Looking for info on Harmony mandolin

[ChuckS]

I recently purchased my first mandolin, a Harmony Monterey. Stenciled inside are 2 numbers: 699H417 and UV-S23. I gather that H417 is the model # and I'm curious about the rest. I'm also wondering about the year built, and other specs. For instance, the top looks like machine carved solid spruce but the edges of the f-holes are painted black which makes me think its plywood. Any info on this mandolin would be appreciated.

[Eric F.]

Congrats on joining our little world and welcome to the Cafe. I've found this (http://www.broadwaymusicco.com/HARMONY.htm) Web site to have a ton of information on all things Harmony. Good luck.

[Paul Hostetter]

The top would be heat-pressed, not carved. This is a very common misconception about Harmony. Their arched tops started life as a flat sheet that was put into a heated mold and pressed into an arch. Another misconception is that Harmonies were plywood. There may be a few exceptions, but their acoustics were always solid wood.

Got any photos? Is it like this?

http://www.jam.se/images/harmonymandolinbeg.jpg

If you see this look: http://media.vivastreet.com/v1/4/f/c/photo_264273.jpg

...you need to know the "curl" is actually painted on.

[HarmonyRexy]

Welcome, Chuck!

On your Monterey's headstock, does it say "Harmony" or does it say "Monterey"... or does it say "Harmony Monterey"? Does it say anything else on the headstock like "est. 1892" or anything like that?
Is the lettering the block-style that Paul had shown in his example above?
You're right about the H417 as the model number indicating the Monterey model. On the really old ones... and then again in more 'modern' times, there was not a marking on the headstock showing the model. Usually, they had the script Harmony on them.

Where'd you get your new baby? Did they have any idea about the age? Did they have any interesting story about the mandolin?

You're probably guessed that I like the old Harmony models that I played when I was a teenager and in college.... and now as a person in my "50s, these mandolins have a special charm for me.
I even named my business "Harmony" and hung my collection of vintage Harmonys on the office wall.

I have a lot of wonderful mandolins..... and love them all for various reasons... but I enjoy thinking of those old Harmonys and how they started me on The Path.

I hope that your journey with your Harmony is as sweet!
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[acousticphd]

ChuckS -
One of these just sold on ebay the other day - I was wanted it and was watching it, but then let the auction slip my mind and lost it. #I don't suppose this is could be the one you bought, since the auction just ended yesterday PM: #<a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/1968-Rare-Vintage-Monterey-Harmony-F-hole-Mandolin-LR_W0QQitemZ7385402322QQcategoryZ10179Q
QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem" target="_blank">Harmony H417</a>.

This seller described this as a model 417, with spruce top, which he claimed was only put out in 1968. #I don't know if that's true, but I do know, from looking at dozens of Harmony archtops mandolin auctions, that the solid spruce topped ones are rarely seen - I've only seen one or two others. #The vast majority, like the Harmony archtop guitars, were solid "genuine hardwood", many flame-painted like Paul's above. #Although, I recently got a rare solid spruce top Harmony flattop mandolin, but to my surprise it does appear to have a laminated back. #Each of my several Harmony guitars has a datestamp, in the form of S-62, or F-41 for eg, to indicate season and year. #Unlike for the guitars, there's very little info to be found on mandolin model numbers and specs. #Maybe your S-23 may actually read S-73? #I think that's about the last year Harmonies were made in the U.S.

[ChuckS]

Hey guys, thanks for the informative (and quick) responses. It does look like Paul's photo. I've attached a photo which shows the headstock; the lettering looks like spray painted with a stencil. In fact, everything about it seems first class except the headstock, the plastic tuner knobs and stenciled lettering look pretty cheap (and 60's). The UV-S23 stamp has a circle around it, the 2 is definately a 2 but the 3 could be something else. The hyphen is between the V and the S.
The top is definately spruce and you can feel the grain as well as see it. No painted flames. The nut looks like bone or some natural material.

I bought the mandolin last week at a shop in Tampa, no stories unfortunately.

[Paul Hostetter]

I recently got a rare solid spruce top Harmony flattop mandolin, but to my surprise it does appear to have a laminated back.
What makes you think it's laminated? Got any images?

[acousticphd]

Chuck,
Good luck with your Harmony!


What makes you think it's laminated? #Got any images?

I don't have any images at the moment that could clearly show that or prove different, but here's the link to the auction pictures, which show it pretty well:

harmony flattop (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7376131218&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT&rd=1)

It has a nice slab-cut back piece with wide, prominent swirly grain, but I can't clearly see that the grain matches up from the inside. #It's not obviously different, just hard to see well, or that it obviously matches. #On my guitars with the hardwood backs, it's pretty easy to see the grain matches up. When inspected edge-on, there are regions along the edge of the back piece where 2 or 3 layers seem to show clearly, or at least it appears that way from the way it's taken up stain. #The sides have the thickish orange-yellow paint, so it's also hard to see this clearly.

[8ch(pl)]

Harmony mandolins weren't cheap, but they were inexpensive. A friend of mine bought his new for $125 in the early 70's, in Upstate New York. It is a nice sounding instrument.

[cbarry]

Mine was pretty cheap, but it's still a really good little mando. I paid $65 for it in a Sacramento pawn shop in 1978. I still have the receipt. A week later, I drove to the old 5th String in SF and bought a case for $75!
Mine is number 3909H8010. It doesn't say Monterey on it, and it appears to be all solid wood. I still use it as my travel mando, at least until a certain cafe member finishes work on my Epiphone. ; )
Chuck (another one)

[Paul Hostetter]

Ulp!

[Paul Hostetter]

Jeff - I own several variants of that model (as well as the other archtop one) and have never seen one that wasn't solid wood. Often the simple flat ones were all birch with a basswood neck, sometimes they had spruce tops. If it was ply you'd easily see the laminations around the back edge, since it's not even painted white. And if yours is laminated, that'd be a first in my book. They're very cool mandolins, and record extremely well. This was an Oscar Schmidt descendent, one of many, that Harmony kept going after they acquired Schmidt.

http://www.boydcountylions.com/ebay/ebayhar13.jpg

[cbarry]

Here's my cheap Harmony, and that expensive case. I'm really impressed at how the pressed top has held up. The action on this one has been great for almost 30 years, despite being tuned to pitch constantly!
Thanks for the picture posting tips, grandmainger.
Let's see if I messed up.
Hey Paul, I'm taking a little trip in March--hint, hint...)
Chuck (the second Chuck, not the first)

[Willie Poole]

I bought one in the PX at Lackland AFB in 1956 and it went with me every where I was stationed until I went overseas and it sat under my bed for a year with the strings still tuned tight and when I came home and opened the case the neck had pulled loose where it meets the body so I re glued it back on and played it for many years after that...I gave it to a fellow that wanted to try his hand at re finishing it and he ruined it so it ended up in the trash...Oh yeah, I paid $24.95 for it, wish I still had it just for old time sakes....Willie