MODEL # / MANUF / TYPE / COND / PRICE / NOTES

Abbreviations: M-int, NM - Near Mint, E- Excellent, VG- Very Good, G- Good , F-air, P-Poor, NS- Non-Stock, HBEG- Hollow Body Electric, FHAC- F-Hole Acoustic, FTAC- Flat-Top Acoustic, SBEG- Solid Body Electric, SSEG- Semi-Sold Electric, MIJ- Made In Japan, MOD - Modified significantly from stock, w/ O/C Original / Case, BIN- Auction ended at 'Buy It Now' price, BO- Auction ended at 'Best Offer' price, UNK - Unknown manufacturer or model number, ACC - accessory. ALL RATINGS SUBJECTIVE.
Unless otherwise noted, I'm rating them by what I see in the pictures and read in the description.

Links in blue will open in a new window.



DECEMBER 2008

12/31

Everyone have a safe and happy New Year's Eve !

1381/1369 Kay SSEG w/C VG $795 BO Clean, script only headstock

1484 Dano tube amp only G $275 Covering a bit rough, blue power light, oxidation on front panel

619 Kay FHAC w/ OC VG $350 Clean

1436 Teisco MIJ SBEG VG $231 Whammy missing, still has 'steel reinforced neck' sticker on back, a few dings, serial #315052

1441 Teisco MIJ SBEG VG $160 Clean, 'space dot' missing, swoop headstock, whammy present, light oxidation to hardware

1448 Dano  SSEG and tube amp in case VG $510 Clean, light edge wear, earlier model; strip tuners and two-bolt neck, triangle knob inserts, strap incl., 'A L' stickers on outside of case

660/1230 Classical w/ OC VG $37 Clean, a few dings/scratches, still has a 'Silvertone' paper tag inside, probably the 1230, as most 660s are stamped with a model #


12/30

2008 is coming to a close... I wonder what kind of money the December totals will bring? Stay tuned, I'll tally 'em up New Year's Day... or thereabouts.

Here's an interesting gee-tar to start the days listings off with, a 1296, available in the very last days of Silvertone-branded instruments. The decades-old '6XX' model number pattern for Sears acoustic guitars changed in Fall/Winter 1968 to a '12XX' pattern. The 1296 came along so close to the end of the Silvertone-as-a-brand run, that it doesn't appear in any seasonal catalog! The guitar resembles the popular 604 that Sears sold so many of (last seen in S/S '68, it became the 1204 in F/W '68 and was gone by the following fall), and seems to be the indirect predecessor of the 1294 that appeared in late 1970.



1296 Harmony FTAC G $124 Sold along with a Stella, block logo, very last of the Silvertone branded guitars

1481 Dano tube amp G $185 Clean, adhesive residue on top under handle, square spkr. cutout, lightly discolored knob inserts, light oxidation on control panel, NS fuse holder cap

1452 Dano SBEG with tube amp in case VG $716   Very clean, whammy present, thick script logo, footswitch and orig. manual/schematic incl., NS speaker

1304
Dano SSEG G $270  Light edge wear/scratches, swoop neck joint, aluminum access cover

1484 Dano tube amp only F $154 Covering painted or re-upholstered, front and rear face scratched, DYMO labels on mod jacks in back, 2 tubes missing, untested


1464 Dano spkr. cab only F $52 One speaker missing

603 Harmony FTAC F $49 Scratches, edge wear, finish flaking, weird mottling of finish; looks like stripping was kinda half-done to it

615 Harmony FTAC VG $212 Super clean, purchased in box, no sign of wear, tailpiece screws pulling out slightly , light oxidation on tuners, stamped F-65

12/29

I truly hope
everyone had a great holiday and some good time off. Let's get the post-holiday sales a-tabulatin'...

Let's start with a mystery. Never seen one of these before, doubt I will again. Looks like the logo was stolen from a 1446 headstock or maybe a 1495 'Beatle' bass... the curves and hardware are certainly Teisco-esque, almost 'Burns'-y...




UNK MIJ SBEG VG $240 A few dings and scratches, electronics and whammy look intact

1449 Dano  tube amp in case only G $115 BIN  No speaker, covering scarred, latch missing, tested, functioning

1441 Teisco MIJ SBEG VG $233 Space dot / swoop head, clean, whammy missing
1484 Dano tube amp only G $670 Covering rough, trem/rev functional, re-tubed, re-capped

1214 Harmony FTAC w/ OC G $76 Block logo, a few scratches, stamped S-69

1352 (?) Harmony HBEG G $475 BO Tuners repaired, electronics cleaned

619 Kay FHAC F $51  Finish flaking , stamped N-12 (?)

1478 Harmony SBEG w/ OC VG $399 BIN    Clean, red foil p/u inserts, whammy present, minimal wear

1444 Dano SSEG Bass w/ OC VG $557 Clean, 'swoop' neck cutout, aluminum access panel, some playing wear to neck, a few dings and scratches

604 Harmony FTAC  VG $52 Clean, orig. box incl., stamped S-64
1457 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $710 Guitar and amp very clean

