 H1204 - Black Sovereign
Acoustic flatop - Black with natural rosette
Production year(s) : 1971 (other years possible, not verified)
1971 black version of the H1203 Sovereign. Floral pickguard and laminated plastic stenciled headstock - It seems the plastic was poor quality and is often seen dried and cracked. Spruce top, birch body (birch is unusual for a Harmony Sovereign guitar). Adjustable bridge. Not to be confused with other black models H164 or H6364.
 23 images in database
mouse over image for file name - click to enlarge 
| Top wood | Spruce
| | Body wood | Hardwood (birch ?)
| All solid woods
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29 comments | Add your comment ! - - 2008-04-18
I'm not sure of how long this model was made, but I have one purchased in 1968. The fingerboard is rosewood. Grand concert body gave unusually good sound. Of course, the top, sides and back were solid wood. - François (webmaster) - 2008-04-20
Are you sure it's the exact same model ? Any date stamp inside ? I really doubt you purchased a black Harmony H1204 in 1968. This model doesn't appear in Harmony catalogs before 1971 (no Harmony black flat top before 1971). - KEVIN - 2008-04-22
I HAVE HERE A HARMONY SOVEREIGN, AND THE NUMBER STAMPED ON THE INSIDE IS S72 AND THEN SOMETHING AFTER THE 2 THAT I CANNOT MAKE OUT. I COULD NOT SEE A MODEL # BUT IT IS IDENTICAL TO THE H1204 ON YOUR SITE. - Jim - 2008-12-09
Hello I just found this site and I have an H1204 and it looks just like the pic. Inside mine is stamped F 70 - Phlupke - 2009-02-09
I have a similar guitar. I buyed it in 1975 in Brussels, Belgium, Europe.
Only the black pickguard is a classic style with a logo "H" in white, and there is no "Sovereign" on the headstock. - François (webmaster) - 2009-02-09
Phlupke, yours should be a H164 or H6364 - Herb - 2009-03-30
I bought this model at Washington Music Center in MD, in 1968. It is exactly as shown. Mine is now 40 years old, missing the pickguard. The plastic headpiece is severely cracked. - JAMS317 - 2009-07-26
Your Sovereign 05..photo shows it as 1171H1204. Mine is 1175H1204 - Derrick - 2010-02-07
I bought my Sovereign at a garage sale a few years ago (1599H1204). It was missing the pickguard, and the nut was damaged. The head piece was severely cracked, but in the years i've owned it, it completely disintegrated (maybe my rec room is too dry). The guitar sounds and plays great! - Terry Crawford - 2010-09-02
I have one I bought a few years ago at a garage sale. It is in perfect shape and looks like it was rarely played and always stored in the case, that being the the original hard case that came with the guitar. No cracking or discoloration of the headstock at all, no wear.
I wonder what mine is worth? - rockhopper - 2010-10-05
picked one up on auction recently, needs a neck reset and the laminate is coming loose from the head but is not cracked. the bridge is missing and the nut was toast, so I created a quick wood bridge and used a nut from an old broken guitar I had laying around, then added strings. Gave a nice mellow sound. I like the wider neck, fits my style. I am going to fix this on up and use it as a casual instrument since it sounds so nice. Anyone know where i might find an original bridge, or plans so I can make one that is a close copy? I believe the bridge is an adjustable type. - Hobbist Luthier - 2010-10-20
I too bought one of these H1204 recently. It is real beat up, but I plan on restoring it. I have owned a similar model and once I fixed it, the guitar played and sounded great! Hopefully this one will play well too.
