Up for sale, a 1959 Harmony Meteor H70 in excellent condition and in perfect working order, complete with a molded hardshell case. A variant produced in the USA by Harmony for Montgomery Ward’s in-house “Airline” brand, this guitar is 100% original save for an aftermarket Bigsby B3 vibrato in lieu of the original trapeze tailpiece. This Meteor has cosmetic features exclusive to the Airline version, including brown cupcake knobs, a thick one-ply transparent tortoise pickguard, and argyle covers on the DeArmond “gold foil” pickup pair.

What makes this early Meteor an enduring favorite and a unique instrument among Harmony hollowbodies is the spruce top, which has 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 such as 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 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. Featherweight at 6lbs 11oz, this Meteor has been professionally setup here at Mike & Mikes Guitar Bar with 11-49 roundwound strings, low action, and accurate intonation.

Neck Specs:

-Wood: Maple
-Shape: Substantial U, measuring .965 1st fret, .985 9th fret
-Fretboard: Brazilian rosewood, block inlay
-Frets: Slender, faint wear beneath the plain strings on frets 2-5
-Scale Length: 24 1/4
-Nut: 1 3/4, bone
-Tuners: Waverly, open-gear

Body Specs:

-Wood: Spruce, Maple
-Pickups: DeArmond argyle gold foils x2
-Controls: Volume x2, Tone x2, Three-way pickup selector
-Hardware: Brazilian rosewood bridge (with bone saddle insert) and pickup risers, Bigsby B3 vibrato (aftermarket)
-Plastics: Brown cupcake knobs, tortoise pickguard, amber switch tip
-Serialization: 1959 date stamp visible through F hole

The two-tone Sunburst nitro lacquer finish frames subtle curly figuring in the maple on the back, with some checking along the rims. There is finish loss on the lower bout rim, and also a professionally repaired split in the maple extending across the input jack (extremely common with these instruments). The guitar exhibits limited buckle rash central to the back, and some dings and scuffs on the body as a whole consistent with use. The gloss on the neck is free of palm wear, with a few shallow marks on the profile length.

A modern molded hardshell case is included.