Harmony Broadway

Used Broadway was gifted to me. Nice early 60's- USA made axe. Quality Hi-gloss Sun burst looks new. Tail piece, adjustable saddle on moveable bridge are evidence of ahead of its time design. Solid top, with white binding accented in black dots. Orig tuners are smooth and retuning daily is not nec even with daily play. Neck very comfortable for size 9 glove hands. Age spots easily removed with 2000 grit sand paper, and easily polished to its original Hi-Gloss finish. For features and eye appeal, it is an 8.

It is my opinion that guitar sound quality can only be understood when compaired to the sound of other known guitars. Compaired to my Yamaha FG 180 Nippon Gakki, the Harmony produces clean sound in all sound ranges, as does the Yammy. The Harmony has nice true deep lows, and doesnt over power its own mid or high range sound. The 180 has a deeper low quality, making it more mellow. Harmony volume can easily be heard without pickups. Country, Blues, Love Ballards and some Jazz are well done with the Harmony. THE HARMONY IS NOT TINNY SOUNDING..It is not a Martin, or Gibson. It sounds better than many $800 new guitars on the market today (5/06), and it is 40+ yrs old.. No dislikes...I would miss it alot if lost. It is my house, and music-lesson guitar. I disagree with sound ratings of previous owners, but then again, what were they comparing their Broadway to?

Neck reset and Action is now closer to low than med.. 40 yrs old so no factory set-up rating here. No buzzing. Arch top had two razor type cuts in it, one went through the sound board. My Luthier has Gold hands..professionally repaired..and of course they are visible, but do not compromise the sound quality in any way.. Finish is fabulous..wood grain, sun burst, decorative binding and Hi gloss finish are superb. Neck and Fret reset, professionally done, looks like new again.. A ding here and there for 40+yrs give it charachter
you cant buy, for any money..

Live play OK. Stays in tune nicely.. small dab of machine oil on tuner cams...twice a yr..and all is well with original tuners..all brass. Finish is like Pink Rabbit..still going... after 40+yrs. It is very dependable..and when called upon to sound off..it does. Each time I use it, it has a redeeming sound quality that is never boring, and I practice daily with it. Never thought of using it as a back up..it is one of my 6 or 7 house acoustic choices.. First choice for county music acoustic with or without a pick. I take care of it...it takes care of me...

If you had a luthier like I do..you would have no need for the factory. I acquired my Broadway used, but in well taken care of condition.. Broadway is now 40+ yrs old.. No warranty in effect.. And let me add a personal note about repairs or warranty issues. Find a really good luthier.. every time I need something done on any of my acoustics.. they are returned to me in better condition than any factory could ever do. No factory ever loved any guitar sent them, they just did what I paid to have done.. and that was prior to my using a luthier.
I can watch the luthier..and increase my knowledge of guitars and guitar repairs...cant do that with the factory..

playing guitar 2 yrs.... 9 yrs professional clarinet player
11 acoustics... replace if lost..
love looks and sound

'59 Harmony Broadway archtop, everybody knows the rest of the partslist....

I read another review that described this guitar as sounding "super mellow"....I don't think I could elaborate on that; a very deft description.

This was a cheap guitar in its day, and not much has changed since then! Log for a neck, non-comp bridge (walnut?), ultra crap tuners, and a tacky-even-for-the-fifties spray sunburst. The sound is mellow because you have to use a light string gauge, heavier strings will turn this axe into a cheese knife.

Conversation piece....PERIOD!!!!

Ha!

I won't go thru the list of my equip, because that is all moot. I won't use this guitar professionally, I bought it for a friend that is getting ready to retire, and speaks of the long lost Broadway of his youth. It is a gift, but it has a certain sound, I'll give you that.

Archtop, with pickguard and f holes. No electronics. Plastic tuners.

When I was 14(1986) I recieved this as a Birthday gift. I traded it in for a Fender Gemini 1 classical a few years later. I write this for sentimental reasons because it was the first guitar I ever had.

I was a red sunbirst color and they laughed at me when I took it out of the case for guitar class.

The neck was coming away from the body so the action was incredibly high.

