c.1940 Harmony Biltmore Classic Archtop Guitar

This Biltmore-branded guitar was made by Harmony around c.1940. A good reference page for these guys can be found at the Harmony Guitars Database (click here). This is a customer's instrument and it was in for the usual: neck reset, crack repairs, fret dress, and setup.

It plays like a champ, now, and has a nice warm chop and great snap for lead work coupled with good volume, too. The top on this is solid spruce with tonebar bracing and the back, sides, and neck are all solid plain-wrap maple.

Fretboard and bridge are rosewood. This one's missing its pickguard but is otherwise original.

Oh, but that see-through nut might not be original...! Looks cool, though!

Bound rosewood board. Nice neck profile, too -- very similar to an old Kalamazoo round-neck profile (not the v-neck on many) but slightly wider.

Adjustable rosewood bridge.

Good heavy-duty tailpiece.

The brown reverse on the headstock looks pretty classy. Tuners are all good to go now that they've been lubed.

Note the fun tortoise binding and heel cap. Looks snazzy with the maple.

And, amazingly, an original end pin. This guitar is a joy to play, and for a "working-man's archtop" lover, this hits you right in the soft spot.