The name is now used by “The Original Hamony Guitar Company, Inc” based in Palatine, IL. They have re-introduced many of the Harmony vintage guitars mentioned below in their Vintage Guitar Series.

H44 Stratotone, sold from 1953 to 1957 for around $75, is a Spanish electric guitar belonging to the Stratone solid body family. The H44 has a thin-body finished in copper-bronze coating and had a slide switch to switch between bass and treble emphasis.

H49 Startotone Jupiter, sold from 1958 to 1965 for around $150, is an electric hollow body guitar. The Jupiter offered a 3-way switch, volume control, tone control, and blender control for its double pickups. The design was a natural spruce top, ultra-slim neck, rosewood fingerboard, celluloid edges, and 7 inlaid positions.

H50 Jazzbox, sold from 1947 to 1951 for around $95, is a Spanish electric guitar. This archtop guitar had a solid spruce top and maple body. A unique feature was the Kluson tuners.

H54 Rocket 2, sold from 1959 to 1967 for around $120, is a electric hollow body guitar. It has a single cutaway and went through a few changes over the years. First offered in sunburst and was changed to red in 1963. Also the Golden Tone pickups were redesigned in 1966.

H54-1 Rocket 2, sold from 1968 to 1971 for around $140, this is the double cutaway version of the H54.

H58 Jazzbox, sold from 1958 to 1962 for around $130, was one of the Roy Smeck Models. Endorsed by Roy Smeck (1900 – 1994) the H58 was an auditorium size archtop electric guitar with a natural and black body.

H59 Rocket 3, sold from 1960 to 1967 for around $150, was an electric hollow body guitar. Like the Rocket 2 the Rocket 3 was a single cutaway and changed from sunburst to red in 1963. The Rocket 3 provides 3 pickups instead of 2.

H59-1 Rocket 3, sold in 1968 for around $150, this is double cutaway version of the H59. Also has the 3 pickups.

The Harmony Guitar Company produced 10s of millions of Harmony vintage guitars, produced over 100 models, and has released its guitars under well over 50 brand names through its lifetime. This article contains just a few of the models I like.

Featured Vintage Fender Guitars

Relic Replacement Telecaster No Reserve Neck for Fender Tele Vintage NR $162.50 (11 Bids) Time Remaining: 2h 45m

Fender Stratocaster Vintage 60s Relic Aged Serial No. Neck Plate + Screws + Shim $25.00 (4 Bids) Time Remaining: 6h 18m

Fender Stratocaster Vintage 60s Relic Aged Serial No. Neck Plate + Screws + Shim $20.50 (5 Bids) Time Remaining: 6h 27m

Fender Stratocaster Road Worn Vintage 60s Nitro Olympic White Aged Relic Body $207.50 (14 Bids) Time Remaining: 6h 29m

See a complete list of Vintage Fender Guitars for sale.

Fender Startocaster

The Fender Startocaster is an electric guitar with a double-cut design and a solid-body. The model was released in 1954 and continues to be produced today. The original model came in a 2-color sunburst finish, a solid maple neck, had 21 frets, and was available with 2 or 3 single-coil pickups.

Over the years the name Strat has become to mean almost any guitar that resembles or shares similar features as the Stratocaster, however, the Stratocaster was the first and Fender carries the trademark. Many famous musicians have played and/or endorsed Fender vintage guitars. For instance, Buddy Holly played a Statocaster guitar in 1958 on the Ed Sullivan Show. Here is a complete list of new and used Statocastor Guitars for sale.

Fender Telecaster

The Fender Telecaster was released in 1949 and is also still in production. Originally called the Esquire, it was finally named the Telecaster after Fender fell into some legal issues with its second name, the Broadcaster. This is the oldest model of the four Fender vintage guitars and holds the title as the longest continually produced solid-body electric guitar. It was equipped with a fixed bridge and 2 single coil pickups. The Telecaster has been played by Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Jeff Beck among many other famous musicians.

There have been numerous variations of the Telecaster. Three of which, the Deluxe, the Custom, and the Thinline, were released in 1972. The difference was in the pickups with the Custom having a single-coil pickup in the bridge, the deluxe having 2 Fender Wide Range humbucking pickups, and finally with two Fender wide Range pickups, the Thinline. Here is a complete list of new and used Telecastor guitars for sale.