With action that high one of two things would happen. Either I would become frustrated and quit or I would bulild the strength to make any other guitar seem like a breeze. The latter event took place.

When I pounded away at that jumbo body, smoke on the water sounded good.

The action sucked. But in retrospect, I wish I would have kept it for blues slide use.. I rember trying to lue the neck down once and my Dad tried to help me by suggesting to put a two inch woodscrew through the neck into the body.

Me being a fifteen year old, thought my Dad was stupid so I suffered more time with that guitar..Just another example of "If I would have only listened to Dad it would have saved me much grief".

WEAK NECK

MA

I owe a lot to the guitar because it was my first.

Tpday I own a variety of electric and acoustic guitars. I wish I would have kept it for use as a slide monster.

I would have put the screw like Dad suggested and probably would have added a funky pickup.

This instrument was made 1960-61 in USA
19 frets, 14 clear of neck
Laminated spruce acoustic archtop.16x19x3.1/2
25 1/2" noncutaway

no pick guard (yet)-I' looking
No case
No strap buttons

But--
Decent neck shape-not at baseball bat
rosewood fingerboard with serviceble fret job medium frets
no truss rod- can't put heavy strings on this one
cheap tuners

Nice wood on maple sides and back.
Nice sunburst finish. Looks very good.
Headstock was stencil spraypainted (when new--cheap now-yeech)
non-compensated bridge

This is decent for a cheap arch top, non-cutaway, this one is in great shape for a fourty three or fourty four years old

It's more or less ok but has a weak character compared to guitars
costing ten to thirty times more it had to replace :^(
Acoustically its fair (with electric strings its already behind)
for big band and rhythm, it almost has that magic tck-chingk,
put a pick-up on and no one but the player would notice.

And this was an entry level instrument! Wow have things changed!

This was a fourty year old guitar when I got it.
The set up is tolerable but not great
no truss rod, noncompensated bridge, marginal fret job
head applique spray painted with stencils!
No rust!
I'm lucky this thing made it this far! :^{)

This is currently my only guitar
it needs strap buttons
its an archtop. they are all fragile.
They will never forgive when you are stupid.
I can take this to affairs where people behave.
Otherwise borrow a cheap solid body.

not applicable
good luck with a fourty year old cheapy

playing 33yrs,
have a early 70's p-bass and 3/4 bass viol
This guitar is fine for an inexpensive USA archtop
it plays OK, no rattles, sounds ok, records ok

I like other all spruce arch tops (gibsons, 40's & 50's epiphone,
gretsch) better but couldn't afford to keep them.

I'm not playing professionally as a guitarist and the audience usually can't tell the difference in sound, anyway.

I'd get another one if this one were lost or badly damaged, if one could be found.

I would get strap buttons immediately, a hard shell case and
a floating pickup/pickguard early instead of waiting for months
like I've done

F hole Archtop Acoustic! Woods used: I really don't know? Solid top? Mine has all Cracked finished bought New in 1965 (Beatles influence) and still have it. Fingerboard n Bridge is Rosewood and match really nice-very no luster wood finish. Body looks very pleasing with a nice old hi-gloss finish-14 useable Frets 20 in all. Easy playing Neck if like me, you don't use your thumb otherwise may be a bit thick? Nothing really special going on here but I really like it. Nicely bound Body,pickguard--put together well. For what it cost me then and for what it is,I give it a 7

For an F hole it's fairly load and has a super mellow tone to it. I find it quite pleasing. Now it's an F hole so it's not going to sound like a Taylor. For what it is---8

I've played much better but no bad at all. Bone Nut would really help a lot on this Model. Haven't gotten around to installing it yet-long time Huh? I have no complaints here.

Had it since 65 so it does stand up Fine. It would be drowned out by other Quality Acoustics but it keeps on playing with not one problem.
Totally dependable!

Never used or needed it.

I would buy another one in person not off the Web. I have 4 Archtops and I really like this one's sweet seasoned tone. Not in the class or disign of a Martin,Taylor,Ovation for sound but if you play for/by yourself,you'll love it. A well made Guitar with some minor improvements and this is a nice Guitar. I find it best playing Blues rather than just boring Cords but not to great for picking fast. If you like the blues and are in a mellow mood---U'll like this!