Harmony electric

[PlayerOf8]

I hate to do this, but some day, some good karma is going to rain on me.

If you are looking to get a great electric mandolin, George Gruhn in Nashville just posted an Electric Harmony model for $250.00. UNBELIVABLE!!!!!! I've seen these sell for $550 on ebay.
This is the model that Yank Rachell and Moses Duff played.
I can't afford another mandolin this week, but someone needs to snap this one up.
It is listed in EXF condition with a case.
Go get it.
WWW.Gruhn.com
George

PS When you speak to your friends, say something nice about me.

[mrmando]

Hi George! How's the tekno film project going?

Who the heck is Moses Duff?

I have never seen one of these go for $550, but anything is possible. $250-300 is a more reasonable price.

[jefflester]

This is the model that Yank Rachell and Moses Duff played.

John Paul Jones of Zeppelin in 1975:

http://www.led-zeppelin.org/images/harmony-mand.jpg

[PlayerOf8]

Moses Duff was a local Maxwell Street guy who hung with Yank whenever he came to Chicago. He was also billed as Eddie Duff.

[PlayerOf8]

They sold it.

G

[mrmando]

Fear not, here's one on eBay! Let's see what it goes for.

[bmac]

It certainly is an interesting looking mandolin. Steve James plays one tune on a Harmony formerly owned by Yank Rachel on his Blues Mandolin video. Listening to James' playing of this mando on his video made me wonder how a 4 or 5 string mando could come close to the sound of this mando. This one is bright red and really an interesting looking mandolin. I am no judge of electronic instruments but Wow!! It really wails!!

[mrmando]

Right now, there are four, count 'em, four Harmony H35 "batwing" mandos on eBay:

Uno
Dos
Tres
Cuatro

Dear Santa...

[bmac]

Interesting: In looking at existing examples and photos of Yank Rachel he seems to be using a standard colored electric Harmony "batwing" like those shown in the eBay listings. The Harmony I mentioned on the Steve James video is colored brilliant fire engine red with white edge binding. I am guessing it is a refurbished and custom painted mandolin as it is in remarkable condition showing very few (if any) scratches, nicks, dings or other obvious signs of wear. I wish I knew how to capture a video image and post it, because it is a fine looking mandolin. Brilliant red seems a fitting color for such an agressively designed mandolin.

[mrmando]

I'm not exactly sure how many people are claiming to have Yank's old mandolin. More than one, for sure. Mike Butler, a blues player in Indianapolis, told me he has it. So I dunno what to make of the claim that Steve James has it. Unless Yank had more than one. A while back someone sold a Gibson Army-Navy on eBay claiming that it too had belonged to Yank.

[bmac]

They were a relatively inexpensive mandolin so I would guess that a professional could easily have more than one.... and apparently he was identified with this brand and style of mandolin... but who knows... Without some bonafide documentation it could just be folk history, and of course I don't know whether there is any documentation.

[bmac]

The link below talks about the relationship that Rachell had with John Sebastian, Who at the time was the guitarist for the Lovin Spooonfulls and accompanied Rachell on a record and also was instrumental in getting Rachell a Fender mandolin, if I recall. The relationship is explained in the below link. Anyway it suggests that there may be some truth in the ownership history of the red Harmony "batwing" mandolin in question..

http://emando.com/index2.htm

[bmac]

OOps... I linked to the wrong page... Just type Rachell in the search engine on the linked page and it will take you to the article on Rachell and his relationship with John Sebastian.

[bmac]

Sorry... I got a little ahead of myself and did not explain the relationship with Steve James and John Sebastian. Sebastian, formerly the guitarist for the Lovin Spoonfulls, worked with Rachel and was apparently a friend. Sebastian accompanies Steve James on his blues video. He lent James his red electric Harmony "batwing" for use on James' instructional blues video. The relationship of James to the mandolin is indirect but the relationship of John Sebastian to Rachell is direct and suggests that the mandolin ownership history is accurate. I'd be curious to know if the mandolin in question was painted red by Rachell or by its present owner John Sebastian.

[mrmando]

Um ... I *wrote* what you linked to, and I still ain't sure who actually has Yank's mandolin.

John Sebastian procured a Flatiron for Yank, which Yank used on "Too Hot for the Devil." John may well own a Harmony but it isn't necessarily Yank's old mandolin. That mandolin belongs to Mike Butler, AFAIK.

[bmac]

Mrmando:

Have enjoyed your web site.

My comments come directly from James' video, with John Sebastion sitting next to him having brought the Harmony mandolin into the session as a historical document. I would be interested in following up on this if I knew how to contact John Sebastion.

[bmac]

Correction on my comments on the color of Johm Sebastian's Harmony "batwing" mandolin as seen in the Steve James blues video: It is convntional in color, not bright red... I think I confused it with a red one I had seen at some point.

[mrmando]

Holy barracuda, Batman! Here's another one in mint condition!

[PlayerOf8]

$710.00!!!! Not bad. A lot more than $550.
Bernunzio.com has another minty one for $750. I guess the one at Gruhn's for $250 was a real deal for the lucky buyer.The market is really starting to move on this model. It won't be too long when $1000 will be the starting price.
George

[delsbrother]

Damn! How many pigs would that buy?

[Dave Hicks]

Steve Robbins, of Governor Davis's band out of Indy, also has a Yank mando (a Fender, if I recall correctly). #Here's some info from Steve's bio on their web site:

http://www.governordavisandthebluesa...wsn/page5.html

"In addition to performing with Governor Davis & The Blues Ambassadors, I was able to spend some time with Yank Rachell -- performing with him and learning to play the mandolin. Yank sold me one of his mandolins in '95 and I would make late-night trips over to his place to talk and play music together until his passing in '97. Yank was a great friend and mentor to me and I cherish playing his mandolin and do so at all our shows. I've also tried to carry on Yank's memory and musical tradition by hosting the Yank Rachell Tribute Jam every year since his passing."

[PlayerOf8]

Dave,
You're doin' a fine job. I know Yank is smiling down on your efforts.

George

[mrmando]

Yet another...

It's raining Harmony!

Sale prices thus far: $342, $355, $455, $460, $710. This one's currently at $305 and the reserve is met.

So George is certainly right about the Gruhn instrument being a bargain at $250.

[hellindc]

A few months ago, I bought a Harmony for about $125. Ineeded an electric for my occasional gigs. Got the bat-wing and all, though it reminded me more of some big, 1950s DesSoto. Anyway, I didn't realize that I might have gotten quite a deal until I saw this thread. However, mine has a neck rather crudely bolted to the body, leadingme to think it was some kind of Frankenstein instrument. And I can see a very thin, straight line on the side, where apparently someone must have cut his way in. I thought maybe the pick-up was installed separately, the the damn thing looks just like the mandos post here, so I guess it is original (maybe had it's appendix out?. I thought it was something gerrymandered by a mad luther.