Inspiring Gillian Welch

"There's a roughness, when a thing is on the cusp of its own invention. When people don't quite know what they are doing, there's an appealing, unselfconscious edge to the music."


-- excerpt from Sept 2001 "Pulse" article by J. Poet

A Harmony to Keep an Eye On

We thought it would be fun to have staff write columns about their dream instruments, real or imaginary… the first submission is Kim’s wishlist (singer/songwriter, percussionist, rookie musician, and Folkway’s Lesson Program Coordinator and Office Manager)

The As-Is Room is full of treasures...

Is it true that I’m a garbage picker?  I DO like to recycle things…  And I would like to keep the lonely, old archtop I found abandoned on Folkway’s front door one morning.  It resonated with me right away.  Collectively, I think we assume/appreciate that someone just left it for us as store decor, but secretly I instantly thought of it as prize to me for being first at work that day (instead of a gigging musician, ha).

It’s actually quite a playable instrument, as-is, even before guys I trust get their hands on it, ha.  

Although, as is it stays remarkably in tune.  I like the tone and volume of this run-of-the-mill acoustic archtop.  Its acoustic, yes, but not as loud as modern dreadnought flat tops.  Its not a jangly bright guitar and some could find it dull, as it rules a middle ground of tone, best only for heavy rhythm style.  I kind of like how its fatter than average neck feels in my hand. Its wide but still light in hand like my nylon string.

 This is a guitar stuck in the midrange rather than providing a resonant bottom end through bright top end tones as modern guitars are designed to deliver. But, some people like that!  I am not a finger picking type and I don’t care if I ever play a lead as long as I live…

I like the weight and the auditorium size, and its shape and body dimensions. I like that you can see the natural colour of wood, including the contrasting wood strip.  I also like the metal tailpiece and the “f-holes.” Relatively inexpensive in the mass production days means it could have a life and I wouldn’t have to be all precious about my guitar. I like that its had a life before meeting me, ha.  I know its a late model Patrician because of the fancier “vine” engraved headstock.

Its said the Patrician model was in its own class of Harmony guitars because it was fancy, better designed and well built, the finest and best of the line.

H1414 – Patrician, by Harmony
(model years 1940-54) – Mahogany and Spruce top, Mahogany body (all solid woods); Scale: 25″1/4 642 mm

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I want something like this as my electric guitar. Free acoustic archtop, but electric, with wonderful matching case and a capo that fits right. Its my dream right? So, I will add that I love the sound through the pick-up in my band-mate’s Taylor 114ce.  but I don’t like not knowing what of the knobs does what, and I prefer big vintage LABELLED knobs like the Vega had, ha.

Also, my dream guitar has a tuner in it, so I’m not always looking for one.  And, it has to be a tuner that I can understand, SEE, and like the sound of, ha.  I want to plug this found thing in and let it ring!

Tune again in future to read about a co-worker's fur-covered instrument imaginings!

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Other Interesting Things Read While Researching This Guitar:

The archtop guitar is often credited to Gibson, whose innovative designs led to the formation of the Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Mfg. Co, Ltd in 1902.    Among the features of this instrument were a violin-style arched top and back, each carved from a single piece of wood, and thicker in the middle than at the sides; sides carved to shape from a single block of wood; and a lack of internal “braces, splices, blocks or bridges … which, if employed, would rob the instrument of much of its volume of tone.”

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Harmony was founded in 1892 by Wilhelm Schultz and bought by Sears, Roebuck and Co., 24 years later, which wanted to corner the ukulele market.  In 1928 Harmony introduced the first of many Roy Smeck models, and went on to become the largest producer in the U.S.  They sold 250,000 pieces in 1923 and 500,000 in 1930, but low-end foreign competition led to the company’s demise as the company reduced their output over the years, later focusing on student models sold through JCPenney.  The Harmony Guitar Company ceased in 1975, and the Harmony name was sold.