Harmony Meteor H-70 Arch Top Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1965)

Harmony  Meteor H-70 Arch Top Hollow Body Electric Guitar  (1965)
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Item # 6899
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Harmony Meteor H-70 Model Arch Top Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1965), made in Chicago, serial # 5595H70, sunburst lacquer finish, laminated maple body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, original two-tone chipboard case.

This is a nice mid-'60s example of a Harmony classic, the H-70 Meteor. Introduced in 1958, the Meteor was the first of the thinline cutaway designs that were Harmony's bread and butter electric instruments for the next decade and is a fairly classy guitar despite its humble reputation. The H-70 in sunburst finish sold at $170 in 1959.

With two great-sounding DeArmond "Golden Indox" pickups (introduced with this model), the Meteor is a very good-sounding instrument. This guitar has the second version with adjustable polepieces. The laminated maple body is 15 3/4" wide and 2" deep at the rim with a single rounded cutaway and a laminated spruce top trimmed with subtly fancy 5-ply binding.

The Meteor is wired to the scheme Gibson developed in the early 1950s: tone and volume knobs for each pickup and a single toggle for selection. The slim bolt-on neck is multi-bound with pearloid block inlay and is equipped with the "Torque-Lok" trussrod, an under/over double rod adjusted at the headstock that is actually quite effective.

The Meteor has an interesting rock 'n' roll pedigree. In 1962-4 Rolling Stone Keith Richards' first "serious" guitar was a sunburst H-70, which saw extensive use on all the Stones' early records (including their landmark first album), first tours, and TV appearances.

Lead guitarist Dave Davies cut The Kinks' "You Really Got Me" in July 1964 with his natural-finish Meteor -- the scraping, drivingly distorted tone he achieved remains uniquely arresting even today. Davies bought the Meteor (his first "real" guitar) at Selmer's "on the hire Purchase" before the Kinks even had a permanent name. The guitar was popular with many teen combos both in the UK and US in the 1960s and is still a solid performer today. One of Harmony's all-time best designs.
 
Overall length is 40 1/2 in. (102.9 cm.), 15 3/4 in. (40 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 2 1/16 in. (5.2 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 in. (610 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.).

This guitar has seen some play time and shows some wear overall but remains a nice playing example. It remains all original except for the pickguard which is missing and the bridge, a period adjustable rosewood piece but not typical Harmony design.

There are some small chips and dings, but overall the finish is in good shape; there is some light corrosion to the metal parts. The frets have recently been dressed and playability is above average for this model. Includes the original chip case in slightly battered but usable condition. Very Good + Condition.