 H1265 - Sovereign Deluxe Jumbo
Acoustic flatop - Sunburst
Production year(s) : 1967-1968 (other years possible, not verified)
Asymetrical double pickguard - Spruce top, mahogany body. Short production time, soon replaced by H1266 (with symetrical pickguards). (H1265 model number was used for a different Valencia guitar in the fourties).
 34 images in database
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| Top wood | Spruce
| | Body wood | Mahogany
| All solid woods
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30 comments | Add your comment ! - Yogi - 2005-12-20
I own it,jusy a neat old axe! Lots of low-end nice for old chunky blues.This one is 95% condition someone took real good care of it. - Jeff - 2006-01-27
Bought mine in 1969 for 99 bucks on a major sale, has a single rounded pickguard. Great guitar for us who could not afford a Martin. Just had it totally rebuilt for major dollars by a master luthier, my old friend just keeps sounding better. Beautiful sweet balance, friendly neck, a treasure. My Taylor 810 may sound a little better, but I love this old Harmony and play it more. - Dennis - 2006-02-04
Had to wait a few years for the widow lady to decide to sell it to me. It was worth the wait. Just received it from the luthier, after some much needed attention. This is a GOOD sounding guitar. Also, this has one rounded pickguard and does not appear to have had two. - Zabu - 2006-04-11
Bought this guitar new in 1967, for 165.00 with a hard case. Still have it and it plays and sounds better now than it did when I bought it. It is not only a sweet sounding guitar but one of the best looking acoustics ever built. - Glenn - 2006-05-11
I got mine from my sister-in-law's step-father. I always used to play it when we visited them and after he died, she gave it to me. It's so rich sounding. This is the first time I've ever looked it up on the net. Mine has 9575H1265 stamped on the inside. It has since lost a gear on the A machine head, a screw on the bridge and two string-peg heads are broken off. Other than that, it's in great shape but I need to lower the action.
I need the services of a trusted luthier in Central Ontario. Any suggestions? glenn@everyplug.com - mike - 2008-01-13
picked up a 2088h1264 sun burst at good will love the sound. missing the upper pickguard everything else like new. 25.00 well worth it - Lou Tabaldi - 2008-01-14
Looked up Harmony Sovereign on google just to see what I'd find. Loved seeing this again. Bought one some time around 1967, and really liked it. Unfortunately, it got kicked over in the dark one night when I was in the army, and it cracked the sides. Never the same after that. Long since discarded. Sure is nice to see it on this website. - Tregiffian - 2009-08-02
Given to me by a Canadian Friend in 2003 in a bit of a sad state, no pick guards just the glue residue. Removed the sunburst varnish to reveal a beautiful spruce table. Just button polished it and fitted some Grover machine heads. Now looks and sounds warm and friendly. Much loved.. - John in Halifax - 2009-12-11
I bought mine new 40 years ago in Hamilton, Ontario for $170 Cdn. and have played it ever since. The action is easy with wonderful bass tones. Unfortunately, I now tend to spend more time with my Gibson so this Christmas it is being turned over to my granddaughter. With any luck it will get pased on for a few more generations, sounding better with each one. - Willie Bee - 2010-01-13
Bought mine in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada while serving in the Canadian Army at Base Gagetown. Paid $195.00(Cdn). It has been one wonderful companion to me and basicly what I learned to play on. Took it to Germany on my tour there and all over Canada with me all these years. I'm definitely retired now and regularly play it in our local church through a good mic and it sounds just great. Thanks to all for sharing. Willie - R.C. - 2010-07-16
I own and play (now and then) a Harmony Acoustic Jumbo Flatop Model # 1264 (color) Black with double pick guards sounds good R.C. - Timboston - 2010-12-25
I have just inherited this guitar. It was my fathers. I am trying to restore it but cannot find the exact pick guard anywhere that is showing in the pics above. If anyone has a suggestion where i might be able to find it please pass it along...my email addy is teeka@1000island.net. Txs for all your help in advance.
