Supreme

Supreme

Also known as: Supreme Guitars

Unclaimed

Supreme was an American guitar brand produced by The Harptone Company of Newark, New Jersey beginning in the mid-1960s. The line was designed and supervised by luthier Sam Koontz, who had previously worked at the Philadelphia Music Co. in Limerick, Pennsylvania, where the Supreme name was first used on a small run of classical-style instruments in the early 1960s. Harptone, owned by Sonny Brook...

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Supreme was an American guitar brand produced by The Harptone Company of Newark, New Jersey beginning in the mid-1960s. The line was designed and supervised by luthier Sam Koontz, who had previously worked at the Philadelphia Music Co. in Limerick, Pennsylvania, where the Supreme name was first used on a small run of classical-style instruments in the early 1960s. Harptone, owned by Sonny Brooks, had built its earlier reputation on instrument cases before moving into guitar manufacturing under Koontz's direction.

The Supreme catalog covered dreadnought acoustics (designated A, D, E, and Z), jumbo variants (J and L models), and classical guitars, with some examples labeled "Made Expressly for Sam Ash Music Stores." The acoustics were distinguished by flat backs with internal back bracing, setting them apart from the arch-back designs Harptone later used on guitars carrying its own name. The brand was associated for a time with Bob Crooks of Standard Electronics, the maker of Standel amplifiers, and Supreme guitars were sold alongside Standel- and Harptone-branded instruments during the late 1960s.

Supreme electric guitar production ended around 1969, after which Harptone continued building acoustics in New Jersey under its own name until the company was sold to Diamond S in 1975. Surviving Supreme instruments — particularly the Koontz-designed flat-tops — circulate primarily on the vintage market and are tracked by collector communities focused on the broader Harptone, Standel, and Supreme family of guitars.

Supreme has 9 products cataloged on Equipboard, including Condenser Microphones, Delay Effects Pedals, and Solid Body Electric Guitars. Their gear is featured by 1 artist, with the strongest followings in Electronic and Rock. Notable users include Oliver Ackermann.

Artists Who Use Supreme

Oliver Ackermann uses 1 Supreme product

Oliver Ackermann

Singer, Guitarist · A Place to Bury Strangers

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