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Thread: Information about Harmony H35 Electric Mandolin

  1. #26

    Default Re: Information about Harmony H35 Electric Mandolin

    Hi Mike,
    from what I'm reading my H35 is probably an H835 made in Japan.
    I'll post the photo of the back headstock asap. The tuners are original as far as the seller said and there are no extra screws holes.
    I've bought it on ebay from an US collector about 10 years ago.
    Anyway I'll send you other pictures as I come back home tomorrow.

    Thank you very much
    Lino

  2. #27
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Information about Harmony H35 Electric Mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by mrmando View Post
    ...we need more research about when production moved to Japan...
    It appears from what I'm seeing that the mandolins built in the US might be more of a red burst than the Japanese models. We need more examples of the Japanes models.
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  3. #28

    Default Re: Information about Harmony H35 Electric Mandolin

    Hi Mike,
    here's the detail you asked :

    Click image for larger version. 

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    hope this helps.

    Lino

  4. #29
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Information about Harmony H35 Electric Mandolin

    The color is closer to the US made models but the finish looks more like the poly on the imported models. Those tuners started showing up on imported mandolins in the 70's. I suppose they could have been imported for production but I suspect this was made in Japan as it is lacking the made in USA stamp that the others seem to have.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
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  5. #30

    Default Re: Information about Harmony H35 Electric Mandolin

    I dig mine.

  6. #31
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Information about Harmony H35 Electric Mandolin

    Got one in, later logo, Grover tuners and truss rod, stamped 9[3]12H835 on the inside (the [3] is very faint and might be a 5).

    Grover tuners, later logo in white (sometimes the later logo is in gold). No F or S in sight.

    'Twas on eBay, but the seller advertised it with a photo of an earlier mandolin, stolen from this thread (Mike's photo in post #8). Of course I caught him at it when the instrument arrived with the wrong logo.
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  7. #32
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Information about Harmony H35 Electric Mandolin

    Looked again and found the date stamp in this latest one. Again, it's F-73 MADE IN USA, just like the last one I had. We can surmise that these were still being made in Chicago for at least the first part of 1973. I'll still post some photos in a bit.
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  8. #33
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Information about Harmony H35 Electric Mandolin

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

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  9. #34
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Information about Harmony H35 Electric Mandolin

    I'm thinking that as long as that Waverly tailpiece is there it was probably made in the US. I also think that Harmony may have been importing the necks and bodies at the end but who knows?
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
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    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
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  10. #35

    Default Re: Information about Harmony H35 Electric Mandolin

    What are the differences between an American made and a Japanese made batwing?

  11. #36
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Information about Harmony H35 Electric Mandolin

    Japanese: Different tuners, different color sunburst, possibly different tailpiece, maybe gold headstock logo instead of white. Fortunately, the Japanese ones still have the DeArmond pickup (at least I'm pretty sure they do), which is the most important part of the whole machine.
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  12. #37
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Information about Harmony H35 Electric Mandolin

    Well, this'll blow your mind. Here's a batwing (acoustic, no pickup) with the earlier logo, including the ultra-cool bonus feature of having the logo on the pickguard as well, AND it has a truss rod. The Buy It Now price on this is pretty outrageous.

    Seller reports: "It says S-72-WS, underneath that it says MADE IN USA, and beside that it reads E or 6 235H425. Inside the right f hole it's stamped N."

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/Harmony-8-St...item1e98d819a9

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    Last edited by mrmando; Jan-26-2015 at 2:56pm.
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  13. #38
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    Default Re: Information about Harmony H35 Electric Mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by mrmando View Post
    Fortunately, the Japanese ones still have the DeArmond pickup (at least I'm pretty sure they do), which is the most important part of the whole machine.
    I was wondering if those are DeArmonds, they have the foil-top look. Classic funky cool pickups, if a bit microphonic.

  14. #39
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Information about Harmony H35 Electric Mandolin

    And here's a '69, looks a lot like the '72 except the sunburst is darker. Also has a truss rod. If it sells for the listed price I'll be impressed.

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/1969-Harmony...item234a2ca021

    We don't see a truss rod in the '67 catalog photo, or in Mike's photo in post #8, but we have two '69s in this thread with truss rods.
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  15. #40
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Information about Harmony H35 Electric Mandolin

    Wow, a '73 just sold for $661:
    http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-HARM...vip=true&rt=nc

    And a '69 for $780:
    http://www.ebay.com/itm/1969-Harmony...021&rmvSB=true

    I just sold my '73 for $550 ... whoops!

    First time I saw one of these listed for $800, I laughed. Now it doesn't seem so funny.
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  16. #41
    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
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    Default Re: Information about Harmony H35 Electric Mandolin

    I watched a 2005 documentary about the album, "Led Zeppelin IV." I think there were contractual difficulties regarding using the original recording, because for each song discussed (more on this locution later), they provided live performance footage. When it came to "Going To California," it's quite clear John Paul Jones was playing a Harmony Batwing. Sorry, screen shots will have to do. This show was from 1975. No idea what he used on the album.

