i got a new guitar!!!!!:D

Discussion of vintage Jazzmasters, Jaguars, Bass VIs, Electric XIIs and any other offset-waist instruments.
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Alex!
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i got a new guitar!!!!!:D

Post by Alex! » Tue Jun 06, 2023 10:57 am

sadly cant take a pic because im on desktop but what i know is that i went to my local guitar shop today to get a new strat nut until i asked if had any old junk guitars i could use for parts, well next thing i know it he came to me with i want to say late 60s early 70s sunburst Harmony eletric guitar (same guys who made Kurt Cobains Stella used on Something in the Way and Polly) so i swallowed my puke and asked "how much" and replies to me "i guess $20, we was gonna throw it in the dumpster" then he went on to tell me that it was donated to the shop and the guy found it in his barn and it belonged to his uncle. Now you may be asking "whats wrong with it?!" well the pickguard was warped (which im gonna take a heat gun to it a flatten it) 2 it has 2 way slider switches one is broken so im gonna take the other one out and use a 3 way toggle like i have in my Make-shift Cobain jag bullet mustang i like em more and then the slider switches' and it had 2 different tone knobs so i replaced them with some old acousti-sonic practice amp knobs which looks better. but just got it today (6/06/23) so its a W.I.P
2 lovers in a twine, pass me by, and heaven knows I’m miserable now- Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now, The Smiths, Louder than Bombs, 1987

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Re: i got a new guitar!!!!!:D

Post by LVC » Tue Jun 06, 2023 11:17 am

Alex! wrote:
Tue Jun 06, 2023 10:57 am
well the pickguard was warped (which im gonna take a heat gun to it a flatten it)
If there is any chance the pickguard is made of cellulose nitrate (which was common in the 60s), you don't want to take a heat gun to it.
Cellulose nitrate is VERY flammable (and difficult to extinguish) and, in some cases, explosive.
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Re: i got a new guitar!!!!!:D

Post by Alex! » Tue Jun 06, 2023 11:19 am

LVC wrote:
Tue Jun 06, 2023 11:17 am
Alex! wrote:
Tue Jun 06, 2023 10:57 am
well the pickguard was warped (which im gonna take a heat gun to it a flatten it)
If there is any chance the pickguard is cellulose nitrate, you don't want to take a heat gun to it.
Cellulose nitrate is VERY flammable (and difficult to extinguish) and, in some cases, explosive.
oof glad you said sum


EDIT: not sure if its 60s 70s or maybe 80s idk i have a feeling its what i said
2 lovers in a twine, pass me by, and heaven knows I’m miserable now- Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now, The Smiths, Louder than Bombs, 1987

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Re: i got a new guitar!!!!!:D

Post by Embenny » Tue Jun 06, 2023 12:11 pm

Congrats, that sounds like a steal of a deal if it has even a single functional part left on it.

Agreed re:celluloid pickguards. The only way to use heat to un-warp them is to very very gently and slowly warm them without applying heat directly - I think a forumite once posted about warming his oven to something like 120F and then turning it off before putting the pickguard in there on a wooden board (so that it wouldn't even be touching a hot rack), but it was someone very experienced in vintage restorations so he knew all the pitfalls to avoid.

It's not something I'd undertake myself, because I wouldnt trust myself to avoid starting a fire. I'd either live with the warped guard or have a new one made.
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Re: i got a new guitar!!!!!:D

Post by sholkham » Tue Jun 06, 2023 12:19 pm

sounds like a steal for $20 you'll have to post pics when able
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Re: i got a new guitar!!!!!:D

Post by jthomas » Tue Jun 06, 2023 12:37 pm

Anything like one of these:

https://luthierylabs.com/projects/misce ... 17-bobkat/

These are vintage guitars, and some of my favorites. The Harmony name was sold to put on imported Asian guitars after the company went bankrupt in 1975. There have been 3 to 4 attempts to resurrect the Harmony name since then.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmony_Company

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Re: i got a new guitar!!!!!:D

Post by DeathJag » Tue Jun 06, 2023 1:03 pm

What about putting the pickguard between two pieces of glass and leaving it in the sun with a weight on it? I've heard some people were able to take warps out of records this way.

