Athens, Georgia-based luthier Evan Collins describes the Overhaul concept as "an engine swap on a cool old truck; we redo whats under the hood and make sure everything is put into its correct place with new hoses, wires and tires." Often, when the Overhaul process is complete, the old vintage clunker "husk" comes out far better than before. That's largely because Overhaul guts the internal structure and replaces it with scalloped, forward-shifted X-bracing. The new bracing helps the guitar realize its full tonal potential, producing the refined sound you only get from old wood.
From there, Overhaul reestablishes correct geometry of the guitar by resetting the neck and placing the saddle location in a new bridge. The saddle is carefully compensated for proper intonation. New frets, new tuners and a perfect setup finish out the process ensure peak performance in both tone and playability. In a sense, an Overhaul is an old guitar that has been re-made into something that functions like a brand new guitar, and the nuanced tone it produces can only come from a seasoned, vintage box.
This Overhaul started its life as an early '60s Harmony H162. Its body shape is similar to a 000 or Orchestra Model, and it was originally built with a solid Spruce top and solid Mahogany back and sides. After the Overhaul treatment, it produces a rich, balanced sound, and its intensively responsive to your picking dynamics. Plus, it plays with the precision of a brand new guitar.
At its core, the Overhaul process is upcycling—taking something no longer in use and giving it a second life and new function. In the case of this H162, that new function is nuanced, articulate tone it never had before. But since it still retains the vibe and mojo of a 60-year-old guitar, this Overhaul '60s Harmony H162 captures its own unique character, too.