April 2010

4/30

Time for the "Mr. Silvertone Show!" I had no idea there was such a group, but here's a 1972 album from them that went for $18 yesterday on 'the bay.' Here's the lowdown: "A great batch of 70s steel band grooves with a funky edge from Dutch Surinami group, Mr. Silvertone Show. Includes: LIMBO LIMBO, CALYPSO MERENGUE, FIRE FIRE, BOEKIRI, DONKEY MAN & MORE!" I wanted you to see this item just for the fun of it, and to point up how many thousands of ebay auction items have the word 'Silvertone' attached to them. Jewelry, trinkets, compacts, keychains, records, radios, and of course, our favorite guitars and amps. Just a little fun on this last day of April.

Now, on with the Silvertone World Show! Check out today's smattering, and we'll total up April over the weekend and spring on into May!

1429 Harmony HBEG w/ C VG $515 Clean, minimal wear, chrome and finish shiny, logo intact, new truss rod installed


1444 Dano SSEG Bass w/ OC VG $535 Light edge/surface wear, sidewalls and back clean, logo intact, 'swoop' neck cutaway, 5-side access panel


1446 Harmony HBEG w/ C  G $800 Clean, Bigsby present, pickguard missing, light surface scratching, some flaking at binding/body edge, some buckle rash, logo worn, screw crack at tip of truss rod cover, serial #610H1446


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar only G $250 Edge/surface wear, big ding on headstock, knobs inserts yellowed, logo strong, bass horn sidewall has a rip



1449 Dano  SSEG guitar and tube ampincase VG $725 Clean, light wear, logo strong, (1) hinge broken, footswitch incl., tremolo unmentioned, but seller says "works and sounds great"


1457 Dano SSEG and tube amp in case G $460 Picking wear to pickguard, coupla dings on back, headstock cracked, logo strong, edge/corner wear to ampcase, case broken at 'stay open' arm, this guitar is nearly glitterless on top!


1477 Harmony SBEG G $204 Edge/surface wear, logo strong, NS bridge, NS whammy arm, NS strap buttons, truss rod has screw crack at tip, pickguard has cracks at jack and screw crack on bottom tip, later whammy'd version


1476 Harmony SBEG G $182 Surface/edge wear, logo gone, tailpiece has some pitting, truss rod cover has screw crack at tip, this one's got some user-applied stars on thars...


1423 Harmony SSEG w/ C G $439 Light wear, logo intact, bridge cracked, binding yellowed, fretboard lifting at first three frets, dings on top near tailpiece and a few on the edges


605 Harmony FTAC G $58 Picking wear, strap melt near tailpiece, logo strong, fretboard wear in 'cowboy chord' area


604 Harmony FTAC G $88 Edge/surface wear, logo strong, light rust to tuner plates,


612 Harmony FHAC G $85 Clean, some edge wear, crack in back at heel and on lower bout, neck and bridge bowed, hell lifting, fingerboard/marker wear in 'cowboy chord' area esp., logo strong,  stamped F-62, serial #3093H612. Relisted from earlier this month


1442 Dano SBEG Bass w/ C $183 Finish stripped, NS bridge, knobs missing, seller says (somewhat unspecifically) "Comes with parts not pictured (including original tuners, etc)"


1464 Dano solid state amp and speaker cabinet VG $233 Clean amp and speaker cab, light wear to covering, (1) NS speaker, 1/4" jack mod on cab, 1/4" plug on speaker lead. Functions of amp enumerated but functionality unconfirmed; we'll assume it all works


1465 Dano solid state amp and speaker cabinet G $121 Amp looks good, cabinet looks repainted, casters present, hard to tell much more from small photos provided, functional, rev/trem unmentioned, no footswitch


802  Kay Banjo F $31 5-string w/ resonator, 5th string tuner missing, logo strong, rust to hardware, finish flaking, no bridge


1448 Dano  neck $133 Finish stripped, nut and tuners present and showing some oxidation, neck tilt button present



4/29

Wow! A real grab bag today... Usually, we'll get at least a couple of duplicates or maybe even a cluster of the same guitars or amps in a day, but not today... it's TOTAL variety, including our first up, a seldom-scene (and worse for wear) 1466, the most powerful Dano-built bass amp Sears ever made available, going for slightly better than half its original price!

1466 Dano Solid State amp and speaker cabinet G $140 Amp face scratched, grille has stain on logo plate side, casters present, edge/corner wear to both amp and cab, NS back. Word from the seller: "There is an issue with the speakers. When I tested each speaker by it self they sound fine, when I hook up the amp to all six they sound awful. I believe the speakers are wired wrong. I also tested the head on another bass cabinet and it sounded fine." Relisted (speakerless) separately in May.


1482 Dano tube amp G $255 Square speaker cutout, spray painted black, (2) NS knobs, "wood has a few soft spots," front panel "separated a bit," scratchy pots, tremolo unmentioned, no footswitch


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with tube amp in case VG $405 Clean amp and case, minimal wear to both, knob inserts discolored, sidewalls clean, one owner. Early version of this guitar; strip tuners, triangle insert knobs, can't see the back in any of the photos, but we'll assume 2-bolt neck w/ narrow attach 'pier' and no neck tilt


1457 Dano SSEG guitar only w/ C VG $415 Clean, light wear, light checking, logo strong


619 Kay FHAC G $200 Clean, light wear, nice graining, pickguard missing, triangular logoplate shows some scratching, logo worn at 'S,' neck has been re-set, NS strap button installed on neck heel. This version of the 619 never showed up in any major seasonal catalogs, and frequently bear a "57-619" stamp internally.


1436 Teisco MIJ SBEG VG $203 Whammy arm missing, minimal wear, logo looks good,  serial #173223


1446 Harmony HBEG  $325 An empty shell of its former self... no pickups, bridge, Bigsby, electronics, tuners, logo... all gone. The truss rod cover's there!


1415 Dano SSEG G $320 NS pickguard (chipped at top screw), playing wear all over, two holes drilled in top at base of neck, logo intact, pots date to 1961


1410 Teisco MIJ SBEG G $54 Whammy missing, knobs missing, (1) tuner ferrule missing, bridge missing, edge wear, logo strong, name scratched on back of headstock


1476 Harmony SBEG G $160 Surface/edge wear & flaking, logo strong


623 Harmony FHAC G $173 Clean, light wear, pickguard missing, logo strong, 'learning dots' on fretboard, playing wear to fretboard


1214 Harmony FTAC G $100 Clean, some edge wear/checking/flaking, logo fading



4/28

Why do I do this? For one, I love Silvertones. For two, I love surprises, big and small. Here's a small one, and I wish I'd seen it, 'cause it'd be MINE! Ah, well... at least we've got a pretty picture of it...

