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NEW LISTING - 23/08/2024 *** Limited Restoration/Overhaul now completed, and set of completed photos now added. ***
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A number of other Harmony-made Stella models, under the various brand names originally sold are in stock, and can be ordered...... I regularly "pre-sell" my guitars, at the stage where I am still working on them, or even before starting, so I list some, not all, of the guitars waiting to come through the workshop, and welcome further enquiries, if you don't see what you are looking for, or for detailed information.
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Stock Number: VTG1480.

The Airline H8286 & H7026 models are of identical design and finish....the extent of production dates is not clear but certainly spanned the mid/late '50s, into the very early '60s, but are now scarce. The Airline brand guitars were made for Montgomery Ward, the US retail corporation, and the design is one I particularly like....to my eye recalling the vintage "deco/faux-finish" look of some 1930s guitars.

They are identical in construction to the iconic, long-running Stella H929 (1945-1970), with the same floating bridge/tailpiece configuration.

This particular example may have had some work carried out before it came to me, possibly including a neck reset...whether or not, the tested neck joint appears stable, and the angle is good, enabling the retention of full originality, avoiding the need for corrective action, which often includes fingerboard re-levelling, re-finishing and re-fretting.

It has the 1 3/4"/44.5mm. nut width, and 24.25" scale length which are standard for Harmony Stella guitars. The flat profile fingerboard has "deco" banded position markers, rather than the stencil painted ones typical of most Harmony Stella models.

Condition....entirely original...finish & colour as you would expect to find on a guitar of this type, at nearing 60 years old, that has been used....you know what they say about it being the good guitars that get played! Inevitably there is good honest edge wear, marking & localised finish loss to the painted bindings and other edges and minor surface chips/scratches, together with some finish loss to the deco fingerboard, but nothing ugly or detrimental for a vintage Stella.

.....meantime workshop overhaul/limited restoration now completed....

* Fingerboard overhauled, Original Thin Brass Frets retained, gently stoned/levelled, re-profiled, and polished. "Banded" Deco Fingerboard Finish retained....shows wear marking up to fret #4, but this is retained as the Maple fingerboard is hard, and is not "diveted"....the wear being just through the original factory finish.
Note: The alternative would have been to remove original frets (which was not needed, as they are not heavily worn) re-level the fingerboard (again not needed as no real unevenness)....it has been done before where these factors made it necessary, and the fingerboard finish re-applied, but in my view the 100% originality was better retained with the "good honest finish wear"!

* Also noted are a small area of previous filling on the treble side of the neck, and also small filled former screw holes (assumed from previous pickup attachment) either side of the soundhole, and treble side rear bout. Really minor cosmetically, and not of any concern structurally or playing-wise.

* Original Dyed Maple wooden nut has been adjusted and re-fitted.

* Original Dyed Maple one piece floating bridge/saddle retained as-is...colour faded from the original "Ebonised" finish looks great to me....I could have re-applied Ebony dye, but I think that it has a really good vintage/aged look as-is.

* Original tailpiece in good and sound condition....original sound black endpin matches tuner buttons.

* Machine head tuners are the original 3-on-a-plate sets, which typically of the '50s Waverly pattern tuners Harmony fitted have black buttons. Quite clean and bright for age, and working fine, with just very slight bend on two keys, not in any way affecting satisfactory operation. I have added vintage-type bootlace tuner ferrules/bushings, which were not factory installed until late in the '60s.

* One small detail missing....the "Airline" headstock name logo...replacement decals can be bought inexpensively, in either waterslide, vinyl or metal form, if buyer requires.

Action already spot-on for one of these shorter scale parlors at 2.75mm./3mm. @ 12th. fret. A set of 12-54 Light gauge Bronze set-up strings have been fitted....but other options may be available for delivery.

No case with the guitar, but I should be able to put it in and old period-type covered pressed board case (not necessarily a good/correct fit) or may be able to supply a Hiscox hard case with additional factory cushion pads fitted to hold the small body....please enquire.