Eat Your Hearts Out!

[Zaphod B]

Update: Fretboard Inlays Repaired

Just thought I'd give y'all an update on the old Harmony.

I finally took it to a local luthier to take care of the pearloid fretboard markers that were cupped. He did a little re-gluing and sanding and now at least the fretboard is flush. This cost me all of $27.50.

After I got it home I plugged it in and played for a while. This thing has wonderful tone and plays pretty well - good enough for just about any kind of rhythm duty, and maybe some lead work, too. All the controls are stiff and noisy, so I need to pull the pickguard and spray them down with contact cleaner. Also, a few of the frets on the low E side need reseating. No problem there.

What a nice surprise that the old dog sounds pretty and can play. I don't recall, as a 12-year-old, paying that much attention to its tone; I was just happy to have an electric guitar to play.

 

[muttley600]

Do y'all think I should try to file the pearloid inlays flush, or pop them out and re-glue them?

Careful now

Those inlays have been there for quite a while you don't want to ruin them in a few minutes. You got a pic to make it easier to advise?

First are they curled or have they just raised above the fingerboard? Are they loose? I other words can you seat them with a a little thumb pressure?

The key really is to know what they are held in with and what they are made of. Most of those early guitars had celluloid based inlays held in with hide glue. Over time they can become brittle so take care. Heat will move them if your feeling brave. Either to take them out or with even more care to put them back in flat. You may need to do both. For example remove them clamp them flat after heating them and re-install them. Celluloid is flammable so not too much heat.

The main problem with filing away anything proud of the fingerboard is that if that they may want to move again in the future. Either back below the fingerboard or further out. You just can't tell. You'd be taking some stress off of them when you flatten by removing material the outcome is a likely to be unknown. It could be fine. One thing for certain you'll be removing the patina and the new surface will look bright and out of place for the long term. The only way to make that look good is to do the same to all the fingerboard to give it an overall new look.

If it was me I'd remove them flatten them and put them back. But it is the more involved option. Heat and a little water to remove them, clamp them flat under heat, cool them unclamp after a few hours and re install. If you do you'll have gaps around the edge. This is normal even on new inlays. You can fill these with coloured glue and dust to match the inlay or fingerboard. Always go for a lighter colour match it shows less. On a new fingerboard the dust from sanding back will do that for you.

Easier to explain than to do. It's one of those jobs thats easy to do once you know how to do it. You only learn how to do it by doing it. If you get my meaning.

Good luck

 

[muttley600]

Just thought I'd give y'all an update on the old Harmony.

I finally took it to a local luthier to take care of the pearloid fretboard markers that were cupped. He did a little re-gluing and sanding and now at least the fretboard is flush. This cost me all of $27.50.

After I got it home I plugged it in and played for a while. This thing has wonderful tone and plays pretty well - good enough for just about any kind of rhythm duty, and maybe some lead work, too. All the controls are stiff and noisy, so I need to pull the pickguard and spray them down with contact cleaner. Also, a few of the frets on the low E side need reseating. No problem there.

What a nice surprise that the old dog sounds pretty and can play. I don't recall, as a 12-year-old, paying that much attention to its tone; I was just happy to have an electric guitar to play.

He He you beat me to it. That will teach me not to read the whole thread.

So they weren't out by much then? How do they look? Are they celluloid?

Glad it's back in playing order for you.

 

[Zaphod B]

He He you beat me to it.

So they weren't out by much then? How do they look? Are they celluloid?

Glad it's back in playing order for you.

Yes, they're celluloid, I think. They weren't cupped at all four corners - in fact only two of the inlays were really bad, and they were raised up on the high E side, enough that the strings would catch on them, but not fully out of the cutout in the fretboard

They look OK - a little scuffed on that edge from being sanded. I can see that the luthier addressed all of the inlays, though, to make sure that they're all flush.

 

[muttley600]

Yes, they're celluloid, I think. They weren't cupped at all four corners - in fact only two of the inlays were really bad, and they were raised up on the high E side, enough that the strings would catch on them, but not fully out of the cutout in the fretboard

They look OK - a little scuffed on that edge from being sanded. I can see that the luthier addressed all of the inlays, though, to make sure that they're all flush.

Yeh the only way to get them all dead flush and clean from scratches is to do it with the frets out. Doing it individually would be a real pain. If he hasn't had to take off too much they should stay there. Keep an eye on them and first sign of any further movement get a caul and clamp on them after wicking in some thin CA glue. Sounds like you should be OK though.

Enjoy

 

[Zaphod B]

Yeh the only way to get them all dead flush and clean from scratches is to do it with the frets out. Doing it individually would be a real pain. If he hasn't had to take off too much they should stay there. Keep an eye on them and first sign of any further movement get a caul and clamp on them after wicking in some thin CA glue. Sounds like you should be OK though.

Enjoy

Thanks, muttley. I'm going to have some fun with this one.

 

[JCH]

Cool guitar. Here's a picture of my Stratotone. It's a 1962 Roy Smeck model. I had to re-glue the markers, and the neck binding on mine. Like yours the electronics are DeArmond. These pickups really have a sound of their own. The coils are really short in height. Usually ceramic magnets, and wound with really fine wire. 45 AWG or smaller. I built a compensated bridge for mine. Other than that it's all original.

 

[rayc]

I extremely please you've rewsurrected beyond slide duties. Those P/ups will give a nice tone & pushing it into a tube amp should get a little happy distortion too.
Its actually worth a couple of three hundre now isn't it? probably more - In the UK they pay a fair bit for such treasures. Keep it, play it & treasure it as family history!
You could fix the bridge! so you don't have to reset each time it gets bumped going in & out of the case. gig bag, closet!
Oh, nice looking thing too.
As is the Smeck. I loved the look of those p/up before I heard 'em & that just
made me love 'em more.

 

[Milnoque]

Zaphod,

Thanks for this thread. The first electric guitar I ever played was a two pickup version of this guitar. It carried the Old Kraftsman brand. Those little DeArmond pickups are as underappreciated as any ever made.

You brought back some great memories. If you ever get the chance, play that thing through a Silvertone case amp.

 

[Zaphod B]

Cool guitar. Here's a picture of my Stratotone. It's a 1962 Roy Smeck model. I had to re-glue the markers, and the neck binding on mine. Like yours the electronics are DeArmond. These pickups really have a sound of their own. The coils are really short in height. Usually ceramic magnets, and wound with really fine wire. 45 AWG or smaller. I built a compensated bridge for mine. Other than that it's all original.

JCH, that's a beauty.

 

[lpdeluxe]

Very nice Harmonys! I'm a fool for natural...but Zaphod B's ain't no slouch.

I'm glad the inlay repair worked. That makes a big difference.

 

[Zaphod B]

I extremely please you've rewsurrected beyond slide duties. Those P/ups will give a nice tone & pushing it into a tube amp should get a little happy distortion too.
Its actually worth a couple of three hundre now isn't it? probably more - In the UK they pay a fair bit for such treasures. Keep it, play it & treasure it as family history!
You could fix the bridge! so you don't have to reset each time it gets bumped going in & out of the case. gig bag, closet!
Oh, nice looking thing too.
As is the Smeck. I loved the look of those p/up before I heard 'em & that just
made me love 'em more.

Rayc, you are right on about the DeArmond pickpus. Playing clean, with the amp set clean and using the flesh of your fingers rather than a pick, you get some very full, musical tones. Crank some preamp overdrive into the amp and use some attack with a pick, and you can get a nice bluesy growl.

I think these are going for around $300 on eBay these days. I wonder if my parents remember how much they paid for it originally. Probably around $29.95 at Sears or Wards.