1950s Harmony Stella Sundale H907 Parlor Guitar Jubilee Red & White Acoustic w/ Hardshell Case – “Candy”

Every once in a while a guitar shows up that completely bypasses logic and heads straight for the part of your brain that likes jukeboxes, cherry candy, old diners and trouble.

Meet "Candy" – a 1950s Harmony-built Stella Sundale No. 907 finished in glorious Jubilee Red & White and radiating enough mid-century charm to short-circuit rational thought.

Harmony introduced the colorful Sundale line during America's chrome-and-tailfin obsession, when designers seemed determined to make everything more exciting than it strictly needed to be. Cars grew wings. Diners glowed. Appliances became works of art. Somewhere in Chicago, Harmony looked at its humble H929 student guitar and decided it deserved the same treatment.

Built for catalog sales and department store displays, these guitars were aimed squarely at kids who probably also wanted coonskin caps, hot rods, transistor radios and stacks of jukebox 45s. They were never intended to become collectibles. They were made to be played. Hard. Most were. Which makes surviving Sundales surprisingly difficult to find today. 

While the Stella name remains iconic, the colorful Colorama-era models have become cult favorites among collectors, artists and vintage guitar enthusiasts. As one respected vintage guitar restorer put it, they are “pretty rare birds.” It is easy to see why.

The Sundale is one of the most visually unforgettable guitars Harmony ever produced. The wildly optimistic Jubilee Red & White finish. The matching red headstock. The painted triple-bar fret markers. The futuristic trapeze tailpiece. Every detail feels lifted from a department store display designed by someone who believed the future was going to be wonderful. Seventy years later, Candy still stops people in their tracks. Decades of honest wear have transformed this guitar into something far more interesting than a pristine example. The original finish has weathered beautifully, creating layer upon layer of earned character. The cream has mellowed. The red has softened. Every scrape, chip and worn edge feels authentic because it is. This is not relic wear. This is life.

Most old guitars become more guitar and less art as they age. Candy somehow managed the opposite. Seventy years of honest use have transformed it from a student instrument into something that feels closer to American folk art than a mere musical instrument.
Structurally, the guitar presents remarkably well for a catalog survivor of this era. The action currently measures approximately 2.8mm at the 12th fret on the bass side, making Candy one of the more comfortable-playing non-adjustable-neck Stellas we have encountered. The fingerboard shows several age-related cracks and separations, as pictured, which do not currently affect playability.

Tonally, Candy delivers exactly what you hope for from a vintage birch-bodied Harmony: dry fundamentals, quick attack, punchy projection and a wonderfully direct old-time voice that feels right at home with folk, blues, early country and front-porch fingerpicking. The brass saddle contributes a hint of extra sparkle and articulation, adding just enough zing to complement the guitar's naturally punchy, old-time character without ever sounding modern or out of place.
It comes housed in its original blue-plush-lined hardshell case, a rarity in its own right. The stitching has separated around much of the rear perimeter but the case remains functional and accompanies the guitar.
Most importantly, Candy still looks exactly like what it is supposed to be: a gloriously over-the-top piece of mid-century American folk art that just happens to be a guitar.
It is deeply, irrationally, almost alarmingly lickable. That’s not a technical specification. It's the truth. 

SPECS

Model: Harmony Stella Sundale H907 Parlor Guitar 
Nickname: "Candy"
Year: 1950s 
Color: Jubilee Red & White
Serial No.: None
Made: The Harmony Company, Chicago, IL, USA
Scale: 24"
Frets: 18
Body: Birch
Neck: Maple w/non-adjustable rod
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Markers: Painted triple bars
Nut: White synthetic
Nut width: 1-3/4" 
Tuners: Kluson 3x3 single line
Bridge: Nickel-plated trapeze tailpiece, hardwood bridge with brass saddle
Overall Length: 36"
Body Length: 18"
Body Depth: 3-3/4"
Upper Bout: 10"
Lower Bout: 14"
Case: Vintage hardshell case 
Strings: Martin MA535 Custom Light phosphor bronze – .011, .015, .022, .032, .042, .052 

Note: Information provided is to the best of our knowledge. This is a vintage collectible and shows normal wear consistent with age and use. Please refer to the listing photos for the cosmetic condition of each individual item prior to clicking the “Gimme!” button. Items are sold “as is”, no returns. Thank you for respecting that. Feel free to reach out with any questions, and have a Fun Time kinda day.