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  #1  
Old 03-09-2021, 02:48 PM
brent635 brent635 is offline
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Question Harmony H2415 headstock graphics?

I purchased a Harmony H2415 archtop to restore. I'm rather stoked about it, being a solid pressed spruce top and solid birch back and sides. Even with the heavy coating of varnish it has good tone.

Someone f'fixed it' in the past; they put a screw in the heel, and sanded down the body and varnished everything (even the rosewood fingerboard), and all branding has been removed. She'll look, play, and sound great when she's restored.

Does anyone know what the peghead graphics would have been for this model?

Anything else you can tell me about this model?


Last edited by brent635; 03-09-2021 at 05:11 PM. Reason: Added image
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  #2  
Old 03-09-2021, 08:07 PM
darkwave darkwave is offline
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I believe that is a wooden wartime tailpiece? I've heard that those were tone killers, and if you wanted to replace it with a heavier metal one you'd get more volume and better tone out of it.

I've got a 60's Patrician (pressed spruce with mahogany back & sides) myself. The body and F-holes are identical, but my headstock is wider. I'm thinking yours might have been one of the Silvertone branded ones?

-Douglas C.
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Old 03-10-2021, 05:19 AM
brent635 brent635 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by darkwave View Post
I believe that is a wooden wartime tailpiece? I've heard that those were tone killers, and if you wanted to replace it with a heavier metal one you'd get more volume and better tone out of it.

I've got a 60's Patrician (pressed spruce with mahogany back & sides) myself. The body and F-holes are identical, but my headstock is wider. I'm thinking yours might have been one of the Silvertone branded ones?

-Douglas C.
My plan is to put a spacer under the tailpiece to keep it away from the top and see how that sounds. I also have a steel tailpiece, so I'll try each and compare. Thanks for the information Douglas!
Does your Patrician compare well to modern archtops?

Last edited by brent635; 03-10-2021 at 05:20 AM. Reason: reworded
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Old 03-10-2021, 05:02 PM
darkwave darkwave is offline
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I love my Patrician, but that is after I learned to love it for what it was (not trying to believe it was something else). It never sounded that great acoustically, and I have an Eastman that fits that role much better. It's a "color" instrument for me, and it currently is partway through a transition to having cut-in pickups (sorry everybody).

This one was in decent shape when I got it online, but it turns out that was because the neck was loose for much of its life. I reset the neck, re-carved the neck shape, re-fretted it, and put on a new bridge. The neck is still huge, but a bit more manageable and it plays great now. It was part of my journey in learning about old archtops and what they did, and I'm glad it is in my stable even though it's been through some significant changes...

-Douglas C.
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Old 03-12-2021, 06:37 PM
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ArchtopLover ArchtopLover is offline
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Congratulations on the beautiful Harmony archtop . I had that sweet looking piece on my eBay watch list and decided not to bid at the last minute. I have too many archtop restoration projects right now and I'm falling behind.

Nevertheless, IMO an Ebony tailpiece is not a tone killer. Many of the top builders use this traditional material. You should keep it. I think it looks great. It will need a pickguard though, and I would suggest a white or off-white/cream color single-ply. Should look real sweet when you're done.

I don't know exactly what the headstock graphics looked like from this period, but you can do a cursory Google search and see quite a few photographs to make a comparison. Also, Harmony guitar replacement headstock water slide decals are readily available on eBay and are easy to apply.

Send us some pics as you progress.
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Old 03-14-2021, 12:31 PM
brent635 brent635 is offline
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Originally Posted by ArchtopLover View Post
Nevertheless, IMO an Ebony tailpiece is not a tone killer.
I wonder if the ebony tailpieces were tight to the top originally? Mine had the underside filed at the back to make it angle up away from the top. But if the tailpiece was tight to the top over its full length, perhaps it would kill the tone?

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Originally Posted by ArchtopLover View Post
Send us some pics as you progress.
Be careful what you wish for...
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Old 03-14-2021, 01:35 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brent635 View Post
I wonder if the ebony tailpieces were tight to the top originally? Mine had the underside filed at the back to make it angle up away from the top. But if the tailpiece was tight to the top over its full length, perhaps it would kill the tone?


Be careful what you wish for...
Probably not, unless it was installed incorrectly. Having the underside filed, to angle the tailpiece up, toward the bridge saddle is correct. The best volume and tone is achieved when as much of the top is free to move, or vibrate as possible, without coming into contact with any hardware. So, having any portion, or part of, the tail-piece in contact with the sound board would be a bad thing, since it would dampen the sound or cause a buzz. So yes, you are correct, if the tailpiece were to touch the top, that would be a tone killer.
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1918 Gibson L-1
1928 Gibson L-4 (Blond w/Ebony Fret-board)
1930's Kalamazoo KG-32
1930's Gretsch F-50
1934 Gibson L-7
1934 Gibson L-50 (KG-11/14 Body Shape)
1935 Gibson L-50 (Flat-back)
1935 Gibson L-30 (Flat-back)
1942 Gibson L-50 (WWII Banner Head)
1948 Gibson L-50
1949 Epiphone Blackstone


"a sharp mind cuts cleaner than a sharp tool"
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Old 03-14-2021, 02:18 PM
darkwave darkwave is offline
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We should probably be clear that there is a distinction between the wartime Harmony wooden tailpiece and the Sacconi-style ebony tailpiece that Benedetto uses. Very different mounting methods. I haven't played a wartime Harmony, but have talked with people who conveyed the sentiment I shared. The truth is - it only matters if it matches up with what YOU are looking for, since tastes and styles vary so much.

It is my understanding that Eastman originally introduced their archtops with two tailpiece options (metal and Sacconi) and the ebony tailpiece was vastly more popular, due to the aesthetic. The current Eastman "wooden" tailpiece is actually a metal one with a wood façade to get the best of both worlds (in their eyes).

That Silvertone is a fun guitar with cool character - put it to good use and enjoy it!

-Douglas C.
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  #9  
Old 03-15-2021, 05:25 AM
Howard Emerson Howard Emerson is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brent635 View Post
I purchased a Harmony H2415 archtop to restore. I'm rather stoked about it, being a solid pressed spruce top and solid birch back and sides. Even with the heavy coating of varnish it has good tone.

Someone f'fixed it' in the past; they put a screw in the heel, and sanded down the body and varnished everything (even the rosewood fingerboard), and all branding has been removed. She'll look, play, and sound great when she's restored.

Does anyone know what the peghead graphics would have been for this model?

Anything else you can tell me about this model?

Here is all you'll need to know about your Harmony from Jake Wildwood Guitars:

https://jakewildwood.blogspot.com/20...op-guitar.html

Regards,
Howard Emerson
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  #10  
Old 03-21-2021, 05:59 PM
brent635 brent635 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Howard Emerson View Post
Here is all you'll need to know about your Harmony from Jake Wildwood Guitars
Thanks Howard.
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  #11  
Old 03-21-2021, 06:30 PM
brent635 brent635 is offline
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I stripped the neck today. The fingerboard was stained black for some reason and then varnished.
Now it looks like rosewood again.

Does this look like mahogany? I'm not sure what the neck material is, but this is the headstock bare wood (it's one piece, head, neck and heel).
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  #12  
Old 08-07-2021, 02:19 PM
brent635 brent635 is offline
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Refinished, electrified:

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  #13  
Old 08-28-2021, 09:00 AM
Petespix Petespix is offline
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Nice job!!!
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