A 1950s Harmony Roy Smeck hollowbody electric guitar, no serial number, in natural finish. Owned and played by Randy Bachman, who has sold 40 million records worldwide as a member of The Guess Who, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, and as a solo artist. Also used by Randy’s brother Tim in Bachman-Turner Overdrive.

The Harmony H-7208 was a short-lived signature model for “Wizard of the Strings” Roy Smeck, who started in Vaudeville in the 1920s, using his skills on the banjo, guitar, and ukulele to carve out a career spanning 30 years.

For Randy, the H-7208 reminds him of the comic books of his early days. “Growing up in the back of every superman book, the back page would be Popsicle Pete where you send in Popsicle wrappers and got a water pistol and Roy Smeck guitar course.”

The H-7208 is very much like the Harmony Stratotone model, sharing its overall shape, two DeArmond Foil pickups, and a bound and block-inlaid Rosewood fretboard. The 7208 has a figured, natural-finished maple top with a contrasting black lightning bolt pickguard, chrome tailpiece, and a non-original aluminum Bigsby-style bridge. Two DeArmond diamond foil pickups, three way toggle switch, volume and tone for each. Missing Roy Smeck logo with the fingerprint of the logo still evident on the headstock. Changed tuners.

PROVENANCE From The Collection of Randy Bachman

Guitars & Instruments, Randy Bachman