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Thread: Harmony batwing specs

  1. #1
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Harmony batwing specs

    Currently have a passel of Harmony Batwing electrics on my hands and noticed something nutty.

    The '65 has a truss rod.
    The '67 doesn't.
    The '71 and '73 both have truss rods.

    Wassup with dat? Why'd Harmony start with truss rods, drop them and then go back to using them?
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  2. #2
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Harmony batwing specs

    P.S. Is there a way to date these from lot numbers?

    I have another one of indeterminate year (no date stamp). It does, however, have 0102H35 stamped inside.

    (No truss rod on this one either.)

    (And I have another '65 and another '67 both conforming to what i said above about truss rods. Seven of these buggers in all at the moment.)
    Emando.com: More than you wanted to know about electric mandolins.

    Notorious: My Celtic CD--listen & buy!

    Lyon & Healy • Wood • Thormahlen • Andersen • Bacorn • Yanuziello • Fender • National • Gibson • Franke • Fuchs • Aceto • Three Hungry Pit Bulls

  3. #3
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Harmony batwing specs

    The problem there is that they were mixing imported models with domestic models at that time. You really need the date code to be exact and I'm not sure you'll find them on the imported models. It was a bizarre time period at Harmony. Even the date code system was screwed up around that time.
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  4. #4
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Harmony batwing specs

    If it's stamped "Made in USA," can I assume it actually was? Only one of my batch doesn't have a date code, and that's the one stamped "0102H35."

    When did the imports begin? Any specific "tells" that will distinguish an import from a domestic?

    All of these have the 3-ply vinyl headplate with the script Harmony logo die-cut out of the top layer. Like so:
    Click image for larger version. 

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    None of them have the gold silkscreen logo, which I always assumed was a mark of an import:
    Click image for larger version. 

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    Emando.com: More than you wanted to know about electric mandolins.

    Notorious: My Celtic CD--listen & buy!

    Lyon & Healy • Wood • Thormahlen • Andersen • Bacorn • Yanuziello • Fender • National • Gibson • Franke • Fuchs • Aceto • Three Hungry Pit Bulls

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