December 2009

1/1

Alright, we're gonna get '09 tidied up and outta here, and see what kind of money went circling around in Silvertone World this year... well, that Silvertone World out there.... I really don't see any of the million bucks or so that trades for Silvertone items nearly every year.

2325 Valco Lap steel w/ OC VG $230 Clean, NS tone filter capacitor, NS tuning keys, vintage slides and picks, original instruction manual incl.


1484 Dano tube amp w/ cabinet VG $500 Clean, light edge and corner wear, oxidation to tube sleeves, light oxidation to control face, light grille staining, rev/trem functional, footswitch incl. Relisted in January '10.


657 Harmony Classical G $11 Some rippling above bridge, stamped S-63


852 ukulele VG $107 'Hawaiian Girl' model, stencil and logo strong, some edge and surface wear


615 Harmony FTAC P $26 Bridge broken, pickguard missing, edge wear, logo strong, crack on back from waist to bottom on treble side bottom


802 Harmony Banjo G $100 5-string w/ resonator, 5th string tuner missing, light finish checking, some scratches and wear



Parts is Parts...

1448 Dano  SSEG amp and speaker only $135 Worn, left on small section of case, all case pieces (clasps, hinges, etc.) incl.


1452 Dano SBEG pickguard/pots only $72 No knobs, screw chip near selector switch hole, CTS pots date to 1965


Dano 'skate-key' tuners $44



12/30

Does anyone else just lose a week? This week in-between holidays off is such a weird, ambient time. Nothing is on time or on schedule or normal at all. I guess we'll push the big reset button on Monday.

This is either the rarest guitar on the block, or a simple repair job. I'm talking about the Harmony logo on the 1446 'Chris Isaak' below. The headstock is also subtly shaded, and you can see the outline of the 'Harmony' logo. I'm going for the repair job, because every 1446 I've seen has a black neck, not a 'burst. The 1446 is an unusual instrument in that it had no direct counterpart in the Harmony line. The seller made no mention of numbers or stampings.

1446 Harmony HBEG w/ C  MOD $860 Clean, Bigsby intact, pickguard missing, NS knobs, NS neck


1381 Kay SSEG G $575 Clean, edge wear and some scrapes and flaking, NS bridge, headstock laminate looks good, pickguard  has screw crack at upper bass side, shield and logo strong


1478 Harmony SBEG w /OC VG $214 Whammy present, some edge wear/dings, chrome shiny, logo strong, stock knkobs


1485 Dano Tube Amp only G $477 Some edge and corner wear, faceplate clean,  handle captures show some rust, rev/trem functional, 1/4" jack mod, no footswitch


1464 Dano Solid State amp only $133 Clean, minimal wear, jack mod on top edge, rev/trem functional


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar only G $150 Clasps and hinges rusty, corner and edge wear, 1.5" grille snag, inside shows some wear and rust, lining looks good, NS speaker, amp works



Parts is Parts...

1484/5 Dano speaker cabinet dolly $99



12/29

The Top Ten Lists are written, the end of year documentaries and summary shows are running, it's all but over for 2009... but there are still a few things worth celebrating in Silvertone World. I usually relegate parts to the "Parts is Parts" area near the bottom of the daily report, but today's is so unusual, I thought I'd lead off our meager report with it:

I get folks looking for this kind of stuff every day, because it is so hard to find, and this is the biggest swatch in good shape I've ever seen. Grille cloth, the 'tolex' covering, knobs... not too many (if any) folks are repro'ing this kind of stuff. The seller says it was removed from a 1485 speaker cabinet.

1485 Dano Tube Amp grille cloth $36


1487 Teisco MIJ SBEG G $230 Clean, amp does not work, 'Silver Tone' tag missing, original Silvertone branded strap incl.


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar only G $170 Pickup split, knob inserts a bit worn/dirty, a sidewall blowout, This is an early transitional setup; triangle knob inserts, strip tuners, but a three bolt neck with neck-tilt. Also, note the subtle difference in the headstock and logo placement


1423 Harmony SSEG w/ C G $485 Clean, some edge wear and light flaking, picking wear on treble side lead pickup, print on pickguard strong, logo broken at 'S,'  all stock knobs


1464 Dano Speaker Cabinet only VG $255 Clean, bottom corners have NS brass protectors, no logo, back panel present, stock Jensens, speaker codes date to 1967


1444 Dano SSEG Bass VG $349 Clean, minimal wear, NS pickguard, this is the only photo, so I can't see the logo too well but it looks like it's there, anyway... woulda liked to have seen more of this guitar, nice pickguard job...


856 Harmony Baritone Ukulele w/ C VG $110 Clean, minimal wear, thin script logo looks good but may have a ding or ink dot on the 'r'

12/28

A Big Monday, but not as big as I'd think after a four day break. Ah, the holidays.

1479 Harmony SBEG G $262 Whammy present, logo strong, all knobs missing, selector switch tip missing, wear to pickguard with some glue residue, edge/surface wear, Rare colored-foil insert version of the 1477.


1440 Teisco MIJ SBEG G $230  Clean, whammy missing, logo intact, light surface wear, some crazing, tone knob insert missing


1417 Dano SSEG w/ C VG $465 Light edge wear, sidewalls clean, little area of wear on back treble upper side, logo intact, circular access door and square neck/body joint


1352 Harmony HBEG MOD $330 Logo gone, stress cracks at jack, some finish flaking, 'wheat' carving between f-holes, some other carved decorations around f-holes, hand-painted decoration on headstock, serial #2588H61


1454 Harmony HBEG w/ OC VG $666 Clean, some edge wear, Bigsby present, logo strong, (1) NS knob, NS Schaller straplocks installed, stamped S-63


1454 Harmony HBEG  G $500 Clean, minimal wear, Bigsby present but arm missing, logo condition unknown; no photo, seller is son of original owner


1446 Harmony HBEG  G $1075 Clean, light checking, a scratch or two,  Bigsby missing, pickguard missing, NS tailpiece, some oxidation to p/u cover plating, thin script logo strong. Relisted in January 2010.


1484 Dano tube amp w/ cabinet VG $485 Clean, some edge/corner wear, on-button footswitch incl., NS Fender Utah speakers, rev/trem functional


1484 Dano tube amp only VG $335 Clean, front face looks good, light wear on rims of knobs and to covering, light 'oxidation rash' on face, rust to handle captures, rev/trem untested, NS 6L6CG tubes, no footswitch, slight hum during operation


1484 Dano tube amp only F $239 Rust-spotted face, rust to xformers, untested


1464 Dano Solid State amp only $305 Clean, minimal wear, grille clean, stock Jensens, rev/trem functional, orig. footswitch incl.


1482 Dano tube amp VG $275 Square speaker cutout, clean, light edge/corner wear, tremolo functional, no footswitch, originally sold in Canada (auction seller was in Seattle); has Simpson-Sears tag


1431 Dano tube amp  G $147 Light edge and corner wear, handle worn, stock knobs look good, loud hum at power up. Relisted January 2010.


1430 Dano tube amp VG $209 Clean, light corner wear, NS speaker, pots date to 1965, extra set of NS RCA tubes incl.


1444 Dano SSEG Bass G $295 Some edge and surface wear, logo intact, circular access door and 'square' neck body junction, I'd have to blow up the auction photos to be my minimal size, so I'm not gonna bother


Wow! These two Valco-made 1310 lap steels are only 28 serial numbers apart!

1310 Valco Lap Steel w/ C VG $100 Clean, light surface wear, pickup cover present, logo looks good, some plating worn/dissolved from pickup assembly, serial # X78543


1310 Valco Lap Steel w/ C VG $255 Clean, minimal wear, logo looks good, pickup cover present, tuners shiny, serial # X78515, Ernie Ball slide incl.


