Old Harmony mandolin

[epicentre]

Just checking inside the ff holes and found a (serial number) ?

as follows: 6499HT910

If anyone some knowledge about Harmonys, would they be so kind as to tell me
what the numbers and letters mean ?

Much appreciated and with thanks

Epi.PS: no markings of any kind on headstock.

[MikeEdgerton]

Harmony didn't put serial numbers on instruments. That number is a model number on one side of the H and some sort of index number on the other side that nobody has ever been able to explain with any consistency. There should also be another stamp inside the instrument that is something like S42 or W71. The numbers will change, the letters will be one or the other. That is the date code. The F is for "First half" the S is for "Second half" and the number is the year it was built. It is missing on some instruments and hard to see with a flashlight on others. Post some pictures. It's generally easier to get you more information with a few pictures.

[Ed Goist]

Might the last three numbers be "410"? Does it look like any of these (from Harmony's 1967 catalog)?

[MysTiK PiKn]

Yup. My sig shows a Harmony Monterrey. I tried tracking it down, and kinda got close thru indirect info. can't recall details.
Pretty hard to date even approximately. Mine's late 60's or even early 70's. Originally (i think) they were made of real wood, but then switched to plywood, and other junk. I found one in ads eventually. It was the real one for about 300+. The plywood junk is available from 50 to 500 - people think "old" means "valuable". You need to know what it's made of; and is it playable. It's one instrument at a time - do what you can with that. People say whatever they want in the ads, and there's no info to confirm or refute - except some are real wood, others = omg, it's unbelievable. The good ones had actual rosewood fb and bridge, and maybe birch, maybe maybe better, as body woods. The BAD ones have "ebonized" fb. It's paper thin black material - if you sand it, it's gone, and you are left with white wood - you can stain that - but that's not the point.
There's a couple numbers in mine that are no help. I plan on ripping the back off, and playing with reinforcing the top - I don't really care about it much. It was my first mando, I paid too much - cos it was old. DUH, eh.
edit = from the catalog shown - mine is the 410, the good one is the 417
read the descriptions - note the difference "ebonized" = crawp. Also the fake "flame red paint on b.s. finish" = plywood!!!

[MikeEdgerton]

Harmony didn't go to laminated anything until just before they closed in the 70's. Up to that point they were solid.

[epicentre]

Thanks Mike. The top is definitely solid wood, although probably heat pressed vs. carved. The instrument is in great shape
with a lovely tone.
Thanks all for your input.

[MikeEdgerton]

They were indeed pressed.

[Timbofood]

My first mandolin was a "410"!
Anybody remember the Stan Freburg "St. George and the Dragon net" bit?