1967 Archtop Repair Restoration Made in U.S.A
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ม.ค. 2025
- These solid birch archtops were only made for one production year in 1967. Made in the U.S.A. by Harmony. Model number H1218 and branded Barclay for the United Buying Service mail order company. Plays like a dream. A vintage solid wood, made in the U.S.A. guitar that you can pick up for next to nothing. No one wants these but they are a fantastic way to get into learning about construction techniques of the past.
These cheap archtops from the 60’s don’t sound as good as flat top acoustics. Their tops are much thicker and less resonant. However they produce a tone that is something we don’t hear much these days and the aesthetics are more “hip” than modern flat tops. I’d rather play these old cheap archtops on a stage than a modern, mid-level, off-the-shelf acoustic.
Recording was a bit difficult. Traditional flat top acoustic mic techniques weren’t really working. I ended up using the ORTF mic placement strategy through some very quiet preamps to get a super punchy wide tone. Definitely recommend this technique.
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All Music Composed by Mark Gutierrez
besides cool video, you helped me find what was resonating in my tv at certain frequency, your ambient tones in the background made it rattle a lot and I could find the spot. thanks
LOL. So cool.
@@MarkGutierrez, Somebody actually found a use for ambient music! It's a red letter day, mark it on your calendar!
5:40 am watching - great video. I have a harmony archtone from 1960, fortunately it’s holding together- mine was spray painted red way before I got it 42 years ago- I sprayed it with black lacquer and left the neck “ maple” , installed Grovers - killer little guitar
I loved the video and your choice of ambient / indie music! The world needs more gen x luthiers!
Kudos on the restoration! The outtro music kicks!
The soundtrack is very nice. Hypnotizing. As even more as the lonely wood-working shop-noises that we sometimes hear in luthier's videos. The sound test at the end is a hit ! If somebody tries to contact you someday to buy the guitar, shurely it would be Robert Smith dicovering the fealing of jealousy and coudn't help it !
beautifully shot and edited! Great work.
That music was putting me to sleep. I was really trying to pay attention, but my eyes kept closing on me. I almost took a nap.
Awesome. Thanks for the uplift!
Those cheap guitars need love too ! Great vid as Always !
Nice shots and works on that guitar. I personally liked that eerie background music instead of the boring and overused no music and workmanship sounds format. Definitely deserves more views
As always I get sucked in and dragged along for the journey. Really nice restoration and production.
Great stuff. Love the end tune, too.
Great video ❤
And nothing wrong with "made in Japan' My house is full of vintage Japanese treasures 🎸💯🇯🇵💥✨
Just got a zen on ET 200 style. Getting a fugigen EJ2 this week.
Love the guitar, most of all the rubber bands on the clothes pins!
cool!! I two own harmony archtops. one from 1957 and another from 1949 in the middle of restoration. Great video. A recording of the guitar by itself without all the samples and production would be cool.
I learnt to play on a archtop,it was a Martin or a maton,I can't recall it was that long ago
The nicest part is when the music comes in at the end! 😊😅😂
I had a harmony arch top when I was a kid in the 70s. I threw it out and haven't missed it. The painted binding on the body was particularly PTSD-inducing.
Yep. Cheap junk then, much worse now.
We have an abundance of quality brands now and fair prices. Why waste time on this?
Sometimes old's just old.
Thanks
Years ago, I bought an old, unbranded f-hole archtop acoustic guitar with no tuners, bridge, or tailpiece. I know nothing about it or what to do with it. But I'd like to find a way to make it at least playable in some way. Your video gave me some things to consider, thanks.
Wonderful restoration and the dreamy soundtrack took me somewhere special. BTW what was the white glue? Thanks.
Maybe it's just me, but I think these restoration videos would get a lot more traction if you adopted a format similar to someone like My Mechanic: no music, just the sound of the actual work being done, and text overlays to explain important steps.
100% agree.But this summer has been brutal in Texas. I have two fans blowing at me constantly and the neighbor's HVAC systems are always on. Too much bad ambient noise. This fall and winter will be different. I'm going to switch up the style as you suggested.
Why did you remove the paint from the FB???? It matched the patina of the guitar! Should never remove original paint. Great restoration though
Sid barrett of pink floyd 1st guitar was a harmony sovereign and Jimmy Paige played stair way to heaven on a sovereign
I have a Harmony Monterey. Its cracked all over . It buzzes on E and A strings . How do you intoneate these? Says steel reinforced neck and i cant find a truss rod?
It's frustrating not to hear what it actually sounds like without all the post-production after having followed along for the whole reconstruction.
The Harmony Monterey was produce for many years whit the same look
you need a heavy pick and a heavy hand (and heavy bronze strings) to get proper sound out of this guitar.
Thanks for posting this. I have a Harmony Broadway. A couple of tuner knob shafts are bent. Did you clean up the original tuners or replace them? If so could you please share the source. Thanks in advance.
I replaced them: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07L2MXFRV/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
Thank you Mark - was just working on it this morning 👍🏻
Thanks for this. Very very well done. Appreciate your videos. I love seeing old guitars brought to life and played. Just curious - what compound did you use for the fret polishing? Thanks
I use two. The cheapest off-the-shelf white compound for Stainless steel. It removes the scratches made from the files sand paper. Then I finish with Music Nomad Frine for the mirror polish: www.musicnomadcare.com/Products/FRINE-Fret-Polishing-Kit/#prettyPhoto
@@MarkGutierrez Thank you
MANY Harmony archtops actually had carved tops, believe it or not.
I would have wanted to see how you closed the back. that thing is difficult.
If I recall correctly, I just scrapped the old glue off, glued it down, clamped it with spool clamps and then trimmed any excess that was proud.
Much better you tested it w/o effects or what soever
Great outcome , though!
My guess is if you still have the tuners you could weld a pin to the metal and shape it
I doubt if those tuners were original- they are Japanese and are a type that Kay used-in 1967 Harmony was using American made Waverly tuners. This guitar is a very close relation to the H1215 which was made for at least three decades. You can see one of those by Googling this and you can see the Waverly tuners: Jake Wildwood 1960s HARMONY H1215 ARCHTOP GUITAR. Anyway, a great result and effort to get there!
I just picked up an 1006H1215 F45 from an estate auction. The tuners looked old, but ok until I touched them. They broke apart into dozens of pieces. Lol. Would you happen to know what the first 4 numbers , before the H mean?
@@MsMixd It is speculated that those numbers are some kind of "factory order" or batch number before the H model code number.. Button rot on Kluson tuners from the 40s and 50s is really common- you have to get new buttons and install them.
I cannot tell who’s signature is on the front?
Bob Dylan. Just kidding, it's Johnny Cash, just kidding. I don't know either.
Probably the quality control guy.
Gave up all hope.
If you removed the completely inappropriate sound track, your videos would certainly be more viewable.
can't believe you cutted grooves into the bridge.
Way too deep at that.
The only thig that looks in good shape on this one, is the bridge. What a basket case!
Good vid... but... sounded like ambient music from a Halloween CD or something. Had to mute it and play something else. Wasn't bad just, not the right tempo for keeping people interested and awake. :D
Why did the end song remind me of the Meat Puppets? In the best way
That harmony is spoiled rotten anyone can say what they want about Harmonys but most were all solid wood up until mid 70s when they went out of business cheaper ones made from birch
Старушка гитара не издавала таких звуков !.
thodang i was born in 67 and i am in better shape and I have epilepsy lol