600 series Harmony FTAC P $40 Surface wear, some tuner ferrules missing, obviously some bridge issues, bridge not incl., probably a 643


1490 Teisco MIJ SBEG Bass VG $250 Clean, minimal wear, chrome shiny, logo intact


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar only w/ C VG $400 Clean, chrome shiny, nice graining to fingerboard, pickup split is evidenced by the lifting on the right side of the pic, ding on back of neck, nice case


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with tube ampincase G $305 Some edge wear, light knob insert discoloration, clean sidewalls, buckle rash, logo strong, ampcase very worn outside, grille staining, some wear inside, rusty clasps and handle captures


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar only VG $287 Clean, minimal wear, some knob insert discoloration, logo worn at edge of 'S'


619 Kay FHAC VG $143 Clean, minimal wear, pickguard present, logo strong


619 Kay FHAC VG $135 Clean, light  wear, pickguard present, logo worn (maybe just a piece of tape?)


752 Kay Mandolin w/ OC VG $130 Clean, minimal wear, some finish checking, 'wind chime' logo strong, 50s era 'E-Z Mandolin' book incl.



Parts is Parts...

1484/5 Dano knobs $15


1484/5 Dano footswitch chassis $28 No guts



These two sold along with a worse-for-wear Harmony for $224. The first one I believe to be Kay-made, while the second one is a Harmony-built something or other.





12/24

Well, I hope you've got everything wrapped and sent and hid and cooked and all such as that for this holiday weekend. I've got a few more things to do, but I wanted to get this last update in on the few things that went under the gavel recently, and then I'll not be updating 'til Monday late. So... have a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Great Kwanzaa, or just a nice weekend. Oh, and don't forget the batteries!

804 Kay Banjo w/ C G $46  4-string, resonator, no bridge, unusual scalloped head, one tuner missing, some wear to head and resonator. The auction was really more about the TKL guitar case the banjo was housed in.


615 Harmony FTAC F $45 Dirty, plenty of wear, rust to tailpiece, logo worn, finish in sad shape, looks like it came out of a barn, actually...



Here's an unusual holiday treat that sold for $5 today... it's an 8x10 of an unknown model clothed in nothing but a Harmony-built Silvertone 604. I reckon when an artist needed a guitar, the 604 was easy to find since Sears sold a jillion of them. I've seen one other 'pinup' usage of the 604, in a 1966 painting by the famous artist Gil Elvgren entitled "Barrel of Fun."

Here's the anonymous B&W shot that was auctioned and the Elvgren.




12/23

Wow, a real slowdown yesterday and today... I reckon it makes sense; the closer to the holidays and vacations and plays and programs and all such as that, the less time we have for anything else. Well, I'm gonna keep plugging away right up through tomorrow afternoon or so, then I gotta take a break until the the 28th. We'll dig out from under that snowbank then.

1446 Harmony HBEG w/ C  G $680 Clean, pickguard missing (broken off, apparently... there's a little piece hanging on), Bigsby intact, patent # pickups, damage to rhythm pickup bezel, cracks at jack, thin-script logo strong  Relisted from earlier in the month.


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with ampcase MOD $305 Looks like stain and polyurethane; grain shows on the sides where wood is, but the masonite top is very uniform. No logo, no sidewalls, amp looks good, light rust to clasps/hinges.  This is an early transitional setup; triangle knob inserts, strip tuners, two bolt neck and narrow attach pier, offset strap button


1394 dano tube amp F $350 Recently serviced, all knobs missing, grille stained, no footswitch, tremolo unmentioned but assumed functional, no back panel, logo looks good


1482 Dano tube amp F $156 Square speaker cutout, plenty of edge wear, handle and (1) tube missing, power lead cut, light rust to xformer, back panel in place, no footswitch


856 Harmony Baritone Ukulele VG $56 Clean, minimal wear, thick script logo strong, stored in closet until recent estate sale



And we'll ride off into the sunset today with an offbeat treat...

Ride 'em, cowboy! It's the Cowboy Model No. 4 Silvertone Roundup Radio! Even with a little tuning dial rub, a test that resulted in a "brief buzz, then silence,"  and the pistol pointer missing, it brought a Santa-sized $810!




12/22

Visited Santa last night with my girls... I forget how much of a celebrity ol' Kris Kringle is until I see the absolutely dumbstruck look on their faces, and the lists of things they start making up on the spot that I've not heard mentioned at all this season. Good times. Here in Silvertone World, it's good times too! Some great items over the past few days, and even though today is the slowest of the week, we've seen a lot more action than I thought so close to the holidays! We've got a great Harmony-built 1423 to kick off the musical instruments today, but first up I'd like to show you some old school wireless.

We take our cellphones and our iPod transmitters and our wireless networks pretty much for granted these days, but check out this little innovation from the Silvertone catalog from... what, the late 30s/early 40s? Seems about right. Trying to find some more info, I came across a link about this very unit, with a lively thread of radioheads commenting on their experiences in home broadcasting.
Here's a YouTube link to a very similar setup broadcasting a record through an antique AM radio. I think it quite hilarious (and oddly soothing) to have a YouTube video clip of a 60 year old record player transmitting to a similarly aged radio and picked up by a vintage microphone... but that's just me.

110.403 Silvertone AM Transmitter from Record Changer $73 Untested, cord aged, all tubes present, manual and schematic incl.



Alright... to Jupiter, and beyond!

1423 Harmony SSEG w/ OC VG $610 Clean, minimal wear, fine scratches to pickguard, p/g print strong, logo intact, chrome and finish shiny, NS tuners


1484 Dano tube amp w/ cabinet VG $589 Very clean amp head, faceplate looks great, couple of edge and corner wear spots on speaker cab, handles both look good, chassis number silkscreened on amp chassis rather than the usual small engraved plate, Jensens date to 1966, this amps last year of availability


1482 Dano tube amp G $243 Round speaker cutout, clean, minimal wear, grille has a couple of stains, some edge and corner wear, handle captures rusted, NS knobs, no footswitch, tremolo functional


643 Harmony FTAC G $114 Some scrapes on treble side top and a couple on back, some finish checking, bridge looks good, logo strong,  NS nut, stamped 8399H643


600 series Harmony FTAC F $79 Bridge broken, edge and surface wear, one tuner button missing, logo strong, binding and neck tight


854 Harmony Ukulele VG $75 Clean, minimal wear, original box and book incl.




12/21

Welcome to Winter! Our friends from North Carolina to New England here in the U.S. certainly got  a deep, white winter visit from a record-breaking storm system this past weekend, so let's go ahead and get the weekend's auctions up, so you snowed-in Silvertonians will have something to peruse. Great and varied items kept on selling over the weekend, just in the nick of time to get under the tree. Jingle all the way!

1446 Harmony HBEG w/ C  VG $869 Clean, pickguard present, Bigsby looks good, stock knobs, minimal wear, raised logo intact


1419 Dano SSEG w/ C VG $499 Clean, very light wear, chrome shiny, logo intact, pickguard shows minimal wear, sidewalls clean, pots date to mid-1960


1417 Kay SBEG VG $283 Whammy bar missing, some wear to design on pickup, stock knobs, logo strong, original gig bag incl.


1420 Harmony HBEG w/ C VG $305 Clean, light edge wear, some finish checking, logo strong


1327/1421 Harmony HBEG w/ OC VG $281 Clean, knobs painted or faded, logo strong, cord/strap incl.


1423 Harmony SSEG w/ OC VG $355 Clean, very light surface wear, logo intact, truss rod cover missing, nut shimmed, some stress cracking at jack but area seems too be stable, pickguard ding and screw cracks, all stock knobs



Here's a study in contrasts. It's the popular earlier non-whammy'd version of the Harmony-built 1477 in both 'very nice' and 'meh' versions.

1477 Harmony SBEG VG $300 Earlier non-whammy version, clean, minimal wear, logo strong, a couple of very light dings to top of neck, mis-ID'd as a 1476 (that's the one with the black finish)


1477 Harmony SBEG F $120 Earlier non-whammy version, mold (?) spots on finish, chrome pitted, no pickups, VOX amusingly (and sloppily) painted on headstock, Silvertone logo gone, stock knobs all present, light rust at jack, pickguard
dirty/yellowed



OK, the 'Silvertone Shame' perpetrated on the above guitar could almost be a joke, especially if the owner thought that painting 'VOX' on the headstock would get a laugh from his other guitar-playing friends. The logo abuse on the otherwise pretty nice 1425 below is just mean. Amazing to me how ashamed people could be of playing a Silvertone back in the day. Hey, it's good enough to strap around your neck and plug in, ain't it?

