Harmony H78

This guitar continues to suprise! I have been playing for 37 years and own a few very expensive guitars but this little 500.00 h78 has a beautiful curly maple cherry finish with more tone choices than anyone could possibly need. Plug it in and go!

I am very happy with the sound. Many players go for years looking for the tone they like. This one has the variety at an unbelievable price! I can't really believe that they are so cheap. I may get another one to sit on till these guys catch on. I used it last week at a gig and it blew my 67 Ricky away! (a 2000.00 guitar!) I hooked up an old fuzz face like Hendrix used. There it was! That SOUND! I never liked the fuzz face (I bought it in 1970) but now??? WOW! I played very lightly and got the fattest distorton I have ever heard! For clean rock and roll it is pure Beatles. Again, that SOUND you hear on the first few early Beatles albums. Its all here. As far as rock sound? The bigsby stays perfectly in tune. I used it last week for Rebel Yell. It rocks just fine! (hate to admit I do that song, but at my age it is fun to scream it out-poor Billy though!! LOL) Mine is a single cutaway, looks great sounds better! Get one!!

Old guitars need a little TLC. But at this price, go ahead and learn how to do it yourself! I lack confidence in setting a guitar up, but I did some work on moving the bridge and setting the action. It plays perfect! The pickups really are amazing! Not as loud as a Gibson, but so what? Just crank the amp a bit and it sounds just as good as an overpriced Gibson! Nice curly maple wood in a cherry burst finish. IMO much nicer than the new stuff. Can't get the old world wood anymore!

Its old so it may need work down the road. I always gig with 3 guitars. I like to bring something new to a gig and I use all guitars I own. Acoustic and electric. For me it is part of the fun of gigging live. Having said that, this H78 is 39 years old and I have total confidence it it!

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I really love this guitar. I trust it! Been playing for 37 years. I own a Casino, Ricky, Strat, Tele, and various vintage guitars. This H78 is as good as anything I have played including a Gibson box. The only thing I "hate" is that I did not have the insight to get one new!! I just saw a 68 go for 575.00. This is soooooo cheap for the quality! Forget those Tele/strats and get a Harmony!

1968 U.S.A Harmony H78

The Sound whether clean or crunch is awesome. I use a 60 watt tube half stack.

Excellent. One flaw, I had to take it to a Luthier to adjust the bridge settings to get rid og the buzz on the G string.

The finish is original and was a little dirty, but a lite polishing brought it back to a gleam.

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What is so amazing about this purchase is that the store wanted $599.00 for the used H78 which was hiding in the back portion of the store. I then told the young salesman that I would have to clean it, get the buzz out of the G string, and fing a hardshell case for it. (Although it came with the original cardboard case that is in mint condition.) I then proceeded to tell him I could offer him $250.00 for it in cash if he could get the approval from his manager. After about ten minutes, he came back and the manager had said to him: "Yeah, that's fine this guitar has been sitting here for two years now anyway, and this is the first person who has even shown an interest in it." And so off I walked with a nearly mint condition Harmony H78. (!_!)

See previous posts for the Particulars. What you have here, is a gift from heaven. Semihollow thinline with 3 pickups, Bigsby, Cherry finish and a neck that can't be beat. When polished, anyone would have to say that it is the most beautiful electric guitar you have ever seen.
I started playing guitar at 11 years old in 1965 on a japanese Kent solidbody and got hooked. My father bought me the H-78 in 1966 and was ecstatic. In 1968, my guitar teacher stole it and never had it again until 2005, and bought it on Ebay for $775.00. IT WAS WORTH IT.

Regarding sound, its really up to personal taste. And when you get right down to it, thats all that matters. With the DeArmond pickups, no, they are not as strong as my Gibsen 345, but so what. The entire sound of this semi hollow with the 3 pickups are unique, warm and as various as your taste. Plug in your toys and you'll have unlimited sound and variety.

