Brand : Airline - (1957-1969)
Distributed by Montgomery Wards

Guitars shown below were made by Harmony and sold under the Airline brand. It doesn't mean that all Airline guitars were made by Harmony.

It seems Montgomery Wards began to use the Airline brand in about 1958-60. Before that date, Harmony made guitars sold through the Wards catalog had a generic logo without any brand (check Montgomery Wards).
Some "Roy Smeck" signature models were sold as Harmony branded guitars (H58, H73), but most of "Roy Smeck" guitars were sold only through the Montgomery Wards catalog, wearing only the "Roy Smeck" logo. This includes many acoustics and electrics, among them the famous Stratotone Roy Smeck H7208.
You can check some Montgomery Wards catalogs pages on this site.

• Electric hollowbody

• 8448 (1958-1960) - Two pickups hollowbody - Electric hollowbody - Sunburst -  24 The 8448 is the earlier model (1958-1959), with trapeze tailpiece and "diamonds" pickups. The 7238 is the later version (from 1960), with mustache pickups and "harp" taipiece. The 8448 model may have been sold without brand on the headstock (Airline brand was used later) - (based on Harmony H70)

• 8397 - 7207 (1958-1964) - Hollow body dual pickup - Electric hollowbody - Shaded walnut -  18 Stratotone series with two "Hershey bar" pickups. Model number changed from 8397 to 7207 in 1961. - (based on Harmony H46)

• 8396 - 7206 (1958-1964) - Hollow body single pickup - Electric hollowbody - Shaded walnut -  25 Stratotone series with one "Hershey bar" pickup. Model number changed form 8396 to 7206 in 1961. - (based on Harmony H45)

• 7238 (1960-1964) - Two pickups hollowbody - Electric hollowbody - Sunburst -  14 The 8448 is the earlier model (1958-1959), with trapeze tailpiece and "diamonds" pickups. The 7238 is the later version (from 1960), with mustache pickups and "harp" taipiece. - (based on Harmony H70)

• 7215 (1963-1964) - Hollow body (Stratotone) - Electric hollowbody - Cherry red shaded -  44 Unique model in the Stratotone family, sold only in '63 an '64 in the Montgomery Wards catalog. 4 way switch (catalog says "like 3 way plus change to rythm") No exact equivalent in the Harmony line, see the models H47, H49.

• 7230 (1963/1965) - Triple Pickup - Electric hollowbody -  14 While redburst (H78) and sunburst (H76) versions were sold at the same time under the Harmony brand, the Airline was red at first (63-65) then sunburst later (see model 7280) - (based on Harmony H78)

• 7280 (1964-1967) - Triple Pickup - Electric hollowbody - Sunburst -  14 While redburst (H78) and sunburst (H76) guitars were sold at the same time under the Harmony brand, the Airline was red at first (63-65 model 7230) then sunburst later. - (based on Harmony H76)

• 7252 (1965) - 2 pickup (Rocket) - Electric hollowbody - Redburst -  49 Equiped with the typical Airline "diamond" version of the DeArmond pickups. A very close model was numbered 7282 the next year (1966), the only difference being the headstock shape. - (based on Harmony H54)

• 7282 (1966-1967) - 2 pickup (Rocket) - Electric hollowbody - Redburst -  5 A very close model was numbered 7252 the year before, the only difference being the headstock shape. This one is still from the Rocket family but has the same headstock (neck ?) as the Bobkat line. - (based on Harmony H54)

• Electric solid body

• Bobkat 2 pickup - Bobkat 2 pickup - Electric solid body - Tobacco Sunburst -  27 Similar to the H15V Harmony model, with a different sunburst color, and a different pickguard, equiped with the "diamond" version of the pickup, typical to Airline guitars. - (based on Harmony H15)

• 7250 (1965-1966) - Bobkat one pickup - Electric solid body - Walnut burst, Gold or Red -  65 The Walnut burst is seen in the '65, '66 and '67 Montgomery Wards catalogs. Through the years this model was available in different colors variations and with two different pickguards. - (based on Harmony H14)

• Acoustic flatop

• 8286/7026 (1954-1967) - 7026 - Acoustic flatop -  27 Classic "Stella" design, all birch construction. Model number changed from 8286 to 7026 in 1961. Replaced in 1968 by Airline 7076 similar model. Floating bridge, metal tailpiece. Large painted white fretmarkers - (based on Harmony H929)

• 8344 (1956) - Extra auditorium flat top - Acoustic flatop - Sunburst
  15 1/2 inches spruce top - (based on Harmony H162)

• 7032 (1960-1969) - Jumbo Flat Top - Acoustic flatop - Natural -  27 This same model was numbered 8323 in the Montgomery Wards catalog before 1961. Airline logo in an oval shape on early models. Apart from the headstock logo, very similar to the well known H1260 Harmony. It seems the bridge was rectangular on early years (like H1203), then later (1968) kept the oval shape identical to the H1260. - (based on Harmony H1260)

• 7047 (1964) - Tenor guitar - Acoustic flatop - Natural -  17 Similar to its H1201 Harmony cousin - (based on Harmony H1201T)

• 7069 (1966-1967) - Dual Pickguard - Acoustic flatop - Sunburst -  25 This model was sold for nylon or steel strings.

• 7076 (1968-1971) - 7076 - Acoustic flatop -  33 Classic "Stella" design, all birch construction. Replace the previous Airline 7026 model. Floating bridge, metal tailpiece. Painted pickguard design, with a different style in later years. - (based on Harmony H929)

• 7078 (1969) - Flat top - Acoustic flatop - Natural -  9 'Grand concert' 15" size, birch body. - (based on Harmony H942)