21-1480 Sears Lap Steel Booklet VG 99¢ Clean, slight wrinkling, and yes, that's ninety-nine CENTS!



Here's a little bit bigger surprise, based on the 702... I love that body shape!

1322 Harmony HBEG G $485 Clean, edge/surface wear, playing wear to neck, NS bridge, cracking around neck heel, NS strap button installed, 'deco' logo strong, looks like someone took a Bedazzler to the headstock, and the rhinestones have fallen off... mid-50s vintage



...and here's a re-listed from earlier this month 'El Kabong' surprise...

12K290 Kay FHAC $89 Clean, finish checking, edge/surface wear, two repaired cracks, binding tight, tuner buttons shrinking, 'wind chime' logo strong, name scratched into neck heel. That was the original review from a couple weeks back, but here's the sad tale of the delivery: "I listed this one a few weeks ago but when it was delivered the repaired top cracks had somehow opened back up (despite the box and case being undamaged)."  I'll betcha that box took a flex somewhere along the way, and that flex was enough to re-open the old wounds. So, now... here's the cracked, resold pictures of this rare guitar, formerly owned by Albert Shea.


I love surprises!


4/27

The name 'Silvertone' graced many a stringed (and otherwise) instrument from the early 40s right on into the earliest part of the '70s. After the '70s arrived, of course, our favorite amps and guitars were branded with the 'Space Dot.' However, before the Silvertone name took hold good and tight, there were Supertones, Playtimes, Crests, and today's first up, the Gene Autry 'Melody Ranch.' Built by Harmony, and sold in the thousands. Gene Autry was a huge pre-television star, and along with Roy Rogers and Bucks Owens (and a pre-"Hee Haw" Gordie Tapp up in Canada), the sole endorsers of Sears-sold instruments over the years.

610 Harmony FTAC G $317 This guitar was played for 40 years with the same set of strings! Picking wear to treble side, light edge wear, stencil strong, neck's been re-set, some fret wear, includes Gene Autry Club pinback badge, stamped F-48


1214 Harmony FTAC G $140 Clean, some edge wear/checking/flaking, stable crack on back treble upper bout, block logo strong, stamped S-69, last domestic model of this series to bear the Silvertone name


603 Harmony FTAC VG $90 Clean, light wear, 'deco' logo strong, stamped F-57-T, serial #3997H603. Same guitar sold a coupla weeks ago.


627 Harmony FHAC VG $272 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, bound fingerboard


1219 Harmony FTAC VG $367 Clean, some storage wear to back, light checking here and there, repair on neck in 1980 (seller was unsure of exactly where the repair occured), serial #9919H169


1423 Harmony SSEG G $425 Edge/surface wear, logo worn away, crack in pickguard, some fret wear, NS selector knob


1423 Harmony SSEG MOD $360 Finish stripped, knobs gone (except selector), pickguard cracked by blender control, NS bridge, pickups dated 1961


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar only F $259 Surface/edge wear, chrome pitted, NS saddle , screws rusty, logo strong, grungy sidewalls, knob inserts discolored, late-era triangular neck plate, 'scale fail' mod, this one accompanied by a cut pickguard. This same guitar sold last month w/o the saddle for $237.


1451 Dano SSEG guitar only F $185 Wear/flaking all over, pickup shows pitting, early thin script logo strong, body glue line showing on bass side


1451 Dano SSEG guitar only F $170 Edge/surface wear, (1) NS knob, (1) knob missing, looks like some stickers or painting down by the jack, thick script logo strong, NS tuners, pots scratchy, crack at electronics cavity


1420 Harmony HBEG VG $275 Clean, light wear, thin script logo strong, only one photo provided


1420 Harmony HBEG VG $348 Clean, light wear, some flaking to sides, neck pickup position produces no signal, scratchy pots, thick script logo strong, pots date to 1962


1410 Teisco MIJ SBEG G $100 Whammy missing, edge wear and some dings on the back, low-contrast logo. Relisted from March.


1496 Teiso MIJ HBEG Bass VG $400 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, bridge cover and foam mute present, chrome and finish shiny, pickguard has screw chip at jack, some very light flaking at binding


1406 MIJ Teisco SBEG G $75 Bridge missing, 'Space Dot' looks good, fretboard binding (!) tight, edge and surface wear, (1) knob missing, (1) NS knob


661 Kay FTAC Tenor guitar G $203 Clean, some edge wear, logo strong, ding to fingerboard at 10th fret,


658 Kay FHAC  G $183 Clean, light wear, block markers indicate pre-'66 model, business card thickness gap at neck, looks like a few places have been re-glued, stamped N-2 and L-5212


1344 Dano Tube Amp VG $350 Some wear to covering, logo strong, control panel looks good, handle in good shape, tremolo functional, mic input doesn't work, 3-prong AC mod. Relisted in May.


1421 Sears tube amp '10XL' G $128 Some wear, tremolo not working, one big corner ding, label intact


1482 Dano tube amp VG $395 Square speaker cutout, light edge/corner wear, small edge ding on front, back panel present, tremolo functional, no footswitch


856 Harmony Baritone Ukulele w/ C VG $46 Clean, light wear, thin script logo strong, slight ding at headstock, pitch pipe, stroings incl.


856 Harmony Baritone Ukulele w/ C VG $46 Clean, minimal wear, thick script logo strong, bridge may have been re-glued, tuners tight


2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp w/ OC  VG $158 Clean, electric pickup, tuning wrench, paperwork incl.


2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp w/ OC  VG $120 Clean, no acces. incl.


4/26

April showers... of Silvertones! Serving up a half-dozen beautiful examples of some highly-sought Silvertone electrics!

1457 Dano SSEG and tube amp in case E $1110 Clean as you're likely to find, the electric_banana sells some wonderful Silvertones on ebay! He's the grandson of the late Joe Fisher, 1/2 of the team that put together the genius ampincase models.


1381 Kay HBEG w/ C VG $899 Clean, light wear, light checking, logo laminate and pickguard look great, NS tuners (orig. incl.), neck has slight separation. Relisted from earlier this month.


1440 Teisco MIJ SBEG w/ OC NM $568 Looks like it just came out of the box. Finish and chrome shiny, bridge cover and whammy present, clean, neck plate spotless


1443 Dano SBEG Bass w/ OC VG $660  Clean, minimal wear, selector switch tip missing, logo intact, foam-wrap storage 'burns' to neck, couple of 1/2" dings to lower edge


1384 Harmony HBEG w/ C VG $1900 Clean, light wear, logo intact, truss rod cover screw-chipped at tip, pickguard cracked, binding and knobs nicely yellowed, playing wear to neck, 1st fret marker lifting, electronics need cleaning


1445 Kay SSEG G $999 Some edge and surface wear, pickguard missing, NS knobs, NS bridge, logo strong, binding tight, tuner covers show some rust



Here's the weekends and last weeks amps...