1465 Dano solid state amp only G $81 Edge wear/scratches, channel 2 input missing, trem/rev intermittent

615 Harmony FTAC w/ C VG $41  Clean, serial
2904H615, stamped F-65
658 Kay FHAC w/ OC G $125 BO Pre-66, edge wear some scratches, seller says neck  is bowed

1300 Dano SSEG VG $675 BIN Playing wear on treble side, arm wear bottom bass bout


1446 Harmony HBEG w/ OC VG $900 BO Clean, Bigsby intact, repro logo

1420 Harmony SBEG  VG $312  Headstock wear, light scratching

1484 Dano tube amp w/ cabinet F $451 Looks rough; dings and spray paint and tears to amp and cab covering, re-tubed

1475 Teisco MIJ HBEG VG $400 Very clean, wood inlay on whammy missing, a little buckle rash, looks like the 'S' in the logo is gone

1448 Dano  SSEG and tube amp in case VG $351 Clean

604 Harmony FTAC  VG $54  Clean, some edge/headstock wear, stamped F-63

658 Kay FHAC G $138 Pre-66, edge wear some scratches, pickguard missing, crack on headstock, crack at neck

1485 Dano Tube Amp with speaker cabinet F $600 BO Some edge wear and tears to covering on both guitar and amp, grille has 'unwoven' itself,  , control panel has some yellowing and oxidation

1448 Dano  SSEG w/ NS case G $224 Guitar is dirty, all hardware has some rust, triangle neck plate,

1487 Teisco MIJ Neck Only $25 BIN

1302
Dano SSEG VG $370 Clean, unusual foil edge banding looks wrinkled; is it a weird 'one off' with the foil (some Danos did have a foil edge binding), or a re-upholster job? The pickguard also has a similar lined foil material underneath it

1474 Dano tube amp G $338 Clean, light wear, needs (3) tubes

1432 Dano tube amp G $350 Some wear, trem works, flying 'V' logo intact|

UNK FHAC G $154 Clean, looks like headstock was broken off on each side

1449 Dano tube amp in case only VG $207  Clean, NS speaker

1448 Dano  tube amp in case only VG $103 Clean, slight grille staining, NS speaker, new xformer

1464 Dano speaker cabinet only G $140 new
Carvin V12-16 speakers

661 Kay FTAC 4-string tenor w/ OC VG $400 BIN  Very clean, little wear but for some some scrapes on the back

UNK FHAC $50 Re-painted white


 

 

12/23

Let's start today off with a fairly uncommon guitar, and my favorite Dano-built Silvertone: the solidbody 1451.

1451 Dano SBEG guitar only G $275 BIN Thick script logo, minimal wear, discolored knob inserts


Will ya look at THIS?!? I believe it came from the Sears, Roebuck on MARS! Unique logo tag, no makers mark or model number, at least it says "Made In Japan" on back of the head. Any ideas?






UNK MIJ SBEG G $37 Dings, scratches, pullout hole where strap pin used to be

1464 Dano solid state amp and cabinet $153 Clean, some corner wear to spkr. cab, light rust on handle captures, xformer

1422 Sears tube amp G $208 Clean, edge/corner wear, grille tear, back panel missing, lights up; otherwise untested

1448 Dano  SSEG guitar only w/ C VG $238 Minimal wear, NS knobs
1400 Microphone G $23 Clean
1440 Teisco MIJ SBEG VG $178  Clean, whammy intact, minimal wear
852 Ukelele VG $90 'Hawaiian Girl' model, clean, includes original box

2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp F $31   No accessories, some tuner rust

1444 Dano SSEG Bass G $325 Major playing wear on under E string , plenty dings/scratches, NS pots, NS tunerse, 'S' broken off logo


12/22

Welcome to Winter! Doesn't look like the auctions are cooling off too much, though... as usual, a big weekend to clean up today... Santa's been workin' overtime, with a bunch of 'Buy It Nows.'

I don't know why, but I've seem more of these Italian-made Silvertones come out of the woodwork in the past two weeks than I've seen in my collecting lifetime (25+ years)! Here's another one, confirmed model number stamp of 698, and it totally resembles the popular 600 series Harmony guitars from the 50s/60s:

698 EKO FTAC G $81 Some scrapes/dings, real fitted neck



640 Kay FHAC w/ OC VG $350 Very rare archtop from the late 50s, minimal wear, stamped L9913 and 8915



1431 Dano tube amp G $153 In good shape, except for a big grille tatter
1423 Harmony SSEG G $423 Clean, blender and one knob missing, light headstock wear

1448 Dano  SSEG and tube amp in case VG $325 BIN Guitar looks good, edge wear to case

1471 Dano tube amp VG $279  Square speaker cutout, clean inside and out, back panel in place

1484 Dano tube amp w/ cabinet E $550 Super clean, trem/rev functional, no footwsitch


1210 Harmony FTAC w/ OC G $95 BIN   Clean, minimal wear, light warping at top of soundhole

805 Banjo  G  $76   5-string w/ resonator, some scratches on back, light wear

1422 Sears tube amp E $450 Very clean, best I've seen


600 series Harmony FTAC G $63 Cosmetically OK, neck separation, cracks on bottom back, edge wear, bridge looks good, stamped F-63

