Buck Owens American H169 Flat Top Acoustic Guitar, made by Harmony (1970)
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Item # 10274
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Buck Owens American H169 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar, made by Harmony (1970), made in Chicago, serial # 9921H169, red, white & blue lacquer finish, birch back and sides, spruce top; mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard.
This patriotic-themed flat top is one of THE classic pieces of fretted Americana, and a surprisingly good-sounding instrument to boot! When Buck Owens appeared on TV's HEE HAW in 1969 with a red, white, and blue flat top guitar built for him by Semie Moseley, it seemed like an obvious idea to sell them. Buck was never one to miss a marketing opportunity, after all. A licensing deal was struck between Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Buck, and the actual guitars were built by Harmony in Chicago for sale in the retailer's catalog.
The guitars carry Harmony factory markings but no company logo, and have several Mosrite-esque cosmetic touches carried over from Buck's prototype. This one is factory dated to 1970. It is a well-made guitar similar to a period Harmony Sovereign, straight braced and with an adjustable bridge saddle and truss rod. They ARE American made, but ironically carry Japanese tuners! This one is all original and in fine condition; a neat collectible and still a very flashy stage guitar with a surprisingly good sound.
Overall length is 40 7/8 in. (103.8 cm.), 15 1/8 in. (38.4 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 3/4 in. (9.5 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 25 in. (635 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.).
This is one of the cleaner of these we have had, with a beautiful untouched original patriotic finish and unaltered except for some very nicely done plastic restoration. It has a repro headstock veneer, as the plastic originals are mostly badly shrinking and/or rotting and crumbling by now, we have to rate this well done replacement as a win! The pickguard also appears to be a very accurate replacement, again the original are often shrinking up badly now 50+ years on.
Apart from this restoration there is some light checking and handling wear overall, and that's it. The guitar plays as well as the better Harmony instruments; the truss rod is functional (not all are!) and the action is 3/64" bass and treble with the bridge lowered all the way. The guitar actually sounds better than most folks expect with a chunky, punchy midrange tone. It is complete in a later HSC, a playable piece of, well, Americana for sure! Overall Excellent Condition.
This patriotic-themed flat top is one of THE classic pieces of fretted Americana, and a surprisingly good-sounding instrument to boot! When Buck Owens appeared on TV's HEE HAW in 1969 with a red, white, and blue flat top guitar built for him by Semie Moseley, it seemed like an obvious idea to sell them. Buck was never one to miss a marketing opportunity, after all. A licensing deal was struck between Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Buck, and the actual guitars were built by Harmony in Chicago for sale in the retailer's catalog.
The guitars carry Harmony factory markings but no company logo, and have several Mosrite-esque cosmetic touches carried over from Buck's prototype. This one is factory dated to 1970. It is a well-made guitar similar to a period Harmony Sovereign, straight braced and with an adjustable bridge saddle and truss rod. They ARE American made, but ironically carry Japanese tuners! This one is all original and in fine condition; a neat collectible and still a very flashy stage guitar with a surprisingly good sound.
Overall length is 40 7/8 in. (103.8 cm.), 15 1/8 in. (38.4 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 3/4 in. (9.5 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 25 in. (635 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.).
This is one of the cleaner of these we have had, with a beautiful untouched original patriotic finish and unaltered except for some very nicely done plastic restoration. It has a repro headstock veneer, as the plastic originals are mostly badly shrinking and/or rotting and crumbling by now, we have to rate this well done replacement as a win! The pickguard also appears to be a very accurate replacement, again the original are often shrinking up badly now 50+ years on.
Apart from this restoration there is some light checking and handling wear overall, and that's it. The guitar plays as well as the better Harmony instruments; the truss rod is functional (not all are!) and the action is 3/64" bass and treble with the bridge lowered all the way. The guitar actually sounds better than most folks expect with a chunky, punchy midrange tone. It is complete in a later HSC, a playable piece of, well, Americana for sure! Overall Excellent Condition.