1425 Kay HBEG w/ OC VG $515 Clean, pickguard present, chrome shiny, surface wear to sides, some peeling, some flaking, logo obliterated. Relisted in 1/10.

710 Harmony FHAC w/ C G $182  Edge wear, deco logo strong, slight separation on top treble upper bout, neck needs a re-set, serial #301H710, stamped S-55-T


653 Kay FHAC 'Kentucky Blue' w/ OC VG $173 Edge wear, pickguard present, logo strong, tuners clean, stamped L9834


1210 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $52 Clean, light wear, logo strong, nice graining on back, 'flower power' decorated case,


606 Harmony FTAC G $19 Clean, light wear, logo strong, rare version of the 604... I just noticed that the faux 'tiger stripe' grain seems to be a bit more "quilted" looking on these models vs. the 604


1209 Harmony FTAC VG $45 Clean, light wear, stylized 'SR' (Space Dot) logo strong


1456 Teisco MIJ HBEG G $99 Looks OK from the one picture available, pickguard present, maybe a repair to the control panel,  whammy present, these were circa '72, and sported the 'Space Dot' logo



OK, has anyone ever seen or have a picture or video of Pete Townshend smashing a 1448? I didn't think so. I don't know how this particular myth started, but it's widespread (I see listings for the 1448 mentioning it all the time) and I'd like to see some evidence. Thanks, end of rant.

1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with ampcase VG $450 Light wear to guitar and case, grille has some staining, NS tuners, lamination line on headstock, possible NS screws at bridge


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with ampcase VG $380 Clean guitar, knob inserts discolored, some rub inside case, grille stain, some edge wear, this is an early transitional setup; triangle knob inserts, strip tuners, two bolt neck and narrow attach pier, offset strap button


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with ampcase VG $425 Clean, light buckle rash, finish shiny, sidewalls clean



Another 'Silvertone Shame' victim...

1474 Dano tube amp G $449 Edge/corner wear, logo removed, tape residue, reverb controls on back, looks like a new amp shelf, stock Jensens in place, tested only with a microphone


1471  Dano tube amp chassis G $265 Some edge wear/cover peel, logoplate shiny, stock knobs, back panel in place with STP sticker


1310 Valco Lap Steel VG $223 Clean, a light ding or two, pickup cover in place, light pitting to p/u assembly, Stackpole pots date to 1956


750 Kay Mandolin w/ OC G $67 Edge and surface wear, 'wind chime' logo strong, NS tuners


802 Banjo VG $125 5-string w/ resonator, hardware clean, neck looks good, tuners tight, light scratching to resonator, nice padded bag, strap & picks incl.


1838 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp VG $91 Clean, minimal wear, tuning wrench, picks book record incl.


Parts is Parts..
.
1484/5 Dano knob $25



Another one of those insanely rare 2A3 tubes going for some insane money... I just love the way the insides of these things look... check out the cool logo engraved into the base!

Silvertone Vacuum Tube $232 2A3 Single Plate Triode, tested as new, no box



UNK Kay FHAC w/ C G $79 Clean, pickguard missing, interesting graining on top, 3-bolt neck, ding on headstock, logo strong, stamped P-3


UNK Kay FHAC G $178 Edge wear, some flaking, hole filled at heel, top looks nice, NS tuners, weird small logo




12/18

"S" stands for Silvertone! And Sears! And Simpson! That's the first thing that came to mind when I saw the extra chrome 'S' decorating the headstock on our first guitar up today, the Simpson-Sears sold version of the popular Teisco-made 1455. The seller was in Canada, and in the auction message area some ebayers did some research here at Silvertone World, trying to ID the oddly-numbered, block logo'd instrument;  but their signals got crossed somehow, and I didn't see this auction until it was completed or I would have (in the words of Eddie Vedder) "put a little straight on it."

26875 Teisco HBEG w/ C E $351 Clean, whammy present, chrome and finish shiny


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with ampcase G $356 Clean guitar with some edge wear, case bottom is kind of a mess; water damage rust to hinges/clasps, amp works well, mounting board in good shape, all stock tubes, light rust to speaker cage


1452 Dano SBEG guitar only w/ C VG $350 Clean, light wear, whammy present, logo shows light wear at leading edge of the 'S', chrome shiny, stock knobs


1391 Dano tube amp G $150 Light wear, logoplate has a little tarnish, tone knob missing, chassis is a little slanty, but the seller says it was built this way! I have seen a few back panels put on a little cock-eyed, but never an amp chassis


1431 Dano tube amp  G $240 Edge/corner wear, grille snags/discoloration, stock knobs, back panel in place, tested; no indication of 'power  on'



Parts is Parts...

1448 Dano  SSEG neck only $40 Nut and tuner ferrules incl. Looks like someone started to mod this into a 12-string, then gave up; maybe they got the holes drilled and then realized they'd have to file new grooves or replace the nut.


1484/5 Dano amp footswitch $75



1296 (?) Harmony FTAC w/ C $100 Clean, can't tell a lot from the sole picture provided, seller mentions some buckle rash. Unusual to see a slotted headstock on this one. Logo condition/appearance unknown. Come on seller, take pictures! It ain't like you're using film.




12/17

'Tis the season! OK, I've got most of my (meager) shopping done, but the deals are still a rollin' in the Silvertone auction world! Let's start off today with a nice 1457 that went for just about what the Consuming Consumer Creditary Amalgamated Federation of People Who Wonder About Other People Who Buy and Sell Things (the CCCAFPWWAOPWBST) say the average American family will spend this holiday.

1457 Dano SSEG and tube amp in case VG $598 Clean, light wear, still has cord retainer, sidewalls clean, one V/T stack replaced, amp has light rust to clasps, couple of barely-there stains


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with ampcase VG $416 Clean, some wear, some yellowing around knobs, this is an early transitional setup; strip tuners, triangle knob inserts, but a three-bolt tilt-adjust equipped neck


1443   Dano SBEG Bass G $460 Clean, some finish checking, light surface wear/dings, logo intact but worn, NS string trees, NS Chandler MIJ pickups (holes were made larger to accommodate), triangle neck plate, tailpiece cover present, finger rest present.


1352 Harmony HBEG w/ C VG $500 Clean, pickguard missing, NS knobs


1313 Kay Lap Steel VG $260 Clean, minimal wear, tuner buttons deteriorated, custom cord and screw on plug incl. Relisted from November


1440 Teisco MIJ SBEG w/ OC VG $190  Clean, whammy present, chrome and finish shiny, minimal wear, small dings on bottom edge, logo missing


1227 Harmony FTAC 12 string w/ OC G $175 Edge wear, pickguard present, action looks high, strap button screwed into heel, 'Space Dot' logo


1484 Dano tube amp w/ cabinet G $530 Edge/corner wear, face rusty, all but reverb working, water stains on bottom of spkr. cab., footswitch incl.


1465 Dano solid state amp only VG $225 Very clean, minimal wear, rev/trem functional, no footswitch, 1/4" jack added to speaker cable


1472 Dano tube amp VG $215 Square speaker cutout, top panel could use a good cleaning, light edge/corner wear, NS MOD speaker, NS tubes, back panel present, red border control panel with tremolo spelled correctly, recently serviced (tubes and some caps and resistors replaced), tremolo functional, no footswitch


802 Banjo w/ OC F $76 5-string w/ resonator, head worn, logo strong, light rust to hardware, scratches on resonator, 'big wood screw' repair to neck, no nout, no bridge



UNK Kay(?) FTAC G $60 Tape residue above bridge from pickup, pickguard w/ V/T knobs incl., NS bridge, high action, neck needs re-set, 'wind chime' logo strong, tuners look good, playing wear to lower treble side neck



12/16

Almost caught up! Yeah, it's one of those weeks... between my actual job, holiday everything, school programs, other projects... it's been a challenge to get these updates out. But, I've got some time, and I think we'll get evened up today. Some interesting items in today's report that actually closed over the weekend, but I wanted to devote a little extra time to them because they're either special or just plain weird. Hitch up your sleigh, let's ride!

Here's a treat: our second "Black Beauty" in as many days!

