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Family : Standard (parlor) size

Other brands : H929 Stella was also sold as Airline 7076 | Airline 8286/7026 | Alden 9935 | Barclay BA929 | Fender F-1000 | Holiday AL9238 | Regal R200 | Silvertone S605 | SR Sears & Roebuck S1294

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Original catalog descriptions

[1957 catalog]
Stella mahogany-shaded finish standard size guitar. Excellent for students or home playing. Nicely highlighted and grained; white striping on top edge and soundhole. Hardwood construction. Hard maple fingerboard, rosewood stained, accurately fretted.
No.929 - $23.00
3/4 SIZE GUITAR. Same as No. 929 but smaller size for children or women. The shorter scale length makes fingering easier for little people.
No. 929 3/4 - $23.00
TENOR GUITAR. Same size and finish as No. 929, but 4-string model, for playing tenor-banjo or ukulele style.
No.TG929 - $23.00

[1966 catalog]
STELLA STANDARD SIZE-Mahogany-shaded finish guitar. Nicely grained and highlighted. White striping on top edge and soundhole. Hard maple fingerboard, rosewood stained, accurately fretted. Celluloid pickguard. Excellent for students or home playing.
No. 929 - Size 13 1/8 x 36 in. : Each $28.50
STELLA 3/4 SIZE GUITAR-Similar to No. 929 but small size. Shorter scale length makes fingering easier for children or women.
No. 929 3/4 - Size 11 1/4 x 32 in - Each $28.50

Original price

  1951 : $16.50
  1957 : $23.00
  1958 : $23.00
  1959 : $23.00
  1967 : $28.50
  1969 : $31.50

Verified production year(s) : 1954-1970
others years possible, not verified.

14 comments | Add your comment !