I need to find a new pick guard and some material to replace the headstock plate on this one. - Captgun! - 2010-12-15
Purchased mine 1970, paid $100, Seattle Wa. Inside says F-70, maybe another mark after that. MAde in U.S.A. - Bernie - 2011-02-07
bought mine new 1972.I would like to know the value today. - Captgun1 - 2011-12-19
Bought mine new in 71' for $100. Fell off my boat bunk in 79', cost $200 to repair. Prices vary so much with the economy, $300-$500 maybe? - bassfiddlerman - 2012-09-26
Just picked up #1170H1204 this afternoon. It has Mojo for days and is a sweet fingerstyle guitar. BIG kudos to this site's creator and admin. How great is it that you're able to purchase a cool old guitar, get to a computer and find worlds of information at your fingertips? - bassfiddlerman - 2012-09-27
As a matter of fact, the first pictures on this page are of the one I bought. I'm sure of it. If anyone knows where it's been before now I'd love to hear about it. - guitar_mike_69 - 2012-12-28
I just picked up one of these and the date stamp is definitely F-73, so it looks like they may have offered this model for at least a few more years than previously thought. Someone did a very poor neck reset on this one, so its time to get out the fret pullers and the steam needle and do it right. The plastic headstock overlay is perfect, must be because the adhesive failed and it's hanging on by a thread! That's OK with me, better than cracked to smithereens. Thanks Francois, for all you do to keep this site up and running! Cheers, Mike - Pete - 2013-03-12
A very good friend of mine brought a Black Soverieegn to me and asked if I could take it to my "repair" guy as it had the neck screwed onthru thru the heel and also had a couple cracks in the top. I took it over and got a price of $150 to repair it, to which he said "Nooooo.....I only gave 5 bucks for it andd ws gonna give it to my niece to learn on, but too much $$$. I explained it could be a very nice guitar....but he didn't want to spend anything on it, and he told me if I wanted it, I could have it. I immeadiately called Larry Seigler and told him to go ahead and repair it. $150 later.....what an awesome repair to a great guitar. I am fortunate to have a pretty nice collection of guitars,(Martins/Gibsons/Silvertones..etc..) but this one ended up being my daily driver and lives in the hardware store my wife and I own. I love this Harmony guitar! A tone of its own, just to prove that any guitar can sound like itself if its allowed to! Great site, and thank you!!! - Chris - 2013-12-20
I just picked up one yesterday. It's the same seal number at bassfiddlermans. So apparently I bought his! And yea the headstock on mine looks incredibly similar to the pics. Funny. - Tom - 2014-03-19
I bought 2795H1204 from Atomic Music in Maryland in 1993 and still own it. When I bought it, it had no pickguard or plastic piece on the headstock, which is wood, painted, i think, by the time i bought it, to match the rest of the guitar after the plastic piece came off. Is says "Silvertone" across the headstock on what looks like a sticker. The action is way too high now; i use it for slide. it sounds fantastic. Kudos to the folk running this site. great stuff. - guitar_mike_69 - 2014-07-04
I just picked up another one of these with a serial number/model number of 9634H169, so it's possible that this is an early (or later?) model and that they were going to call it an H-169? No date stamp, exact same details as a H1204 down to the MIJ tuners, adjustable mustache bridge, floral pickguard, plastic headstock overlay falling apart, etc. An interesting note regarding the other Sovereign models H-1203 and H-164, the H1204 (H169!) has a spruce top, birch back & sides with a mahogany neck, the H-164 has a spruce top, birch B&S, poplar neck, but the H-1203 has spruce top, Mahogany B&Ss and a mahogany neck. With the mahogany being superior to the birch and/or poplar in pretty much every regard, that info may be useful in determining the pecking order of some of these Sovereign models. This H169/H1204 sounds very similar but a little better than a H-164, but not as sweet as a H-1203. I love these guitars and appreciate this site very much, Thanks! - guitar_mike_69 - 2014-07-04
Also, Francois, you mention there were no black Harmony flat tops before 1971, but there was the Jamboree in the 50s & 60s. I think it would be safe to say that there were no black flat top Sovereign models before 70-71. Also, it's my opinion that a Harmony date stamp is more accurate than what might be found in the catalogues. If people were to send in pictures of the date stamps on some of the models in question, perhaps that would increase the accuracy of which years these models spanned. Just a thought, thanks! - François (webmaster) - 2014-07-30
Mike, no doubt your H169-stamped is a true H1204. Problem is these "serials" are not real serials, they were mainly used on the production line to keep parts of the same instrument together. H169 was the number used for the Buck Owens model, with the same construction and at the same period as the H1204. We see a lot of these glitches between stamped model numbers, always between similar instruments. On some higher grades instruments harmony used paper labels for true *serial* numbers. - Brent - 2014-09-09
I pickup one of these recently. The head stock laminate plastic shrinking and pulling away from the wood. Action is high but can be repaired. It sounds great though. anyone know how to get the plastic laminate to glue back down. Not too worried about the shrinkage since it seems even all the way around. - TravisS - 2014-10-03
I just purchased an H182. I was curious since some if these models look so alike and were stamped on the assembly lines and then used for different models, which one is the H182 most like? It is definitely a Soveriegn and its a spruce top and mahogony back and sides. It is in beautiful shape and plays like a dream, but I just wanted to know what models are the same OOO body size and details like that. I've read the H164 and the H1204 and I have the H180 with the ladder bracing and the Fender style inline tuners that has a big fat neck and plays great. I plan on putting a bone nut and saddle on all my harmonies, except the nylon string h176, I also have the jumbo H159 with the birch back and sides and it has a different tone, but not as sweet as the Soveriegns. So any details anybody has on the H182 would be great!
Thanks - cj - 2014-12-01
does anyone know where i can buy a replacement tuner for a buck owens american? - Herb - 2016-02-03
Anyone know where one can find replacement head pieces and pickguards?
- Andrés - 2016-05-26
Hola, soy de Buenos Aires, Argentina! Tengo una Harmony Souvereign Model A 6562... podrían darme algún dato más de la guitarra?? Es color negro e igual al modelo H 1204. Muchas gracias!!
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