1960 Harmony Meteor H71 Vintage Electric Guitar Blonde 100% Original w/ Gold Foils & Case

Up for sale, a 1960 Harmony Meteor H71 in excellent, 100% original condition and in perfect working order, complete with a hardshell case. A very well-kept and early example of the Meteor model with a gloss Blonde nitro lacquer finish, this guitar is unique among Harmony hollowbodies in that it features a spruce top, offering a more complex and rich tone than the maple tops seen on later Meteors and all Rockets, Rebels and assorted H-prefix models. It's no wonder that Meteors found their way into the hands of players including Keith Richards and Dave Davies early in their respective careers.Acoustically, the guitar offers tons of natural projection and a rich, detailed sound with great percussive snap and bark. And plugged in there's really nothing that can match the balance, clarity, and overall tonal character of a good pair of DeArmond gold foil pickups. They have a cutting twang, tight bass, and a harmonically-rich midrange that sounds great when each pickup is singled out or when paired together. Both pickups have strong output, and when mated with the fully hollow body and spruce/maple tonewood combination, the sound benefits from both the immediate attack of the maple and the warmth and fullness of the hollow construction. The guitar weighs 6lbs 5oz, professionally setup here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar with fresh 11-48 strings and low action.The maple neck has a deep and round C shaped profile that's firmly in "baseball bat" territory, with big shoulders and a very substantial feel. This profile fills the palm yet is still very manageable for smaller hands and chords easily, measuring .930" deep at the 1st fret and .975" at the 9th. The bound Brazilian rosewood fretboard retains the original slender frets which show only light wear on the crowns of frets 1-4. The guitar plays easily in every register with notes that ring out clearly all the way to the last fret. The scale length is 24 1/4", and the hand-carved bone nut measures 1 3/4" in width. On the headstock, the original raised metal "Harmony Meteor" badge is present, and the guitar retains its original set of metal button Waverly tuning machines, with the nickel plating worn through to the bare brass on the lollipop buttons on the A and D string tuners. There are a few small nicks on the headstock edges, and some microscopic sparkles painted on top of the white plastic truss rod cover.All of the electronics function as intended, with individual Volume and Tone knobs for each pickup and a three-way pickup selector toggle complete with the original amber switch tip. Both Rowe Industries stickers are still intact on the DeArmond Gold Foil baseplates (the parent company of DeArmond), and visible through the F hole, the original 1960 date stamp and H71 model stamp are intact. All of the original hardware is accounted for, and the chrome plating is positively gleaming on the pickup bezels and trapeze tailpiece. The Brazilian rosewood bridge with bone saddle insert is intact, as are the rosewood pickup risers and bright white "cupcake" Volume and Tone knobs. The red nitrate tortoise pickguard is original and in great shape.The natural Blonde nitro lacquer gloss finish is 100% original, highlighting curly maple figuring which extends liberally across the back. There are a few dings and light finish scratches on the body as a whole, one tiny greenish spot on the back where the lining of the original case discolored the lacquer, and a few small finish chips on the inside edge of the cutaway. The neck profile retains its smooth nitro gloss, with palm wear on the treble side shoulder from frets 1-3, and some minor marks, mostly clustered behind frets 10-12.This very early and uncommon Blonde Meteor is in many ways Harmony's quintessential model, complete with a modern black tolex hardshell case.