Mick, I may have asked you this before, but do any of the instruments in your files match any of the Payne Music School photo instruments?
Mick, I may have asked you this before, but do any of the instruments in your files match any of the Payne Music School photo instruments?
I haven't really checked, but should do just that. Here is another link to that photo on Gregg's site. Unfortunately, a lot of the kids are holding the mandolins at odd side angles. Was that part of the teaching method?
The differences between the Harwoods I have in my files are pretty subtle, but obvious: different headstocks, scratchplates, tuners, name stamps, purfling, bowl materials, bling. Sooner or later I'm going to come upon a match.
Mick
Ever tried, ever failed? No matter. Try again, fail again. Fail better.--Samuel Beckett
______________________
'05 Cuisinart Toaster
'93 Chuck Taylor lowtops
'12 Stetson Open Road
'06 Bialetti expresso maker
'14 Irish Linen Ramon Puig
Hello, I just this past week heard of Harwood guitars when a friend of mine was thinning his collection and on his list was an old parlor. It appears to be a Harwood however it seems to differ some from the descriptions in this thread and from your photos. I did locate the FBJ from the fall of 2011 and ordered it. I am looking forward to it's arrival soon so I can read the article. The serial number stamped on it is in the 35xxx range which is higher than any that have been mentioned in this thread.
Here are some pics.... Dave
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
That is a good looking guitar. How does it play and sound?
Bill Snyder
Bill, It plays nice and sounds really good, especially when played with bare fingers. The strings are the same strings that were on it when the previous owner purchased it a number of years back. He said he never changed the strings because he liked the way it sounded with the old strings on it.
Dave
OK, gang: I did it: http://harpguitars.net/blog/2016/06/...afraid-to-ask/
As always, donations to our non-profit donation are welcome to ensure this material is available for future generations.
hockeydave, that is a good looking Harwood guitar - did your friend already sell it? I have a Harwood that looks very similar to yours and also have a smaller Harwood parlor. I think the serial number for your Harwood places its manufacture somewhere in the vicinity of 1920. My Harwood serial number is 38,XXX and said to be around 1925. If you get a copy of the FBJ article on Harwood you will see that one of the guitars in the photo also looks like the model above. These really are fantastic instruments if you can get one in good shape. I recommend stringing with lower tension silk and steel to avoid having the neck warp. The action on my similar Harwood is higher than should be but playable and great sounding. Cheers, oldwood
Interesting topic. My mother worked for Jenkins Music in downtown KC when I was a kid. This would have been in 1966 and 67. I don't know exactly what she did. Office work though. I'll ask her. She's about to turn 77!
I still live in the greater KC area and have seen Harwood instruments from time to time. None lately.
Edit: I just called my mom because I was curious about what she did there. She was in the accounting department and also filled sheet music orders for schools.
Oldwood, Thanks for the input on the serial numbers and strings. I ended up buying the guitar so yes, my friend did sell it.
Dave
In keeping with the Harwood "No Two Alike" theme here is a 12 string harp-bandurria. It has the "NY" stamp on it but I'm not sure just what that tells us. Muy weirdioso.
Mick
Last edited by brunello97; Jan-16-2017 at 12:04pm.
Ever tried, ever failed? No matter. Try again, fail again. Fail better.--Samuel Beckett
______________________
'05 Cuisinart Toaster
'93 Chuck Taylor lowtops
'12 Stetson Open Road
'06 Bialetti expresso maker
'14 Irish Linen Ramon Puig
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
Thanks, Jim! I was talking to two students while typing in that note....blew the detail. Just edited it for posteriority.
At least they made one of them.
The Jenkins catalog page describes the mandola as having mahogany ribs--which my Harwood mandolin also has. Haven't seen this often.
Mick
Ever tried, ever failed? No matter. Try again, fail again. Fail better.--Samuel Beckett
______________________
'05 Cuisinart Toaster
'93 Chuck Taylor lowtops
'12 Stetson Open Road
'06 Bialetti expresso maker
'14 Irish Linen Ramon Puig
With this Harwood mandolin on the Ebay I may have seen the first pair of Harwoods that match. Maybe-but for what looks like a metal SN plate on the end of the headstock. In which case the very Butch Hancock "no two alike" streak continues.