The action on the neck is absolutely phenominal. Yes, a Strat has a little faster neck because its thinner, but again, so what. When I played it again, after all these years, I just closed my eyes and let my fingers do the talking. Even though this is not my original (it would be nice though if it was)the body and neck fits on you as if it was part of you. I think other owners would agree with that fully. And that in itself is a very unique thing. I can't say that about any other guitar I've ever owned.

After 40 years, this EBAY purchase was amazing. The guitar withstood the test of time, as well as the shipping. INCREDIBLE!!! And they called this a cheaper guitar? Not by a long shot.

Obviously, there isn't any.

Like I said before, been playing since 1965, had numerous guitars, and all through my pre-CBS Fender amps. I've stayed with the Gibsen 345 since 1974. When the H-78 arrived, it had some string buzz, which didn't bother me at all. Hey, after 40 years, all it needs is a fret job? I wish my wife was that easy to please. Even that supposed Chipboard case is still going strong...I'm just simply amazed at that in particular.
In closing, you cant buy a better playing, better looking guitar at any price.

Look at the last posts for all the details. A thinline guitar with 3 GREAT pickups and lots of switches to get almost any sound you want. A REAL bigsby trem. Shitty little knobs.

I had a few Gibsons, gretches and Guilds that were sold after buying this guitar. Why pay over $1000 for a name brand when this guitar will not only sound the same but even better? From Rockabily to jazz this guitar does it all. It may not be Gibson quality or collectability but it kicks Gibsons *ss when you hear it. It has the same switchcraft switches and pots as a Gibson and the neck, oh so sweet. Because it's bolt on, you can insure it can be adjusted without big $$$ if you need too. Try that with a set neck and you will need another job just to pay for it.

Mine is a 1967 and it is in great shape. All the binding is still there, yellow and real pretty. The finish is still good and no major problems. The neck paint is gone which shows that it was really played and yet still has the org. frets which are in good shape. The tunners could be better but do a decient job. So for a 40 year old guitar, it's passed the test. This model sold for $300 in 1967 which would be about $1,200 today. Top of the line Harmony.

No problem. 40 years old and still going.

I have been playing over 40 years and have owned a guitar store worth of guitars from high dollar to crap. I currently have 31 guitars and this is my second favorite. My first is a Harmony H-48 stratotone with a single pickup, custom shop made with curly maple wood. If you find any of the Harmonys H-72 to H-78 or block inlay Stratotones buy them. They are one of the most under rated guitars in the world but people are catching on and the prices are going up. Any Harmony guitar with block inlays is a great guitar. Don't buy the dot inlay models because they are not worth it. It seems that Harmony made sure the quality went in on all the block inlay guitars and if not for poor advertising, would have given gibson, Guild and Gretch a run for their money.

Features 3 DeArmond pickups(stamped1965) with the diamond covers that sound great clean or just a bit of overdrive from a small tube amp. Each pickup has it's own large toggle switch and tone and volume control giving this guitar lots of flexibility as to playing styles. It was the top of the line in the 1966 Sears catalogue.

Each DeArmond pickup has it's own unique sound, but only the bridge position sounds good when using lots of distortion on a loud amp. There is so much natural rich harmonics that distorting them muddies the sound. That makes it perfect for traditional blues and R&B in my case. The neck position is very full sounding with very responsive dynamics, that is, the harder you play, the louder it sounds. I set the middle pickup's controls for an acoustic sound that is bit low on presence, but very rich. DeArmonds don't all sound the same, but they always sound good with the inherent noise you get with any old single coil. This model is perfect for Rockabilly, Jazz, Country, 50's & 60's Blues and R&B.

