Stella Harmony H912 n° 2 (1964-1968)?

Like the Stella Harmony H912 n° 1, I bought this guitar in the seventies or eighties to Subway Guitars (1800 Cedar Street, Berkeley, USA) (ill. 1-2). It shows the same problem: it has not the metal tailpiece found in almost all the H912 I have seen, especially in the Harmony Database (42 images). The piece of wood with the bridge is here clearer than in the Stella Harmony H912 n° 1, shows a different shape and is shorter: 16 cm. here for 17,6 cm. in the n°1 (ill. 3-4).

Ill 1. – My Stella Harmony H912 n° 2.

Ill. 2. – My Stella Harmony H912 n° 2.

Ill 3. – Stella Harmony H912 n° 2.

Ill. 4. – Stella Harmony H912 n° 1.

The 19th fret is also different: cut as a line here (ill. 5), and with two arches in the n° 1 (ill. 6). Almost all the H912 we have seen have the “line cut”.

Ill. 5. – Stella Harmony H912 n° 2. It has kept its “turtoise shell” pickguard.

Ill. 6. – Stella Harmony H912 n° 1.

The machine heads tuners are also different : with half-round ends here (ill. 7), with another cutout form in the Stella Harmony H912 n° 1.

Ill. 7. – Stella Harmony H912 n° 2.

Ill. 8. – Stella Harmony H912 n° 1.

I have pasted on the top a photo of Blind Willie McTell in his old days – when he was playing and begging on the parkings of drive-in’s during the 50’s. I played this guitar at the Cognac Blues Passion 2002 (Ill. 9) with Raf “Lazy Horse” Timmermans, David “Big Dave” Reniers and Willie “Wuff” Maze, in front of the “Bleu Lavande” shop (“Lavender Blue”), during summer sales – en entire program… Good times at the place François Ier, especially at the Coq d’Or with Dr. Boogie.

Ill. 9. – Cognac Blues Passion 2002.