1484 Dano tube amp only VG $400 Clean, painted black, rev/trem functional, recently serviced


1484 Dano tube amp only VG $365 Clean, light wear, 1/4" jack mod, recently re-capped, rev/trem functional, no footswitch


1484 Dano tube amp only G $375 Clean, looks like some damage to chassis on back, functional, rev/trem unmentioned, no footswitch


1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet G $600 Some edge/corner wear, amp has hinged "protection cage" mod, NS tubes, tremolo works, rev doesn't


1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet G $510/$700 Some oxidation to front face, can't tell a lot else from two photos, rev/trem unmentioned, no footswitch. The reason for the two prices is that this amp was on two auctions somehow, finishing within a few minutes of each other


1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet G $330 Edge/corner wear, faceplate clean, (1) knob missing, back panel has some jack mods and leftover holes, lights up; otherwise untested, orig. manual/schematic incl., rev/trem unmentioned, no footswitch


1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet G $355 Cabinet re-grilled, edge/corner wear, functional, rev/trem unmentioned, no footswitch


1485 Dano speaker cabinet only $300 Re-grilled, casters present, speakers missing


1482 Dano tube amp VG $335 Square speaker cutout, clean, some oxidation to control face, rust to handle captures, back panel in place, no mention of tremolo function, no footswitch


1482 Dano tube amp G $150 Square speaker cutout, some grille staining, back panel present but missing screws, seller says "needs some basic electronic work"


1482 Dano tube amp VG $315 Square speaker cutout, re-grilled, tremolo functional, no footswitch


1482 Dano tube amp VG $317 Square speaker cutout, edge/corner wear, recently serviced, personalized by Basil Crippen


1482 Dano tube amp G $153 Square speaker cutout, edge/corner wear, all knobs missing, NS (but VERY wild) Celesta speaker, turned on, lit up, made some static, smelled something hot, turned off


1483 Dano tube amp only G $320 Edge/corner wear, scratches/smudges to faceplate, (1) NS knob, speaker lead hangin'


1459 Sears tube amp VG $163 Clean, light rust to handle captures


1465 Dano solid state amp only VG $150 Clean, light oxidation to back panel, seller says "Works great," but no mention of rev/trem function


1465 Dano solid state amp only VG $112 Clean, minimal wear, functional, rev/trem unmentioned, no footswitch


1434 Dano tube amp G $381 Grille has some staining, control panel looks good, no mention of tremolo function


1481 Dano tube amp G $190 Square speaker cutout, edge/corner wear, scratchy volume pot


1481 Dano tube amp G $160 Square speaker cutout, logoplate missing, back panel hinged, NS speaker


1481 Dano tube amp G $255 Square speaker cutout, volume knob insert worn, light wear, handle captures and jack nuts show light rust, (1) NS tube


1344 Dano Tube Amp G $228 Some wear to covering, logo strong, control panel has some scratches, handle worn, unfortunately missing some tubes, untested other than a power on that did light the pilot


1330 Dano tube amp F $116 Handle missing, grille worn/torn,  AC cord cut, wired to AC; lights up, otherwise untested


1430 Dano tube amp G $177 Light wear/scuffs, handle captures show oxidation, handle looks good,


1432 Dano tube amp G $149 Edge/surface wear, grille stained, logo intact but cockeyed, NS handle, tremolo functional, no footswitch


1432 Dano tube amp $200 Image not available

1422 Sear tube amp VG $59 (?!?) Clean, reverb knob missing, rev/trem functional, protective plastic still on faceplate!



Tomorrow, a couple of unusual MIJ 'Space Dot' electrics, a few 'Stratotone' derived Silvertones and more!


4/23

What a week! It's never taken me this long to clean up from the previous weekend, but I'm still sloggin' along! Let's get today going with some contrasting 1304 models and a handful of other Dano-made axes, a little trip to Japan, a variety of this and that, and give me the weekend to ramp up the amps.

1304 Dano SSEG w/ OC $420  Light wear, logo strong, sold with one of those portable 9075 amps; unfortunately just hums


1304 Dano SSEG $277  Parts is parts... actually, it's in pretty good shape... just in pieces. Edge wear, finish checking, logo worn a bit,


1444 Dano SSEG Bass G $350 Edge wear, looks like some paint or sticker residue near controls, logo intact but worn, NS knobs, scratchy pots, pictured case not included


1442 Dano SBEG Bass VG $350 Clean, some edge wear/dings, logo intact


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with tube amp in case VG $312 Clean guitar and amp with some playing wear (esp. to neck), ampcase shows some edge/surace wear


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with tube amp in case VG $428 Clean amp and case, amp lights; otherwise untested, original cord incl. Early version of this guitar; strip tuners, triangle insert knobs, 2-bolt neck w/ narrow attach 'pier' and no neck tilt


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with tube amp in case G $395 Clean, logo worn, lamination line showing on headstock, palying wear glitter 'voids' on bass lower side and near bridge treble side, transitional guitar, strip tuners, but 3-bolt neck w/ tilt and triangle knob inserts


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with tube amp in case G $400 Edge and playing wear, ampcase has some edge/corner wear,strap button moved, NS tuners, amp has very low volume, NS speaker

1448 Dano  SSEG guitar only VG $345 Clean, light wear, knob inserts discolored, logo strong


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar only VG $387 Clean, light wear, knob inserts discolored, picking wear to pickguard at pickup, logo strong, sidewalls a little dingy


1457 Dano SSEG only G $463 Playing wear to pickguard and bass side lower bout, logo worn, sidewalls dingy with some gaps. This guitar is nearly glitter-less! Stock knobs (shown) replaced with re-ssue brown and whites



Now let's travel from the orbit of Neptune to the Land of the Rising Sun...

1413 MIJ Teisco SBEG VG $250 Clean, minimal wear, whammy missing, 'Space Dot'  missing, chrome and finish shiny


26873 MIJ Teisco SBEG VG $153 Clean, light wear, some finish checking, whammy present,. ID'd as a '73 vintage, but we know better, don't we? This is the Canadian-sold version of the 1410, and since it has an actual Silvertone logo, we know it's actually '69-70ish.


1445 Teisco MIJ SBEG VG $275  Whammy missing, whammy mechanism held slid w/ socket wrench piece; needs spring, clean, minimal wear, bound version, logo broken at 'l,' nice graining on back


1445 Teisco MIJ SBEG G $161  Whammy missing, (2) knobs missing, headstock has stable crack, logo looks good, blurry photos make it harder to judge


1455 Teisco MIJ HBEG $150 Whammy present, what I can see from one photo looks good, whammy missing, clean, no indication of logo status


1475 Teisco MIJ HBEG w/ OC VG $300 Clean, NS bridge, bridge cover present (!), logo gone (shame!), whammy present (with wood overlay!)


