1956 Harmony Alden-branded H44 Stratotone
1956 Harmony Alden-branded H44 Stratotone
1956 Harmony Alden-branded H44 Stratotone
1956 Harmony Alden-branded H44 Stratotone
1956 Harmony Alden-branded H44 Stratotone
1956 Harmony Alden-branded H44 Stratotone
1956 Harmony Alden-branded H44 Stratotone
1956 Harmony Alden-branded H44 Stratotone
1956 Harmony Alden-branded H44 Stratotone
1956 Harmony Alden-branded H44 Stratotone
1956 Harmony Alden-branded H44 Stratotone
1956 Harmony Alden-branded H44 Stratotone
1956 Harmony Alden-branded H44 Stratotone
1956 Harmony Alden-branded H44 Stratotone
1956 Harmony Alden-branded H44 Stratotone
1956 Harmony Alden-branded H44 Stratotone
1956 Harmony Alden-branded H44 Stratotone
1956 Harmony Alden-branded H44 Stratotone
1956 Harmony Alden-branded H44 Stratotone
1956 Harmony Alden-branded H44 Stratotone
1956 Harmony Alden-branded H44 Stratotone
1956 Harmony Alden-branded H44 Stratotone
1956 Harmony Alden-branded H44 Stratotone
1956 Harmony Alden-branded H44 Stratotone
1956 Harmony Alden-branded H44 Stratotone
1956 Harmony Alden-branded H44 Stratotone
1956 Harmony Alden-branded H44 Stratotone
1956 Harmony Alden-branded H44 Stratotone
1956 Harmony Alden-branded H44 Stratotone
1956 Harmony Alden-branded H44 Stratotone

1956 Harmony Alden-branded H44 Stratotone

Regular price
$1,799.00
Sale price
$1,799.00

In the early-'50s, the electric guitar was just getting started. Fender debuted the Broadcaster in 1950, and then in 1952 Gibson rolled out the Les Paul. That same year, Harmony introduced the H44 Stratotone—a department-store electric guitar designed with budget in mind. While the Les Paul was a high-end, fancy model, the Stratotone went way further than Leo Fender's streamlined concept. This is a guitar for the people!

The H44 Stratotone features a unique neck-through design that eliminates the need for a labor-intensive hand-fit neck joint (or any kind of neck joint for that matter). Essentially, the neck runs straight from the headstock to endpin. Then, two wings are glued to either side to form the body. The single pickup with switchable on/off tone knob kept costs down as well, but much like other single-pickup guitars from the era, the simple setup provides more variability than you might expect. 

In the early-'50s, the H44 was billed as an "easy-to-handle" Spanish electric that was lightweight and thin-bodied. At just three-feet long and 10 5/8" wide (with a scale length of 25-1/4"), the Stratotone fit perfectly in between the Hawaiian lap-steel guitars and full-sized archtops. Not only was it a manageable size, but the H44 came with an affordable tag that was accessible to aspiring players at the outset of rock 'n' roll.

This Harmony H44 Stratotone dates to 1956, and it has the Alden stencil headstock so it was originally sold through the Aldens catalog and features the signature Alden black sparkle finish. It shows substantial cosmetic wear and tear around the edges of the body, but it arrived to us in nice, playable condition with all of its original parts and components. The action runs on the high side, so it's a great choice for slide (ahem, Blake Mills, Tallest Man on Earth, et al). The original pickguard and jackplate are both broken and cracked, but everything still works! Since it's original, we've left it as-is, and we'll let the next owner decide whether or not to replace/upgrade them.

This '56 Harmony H44 Stratotone includes a basic Fender gig bag. It has a lot charm, and the original Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard and bridge provide authentic vintage vibe.

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