This Harmony H-75 is a great example from early 1962. The H-75 to H-78 series of instruments were the flagship models of the Chicago-based guitar maker, representing an attractive blend of affordability and premium craftsmanship. This high-end Harmony guitar features the much-loved gold foil pickups, which produce a thick yet sparkly tone. Three separate pickup selector toggles, along with three individual volume and tone knobs, provide access to a highly customizable array of sounds.
There were four variants of this model available at the time, numbered from H-75 to H-78. The H-75 was sunburst with a "harp" tailpiece; the H-76 was sunburst with a B3 Bigsby tailpiece; the H-77 was cherry sunburst with a harp tailpiece; and the H-78 was cherry sunburst with a B3 Bigsby tailpiece. This H-75 came with the harp tailpiece but had a B6 Bigsby installed later. It wasn't uncommon for these guitars to have a Bigsby installed prior to sale, depending on availability. The original harp tailpiece is included with the guitar.
The quality of this guitar is evident when playing. The neck profile is somewhat thick, with a fair amount of material on the shoulders—similar to a '50s Gibson profile, but a little slimmer. Combine that with the binding and block inlays, and you'd be forgiven for thinking you had a golden-era Gibson in your hands. The giveaway would be the tone emitted from the gold foil pickups. The added chime and clarity open up a world of possibilities, from surf and garage to hard rock and jazz. Daniel Quine Auerbach from the Black Keys has famously played an H-78 (cherry sunburst with Bigsby) for many years.
One thing great playing vintage guitars often have in common is that they have been played a lot. There is plenty of evidence of that on this guitar, with several modifications to maximize the functionality of this instrument. The bridge has been replaced with a Gibson ABR-1 style adjustable bridge, a brass nut has been installed, and Schaller tuners have been added. These modifications make for a guitar that holds its tune very well, even with aggressive Bigsby use. The action is good, with a very slight neck relief and 2.3mm action at the 12th fret.
The neck and bridge pickups have a very healthy output of 11k and 12k ohms, respectively; however, the middle pickup is reading a very low resistance of 1.37 megohms and would likely need to be rewound. The neck volume pot shaft is also partially snapped. Luckily, the original volume knob is still with the guitar, as these are hard to find.
This is an affordable, high-quality vintage instrument that plays and sounds fantastic.
Brand: Harmony
Model: H-75
Year: 1962
Country: USA
Case: HSC
Serial: 1XXX
Colour (Body): Sunburst
Colour (Neck): Sunburst
Finish Type: Nitro
Body Material: Laminated maple
Fretboard Material: Brazilian Rosewood
Nut Material: Brass
Scale Length: 24"
Fret Number: 20
Neck Radius: 12"
Action: 2mm at 12th fret
Neck Profile: D profile
Nut Width: 44.3mm
12th Fret Width: 48.7mm
1st Fret Depth: 22.6mm
12th Fret Depth: 25.1mm
Pickups: Original gold foil
Resistance: Neck = 11k, Middle 1.37Meg, Bridge = 12K
Electronics: Original
Knobs: Original
Pickguard: Tortoiseshell 4 ply
Hardware: Chrome/Gold
Mods, repairs: B6 Bigsby, Schaller tuners, one half broken pot shaft
Weight: 3.34kg