1437 Teisco MIJ SBEG  G $300 Edge/surface wear, whammy missing, lead pickup looks like it might be in trouble, NS selector knob,  serial #365052


1232 MIJ Classical VG $53 Clean, light wear, headstock decoration strong, inner label clean



From Japan, we take you to Harmonytown and Kayville...

710 Harmony FHAC VG $250 Clean, light wear, some cracks near bass f-hole and middle of back, pickguard missing, logo strong, stamped , serial #2732H710


694 Harmony FHAC VG $389 Clean, scratch on back, logo faded.  ID'd as a 956... but that's not a valid Silvertone/Sears model number


605 Harmony FTAC VG $79 Clean, edge wear, logo strong


1372 Kay HBEG G $545 Clean, pickguard present (with 'HA??' stencil), light wear, (1) loose pot, NS bridge, NS selector switch tip, maroon logo strong, finish checking


1477 Harmony SBEG VG $325 Clean, light wear, (1) NS knob, logo strong, NS tuners, later whammy'd version. Relisted in May.


658 Kay FHAC w / C  G $158 Clean, light wear, logo strong... and what's that at the bridge? "Where to put me" brackets?


657 Classical G $21 Clean, wear/scratches to top


657 Classical G $45 Clean, playing wear/scratches to top, crack from bridge to bottom of top


619 Kay FHAC E $575 Clean, minimal wear, nice graining, logo strong, original paperwork and strap incl., stamped N-3



Here's the 'this and that' I mentioned...

802 Banjo G $53 5-string w/ resonator, NS 4-string bridge, logo strong, couple of rubs on resonator


802 Banjo G $105 5-string w/ resonator, NS head, NS bridge, light wear and some oxidation to hardware


856 Harmony Baritone Ukulele G $195 Clean, some edge wear, logo worn


2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp w/ OC  VG $81 Clean, minimal wear, books and record sleeve (no record) incl., no tuning wrench price for such a complete set!


2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp w/ OC  VG $56 Clean, tuning wrench and 3 books incl.


1850 Oscar Schmidt Electro-Harp VG $162 Clean, minimal wear


1838 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp w/ OC  VG $65 Clean, minimal wear, tuning wrench incl.


1838 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp G $53 Clean, light edge wear, name scrawled on back, no acces.



Couldn't make it out of here without ONE unknown...


UNK UNK F $86 Edge wear, checking/flaking, no bridge, no tailpiece, no nut, no tuners, logo strong



4/22

Come 'n listen to m' story 'bout a girl named Suzie... I promised you a hit-makin' 658 yesterday, and here it is! It's a 658 that sold this week that has seen better days, and here's the story of those better days from the seller, the former owner's brother: "My parents purchased this guitar in August of 1962, and presented it to my sister on her 14th birthday. This is the very guitar my sister Suzie Cappetta used to write the song "Dave Hull The Hullabalooer" in the winter of 1964. The song went on to hit the top-40 charts in Los Angeles in 1965, debuting at #40 in February, and climbing to #9 by March of 1965. In 1970, this guitar also accompanied Suzie for a tour with the USO shows, performing for our troops in Viet Nam and Thailand."

658 Kay FHAC w / C  $195 Wear all over, edge and fret markers have been re-painted, tuners have extra screws added, bridge missing, logo worn. From the seller: "You may have noticed it is missing the Bridge, and also has no strings. I acquired the guitar from my sister Suzie’s estate in 2007, and I think the Bridge was lost in the last few years of her life. Also, the white pin-striping and white block position markers faded over the years, and it looks as though Suzie may have brushed on some white paint of her own in an attempt to keep it looking as it was originally."



4/21

Let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars... well, I can't show you a Mars guitar today (although Harmony made one), but I promised y'all this handful of Jupiters yesterday, and here they are!

1423 Harmony SSEG w/ OC VG $750 Clean, some edge/surface wear, logo strong, repro pickguard (damaged original incl.), all stock knobs present, NS selector switch, wear at jack has been painted


1423 Harmony SSEG w/ OC VG $866 Clean, minimal wear, NS tuners, print on pickguard strong, logo strong


1423 Harmony SSEG VG $1025 Clean, plenty of glitter, minimal wear, jack looks good, pickguard print strong, logo intact, truss rod cover not pictured but included



I also promised a visit from a big furry friend, and here IT is! No, not the Cookie Monster... it's a re-cabineted, upholstered 1482!

1482 Dano tube amp MOD $111 Face painted black, tremolo function unmentioned



Alright, now... back to Earth with a gathering of 'Chris Isaak" and 'Black Beauty' models.

1446 Harmony HBEG w/ OC  VG $890 Clean, minimal wear, logo missing, NS tuners, some odd staining to back of headstock... mold?


1446 Harmony HBEG w/ C  VG $800 Clean, pickguard missing, pickup bezels and knobs yellowed/stained, NS tuners, some finish checking, buckle rash, playing wear to neck, script logo strong, NS bridge


1384 Harmony HBEG G $700 Edge/surface wear, a few dings, pickguard cracked, truss rod cover has screw crack at tip, fretboard modded to include full-width MOP markers, 'S' gone from logo, NS bridge, serial #75H1427. One owner guitar, played in a dance hall the past 25 years, its owner and the guitar retired a few weeks ago.



Another classic, from Kay this time, here's a terrific 'Thin Twin.'

1381 Kay HBEG w/ C VG $800 Clean, light wear, light checking, logo laminate and pickguard look great, NS tuners (orig. incl.), neck has slight separation. Relisted.


Tomorrow, we'll come even closer to tidying up the  past weekends auctions, and maybe even get completely up to date! There's some great items coming your way tomorrow, including the 658 that the '60s hit "Dave Hull the Hullabalooer" was written on. Yes, I'm serious!

4/20

Well, life continues unabated... and there are still a jillion guitars and amps I have to get to from this past weekend, and my time today is severely constrained, sooooo.... I've picked out one choice axe to show off today from the past weekend's auction action. It's the very beginning of the popular 600 series that ran from the late 1940s right on into the 1970s, one of the longest running guitar model series available from Sears. The example below is the 600 model, immediately recognizable by its circular lower half; whereas the succeeding 600 series guitars (starting with the 602 in 1956) were the more familiar profile with the slightly flattened lower half. A beautiful example of this rarity, and it went for a bargain price.

600 Harmony FTAC w/ GEIB case VG $169 Clean, minimal wear; looks more like storage and moving from here to there wear and age more than any rough treatment over the past 61 years. There is what looks like tape residue near the headstock logo, and some very light flaking along the edges of the fretboard, as well as some slight shrinkage to the binding. Tuner plates shiny, finish has a nice satin-y gloss to it. Stamped F-49, serial #1371H600, original manual included.