Timboston
Ontario, Canada - becky - 2011-01-16
my friend has this harmony it is an awesome guitar!!! we've played alot of music on this guitar wonderful sound!! - Hambone - 2011-01-20
I just picked one up off Craig's List for FREE yesterday. Both pick guards have fallen off and the glue residue needs to be removed before I put the new ones on (found on Ebay), Action is a bit high for my liking but I think the truss rod can be turned to fix that. The strange thing is that the inside model stamp indicates an H-1260 but it's definitely a Sunburst with tortoise shell pick guards (asymmetrical) and headstock. Original chipboard case looks like it went thru a meat grinder but the guitar has no dents, dings, scratches or cracks. No separations. - Colin in York - 2011-02-10
Bought mine for £84 in Rose-Morris London in 1968. I took the pick guards off because I didn't like them and I thought it sounded better without them. Mine too has H1260 stamped inside but it's definitely a 1265 and says so on the receipt which I've kept! A friend sat on it but it repaired nicely and more recently the top warped due to loose struts and was expertly repaired and set up by Antones in Hull. It always played and sounded great but I swear it gets better by the year. - dave trehearn - 2011-07-07
I bought mine in 1968 from len styles music shop in lewisham south london.I part exchanged it with the ordinary sovereign for the delux model.it has a more rounded out tone than the basic sovereign.and most other acoustics including the yamahar and martins which is why i still have mine.its a great guitar and i would not part with it.I paid 49 pounds plus the basic sovereign,which was'nt cheap but len could drive a hard bargain in those days! - Andrew Mullins Wakefield UK - 2011-08-05
I px/d my standard Soveriegn for the deluxe (big mistake!!) as my 21st birthday present from my parents... The mistake was to px the standard... not to get the deluxe...hey money was tight in Yorkshire in those days!!... Since then I have had several Guilds including a D45c with a serial no00005 and a very early D25 mahogony cherry swellback..and numerous so called premier acoustics..but which still sounds the best after 42 years?... no contest.. The Harmony Soveriegn deluxe. - Barney Strachan, Edinburgh, UK - 2013-03-20
Well, I didnt know what my Harmony was because there's no info on the inside of the guitar what-so-ever, so found myself on this great site. Discovered that I must have a H1265 Sovereign Deluxe Jumbo judging by the pics. Been deciding whether to sell it recently as I need to downscale my acoustic ambitions - and I have just just got hold of an early 1970s Suzuki Kiso J200 (pre-Gibson lawsuit) which plays sweet... After looking on here tho, I think I'll keep her. Interested what these go for these days tho. Barney - undrell - 2013-06-11
bought mine in 1973 from second hand shop near Fiveways in Birmingham, UK. Saw it and had to have it - £45.00 - bargain! I was young then and vandalised it - took off pickguards and varnish - made it louder - lowered the action now perfect for ragtime. It got badly damaged but repaired well and still my favourite even over nice Lowden. I play it every day. love those pics! - Mick Robson - 2014-07-06
I got mine from Mairants in 1971. Part x-ed a Schaller Classical guitar and paid £80 - £105 in all if memory serves. Preferred it to a Martin D 18 I think it was 'cos it was easier to play. Many years of use and now semi retired, housebound and sadly without picguards, though I've still got them, since I used the wrong glue to re-fix the smaller one, and got a disasterous and unfixable warped result. Slide, open tunings, picking, country blues, great, but I always found the neck a handful, literally. Many marks and cracklings now but still full of brightness and character when I do play it. I should post a picture. - Greg - 2015-04-13
I got mine from someone who had it on E bay, then pulled it off to sell for slightly more on Craigslist. I tracked it down thank God in 2014 for $350, it had a crack in the lower bout, missing the pick guards. It's my best sounding guitar, absolutely great, now very hard to find. If you see one ever, buy it for sure. Then put a nice nut and bone saddle on it, some great tuners. The sound will speak for itself. It may need a neck reset one day, but I'm in no hurry. - Mick Robson - 2016-04-20
Harmony Sovereign H1265...The old girl's still in the case and hasn't done much for a while, but I've become interested in restoring or at least having her restored. For this I'll need a top pickguard (the smaller one), so would be really interested to hear from anyone who might know the whereabouts of one. mickrob@hotmail.com, if anyone should see this message in a bottle. Fingers crossed, Peace. - Larry - 2017-02-17
I have one for sale needs face lift but its all here in one piece 828 781 2704 - James - Alton, UK - 2017-04-13
Been in my family since the early 60's and handed down to me 15 years ago. Was in pretty bad shape but Colin (Lake District) is setting this up nicely for me. - Mark - norcal - 2018-01-30
Picked mine up at a Salvation Army store a few years back (forgot how much..not much). Mine has 9577H1265 stamped on the inside. Had three stings and bridge coming unglued. My luthier friend reworked the whole thing but left the finish original dings scratches and all. Beautiful sound! No pick guards or evidence of it ever having any.. Hummm? Love this guitar! - Steve - 2019-03-14
Bought mine in 1968 from Hickies in Reading, England; an old-established music shop, still in business. #7666 H1265.
Beautiful instrument, in lovely condition. I play it almost every day and polish it every time. The action is really superb - so comfortable to play. I bought a new Taylor recently with built-in pick-up; cost over a thousand pounds sterling. Couldn't play it;
The fret ends gave my fingers hell. Gave it away. I'm 79 now and had the Harmony all those years. Moral- stick to what you know - And love ! - Tim D - 2019-11-14
I'm looking for an H1265 (double pickguard in black). My Brother is retiring and I want to give it as a gift. Anyone out there have any leads on where I might find one? - Simon - 2020-03-02
That's me playing mine in my back garden around 15 years ago. It's seems to be the only one with dot markers in the neck. I used to gig it a lot so it has new machine heads, the bridge has been filled in (so no height adjustment) and it has a Baggs dual source pick up system.... All still sounds great and I still have all the original parts. I've had the guitar for about 25 years, it had a neck reset 20 years ago, still beautiful..... - SomeOtherGuy - 2020-05-10
Bought mine off a co-worker on the Canadian Pacific Railway steel gang #2 in the late '60's for $100. Gave up on guitar for about 40 years and recently picked it up again. The original tuners were garbage, so I replaced them with Grovers very similar to the originals in appearance. The original nut broke so I fabricated one out of a Tusq blank. Currently looking to lower the action at the saddle. There are cracks in the finish that do not extend to the wood that I'd like to repair at some point but it's not a high priority. Investigating whether I think it needs a neck reset. - Paul - 2024-12-08
I think the year of manufacture is potentially earlier than indicated - S/N 958xH1265 which would imply 1958
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