned, also old Shure green bullet, and Astatic JT30 harp mics., and Maxon AD80 Analog delay pedal. Not a tech, but happy with what I know about tube amps, overall sound related to amplified(and non-amplified)harp. As to amps for harp players,I stick with simple circuits,prefer 6v6, or 7591 power tubes, avoid modern high gain complicated amps, and if you arent a tech, make sure you find a good one. The Harmony 306A is a real sleeper. Very affordable great sounding amp, BUT after buying these old amps, plan to often spend on average $100-$200 to get them sounding great, though sometimes that isnt the case.