How are Harmony guitars?

[FattMusiek]

Has anyone played Harmony brand guitars? I personally had never heard of them until I got one as a gift. It certainly doesn't feel like a Taylor, but I don't think I can really judge it until I restring it. What do you guys think?

 

[donkeystyle]

i had a harmony. interesting guitar. i don't know if i would call it good.

i also had a lyle acoustic. It was pretty awesome. most lyles that i've played really sucked, but man that one was sweet. some lady my aunt knew wanted to get a guitar for her daughter for christmas and couldn't afford it, so i sold her the lyle. i wish i hadn't.

 

[EddieRay]

Harmony has been around a long time. I always thought of them as entry to mid-level quality. A lot of house brands were actually made by Harmony, like some Oahu models. I've never heard of a high-end Harmony guitar though.

 

[Track Rat]

Funny you should metion it. I have a 1948 Harmony Montery that belonged to my Dad that I'm restoring right now. They were a low/mid range instrument but with some attention can be quite nice.
http://www.broadwaymusicco.com/HARMONY.htm

 

[mandocaster]

New guitars branded Harmony have no connection to older Harmony's. In many cases this is a good thing, they used to turn out some really bad guitars, in addition to a few good ones and a couple of great ones (like the original Sovereigns).

The new ones are decent imports, and they have a few guitars that are reminiscent of the older designs.

 

[dwillis45]

I saw someone selling the Harmony on QVC the other day. In general, I think that's a bad sign! The real question is how does the guitar compare to the one offered by Estaban on the Home Shopping Network! All kidding aside, there is something to be said for having a "beater" guitar that you can play outside or experiment with by altering the setup with a nut to play slide. You could also try the guitar with Nashville tuning.

 

[YeshuasFan]

I think for what a Harmony guitar costs one could spend the same amount on other brands and get an inexpensive beater that still sounds good: Yamaha, Washburn, Dean, Ibanez and the Jasmine line of Takamines all sound better and are in the same price range. Check your local dealers. YMMV.

 

[FattMusiek]

I saw someone selling the Harmony on QVC the other day. In general, I think that's a bad sign! The real question is how does the guitar compare to the one offered by Estaban on the Home Shopping Network! All kidding aside, there is something to be said for having a "beater" guitar that you can play outside or experiment with by altering the setup with a nut to play slide. You could also try the guitar with Nashville tuning.

This guitar is the one featured on QVC. I've been playing with it a lot today and it doesn't sound too bad. It's the kind of acoustic you'd take over to a friend's house to jam. Although I'm very grateful for this gift, I may have it returned and look around for a new acoustic. Can anyone recommend a great guitar for under $400?

 

[StudioMxpx]

they fuckin suck! my grandpa and i bot got the same one..mine sucked from the fret buzz and his sounded ok but the strings were real high...its a worthless piece of shit!

 

[Toonsmith]

I thought Harmony guitars were sold by Sears or JC Penny's. Is there another Harmony guitar around?

 

[YeshuasFan]

I don't know about "great," but if you visit local dealers and play a lot of different guitars, you should be able to find a decent sounding instrument for under $400.00. It won't sound as good as a Martin, Taylor, Guild, Gibson, Breedlove, L'arrivee, etc. But the following brands all offer solid top models with street prices of less than $400.00:
Yamaha, Dean, Ibanez, Takamine, Washburn, Epiphone, Samick, Aria, Alvarez. Surely you can find at least one among the lot that sounds decent. You may even find one that in your opinion, sounds great--and keep in mind--they're your ears and it's your money--so your opinion is the one that really counts--providing you've tried as many as you can. If you get really blessed--you may strike gold with the first guitar you pick up. It's not likely in that price range--but stranger things have happened--like the KC Royals winning the World Series 20 years ago.

 

[Dani Pace]

I've played a few, never owned one and don't think I want too. They might be allright for an entry level or student guitar but lack what it takes for a serious player. Yes, they are cheap, but so is their quality, mostly in materals and really cheap electronics, but the finishes aren't too bad. If you are into busting up gear onstage, they are great for that, they do look like the high end guitars which they copied.

 

[Fusioninspace]

I restored one several months ago. It was a 60's solid body model with one humbucker on the neck. I swapped out the tuners and put on new frets.

It was a fun little guitar for the $125 I had in it. The key thing about those old guitars is that they certainly look unique and have their own sound. You might need to redo some of the hardware to get it to really intonate and tune better.

I heard somewhere that every guitar has a song in it. Based on that, loading up on unique/cheap guitars is a great idea.

After playing with it awhile, I sold it on EBay and broke even on it.

Right now I've got two 60's Japanese guitars I'm working on. Paid $20 for the Kent (solid mahogany) and $60 for a true hollow body with a Bigsby style trem - but that guitar doesn't have a name on it. After a total disassembly, cleaning and replacing a few parts, I'm still under $100 each one.

 

[oh_the_blood]

ew. those guitars are always in pawn shops and they alway suck.