Harmony Archtone

Bought this guitar for it's cheap, rattle sound. I play Delta Slide and love the extra rattle I get with a metal slide. When played without a slide the volume is not really up to par... but damn does it scream and cry when a slide is applied!

The action is set up where I have enough room to play with a slide yet get just enough of the fret markers to create a buzzing sound. With out a slide the frets are silent with no buzz. Just the way it should be. I personally do not like the floating bridge. It MUST go back in the same exact spot in order to get the correct sound. From the bridge to the nut... the 12th fret should measure dead center. For anything else but slide this guitar would rank lower.

This guitar has taken a beating and is still in great shape. It gets played alot more than my other guitars due to the unique sound. New guitars and flat top guitars have a more clean sound. Blues is definetely not clean. You want emotion and character. As far as durability goes... if you take care of it... it will take care of you.

I've been playing Delta Blues for 12 years. I prefer older guitars (mostly from pawn shops).
Pawn shop guitars have the blues in them already. I also own a 1961 Airline acoustic and my pride and joy... a 1932 National steel bodied dobro Style O. I also built a 6 string cigarbox guitar (cigarboxguitar.com) and am in the process of making a guitar out of spare parts from an old electric guiar and a 5 gallon oil can (afri-can guitar).

The Harmony Archtone (model 1213) is vintage acoustic archtop. Its features are fine craftsmanship and solid wood. Mine was made sometime in the mid fifties; back in the days before laminated woods had become the main ingredient of inexpensive guitars. The Archtone has a solid-wood, spruce top, with solid (looks like) maple sides and back. Its components are the bare essentials: adjustable ebony bridge, a non-hinged formed sheet metal tail piece, three-in-line open-back Waverly tuners, and state-of-the-art space-age tortoise plastic pickguard with "Harmony" silk screened in white paint.
The bridge still adjusts easily, even after four decades. The frets are medium sized, not as large as I would like and not as small as some I've seen. They are worn, but still adequately playable.
The neck is broad with ample girth. It is NOT steel reinforced. Rather, the "V" profile of the neck is an essential element of its function. The fingerboard surface is table top flat, making it excellent for slide work. The tuners leave a lot to be desired. Even when new, these open-back type are marginally adequate. Those on my unit are badly worn. Replacement is the only option. There-in-line Kluson Customs are available again (I'm told they were not available for some time). The Kluson's are a nice improvement, are preserve the vintage appearance of the instrument.
In regards to options, I have recently seen a NOS (new old stock) Harmony S-72-M, which is a 1213 of later vintage equipped with a Kent bridge pickup. Note that the 60's vintage of the Archtone were simply identified as "(model) 1213" and have laminated tops. They also have a different headstock logo.
In brief, it was cheap. It still is cheap. And if you can find one in playable condition, it and some replacement components will cost something well under $200. No one makes 'em like this any more - not at any price.

Exactly what I was looking for. There's something really special about the sound of an acoustic archtop. Believe me, if you are lucky enough to try one of these properly set-up and with decent strings, you'll be impressed. Years ago, my guitar teacher always used a Harmony archtop during my weekly lessons. I believe his was a Broadway (an upscale version of the Archtone; same materials and construction, better tailpiece, nicer finish, same marginally adequate tuners). I absolutely loved the sound of that guitar. Once I had asked him if I could try it. But, to my extreme disappointment, my 10-year old hands were no match for the huge neck and bulbous cables that Slim used. The archtop's sound, nonetheless, made a lasting impression. More to the point, the Archtone produces ample volume and warm woody tone. It delivers like a dreadnought.

It measures a fraction shy of 16" at the large bout and is 3.375" deep. The nut width is 1.75", the string spread at the bridge is 2.375", and the string spacing is comfortably generous at the sweet spot just below the 20th fret (where the great woody tones live). I find it very comfortable to play. The neck width and string spacing are uniquely good for both plectrum and finger-style playing.
This guitar is clearly not for folks with small hands or short fingers. Very inexpensive then and now, this guitar was intended to be an entry level instrument. However, it is NOT suitable for a child. Ladies, unless you're the forward on the basketball team or have witch's fingers, I'd steer you away from one of these.
At present, mine is strung with Dean Markley 80/20 bronze; mediums (0.012 - 0.054). This is adequate-to-light for a guitar of this type. It had come strung with a set of 13's, and they were adequate. I just happened to have a spare set of 12's (for my Tacoma PM-15) handy. I believe that a set of 11's would be marginal; some of the tonal quality will be lost. A set of 10's is out of the question.
But, then again, 10's are for the beginner. If you're trying to work your way into an acoustic archtop, you might start with the set of 10's, practice aggressively every day, and gradually work your way up. An investment of time and ardent effort will pay a huge dividend in ability and range.
The finish is adequate. Any deviation from perfect is the result use. The painted-on binding is flawed only by years of abrasions and dings. I would have expected substantially more surface checking, but am pleased to report there are only two minor checks.
Apparently this unit never saw the inside of a case. The finish was dulled by 30+ years of dirt. I spent an hour cleaning it with flannel clothes, Ernie Ball's polish (the stuff that looks and smells like old oatmeal) and then later Smith's Guitar Polish (in the spray bottle; looks like runny Pepto-bismal, smells like Windex), and surprisingly there was luster under all crud.

Built to last. This guitar is approximately the same age I am and, arguably, in as good a shape. (Its not the time from the factory, its the mileage.)

Harmony went out of business a couple of decades ago; in the mid-70's. And, it seemed that for a number of years, you were pretty much on your own with one of these. However, as there are a substantial number of Harmony lovers out there, there has emerged via the miracles of Internet-based communications and commerce, a few enterprises dedicated to the providing parts and support for the preservation of Harmony-made instruments. These are bold individuals who have eluded the insidious trap of herd mentality. Persons gifted with eclectic tastes and sensible appreciation of real quality.

Great old guitar.
I have a life long love of Harmony-made guitars. (Not to be confused with foreign made guitars of recent vintage bearing the Harmony logo.) Harmony made a great affordable instrument. Even though they can now sell for many times what they originally cost, they're still cheaper than a lot of instruments available today. But more to the point, NO ONE makes anything like them today.
I've been playing since the 60's. My I oldest most favorite guitar is the Harmony Rocket my Dad bought for me in '67. I also have a Kay Archtop (all mahogany!), a Tacoma PM-15, a Samick acoustic/electric bass (and is it ever a strange but neat instrument), a Fernandes strat-o-copy and a Danelectro Baritone.
If it were lost or stolen, I'd buy another. In fact, I'll probably get at a few more just because availability is becoming an issue. My preference would be for a Broadway or Monterey, because they are up-scale models and are still relatively common place. A Hollywood -- a Broadway with a pick-up -- would be especially nice, but I haven't seen, or rather touched, one of these in years.