Fender Mustang

The Fender Mustang is a solid-body electric guitar with 2 single-coil pickups. Originally produced from 1964 through 1982 it has since been reintroduced and continues to be produced. The 1960s models can now sell for over $1,500.

Fender Precision Bass

The Fender Precision Bass (P-Bass) was the first mass-produced electric bass guitar. It was released in 1951 and is still produced today. The original model had a single pickup, 20 frets, and was styled after the Telecaster. In 1957 the P-Bass was redesigned to resemble the Stratocaster and three years later in 1960 had its single pickup replaced with a split-coil pickup wired in humbucking mode. The Telecaster like model was brought back in 1968 as the Telecaster Bass.

The Company

Originally located in California, The Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company was originated by Clarence Fender back in 1946. This company is now named the Fender Musical Instrument Corporation and is situated in Arizona. Duo-Sonic (1956-1969), the Jaguar (1962-1975), and the Startcaster(1976-1982) are included in the Fender vintage Guitar list. Some of these models were redesigned and continue to be produced even today.

Gibson ES-150 Hollowbody Electric Guitar Vintage ES150 1942 Geib Case Christian $810.00 (11 Bids) Time Remaining: 4h 58m

Gibson LG-0 vintage acoustic Sweet Sound $455.00 (2 Bids) Time Remaining: 5h 20m

Gibson Les Paul Deluxe Vintage Sunburst burst 1970 1971 1972 70 71 72 Guitar USA $1,999.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 6h 30m

Vintage 81 Gibson Flying V $560.00 (10 Bids) Time Remaining: 8h 13m Buy It Now for only: $2,100.00

See a complete list of vintage Gibson guitars.

The Explorer (1958 to 1959 and 1975 to Present)

The initial release of the Explorer was short-lived due a complete lack of demand. The body-design was considered futuristic, perhaps to futuristic. Today, many of us would associate the design to various musicians of the 1970s and 1980s especially the heavy metal rock bands. The shape reminds me of an X with one of its lines or a Z with its center line grossly exaggerated. The Explorer did have a come back when it was re-released in 1975. Variations of the Explorer are still in production today.

The body and neck of the original Explorer guitars are made from korina and used a 3+3 tuner layout with a split-shaped head. The newer version, 1975 and up, are made from maple and/or mahogany and went to placing the tuners in a straight line and a hockey stick shaped head. With production estimates as low 50, these early models are highly valued by collectors.

The Flying V (1958 to 1959 and 1967 to Present)

Originally released in 1958 and met the same fate as the Explorer when production ended in 1959. This vintage Gibson guitar however had an earlier revival and was re-released in 1967, 8 years before the Explorer. This was due in part to a handful of musicians, like Jimi Hendrix, picking it up in the 1960s. The body of these vintage Gibson guitars are very much shaped like upside down Vs, or Ys if you include the neck.

The Flying V had a 496R and 500T bridge in the neck and bridge position respectively, and 2 humbucker pickups. The body was made from korina and mahogany. The V Bass, a four-string bass version, was released in 1981.

Reportedly, a few Flying Vs and the Explorers, built from original spare parts, were shipped in 1963.

The Moderne (designed in 1957 released in 1982)

Although designed and patented in the same time frame as the other two vintage Gibson guitars in the modernist line, it was not released until 1982. It was quickly discontinued in 1983 because popularity fell far behind that of the Explorer and Flying V. It had a shape that resembled the letter “A” only one side, the top, was short while the bottom leg was longer. There was also a short stub towards the top of the A. Please excuse my written description. The idea behind these guitars was to be abstract a not really resemble anything.

Ted McCarty filed for his design patent on these three vintage Gibson guitars nearly 20 years before their prominence. Makes you wonder if he saw spiked bracelets, make-up, and big hair coming.

The original cost of the Falcon was $600. Today the new version sells from $1500 to as high as $4,000 (this is just shy of $4123, the inflation adjusted price of $600 in 1955).

The Vintage White Falcon was produced from 1954 to 1981 and the modern White Falcon was re-introduced in 1995 some versions still use the 6136 model number from the original 1954 guitar.

Wikipedia has a very in depth article on the White Falcon.

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