Stratotone Newport Model H-42/1 Model Solid Body Electric Guitar, made by Harmony (1955), made in Chicago, Sunshine Yellow finish, hardwood body and neck, ebonized fingerboard, gig bag case.
This striking yellow beast is a well-worn example of one of Harmony's more offbeat 1950s classics. Originally listed at the grand sum of $67.50, the Harmony Stratotone Newport H-42/1 is about as small, simple, and handy as an electric guitar gets. The crazy bold "Sunshine Yellow Colorama" finish and the metal-and-rubber "Harmometal" body trim make this a fantastic example of 1950s "Populuxe" aesthetics, although it does make this guitar look a bit like a roadside hazard sign with strings. The through-body neck is very large and chunky but the body wings are very thin and light, making for a unique feel. You really could use this as a canoe paddle, which we would not recommend, although this one look a bit like it spent some time upriver!
The pickup is the same DeArmond made unit as the more familiar and slightly more upscale Model H-44 (which cost all of $5.00 more in most years). Despite its diminutive size and rather insubstantial feel, the guitar is quite chunky sounding when cranked. The controls are a single tone-bypass switch and a cool stacked tower of concentric tone and volume knobs on a single pot. This example carries a stacked CTS pot dated 513 (early 1955), so was probably shipped sometime in that year. The H-42/2 in metallic green was sold under the Harmony and Silvertone names but the yellow version is the rarest of the bunch, and we have only seen it with the Harmony brand. In any case is a not a common guitar, especially in playable condition. These early solidbodies with festive trim are always a cool conversation piece guitar and a funky treat for the '50s pop culture connoisseur.
Overall length is 36 1/4 in. (92.1 cm.), 11 in. (27.9 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/8 in. (3.5 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 in. (635 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
OK, this one's pretty scruffy to look at but still has a monstrous sound when cranked! This guitar shows a lot of general wear overall but remains structurally solid, the only repair being the fingerboard was reglued just behind the nut. The bright yellow lacquer has not much fade but shows heavy checking, dings, chips, scratches and dents over the entire guitar. Much of the finish is worn through on the unprotected sharp back body edge and headstock edges, with some decent sized flakes and chips on the back of the neck. It looks like someone clearcoated the back of the neck long ago (likely when it started to chip) and that is slopped around on the headstock and a few spots of the body.
Most of the (fairly minimal) hardware is original; The screwed-on soft wood bridge has been relacquered black with newer screws and a replaced fretwire saddle. The pickup, pickguard and stacked pot are original but the tone bypass switch has been replaced; the lower strap button is newer and the original Waverly strip tuners are intact with a lot of corrosion. This will never play like a 1950s Les Paul, but is actually a serviceable guitar with what look the original frets recrowned. It is housed in a modern gig bag. Long live "Colorama" and "Harmometal" -- may they be a balm for our fractious modern era! Overall Very Good Condition.