Mick
Ever tried, ever failed? No matter. Try again, fail again. Fail better.--Samuel Beckett
______________________
'05 Cuisinart Toaster
'93 Chuck Taylor lowtops
'12 Stetson Open Road
'06 Bialetti expresso maker
'14 Irish Linen Ramon Puig
This quite plain Harwood mandolinetto keeps the streak alive.
Note the Harwood-New York stamp on the inside.
Mick
Ever tried, ever failed? No matter. Try again, fail again. Fail better.--Samuel Beckett
______________________
'05 Cuisinart Toaster
'93 Chuck Taylor lowtops
'12 Stetson Open Road
'06 Bialetti expresso maker
'14 Irish Linen Ramon Puig
Here is a link from Greg Miner's website with lots of history. Also I have a 320 page 1928 Jenkins catalog...band and orchestra instruments, ukes, violins, drums, mandolins, guitars, banjos, etc. Various brands including used instruments that were reconditioned in their shop.
http://www.harpguitars.net/history/harwood/harwood.htm
www.vintagefrettedinstruments.com
Thanks! Check the thread out if you have a chance. It was started some years ago by Robert Jenkins, scion of the Jenkins store family.
Greg Miner's site has come up frequently for reference as well as a number of catalogs: '95, '24, '29, I think. Not sure about '28 but I encourage you to check and see as yours could make a nice contribution. It has been hard for me to keep track of all the Harwood mandolins because so many different variations show up.
Post some select catalog pages if you can.
Mick
Ever tried, ever failed? No matter. Try again, fail again. Fail better.--Samuel Beckett
______________________
'05 Cuisinart Toaster
'93 Chuck Taylor lowtops
'12 Stetson Open Road
'06 Bialetti expresso maker
'14 Irish Linen Ramon Puig
Bill Graham and I got to take a look at this large-body Harwood at Winfield back in September. This guitar is the size of a Martin 000 and has mahogany back and sides. Like the guitar pictured in post #253, this also has a paper label inside and "HARWOOD" inlaid on the headstock. The visible serial number is 5470, but the owner says that using enhanced photography, he was able to make out that it's actually 35470, which conforms to the usual five digit number beginning with 3. The bridge was replaced sometime in the distant past, but otherwise it's all original and playable. It sounds nice and has plenty of volume. That's Bill playing the guitar.
Hello from England! I recently bought an old Harwood at an auction here, and - after trying to research where and when it was made, became fascinated with the mystery attached to this brand. I even obtained from the USA (at great expense!) the Fretboard Journal no. 23, with Bob's article.
My little beauty is serial no. 20819, and my guess is that it was made around 1905. But I wonder if the stamps inside might be an aid to dating? I know that most models have the oval "Harwood New York" on the back of the headstock and on the inside back. But mine has the triangular "trade mark" stamp on the neck block. I wonder whether this carried on throughout the production, or whether it stopped at the end of the KC factory?
Look at my post about identifying my J.W. Jenkins and Sons bowlback mandolin.
Ever tried, ever failed? No matter. Try again, fail again. Fail better.--Samuel Beckett
______________________
'05 Cuisinart Toaster
'93 Chuck Taylor lowtops
'12 Stetson Open Road
'06 Bialetti expresso maker
'14 Irish Linen Ramon Puig
On Craigslist in Denver. NFI.
https://denver.craigslist.org/msg/d/...542898954.html
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
Well, the catalog page include on the CL listing shows the "Harwood" name inlaid on the headstock, which the image lacks.
While very nice, the CL mando looks like it may well be a Regal, which were perhaps the makers of the mandolin in the Jenkins catalog as well
Mick
Ever tried, ever failed? No matter. Try again, fail again. Fail better.--Samuel Beckett
______________________
'05 Cuisinart Toaster
'93 Chuck Taylor lowtops
'12 Stetson Open Road
'06 Bialetti expresso maker
'14 Irish Linen Ramon Puig
I agree with you, Mick.
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
Here's a photo that was just posted by John Lawson, the curator of the Old Town Kansas City 1850's - 1900's facebook group. This is the Central High School (Kansas City, MO) Mandolin Club, 1902. I can identify three Harwood mandolins and one Harwood guitar. There may be others, but their logos are hidden.
Bookmarks