In response to the folk boom of the late '50s and the rise of rock n' roll in the early '60s, every department store and mail-order catalog wanted to make sure they had plenty of guitars in stock. Mass-produced axes from brands like Harmony, Regal, Silvertone, and Kay may have looked the part and temporarily satisfied the desires of aspiring songsters and rockers. But these instruments were entry-level at best. Even though some were made out of the right materials, they were never actually built to be functional instruments that would ever tune and play properly.
Fortunately, Scott Baxendale and his team of luthiers in Athens, Ga., recognize the potential of these guitars and regularly remanufacture them. In doing so, they totally, re-build, re-brace, and re-voice these instruments, giving them new life and world class tone with no shortage of authentic mojo. These inspiring instruments are an exceptional value, and they're an incredible way to recycle and repurpose old axes.
This Baxendale Conversion started its life as an early-'70s Harmony H6365 (possibly 1972 from the label affixed inside). The H6365 was a later Harmony model, and it's an updated version of the H165. Unlike the earlier H165, the H6365 has top and back binding, and the headstock has a white border running around the edge. This model is essentially an all-mahogany Orchestra Model. While it was constructed from solid Mahogany, the H6365 wasn't built to be a usable, long-lasting instrument.
This Baxendale ‘70s Harmony H6365 Conversionn has been totally re-braced to a scalloped, hand-voiced X-brace pattern. It also sports new frets, a new solid rosewood bridge with a bone saddle, a new 1-3/4"-wide bone nut, new Golden Era Restoration tuning machines, and a factory-installed K&K Pure Mini pickup. It is well-voiced to produce a warm, balanced sound that has impressive volume, clarity, and treble content for a mahogany guitar.
This Baxendale '70s Harmony H6365 Conversion has mojo for days and the sound and playability to back it up. Thanks to the Baxendale Conversion process, it has refined, nuanced tone you wouldn't expect to find in a department store clunker. Every Baxendale Conversion includes a hardshell case and a lifetime warranty.