Tomorrow: a trip to Jupiter (several Jupiters, actually), and a fugitive from the Planet of Furry Amplifiers. Stay tuned!


4/19

This past weekend's auctions, as usual 'round here lately, were enormous. So much so, that I know I won't get things wrapped up until nearly the arrival of next weekend, since there seem to be a finite number of hours in a day. So, I'm gonna spin the tale on just a handful of guitars that went over the weekend, and get to the rest ASAP over the course of this week. Deal? Here we go!

Let's start things off with a couple of guitars from the Land of the Rising Sun, both of them unusual because of their branding. The first, a seldom-seen 1412, made even more unusual because of its script logo, and a wide-body 1436 with an unusually oriented silkscreened logo on the 'tab' of the headstock, as opposed to the usual blue / gold / white plastic tag.

1412 Teisco MIJ SBEG w/ OC G $163 Whammy present, clean, light wear, chrome shiny, finish shows some rippling, cursive logo strong. The first 1412 models in the catalog still had the 'Fender-ish' headstock, and the catalog illustrations for the 'swoop' design headstock show the famous 'Space Dot' stylized Sears, Roebuck logo. This guitar represents some of the very last of the Silvertone-branded guitars, ca. 1970.


1436 Teisco MIJ SBEG w/ C G $148 Whammy arm missing, edge/surface wear, some light checking, fine scratches on treble side of pickguard, unusual logo nearly worn away, 4 of 6 tuner ferrules broken, serial #121363



Let's ramp it up a bit with this highly-sought "Black Beauty," the "Espanada"-derived 1384. We see plenty of the regular-bound versions of this guitar, the 1385, but the aluminum-bound version is a real rarity.

1384 Harmony HBEG w/ C VG $2247 Clean, pickguard missing, pickup covers and tailpiece arms show some oxidation, aluminum shiny, checking all over, logo intact, playing wear to neck, stress crack at jack, knobs look great, some scratches to pickup bezels



Now we'll bring it on home with this homely 1304... Sears sold a BUNCH of these guitars from 1958 through the earliest part of the Sixties. Offered only in the 'Wish Book,' usually paired with a budget amp to get you rockin' inexpensively. This one got the Saturday afternoon 'craft' treatment, with some woodgrained contact paper and a little bit of brown paint on the knobs to snazz it up a bit.... Well, that was the theory, anyway.

1304 Dano SSEG MOD $290  Contact-papered, knobs painted, pickguard missing, logo strong, access panel missing, internal stamping and natural headstock/neck indicates a 1958 build

4/16

Roll the dice; it's Friday! We've guitars from all corners today, mostly domestic, with one Japanese import, also a coupla amps and one ol' banjo.

1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with tube amp in case MOD $253 Stripped/refinished, edge detail left black, no logo, this is a very early 1448, pots date to 1961, two-bolt neck with narrow attach pier and no neck tilt, strip tuners and triangle insert knobs. Ampcase shows wear, has some twisted-together wires, NS knob
 

660 Kay Classical MOD $98 Refinished, clean, NS tuners, '57-660' stamped on label inside; one of the very few Kay-made guitars that have a stamp that makes sense!


1437 Teisco MIJ SBEG  VG $437 Clean, light wear, whammy present, serial #308004


1482 Dano tube amp $158 Square speaker cutout, staining at bottom of grille, some mods goin' on inside; speaker jack and replacement xformer, amp currently doesn't work


1482 Dano tube amp VG $290 Square speaker cutout, clean, cutout on back panel, stickers or red dots painted on (2) controls, tremolo unmentioned, but seller says amp is "in very good working condition"


623 Harmony FHAC F $77 Clean, pickguard missing, edge/surface wear, bottom strap button missing, cracks at f-holes, logo has 'S' worn off


604 Harmony FTAC F $16 Edge/surface wear, fretboard wear, 'B' and high 'E' tuners missing, 'D' tuner bent, logo strong


615 Harmony FTAC F $38 Edge wear, checking, pickguard missing, NS bridge, sticker residue, initials carved in headstock near logo, serial #4488H615


802 Banjo w/ OC G $101 5-string w/ resonator, NS armrest, edge wear to resonator, some tarnish to hardware




1471  Dano tube amp manual/schematic  $10 Found in an old music store's file cabinets



4/15

My Silvertone Filter at ebay is tuned about as good as I can get it... I've gotten a pretty long string of characters together over the years to reduce the enormous numbers of 'silvertone' hits on an ebay search from (on average)28,000 or more down to a look-at-able 2000 or so. If ebay would let me tune the filter any further, I'd get it down lower. Saying all that, I still come across some unusual items with the word 'silvertone' associated with it. Take those glasses over there. Please. Those mannequin eyes are freakin' me out!

1419 Sears tube amp VG $165 Clean, light wear, grille looks good, tube holders still on the job, scratchy volume pot



4/14

An OK day, made double-good by these double-vision Buck Owens acoustics! Made by Harmony for Buck (and Sears), Buck's patent for the design finally came through in 1972, by which time Sears had stopped selling the iconic red, white and blue guitar. Buck bought up the remaining stock to give away, and it looks like our first up today may be one of those.

1219 Harmony FTAC VG $865 Clean, minimal wear, headstock laminate looks good, seller says this guitar was kept as a promo piece at Capitol Records but never awarded, stamped F-70


1219 Harmony FTAC G $267 Clean, edge/surface wear, headstock laminate has some wear, binding and finish shows yellowing


1432 Dano tube amp G $469 Edge/surface wear, handle worn, light grille staining near logo, recently serviced; many new parts, tremolo functional, 3-prong AC mod


1457 Dano SSEG and tube ampincase VG $725 Clean, cord retainer still present, light wear, sidewall rub, ampcase looks good; rust to latches and hinges


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with tube amp in case VG $362 Clean, light wear, clean sidewalls, mismatched knob inserts on guitar, ampcase looks good w/ minimal wear


1482 Dano tube amp G $289 Square speaker cutout, some corner dings and edge wear, extra screw and washer on back panel, amp works but tremolo unmentioned


615 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $125 Clean, light wear, pickguard present, logo strong, stamped F-65, serial # 2507H615


600 series Harmony FTAC G $140 Clean, edge/surface wear, logo strong. Signed by Lee Roy Parnell


600 series Harmony FTAC G $76 Clean, bridge broken/reglued, logo status unknown; no picture, stamped S-65, so it's a model 621


1838 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp w/ OC  G $42 Clean, light wear, tuning wrench incl., handle broken at case



4/13

A Grab Bag full of Silvertonium as we head into mid-week. Interesting to see our second Type-1 whammy'd 1478 this week, and another EKO acoustic... I sure wish I knew more about that family of instruments, but I've never even seen an Italian Sears catalog! Seriously... I reckon, really, that these were just low-end guitars for store and promotional use that Sears got a good deal on and brought in and sold a bunch. Sears had that kind of power back in the day. Even if every store only sold 5 guitars, that might mean sales capping 10,000 guitars for a season!

