1940 Harmony Cremona IV Carved-Top Archtop Guitar

Right inside the bass f-hole this box has a "F-40" (1940) date stamp and the red "carved top" stamp Harmony used to identify their fancier archtop guitars with carved tops. This particular guitar has seen a lot of action and definitely looks like it's been around the block. It's also a nice guitar as well. Tonally it flits between the more-velvety chunk of a Gibson-style carved-top guitar and the punch and snap of an Epiphone-style one. It's a good mix and I could easily imagine playing trad-jazz backup on it all night if need be.

Weirdnesses with the instrument include a brass inlay replacing a normal block one at the third fret, later Kluson-style tuners added to the headstock, a replacement bridge, and a modern Gretsch-style pickguard fit rather than the original white guard (which is in the case). It's also been oversprayed throughout and I'm thankful the original finish wasn't stripped before getting sprayed-over because it looks original from a seat or two over.

It'd also been refretted and that was good because the taller frets allowed me to level/dress a bit of warp "out" of the neck and so now it plays quick and easy to boot.

Repairs included: fret level/dress, minor bridge adjustments, setup.

Made by: Harmony

Model: Cremona IV

Made in: Chicago, IL, USA

Top wood: solid carved spruce

Back & sides wood: solid maple

Bracing type: tonebar

Bridge: rosewood

Fretboard: rosewood

Neck wood: maple

Tone: chunky, saucy mids, good projection, snappy

Suitable for: trad jazz, comping, blues, country-blues, vintage popular, old-time backup

Action height at 12th fret: 3/32” bass 1/16” treble (fast, spot-on)
String gauges: 54w-12 lights

Neck shape: mediunm C

Board radius: ~10"

Truss rod: non-adjustable

Neck relief: straight (just a hair of relief, 1/64" overall tuned to pitch)

Fret style: medium

Scale length: 25 1/8"

Nut width: 1 3/4"

String spacing at bridge: 2 1/16"

Body length: 20"

Body width: 16 1/4"

Body depth: 3 3/8"

Weight: 4 lb 10 oz

Condition notes: as noted above: finish is oversprayed over original finish throughout, replacement inlay (brass) at 3rd fret, replacement rosewood bridge, replacement Kluson-style tuners, newer frets, lots of finish wear under current overspray, plenty of wear on back of neck.

It comes with: an old chip case.