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Re: i got a new guitar!!!!!:D

Post by Alex! » Tue Jun 06, 2023 4:34 pm

jthomas wrote:
Tue Jun 06, 2023 12:37 pm
Anything like one of these:

https://luthierylabs.com/projects/misce ... 17-bobkat/

These are vintage guitars, and some of my favorites. The Harmony name was sold to put on imported Asian guitars after the company went bankrupt in 1975. There have been 3 to 4 attempts to resurrect the Harmony name since then.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmony_Company
non of those sorry :'(
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Re: i got a new guitar!!!!!:D

Post by Alex! » Wed Jun 07, 2023 5:41 am

jthomas wrote:
Tue Jun 06, 2023 12:37 pm
Anything like one of these:

https://luthierylabs.com/projects/misce ... 17-bobkat/

These are vintage guitars, and some of my favorites. The Harmony name was sold to put on imported Asian guitars after the company went bankrupt in 1975. There have been 3 to 4 attempts to resurrect the Harmony name since then.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmony_Company
okay so i found it online its a H-802
2 lovers in a twine, pass me by, and heaven knows I’m miserable now- Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now, The Smiths, Louder than Bombs, 1987

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Re: i got a new guitar!!!!!:D

Post by jthomas » Wed Jun 07, 2023 8:56 am

So... your new axe is one made in Asia, after the Harmony Co. shut down. I found one citation that said it would have been made in Taiwan and at the same factory that made Teiscos (but I dk if that is accurate). Pickups are similar to many Asian guitars including my first guitar (a Kimberly sold through Lafayette Electronics' catalog). If the neck is ok and you have the pickups, you might be able to reconstruct a great Coodercaster.

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Re: i got a new guitar!!!!!:D

Post by Alex! » Wed Jun 07, 2023 3:59 pm

jthomas wrote:
Wed Jun 07, 2023 8:56 am
So... your new axe is one made in Asia, after the Harmony Co. shut down. I found one citation that said it would have been made in Taiwan and at the same factory that made Teiscos (but I dk if that is accurate). Pickups are similar to many Asian guitars including my first guitar (a Kimberly sold through Lafayette Electronics' catalog). If the neck is ok and you have the pickups, you might be able to reconstruct a great Coodercaster.
hm interesting mine has only 1 pickup that actually works and a 3 way toggle and its... well very messed up. butttt im gonna get some humbuckers like Seymour Duncans and or DiMarzio's and use mounting rings for it and add some 2 way slider switches i would absolutely love to restore it to original state but i dont have the wallet or time with school (highschool) and soon a job so im gonna add my twists. the whole purpous i got it because i thought of Mac DeMarco's Teisco
2 lovers in a twine, pass me by, and heaven knows I’m miserable now- Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now, The Smiths, Louder than Bombs, 1987

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Re: i got a new guitar!!!!!:D

Post by jthomas » Wed Jun 07, 2023 5:21 pm

Very cool project. 50 percent of tyhe OSG content involves kitchen luthiers bringing guitars back from the dead. I am/have not been so talented, myself. If you get into it and have questions, OSG forumites likely will be very glad to help.

DeathJag's suggestion of flattening the warped pickguard is worth a try. You might try a couple of ceramic tiles instead of glass, but then again glass might work fine. The heat gun idea really might be dangerous... and... if it's celluloid, any heat will likely distort the heck out of it. I once tried to open up a non-working antique celluloid fountain pen to fix it. I put it in some hot water to loosen the shellac holding the nib part to the barrel and the poor old thing practically turned into a pretzel.

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Re: i got a new guitar!!!!!:D

Post by Alex! » Wed Jun 07, 2023 7:46 pm

jthomas wrote:
Wed Jun 07, 2023 5:21 pm
Very cool project. 50 percent of tyhe OSG content involves kitchen luthiers bringing guitars back from the dead. I am/have not been so talented, myself. If you get into it and have questions, OSG forumites likely will be very glad to help.

DeathJag's suggestion of flattening the warped pickguard is worth a try. You might try a couple of ceramic tiles instead of glass, but then again glass might work fine. The heat gun idea really might be dangerous... and... if it's celluloid, any heat will likely distort the heck out of it. I once tried to open up a non-working antique celluloid fountain pen to fix it. I put it in some hot water to loosen the shellac holding the nib part to the barrel and the poor old thing practically turned into a pretzel.
i would love to be a lutier :)
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Re: i got a new guitar!!!!!:D

Post by Alex! » Thu Jul 06, 2023 1:03 pm

Bro I hate my life the head stock. I broke it drilling the holes for the new tuners
2 lovers in a twine, pass me by, and heaven knows I’m miserable now- Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now, The Smiths, Louder than Bombs, 1987

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Re: i got a new guitar!!!!!:D

Post by Dr Tony Balls » Thu Jul 06, 2023 1:27 pm

You could also try a hot water bath to soften the pickguard and then sandwiching it between two flat surfaces to mold it flat. That's gonna be a real gentle source of heat.
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