Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi All,
I am placing this in this section rather than the repair section in hopes that more people will see it here an be able to help.

Just had a client drop off this guitar. He wants to know what it is and is it worth bringing back to life. It has been in his family since it was new and was his mothers guitar. She is 90 and he said she got it when she was in her 20s which would place the manufacture in the 40's. It is a carved top with rope binding on top and plane binding on the back. It appears the bridge has been replaced because there are bridge adjustment pegs an thumbwheels in the case and I can see a slight markings outside the current bridge. Otherwise it appears to be all original and in pretty good shape. The headstock logo is partially there but I just can't make out what it is.

Any help would be appreciated.

This is the headstock logo under UV


And Normal light. You can just make out where there was some other logo just below the main one.


And the Headstock shape



A full body shot




Detail of the F-hole and tail piece


SN number inside just under the F-hole


And what I think is the Model Number


Any help identifying this guitar would be very helpful,
Thanks
Bob

Its one of the Harmony variations and there are many

http://harmony.demont.net/

_________________
Ken Cierp

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/

+1 for Harmony, probably late-40s.

SR-286 could be -- Sear Roebuck or Silvertone?

_________________
Ken Cierp

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/

+1
I can make out Silvertone in both pictures.

_________________
The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Made by Harmony... no doubt about it.

_________________
"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Thanks for the help guys, I didn't want to give my suggestions what I though in the OP because I was curious what others thought. My first though when I saw it was that it was a Harmony with different branding on it but I was unable to find anything like it on the Harmony site. This also doesn't have a truss rod and most Harmony's have them. It is also carved Maple from what I can tell and they usually use Birch.

I also thought I could read Silvertone on the label but from as far back as I can fine Silvertone is written script and this appears to be blocked letters in negative creating the shape of the logo.

I know it is highly possible it was made by Harmony and branded for someone else but was hoping someone may have recognized it.

The owner would like me to get it in playing condition again but we have not talked about cost or value and I am not sure what their reasons are at this point. They just wanted my opinion on what it is and its worth. It is pretty clean with no cracks or dings so I think a simple fret dressing and setup would get it back in shape again.

Thanks again and if anyone does recognize this It would be nice to know for sure.

Cheers,
Bob

That is a "Supertone" built by Harmony in the Spring/Summer of 1939 (S-39). Higher end for its time as you can tell by the block inlays and binding.

Edit: I meant to add it is a carved Spruce top and that it was made for Sears under their Supertone brand, before it was changed to Silvertone..

_________________
"I've been had again"
Tim Benware
Creedmoor, NC

Here's a nice one:

_________________
Ken Cierp

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/

Thank you kind Sirs...

That is the guitar in hand. It never fails to amaze me what the "collective" can do

Cheers,
Bob