Does antone knoe what this is?

[Steve Bettesworth]

I hesitate to ask as I know this is not a very prestigious guitar, but I liked the look of it and I think its worth saving. What I’d love to know is what is it? Initially I’d thought it was a Harmony but can find nothing like it on the Harmony site, nor is it a Silvertone. So I’m at a loss to identify it. If anyone does know or even better has pictures of what it should look like I’d be very grateful.

The supplied picture are how it arrived. It has now been stripped, fillled and awiting painting.

Steve

[Mark Pollock]

Hey Antone, do you have any idea? :)

Are there any stamps inside? It sure looks like a typical cheap archtop, but those pickup wires are pretty interesting. And the switchplate looks a little too stylish to be just an add on. Do you think the electronics are original, or added on after the fact?

The zero fret is not typical of anything made by Harmony or Kay, and makes me think it's an import of some kind.

[Steve Bettesworth]

Sorry about the spelling, fat fingers. I know it sould be a 'w'.  4/10 must do better.

Intersting Mark, I don't think the electrics are after market as the holes are too clean. As for finding any stamps; someone had sprayed it with extreemly thick gold paint covering the entire insides.

[RETROROD]

By the pictures, I would have to say it is a 'budget(import) or homemade archtop with added electronics. The slide switches on the upper bout look like 'cut-offs' from another guitar pickguard. Possibly Kay,Harmony or Silvertone P'ups etc. but a bad job of running the wires! Not factory or original, I hope. The neck P'up looks crooked also...

I did not see the headstock?

Rod....NOT Antone...;-)

[Kerry Krishna]

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=harmony+archtop&hl=en&safe=o...

It looks to me like a 50s Harmony archtop that had no electronics whatsoever, and someone just slapped those pickups on.

[Mark Pollock]

Are there Kays from that era with a zero fret? Nothing surprises me at this point, it just doesn't seem very - Chicago manufacturer-like, ya know?

[Thomas James]

Looks like a European origin guitar? The three piece F-holes are unique. Another mystery.

[Ned Knepp]

  How about some more pictures, Steve. Maybe of the headstock front and back and of the heel of the neck?

  I think the Zero fret feels European too but the body shape seems odd to me, like maybe the cutaway added later.  I'm also in the "pickups added" club too. The controls seem to be oddly placed as well as having the cables running externally. Is there any sign that a pick guard was mounted?

[Tim Mace]

reminds me of a National try at an Electric...f-holes maybe stylized Dobro sorta

[casey campbell]

the electronics were added later.  it appears as if the control panel was cut from something else.  i like the gold spray painted body!

[Steve Bettesworth]

Thanks for the thoughts so far. I think that the electrics are original as to the body, it always was electric. As for the wiring I think the Harmony Rocket was the same withe the wires hidden by the pick guard. I'm adding some new photographs, the body is too thin IMO for it ever to have been acoustic. I've replaced the fretboard so there is no zero fret anymore and the tape is where I've put in MOP inlay. The pick ups are Japanese, The red paint is a method of looking for high and low points in filling, it will look better then this, honest.

[Steve Bettesworth]

And there's this

[RETROROD]

To be honest, I,m not sure what you have there, Steve. The tailpiece looks like a late 40's Gibson ES-125 type that I once owned.

Other than that, I am not giving it more thought, as it is not one of the major makers of vintage guitars.

You say the p'ups are Japan. You say that you think they came with the guitar. Me thinks its a Japan guitar then!

It 'appears' to have been "mucked with".....You are "mucking" with it again. That says,at least, "twice mucked up"....and nothing that I am interested in.....sorry!