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Family : 12 String

Other brands : H1270 Sovereign jumbo 12 string was also sold as Fender F-1070-12 | Regal R2312

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Original catalog description

[1966 catalog]
Harmony Jumbo Model - 12 string guitar - Mahogany - Spruce Top A deluxe model for those who have learned to appreciate the richness and full toned response of the 12 string guitar, with its pairs of strings tuned in unison, or an octave apart. Large deep body has polished natural finish selected spruce top, carefully braced. Back, sides and neck are of selected mahogany. Torque-Lok adjustable reinforcing rod. Rosewood ovalled fingerboard and bridge. Nickel plated hinged tailpiece. Smartly bound and inlaid with shell-color and white celluloid.
No. 1270 - Size : 16 x 4 5/16 x 40 1/2 in : $139.50
No. C550 - Carrying Case, extra : $16.00
CAUTION-A 12-string guitar should not be tuned up to regular 6-string guitar pitch. Experienced players recommend tuning three or four half tones lower, to avoid pulling up the guitar top or bowing the neck

Original price

  1967 : $139.50
  1969 : $142.50
  1972 : $169.50

Verified production year(s) : 1964-1971
others years possible, not verified.

7 comments | Add your comment !

• HaystackHair - 2006-03-06
  My dad bought me this guitar in 1970 for Christmas and I was thrilled beyond measure! It cost $156, and he had to pay for it on the installment plan at the local Music House. I still have it and it plays wonderfully.
• Joe Gormley, Lacey, WA - 2006-07-05
  I have an H1270 (I can't really remember where or how I got it) that had a broken tension rod for many years (virtually unplayable). A mechanically oriented friend of mine helped me cleanly remove the neck from the block. We then fashioned a workable tension rod from 1/4" threaded stock. The neck was rejoined to the body block using DAP - Weldwood Resorcinal Glue and carefully fixturing during curing. The original 'trapeze' tailpiece was removed and the bridge replaced with a 12-string peg bridge (sized by those great guys at Dusty Strings in Seattle, WA) also with Resorcinal. Placement and angle suggestions were also freely given by those great guys at Dusty Strings.
  The end result of all this minutiae? One great sounding 12-string guitar!!!! The jumbo body has a low end response that rivals some of Leo Kottkes' early guitars (Boz'o?) The top end is fairly clear and overall the guitar has great volume. There is an identical twin to mine in a local pawnshop (name to kept secret) that they want $269.00 for and aren't budging at all. As I get richer the money will be immaterial to getting my hands on another one.
• Singing Shirley - Glasgow. - 2007-01-14
  My Dad helped me buy this beautiful guitar for my 16th birthday in 1971 and I loved it! I was (and still am) a great Dylan fan and Joni Mitchell - I spent many hours 'working out' songs and singing with my wonderful Harmony. It was stolen from a friends house in 1979 and I still curse the thief! Perhaps one day I'll get another!
• George Swanson - 2007-03-14
  My H1270 12 String has been a lifelong friend. It's an early one, back to 1964, a year byefore the "verifieds" and came without a pick guard, much to the benefit of it's magnificant voice.
  Most of it's life it's been tuned to standard guitar pitch e-a-etc. I managed to break the truss rod and went to the wrk of removing the fretboard only to discover that a good pair of needlenose pliers and some careful tugging lets you pull the assembly from the adjustment end without touching the neck or fretboard.
  Harmony had a great article on simply shortening and rethreading the existing rod. Did it. Fantastic!!!
• Andrew - 2007-11-09
  I found this guitar in my grandmothers attic this past spring. Date stamp is "S 69" (Summer 1969). Apparently, my dad borrowed it from his friend in the '70s, and it was abandoned in the attic. Unfortunately he didn't loosen the strings (old ones were high-gauge I think) and the neck has significantly lifted. As soon as I took it out of the case, the pick guard fell off and the plastic bit on the heel of the neck fell off. There is a chip in the bridge so I can't put a 12th string with low E. Since then, I have polished and waxed it, glued the parts back on, dusted the soundhole, replaced the strings with light gauge Martins tuned down to Bb, and started humidifying it. The action at the 12th fret is 10/32" and it needs a neck reset. The local luthier charges $300 plus $65 to replace the saddle which I am not willing to pay so I am either going to let it be or reset the neck myself. Regardless, the sound is still great and the tone is unique. This is the only Harmony I've ever seen or played and I love it. Also, did you guys know that Pete Townshend owned this model and used it prior to '71?
• Mike - 2008-01-04
  I purchased my H1270 in 1972. Probably 90% when purchased, it remains at an 85% level. Plays easily with excellent tone. I did spend 2 1/2 times what I paid for it on a neck reset and bridge adjustments last year but it was worth it. The thing that confuses me is I see no date stamp but there are is a handprinted number on the back at the top of the sounhole. The number is 61021. Does anyone have any idea on the significance? Did they ever handprint date numbers? I figure it has to be from 1964 to 1970...any ideas? It does have a tortoise shell pickguard. Did I hear the the early ones (64) did not? Yes I had heard that Pete Townsend used one. If you do a little searching there is an article on the web.
  Thanks
• Ken H. Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada - 2008-02-17
  I purchased my Harmony 1270, brand new in 1969 at a local music shop, while I was attending the University of Manitoba. I played at some local coffee houses with a friend and had a great time. I received several comments on the guitar and it's great sound. The guitar is almost 40 years old and still looks and sounds new. I still have the green instruction tag that recommends tuning the guitar 3 to 4 tones lower than a regular guitar. I also own a Harmony Master 6 string that I bought from a friend in 1964. It too,is still in great shape.