History Fender doesn't have the same legacy in acoustic guitars as they do in the world of electric guitars and so their early acoustic ...
Fender doesn't have the same legacy in acoustic guitars as they do in the world of electric guitars and so their early acoustic instruments are often forgotten. You could buy a cheap acoustic from Fender as far back as as the 1950s but it wouldn't be until the early 60s that you could buy an acoustic that was built in the Fender factory. These were not well received at the time but aren't terrible instruments and those models inspired Fender's current line-up of acoustic instruments. .
To preface, the first Fender-built acoustics were introduced in 1963 and featured bolt-on necks (often with Stratocaster headstocks) paired with bodies that had an aluminum rod running parallel to the strings connecting the neck and tail blocks. On their official website, Fender has an article calledBeaches, Stages and the Silver Screen: A History of Fender Acoustic Guitarswhich covers these models. These guitars are most closely related to what Fender is producing today and many of the model names were recycled. But fans of the Tim Armstrong Hellcat guitar might notice an unusual shift in design and that is because Fender did not build the instrument that it was based on.
Rebuilt 1960s Harmony 319
For background, the Harmony Company was based in Chicago, Illinois and was one of the world's largest producers of musical instruments until it's dissolution in 1975. A significant portion of Harmony's business was through selling their instruments to distributors who would resell them and allow for smaller stores to tap into the growing musical instrument market. Many Harmony instruments don't even have the Harmony name on them as they were often built and sold unbranded or custom ordered with a company's chosen brand name painted onto the instrument.
Fender first sold unbranded Harmony instruments in the late 1950s and in the late 1960s commissioned Harmony to build a line of Fender-branded acoustics that blended the styles of the Fender-built acoustics and the regular Harmony lineup. To the best of my knowledge, these instruments were only offered between 1969 and 1971 before Fender shifted to Asian-import acoustics in 1972.
First appearing in the late 1950s as the No.150 Student Spanish Guitar, the Fender F-1000 was the cheapest acoustic you could buy from Fender and one of the cheapest from Harmony. In the early days, it appeared at the end of the Fender catalogs like a footnote and did not bear the Fender name. Later it received its own Fender model number and finally had the Fender name on it's headstock.
Baxendale '60s Harmony H168 Conversion
It is based off two Harmony models; the H-929 Stella and the H-150 (which was likely it's early namesake). The headstock profile is identical to both models but it blends design features from both with pearloid dots in a dyed fretboard, large two-tone sunburst, trapeze tailpiece, and a modified pickguard.
The Fender F-1212 is a rebranded Harmony H-949 which was their budget version of their popular Harmony H-162. It has the Fender designed headstock, custom rosette, custom pickguard, and Fender styled bridge.
The Fender F-1030 is most closely related to the Harmony H-165 all mahogany folk guitar. It has a unique Fender headstock shape, pickguard (pictured model lacks it), and bridge. It has a larger, painted rosette than the H-165 typically has. This model was the originator of the Tim Armstrong Hellcat.
Harmony Classical Guitar Natural 1960s
The Fender F-1050 is a rebranded version of the Harmony H-1203 Sovereign acoustic guitar with a unique Fender headstock shape, pickguard, and bridge.
The Fender F-1060 is based on the H-1260 Sovereign Jumbo which is an incredibly popular model even today. It is a jumbo dreadnought instrument. It has a Fender headstock with an inlaid tortoise celluloid veneer, custom pickguard, and custom bridge.
The Fender F-1070 is essentially a Harmony H-1270 jumbo 12 string guitar. It has a Fender headstock with an inlaid tortoise celluloid veneer, custom pickguard, and custom bridge.
Silvertone Model 1220l Jumbo Flat Top Acoustic Guitar, Made By Harmony (1969)
The extremely helpful website GuitarHQ.com has documented many of the Fender-built instruments and has assigned them all a collectibility rating of an F. I believe that rating doesn't accurately reflect the market value of these instruments on their own and is skewed because of the comparisons to the value of similar Fender products from that era.
