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Harmony Rebel Guitar Burgundy with Mono Case

Founded in 1892, Harmony guitars was at one point the largest guitar manufacturer in the United States, and owned by Sears Roebuck & Co. They produced millions of guitars and other stringed instruments until calling it quits in 1975. It's a safe bet that most players of the 60's and 70's knew somebody that played a Harmony guitar, or owned one themselves.

Back in production at the historic Heritage factory in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Harmony guitars respect the past, but are designed and built with the modern player in mind. Featuring classic tone woods, nitrocellulose finishes, quality hardware, and exclusive gold foil pickups, the Harmony Rebel is a straightforward double cut solidbody guitar that will appeal to players of all abilities.

This is a mint condition shop guitar used for some demos and video work. Photos are the actual guitar.

The USA-made Harmony Rebel features:

  • Mahogany body, 6.4 pounds
  • Nitrocellulose Burgundy finish
  • Mahogany bolt-on neck, 25” scale, 1-11/16 nut width
  • “C” neck profile
  • 12” radius Ebony fretboard
  • 22 Medium jumbo frets
  • Custom gold foil pickups
  • Volume and tone control with orange drop capacitor
  • 3 saddle compensated string through bridge
  • Locking tuners
  • MONO Vertigo case

The revival of the Harmony brand brings back a historic name known to most for their quirky budget guitars of the 60's, often sold in mail order catalogs. The new Harmony is not intended to be a "budget" beginner guitar but a clean, vintage-inspired guitar, free of gimmicks and superfluous tech. The compact mahogany body clocks in at less than 7 pounds, it sports a unusual for this price nitrocellulose finish, and while it has a six-on-a-side locking tuner headstock, it's tilted back to eliminate the need for a string tree. Nothing budget about this.

We measure the neck profile to be roughly .805" at the first fret and .925" at the 12th fret. With the 1-11/16 nut width and not heavily rolled fretboard edges, it feels pleasantly chunky but never bulky. The thickness in the upper frets is just about perfect, and lends great palm support while working up the neck. The 25" scale is 1/2" shorter that the "other" bolt-on brand, and the bolt-on/shorter scale combo is a nice blend of snappy dynamics and comfortable string tension.

And what about those pickups? Gold foil itself is not really an indicator of anything, and the construction beneath foil pickups can vary widely. But it's a cool look, and was used to dress up otherwise ho-hum low priced guitars. While we did not tear open these humbucker pickups to see how they are made, sonically they differ quite a bit from their more traditional PAF-style brethren.

The Rebel pickups have a lot of snap and attack, and a solid midrange bite that is somewhat like a P-90 but cleaner and without the snarl. Neck tones are percussive and not overly bass heavy, and by itself or combined with the bridge pickup you can really get your funk going. It's got a lot of single coil character, but the strong midrange presence means you'll never mistake it for a Strat. The bridge pickup is bright with lots of clarity and sparkle, and luckily the Rebel has a very effective tone control that can take the edge off without it sounding dark and muffled. In a word the Rebel sounds "spunky" with a lot of punch and energy, no doubt aided by the note clarity of a bolt-on neck and mid-emphasis of the mahogany body.

Plugged into our Sparkle Drive Mod pedal, the Rebel shimmered with lots harmonic clarity, great sustain, and note definition. The tonal balance is very even with no undue emphasis at any given frequency. Clearly these pickups have a lot of high end content, but it adds to the detail and dimension of the tone rather than being fizzy or tiresome. The Rebel does not have immense low end, so don't expect chugging lows like a Les Paul, but it hits the mark for roots, funk, and alternative.

Fancy foil covers or not, the Harmony Rebel has a unique tone that sits in its own space. It's got the solid midrange presence of a traditional humbucker without the sometimes flabby bass response, and the high end sparkle of a single coil without the edginess. Plus it's got a really sweet neck that plays flawlessly, and the combo of bolt-on snap and slightly lower string tension is a really neat twist. Add in the rugged MONO bag and and you've got a lightweight, rugged, and very portable rocker. The Harmony Rebel is an excellent choice for players looking for an upgrade, or those looking to create their own voice and musical path.