1427 Harmony HBEG VG $1025 Clean, light checking, NS bridge (period Harmony installed), logo missing (repro incl.), playing wear to neck, edge wear to headstock, chrome shiny, light orange staining (rust?) to rhythm pickup bezel, most of 'S' worn from pickguard, stamped 2897H64


1452 Dano SBEG guitar and tube ampincase E $751 Clean guitar, whammy present, minimal wear, chrome and finish shiny, light finish checking (just a couple of lines), case looks great aside from a corner rub, footswitch and original cord incl., one of the nicest 1452 setups I've seen


618 Kay FHAC w/ OC VG $457  Clean, minimal wear, NS Gibson Deluxe tuners, 'wind chime' logo strong,  fretboard shows some beautiful grain, stamped L 7959-8111



OK, those three above were the 'special' I referred to in the intro, and this next one is the 'just plain weird.' I'd usually put this under our new "unknown" header, but it was crazy enough I thought I'd give it some up-front attention.  The logoplate says 'Silvertone,' but that's where any similarity to our electronic friends from Sears & Roebuck ends. This amp has a tube compliment of  one each 18GD6A, 60FX5, 36AM3 built onto a black-finished metal chassis, with three inputs, with a volume and a 'control'  control (Huh?). A nice wooden cabinet and a hardware chrome-ish handle. I can't find the first reference to this mysterious amp. Any ideas, my fellow Silvertonians? It's UL approved!

Update! Found it! Or at least one like it. Appears to be some kind of Kay from the mid-60s. Still, I can't figure out what's up with that weird Silvertone logo. One-off 'spec' amp? Fake? I love surprises!
803C Kay Tube Amp $208 Clean, minimal wear, schematic glued to bottom of cabinet looks good, model #803C, serial #12098. Never seen one as a Silvertone, ever. Not in catalog, not in an ad. Not in a house, not with a mouse. Not here or there or ANYWHERE!




I've talked about "Silvertone Shame" before, and the "Black Beauty" up top may have been a victim; but what do you call it when a refinisher/modder goes to great lengths to preserve the logo? This guitar had made its way to the the UK somehow over the years, and its  finish was stripped, save for the Silvertone logo. Oddly, it also sports a Kay 'speedbump' pickup, rather than the stock P series Gibson made pickup. If guitars could only talk...

1352 Harmony HBEG MOD $327 Finish stripped, NS pickup, NS bridge, NS tailpiece, NS knobs, some binding cracked/missing, stress cracks at jack. Seller ID'd it as a 1317, but the thick script logo pushes it forward in time to being a last of its kind 1352. 1317 models had a laminate headstock design, and most 1352 models show the lined 'deco' logo. The thick script logo was used only on the end of the run of this guitar, in 1958 and 1959


1474 Dano tube amp MOD $183 Edge/corner wear, tubes gone, reverb tank gone, circuitry mods, looks like a re-baffle job, NS speakers, NS knobs (at least the modder kept them all alike!), some extra reverb mods


1472 Dano tube amp G $203 Round speaker cutout, clean, light edge wear, stock Jensen and back panel present, red border control panel with tremolo spelled correctly, works but "not very loud," tremolo needs some TLC, no footswitch (cosmetically, it's very good, but its questionable function reduced its overall to merely good)


1482 Dano tube amp VG $370 Square speaker cutout, clean, minimal wear, grille and faceplate look good, back panel in place, handle captures shiny, NS output xformer (orig. incl.), 3-prong AC mod, NS pilot lamp and use, tremolo functional, no footswitch


1432 Dano tube amp G $320 Edge/corner wear, chassis panel looks like it has suffered a solvent spill of some kind, stock knobs and back panel in place, panel has hole in center, re-grilled, NS preamp tube, stock Jensen present, tremolo status unknown, no footswitch


604 Harmony FTAC w/ OC G $100 Clean, light wear, logo strong, rust to tuner plates, stamped S-64-FK


2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp w/ OC  VG $84 Clean, post cover broken,  tuning wrench, pick, books, Mother Maybelle record incl.


2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp  G $85 Clean, no accessories


1440 DeArmond Add-on Pickup VG $46 Chrome shiny, light scratches, logo strong, 1/4" plug intact, wiring needs replacing; intermittent, pickup stamped C23193


Parts is Parts...

1446 Harmony HBEG body $114 Yup, not much but the body and neck... stripped to the bare wood, playing wear to fretboard, nicks and dings all over, the pickup holes were also routed larger to drop in some NS pickups at some point. Tuner bushings and nut incl. Poor baby.



I've never disassembled a 'skate key' set before, so this was cool.

1444 Dano tuners $26 Check out the plastic plugs on each end of the assembly




12/12-15

Another Santa-sized weekend! Alright, no more lollygaggin,' let's jump feet first into this pool of holiday auctions. Is next weekend gonna be even BIGGER, or will there be a reverse effect as we get closer to the holiday. We'll see... but for now, WOW! What a great bunch of Silvertones to peruse. Check it out!

1427 Harmony HBEG VG $1500 Clean, some edge wear, pickguard missing, logo intact, playing wear to neck and waist of treble side top, and I'll let the seller tell the rest: "Player's guitar w/ bumps and scuffs, recent Elderly fret job, new tuners, compensated ebony bridge, non-original switch tip, some heel deal where a strap button was (not photogenic), one un-original pole-piece , pickups need adjustment springs, the neck is rock solid, flipped-magnet on bridge pickup for true out of phase in the middle position. Elderly also installed a small anchor block inside the upper bout for a strap pin."


1446 Harmony HBEG w/ C  G $1000 Clean, pickguard missing (broken off, apparently), Bigsby intact, patent # pickups, damage to rhythm pickup bezel, cracks at jack, thin-script logo strong  Relisted


628 Harmony FTAC G $266 Large crack on back from cutaway to bottom, logo laminate clean, playing wear to top neck


694 Harmony FHAC G $213 Clean, pickguard present, some surface wear, scratch and a screw hole near heel, scratch on top bass upper bout, logo looks underinked rather than worn, stamped X-XX, serial #3901H694


1840 Oscar Schmidt Guitaro G $76  Clean, no accessories, some felts missing, strings rusted/missing



This 1410 was parted out, but I've consolidated the listing. Please don't do this to a complete, beautiful guitar.

1410 Kay SBEG body $10, pickup/pickguard and volume/tone network assembly $36, neck/nut $43, tuners $29, v/t knobs $15, truss rod cover (seller called it a 'neck garnish') $11, bridge/tailpiece cover/screws $53. Total money extracted from guitar: $197



This 1483 was sold in separate auctions, but I slapped 'em together for convenience sake.

1483 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet MOD $305 / G $110 Amp clean, speaker leads clipped/nutted, NS output xformer setup for 8Ω ouput. Cabinet has edge/corner wear, grille looks good, stock Jensen 15" present


1484 Dano tube amp w/ cabinet VG $530 Clean, minimal wear, rev/trem work, stock Jensens present, pots date to 1967


1485 Dano Tube Amp only VG $650 Clean, minimal wear, tremolo works, reverb doesn't


1333 Dano tube amp G $199 Grille staining, edge/corner wear, handle captures and logoplate show oxidation, looks like a new handle, NS tubes, trem status unknown. 3-prong AC mod


1465 Dano solid state amp and cabinet $250 No pics after auction completed, so it's hard for me to report. Seller says "The amp is in GOOD condition works well and is very loud Some minor wear and tear scratchy pots etc.
Speaker grill is in real good condition the faceplate has some wear on it see pics and ask questions
the cab has 5 marked Jensens dated 67 and 1 silver spkr marked the cab is running on 5 of the spkrs
the 5th Jensen rattles and was disconnected the other spkr wire has also been spliced."