856 Harmony Ukelele $130 VG Baritone model

1471 Dano tube amp G $153  Round speaker cutout, case has a couple of covering peels, one big inside ding

653 Kay FHAC G $169  Faded to greenish,  slight separation at heel, some edge wear

615 Harmony FTAC VG $22  Clean, minimal wear, bridge has been glued in place,  serial #1999H615, Deal of the Day!

1457 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case F $366 Guitar has some scratches / edge wear, case has a couple of big rips to covering, edge wear

605 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $225 BIN  Very clean, with 'cowboy' case, serial 2817H605, stamped  F-57


1484 Dano tube amp only F $195 Edge an corner tears, needs servicing

1452 Dano SBEG guitar only w/ C VG $395  Minimal wear, whammy missing, triangular neck back plate,  white pickguard, thick script logo


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar only w/ C VG $178 Dings in whitewall, otherwise clean

1465 Dano solid state amp and cabinet VG $600 Very clean, cabinet re-grilled

1423 Harmony SSEG w/ OC  VG $575 BIN Clean, all knobs present, screenprint logo

606 Harmony FTAC VG $49 Scratches, edge/headstock wear, rust on tuners

1410 Kay SBEG VG $153 Clean, minimal wear, NS chicken head knobs
1445 Kay HBEG VG $240 Unusual sunburst finish, never offered as stock on a Silvertone, slight finish flaking, some buckle rash

1448 Dano  SSEG and tube amp in case G $355 Earlier model; strip tuners and two-bolt neck, NS knobs, case looks good

1423 Harmony SSEG w/ OC VG $606  All knobs present, plastic protector included, very clean, receipt included!

1316 Harmony Lap Steel VG $280 Clean, one 2" ding near output jack

708 Harmony FHAC w/ C VG $395 BIN Faded logo, otherwise very nice, serial 1290H708

1444 Dano SSEG Bass w/ OC G $600 Playing wear on under E string, heavy headstock wear; logo intact, pot dates 43rd wk of 1960

856 Harmony Ukelele w/ OC VG $149 BIN Baritone model, minimal wear
1311 Valco Lap Steel VG $195 BIN Clean
658 Kay FHAC G $90 BIN Pre-66, edge wear some scratches, finish a bit dull

1417 Dano SSEG  VG $512 Clean, pots date to last quarter of '59, a few scratches, some playing wear on neck

1317 Harmony HBEG G $300 BIN  Some neck wear, scratches, dull hardware, a ding in the binding, slight yellowing of knobs

1457 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $811 Very clean example, guitar looks great, footswitch included, amp grille bezel still mirror-shiny

12/19

Let's get this last Friday before Christmas going with this weird one:

1417 Dano SSEG G $540 BO NS knobs, NS access cover, playing wear on lower bass bout, looks like a headstock crack/repair, logo intact, buckle rash, neck sanded smooth. Unusual instrument: 1417 was the model designation for the earliest (debuting in the Fall/Winter 1959 catalog) bronze 'dolphin nose' Dano-made U bodied Silvertones, but a dual pickup version was never offered in any seasonal catalog. Was this a late model 1301 with a dolphin headstock (Dual pickup bronze, pre-F/W '59, but pictured in catalogs with the 'Coke bottle' headstock), or a custom-ordered 1417? Or, maybe a cobbled together guitar from parts? Id' really like to know the potentiometer codes versus the neck stamp.

1482 Dano tube amp VG $335 Round spkr. cutout, clean

Dano footswitch $52
1482 Dano tube amp P $113 Round spkr. cutout, (1) knob missing, rough covering, grille tear, rusty xformer, doesn't work

1457 Dano  SSEG guitar only MOD $119 Refinished in blueburst, pickguard cut, headstock and neck sanded clean, no tuners

UNK Harmony FHAC w/ OC G $143 Neck dings, back has paint or 'strap melt' stains

852 Ukelele VG $125 BIN 'Hawaiian Girl' model, includes booklet

1446 Harmony HBEG w/ OC VG $663 BIN Clean, Bigsby intact, light headstock wear; metal logo missing, ding in bridge

1452 Dano SBEG guitar only w/ C VG $411   Clean, whammy intact, triangular neck back plate, light dings here and there, tortoise pickguard, thick script logo, whammy spring back cover missing

856 Harmony Ukelele $50 Baritone model, hole in side


12/18

605 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $99 BIN  Clean, larger soundhole model that was available from 1948-1957 on this popular model. Also features the unusual yellow headstock logo.


