1930s Harmony-made Mahogany Tiple

While Harmony's mahogany-bodied tiples share almost the same body dimensions and overall look as a  concurrent Martin T-17, inside they're braced like their fellow Chicago-made Regal tiples. This means (at the lower bout) one brace below the soundhole and a bridge plate. That's it... for 10 steel strings of tension. They also tend to have thinner-cut tops than the Regals. Sigh.

This is why very few Harmony tiples remain in playable shape. Most have severely-distorted tops as they age. I've had to "make do" with repairing a number of similar Harmony-made tiples whose tops looked like waves in the sea. This is why I add tailpieces to these tiples -- to relieve much of that curling/bellying sideways tension on the top that comes from a "pin-style" bridge load.

This one (sent in via a customer for repair) arrived in superb condition, though. The top is flat, it doesn't have cracks, and it has a cool-looking celluloid pickguard at the soundhole, too. I did have to do all the usual work, but post-work it plays like a champ and has a quick-feeling neck that lets me get around a little faster than other brands.

Compared to other brands, the "Harmony" tiple sound is a little sweeter and mellower than average, though still with good volume.

Repairs included: a neck reset, fret level/dress, recut of saddle slot and new compensated bone saddle, tailpiece addition, and setup.

Made by: Harmony

Made in: USA

Top wood: solid mahogany

Back & sides wood: solid mahogany

Bracing type: ladder

Bridge: rosewood

Fretboard: rosewood

Neck wood: mahogany

Tone: sweet, mellow, clean

Suitable for: blues, folk, country-blues, '20s-'30s popular, world, etc.

Action height at 12th fret: 1/16” overall (fast, spot-on)
String gauges: 11/22w, 17/40w/17, 14/32w/14, 10/10 for GCEA

Neck shape: medium-C/soft-V

Board radius: flat

Truss rod: none

Neck relief: straight

Fret style: small

Scale length: 17"

Nut width: 1 1/2"

String spacing at nut: 1 5/16"

String spacing at bridge: 1 3/4"

Body length: 12"

Body width: 8 7/8"

Body depth: 3 1/2"

Weight: 1 lb 14 oz

Condition notes: clean overall save average usewear/playwear, all-original save tailpiece and new saddle, no cracks. The tailpiece is a banjo-style one that will take loop or ball-end strings, though loop-end work better.