c.1955 Harmony Baritone Uke (sheesh, another!)
Here's another '50s Harmony bari, just as nice as the rest of them, with a good, full, rich tonality that's at home in a number of genres. If you've been following the blog, you know I love these fellas, and this one's no exception...!
The usual work has been done: one small hairline crack repair on the back, fret dress, setup, slight saddle shave, but in addition to that I also recut the rear of this bridge and converted it to a pin-bridge style setup (as in, like on a Martin tenor or bari). This is due to the fact that the mounting holes for the strings were pretty worn on the (original) tie-block and so there wasn't adequate down-pressure on the saddle.
The usual work has been done: one small hairline crack repair on the back, fret dress, setup, slight saddle shave, but in addition to that I also recut the rear of this bridge and converted it to a pin-bridge style setup (as in, like on a Martin tenor or bari). This is due to the fact that the mounting holes for the strings were pretty worn on the (original) tie-block and so there wasn't adequate down-pressure on the saddle.
This new, pin-bridge setup also looks classier, too, and is easier to load -- just knot the strings, pass through the hole, and pop in a pin just like on a normal guitar -- and it sounds better as well and puts less tension on the bridge directly.
This bari is in pretty good shape -- the usual finish blems/scuffs/use-wear, but no cracks except for a tiny 1 1/2" hairline on the back. It's all solid mahogany, with tortoise binding on the top edge, and simple one-ring rosette.
Both the board and the bridge are Brazilian rosewood.
Bone nut and saddle. '50s headstock decal.
Faux-MOP dots.
The 'hog looks pretty nice!
Funky little "make-it-yourself" sticker label -- maybe for a classroom or band reference? Dunno.
Overall, a fun bari and a great player as well. Real fast.
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