1959 Regal R-270 Meteor

As the electric guitar took hold in the '50s, every department store and mail-order catalog wanted to make sure they had plenty of electric guitars in stock. Mass-produced axes from brands like Harmony, Regal, Silvertone, and Kay were readily available and cost effective—with a wide range of features and styles! In 1959, most Regal models were made in Chicago by Harmony. The Harmony-made R-270 has a fully-hollow thinline body with a cutaway and a single DeArmond pickup in the neck position. In keeping with the late-'50s vibe, this straightforward electric guitar has an exciting "Space Age" name: the Meteor.  Like many Regals, the R-270 has more elaborate stylings than the regular Harmony models. The Meteor has fancy purfling all around the top border and even on the edges of the fingerboard. Its large pearloid block inlays draw your eye to the fingerboard, and the wide, flared headstock seems over-the-top and "Regal" enough.  This '59 Regal R-270 came to us in impressive playable condi