Harmony Stratotone c. 1965 - sunburst

c. 1965 Harmony Stratotone in spectacular condition. Single Hershey-bar Dearmond pup. Very, very little playing and handling wear. A couple minor scuffs and dings on the sides (hard to see in pics), and a little bit of finish weather cracking on the front. The finish is so new and glossy it can be annoying to keep the smudges off it! The upper treble end of the pickguard is cracked and reglued, and there are also a couple small marks on the surface of the guard near the switch (which BTW, IS hooked in, and provides a tone-circuit bypass for switching between rhythm and lead). Two of the screw holes in the body at the other end of the guard have been repositioned, under the guard, so not visible to the outside. This all makes me think the pickguard has shrunk somewhat. There is a little bit of green corrosion on the treble end of the pup housing, and the non-chromed metal parts show minor surface rust where they meet the outside world. Although this guitar has obviously been well cared for, it might have been in a humid climate. Great neck (although narrow) and frets are in like-new condition. Plays great and gets wonderful old-school tone out of the Dearmond. Pots are nice and quiet and actually give you a decent range of effect. Not just on-off switches like these often get to be. Original case is just as clean as the guitar. Even has some Harmony case candy: a cord, a user’s guide pamphlet, and a guide to positioning the bridge. Yes, the cord works! I suspect this guitar was purchased from a department store new, played very little, and then put away. I wonder if there’s a squeaky-clean Harmony H303 amp out there that might have been from the same set…