1485 Dano Tube Amp with speaker cabinet VG $810 Clean, some edge wear, casters present

1478 Harmony SBEG w/ OC VG $425 BIN     Clean, whammy present, minimal wear, headstock has hairline crack on treble side, pickup selector switch frozen

1227 Harmony FTAC  12-string VG $150 Clean, slotted head, Space Dot logo

1452 Dano SBEG with tube amp in case VG $515   Clean, whammy missing, some back and edge wear, thick script logo , white pickguard, ampcase has some corner rubs

1448 Dano  SSEG guitar only VG $273 BIN Very clean all around, very little wear, vinyl sides shiny white, transitional model; strip tuners, triangle inserts but with 3-bolt neck

1420 Harmony SBEG w/ OC VG $321  Headstock wear, light scratching

700 Harmony FHAC G $113 Playing wear under strings, scratches all over, but overall in good shpar for a 60 year old guitar, stamped F-47

 

 

12/17

1212 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $50 Clean, light wear to bottom back, Space Dot logo

1482 Dano tube amp G $193 Square spkr. cutout, re-grilled, some stains to covering but covering is in good shape, no footswitch

658 Kay FHAC G $101 Pre-66, back separating , pickguard present, edge/face wear, stamped N-2

1200 Harmony FTAC VG $67  Clean, minimal wear, square head/script logo
1315 Harmony Lap Steel VG $200 Chrome a bit dull, but otherwise nice, tailpiece in place, 'P' series pickup

UNK FHAC w/ C G $168 Clean, bridge included

1457 Dano SSEG guitar only G $367 Clean, minimal wear, cord keeper is browned with rust but present, weird 'shadow' of clean under string area, rest of pickguard slightly yellowed or dirty , sidewalls dirty, small ding on back of longer horn

1448 Dano  SSEG guitar only F $200 BIN Neck finish stripped, knob inserts heavily worn, vinyl sidewalls gone,  ampcase rough, NS speaker


12/16
Fish out your Chuck Berry
or Beatles or ELO albums and give "Roll Over Beethoven" a spin to celebrate Ludwig Van's birthday today! A lot of great instruments and amps sold over the weekend, but to me the real story was the fine acoustics, electrics and amps with reasonable prices that DIDN'T sell (or even get BID on)... so, all you secret Silvertone Santas out there, it's a great time to buy!

Let's start the day off with a seldom-seen gator and tweed 1334:

1334 Dano tube amp VG $383 Aside from the broken handle , this amp's in great shape, even including the original bare wood footswitch



Next, let's talk a little about this Dano-made so-called U1. That translates to the 'U' designated body shape, and 1 pickup. This one is unusual in that it is a custom color (officially only offered on the 'C' series guitars; model #1358 & #1360), and the wider U shaped body (13.25" width versus 11.25" for the 'C' shaped bodies).


The last remnants of the Silvertone logo tell us that this was a factory finish:


There was quite a bit of discussion attached to this sale as to whether this was an original finish, really a Silvertone at all or sold through another vendor entirely. I enhanced the contrast and overlaid a Silvertone logo from a 1304 headstock onto the image of the headstock of the red guitar. You can see where the flecks of white paint that are left exactly match the thick script Silvertone logo. As we've seen, Sears would go to great lengths to satisfy customers, and I'm sure that it was little skin off Dano's teeth to 'shoot' this guitar in red rather than black or copper.

UNK Dano SBEG G $356 Custom color, pickguard missing, plenty of playing wear, big sticker on back

1250 Banjo  VG $118  Very clean, 5-string w/resonator, cursive logo on curve top headstock

1457 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $750 Yet another very clean example, no wear to speak of on guitar, one small cases rub to vinyl sidewall, case has a corner rub or two, no footswitch

1482 Dano tube amp MOD $206 Re-baffled, re-grilled, plywood back panel with 1/4" jack added

1304
Dano SSEG G $203  Top poorly refinished, swoop neck cutaway, knob missing, pots date to mid-1961

1400 Microphone G $26 Clean, original box included
1448 Dano  SSEG and tube amp in case G $350 Case has a few scrapes, guitar looks good; still has cord keeper, but very yellowed, scratchy volume pot on guitar

605 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $68  Clean, with 'cowboy' case ,  stamped S-58, first of the small-holed 605s

1232 MIJ Classical VG $17   Very clean, slotted head, internal block logo label

1472 Dano tube amp G $281 Square spkr. cutout, red border faceplate, covering peeling off in places, corner wear

12/15

According to Peanuts' Schroeder, tomorrow is Beethoven's birthday. Well, roll over, Ludwig, the holidays are comin' like a freight train. I hope Santa has got a a Silvertone on your Christmas list. If not, ebay is there to help... I've seen a bunch of bargains lately, and you just might find what you've been hankerin' for.
Let's get this Massive Monday going,...

