Expert: Glenn Blake - 2/4/2012

Question
Glenn,
I asked a question of Bill Rux back in August 2006 trying to figure out what and where a certain guitar in my possession came from, i.e. manufacturer, dates sold, other names sold under. I am including the original e-mail from 2006 in hopes it may give you some info you can use. I will also included two photos (if it's allowed), one overall view of the instrument and another of the head-stock. Here it goes:

Expert: Bill Ruxton - 6/21/2006

Question:
I have A guitar that was purchased for me when I was around 10 or 11 years old, this about 1972. It has no serial numbers that are obvious and the only markings are on the head stock that say "The Valiant Super Chicago". By the nut is a label that says "Steel reinforced Adjustable Neck". The body I believe is made of plywood, the body style itself is similar to a strat,and it appears to be a youth model as it only has 20 frets. Any help would be appreciated.
Bill's answer was as follows:
Dear Bruce,

I’m not familiar with a “Valiant Super Chicago” brand or model, and I couldn’t find anything on it at several reliable sources.  If it’s from the early 1970s, my two best guesses are either the original Harmony company of Chicago, or else an Asian import.

Harmony made instruments for many different retailers and distributors under different names.  I’ve seen Harmony products with a “Chicago” brand, but not “Valiant Super Chicago.”  Could “Valiant Super” be a model name?

Harmony had two small solidbody electric models that might be considered sort of Stratocaster shaped, the Bobcat and the Silhouette.  Yours might be a store-branded  version of one of these.  Having 20 frets doesn't necessarily make it a youth model.

Harmony products with non-adjustable truss rods were often marked “Steel Reinforced Neck” on the headstock, but those with adjustable rods usually just had a truss rod cover shaped like a “bishop’s hat.”  Asian guitars of that period often had very American-sounding names (that were often chosen by their importers and distributors).  It was during that period that Japanese guitars were starting to make big inroads into the U.S. market, often with now-obscure names for regional retailers.

If you can email me some pictures of the guitar, I might be able to make a better identification.

Hope this helps.  Have fun with it,

Bill

P.S. I wish I could include a close-up of the headstock because that's where the real mystery begins.

Thank you Glenn, any assistance you could provide would be greatly appreciated. Bruce Leedham

Answer
Hi,

First let me say wow! What a challenge!
I talked with every guitar person I could all morning and only one had any idea.
He had not heard of a Super Valiant Chicago, But he said a long time ago he played a Valiant Chicago in a music store.

His guess is it was probably just a company that made it and put someone's name on it.

Your best bet is to go back to the music store it came from and talk to the owner.

I hope this helps! Thanks,
Glenn