Harmony h35 s-69

[Mark Trites]

Good day everyone. I am looking at purchasing a harmony h35 s-39 mandolin. Can anyone give me a decent price point and is this a good mandolin? It seems to be in very good shape, and comes with hard case. Thank-you for your time.
Mark

[MikeEdgerton]

You have two different Date codes here. That S-69 or S-39 denotes when it was built it is not part of the model number. That would be the "Second" half of 1939 or 1969. Two very different years decades apart. I'm going to assume the correct number is S-69 as this appears to be a Harmony batwing mandolin. Big on the cool factor, low on the tone factor. You'll look good playing it.

https://www.guitarscanada.com/index....n-s-69.127425/

Here is every thread with the term batwing in it on the cafe.

Here is every thread with the term H35 in it on the Cafe.

By the way, if that is the case in the picture that isn't a hard case, it's what is called a chipboard case.

[Mark Gunter]

Big cool factor to those old batwings, I'd like to own one myself.

[Mark Gunter]

One on the bay right now with about an hour to go. If I hadn't just laid out cash on the Collings . . .

It's at 164.50 + shipping

[mrmando]

The one the OP is looking at appears to be all there and in good shape. Bridge might be a replacement, which is not a bad thing because the original bridges on these can be terrible. Hard to tell i the photo because the strap is covering it up. That case is chipboard, not hardshell, but it is the original case.

In good condition these can bring six or seven bills, U.S.

The one on eBay needs a little work (glue up crack, replace tailpiece cover and nut).

[Mark Gunter]

The one on eBay needs a little work (glue up crack, replace tailpiece cover and nut).

Yeah, minor flaws, and I'd go a couple hundred if I could afford it right now.

[Mark Trites]

Thanks for the help guys, and the link to the mandolin on guitars Canada Mike. So for $500 is that a good pickup, or walk away?

[MikeEdgerton]

It isn't a smoking hot deal but it's not awful. A few folks played these but if you're actually looking for a mandolin you can play you can probably do better. Harmony has a lot more cachet with younger folks. For those of us that suffered through playing them in the 50's and 60's they really aren't attractive.

[mrmando]

Well, if you don't want it for $500 Canadian, I might...

[Dave Bradford]

One of those would sure go nice with this case:

[multidon]

Wow! I didn't know they made a case that fancy for those.

[MikeEdgerton]

I'm wondering if that was a custom case. I never saw one of those but I've seen the chipboard case for years.

[Timbofood]

The case out there doesn't look like anywhere near the caliber of anything I have seen from the harmony catalog, if I had a little money, I might be tempted, I have always thought they were kind of cool and the case would just be so much more fun!
I can just feel the "Yank Rachell" coming off the whole thing! I know, Yank's was electric but, I think the juju is still in the neighborhood!

[Mark Gunter]

I know, Yank's was electric but, I think the juju is still in the neighborhood!

Timothy, both the ones discussed above were electric, and both were '69 H35's - the one on eBay had a broken nut, a top plate crack at the top of the left f hole, and missing tailpiece cover. I have no idea what it ended up selling for. The other, I think, sold at Reverb.

The one I see in eBay now is the H8025, not an electric and is looking for a starting bid of $279.00. I think if I really wanted one, I'd probably hold out for the electric.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Harm...-/232281218200

[Timbofood]

Timothy, both the ones discussed above were electric, and both were '69 H35's - the one on eBay had a broken nut, a top plate crack at the top of the left f hole, and missing tailpiece cover. I have no idea what it ended up selling for. The other, I think, sold at Reverb.

The one I see in eBay now is the H8025, not an electric and is looking for a starting bid of $279.00. I think if I really wanted one, I'd probably hold out for the electric.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Harm...-/232281218200

That's the one I was talking about, Mark.

[mrmando]

I'm wondering if that was a custom case. I never saw one of those but I've seen the chipboard case for years.

If you're talking about the rectangular case on eBay, that's definitely a custom job.

[MikeEdgerton]

If you're talking about the rectangular case on eBay, that's definitely a custom job.

That would be the one. The chipboard cases were still being sold new on eBay 10 years ago.

[Dave Bradford]

One just hit the bay that looks a little rough but nicely priced and you can't beat that shipping cost!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Harm...3D112351218834