1969 Harmony H68 Jazz Artist Archtop Vintage Electric Guitar DeArmond Gold Foil

Condition: Used: An item that has been used previously. The item may have some signs of cosmetic wear, but is fully operational and functions as intended. This item may be a floor model or store return that has been used. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections.See all condition definitions- opens in a new window or tab... Read moreabout the condition
;Brand: Harmony
;Dexterity: Right-Handed
;Body Type: Hollow
;Body Color: Sunburst
;MPN: Does Not Apply
;Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
;Model: H68 Jazz Artist
;Model Year: 1969
;String Configuration: 6 String
;UPC: Does not apply

1969 Harmony H68 Jazz Artist Archtop Vintage Electric Guitar DeArmond Gold Foil

Up for sale, a 1969 Harmony H68 Jazz Artist archtop electric guitar in exceptional condition and in perfect working order. One of the very last archtops introduced by the Harmony company, the H68 is essentially its close cousin the H62, except factory retrofitted with a pair of oversized "moustache" DeArmond gold foil pickups! After a few years without a single proper archtop in their catalog, Harmony launched the H68 in 1968 and the model only lasted until 1971, despite top of the line appointments, a full body depth of 3 3/8", and a generous 16 1/2" lower bout! Featuring a spruce top and maple back and sides, the acoustic tone has plenty of cut and midrange presence, with great clarity and a full, robust voice that's perfect for projecting complex jazz voicings. The gold foil pickups (regular gold foils "under the hood" with a fancy enlarged cover and wood spacer to compensate) have the sparkle and fullness that they're known for, and the strong output and percussive qualities of this pickup design compliment the body depth and materials as well. Professionally setup here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar, the H68 Jazz Artist is a very rare model from the tail end of Harmony's golden era of production.

The one-piece maple neck has a comfortable and generous C profile that has an ideal amount of depth and chunk without being unwieldy, filling the palm and chording easily. The guitar has been professionally refretted with fretwire that closely matches original spec for both height and width. The new frets show virtually no wear, with perfectly rounded crowns and no buzzing or dead spots. There is also no notable wear on the fretboard, which appears to be some of the very last Brazilian rosewood used by Harmony before the wood became endangered. The neck has also been recently reset to meet the body at the ideal angle, allow for ideal pickup proximity to the strings, and give the bridge plenty of height for future adjustment. The nut width is a full 1 3/4" and the scale length is 25 1/4". The headstock sports a rosewood veneer on the face, with pearloid inlay Harmony logo and fleur de lis, as well as the original truss rod cover. The stock Waverly open back tuning machines turn smoothly and hold pitch well.

All of the electronics work as they should and all original hardware is intact including the tortoise pickguard, trapeze tailpiece and floating bridge with a metal saddles that add more top end clarity and attack to the tone than the purely rosewood bridges that came before. The triple bound body and F holes look fantastic, and the rich nitro lacquer sunburst finish is 100% original and unfaded. Visible through the bass side F hole, the original Spring, 1969 date stamp is present and clearly inked into the inside back of the body. Cosmetically, this is an extremely clean and well kept instrument, with barely a scratch on it. The multi-ply binding on the top has lightly yellowed, and the binding around the F holes is intact except for a tiny portion on the south end of the treble side F hole. The only notable wear on the body is seen in photo #11 near the neck heel, where the guitar rested on a cable in the case for many years, resulting in a few spots where the finish reacted and wore through to the bare wood. Otherwise, the guitar is astonishingly clean, and the maple on the back of the instrument has some subtle curly figuring as well!

The original black chipboard case with red plush interior and textured "ostrich" tolex exterior is included. This case is in good structural shape with original working latches, although the handle is broken at one end.

Please check out our shop "Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar" on the web, and feel free to call us directly with any questions at 206.399.8518.

Shipping in the continental USA will be $60, fully insured and shipped via FedEx Ground. Expedited shipping available for an additional fee at buyer's request. We will happily ship WORLDWIDE, but please contact us for an accurate international shipping quote before bidding or buying, as cost varies by buyer location.

International orders will be declared as “merchandise,” and the value of merchandise will be declared as the amount paid. We cannot declare anything as a gift or for a lesser value. No exceptions! The customer is responsible for all taxes and duty, which may be collected upon delivery, as well as any additional charges involved with import.

We do our best to describe all items with honesty and accuracy, but to be sure, please contact us with any questions or concerns prior to bidding or buying. We require payment within 48 hours of auction end. In the unlikely event of a return, buyer pays all shipping costs.  Your positive feedback and five star ratings are very important to us, and we appreciate your communication in resolving any issues!

1969 Harmony H68 Jazz Artist Archtop Vintage Electric Guitar DeArmond Gold Foil

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