The hollow body archtop is finished in a cherry sunburst and is very wore and chipped all over and the body was split open 3/8 inch around the output jack when I bought it 9 years ago. Well used, well abused, it looked as though Ike Turner used it to beat Tina. When I bought it it had Grover type replacement tuners, a factory stock Bigsby tremolo tailpiece but was missing all the little clear plastic control knobs and pickguard. Scotty's music here in St. Louis glued it back together, set the action for me, and dressed the frets. I played it in this condition for the next 4 years as my only guitar until I bought a Gibson Lucille, but has remained in service as my main "wanking around the house" instrument. Recently, Delta Strings (St. Louis) dressed the frets and set it up for me and it plays better than ever-they even threw in a set of the hard to find control knobs!

It's obvious the highest quality of craftsmanship and instrument technology of the era went into this instrument. Through all the apparent abuse and neglect of not being stored in a case, the hardware is functional with little pitting on the plated parts, the body and neck are beat, but straight and stable. It has a character of it's own, is very playable over long sessions, and have never played it out. I would if I wasn't so spoiled by my Lucille's super sweet sound and reliability to stay in tune after much aggresive lead playing. That's not bad!-I'm rating the H78 next to the "top of the line" Gibson!

Well, Sears doesn't sell guitars anymore and Harmony is not the same company it once was. The name was just bought by some cheap generic manufacturer some years back. I got all my help from the local shops I reley on- Scotty's Music and Delta Strings in St Louis or info from the internet. The guitar is built so well built and straight forward, I do most the maitenace myself with much satisfaction.

Nothing compares to the playability of a well crafted archtop or thinline. The prices on a comparable new instrument would run you around $2000 and on the collectible market a like new vintage model $1200 up to ? Check eBay for going prices, and ask many questions if you think you found a winner.

1965 Three Single Coil extremely HOT! HOT! DeArmond Pickups, made in USA. Laminated thin body archtop. Individual volume and tone controls for each pickup, individual off/on pickup switches. Bolt on neck, beautiful mother of pearl block inlays. Tortous Shell pickguard, and tortous shell switch plates, and nut cover. Bigsby with floating bridge. My guitar is all stock, and practically mint. Neck plays extremely smooth, action is low, is set up perfectly. Does not go out of tune with the Bigsby. I believe it is because this guitar sat in some closet for 30+ years with the original heavy type strings on it and it set the bridge perfectly, so it doesn't slide around easily.

Because of the individual pickup switches you can get tons of tone from this guitar. My favorite is the rockabilly Setzer Gretsch growl. You can make her quack like a strat, you can get deep Jazz tones, you can have all the blues sound you want. I'm telling you these pickups are awesome. If you are looking for more reviews check out Silvertone three pickup archtops. If Will Ray of the Hellecasters likes them I sure do. These are Harmony's top of the line. They truly are a poor man's Gretsch, sounds as good or better than most 6120 Gretsch's I ahve played.

Mine was perfect, intonation was right on the money. No fret buzz, etc. It was set up, I assume from the factory 35+ years ago. Stayed in a closet, and when she came out she was still set up perfectly. I put on light top heavy bottom strings.

She's still here after 35+ years!

Check out www.broadwaymusicco.com/broadway.htm
VERY HELPFUL HARONY GUITAR INFO SITE

40+ years playing. I have owned several guitars, Strats, Teles, Gibson ES models, Imports, all kinds, and until now never really gave Harmony guitars a look. I'm looking at them a lot more now. I want a Sillouette H19 looks like a Jaguar or Mustang with a Hagstrom vibroto tailpiece. If you know of one let me know. I really love this H78. If it were stolen or lost I would be majorly depressed. These are truly under valued, mainly because Harmony was known mostly for low end budget guitars. They did make some nice guitars.

US made 1967 by Harmony, similar to the H-75, H-76 and H-77. The best guitar that Harmony ever produced. I had an original 1965 that I bought for $250 when I was 12; it was stolen in 1982 and I found this on ebay to replace it. This was Harmony's attempt to enter the "big boy's" guitar market- it was their version of an ES-335, it it has a unique character that makes it stand up in it's own right. They made this guitar OEM for many distributors; my original was a "Regal," distributed as Fender's entry-level line; this one was made for sale through the Heathkit catalog, hence "Hrmony by Heathkit" is inscribed into the beautiful, 3-ply laminated tortoiseshell headstock.