1482 Dano tube amp F $195 Square spkr. cutout, doesn't power on, typical wear, no back panel

1452 Dano tube amp in case only G $313   Paired up with some wacky MIJ guitar, the amp looks good, guitar is decidedly NOT a Silvertone as advertised

1465 Dano solid state amp only VG $130 Rev works, trem doesn't, case looks good; clean, no rust

674 Kay HBEG w/ C VG $810 Very clean, NS tuners, nut and pickup switch, here's a good look:



1446 Harmony HBEG w/ C G $495 BIN Clean, silk-screened logo, stress cracks at output jack

1441 Teisco MIJ SBEG VG $160 Clean, 'space dot' swoop headstock, whammy present, some edge wear / dings to hardware, NS knobs, take a look:


1481 Dano tube amp G $185 Clean, round spkr. cutout, discolored knob inserts, 3-prong AC mod, bottom panel warped

702 Harmony FHAC VG $153 Clean, oddly serial numbered 1011H1214, with a date stamp of S-57-T, but it seems to be the 702 from the mid-late 50s

1478 Harmony SBEG w/ OC G $261     Clean,  whammy present, NS rhythm pickup, NS knobs, NS tuners

1484 Dano tube amp only F $210 Edge and corner wear, partially re-capped and cord modded, but project dropped mid-phase, break out your soldering iron and schematics!

1311/1442 Valco Lap Steel w/ OC VG $355 Has a 'note guide' taped to one side of fingerboard, otherwise very clean, bar and picks included, serial #
T28487

1478 Harmony SBEG w/ OC VG $385     Logo worn off, looks like head may have been painted,  whammy present, red foil p/u inserts, NS knobs

1482 Dano tube amp VG $330 Square spkr. cutout, very clean

1470 Tube amp F $68 Odd little amp, never seen it in a catalog, the seller says it was made in Chicago, but I see no evidence of it, or on any 1470 I've seen before (only seen a few)


1484 Speaker cabinet only G $150 Edge and corner wear, stock Jensens present, amp keepers and back panel present, handle captures have some rust

1484 Dano tube amp w/ cabinet G $512 Speaker cab plenty rough, interesting cord jack mods to side of amp and back of cab , blue power light

856 Harmony Ukelele $104 Baritone model, very clean

1448 Dano  tube amp in case only VG $439 Clean, slight finish rub on back, discolored knobs, still has cord keeper, minimal edge wear, ampcase looks good,

1484 / 1485 Dano amp knobs $5

1251 Banjo w/ C G $70 4-string w/resonator, it's been played, light discolor to head, dings/edge wear all over

1481 Dano tube amp G $200 BIN Clean, square spkr. cutout, grille discoloration, one NS knob

1384/5/1427 Harmony HBEG VG $1300 BO Very clean, light wear, NS circular switchplate, NS knobs/pickguard

UNK Kay FHAC w/ OC VG $166 Clean, stamped L3096 6887 NS bridge, NS tuners

1425 Speaker cabinet G $225 BIN  3 out of 4 spkrs. working, handles intact, looks good, 1/4" jack mod

1210 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $50   Clean, minimal wear, one 2" ding on upper bass bout

1457 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $435 Very clean, no wear to speak of, couple of NS tubes, no footswitch, adhesive bleed discolor on amp knobs, DEAL OF THE DAY!
Look at this baby:


661 Kay FTAC 4-string tenor VG $200  Minimal wear
1431 Dano tube amp VG $289 BIN  Very clean, handle quite worn, but covering and grille look great

604 Harmony FTAC  P $16 Edge wear, back separating, braces loose

1448 Dano  SSEG and tube amp in case G $326 Earlier model; strip tuners and two-bolt neck, triangle knob inserts, handle on case broken, adhesive discoloration to all three knobs

1482 Dano tube amp VG $276 Very clean, square spkr. cutout, footswitch incl.

802 Banjo w/ C G $140 5-string w/resonator, cursive logo

1304
Dano SSEG w/ OC G $710 BIN  Square neck cutaway, circular access panel, natural headstock, pots date 6th week of 1959

600 series Harmony FTAC G $53 A few scratches

1429 Harmony HBEG G $308  4 of 6 knobs missing, adhesive residue on back of headstock, edge wear, finish flaking

1484 Dano tube amp chassis only $100 BIN Works/needs work; volume rev/trem issues

604 Harmony FTAC w/ OC  G $51 Edge wear, a few scratches

604 Harmony FTAC w/ OC  G $90 Clean, light edge wear, stamped
#F-66AK,  serial # 4653H604

UNK EKO FTAC G $125  Some finish checking

831 Ukelele VG $70 BO  Skier design , light crazing, plastic fretboard, original box incl.

Here's an oddball; it's a 608, looks just like the 604, but internally stamped 'N-1' so it's made by Kay, and has the typical Kay peaked headstock. Crazy! These were available late 50s to early '61, after which they became the more common Harmony-made 604. Save for the high-peaked headstock and a little better definition on the faux 'tiger stripes (Harmony edges were a little fuzzier),' they look identical.


 

608 Kay FTAC w/ OC G $54  Clean, slight edge wear, high-peaked headstock stamped N-1

12/12
Two weeks from today, we'll be putting bags of crumpled wrapping paper out for the trash man, and playing with all our neat little toys and gizmos. SOME of us will be curled up next to the fire with our brand new copy of "Neptune Bound," and wishing we had a 1954  Dano-made maroon leatherette-covered lightning-bolt logo'd Silvertone. I've had a lot of guitar books in my life; still have most of 'em... "American Guitars," "Guitars from Renaissance to Rock," "Gibson Electrics," "The Fender Stratocaster," "50s Cool: Kay Guitars," "Guitars from Neptune (of course)" and dozens of other guitar (and other instruments) books that have fed my desire to know about these wonderful, portable, influential music makers. Now, there's "Neptune Bound."