1420 Harmony HBEG w/ OC VG $281 Clean, NS knobs, some edge wear, some playing wear to neck, logo strong, Stackpole brand pots date to 1962


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with ampcase VG $671 Clean, minimal wear, knob inserts are worn, sidewalls clean, ampcase has some corner wear, one latch doesn't work


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with ampcase G $275 Edge/surface wear, neck needs work; high action, amp untested;12AU6 missing, amp mounting board worn/dirty


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with ampcase G $324 Edge/surface wear, rusty clasps, paint smudges/wear to ampcase covering, handle missing, speaker has a hole


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with tube ampincase G $375 Clean, minimal wear, clean sidewalls, light buckle rash, some case rub spots, ampcase shows light wear, light grille staining in one corner, all knobs show adhesive seep, this is an early transitional setup; strip tuners, triangle knob inserts, but a three-bolt neck


1417 Dano SSEG MOD $300 Refinished in sparkle blue, neck natural, logo intact


1304 Dano SSEG G $418  Clean, a couple of big surface scratches and top and back, swoop neck cutout, 5-sided access panel, logo worn


1304 Dano SSEG G $600  Clean,  some edge wear, some surface chips/scratches, logo sanded off (Join the campaign to STOP Silvertone Shame Today!), sidewalls clean, NS knobs, mis-ID'd as a 1300, natural headstock points to this being from the first year of availability, 1958


2323 Valco Lap Steel w/ OC VG $350 Clean, NS tuners (orig. incl.). This steel is very similar to the 2323, but brown rather than green.


1310 Valco Lap Steel VG $238 Clean, playing wear to neck, light rust to metal parts under cover, pickup cover in place, numbers in pencil along masking tape on neck edge, logoplate clean, serial #X68860


615 Harmony FTAC E $154 Clean, minimal wear, stamped F-64-AK, serial #8147H615, original box incl., shipped in Feb. 1965 (for about $1.60!)


621 Harmony FTAC G $52 Surface/edge wear, scratches on side, logo strong, stamped F-65


621 Harmony FTAC VG $150 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, pencil tip-sized ding on b ass upper bout, stamped F-65


604 Harmony FTAC G $50 NS pickguard, edge wear, scratches, playing wear to neck, logo strong, neck tight


606 Harmony FTAC G $31 Edge/surface wear, neck loose, D and G tuners bent, G missing post in picture but has been replaced


604 Harmony FTAC G $43Clean, light wear, thin script logo strong, faux flame on back looks good


657 Kay Classical F $71 Edge wear, ridge has screw through center, worn fretboard, stamped  L8640


660 Kay Classical w/ OC G $22 Clean,  some edge wear, rust to tuner plates, stamped L6407


660 Kay Classical w/ OC G $50 Some edge wear, sticker residue on back


802 Banjo G $75 5-string w/ resonator, light rust to hardware, some finish flaking, logo strong


2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp  G $56 Clean, couple of dings, screw for a post, model sticker still present, no tuning wrench or accessories


856 Harmony Baritone Ukulele w/ OC VG $90 Clean, light wear, interesting grain to fretboard, logo shows light wear


688 (?) Kay FHAC $155 Clean, pickguard missing, light edge wear, some flaking near bottom strap button side, logo strong, stamped  L9921 6889


1445 Kay HBEG P $200 Pickguard missing, staining to wood where pickguard was, all metal shows rust, finish checking, finish flaking, bridge and tailpiece missing, all knobs missing, tuners missing, nut missing, truss rod cover present, binding seems tight, logo strong, functional status of electronics unknown


1481 Dano tube amp G $172 Square speaker cutout, light wear, knob inserts worn, big dent on back corner, untested; powers on, static from speakers at knob turning


1481 Dano tube amp VG $249 Round speaker cutout, grille looks great, minimal wear, all stock tubes, some adhesive seep to tone knob insert, covered back panel present, pots date to 1966


1481 Dano tube amp G $307 Square speaker cutout, edge/corner wear, light grille staining, knob inserts clean, light oxidation to control face, covered back panel present


1482 Dano tube amp VG $310 Square speaker cutout, clean outside but a little dusty inside, minimal wear, scratchy pots, tremolo status unknown, rust to xformer, footswitch incl.


1482 Dano tube amp VG $265 Round speaker cutout, clean, re-capped, mic jacked modded into ext. spkr. jack


1482 Dano tube amp G $228 Square speaker cutout, edge/corner wear, trem status unknown


1482 Dano tube amp G $300 Square speaker cutout, minimal wear, some grille staining, tremolo functional, NS footswitch


Parts is parts...

Here's the last pieces of that dolphin-nose this seller is parting out.
1415/1416 Dano tuners $40 With screws/ferrules


Pickup with screws $115


1448 Dano pickup, jack & v/t network $70 Functional, one side of shell split, CTS pots date to 1964, with bracket and screws


1471  Dano tube amp chassis $77 Brushed aluminum face looks good, stock knobs, no cabinet or speaker, tubes light, low hum, no signal


1483 Dano tube amp cabinets $81 No amp or speaker, amp keepers still present, NS metal corner protectors. Amp story from seller: "The story goes that my fathers second cousin once removed on his mothers, brothers nephews side of the family once had a friend who had a roommate in the army who was stationed in the south, he said his step father's half brother once saw Elvis when he owned this very amplifier in 1966." Six degrees of bacon, anyone?


1448 Dano guitar components $67 Pickguard, knobs, skate key tuners w/ 5 out of 6 ferrules, pickup  (no bracket), bridge assembly, pots, jack, screws, copper shielding



12/11

Stars guitars: we've seen a few sell over the years; one owned by David Rawlings, one owned by producer Pete Anderson, ones signed by Elvis Costello, Jeff Beck, steel pioneer 'Shot Jackson,'  Johnny Winter and others. Today, we've got a 1304 from the personal collection of 24's 'Jack Bauer,' Kiefer Sutherland. He's quite the collector, and he's even got a Gibson guitar named after/designed by him. From his collection of 50 or so guitars (valued at $180,000 in 2004), we've got a 'Wish Book' only 1304 in a sweet tweed case, and I think I found a picture of Kiefer in this guitars general vicinity, if not actually holding/playing it. The guitar I've highlighted in the rack is the right profile, has a relatively short neck, and the color seems to fit.

1304 Dano SSEG VG $600  Chrome shiny, some edge wear, 2 or 3 small dings in sidewall, playing wear to back of neck, two-bolt neck, square neck cutaway, circular access panel, pots date to 1960, new tweed case incl.


1417 Dano SSEG VG $515 Playing wear near bridge and on back of neck, looks like some 'cord/strap melt' on the back, logo intact, stock knobs, square neck cutaway, circular access panel


1423 Harmony SSEG w/ OC VG $797 Clean, very light surface wear, slight flaking around jack, plenty of glitter, pickguard print strong, thin-script logo strong, 'some paperwork' incl. (not pictured or explained)



Here's something weird... a 1425 with the exact same number stamped inside but without a pickguard sold last month. The stamped number wasn't pictured, but it's quite a coincidence. Typo? Misprint? It's not the same guitar. Do Kay numbers have any meaning whatsoever other that to let you know it's a Kay?

1425 Kay HBEG w/ OC VG $317 Clean, pickguard missing (bracket is still there), surface wear, light finish checking, logo strong, looks like some paint drips on headstock, stamped #L2609 8999


670 Kay FTAC MOD $425 Clean, minimal wear, pickguard present, pickup added, controls located on upper bass bout, knobs missing, logo strong, back looks nice


1245 Kay FHAC w/ C VG $155 Finish shiny, logo strong, NS bridge. Very poor photos with this auction; they were flipped so the guitar looked left-handed, and very dark. I've enhanced the brightness/contrast to bring out details.


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with ampless ampcase MOD $154 Amp stripped from case, NS bridge, NS knobs, NS EMG pickup, NS Schaller tuners, original p/u and knobs incl.


1483 Dano tube amp only G $301 Face and covering show some wear, rust to handle captures, functional


1481 Dano tube amp VG $171 Round speaker cutout, minimal wear, stock knobs clean, light rust to xformer, some oxidation to control panel


1465 Dano solid state amp only G $75 Functional, trem strength knob dented, scratch on face near treble knob


2573 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp G $103 Clean, no case/accessories; this is the rare 12-chord autoharp.



Parts is parts...

Here's another piece of that dolphin-nose this seller is parting out... more to follow...
1415/1416 Dano pickguard $30 With screws



12/10

Looks like there's gonna be a lot of SIlvertone under the tree this year.... we're picking up the pace as we head into the second weekend of December. Some great items today, and the parting out of that dolphin-nose single pickup guitar continues unchecked. Had a hard time figuring out which one of these first two to lead off with, but the scarcity and general awesomeness of this particular Dano-built 1417 puts it in the top slot, followed by a great 1454. Let's roll!

