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Post new topic Harmony Vogue era info wanted
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Author Topic:  Harmony Vogue era info wanted
Tim Toberer


From:
Nebraska, USA
Post  Posted 7 Nov 2022 6:18 am    
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I was starting to hijack a thread on Oahu guitars, so I started a new one cause these Harmony Vogues are just a relative. Here is that thread https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=385997

This is a shot in the dark, but I figure this would be the place to look. Does anyone out there have a Harmony acoustic guitar from this era? (Roughly 1935-1945) I am interested in Hawaiian and standard models. This era also contains the Harmolin proto "pedal steel" guitars. I would love to see a picture, or jeez if you want to sell it I might want to buy it. These must be pretty rare, cause google doesn't even turn up much. Here is one from that era I just found if anyone is interested. This is a round neck, but I am confidant it would make a great lap guitar.
https://flatwatertoys.com/shop/red-foley-light-brown-sunburst/
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Noah Miller


From:
Rocky Hill, CT
Post  Posted 7 Nov 2022 7:08 am    
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The Vogue series were around in the early '40s and gone by the end of WWII. The catalogs I have all show the wrong photo for the Hawaiian model - note that it's identical to the Model C, right down to the wood grain, despite one being described as a 14-fret neck and the other a 12-fret. However, the Hawaiian is described as a grand concert size, smaller than the jumbo in the other thread, so perhaps it started out larger. There are some archtop Spanish Vogue models which might have that larger body shape, but it's hard to tell.


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Tim Toberer


From:
Nebraska, USA
Post  Posted 7 Nov 2022 8:39 am    
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https://reverb.com/item/259455-vintage-1937-1944-harmony-vogue-h-1160-acoustic-guitar-rare-model-high-action-project

Here's another one I missed that looks like they were having a bad day at the factory or maybe someone spilled paint stripper on it! If I had to guess that does look like a spruce top on this one. If it is good enough for Furry, good enough for me!
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Glenn Wilde

 

From:
California, USA
Post  Posted 7 Nov 2022 1:41 pm    
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I have this birch Vibratone from '43, it's a round neck and was probably sunburst or brown originally, it was painted white a long time ago and I like it.
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Glenn Wilde

 

From:
California, USA
Post  Posted 7 Nov 2022 2:02 pm    
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I actually scored a wartime (barely) mandolin today! It's a S41 and looks like a primitive Monterey, it's got full painted binding which I haven't seen on a Monterey, my other two have real binding. Here she is.


It's birch as is my early '50s one, interestingly enough, my later one from the early '70s is a spruce top, maple back and sides one. They all are very different sounding.
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Tim Toberer


From:
Nebraska, USA
Post  Posted 8 Nov 2022 5:44 am    
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Quote:
I have this birch Vibratone from '43, it's a round neck and was probably sunburst or brown originally, it was painted white a long time ago and I like it.

Love it! interesting it has the same fret markers as the Vogue guitars. Looking great in white Cool And that's a beautiful clean mandolin score. You don't see them in that condition often. Love the burst.
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Glenn Wilde

 

From:
California, USA
Post  Posted 8 Nov 2022 2:52 pm    
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Tim Toberer wrote:
Quote:
I have this birch Vibratone from '43, it's a round neck and was probably sunburst or brown originally, it was painted white a long time ago and I like it.

Love it! interesting it has the same fret markers as the Vogue guitars. Looking great in white Cool And that's a beautiful clean mandolin score. You don't see them in that condition often. Love the burst.
it's a great little mandolin, nice warm tone and plays easy. I keep looking at that Playtime steel, get it before I do!!!😁
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Glenn Wilde

 

From:
California, USA
Post  Posted 8 Nov 2022 3:03 pm    
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Pretty sure these NIOMA guitars are Harmony made too, I have one somewhere in my stash but I can't find it right now, they're pretty odd with the arched top.

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Tim Toberer


From:
Nebraska, USA
Post  Posted 9 Nov 2022 6:29 am    
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That sure looks Harmony made. You have a nice stash!
https://reverb.com/item/50842324-1940-mckinney-harmony-square-neck-hawaiian
I was considering this guitar a while back. There are so many Harmony off brands it can be pretty hard
to identify.
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Glenn Wilde

 

From:
California, USA
Post  Posted 9 Nov 2022 10:00 pm    
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Tim Toberer wrote:
That sure looks Harmony made. You have a nice stash!
https://reverb.com/item/50842324-1940-mckinney-harmony-square-neck-hawaiian
I was considering this guitar a while back. There are so many Harmony off brands it can be pretty hard
to identify.

That looks like a Regal to me, but I'm just a guitar nerd!!
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Tim Toberer


From:
Nebraska, USA
Post  Posted 10 Nov 2022 7:19 am    
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I can't find much on Mckinney either but here is another one I would love to find. Looks more Harmonyish. Sounds like Mckinney was a school which branded instruments, so could have come from Harmony or Regal. You are probably right about the the other one.
https://www.solie.org/earlsguitars/mckinney1.html

Here is one with a nicely carved neck
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=290451&sid=af4bad043872c019296280b80c032462
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Tim Toberer


From:
Nebraska, USA
Post  Posted 10 Nov 2022 8:00 am    
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These Mckinneys are quite interesting! Here is one with the same neck as the guitar in your guitar. The back on this one appears to be real violin grade flamed maple!!
https://reverb.com/item/28080974-c-1940-s-oahu-square-neck-for-mckinney-publishing-co
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Glenn Wilde

 

From:
California, USA
Post  Posted 10 Nov 2022 8:40 am    
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Tim Toberer wrote:
These Mckinneys are quite interesting! Here is one with the same neck as the guitar in your guitar. The back on this one appears to be real violin grade flamed maple!!
https://reverb.com/item/28080974-c-1940-s-oahu-square-neck-for-mckinney-publishing-co

I love this one,it would be hard to pass up.
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