1935 Harmony Cremona VII

-not your average Harmony !

-made in Chicago in the very early years of the company

-possibly one of a kind

-15 1/2" body - 25" scale - 1 3/4" nut width

-in 1935 it had a list price of $75 which was $25 more than a Gibson L-50

I've owned this guitar at least 5 times through my life. The first time I acquired it was in the late 1990's in Prescott, ON. It had upside down Japanese tuners on it and the hinge of the tailpiece was all globbed up with solder and scratched from a file. I removed all the solder and pinned the hinge so it no longer hinges. It works quite nicely. It's engraved with the word "Harmony" and gold plated. The upper and lower sections of the Brazilian rosewood bridge are cut from the same piece of wood and the grain pattern lines up. It has a carved Adirondack spruce top with large herringbone perimeter. The back is one piece, flame maple with a faux decorative strip down the centre. The neck has a "V" profile and a Brazilian rosewood fingerboard. The fret position markers are mother of pearl and there is a 7 piece marquetry strip down the length of the centre of the fingerboard. The headstock has a tapered profile. There is a Brazilian rosewood headstock overlay with inlaid Harmony Cremona logo. The rear of the headstock has several laminates and a "52" stamped in it. Perhaps it was the 52nd Harmony ever built. It still has the sticker on the rear of the headstock from the original music store it was sold from in Montreal. There are no cracks or structural issues. The original finish is fantastic. The original pick guard is in the case and is disintegrating slowly. There is a newer, bound tortoise reproduction pick guard on the guitar. The tuners are from a 1935 Regal and in excellent condition. This guitar was featured in the Fretboard Journal. 

-modern hard shell arched top case