________________________________________________________ *** VINTAGE & TRADITIONAL GUITARS *** - 15​/​09​/​2024. - Reduced Offer Price! *** WATCHER'S NOTE - This listing is about to end....please see new listing! ________________________________________________________ ACOUSTIC BLUES VINTAGE PARLOR - HARMONY STELLA H931 CHICAGO, USA 1966 ALL SOLID BIRCH, LADDER BRACED, 12 FRET FIXED BRIDGE GUITAR - Overhaul​/​Restoration Completed, All Solid Birch, Ladder Braced, Essentially Original, but with previously added Replacement Bridge. Great Playing, Condition, Character & Bluestone. _________________________________________________________ Stock Number: VTG1086 . In addition to the following description notes, further background information and restoration details can be found on my Vintage & Traditional Guitars website, on this link.... https://www.vintagetraditionalguitars.co.uk/details.php?id=595 .....also includes YouTube video demos and details of same model guitar, and link to the now archived Harmony Guitars Database page on the H931 Harmony Stella. The H931 is one of the fixed-bridge versions of the Stella models which Harmony made, and are less numerous than the variety of floating bridge​/​tailpiece versions. The Stella H931 in this form was only made by Harmony, Chicago during the period 1964 to 1966, and has the distinctive Harmony "Redburst" finish, pioneered on the Monterey archtop model. I can't now quite see the original ink date stamp, but this is thought to be from one of the 1966 production runs. This particular example had had some work carried out before it came to me, possibly including a neck reset, in addition to the fitting of an Ebonised version of the string through bridge of the type fitted on other Harmony guitars of the era, such as the iconic H165 (Lightnin' Hopkins model), in place of the original bridge unit, also of string-through design, but which has factory fitted bolts. It has the 1 3​/​4"​/​44.5mm. nut width and 24.25" scale length, which are standard for Harmony Stella guitars,. The flat profile fingerboard has real dot inlay position markers, rather than the painted ones typical of most Harmony Stella models. Condition....essentially original, except for a replaced bridge...finish & colour in my view as good as you are likely to find on a guitar of this type, at nearing 60 years old - inevitably there is good honest edge wear, marking & localised finish loss to the painted bindings and other edges and minor surface chips​/​scratches, together with some finish disturbance localised around the replaced bridge, but nothing ugly or detrimental for a vintage Stella. As the neck joint appeared secure, the neck angle good, and the fingerboard straight, the overhaul​/​restoration work required and completed was limited....maintaining maximum originality, retaining original brass frets with minimal wear, lightly stoned​​/​​reprofiled, and adding vintage bootlace type ferrules to the tuner posts, omitted on original production. Fittings original and working fine, just very slight tuner key bend, which does not affect operation. The 12th. fret action is just where I aim for on these parlor blues guitars, at around 2.75mm.​/​3mm. which, with lower string tension due to the shorter scale length, is ideal for blues players for both fretted or bottleneck​/​slide playing styles. Additionally it could also be used for full-time slide with a nut riser costing no more than a few pounds. It has been re-strung with a string set of Martin Bronze Light gauge 12-54 strings. There is no case included, but I may be able to offer additional options of period case, of the type these were originally supplied with...not offering modern standards of fit or protection, for which a modern hardshell case, Hiscox Liteflite or PRO11 may be available, or a Gig bag, and the guitar will be packed securely for postage if required. In my Vintage & Traditional Guitars website details on this guitar I have embedded a YouTube clip, by Daniel Guareschi of a Silvertone H604 model....identical to the Stella H931 in all respects except colour​/​finish....his YouTube videos also include other demos of other Harmony made guitars of identical construction, both Harmony's own Stella brand, and Silvertone (Sears) brand)! Further links there, again of the H604, by "keonling", showing what you can get with a soundhole pickup in one of these - I'm certainly not suggesting that you go drilling holes in it, but I like the sound and playing, so wanted to share it with you, and further YouTube demos by Jake Wildwood, Country Guitar Doctor. I have restricted the wording here to a basic outline, so please do fully research the details provided on my VTG website, and contact me for any further information in order to fulfil your purchase. Thank you, Bob Chaffer, Vintage & Traditional Guitars.