HARMONY SOLID BODY ELECTRIC GUITARS

SILHOUETTE MODELS

Harmony Model H19

This is a 1965 Silhouette. It has a thick neck, typical of the Silhouette lineup. There is a reason to this, the necks are extremely stable and the sustain this guitar has is amazing! The tremolo tailpiece is very good and does not knock the instrument out of tune. Harmony used several vibrato tailpieces. The H19 model pictured above came with an authentic Hagstrom tailpiece. The knobs are very unique, quite small and transparent. The tailpiece is compensating and has individual saddles for each string. The saddles can be adjusted side to side also. This guitar and the one pictured below represent the finest solidbody Silhouette models offered by Harmony. It is patterned after the 1958 Fender Jazzmaster but is definitely not a copy. Note the block neck inlay and the bindings on the fingerboard. Fender did not offer these features until the mid 60's. Also, Harmony used a much simpler electronic setup than the Fenders of this body type. The pickups are DeArmond "Golden Tone", the neck is called an "Ultra Thin" and has the "Torque-Lok" adjustable truss rod. This guitar sold new for around $180.00. Depending on condition this guitar could be worth as much as $250.00 or as little as $75.00

These are the famous "Golden Tone" Pickups

Built by Rowe Industries, designed by DeArmond, used exclusively by Harmony. These pickups are fantastic when adjusted properly. These pickups can rock with the best of the single coils. In my opinion, it can out rock allot of humbuckers! The tonal range from ultra thin highs to warm rich lows of the Golden Tones are astounding!

The Silhouette H19 Tremolo Tailpiece

Harmony used Swedish tremolos on the H19 designed and made by Hagstrom Guitars. These are similar to other "Jazzmaster" style guitars, but in some ways this trem is better than its American counterpart. It has a smoother action and will not de-tune like other trems. It is extremely well built and high quality. It does have two drawbacks, parts for these are very hard to find, even the simple parts, like screws that match the odd size threads on the threaded parts of this trem. (Don't Lose Any Parts If You Have One!!!). Second drawback is the set screw that holds the arm in comes to a blunt point and it fits into a hole that is countersunk into the end of the arm. The hole can "dish out" and the arm tends to "roll over" until it finds the spot that IT wants to stop. A new hole can be drilled in a fresh location on the arm, but in 20 years, you will have to do it again!

Harmony was noted for their nice block inlay on their higher grade models

Harmony called their finish on the silhouettes "Mod"

Technical Tip

When giving your guitar a "tune up", set the adjustment on the pole pieces (set screws) in the pickups. Lengthen each one, one at a time and test while you go. Turn your amp up to a reasonable volume and twang the string as hard as you can without breaking the string. Adjust out...twang.....adjust out .....twang. Keep this up until the pickup overloads and "craps out". When you accomplish this screw in a little bit......twang.....screw in.....twang.....until it sounds good and loud without "crapping out". In this way you find the most efficient signal strength adjustment. Do this on the same string on a different pickup. Get each pickup to have roughly the same volume. Go onto next string and.........Twang!

Harmony Model H15

This is a 1964 Silhouette solid body. It is second from the bottom of the line. It has no tremolo but does have two pickups. The lowest model had only one pickup and the model above it had a simple tremolo and two pickups. The pickups are DeArmond "Golden Tone", the neck is called an "Ultra Thin" and has the "Torque-Lok" adjustable truss rod. The colors offered included mahogany sunburst, metallic blue sunburst and candy apple red sunburst. This guitar sold new for around $120.00 and depending on condition be worth as much as $175.00 or as little as $50.00

Through the years, Harmony Silhouettes have become the "forgotten" models. This is due to several reasons. First, the body style is very dated and really only fits well with the "Surf" scene. Also, the designers of this guitar decided to go with a very hefty neck. When you first play one, you tend to wonder why anyone would design a neck that is as thick as these necks are. It is not hard to play, just different. After you play it for awhile, you begin to realize just what the designers were after. In two words, stability and sustain. The designers succeeded. These guitars definitely have a unique personality, not only in cosmetics but also in function. They are capable of an astounding variety of sounds. Crisp highs and sweet midrange to fat lows.

H19 in its Original Case

Technical Tip

DO NOT lose any trem parts! Especially the set screw that holds the arm on the H19 style trem. It has an unknown thread size. Believe me, I have really tried to match it........since I lost Mine!

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