Visible through the segmented F hole on the body, the 1964 date stamp is present, along with the "H7230" model stamp, which was the official Airline designation of the H78 model.Ĭosmetically, this guitar is remarkably well-kept, and the 100% original nitro lacquer Red Sunburst finish highlights ripples of curly flame figuring in the maple on both the top and back of the body. Additionally, all three Rowe Industries DeArmond gold foils have their original "Rowe Industries" foil labels on the baseplates, each individually dated to April 3rd, 1964. All of the extensive electronics work as they should, including the pickup switches and all six volume and tone knobs. On the body, the guitar boasts all of the original hardware, with the stock Brazilian rosewood bridge with bone insert saddle, Bigsby B3 vibrato tailpiece, stock tortoise pickguard, sextet of transparent mini DeArmond bell knobs, and original Brazilian rosewood pickup risers. The original nickel Waverly tuning machines are present as well and turn smoothly.
The thin metal raised "Airline" logo is fully intact atop the tortoise too. The headstock sports a swirly reddish orange nitrate tortoise veneer and matching truss rod cover, made from the exact same material as Fender tortoise pickguards of the era, and very three dimensional and glossy.
The scale length measures 24 1/4", and the bone nut measures 1 3/4" in width. The original fretwire is remarkably clean, and the frets have well-rounded crowns and exhibit no wear. The original pearl inlay and aged multi-ply binding are in great shape, dressing up a very nice piece of Brazilian rosewood on the fretboard with prominent grain and a rich chocolate brown color. The profile is quite clean, with palm wear through the nitro gloss on the treble side shoulder of the profile from frets 1-5. The neck has a C profile that's full-feeling and chunky, and the profile measures. All three pickups have strong output, and when mated with the fully hollow maple body, the tone benefits from both the immediate attack of the maple and the warmth and fullness of the hollow construction. Unlike many gold foils, the ones on the H78 also feature adjustable pole pieces, so you can really dial in the balance between the strings. They have a percussive snap and twang, tight bass, and a harmonically-rich midrange that sounds great when each pickup is singled out or when paired together in any one of seven combinations. There's really nothing that can match the balance, clarity, and overall tonal character of a good trio of gold foil pickups.
The action has been dialed in to be low and consistent in all registers, with fresh 10-46 strings and a tone that you can only get from DeArmond pickups. The guitar features three DeArmond gold foil pickups, a figured curly maple body, factory-installed Bigsby B3 vibrato tailpiece, and nitrate tortoise appointments. 100% original aside from a new hand-carved bone nut, this particular USA-made Harmony iteration is branded "Airline," indicating that it was made exclusively for the Montgomery Ward catalog, and the H78 was at the tip top of Harmony's vintage guitar line. Up for sale, a 1964 Harmony H78 in exceptional condition and in perfect working order, complete with a modern hardshell case.