1920s Supertone (Harmony) Airplane-Bridge Parlor Guitar

Overview: Shop buddy Michael picked this up earlier this year and we tweaked it a bit for him so it played a little nicer but it wasn't in bad shape when it arrived -- someone had already reset the neck, fit an adjustable truss rod, and refretted it before it got here. There's chipout in the fretboard from said job but it otherwise looks really good.

Folks call these the "Lindbergh" guitars because of the airplane bridge (I'm guilty, it's easy to remember!) but the reality is that there was no "Lindbergh" marketing associated with them. It's just a cool feature. 

This feature is also structurally very useful. Harmony parlors from the '20s (like this one) were severely under-braced for steel strings with their super-light build and super-light ladder bracing (these days when I have them in I'm sometimes just suggesting using nylon on them because I know how living with them can be). However, on this one, the narrower, longer bridge straddles the bridge plate and two of the top braces which means that this guitar's top is reinforced in exactly the direction and way it needs to survive a lot better compared to other, nice-grade Harmony parlors from the time.

This, combined with the reinforced neck, means this guitar is happily living with 50w-11 gauges and suffering no ill effects. I wouldn't stick 12s on it, but the 11s are doing just fine and the sound will suit a moderate flatpicker but is pretty-much ideal for fingerpicking.

It's solid spruce over solid mahogany. The mahogany looks a lot like the Cuban mahogany used in other late-'20s Harmony boxes, though it's not the super-curly stuff you see on their fanciest models that use it. It has mild figure here and there.

Repairs included: Previously, someone gave it a neck reset, fit an adjustable truss rod, and refretted the board. Last time around, Ancel recut the saddle slot, fit a new bone saddle (compensated), and set it up. It's playing bang-on and is ready to go.

• Weight: 2 lbs 13 0z
• Scale length: 24 1/8"
• Nut width: 1 7/8"
• Neck shape: bigger V/C
• Board radius: flat
• Depth at first fret: 0.93"
• Depth at seventh fret: 1.04"
• Body width: 13 3/8"
• Body depth: 3 5/8"
• Top wood: solid spruce
• Back & sides wood: solid Cuban mahogany
• Bracing type: ladder
• Bridge: rosewood
• Fretboard: ebony? (looks like it, may be ebonized maple)
• Neck wood: mahogany
• Action height at 12th fret: 3/32” bass 1/16” treble (fast, spot-on)
• String gauges: 50w-11 GHS
• Truss rod: adjustable (added!)
• Neck relief: straight
• Fret style: medium-bigger modern

Condition notes: It's pretty clean for its age! I did not see any cracks. The top has a little belly under the bridge area but it's been stable since we've known it. There are mild scratches and scuffs here and there throughout the finish. The bridge pins and saddle are new. It has a newer bone nut. The fretboard has a bunch of small tearout near the frets from the last fella's refret job. I understand it, though -- these old Harmony boards are very prone to it.

It comes with: It has a good case as I recall.

Consignor tag: MULK