1415 Dano SSEG VG $499 Very clean, minimal wear, logo broken at tip of 'S,' finish and chrome shiny, deteriorated electronics (seller says tone control has little to no effect), playing wear near top back of neck, swoop cutaway, 5-sided access panel. Seller ID'd this as a 1417, but the pots date to September 1961, so I'm going to call this one as a 1415, introduced in the Fall/Winter catalog of 1961, and the last one-pickup 'U' shape 6-string that Sears sold.


1454 Harmony HBEG  VG $650 Clean, minimal wear, finish and chrome shiny, Bigsby intact, logo strong, light edge wear at tip of headstock, stamped F-64


1452 Dano SBEG guitar only VG $417 Whammy missing, light surface wear, thin-script logo strong, chrome shiny, pickguard screw-chipped at treble horn, pots date to late 1965


1217 MIJ FTAC G $41 Some light finish checking, two-piece back looks good, neck and binding tight, bridge pulling a bit, pickguard design worn. A curious transition guitar, the block logo Silvertone brand inside (this was the last Silvertone logo Sears used on some 'tail-end' guitars and amps), coupled with the stylized 'SR' (the 'Space Dot') on the headstock. Don't confuse this one with the earlier Harmony-built 1217, the last of the 600 series.


1477 Harmony SBEG G $100 Earlier non-whammy version, (1) knob missing, light wear, pickguard scratched, logo strong. Re-listed from November.


1495 Teisco MIJ HBEG Bass G $103 Clean, tone pot pushed into body cavity with that knob missing, selector switch knob missing, some finish flaking. This is the later, non-Silvertone version of the 'Beatle bass.'


1420 Harmony HBEG G $235 Some surface wear, NS knobs, dig dings on headstock, looks like dirt/mold on front of headstock, side cracks, pro re-fret


660 Kay Classical G $31Clean, light wear, star stickers on fretboard, stamped L2230


604 Harmony FTAC G $50 Edge wear, ding/wear/sticker near logo; can't really tell seller only supplied one grainy pic


1471  Dano tube amp G $175 Logoplate missing, grille looks good, some wear, handle worn but functional, handle captures dull, control panel clean with stock knobs, back panel in place


1483 Dano tube amp only F $161 Edge/corner wear, (1) knob missing, face plate shows some oxidation, functional


802 Banjo G $143 5-string w/ resonator, playing wear to head, logo strong, NS Grover bridge, oxidation to metal parts, some scratches on resonator, capo/fingerpicks incl.



Part is Parts...

1448 Dano  SSEG body $115 Pickup/electronics/bridge/saddle present, no knobs, earlier version as evidenced by two-bolt neck and narrow attach pier and no neck tilt mechanism


Dano Footswitch $55 Tested; functional


Here's another piece of that dolphin-nose this seller is parting out... more to follow...
1415/1416 Dano bridge $40 With saddle and screws




12/9

Welp, it's Wednesday... and a moderate day for Silvertonin' auctions. No 1484 triple plays or showroom-fresh cowboy guitars in the mix today, but a good assortment of interesting items in with the everyday. Let's start off with this nice and rare 1303  from 1958 that went for nearly 800 smackers.

1303 Dano SSEG G $761  Playing wear to bass side edges, lead pickup area and neck, logo strong, chrome shiny, buckle rash, some edge wear/scratches, strap button cracked in half


1304 Dano SSEG G $399  Chrome shiny, edge wear, some surface scratches, playing wear at lead pickup, (1) knob missing, the remaining knob is NS, logo worn, playing wear to neck, rust to tuners, dirty sidewall material has a ding or two


1415/1416 Dano SSEG G $275  Bridge and pickup look good, repainted, NS knobs, pickguard missing, logo broken at 'S,' interesting grain to fretboard, tail screw at bridge missing or painted, swoop cutaway, 5-sided access panel, bass side of nut looks broken. Relisted in January '10


1477 Harmony SBEG w/ OC VG $204 Clean, some edge wear (esp. to back), NS bridge, NS custom-made nut, chrome shiny, earlier non-whammy model, 3" scratch near bass horn, recently professionally set up


1437  Teisco MIJ SBEG w/ OC VG $300 Whammy missing, clean, light wear, logo tag present, NS selector knob looks like an oven knob, volume pot and jack scratchy, serial #321764


657 Harmony Classical VG $31 Clean, light wear, neck tight, stamped S-63


1484 Dano tube amp only G $173 Oxidation to faceplate and amp chassis, tubes and pilot light up; otherwise untested, 1/4" jack mod on back


1472 Dano tube amp VG $430 Round speaker cutout, clean, red border control panel with 'tremlo' misspell, custom footswitch, original Jensen C12R speaker re-coned, 3-prong AC mod, tremolo functional


1482 Dano tube amp VG $310 Square speaker cutout, minimal wear, tremolo status unknown, no footswitch


1483 Dano tube amp w/ speaker cabinet VG $281 Storage locker find, clean, re-capped, new resistors, stock jensen presentbig ding on back of speaker cab



Parts is Parts...

1415/1416 Dano Cupcake knobs $100 I'd usually ignore something like this, but the seller is parting out an entire dolphin-nosed headstock'd single pickup 'U' style guitar; I'll be following the rest of the parts in the next few days.


1484/5 Dano amp footswitch $76



12/8

Yesterday was a lot of work, but the items were so varied and so exceptional, that it was a treat to bring them all to you! Today, I'm cleaning up the few I couldn't get to yesterday, and bringing you a fresh crop of the most recent Silvertone auctions. Enjoy!

1444 Dano SSEG Bass VG $407 Very light edge wear, finish shiny, chrome shiny, pickguard clean, sidewalls clean, a couple of light surface scratches on back of neck, fretboard looks great, logo intact, NS knobs, swoop cutaway/5-sided access panel, CTS pots date to 10th week of 1965



No, you don't have double vision, that really is TWO rare black 1476 models!

1476 Harmony SBEG G $386 Rust to tuners, tailpiece shiny, edge wear, logo strong, bridge a bit 'overcompensated' (it's a floater, so no worries), pickguard stamped August 14, 1964


1476 Harmony SBEG w/ OC F $150 Rust/scratching to chrome tailpiece, rust to tuners, edge wear, fretboard wear, checking, logo strong, all stock knobs, pickguard yellowing, wiring iffy


1317 Harmony HBEG VG $1025 Clean, minimal wear, NS knobs, some finish checking. I'd love to show you more, but the Photobucket for this auction is empty.


615 Harmony FTAC G $199 Edge/surface wear, some scratches, finish dull, signed on back "Keep on Rockin' / The One Mundane / Gordon Shryock" Who? Here's the word from the seller, the info seems to be culled from his obituary, he passed away in 2004.

Gordon Shryock
Grammy award-winning recording engineer, producer, songwriter, musician. Born February 12, 1946, Shryock spent almost 25 years in Southern California and had worked with a number of national recording acts, including Natalie Cole, Weather Report, Anne Murray and Dr. John. He toured with Taj Mahal, Gary Lewis and Billy Cowsill. He also published several songs, including the Three Dog Night hit "Circle For A Landing". Shryock won his Grammy's for engineering two albums for gospel singer Andrae Crouch and for engineering the single "The Lord's Prayer", a recording by an all-star group of contemporary Christian artists. Upon returning to Tulsa in 1984 he found a job as a producer and engineer with radio station KWGS, Tulsa's public radio station, and occasionally traveled to the West Coast to produce records and work on other projects. Shryock also helped local musicians launch their careers and assisted with the design and building of several local studios.


643 Harmony FTAC G $60 Clean, some edge wear, logo strong, D tuner slightly bent, big side scratches, serial #8396H396


1200 Harmony FTAC F $35 Cursive logo worn, scratches/dings, edge wear, neck has been re-glued, nut re-glued. Re-listed from October. Never realized these have a painted on pickguard! Relisted in January '10.


1446 Harmony HBEG w/ C  G $575 Clean, pickguard missing, Bigsby gone, thin script logo strong, some edge wear to headstock, nice Guild case



Next, another triple-play of 1484 amps! That's SIX in two days! Amazing!

