GR-1SF custom build, as a tribute to a Harmony H62.

[HarmonIser]

After a long and protracted ordering/order disappearing/factory finally finishing/delivery saga, it's actually due to arrive some day soon. In these COVID times, with AusPost under the pump, I'm sure they're all pedaling as fast as they can!

Here's a pic of the real deal - I'm hoping that I'll be able to do it justice:


The reason for this build is that I haven't seen a Harmony H62 for sale in Australia in all the time I've been looking. I ended up buying a Silvertone 1385, which is basically the same guitar, but finished in a black gloss, which I really dig
also, but it's in amazing condition, and I don't want to gig with it, and wreck it, thus devaluing it. The basic specs of the GR1, make it sound like it will be a suitable base for this build to work, mainly the body shape/size, and the wide neck, which I need, to allow for the extra width of the polepieces on the Gibson P13 pickups. These pickups were the precursor to the P90, and were not used by Gibson, after the P90 came into production, but are pretty much the same design, with some construction differences. I assume the P90 was cheaper to produce, thus the P13s went by the wayside - well, not totally, as Harmony still used the pickups up until the early 1960s, but there's scant info on who continued to build them for Harmony.
I'll post some pics in the comments (as supplied by Ben) of the body supplied by the factory - I wanted flame back and front, and because the Gretsch style build they supply is not the same layout/pickup size, etc, I asked for only bridge post holes and f holes on the top. Now that I notice the f holes are in a bit of an odd position (pretty much all archtops have the bridge positioned central to the f holes), I may or may not live with this one as the f hole positions in relation to the bridge get to me....

[HarmonIser]

[Simon Barden]

The F-holes start off in the standard kit position, certainly the top/front of the F-hole relative to the waist, but the angle of them looks wrong to me, compared to the standard GR-1SF kit. They don't splay out as much at the bottom as on the standard kit, which doesn't help the look, and adds a bit to their perceived length. Of course the F-holes on the Harmony in the picture are about 3/5 the length of those kit F-holes, which moves the centre of the F-hole further away from the bridge position. The kit guitar F-holes are generally a lot longer and a bit wider than on their 'inspiration' guitars. Of course on some guitars it makes it easier to get the electronics through the holes, but on the hollow bodies where you can use the pickup cut-outs for this purpose, it isn't anything like as important.

I'd also hazard a guess that the Harmony has a shorter, more compact body, despite the overall shape looking quite similar. I caught sight of a plan for one giving a body length of 17.5". If the GR-1SF is the same length as my ES-3, which I assume it is, then that's longer at 19". Both necks join the body at the 14th fret.

So you've got much longer F-holes set, a bit further back from the waist than on a Gretsch (or Harmony) and a 1.5" longer body (which will also move the waist back in proportion), so that's generally why the bridge doesn't line up with the middle of the F-holes. Which I'm afraid doesn't solve or improve anything.

[HarmonIser]

I wonder where you've sighted a plan for an H62? I must say I haven't looked, but I'm surprised to hear there is one about.

I can compare body sizes with the 1385 'Black Beauty" when the kit finally arrives. I may even make a decision at that point, if I can see it's not going to "do it" for me, due to obvious major differences, (that I didn't pick up on from seeing pictures), I may well seek out other options, and just make the GR1 as a Gretsch knockoff for the experience. We'll see.....

[DarkMark]

Well you’re faster off the mark discovering the unsymmetrical f hole positions compared to me. I was finished before I noticed the bridge closer to one f hole than the other.

[Simon Barden]

The outline plan came up as an image when doing a search for a plan. But it was a fleeting glimpse as it was on Pinterest, which very handily gives you a totally different picture within seconds.

[HarmonIser]

@DarkMark - I actually hadn't noticed that element of them being badly positioned....
I can't unsee that either - egads!!
@Simon Barden - If you want specs of the 1385, I'm happy to measure her up for you.
This is the link to the Harmony Espanada, which is the same guitar, but has the Harmometal binding, and Espanada logo, instead of the Silvertone logo. Colour aside, it's essentially the same as an H62.
https://web.archive.org/web/20200809...s/H63/175.htm#

[Simon Barden]

I was only really looking to see if I could find reasons why the F-hole position was out by so much.

It mainly comes down to kits that are definitely not exact copies of others, and that are routed using templates, not CNC machines, by a less than precise workforce.

[HarmonIser]

It mainly comes down to kits that are definitely not exact copies of others, and that are routed using templates, not CNC machines, by a less than precise workforce.

Damn straight!

I probably should make a suggestion to Adam that the factory could make improvements like fixing these basic design flaws. I guess day to day errors aren't going to change, but the fundamentals could be addressed....

[Simon Barden]

We did provide a list of things that needed improving a few years ago. We saw some improvement, but I think things have slipped back to how they were. Pit Bull are but one reseller of the kits these factories make (Pit Bull use kits from 3 or 4 different factories), so their influence alone is relatively limited.

Ideally the kits would be made using CNC machines, not manual routing using templates, but that involves capital investment and reducing the number of employees. But whilst labour rates in China are low and the Government pushes for full employment, that's unlikely to happen.

Some of the kits seemed to be of a much higher quality than others, the kits starting with a 'G' for example; but they too can come with fundamental flaws that can ruin them. My GSM-1 has a superb 1-piece body, but I discovered the bridge post holes were about 3mm too close together only after all the finish was on.