1960s Standel (Harptone) E-6S Dreadnought Guitar

Update October '22: the owner brought this back for resale, so I've updated the post where necessary and added a video. Now back to it...

Harptone guitars were built in the late '60s and early '70s in New Jersey. They were a small-run shop and total production is small enough to escape most gearhead radars. They often feature bizarre headstock shapes and can be found under several brands (Harptone, Standel, Supreme, Conn, among others).

Guild influence in design is obvious, though, as they feature ply back and sides with a press-arched back. The top is solid and x-braced and this guy has a short, 24 5/8" scale -- much like a period Gibson. The neck is a mild-medium C-shape but the fretboard itself is quite flat. I think the only comparable instruments I can think of feel-wise are Guilds, though the flattish fretboard reminds me of '70s Guilds rather than curvy '60s ones.

The tone is strange and it's a good strange -- I'd say it sounds a bit like a '70s Guild, a bit like a '60s Gibson Hummingbird, and a bit like a late-'60s bolt-on-neck Framus dreadnought. It has a sort-of dialed-back-upper-mids sound with a "big hollow box" bass sound that reminds me a lot of the sound of recorded acoustic guitar on '60s records -- you know, with a dynamic mic -- played on old Gibson J-45s or the like.

Neat notes include a double-trussrodded neck, stupidly-oversized bridge, zero fret (I approve), and quirky sunburst finish. It plays spot-on and comfortably.

Repairs included: a neck reset, saddle modification (it's a big brass adjustable saddle and I removed the plastic insert and compensated the metal bit to get the right length of scale), fret level/dress, cleaning, and setup. The headstock had been broken and repaired with some sort of mix of spray-foam and epoxy stuff decades ago... so that was fun to clean and then sort-of touch-up enough that it wasn't too hideous for the owner.

Top wood: solid spruce

Back & sides wood: ply mahogany

Bracing type: x

Bridge: rosewood (adjustable)

Fretboard: rosewood

Neck wood: mahogany

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

Neck shape: slim-medium C

Board radius: 20"

Truss rod: adjustable

Neck relief: straight

Fret style: wider/lower

Scale length: 24 1/2"

Nut width: 1 3/4"

Body width: 15 5/8"

Body depth: 4 3/4"

Weight: 4 lbs 4 oz

Condition notes: it has an old headstock break repair that's sturdy but ugly, there's plenty of middling scratches and scuffs throughout, the finish has weather-checked here and there throughout, there are two (repaired and cleated) hairline cracks on the lower-bout-top, and I had to modify the adjustable saddle to get it to play correctly.