1945 Harmony Stella H1105 Sunburst, Excellent, Original Soft, $650.00

This Harmony Stella H1105 was made in 1945, in Chicago. This guitar is a fairly rare example of large-body flat top, and a product of American war time production. Three bits of evidence are the wooden tail piece, no truss rod, and the riveted tuners (as opposed to machine screws). The body is constructed of solid birch and features a faux-grain sunburst top and back, white painted binding. The neck is poplar or basswood. The fourteen-fret finger board is painted black, with white painted position markers. 'Stella' is painted in script on the headstock. The guitar is ladder braced, and is stamped on the inside 'F45' indicating a 1945 date of manufacture.
The guitar is in remarkable, original condition with no prior repairs evident, with very little play wear. We reset the neck, installed a bone saddle, and leveled and dressed the frets.
The neck measures 1 11/16" at the nut, with a soft 'V' contour. Scale length is 25 1/8". The lower bout measures 14 15/16". Action is set at 6/64".
The guitar plays very easily and produces a quite different sound. The trebles ring out with the hint of an arch top sound, and the bass is more thumpy than resonant, with quick decay, likely due to the wooden tailpiece design. An unusual guitar, great for bluesy fingerpicking, or comping with a flat pick. Comes with a period case, which could be the original. Check out the sound clip.