1484 Dano tube amp w/ cabinet VG $599 Clean, minimal wear, stock Jensens present, amp innards very clean, no xformer rust showing, treble pot replaced, amp keepers, cord holders present, back panel present, seller says "100% operational with no audible faults"


1484 Dano tube amp w/ cabinet VG $550 Clean, minimal wear, stock Jensens present, rev/trem functional, re-capped, new xformer, original cover, footswitch and manual/schematic incl., also reverb transducer for Dano-style reverb incl.


1484 Dano tube amp only G $450 Some oxidation to faceplate, (1) NS knob, recently serviced; 3-prong AC mod accomplished at that time, rev/trem functional, no footswitch


1482 Dano tube amp VG $274 Square speaker cutout, edge corner wear, back panel missing, tremolo status unknown, no footswitch


1451 Dano tube ampincase only F $58 Non-functional in present state, all tubes present, light corner/edge wear and some scuffs/stains to covering, grille has some stains at edges, case broken at one hinge, speaker disconnected, amp chassis panel shows some wear,


853 Harmony Ukulele G $58 Light wear, frets are a little dirty, logo strong, tuners tight, most of "Made from Mahogany" sticker still there



UNK Supro/Valco G $305 Based on the Supro Rhythm Tone, I've never seen this Silvertone listed in any catalog. Most sources date them to around 1958. This one features high action, deteriorating tuner buttons, a cracked fretboard, a strong headstock badge (showing some oxidation), and a worn logo on the pickguard, serial #X86901


Last, but definitely not least, here's a 1448-clone customized body that didn't sell, and you've got to see it to believe it...

Here's the word from the artist: "This is a One-of-a-Kind, hand stitched, upholstered 1448 Body. This body was modeled after a 60's Silvertone 1448. I am a sculptor trying to make a living. I love building guitars and this is my most recent work. This body is 100% hand stitched upholstered and constructed by me. Body is upholstered with a durable, faux leather. Pickguard is upholstered with fabric. The body core is plywood sandwiched between masonite just like the originals. It is hollow inside except for a plywood block under the bridge and has very solid exterior walls. I did not sacrifice structural integrity in any way. Made for 25 1/2" Eden neck It is completely functional. The only problem is that the electronics do not work properly. I tried to wire it up but have had no success. I plugged it in and and am getting a faint signal. All of the electronics are new though."


12/7

GINORMOUS!!! That's the only way to describe this first weekend of December. An amazing group of items, and some amazing items in that group. Some rare acoustics, some beautiful electrics, some powerful and much sought-after amps, and one super-mysterious model... just a great sampling of everything we love about Silvertone!
Very little 'run of the mill' in this bunch; it's an exceptional group!
And yes... 'ginormous' is a word.

Let's start things off with a holiday treat; a late '50s 612 'cowboy' model from Harmony, complete with tree-ready Santa-decorated packaging that doubles as a bargain case!

612 Harmony FTAC VG $252 Clean, minimal wear, stencil strong, '5 Minute Guitar Book' and original box incl., stamped FL-59-WN


 633 Harmony FTAC G $222 Clean, pickguard missing, slight heel lift, action high at 12th fret, surface scratch on side, logo strong, tuners shiny, stamped F-67



Here's a rarity... the seller pegged it as a 1941 model for some reason, but it is actually from the late 40s

613 Kay FTAC G $200 Clean, light edge wear, some flaking, big split on top from bridge to bottom, finish blemish near bridge, bridge pins cracked/deteriorating, bridge lifting, 'wind chime' logo strong, back and fret board show nice graining, strap button missing, original braided 'strap' incl.


1381 Kay SSEG VG $750 Clean, back shows nice graining, tuner buttons deteriorating, late era headstock



Another Kay-made rarity, the 712

712 Kay FHAC VG $499 Clean, minimal wear, headstock looks great, NS bridge



Wow! THREE 1484 amp setups in a row, all with the not always there footswitch included!

1484 Dano tube amp w/ cabinet VG $487 Clean, light edge/corner wear, light rust to handle captures, head frame cracked, one foot missing from speaker cab, stock Jensens present, recently serviced, rev/trem unmentioned but considering it was just serviced I'd assume functionality, footswitch incl. but intermittent, original owner; in storage for 40+ years


1484 Dano tube amp w/ cabinet VG $500 Clean, light edge/corner wear to amp and speaker cab, amp face clean, stock Jensens present, rev/trem functional, footswitch incl.


1484 Dano tube amp w/ cabinet VG $530 Clean, light edge wear to speaker cab, stock Jensens present, grille clean, 3-prong AC mod, 1/4" jack mod to amp head, trem/rev functional,  footswitch incl.


1481 Dano tube amp G $133 Square speaker cutout, light corner wear, light rust to handle captures, weird oblong ding/drill mark on side, knob inserts are 'glittered,' back panel in place, light oxidation to amp chassis panel


1482 Dano tube amp VG $349 Square speaker cutout, light edge/corner wear, light oxidation to amp chassis panel, light rut to handle captures, small stain on back panel, grille looks good, back panel in place, tremolo status unknown, no footswitch


1482 Dano tube amp G $264 Square speaker cutout, grille stained, rust to handle captures, covering 'chew' on back and on bottom, yellow paint residue on top corner,  edge, tremolo status unknown, no footswitch


1331 Dano Tube amp G $158 Light edge wear, grille is clean, logoplate shiny, handle looks great, NS knobs, original broken 8Ω speaker speaker replaced with a 16Ω speaker; seller says 'doesn't sound right'


1240 Kay FHAC VG $199 Clean, minimal wear, pickguard missing, truss rod cover stained or cracked, no views of the back, but the 'bell' truss rod cover is the tip to the Kay heritage (there were Harmony versions as well), it's also probably got a three-bolt neck attach


1304 Dano SSEG G $650  Chrome shiny, light playing wear to top edge, light surface dings front and back, logo strong, sidewalls a bit dirty, CTS pots date to 1958, natural headstock and pot dates indicate earliest available version of this guitar


1452 Dano SBEG guitar only G $505 Whammy present, edge wear, thin-script logo strong, big ding at neck attach, some pickguard scratches, guitar was re-wired, and the whammy was re-rigged with a new mechanism. Earlier, thin-script-logo'd, white-pickguarded version


1477 Harmony SBEG G $160 Edge wear, some finish flaking, logo missing, high 'E' tuner post missing, truss rod cover chipped, pickguard back stamped March 8, 1966, earlier non-whammy model


1495 Teisco MIJ HBEG Bass E $236 Very clean, minimal wear, logo strong, chrome shiny, back shows beautiful graining, best I've seen of this earliest version of the Japanese-built 'Beatle Bass'


1445 Teisco MIJ SBEG VG $305  Clean, whammy missing, has small repaired crack, noisy wiring, knobs look good, chrome shiny, bound version, logo intact


26133 Teisco MIJ SBEG VG $129 Clean, minimal wear, whammy present, sliders in good shape, back displays nice graining. This is the Canadian sold version of the rare in its own right model... um... well, it's so rare I can't find the US-sold equivalent. Nothing in my catalogs to match it up to through 1972. Slider-controlled models were available in the catalog as early as 1971.



Compare and contrast these next two '10XL' models, the 1421:

1421 Sears tube amp '10XL' VG $149 Clean, tremolo strong, mistakenly ID'd as 1960 era amp; the first 1421 models became available in 1969


1421 Sears tube amp '10XL' VG $214 Clean, light wear to knob rims, handle captures shiny, back label clean and clear and block logo'd 'Silvertone,' tremolo status unknown, stamped 0972


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with ampcase G $399 Edge wear to guitar and ampcase, strip tuners, 'Ich bin ein Berliner' hamburger sticker (?) on bass lower bout, grille shows some discolration


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with ampcase VG $405 Playing wear to bass side bottom edge, worn knob inserts, playing wear to back of neck, case looks great, 12AU6 replaced, clasps and hinges shiny


1444 Dano SSEG Bass body only w/ OC $168 Routed for a Gibson EBO (not incl.), logo present (!) but in sad shape, playing wear near bridge area, major wear on back, no tuners, no bridge (the screws are there!), no electronics, no nut, no pickguard, sidewalls look good, later model; swoop neck cutaway, and 5-sided access panel Relisted in January '10.


