1967 Silvertone 604 (Harmony H929) Parlor Guitar

This is a customer's guitar that was in for repair. It's a Harmony-made product and is basically the same as a Harmony Stella H929 model save that it came from the factory with a glued, pin-style bridge rather than a tailpiece. Well, let's face it -- it wasn't glued or pinned but it functioned the same way. The original bridge was bolted onto the top!

I gave this one all the usual stuff it needed -- a neck reset, fret level/dress, replacement (ebony) bridge, seam repairs, new saddle, new pins, etc. -- and now it plays as well as it can. That means the action is great and it's stable but it still has the clunky neck profile and 1 3/4" nut width you should expect from these student-level '60s Harmony boxes.

It does sound good, though, in that bluesbox sort-of way. These guitars are so nostalgic for so many players (how many of us had something funky like this around the house when we were kids?) that the glow around them will never quite die.

It's got a 24" scale, an all-solid birch body, and plenty of charm. I used a Martin-style pin bridge to replace the tiny original one because... structurally it just makes sense. It was also a freebie "second" from a kit guitar I put together for a customer as it has some minor finishing flaws.