1478 Harmony SBEG VG $485 Clean, light wear, early ('64-'66) Type-1 whammy assembly  logo strong, some screw cracks



Second EKO in as many days!

699 EKO FTAC G $26 Edge/surface wear, finish checking all over, NS saddle, coupla fret markers missing, high action


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar only G $150 Edge/surface wear, intermittent jack, high E strings fret out around the 12th, playing wear to neck, case rub below jack, NS knobs, logo strong


1472 Dano tube amp VG $300 Square speaker cutout, clean, light wear, tremolo functions, back panel in place, complete set of extra tubes incl., red border label with correct 'tremolo' spelling


1482 Dano tube amp G $322 Square speaker cutout, wear all over, footswitch incl., back panel in place


1483 Dano tube amp only G $75 Light wear, rust dots on faceplate, rust to xformers, seller says amp works but needs some tubes



UNK Kay FHAC G $54 Missing bridge, pickguard, tuners, a neck 'repair' has been performed, logo strong, nut present, stamped L30965 6887


UNK Kay FHAC $125 In pieces, light wear, missing bridge, NS tuners, logo strong, possible an early '50s era 694 or 688



4/12

Silvertone was a fading memory by the time our first up guitar hit the shelves at Sears, but it looks like nearly everything after that interestingly-markered budget strummer in today's listings proudly bears the Silvertone name!.

1202  Harmony FTAC E $168 Clean, minimal wear, 'Space Dot' strong, stamped F-73


1454 Harmony HBEG w/ OC  VG $1000 Clean, Bigsby present, minimal wear, logo strong, serial #68191454


1425 Kay HBEG VG $338 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, pickguard has screw crack at top attach point, NS pickups installed, originals incl., guitar needs re-wiring


1356 Kay HBEG w /C VG $538 Clean, headstock laminate and pickguard logos strong, bridge in great shape, light finish checking


1423 Harmony SSEG w/ OC VG $699 Clean, some edge/surface wear, logo intact, plenty of glitter, print on pickguard looks good, all stock knobs present


1304 Dano SSEG MOD $300  Repainted black (and possibly blue at some point), edge/surface wear, NS knobs, sidewalls ripped in places, extra neck mounting hardware


1415 Dano SSEG G $386 Clean, playing wear on lower bass bouts, edge/surface wear, 'S' on logo gone, playing wear to pickup area, playing wear to neck and neck/body area, 'swoop' neck./body joint, 5-sided aluminum access panel


1449 Dano  SSEG guitar only MOD $295 Refinished, rewired, custom pickguard, NS knobs, NS tuners, brass neck plate, sidewalls dirty, circuit access plate on back


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar only MOD $369 I think you can pretty much tell what's goin' on here.... gold refinish, some body mods, some new knobs and voila! You've got a guitar that looks just like a 1448 that someone has sawed up and spraypainted!


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with tube amp in case VG $495 Edge/surface wear, sidewall case rub, logo strong, early model; 2-bolt neck w/ no tilt, strip tuners, triangle knob inserts, case has some light wear, spotting to grille


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar only VG $400 Clean, light wear, knob inserts worn, logo worn some, transitional guitar, strip tuners, but 3-bolt neck and line knob inserts


699 EKO FTAC G $11 Wear all over, logo worn, stamped 699, D665


1204 Harmony FTAC G $71 Clean, edge/surface wear, rust to tuner plates


661 Kay FTAC Tenor guitar G $125 Clean, light edge/surface wear, logo strong


2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp w/ OC  VG $178 Clean, minimal wear, no access. 31 bids for this barebones baby!


1483 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $281 Clean, some corner wear, front face shiny, MacGyver hard-wired fuse mod


1482 Dano tube amp VG $255 Square speaker cutout, NS back panel, tremolo works, no footswitch


1484 Dano tube amp only MOD $250 Re-cabineted, tremolo works, reverb doesn't


802 Banjo F $32 5-string, missing resonator, 5th string tuner missing, rust to hardware, head broken, logo strong





1484/5 Footswitch $57 Needs new lead and plug


1464 Dano solid state amp only  $15 Clean, knobs missing, no cabinet, blow fuses


4/9

Spring Fever? Hay Fever? Silvertone Fever? We've got the cure for one of those... you'll have to see your doctor for the rest...

603 Harmony FTAC VG $95 Clean, light wear, 'deco' logo strong, stamped F-57-T, serial #3997H603


1419 Dano SSEG G $425 Clean, edge/surface wear, some picking wear to top by treble side of pickup, playing wear to back of neck, 'square' neck./body joint, circular access panel


1444 Dano SSEG Bass w/ OC VG $800 Clean, very light edge/surface wear, logo worn, 'swoop' neck cutaway with 5-sided aluminum access panel, pots date mid-1962


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with tube amp in case VG $456 Clean, light playing wear, logo strong, NS 'How to Play' record incl.,  ampcase has some corner dings and grille picks, transitional guitar; triangle knob inserts, strip tuners, but 3-bolt neck w/ neck tilt


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with tube amp in case VG $350 Clean, light wear, some edge dings to guitar, light discoloring to knob inserts


1210 Harmony FTAC G $91 Edge/surface wear, logo shows some yellowing


1294 Harmony FTAC VG $130 Clean, minimal wear, 'Space Dot' strong, stamped S-70


752 Kay Mandolin F $41 Dusty, plenty of edge/surface wear, tuner buttons deteriorating, 'wind chime' logo strong, fretboard broken, interesting neck 'fix'


1448 Dano  SSEG body only $125 Pickup cover split, knob inserts discolored, wear all over, sidewalls clean, bottom strap peg missing, Patty Ann Wrench will be remembered for her carving abilities...


1477 Harmony SBEG body/neck only $78 Logo strong



4/8

More modly goodness... today courtesy of a Kay-made 619 that's been given a Belzouki conversion. Also, some black one-pickup Danos... one 'C' body and one 'U' body.

