1960s Fender F1030 (Harmony H165) 000-Size Guitar

I've worked on plenty of H165 models but this is the first Fender-branded version of the instrument I've had the pleasure to muck-about with. As a variant of the H165 it's pretty-much the same thing but with minor cosmetic changes -- a solid mahogany body throughout, ladder bracing, natural finish, poplar neck, and 25 1/8" scale length. Because these were specifically late-'60s and early-'70s models, they came with the benefit of truss rods as standard-issue, too.

This particular guitar has a woody, chunky voice that's also open and forward at the same time. It "wakes-up" really fast under the picking hand and especially likes being tuned to various open or modal tunings where the overtones stack-up "just so."

I worked on this for a buddy of mine and, while it had already had a neck reset and refret, it did need a minor bridge shave, minor saddle work, and minor fretwork and setup work done to get it playing spot-on. Now that it is, it's a bit magical. I like it quite a bit more than the average H165. It must've had a good home in the past!