December 2010     

12/30

Well, I've looked ahead, and there's not's a whole lot coming up the next few days, but we'll clean it all up and start a new year Monday here in Silvertone World. I should have December totals up by then, and we're looking forward to some new product pages and hopefully some new model number news coming up soon, too.
Happy New Year!

1333 Dano tube amp VG $749 Clean, light wear, logoplate shiny, handle captures show some tarnish, handle looks like a replacement


1483 Dano tube amp only G $225 Could use a good cleaning, light wear, (1) knob missing, seller says "works perfectly."


1484  Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet G $435 Edge/corner wear, oxidation to control face, reverb non functional, tremolo OK, 3-prong AC mod, footswitch incl. (in well-stomped shape)


1484  Dano tube amp only G $250 Painted black, rust to jack nuts, AC plug spliced into speaker cord, control face looks good, on/off switch missing retainer nut, handle captures and xformers show rust,  powers up; otherwise untested, seller says "Figure on a little work to get it going."


1484  Dano tube amp only VG $499 Clean, light wear, light control face oxidation, rev/trem functional, 1/4" speaker jack


1452 Dano SBEG guitar and amp in case VG $562 Light wear to guitar with some light 'cord melt' on back of neck,  ampcase shows some edge wear and (1) nasty corner, (1) hinge loose, logo strong, tremolo functional, speaker stamping dates to 1966


1455 Teisco MIJ HBEG VG $250 Clean, light wear, whammy present, logo strong, chrome shiny, slight top separation at pickguard


604 Harmony FTAC w/ C VG $149 Clean, light wear, logo strong


1214 Harmony FTAC G $50 Clean, edge/surface wear, bridge cracking, maybe some tape residue at logo


1482 Dano tube amp MOD $179 Speaker eliminated, cabinet chopped and re-assembled, looks like some covering from the back panel was used to fill in some baffle area on front. Tested operational, tremolo functional



These parts all came from the same bass, but I'm not completely sure about the knobs; they look like a gussied-up version of the 1448/1481 knob, but it could just be a replacement from the same folks that made those.

1444 Dano SSEG Bass body $114 neck $124 tuners $41 knobs $54 pickup w/ mount & screws $67 bridge/saddle/neck screws $27


12/29

Well, here we are. Christmas is over, it ain't quite New Year's Eve, and the Wednesday doldrums are here, no matter the season! Let's kick the day off with a Stratotone we don't see very much of, the shaded 1421, sister to the very popular black-finished 1420.

1421 Harmony SSEG VG $310 Clean, light wear, logo strong, scratches on back, NS tuners



There were some lively comments accompanying this auction as to the proper designation of this guitar. With a pot code of 137933 that pins it to a build date of summer 1959, along with its circular access panel and two-bolt neck, we can figure it's a Wish Book 1959 model 1450. We've been calling all these mid-pickup'd U shaped guitars the 1304, but I've recently found a Wish Book 1959 listing that gives its model number as 1450, along with its companion amp, the 1451. Now all I need is a Wish Book 1960 listing to pin down THAT model number.

1450 Dano SSEG w/ OC G $435 Clean, edge/surface wear, pickguard shows some yellowing/play wear, logo worn, sidewalls dingy, playing wear to neck, home-brew strap pin at neck joint


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $300 Clean, edge/surface wear, some glitter rub-off on top, chrome shiny, logo worn, tone knob on guitar discolored, ampcase and hardware looks good, pots date guitar to 1964



UNK Harmony FTAC Classical VG $67 Clean, light wear. Not sure what to make of this one. I can (just barely) see the brown-on-white cursive Silvertone oval label inside this one, and it matches the configuration of the early 70s era Harmony H6272, but I can't find a matching guitar in my catalogs.




Nice to see folks making custom parts to work with decades-old technology, especially in the Silvertone arena. Here's a couple of pieces that came up today that I've seen more than a few of this past year.

Dano compatible footswitch $29 Built specifically to kick your 1457 into tremolo mode, but I'd imagine it'll work on a 1472/82/51 as well. Here's the full blurb from the seller/maker: "...will operate the tremolo on your Danelectro made Silvertone 1457 amp in case, or on the Silvertone 1482, 1472 vintage tube amps with tremolo...this foot switch is a combo of new switch and plug and is covered in authentic 1457 amp in case tolex to match your vintage gear (same tolex that is on the Silvertone 1482, 1481 and others)...also the cord is an old 2 prong power cord from vintage Danelectro/Silvertone tube amps recycled for this purpose that give this repro foot-switch a nice retro vintage vibe...heavy rubber bottom makes it very stable unlike the original foot-switches that were made of poplar wood and would flop all over the place...heavy duty switch also makes this perfect for gigs, and it fits in the 1457 amp in case compartment (see pic). Aluminum chassis formed by hand and modeled after the Danelectro made Silvertone 1391 amp chassis."


Dano compatible bridge $31 It's a string-thru bridge, so you have to mod your guitar, but if that's your cup of tea, here ya go!