I just got my copy, y'all, and it is INCREDIBLE! An introduction and personal history from Nathan Daniel's son, Howard,  400+ pages of every model, prototypes, Dano factory shots, Vinnie Bell, Silvertones, Danelectro patents, catalog reprints, ads, schematics... everything you could hope for in a book like this! Get one for a stocking stuffer! They'll go great on your coffee table, in your practice room, in the studio, in the library. A truly astounding work!

Let's get Friday going with a seldom-seen guitar from the mid-50s era, the 1352. It's based on the Harmony H61, and this one is mighty nice.



Look how clean the logo screen is


1352 Harmony HBEG VG $460 BO Clean, very little wear, two minor paint scrapes on the back, the best example of this guitar that I've seen

1457 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case E $624 Very clean, no wear to speak of on guitar, still has cord keeper, the lightest bit of rust on the amp's speaker, case looks great, pots/speakers date setup to 1965

I've got to show you some pics of this beautiful setup:

See the cord keeper? It isn't even yellow!



Look how clean that headstock and footswitch is!



1208 Harmony FTAC G $37  Block logo , one tuner replaced, last of the Silvertone branded guitars

1356 Kay HBEG G $400 NS pickups, NS dice knobs, NS Bigsby, edge wear, a few dings, dime sized hole where output jack was ripped out


(composite picture)

12/11

Starting the day of Thor off
with a super-rare amp in case and lap steel combo from the 40s!

Super clean outside...

...and inside!

2323 Valco Lap Steel and amp in case VG $399 BIN Cleanest I've seen (and I ain't seen many!), a very rare setup, esp. in this kind of condition, serial
#163-200

1484 Dano tube amp w/ cabinet G $416 Edge and corner wear, trem/rev untested, no footswitch,

1440 Teisco MIJ SBEG parts $195  Build your own! Neck, body, tuners, pickguard, neckplate, screws, no electronics RELISTED

619 Kay FHAC w/ C G $171  Clean, stamped N2, L3548

1448 Dano  tube amp in case only F $155 Rough; dings, dents, dirty, amp functional, all latches work, customized with the word 'love' , relisted from November

1448 Dano  SSEG and tube amp in case F $180 BIN Amp does not work, edge wear to guitar, grille stains, 'smoky' smell according to seller

1333 Dano Tube amp F $209 Edge wear, handle broken but present, tube missing

1484 Dano tube amp w/ cabinet VG $455 Very clean, footswitch incl., trem works, rev intermittent

1221 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $399 BIN Pickguard missing, space dot logo, based on the Harmony 'Sovereign' model, clean, clean, some dings on face

1478 Harmony SBEG w/ OC VG $312    Clean,  minimal wear, whammy present, logo looks good

UNK Kay FHAC G $152 Bridge missing, edge/headstock wear

1210 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $225 BO   Clean, minimal wear, looks like some 'strap ooze' on the back

1457 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $522 Very clean guitar and amp, guitar still has cord keeper

1478 Harmony SBEG G $183    Clean, logo worn away, edge wear/scaratches, whammy present

 

 

12/10

1446 Harmony HBEG / 1482 Dano tube amp  VG $1200  Guitar looks great, amp has one quarter-size corner tear

1448 Dano  SSEG and tube amp in case VG $337 Very clean all around, very little wear, vinyl sides shiny white, transitional model; strip tuners but with 3-bolt neck and line knob inserts
 

1485 Dano Tube Amp with speaker cabinet VG $1250 Original owner, trem/rev work, very clean, casters present, manual, footswitch, catalog as incl.

653 Kay FHAC G $179 BO Clean, pickguard present, scrape on neck and treble bout front edge, light edge wear

1448 Dano  SSEG and tube amp in case VG $400 Very clean, barely played

1471 Dano tube amp G $193  Square speaker cutout, grille sparkly, handle captures have light rust

1457 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case G $306 Edge wear / scratches / scrapes, ampcase has no amp or speaker

12/9

Flower Power to the max! Aliens too! Gotta show you this 1444 bass, done up in well, I don't know WHAT style to call it... ironic-retro-Americana? Will that cover the Alien, the flowers and the stars? I like how they centered one of the flowers on the output jack. Owned by children's artist Corey Leland.
You can see the bass in the background of this YouTube video.




