Quote:
Originally Posted by zombywoof
Although the Archtones were entry level archtops, the fingerboards on the H1213 and H1215 were not stained birch but maple which they grained to resemble rosewood. The one thing Harmony was really good at was graining tops to resemble spruce, faux-flame sides and such.
|
Based on first-hand experience I'm well aware of Harmony's use of stained-maple fingerboards on their low-/mid-price models during this period (my own Broadway boasted an unsealed "ebonized" maple board, that eventually succumbed to rot about the same time the neck finally went south, and an elementary-school classmate's Montclair was similarly appointed), but the OP photos give the impression of one of those all-in-one birch necks I recall seeing on certain entry-level instruments (a college bud also had an H1213 so equipped which I played extensively, and IMO the grain here looks more like birch than maple in the pics - YMMV). BTW I'm also a big fan of those faux finishes - a girl who was taking lessons at the same music school had a "TV blonde" with painted tiger flame that I thought was the coolest thing going...
Quote:
Originally Posted by beatcomber
I've never heard anyone who was around back in the day say anything positive about Black Diamonds, LOL!
Just for fun, I recently bought three sets of ancient shrink-wrapped Black Diamond flatwounds. (I'm half-tempted to try a set on my '64 Kay Speed Demon.)
 |
For several reasons - value, playability, potential damage - I'd just stick them in the case with your '64 Kay and use them as a conversation piece and touch of period-accurate vibe (trust me, you
don't want to play them
). FWIW several years ago I set up a gennie '58 LP (goldtop/darkback/PAF's) for a local nonagenarian who was no longer able to play, thanks to the Black Diamonds he had installed back in the day (FYI he also had two unopened sets in the case, along with a '50s Bobby Lee skinny strap - talk about period vibe); a set of D'A 12-52 flatwounds (comparable to what would have been OEM back in '58) and a bridge adjustment brought things back to spec - the smile on his face was priceless, and his grandkids have a "401(k)" heirloom that'll still rock the house...
