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LISTING UPDATE - Restoration to be Completed Listing - fully restored price to be confirmed & on request - meantime, showing photos of this guitar prior to restoration, as it came to me, but bearing in mind that we are in the process of fitting a replacement top, and that it will not be possible to replicate the original "Faux-Flame" to the finish..
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More details to be added as restoration proceeds.
Stock Number: VTG1402.
Superb classic Harmony Archtop Acoustic Guitar, the most popular model from the long-produced Monterey range, originating from around 1937 through to the early '70s, and the "Family" of Harmony archtops, again commencing in the late 1930s, including the Broadway, Master and Cremona models.
Model: Monterey H950: Indicated by Harmony Guitars Database to have been in production for probably the longest period of any Harmony model, from 1938 to 1972....almost the whole length of the period in which the any Monterey models appeared. Visual records of the hands into which these guitars made their way include those of Elvis!
Date: Usual Harmony ink date stamp is not visible on this guitar, but the headstock style would indicate a date during the 1950s.
Construction: Original Solid Woods to the Back & Sides. Professionally made Replacement Top being fitted was not available in sold timber, so is made from 3-ply Maple, therefore with very similar appearance and sound characteristics (in The USA sellers frequently refer to Birch built guitars as Maple!). On fitting the top will be bound to as near as is possible match the original, but finish will have to be a plain red sunburst, rather than the Faux Flame original finish of the rest of the body. Some past applied over-finish to the sides will be removed and made good.
Scale Length: 25 1/4"/642mm. Nut Width: ! 3/4"/44.5mm.
On completion of restoration this will be a fully playable archtop guitars with the character that can only come from a true vintage guitar.
More details to be added as restoration proceeds.
Guitar appears to be all original, except for the need to replace the damaged top with a professionally made and finished new one, and the restoration of a standard wooden floating bridge of original type, in place of the metal tune-a-matic it came with..
Currently awaiting available workshop time in order to commence restoration work.
More details will be added when possible.
On completion we will be looking for a good action at 12th. fret, at around 2.5mm./3mm.
I will fit temporary string set initially for set-up purposes, prior to fitting new set to choice, or default option of Martin bronze Light/12 or Retro Monel 12s.
No case included, but I can offer a choice of vintage covered pressed fibreboard case...not original to the guitar, probably later '50s/'60s type, but similar to the type supplied with these guitars when new. Not exactly what we would regard as a fitted case now, naturally with some wear & tear commensurate with age, and offering limited protection to the guitar, or I should be able to supply an industry standard modern hardshell case, Hiscox Liteflite or PRO-11, at modest additional cost.
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**** YOUTUBE ****
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Embedded clip entitled "1950s Harmony H950 Monterey archtop guitar" by the ever invaluable Jake Wildwood, with Additional Link #1 to the corresponding article in Jake's excellent blogspot resource.
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