1444 Dano SSEG Bass MOD/G $325 BO  Owned by Corey Leland, tone knob turns freely; knob, not the control, obviously re-decorated, stars and heart on neck, headstock logo intact

2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp w/ OC G $96 Tuner incl., clean

1482 Dano tube amp G $204 Square spkr. cutout, edge/corner wear, back panel scratched, new 12AX7 tube

658 Kay FHAC G $180 Pre-66, very clean, no pickguard

1432 Dano tube amp G $290 BIN Dirty knobs, torn corners, scratched/dented amp chassis plate, worn handle, grille looks good, flying V logoplate intact

1410 Kay SBEG G $150 Clean, light headstock wear, pickguard cracked at top , pickguard screws rusty, two tailpiece cover screws missing

1840 Oscar Schmidt Guitaro w/ OC G $163  Tight, complete, no accessories except the tuning card, different pickguard than any example I've seen

1211 Harmony FTAC w/ OC G $100 Block logo indicates late model (early 1970), last of the Silvertone branded guitars, black tuner buttons

1422 Sears tube amp G $244 Grille tears, footswitch incl. I suspect this late-model amp to be Danelectro-made, it is nearly identical to the DM-25. The 1422s changed mid-life into solid state machines.

615 Harmony FTAC w/ C VG $71  Clean, some edge wear, a small headstock ding

12/8

Now, here's an interesting plucking machine that went for cheap over the weekend. I've never seen one before, actually never really thought too much about this iteration of the model 1316 (there's a later model with soundhole), but seeing what's left of this one sure got my gears a-turnin'...

1316 FTAC F $39 This is the only example of this guitar I've ever seen:  yellow Silvertone logo also seen on early-mid 50s 605 acoustics (I suspect these 1316s were made from 605s that just didn't have a soundhole cut out), and a pickup assembly that could have been sub-contracted from Danelectro; it looks so much like the vacu-form pickup of the 1375/77 models: , the missing knob looks (in catalog illustrations) a lot like the Dano 'cupcakes' knobs that they used on the 1375/77.

Let's look at a larger pic for the full size view to show you that there is no sound hole:


Here's the first catalog listing for Sears "Lowest Priced Electric Guitar"


A better look at the p/u assembly in the 1956 catalog:


Interestingly, this guitar became available the catalog after the Dano 1375/77 models went away.

Lastly, a shot of the Dano 1375 pickup area:


And the 'cupcake' knob:

I love surprises!


1420 Harmony SBEG w/ OC G $281  Headstock wear, neck wear, scratches, dings, logo present

1423 Harmony SSEG w/ OC  VG $625 Clean, all knobs present, light headstock wear, lots of glitter

Dano double footswitch $51 Tested functional
1423 Harmony SSEG  VG $600 BO Clean, all knobs NS , headstock wear, logo present, light scratches here and there

1410 Kay SBEG VG $202   Very clean, chrome shiny


1304
Dano SSEG w/ OC G $400  Square neck cutaway, circular access panel, natural headstock, playing wear, light dings scratches all over, logo worn

758 Kay Mandolin F $75  'Venetian' model , finish checking on bass bout edge, replaced bridge, possible internal bracing damage

1482 Dano tube amp VG $345 Clean, square speaker cutout, light corner wear

1333 Dano Tube amp G $173 Edges worn, tremolo untested; no footswitch, handle OK

1331 Dano tube amp VG $299  Light edge wear, nice handle, nice grille, logo plate bright

1484 Dano tube amp w/ cabinet VG $370 Clean, light wear, no footswitch

1459 Dano Tube Amp VG $405 Clean, light wear, back panel in place, recently serviced, NOS tubes added, handle worn, snag at very top of grille on edge of speaker depression. The link refers to the 60s era 1459 amp, but there is a note on that page about this amp and its relation to the 1432.

1838 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp w/ OC VG $103 15-chord, no tuner, 3 picks incl.
1448 Dano  SSEG and tube amp in case G $290 Speaker missing from amp, edge wear/neck playing wear to guitar, knob missing, rip in case vinyl

1840 Oscar Schmidt Guitaro w/ OC G $44  Edge wear, (3) buttons missing, back separation, dings

1484 Dano tube amp w/ cabinet MOD $352 Corner/edge wear to amp and cab, grille dyed black / no logo plate, extra spkrs. had been added to the cab, seller removed and covered holes with wood panels, rev weak / trem works fine, NS back panel

1481 Dano tube amp G $173 Clean, round spkr. cutout

853 Ukelele VG $38 Clean

1440 Teisco MIJ SBEG w/ OC F $92  Two-tone (red/purple) refinish job, whammy missing, pickups dirty/oxidized, NS knobs, NS tuners, chrome dull, logo worn off

1476 Harmony SBEG w/ C VG $263  Clean, some headstock wear and neck wear

653 Kay FHAC MOD $575 BIN   Pickup/electronics added, edge wear, dings, also amp made out of Victor speaker cab and 70s style amp chassis included in deal
1413 Kay SBEG VG $300 Includes original matching gig bag, clean, light edge wear, top strap button missing, tailpiece cover and pickup still has most of screen print design

605 Harmony FTAC F $45  No bridge, edge wear, headstock wear

1448 Dano  SSEG guitar only G $178 Logo worn, strip tuners, pickup split

1304
Dano SSEG w/ OC G $250 BIN  NS tuners, refinished nicely in automotive blue, NS knobs, no logo, extra screws at swoop neck sutaway

1422 Sears Solid State amp G $23 Corner cracked/separated, dings in covering

604 Harmony FTAC  VG $65 BIN Clean, some edge wear, stamped S-64

UNK Teisco HBEG VG $300 BIN Strange one; it's got the triangular control panel and other features of a 1418, but the 'mustache' shaped headstock of a 1455 (while retaining the natural finish and blue logo tag of the 1418) and the pointy horns of neither.