• GuitarDude - 2006-11-18
  Ok, this is a sad case. I found one of these excellent guitars on the wall at an AppleBee's. I was very disapointed to see it there, screwed to the wall. It had a sunburst finish and the metal tailpiece. It appeared to be the H929 1959 model, like in the picture six rows down and five collumns to the right, and the picture directly to the right of that one. It is sad to see this guitar collecting dust.
• dan - 2007-03-04
  I recently purchased on Ebay a 929 model-black & orange tiger burst with white pick guard ,floating bridge w/nickeled tailpiece, stamped inside f-67-? ,made in usa.. The guitar came with the original chipboard case which is med. gray with salmon pink inside. The guitar was listed as non-playable or restorable since it was warped and cracked from the sound hole almost to the bridge . I really wanted the case for my other 929 stella and i thought I might be able to use the parts from the guitar or use it as a wallhanger. Well the seller was right it could not be repaired, but i discovered that even though it could not be played fingering the fretboard ,it is a fantastic slide guitar !!! It just goes to show that these old Stella's can " take a shockin and keep on rockin"
• LilBob - 2007-05-07
  I only paid 30 dollars for my H929, which I believe is either a 66 or 67 (the stamp is very faded and I can't read it all that well.) Compared to the budget acoustics you see in guitar shops nowadays its a top notch instrument. The American made H929 definitely beats out any of the $99 dollar foreign-made budget flat-top acoustics that I've seen.
• Scott - 2007-05-29
  I have a Stella guitar that has been in our family for a long time. As the story goes, my uncle, who was a L.A. Police officer, bought this guitar off a drunk who was in the L.A. county jail for $2 back in the early 70's. It was given to me in the late 80's and I used it for lessons. I was not sure about its history until my parents gave it back to me when they were cleaning out the basement a few days ago. It is still in very good condition for its age and it is still an excellent guitar to play. I am so glad that I finally was able to identify it as a H929 model. The only difference from the one in these pic's is that that the top of mine just says "Stella" and nothing else. Aside from a few chips to the white highlights and a little paint wear, it is in great shape and still has an awesome sound. I was thrilled to finally identify the model and learn the Stella story.
• Scott Nieman - 2007-06-01
  I have just found in a thrift store a Harmony Stella tenor four string guitar for $8. Its serial number is 7906H929. Could this 1959 vintage based on the catalog entry? Is there a place to determine based on the internal marking the age of this guitar? Its gears are bent but still very solid. I will be tuning it as a tenor banjo and recording traditional Irish music with it.
• Kevin - 2007-07-09
  I found a beautiful H8286(929) at the Salvation Army store, VERY mint condition with a period Geib case. What a great little guitar. Gonna have my tech go through it and make any necessary touch ups. I have a '58 Silvertone U1 as well. These guitars are super easy to play and sound amazing! Thanks for the GREAT website!!!!
• agibson - 2007-07-30
  My first guitar was the silvertone (stella 929)sunburst, as I referred to it. If I remember correctly, in 1964 it cost $15 +-. I always thought it was a Harmony made instrument. Many years ago I made a studid decision - to strip the finish and refinish in a natural finish. I never completed the work and now the top and sides have come free from the glue. I am talking with a local luthier about restoring it.
• Unclenny - 2007-09-05
  Found an old Stella in the attic of a friend's house....'66 929. Used it on two tracks of my current project....great authentic blues sound!
  But....the top came un-glued after about two weeks of heavy play (while my Martin and Gibson sat idle).
  No problem.....a new 929 is on the way ('69) from eBay.
  What a classic old school tone!!
• KJChapmansr@yahoo.com - 2007-09-10
  My Sweetie was driving down the street in Norfolk,Va. and a guy was bulk loading trash to the curb. She saw the guitar and asked if she could have it and he said yes. She brought it to me and the rest is history. I like it,I have not had the chance to clean it up yet but I will. It is serial number 2756H929. I got a pretty heads-up sweetie, huh? Thanks For the help ID'ing it. KJ in Va.
• rtw - 2007-09-15
  i have just picked up a harmony stella, # 3199h930. looks just like the one in the picture but with-out the pick gaurd. the neck is in perfect condition as if it was never played, but the body has damage so i know it was played alot ( scratches on the back as if they were sitting in an armchair). a have just recorded it with my sure mike to see how it sound. let me tell you, it will be recorded a lot more!!!!!!!!. i can almost feel the past when playing it. thanks for reading these words.
• mynewredshoes - 2007-11-02
  I have a Stella tenor H929 (made in USA!). The date stamp is hard to read -- I think it says 1975, but it could be '73. I used to play this as a kid and then it sat under the bed for years. Recently I picked it up again. Had to replace the 3 & 4 tuners -- got lucky and took it to a music store that happened to have one set of Harmony tenor tuners (proably lying there for 30 years waiting for me!). I looked at a new tenor that was in the same shop, but the woman who repaired mine said that I would most likely get better sound out of my Harmony -- she was right!
• gpall - 2007-11-18
  I rescued my Stella 929 ( 1966 ) from a garbage can. Put on new deluxe machine heads, a used pyramid style rosewood floating bridge and new set of Martin Light strings. Wow was I suprised that the neck was straight and the fret board was actually playable. This little guitar has a neat high treble tone...sounds like a mandoline if you capo up to fret 6 or 7. I own eight guitars counting this one and everyone has its own personality. This little guitar is quickly become a favorite.
• wende - 2008-01-19
  back in the 70's I bought a '57 tenor Stella at a yard sale thinking it to be a baritone uke. It sat in a closet for many years as someone had probably sat on it and had caved the top in. I'm a singer who had never learned to play guitar, so i learned on this one cracked face and all. I talked a master harp luthier into doing the repairs years later(his dad is a fan), and it inspired me to learn six string. I found the 929 6 string in a thrift shop,and now have 2 of those,(1 nylon,1 steel),a Harmony archtop tenor,a Harmony tenor banjo, and a chinese 1/2 size. love the sound,and occasionally play the stellas on blues gigs for that old timey sound. Guess i became a collector, and still keep an eye out for different models.
• David - 2008-04-07
  Mine is a '57 3/4. Clearly market H929. I got it for a travel guitar, complete with original case. Very pretty, but the neck is shaped like a ski jump, quite unplayable. I am actually having the neck reset and the bent and warped bolt-on bridge replaced with a glued-on compensated bridge. It will then spend its next life as a travel and child's guitar. Can't wait!