604 Harmony FTAC G $85 Clean, light wear, light checking in patches, logo overscreened on first 'e,' playing wear to 'cowboy chord' area


1455 Teisco MIJ HBEG VG $127 Clean, light wear, whammy missing, logo strong, playing wear to back of neck


853 Harmony Ukulele MOD $77 Refinished, Silvertone logo gone, mother of pearl riverbird hand inlaid into headstock, signed by artist


1310 Valco Lapsteel G $86  Pickguard seems to have lost its laminated top, tailpiece cover missing, tuner buttons deteriorating, all hardware showing oxidation,  logo plate looks good, small patch of plastic covering missing on side, untested, serial #74392


802 Banjo F $40 Worn, rusty hardware, no bridge,  5th string tuner missing, buckle rash to resonator



Dunno what to make of this one; I've seen a fair number of the black finish with white pickguard 'Value Leader-esque' Kay made Silvertones, but this is the first Silvertone branded guitar I've seen that looked pretty much just like the infamous 'Value Leader,' right down to its blonde fretboard!

UNK Kay SBEG G $283 Playing wear to fretboard, dings and edge wear, last two pics are the aforementioned Silvertone and a Kay early 60s 'Value Leader'



12/4

Settling into the holiday season; trees are up, sales are selling, but the auction scene seems a little dimmed.... perhaps the weeks closer to the end of the month and year will bring renewed auction action. Time will tell...
Today, we've got the second 1451 setup in as many days, which is a rarity, and a few other Dano-made treats, as well as a more common than you'd think amp in guitar from our Teisco friends, another lovely Teisco, this and that, and a little product comparison to round things out.

1451 Dano SBEG w/ tube ampincase VG $405 Clean guitar, amp has some corner wear but looks great inside, notice the shape of the headstock swoop


1444 Dano SSEG Bass w/ OC G $385 Surface/edge wear,  playing wear at cutaway, logo bent at S, playing wear to neck, later model; aluminum access cover, swoop neck cutaway, individual tuners


1304 Dano SSEG w/ C G $750  Big wear area on bass side, edge wear, logo strong, earlier model as evidenced by natural headstock finish


Psssst.... if you want a 1304 that came from Kiefer Sutherland's personal vintage collection, there's one on ebay right now! You can get it in a sweet case for less than the one above sold for!

1487 Teisco MIJ SBEG $150 Clean, untested, 'Silver Tone' tag missing, original Silvertone branded strap and gigbag incl.


1460 Teisco MIJ HBEG VG $427 Clean, light finish checking to top, whammy present, NS bridge (!), logo looks great, chrome shiny, pinup sticker to pickguard


600 series Harmony FTAC G $67 From the one photo provided, all looks good, seller claims "nicks and dents... overall good condition"


619 Kay FHAC VG $101 Clean, pickguard missing, light edge/surface wear, logo strong


2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp w/ OC VG $169 Clean, no tuning wrench


This last guitar today is a non-Silvertone item, but I thought you might like to see the subtle differences between a Truetone (sold by Western Auto) and a Silvertone (well, really it's a 'SR' model, but humor me, OK?). Both made by Harmony, of course, but at some point on the assembly line, Truetones went one way and Silvertones went another. The stamped on the headstock model number falls in-between two Silvertone models, and the only other visible difference is the presence of a pickguard and the funky sprayed on fret markers. The first shot is a Sears 'Space Dot' 1294, the rest of the shots are the "Truetone 1295" that sold today for $67.



12/3

The 12th month rolls on... will this weekend be a big one or not? Hard to tell...

1451 Dano SBEG w/ tube ampincase G $575 Clean guitar, NS knobs pictured, but originals will be installed at sale, ampcase has rusty clasps, edge/corner wear


1420 Harmony HBEG w/ OC VG $475 Clean, edge/surface wear, strap buttons missing, pickguard looks good, chrome shiny


1206 Harmony FTAC VG $89 Clean, neck wear to 'cowboy chord' area, light edge wear

1340 Valco Tube amp G $178 Edge/corner wear, handle looks good, silkscreen logo worn, paper schematic inside case looks good


1484 Dano tube amp w/ cabinet G $355 Needs new transformer; fuse keeps blowing, rev/trem work, amp and cab look good, homemade caster platform, footswitch incl., original owner


1482 Dano tube amp VG $300 Square speaker cutout, minimal wear, grill stain, trem works, no footswitch, back panel in place


1471  Dano tube amp G $123 Pilot light added, handle worn


802 Banjo VG $150 Clean,  minimal wear, 5-string w/ resonator


852 Harmony ukulele G $65  Hawaiian girl design, clean, edge/surface wear



12/2

Very little action today, as with most Wednesdays, but a rare 1445 made an appearance for a grand.

1445 Kay HBEG w/ OC VG $1000 BO Clean, minimal wear, shiny chrome and finish, logo strong, best I've seen


1413 Kay SBEG G $221  Aside from the NS racing stripe, it's pretty clean, light surface wear, tailpiece cover missing, logo rub at the 'S,' screenprint on pickup covers still looks good, NS knobs


1455 Teisco MIJ HBEG VG $198 Clean, whammy present, logo strong


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with ampcase G $357 Edge wear, some finish flaking, dings/scrapes on upper bass horn, what I can see of the ampcase looks OK, setup untested


2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp w/ OC VG $151 Clean, tuner wrench and book incl., model sticker present



12/1

The November totals weren't too shabby, considering that so few of us have received our bailout bonuses yet.... I tracked 297 Silvertone items in November, and they sold for a total of $78,080. That's nearly 10 grand more than the November '08 numbers! Silvertone a growth industry? Who'd a thunk it?

Here's some highlights of what changed hands:
A whopping (31) 1448 guitars/amps or one or the other, (13) 1457s, (15) 1484 amps, (5) 1485 amps, (17) 1482 amps, (4) 1472 amps, (5) 1481 amps, (9) 'Chris Isaak'  1446 model  electric guitars, (8) 1423 'Jupiter' electric guitars, (6) 856 baritone ukuleles, (5) 1304 mid-pickup'd models, (4) 604 acoustics, The highest dollar item was an nice 1446 'Chris Isaak' guitar that went for a whopping $1795, and right on its heels a super rare Dano-built triple-pickup 1305 that went for $1500. The least amount brought in November was $12 for a poor ol' broken down 604..

If you haven't taken a good look at November 2009, pour yourself a cuppa joe, and go peruse it; we had a lot of cool stuff packed into the 11th month, from a 10-year-old video of Chris Isaak playing his namesake guitar surfacing, to a 50-year-old atomic spider being woken up by the rockin' Kay-made 1356, to some very cool instruments and amps... check it out!

Alright, it looks like it's that time... yup... here it comes... like a green and red and tinsel covered freight train... DECEMBER 2009!

12/1

Happy to kick off the month with a beautiful guitar from Lawman Mike, a fellow who has always got a passel of amazing vintage guitars for sale on ebay, and that nearly always includes some dynamite Silvertones, just like this beautiful 1423 model, a guitar based on the H49 Stratotone 'Jupiter,' built by Harmony.

1423 Harmony SSEG w/ OC E $1000 Very clean, minimal wear, plenty of glitter, logo intact, pickguard print strong, all stock knobs, chrome shiny, original case in amazing shape


For comparison purposes, here's a shot of the Harmony Stratotone 'Jupiter.'


The following 1478 and the 1482 were sold as a pair for $503

1478 Harmony SBEG w /OC VG Whammy present, chrome shiny, logo strong, finish has streaks from being stored in the vinyl protector sleeve, screw cracks in bass side of pickguard,  vinyl body protector and original strap incl.


1482 Dano tube amp VG Square speaker cutout, minimal wear, (3) knob inserts missing, stock tubes, footswitch incl., operational status unknown



Classical MOD $39 NS bridge, NS tailpiece, NS pickguard, mis-ID'd as a 40s or 50s era model, and also mistakenly claimed that the pickguard was original.  Probably a 660, but it's hard to be sure...


Well, the NECK is a Silvertone... sold for $198 Kay bolt pattern to the neck/body interface, but the bridge/pickup/whammy assembly is quite foreign to any Silvertone I've ever seen. The seller mentions the neck being a bit uneven. I've a feeling this is some kind of Frankentone.