12/5

Incredibly, the November numbers were nearly identical to October this year! I tracked 258 items in November, and they sold for a total of $69,270! That's only 3 items less and $98 more than the October numbers! Here's some highlights of what changed hands: (43) 1448 guitars/amps or one or the other ( a Silvertoneworld record!), (11) 1457s, (21) 1484 amps, (13) 1482 amps, (7) 1481 amps, (6) 1483 amps, (6) 615 guitars, (5) 'Jimmy Reed' 1381 guitars, and (5) 1446 'Chris Isaak' model guitars in the bunch. The highest dollar item went to charity with a Wilco-signed 604 model that sold for $1526, the highest dollar amount for a 'regular' item was $1150 for a 1446 'Chris Isaak' model guitar, and the least amount brought was $1 for a very poor condition 615.

12/5

Let's see if we have a few more auctions close today. Yesterday was about the slackest day in memory, as far as Silvertone auctions are concerned. We did have that cool radio bank, so we have that going for us.

658 Kay FHAC G $149 BIN Pre-66, neck separating, clean, edge wear, headstock wear, major scratching at bridge

1425 Kay HBEG G $275 BIN Clean, pickguard missing, some finish checking

1449 Dano SSEG w/ tube amp incase VG $560  Amp and guitar clean, light headstock wear

1436 Teisco MIJ SBEG G $105 Light edge wear, whammy missing, headstock broken/re-glued on bass side, NS knobs, NS nut, neck sanded clean

1210 Harmony FTAC VG $51 Clean, minimal wear, serial 5184S1210
615 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $51 Clean, a small case rub on upper bout, some edge wear, stamped F-65

12/4

This piece is so cool, and today was so devoid of ending auctions, I just had to show it to you:

It's a Sears promo item from the 20s/30s and sold at auction yesterday for $78:

Oh, yeah... it's a bank! The money slot is concealed behind the tuner window.




1484 Dano tube amp w/ cabinet G $345 Clean, trem/rev functional, re-tubed, footswitch incl., dime size ding in front panel


12/3

700 Harmony FHAC G $103 Picking wear under strings, back bottom repaired , strap button missing, deco logo, original 'strap' cord incl.


2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp w/ OC E $163 Very clean, everything incl., books, records, picking charts, even a felt pick!

1418 Teisco MIJ SBEG w/OC VG $104 Electronics untested, pickguard design worn, whammy incl. but not attached

UNK Kay (?) FHAC F $131 Neck separating, no bridge or pickguard, stamped
N-2, L8700 & 839

1444 Dano SSEG Bass w/ OC VG $635 BO Clean, nice neck, minimal wear, logo ain't broke, but it's badly bent , swoop neck cutaway and alum. access panel

1484 Dano tube amp w/ cabinet G $465 Trem/rev functional, light oxidation of front panel, footswitch incl., back panel and front badge missing from speaker cabinet, corner dings and edge wear


12/1-2

Welcome to December!
Gettin' things goin' with a nice 'Chris Isaak' right out of the gate...


1446 Harmony HBEG w/OC VG $1200 BIN Clean, but lots of finish checking, ding on back near cutaway, all stock

1471 Dano tube amp VG $239 BIN  Clean inside and out, round speaker cutout, light edge wear to cover, back panel in place

1476 Harmony SBEG w/ OC E $260  Very clean, all stock pickups stamped Jan. 22,1965

619 Kay FHAC w/ C VG $350 BIN  Very clean
1245 Kay FHAC G $100 Clean, some wear, strap incl., distinctive 3-bolt neck

1482 Dano tube amp E $400 BIN Square spkr. cutout, very clean inside and out, very slight grille discoloring, footswitch incl., trem functional, one of the cleanest I've seen lately


UNK Kay FHAC G $160 Tortoise pickguard, scroll headstock

1410 Kay SBEG G $199 BIN Edge wear / scratches, tailpiece cover missing, bridge in bad shape  , American flag stickers to either side of tailpiece and bridge

1432 Dano tube amp VG $315 Very clean, lights up / untested, back panel in place, 'flying V' badge present


1200 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $63  Minimal wear, clean, stamped S-68 WN

1423 Harmony SSEG w/ OC  VG $591 All knobs present, some headstock wear, looks like water damage to case top

1448 Dano  SSEG and tube amp in case VG $455 Clean, minimal wear to guitar & ampcase, earlier model; strip tuners, triangle knob inserts and two-bolt neck

1474 Dano tube amp G $300 Covering a bit rough, functional

856 Ukelele w/OC  VG $90 BIN Baritone model, clean
1482 Dano tube amp VG $267 Square spkr. cutout, very clean inside and out, trem functional




Gimme a day or two to tally up November... it's a busy time of year!


 
 

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