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    I rather enjoyed the movie. But I have one quibble - and it's a big one. The contributors didn't discuss "Battle Of Evermore" nor "Four Sticks." The latter is a crazy little number, and I would have liked to have heard the wonks try and sort that out. But "Battle Of Evermore" needed to be included. I don't understand what they were thinking. Therefore it is hardly definitive, being so incomplete - lacking 25% of the songs.

    Of course, "mandolin" is hardly mentioned. But there is this brief bit of interview between a lady of the press and Peter Grant, band manager:

    Q: On "III" you had some mandolins and dulcimers. Have you got anything different on the new album?

    A: This and that. There are two tracks of acoustic. "Going To California," that's mandolin again, and acoustic guitar.

    Again, no mention of "Battle Of Evermore." Wonder why?
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  17. #42
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    Default Re: Information about Harmony H35 Electric Mandolin

    I'd like Batwing Trivia for 200 hundred please. The gold Script Logo with shield indicates what country and year. Remember your response must be in the form of a question.Click image for larger version. 

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    Last edited by Bob Gnann; Mar-01-2021 at 10:51am.
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  18. #43
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Information about Harmony H35 Electric Mandolin

    Is said logo silkscreened, a decal, or cut out of the top layer of the headplate?
    Any reason to believe that the tailpiece base and tuners are not original?

    Thus far this thread has concerned the electric Batwings only. I've never seen an electric with a shield on the headstock.
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  19. #44
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    Default Re: Information about Harmony H35 Electric Mandolin

    Logo appears to silk screen. And the tuners and tail piece aren't the originals. Sorry, didn't mean to the thread!
    Ratliff R5 2007, Capek A5 2003, Washburn M5S-SB Jethro Burns 1982, Mid-Mo M-2, Epiphone MM 30 Bk mandolins, Harmony Batwing 1970's, George Bauer bowlback early 1900's Philadelphia.


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  20. #45
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    Default Re: Information about Harmony H35 Electric Mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by journeybear View Post
    I watched a 2005 documentary about the album, "Led Zeppelin IV." I think there were contractual difficulties regarding using the original recording, because for each song discussed (more on this locution later), they provided live performance footage. When it came to "Going To California," it's quite clear John Paul Jones was playing a Harmony Batwing. Sorry, screen shots will have to do. This show was from 1975. No idea what he used on the album.

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    I rather enjoyed the movie. But I have one quibble - and it's a big one. The contributors didn't discuss "Battle Of Evermore" nor "Four Sticks." The latter is a crazy little number, and I would have liked to have heard the wonks try and sort that out. But "Battle Of Evermore" needed to be included. I don't understand what they were thinking. Therefore it is hardly definitive, being so incomplete - lacking 25% of the songs.

    Of course, "mandolin" is hardly mentioned. But there is this brief bit of interview between a lady of the press and Peter Grant, band manager:

    Q: On "III" you had some mandolins and dulcimers. Have you got anything different on the new album?

    A: This and that. There are two tracks of acoustic. "Going To California," that's mandolin again, and acoustic guitar.

    Again, no mention of "Battle Of Evermore." Wonder why?
    The only time JPJ played that electric batwing was for those Earl's Court shows in May 1975. JPJ went through a half dozen different mandolins on stage, starting with a Martin that he played live '70-'71 and that is presumably what he used on III and IV and later a Framus and Fender mandocaster in '72.

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    Page also played mandolin on Battle of Evermore and he had an old Gibson A. When they finally played BoE live in '77, Page played his Gibson and JPJ played guitar (on his Manson triple-neck, once he got that halfway through the tour). JPJ gets a lot of grief from Zepheads for his backing vocals, he's no Sandy Denny


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  22. #46
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    Default Re: Information about Harmony H35 Electric Mandolin

    JPJ playing electric batwing May 1975 Earl's Court. This footage appears in the Led Zeppelin "DVD" (yes that's the name).



    and That's the Way


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    Default Re: Information about Harmony H35 Electric Mandolin

    Thanks very much for that. I knew that the mandolin playing on IV was divvied up that way. I just wish "Battle Of Evermore" had been included in the documentary.

    I thought Page had a black top F-2 or F-4. I recall seeing him with such an instrument in another doc, I think it was "It Might Get Loud." Of course, he could have more than one. He's done fairly well for himself.
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  24. #48
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    Default Re: Information about Harmony H35 Electric Mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by journeybear View Post
    Thanks very much for that. I knew that the mandolin playing on IV was divvied up that way. I just wish "Battle Of Evermore" had been included in the documentary.

    I thought Page had a black top F-2 or F-4. I recall seeing him with such an instrument in another doc, I think it was "It Might Get Loud." Of course, he could have more than one. He's done fairly well for himself.
    @ 1:45

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    Default Re: Information about Harmony H35 Electric Mandolin

    Ha ha ha! Was just about to post that. Oops!

    Got distracted watching this:



    and this, a bit more complete - @ 5:25:




    PS: Sorry, Batwingers. I think we're done with this tangent ...
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

    Furthering Mandolin Consciousness

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  26. #50
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Information about Harmony H35 Electric Mandolin

    Hey, in case anyone is interested, here is a look inside an electric Batwing. Interesting approach to bracing there, and the random splashes of white inside the back are not unusual at all.

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