1967 Harmony H912 Stella 12-String Guitar

A customer of mine has been waiting on this guitar for what feels like eons. Fortunately for him, I'd started-in on a batch of Harmony-made 12-strings in mid-December. What with our winter break, family visits, and then the deluge of post-holiday in-shop customers, I hadn't been able to get around to finishing it up until earlier this week. Since then, it's been stable in service and both looks and sounds like a champ.

The owner wanted to keep it tuned a step down, so it's got slightly heavier (52w-11) gauges on it and tuned DGCFAD at the moment. I compensate every string at the saddle, though, so capo use will not put it out of tune if he wants to bump-up to standard in a pinch.

The guitar itself was pretty ragged when it came in -- there's a savagely-repaired old crack in the side and the top used to be quite distorted around the soundhole due to age, tension, and loose/broken bracing. After setting the structure to rights I gave it the usual neck reset, fretwork, and bridge work and now it's ready to go.

I like these guitars a lot for open-tuned flatpicking, fingerpicking, and Leadbelly-style chunky, bass-run slams. The body shape roughly 000-style but these are ladder-braced and the whole body (including top) is solid birch. This gives it a more percussive, woody sound.