As the market shifts and values change, always consult Reverb.com's Sold Listings to see what people are actually buying them for. At the time of this article's writing, this is what they are going for.
The Fender-built acoustics vary but I've seen them go from $500 to $2000 depending on the model and with earlier models or rare colors selling for more. The King and Kingman are the most desirable.
S Fender By Harmony H165 Vintage Acoustic Guitar Mahogany, Tim Armstrong W/ Hard Case
The Harmony-built acoustics tend to stick pretty close to their Harmony-branded counterparts but it isn't unheard of for them to bring a little bit more money from people just wanting a vintage Fender-branded acoustic. They can go from $150 up to $800 depending on model and condition.Up for sale, a 1960's Fender-branded Harmony H165 Grand Concert Mahogany acoustic guitar in excellent condition. A notable upgrade over the Harmony-branded version, this guitar was made in the USA by Harmony and exclusively sold by Fender. Features such as the larger tortoise pickguard, carved rosewood bridge base designed for bridge pins (as opposed to the pinless standard H165 bridge) and larger headstock set this guitar aside from Harmony's more standard fare, and the playability and tone is exceptional as well. It's also worth noting that this is a genuine, vintage example of the guitar Fender is currently reissuing as the Tim Armstrong Hellcat!
One of Harmony's most enduring and popular USA-made vintage acoustic models, the H165 is akin to Gibson's LG-0 in many respects, with a solid mahogany ladder braced body that delivers a warm, punchy tone. The sound is notably clear and even on this particular example, with nice projection and a balance of sweetness and clarity. There's a bloom to bass frequencies as well, with a mellowness that doesn’t have too much growl but is round and full. Having received a professional neck reset as well as a new hand carved bone saddle and nut, this guitar plays well with comfortable action and fresh 10-52 Thomastik Spectrum bronze strings.
The neck has a chunky, baseball bat C shaped profile with generous shoulders and a Brazilian rosewood fretboard. The stock frets are intact, retaining their full, original height with virtually no wear and well rounded crowns. The scale length measures 25 1/4 with 14 frets clear of the body and 19 frets total. The hand carved bone nut measures 1 3/4 in width and the headstock retains a very clean Fender silkscreened logo, as well as the stock tuners.
Rubber Bridge Conversion On This 1970 Fender (made By Harmony)
The original rosewood bridge is present, and the new bone saddle has ample height for future adjustment. The action currently sits at 1/8 measured at the bass side of the 12th fret, and 3/32 measured at the treble side of the same fret. There are two cleated cracks on the back at the treble side waist of the body, and one longer, repaired crack that runs along the bass side lower bout of the body from near the rear strap button until roughly the waist. The guitar is structurally sound and the top is crack-free, with only a few minor scuffs and nicks.
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The Harmony Built Fender Acoustic Guitars
We understand the importance of online privacy and are committed to complying with the EU General Data Protection Regulation. To reflect our commitment, we updated our terms and conditions. By continuing to use , you agree to these updates, and to our cookie policy. Learn MoreUp for sale, a 1960s Fender F-1050 vintage acoustic guitar in exceptional, crack-free condition. This very rare Fender acoustic was made in the USA by Harmony, a rebranding of their Sovereign H182 model. Available concurrently with Fender's other bolt-on neck acoustic models made in-house, the Harmony-made F-1050 is notable for being a set neck Fender-branded acoustic. This guitar has just received all the maintenance due a guitar of this vintage with a professional neck reset and carved bone saddle.
This auditorium body acoustic features a solid spruce top, solid mahogany back and sides, and a mahogany neck capped with a bound rosewood fingerboard. With its ladder-braced design and 15 lower bout width, this Fender offers plenty of projection and resonance, and the overarching sound is bold and woody, with punchy, sparkling trebles and a percussive, barking midrange. The bass register has great clarity, cut, and warmth, with good focus. Light as a feather at 3lbs 13oz, this Fender has been dialed in for easy-playing action and fresh 12-53 bronze strings.
The mahogany neck has a round C-shaped profile carve, and the guitar frets cleanly up the 25 1/4 scale with
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