Harmony Baritone Ukulele - circa 1950’s-60’s

Harmony baritone ukulele circa 1950’s-60’s

         Excellent overall condition all solid mahogany 30” ukulele with rosewood fingerboard and bridge and faux tortoise binding around the top, with a tasteful thin 3-ply ring inlay around the sound hole. I don’t know if the saddle and nut are bone or the synthetic material commonly used by Harmony. I’m guessing bone. The Harmony brand logo decal is in impeccable condition. This particular instrument has the glossiest finish I have ever seen on one of these ukes (and I’ve seen many,) which makes me think it might have been oversprayed or hand polished on top of the original finish, but if so it is a very neat job with no apparent sloppiness or uneven areas. There are a few slight finish blemishes, including some very light pick scratches you have to look hard to see. A lot of people don’t think much of the friction tuners used on these ukes, but all four tuners here are in great condition and work as well as they ever did. Inlaid pearloid fret markers at 3, 5, 7, 10, 12 & 15. Fourteen frets to the body. The biggest negative issue with this bari is the string height, which is a full quarter-inch at the 12th fret. There is a small amount of saddle that could be shaved while still retaining a good break angle on the strings, and the nut grooves could be filed a little. I didn’t do any setup work in case some ambitious and adept repair person wants to do a neck reset with the original saddle & nut completely intact. The uke plays fine in the lower positions and is not impossible up the neck as is. I have seen plenty of this same model with a Silvertone brand, as well as a few with Airline or Barclay brand headstock logos, and I have owned quite a few of them but I have never learned how to accurately date them. They are great little all-solid wood instruments that hold their own against the similar but  less common Vega and Favilla USA-made baritones.