Here’s a Quick Demo of my Sears Roebuck 1969 Guitar
It certainly has a bright, “birchy” sound.
Sears Roebuck 1969 Guitar
Here’s a link to my 1969 Sears Roebuck “Atomic” acoustic guitar. These guitars have often been called the “Atomic” guitar because the SR logo at the top of the neck looked like an atom.
In the summer of 1969 she was #6 on page 776 of the 1969 Sears Roebuck Catalog and the cheapest guitar Sears sold: $14.95. Its case cost another $7.50.
I Won “Summer” in the Last 5 Seconds of an Online Auction
Here’s “Summer” when I first saw her on an online auction.
The inside is stamped with S69 so I know it was made on Chicago’s south side at the Harmony guitar factory in the Spring of 1969. That’s when I graduated from high school on Chicago’s north side.
I’ll blog about how I purchased “Summer” (that’s her name) in another blog post. That’s my name for her.
Reasons to Keep an Acoustic Guitar that’s Hard to Play
But today, this is why I am resisting the temptation to sell a 1969 guitar that has high action and is a bit painful for me to strum. The action is high and the local guitar technician said there was little he could do about it. He did put new strings on “Summer” the guitar.
So, a high action guitar is a bit painful for beginner guitarists to depress the strings with their fret hand. But today I played it about 1 month after I purchased it, it’s still a bit painful to play. But when it sings, it has a beautiful bright voice that rings from the guitar. It’s made entirely of birch wood and nothing fancy.
I bought it for $60 at the online auction. It smells a bit from cigarettes but I don’t hold that against her.
She’s a history link to Chicago’s great Harmony factory on the south side and to my graduation from high school on Chicago’s north side in 1969.
“Summer” the guitar is a keeper.
Traded Harmony Guitar for Ibanez Acoustic-Electric
I met a guy on Facebook Marketplace that liked Harmony student guitars like my ’69 guitar. I traded my guitar for his Ibanez acoustic-electric. I had fun with the Harmony, for a while.
Thanks for Visiting Shoshin Guitarist Today
Shoshin is a Japanese word for “beginner’s mind”. I try to learn guitar/bass every day with a beginner’s mind. I try to be adaptive in what I learn and to have fun at the same time.