Harmony Rocket III H59 (single cutaway)

Harmony capitalized on the dawn of the Space Age with such “buzz-word” model names as Meteor, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter and – the most popular of all – the Rocket.

Initially offered in sunburst finish only, the Rocket gained it’s more familiar red finish in 1963. Available as the Rocket I (single pickup), Rocket II (two pickups) and Rocket III (three pickups), it provided not just a cheaper alternative to Gibson’s ES-125T, but an alternative with more features. The pickups, for example, were “GoldenTone Indox” units made by DeArmond. The “Ultra-Slim” neck featured a “Torque-Lok” adjustment feature.

While these were high-class names for a low-end product, the H59 nevertheless sported three pickups, a feature that was only available in the Gibson archtop electric line on the ES-5, at several times the cost of the Harmony. The Rocket was upgraded to a double-cutaway in 1968, and it eventually gained the dubious status of being offered in a build-it-yourself version marketed by the Heathkit electronics company.

It lasted in the line until 1970.