Recently Gearwire featured the Harmony Rocket (model H-59) as a guitar that inspired “irrational exuberance.” It is a guitar that just has something – nostalgia, a unique sound or it just looks good. Objectively though, it is not a “premium” instrument. They are mass produced or even shoddily put together, these “irrational exuberance” guitars. Gearwire is going to make a case for another of these guitars–and coincidentally the guitar is another Harmony, the H-165.

The H-165 was made between 1947 and 1971 and was mostly had a mahogany back, sides and top. There was another model, the H-162, that has a spruce top. There seems to be a movement afoot to rehabilitate these instruments and many folks are having them fixed up. It makes a certain amount of sense. Although mass produced, these guitars are made of mahogany or mahogany and spruce, which is still a long way from the crappy laminated or maple guitars you find at the low end of the scale today.

Perusing guitar chat rooms I have seen people singing the praises of these instruments “off the rack.” Mostly this seems like nostalgia. The H-165, or something similar, was their first instrument and they love them. The truth is that, depending on the year and the treatment the guitar has received, some of these will have action that is too low and some too high. Most will need adjustments to the bridge, and a fret-job is going to be on the “to do” list as well. As a new owner of an old Harmony H-165 you may want to look to having someone re-brace the guitar. It is not uncommon for the ladder bracing to have a brace or two fall off. Before the late 60s, these guitars apparently did not have truss rods; which is also something to consider when buying one, as this makes care and adjustments trickier.

These same guitars were sold under other names as well–Montgomery Ward and Fender (and probably some others). These days you can find them for relatively little money. A perusal of numerous places selling the H-165 (and similar models) find these instruments selling between $100 and $200. There are exceptions. Rebuilt guitars and guitars in close to perfect shape go for more but not much more.

The upshot is this: you can spend less than $200 on one of these and then spend another $200 and have a solid guitar that sounds bigger than the OM size of the instrument. Go out and try to find something playable for less than that. Will this be your everyday guitar? Probably not, but it is certainly a good bet when feeling irrationally exuberant.