I had this newer guitar virtually rebuilt by Eric Miller of Hands-On Guitars in Olympia, Washington <handsonguitars@junocom>. Eric poured an incredible amount of energy and love into the project, and the result is a beautiful, unique instrument that I will take with me into the next life! [Modifications noted in brackets.]

20 frets.

3 DeArmond/Rowe single coil pickups with an on/off, volume and trebele control for each- giving 7 possible pickup combinations.

Double cutaway Thinline body is very nice maple throughout. It even sounds fairly nice without an amp! 5-ply binding on the body and 3 ply on the headstock with gorgeous old '60s tortoise shell on the headstock and pickguard.

Thin neck with Rosewood fingerboard.

Gorgeous Harmony "warm cherry tone" finish has stood up incredibly well through the 34 years.

Original tuners- dual 3-inline Klusons (possibly copies). Replaced these with individual Pings.

Original bridge- standard Harmony wooden floating bridge with plastic insert. See below.

"Treu Bigsby" vibrato installed as original equipment.

The original guitar shipped with a cheap chipboard case. I replaced that with an ES-335 hardshell, in which it fits nicely.

This is a great- and pretty unique- guitar in today's market. It has an extremely wide range, but is most adept at approaching Rickenbacker and mid-50s Gretch tones- everything from Duane Eddy to George Harrison stuff. A GREAT "Beatles" guitar, especially when teamed with a blackface Fender or Vox amp.

It's also a top-notch blues and trad jazz (i.e., not fusion) guitar.

For a single-coil instrument, it's pretty well shielded. [Eric enhanced this a bit, but he said it was surprising how quiet it was.]

The only shortcoming is the thin body tends to feed back pretty easily in high-volume situations.

My original 1965 model was set up decently, but a little adjustment made great improvement. This 1967 model had been ignored and slightly abused, and the adjustmets and fretjob from Hands-On made this an incredibly easy to play instrument. [New high-rounded fretwires and Eric's 3 weeks of neck treatments make this incredibly easy to play. Eric's managed to give this formerly entry-level guitar the straighteset neck I have ever seen on any instrument, period!]

All three pickups have individually adjustable pole pieces, so after adjustment the tone is consistent throught the playing range of the guitar.

As originally shipped, the Bigsby was mounted a bit north of it's proper position. Eric re-mounted it properly.

The original tuners on this guitar were always suspect. Dual 3-inline Klusons (possibly copies). I replaced these with individual Pings, which are a good tuner in the Schaller mold.

The original bridge was not up to snuff- that standard all-wood with plastic inster floating Harmony bridge that's on virtually every one of their guitar. Not a good match for the "true Bigsby" tailpiece, so I had Eric replace it with a Tune-O-Matic using custom cut Graphex saddles- not it even holds tune pretty well when using the Bigsby, and has a slightly brighter tone than original.

Eric replaced the original bone nut, which was badly cut, with a new one and mounted it in such a way that it looks totally original. (I can't say enough about Eric's work. He simply loves guitars.)

The rating for the guitar is for AFTER the Hands-On Guitars restoration- the original factory shipment woiuld be a 4.

This guitar has stood up well for for 33 years- and with Eric's mods I fully expect it to last forever!

Harmony's been out of business for over 25 years. No matter. I now considre iot a "Hands On Guitar," and Eric is very responsive.

I've been playing since 1961, and my 1965 H-78 was the first electric I ever had. When it was stolen in 1982, I switched to primarily playing my '76 Rickenbacker 4001 bass (you never forget your first love, right?) When I had the chance to replace it last year I jumped at it. Much of my playing style is based on having grown up with this guitar, and with the Hands-On restoration, I finally have this baby back in my life again! Ain't life grand?