619 Kay FHAC MOD $450 A nicely done 'Belzouki' mod to the elusive triangle-headed 619, making it even more special. Clean, pickguard missing, NS tuners, custom bridge, logo strong on triangular aluminum plate


1317 Dano SSEG w /OC VG $798 Clean, some edge and surface wear, logo worn, chrome shiny, internal stamping dates to 1957, last of the so-called 'C' bodies


1302 Dano SSEG G $700 Clean, some edge and surface wear, picking wear to top near bridge, playing wear to neck,  pickguard has some cracks, logo has 'dolphin nose' logo attached over standard silkscreened logo, first of the 'U' bodies


1413 Kay SBEG G $179 Clean, coupla stickers, some dings, edge wear, logo strong, tailpiece cover missing


606 Harmony FTAC G $52 Clean, edge/surface wear, small crack on bass side below bridge, rust to tuner plates, 


1459 Sears tube amp G $108 Clean, light wear, Belly Button sticker on back of NS back panel



4/7

1478 Harmony SBEG VG $450 Clean, light wear, early ('64-'66) Type-1 whammy assembly (NS arm), logo strong, some screw cracks, pickup assembly May 20, 1964


1495 MIJ Teisco HBEG Bass VG $170 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, chrome shiny


853 Harmony Ukulele E $44 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, original box incl.


856 Harmony Baritone Ukulele VG $93 Clean, some edge/surface wear, logo strong


653 Kay FHAC 'Kentucky Blue' VG $355 Clean, pickguard present, 'wind chime' logo strong, light checking, re-fretted. These early Kentucky Blues seem to have all faded to a light greenish color. I reckon Kay hadn't quite figured out the long-lasting blue formulation just yet, and I've not seen this severe a fade on anything but the 'wind chime' logo'd models, which were the earliest of the Kentucky Blues. Re-listed from March.


1474 Dano tube amp VG $895 Clean, fan on back, recently serviced and upgraded where necessary (caps, etc.)


1483 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $405 Light wear, some light staining to grille, faceplate clean


1483 Dano tube amp only VG $445 Light wear, clean faceplate, rust to xformers, rust to handle captures, 3-prong AC mod


1250 Harmony Banjo w/ OC VG $123 5-string w/ resonator, clean, logo strong, sticker on headstock



UNK  neck $106 Thick script logo strong, block markers, screw-on neck



4/6

Most of the time, a modified guitar is pretty obvious. From model to model, you're only dealing with a limited number of components and a modified or changed instrument or amp usually sticks out like a sore thumb. Not today's first, though... I actually had to think a minute... because this modified 1352 looks so well-appointed as to be a good example of what Sears/Harmony would have done at the time to make this its top-of-the-line guitar.

1352 Harmony HBEG MOD $775 Some edge and surface wear, refinished, NS tuners, NS Bigsby, NS electronics to accommodate 2nd pickup. Here are some 'build notes' from the seller: "The neck pickup is a Gibson P13 from a 1948 H50. This is a really sweet sounding neck pickup. The bridge pickup is a Gibson P13 from a 1950's Harmony Lapsteel. It is slightly hotter than the neck pickup and the two compliment each other nicely. It has the wiring harness from NOS Harmony Rocket parts. All four of the pots have upgraded to Fender CTS 250K. Both volume controls are equipped with NOS Sprague Black Beauty and carbon resistor treble bleed circuits . The tone capacitors have been upgraded to .022uf Luxe Bumble Bees. The tone of this guitar stays true at all settings. It has the big brown Bakelite arrow knobs. The ebony bridge was hand made by William Gagnon and it has been custom fitted to this guitar. The tailpiece is an American made Bigsby B6 and the headstock has been carefully fitted with Sperzal locking tuners. This guitar has no problems staying in tune. The guitar has been fitted with Dunlop Straplocks and it comes with a leather strap. "



Here's the Kay-built model that the guitar the above was aspiring to be like; these models were sold at the same time!

1365 Kay HBEG G $550 Light edge/surface wear all over, pickguard missing, headstock laminate looks good, some custom dice at treble cutaway



This early 40s vintage acoustic has seen better days, but we're glad to see gems from 70 years ago in any condition! Check this one out! Tortoise binding on the back and neck, three-ply on the front!

12K290 Kay FHAC G $300 Clean, finish checking, edge/surface wear, two repaired cracks, binding tight, tuner buttons shrinking, 'wind chime' logo strong, name scratched into neck heel.


712 Kay FHAC MOD $257 Clean, refinished, NS metal pickguard, removable DeArmond "Guitar Mike" electronics, 'boater hat' markers look good, logo laminate in good shape 


1484 Dano tube amp only VG $610 Faceplate and inside amp chassis very clean, covering nice,  a few NS tubes, rev/trem functional, no footswitch, speaker lead has 1/4" plug spliced on


1420 Harmony HBEG G $200 Clean, edge/surface wear all over, stress cracks at jack, rub on upper bass bout, screw cracks at bridge, bunny sticker added


1304 Dano SSEG w/ OC VG $480  Clean, light wear, logo strong, playing wear to neck, picking wear above pickup treble side, sticker residue on bass uper bout, 'square' neck cutaway and circular access panel, internal stamping indicates a 1959 build


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar only VG $234 Clean, minimal wear, chrome shiny, logo worn, missing high 'E' tuner, early version of this guitar; strip tuners, triangle insert knobs, 2-bolt neck w/ narrow attach 'pier' and no neck tilt


1478 Harmony SBEG G $350 Clean, some edge/surface wear, whammy missing,  NS knobs, screw crack to pickguard on upper bass side, logo looks good if a little faded towards the 'tone'


1311 Valco lap steel $74 Sold as project, electronic assembly rusty, knobs turn freely, untested. One set of NS tuners; originals buttons deteriorated away, serial #T26922



4/5

Hope you all had a great holiday weekend (you DID get some time off, right?). Anyway, they were some busy auctioneers getting a bunch of treats into the baskets of a pretty good grouping of buyers, so let's check 'em out.

1358 Dano SSEG G $331 Clean, logo worn, neck has playing wear, lower bass bout shows arm playing wear. Looks like this one may have been custom painted at the factory, seeing as how the body color (non-standard for a 1357... stock was "covered in tan and ginger") matches the headstock. Custom or experimental? This color is very close to the coppery color (the catalog called it bronze) that later standard models were painted. Tape residue on back... I'd love to have seen the set lists or lyrics that were taped back there!


1439 Harmony HBEG w/ OC VG $710 Clean, chrome shiny, minimal wear, both logos strong, stamped F-66 KS, serial #2372H56. The H56 was the Harmony-branded 'Rocket'


1352 Harmony HBEG VG $810 Clean, minimal wear, very light checking, NS bridge, logo strong, stamped H61


1352 Harmony HBEG G $409 Clean, pickguard missing, edge/surface wear, 'deco' logo strong


1484 Dano tube amp only MOD $432 Amplifier mounted in custom cherry-stained oak plywood cabinet, re-capped, 3-prong AC mod, 1/4" jack mod


1460 MIJ Teisco HBEG VG $511 Clean, whammy present, minimal wear, logo strong
\

1446 Harmony HBEG w/ OC  VG $1300 Clean, light wear, logo strong,


1214 Harmony FTAC w/ OC $31 Clean, logo strong, heel lifting, side cracking at heel, scratches/wear all over, some flaking


1436 Teisco MIJ SBEG VG $550 Whammy present, clean, logo tag strong, serial #250283


1333 Dano tube amp G $258 Edge/surface wear, handle worn, logoplate looks good, tremolo functional , no footswitch


1459 Dano tube amp G $305 Grille has a big discoloration on it, handle broken, amps has hum, logoplate looks nice, weird metal reaction to control panel surfaces, original footswitch. incl. This is an oddball amp, offered in the late 50s as some kind of combo deal.; I've never seen one listed or advertised in the major seasonal catalogs.


