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The 1960s came into full swing by the end of the decade. There was a war going on, and revolution was
in the air. Rock and Roll was alive. Kids were getting electric guitars so they could make their statements and be heard.
What better name for the new innovative guitar Harmony was coming up with, than the Harmony Rebel guitar.
This was
one of the most unusual hollow body Harmony electrics to come out of Harmonys research and development. The H81, H82G (Avocado
Green Model) and H82 (Sunburst) all had a type "W" vibrato tailpiece, 1 3/4 " deep, thin body and most distinctive,
double Florentine (pointed) cutaways. These guitars were boasted to be "Great for playing in a group, or for your own
entertainment. The thin body allowed for a tone chamber construction that assured a pleasing, acoustic resonance to balance
the "electronic" tone. With "spectacular" tone and volume the catalog boasted, "Easy, visual,
stick-shift controls. These allowed for the adjustment of the volume and tone with a series of slide switches. The catalogue
showed how you can produce your favorite effects by knowing your settings with a visual reference. These guitars had two slide
controls for each of the one or two pickups, with an on/off switch for each pickup.
Harmony Rebel guitars were reminiscent
of the Gibson Trini Lopez guitar. They even had a six on a side headstock, adding to the look. These $ 119 list guitars were
built of laminated maple, with celluloid binding on the top and back edge. The hardwood neck is reinforced with Harmonys
"Tork-lok rod."
Harmony produced other double cut-a-way guitars during this period. By 1971 even the Rockets, that earlier were single cutaway,
became double cutaway guitars. The top of the line H71, H72 and H61 were their professional grade, double cutaway electric
guitars, all having double venetion (round) cutaways. By the 70's, Harmony was utilizing two Adjustable Golden Tone double
pickups. The adjustable pole pieces under each string were to balance the response. Adjustable bridges, "Ultra slim"
finger boards, and short scales for easy chording made these guitars easy to play. Having gotten away from the triple pickup
H75 model of the earlier 60's, these double pickups were available with or without a bigsby true vibrato tailpiece in Sunburst
finish. The Red H72 had a 6/side headstock and could optionally be ordered with the vibrato.
As Harmony approached its
final years, the quality of their new guitars stood out. These new models, with innovative designs and features, incorporated
the latest technology. The features that Harmony became known for utilizing in their guitars were kept in place. As they added
these contemporary features, they were striving to compete with the big boys. Harmony was making instruments to appeal towards
the professional player. Even though their guitars got better, it was increasingly difficult to produce an instrument that
could compete with imports, which were beginning to flood the market. Although they werent able to compete, Harmony kept trying,
right up until their final days.
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