Harmony H78 Heath Model TG-46 Thinline Hollow Body Electric Guitar , c. 1966

Harmony  H78 Heath Model TG-46 Thinline Hollow Body Electric Guitar ,  c. 1966
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Item # 9211
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Harmony H78 Heath Model TG-46 Model Thinline Hollow Body Electric Guitar, c. 1966, made in Chicago, serial # 2512H78, red sunburst lacquer finish, laminated maple body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, brown chipboard case.

This relatively flashy double-cutaway thinline hollow-body guitar was the top-of-the-line thin body model from Harmony in the mid-late 1960s. This one is specially marked by Harmony in Chicago for the Heath Company of Benton Harbor Michigan. Heath manufactured and distributed electronic project kits including guitar amplifiers under the Heathkit brand. Ordering this model from them meant you had to assemble the "kit" guitar which mostly involved mounting the electronics and stringing it up. This one has no easily visible date codes but this Harmony-Heath arrangement only lasted from 1966-68.

The engraving in the tortoise celluloid headstock overlay reads "Harmony by Heath" which should really be the other way 'round, but no matter! As the "TG-46" it was sold through the Heathkit catalog for several years at prices ranging from $219 to $286. With three DeArmond "Indox" pickups, multiple binding on the body and neck and a genuine Bigsby tailpiece, this is a fairly deluxe guitar. Now as then it is a great-sounding, very versatile instrument with a large sonic palette The three on-off switches allow all possible pickup combinations, and each unit has its own volume and tone control as well. This one has some minor wear and tear is a nice example of one of Harmony's best guitars, a garage band classic in both sound and style.
 
Overall length is 40 3/4 in. (103.5 cm.), 15 3/4 in. (40 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 15/16 in. (4.9 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 in. (610 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).

This guitar shows some general wear but remains all original and complete except for the tuners, which are recent Grover-style units. There are screw hole reminders of several different sets on the back of the headstock. The finish has some dings, dents, and scrapes, mostly to the top which shows a bit of flaking near the top rear edge. The color is still strong without too much fade.

The headstock has some scuffing under the logo where it looks like a sticker was removed, and there is a tiny extra screw hole in the heel. The neck is nice and straight; the binding on the fingerboard has shrunk up a bit but is fully intact. The nut has been replaced and the original frets have some wear but still play fine. This is a cool example of this best-of-Harmony guitar...lately a rediscovered favorite of Dan Auerbach, among others. This one is housed in a frankly fairly scruffy early '60s Gibson chipboard case. Excellent - Condition.