What has become more enduring than the name however is the guitar itself. Though old Rockets are still plentiful and were reissued several years ago, the original design seems to be the most popular and collectible. These first models were a single cutaway equipped with DeArmond Indox Golden Tone pickups through 1965. In 1966 the pickups changed to a bezel design with individual adjustable pole pieces. These "mustache" pickups as they came to be know because their grill-work resembled a mustache, continued to be used into the double cutaway design change in 1968 and up until the Rocket's demise in 1972. It has become great debate among Rocket aficionados as to which pickups have that legendary "Rocket Twang". I think it's best to leave it up to the individual to decide.
Below are the model numbers and configurations of the original single cutaway Rockets:
H53 - 1 pickup, Sunburst, then Red in 1963, Production years: 1959-1967
H54 - 2 pickups, Sunburst, then Red in 1963, Production years : 1959-1967
H56 - 2 pickups with vibrato, Red, Production years: 1965-1967
H59 - 3 pickups, Sunburst, then Red in 1963, Production years: 1960-1967
Please note that there are many variations of the above models as Harmony brand labeled the Rocket for many companies such as Sears\Silvertone, Airline, and Heath Kit, which was actually an "assemble your own Rocket kit".
For a great reference, check out this link to the "Harmony Database"
http://harmony.demont.net/model.php?id=150
For a great reference, check out this link to the "Harmony Database"
http://harmony.demont.net/model.php?id=150
It has a wealth of info on the Rocket as well as many other Harmony models and their affiliated brands.
In the end, the Harmony Rocket is a legendary and just "super-cool" guitar. It's also one you can add to your collection without breaking the bank.
Posts
