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1967 Harmony Silhouette H17 Holiday-Branded Vintage Electric Guitar w/ DeArmond Gold Foils, Bobkat

$1,124.99

+ shipping

Up for sale, a 1967 Harmony Silhouette model H17 in excellent, 100% original condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original form-fit chipboard case. A very rare Holiday-branded example sold through the Aldens mail order catalog, this guitar heralds from the last year where this platform was known as the Silhouette, rebranded as the Bobkat in 1968.

This Silhouette features DeArmond gold foil pickups and a vibrato tailpiece. It's hard to match the Silhouette for feel, tone, and great playability, and this example is very soulful and resonant with a snappy acoustic voice that translates well through the gold foils. One of the most coveted vintage pickups on the market today, the DeArmond gold foil is a unique design among vintage single coils, with strong output and a clear, dynamic quality. These pickups have a percussive nature and a bold, defined sound with a sparkling treble register, sweet midrange character, and taut, punchy bass. Featherweight at 6lbs, this guitar delivers a great range of sparkling tonalities and has been professionally setup here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar with low action and a new set of roundwound 10-46 strings.

The maple neck has a deep U-shaped neck profile with tons of shoulder and substance. It's a proper “boat neck,” measuring .945” deep at the 1st fret and 1.020” at the 12th. The dyed maple fretboard has pearl dot inlay and the original slender fretwire which retains its full factory height, practically perfect and featuring well-rounded crowns, showing just a hint of wear beneath the plain strings on frets 1-3. The scale length is 24 1/4”, and the original nylon nut measures 1 3/4" in width. The headstock sports the silkscreened Holiday logo as well as the original set of open-gear strip tuners which turn smoothly.

On the body, all of the electronics work as they should, with individual Volume and Tone controls for each pickup, fitted with original mini DeArmond bell knobs and a three-way pickup selector toggle. The wiring harness has untouched solder joints, with a clean Jan 4th, 1967 date stamp on the underside of the pickguard, and original CTS pots that date to the 28th week of 1966.

The hardware includes the original floating rosewood bridge and the stock vibrato tailpiece which has bright chrome plating and only light surface patina, actuating somewhat deliberately for warbles and shimmies. The plating on the gold foil covers is near mint, and the original pickguard is well-preserved, missing just one tiny corner. The Red Sunburst nitro lacquer finish finish is 100% original with no touchup or overspray, showing some scuffs and minor dings on the body, mostly relegated to the back and body perimeter, with a spot of case rub through the finish on the outside edge of the bass-side body horn.

The original gray form-fit chipboard case is included, retaining the original latches and handle.