1481 Dano tube amp VG $279 Square speaker cutout, minimal wear


1464 Dano solid state amp only VG $169 Clean, minimal wear, faceplate looks good, back clean, rev/trem functional, n o footswitch


1452 Dano tube amp in case  only F $153 Dirty, edge/corner/surface wear, (1) knob missing, amp works,  tremolo unmentioned, no footswitch


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar only G $202 Clean, edge wear, knob inserts gone, NS neck screws, pots scratchy


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with tube amp in case VG $439 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong,  ampcase has some corner dings


1431 Sears Solid State Bass amp only VG $128 Clean, minimal wear, functional with slightly scratchy pots... from "Sears Robuck"


1466 DanoSolid State amp only $90 Power/speaker leads cut, untested. Light wear to covering, knobs have 'reminder' marks


1483 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet G $415 Some rust to amp face plate, pots scratchy, big corner/side ding on spkr. cab., DYMO labels on faceplate


1484 Dano tube amp only G $313 Clean, some wear, some rust to faceplate, rev/trem functional, no footswitch


1474 Dano tube amp VG $950 Clean, fan on back, recently serviced and upgraded where necessary (caps, etc.)


1423 Harmony SSEG w/ OC VG $665 Clean, light wear, print clear on pickguard, plenty of glitter, logo damaged


612 Harmony FHAC G $150 Clean, some edge wear, crack in back at heel and on lower bout, neck and bridge bowed, hell lifting, fingerboard/marker wear in 'cowboy chord' area esp., logo strong,  stamped F-62, serial #3093H612. Relisted.


1204 Harmony FTAC G $150 Clean, light wear, top's a bit wavy at bridge, bridge lifting, logo strong, stamped S-69


604 Harmony FTAC MOD $26 Looks like some top warpage, pickup and controls added


1200 Harmony FTAC G $61 Clean, light wear, logo strong, sold a a pair with a TELLENO guitar


615 Harmony FTAC G $86 Clean, pickguard present, sticker residue on top.


623 Harmony FHAC G $125 Clean, pickguard missing, edge/surface wear, cracks at f-holes, stamped S-61 HB, serial #2646H623


1205 Harmony FTAC P $21 Missing pickguard and tuners, edge wear, block logo strong



Well, we certainly know which family of Harmony guitars this model was based on, but its Silvertone model number has eluded me for lo, these many years. I'm hoping for a catalog or other listing that will clear up this H-series Stratotone-lookin' Silvertone guitar. Check out that shot of the back; you can see how the neck and body are all one piece, with 'wings' glued on the sides. I'm basing the ID of this one on (a) the seller's listing and (b) the green paint in the component cavity. This one was offered as a Silvertone in that color and a bright yellow... so we could be looking for two model numbers!

UNK Harmony SBEG MOD $350 Stripped, no logo, missing 3rd fret, fretboard in two pieces


UNK UNK FHAC w/ C F $113 Pickguard and bridge missing. Re-listed from March



1465 Dano solid state amp cabinet only P $40 Some covering wear, all four feet present



4/2

Now we're rollin'! Overnight, we got a small but respectable (well... dunno 'bout that 1481...) load of Silvertonium in over the auction wire, and so, April is off and running!

1488 Harmony SBEG w/ OC VG $860 Clean, minimal wear,  chrome shiny, whammy present, logo strong


633 Harmony FTAC MOD $178  Clean, some wear, soundhole ham-handedly enlarged (to accommodate a pickup?) at some point, bridge shaved down and modded as well, neck needs a re-set, wear to fretboard in the 'cowboy chord' area, truss rod cover painted, pickguard present, stamped F-65


604 Harmony FTAC w /OC G $60 Clean, some edge/surface wear, big rub on treble upper bout, rust to tuner plates, logo strong


641 Harmony FTAC G $47 Clean, light edge wear, logo strong, neck bowed


1483 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $450 Clean, corner/edge wear to amp and cab, Ch. 2 treble knob missing, stock Jensen in place, back panels present (removed for photo)


1481 Dano tube amp MOD $150 Re-covered, re-grilled, NS knobs, back panel covered in same material as grille (cheetah?), 3-prong AC mod, bronze "Mudflap Annie" added for "a little flair" as the seller put it.


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with tube amp in case G $306 Clean, case has broken hinges, amp lights up but has a buzzzzz, case rub on sidewall, transitional guitar;  triangle knob inserts / 3-bolt neck w/ neck tilt / strip tuner model



UNK Kay FHAC w/ OC G $510 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, nice graining, ID'd as an 839 model, which is not a valid Sears model #... the confusion seems to stem from the internal number stamping that occurred in Kays with an '839' prefix or number. Looks like a 619 or 627 to me, but who knows? Unless you were there when the Sears guy wrote you up, or the number is stamped on the headstock or inside the body (of course I'm talkin' the useful numbers from our friends at Harmony, not the random digits of a Kay), these archtop acoustics are a BEAR to positively identify. Does ANYONE have a table or chart that positively IDs Kay archtop acoustics according to their stamped numbers? They make no sense to me, though I've seen identical 'L' series (the first 4 numbers, anyway; Lxxx) numbers inside some guitars. The 'N-x' and P-x' stamps seem meaningless ID-wise; possibly a shift or employee ID or assembly line mark.


4/1

Out like a lion! That's how March 2010 wrapped up. Numbers show this to be the biggest month dollar-wise since I started counting 3 years ago! March had over 300 auctions totaling $96,397! Incredible!

Here's some highlights of what changed hands:  a whopping (34) 1448 guitars/amps or one or the other, (8) 1457 guitars/amps or one or the other, (19) 1484 amps, (11) 1482 amps, only (5) 1481 amps, (6) 'Wish Book' 1304 guitars, (5) 'Chris Isaak'  1446 model guitars, (5) 1427 'Black Beauty' guitars, only (2) 1423 'Jupiter' guitars, (7) 612 f-hole acoustics, (8) 623 f-hole acoustics, and (17) of the 604 family guitars. The highest dollar item was very pretty 1385 'Black Beauty' that went for $2015.  The least amount brought in March was $4 for a 'How to Care For you Silvertone' pamphlet.

If you haven't visited March 2010, give it a look... it was QUITE a month!