12/28

Saw this great snowy weather mod for your city bike today, so I figured we'd start this slow inbetween the holidays auction report with a little mod action of our own. Here's a 641/1210 acoustic that's been Frankentoned for electrical amplification.

641/1210 Harmony FTAC MOD $132 Clean, some edge/surface wear, looks like a cracked and slightly yellowed Kay pickup installed in the soundhole, and a NS slightly off-kilter pickguard, logo strong, some wear to the painted-on fret markers, NS tailpiece, (1) knob missing, electronics functional


1454 Harmony HBEG VG $750 Clean, light edge wear, logo worn, Bigsby present, chrome and finish shiny, NS tuners, NS selector switch tip, pickups dated 1966



I usually stick the 'unknowns' down near the bottom, but this Valco/National/Supro-derived Silvertone 'Artist' is certainly known to us, we've just never been able to find a model number or catalog listing for it.

UNK Valco SBEG w/ C G $318 Clean, pickguard logo worn, pickguard has crack near controls, logo plate looks good, tuner buttons shrinking, some paint touchups to finish, NS bridge and tailpiece. This guitar is based on the Supro Belmont as far as I can tell. There were a lot of guitars in this family, but the Belmont seems closest in looks and appointments.


1420 Harmony SSEG w/ C VG $333 Clean, light wear, logo strong, scratches on back, seller obtained guitar in barter with original owner


1472 Dano tube amp G $175 Round speaker cutout, corner wear, white piping loose, red border panel with 'tremlo' misspelling, 'speed' knob missing, back panel missing, tremolo unmentioned, no footswitch, cabinet stamping indicates 1962 build


1482 Dano tube amp VG $305 Square speaker cutout, light corner wear, some staining on both sides, (2) rubber feet missing, rust to xformer, back panel in place, tremolo functional, no footswitch


660 Kay FTAC Classical w/ OC VG $99 Clean, light edge wear, inner sticker in good shape (you can just see the Kay 'L' series stamping peeking out), bridge tight, seller is friend of original owner




1320 Harmony FHAC body/neck $91 No hardware or electronics, broken & repaired ("not attractive, but solid") at headstock


1446 Harmony HBEG wiring harness $32 Volume/Tone network, selector switch and 1/4" jack, pots date to 1966



12/27

WHITEOUT! We're knee-deep in snow here in central North Carolina, which does NOT happen very often, so we've got a little time to clean up the past five days worth of auctions. It wasn't a lot per day, but after five days, things do tend to stack up. Let's pick this first super-rare 1375 off the 'stack' and get underway! It's made even rarer by the fact that it has an actual paint job, vs. the maroon covering these models usually sported. Prototype? Very early production model?

1375 Dano SBEG G $1050 Finish checking/flaking, logo laminate in great shape, pickguard/knobs show minimal wear, high action, pots date to early 1954



Keeping it hip to the rarity tip, we've got an uncommon 1411, a short-lived 'paddle head' guitar from Kay.

1411 Kay SBEG VG $400 Clean, logo shows minimal wear, tailpiece cover missing, light wear and a flake or two



Couple of 'Black Beauties' up next... one of 'em had a dye job...

1427 Harmony HBEG w/ C G $500 Clean, light wear, missing pickguard, NS bridge, finish shows light checking, truss rod maxed out, neck has slight 'back bow,' metal logo intact, strap button through back below heel, lo-res photos


1384 Harmony HBEG w/ C MOD $805 Finish stripped, Harmo-metal binding intact, NS knobs, replacement parts include: Silvertone headstock logo/White pickguard/Pickguard bracket,


1352 Harmony HBEG w/ C VG $945 Clean, light wear, pickguard missing, 'deco' logo strong, nice graining front and back


1423 Harmony SSEG w/ C VG $650 Clean, light wear, logo intact, some light edge flaking, chrome and finish shiny


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG guitar G amp $374 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, logo strong, amp "just hums"


1457 Dano tube amp in case only F $170 Edge/corner wear, rusty hardware, all knobs missing, NS red-coned speaker, tremolo unmentioned, no footswitch


1457 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $500 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, rhythm pickup cover has split, logo strong, scratchy pots, tremolo unmentioned, no footswitch


1444 Dano SSEG Bass G $485 Could use a good cleaning, light edge wear, some scratches to back, logo broken at 'S'


1420 Harmony SSEG VG $333 Clean, light wear, logo strong, one photo provided


1436 Teisco MIJ SBEG  VG $355 Clean, minimal wear, whammy present, minimal wear, logo tag looks great, finish and chrome shiny


1437Teisco MIJ SBEG  G $229 Could use a good cleaning, whammy present, pickup pole pieces show some rust, edge/surface wear, logo and serial/model plate missing, volume knob skirt busted


1220 Harmony FTAC MOD $180 Clean, light wear, NS screws in pickguard, high action, NS electronics with scratchy pots, block logo strong, last Silvertone-branded version of this 'Sovereign'-based guitar


623 Harmony FHAC F $72 Clean, cracks at treble f-hole bottom and bass side upper bout, edge/surface wear, high action, logo strong


612 Harmony FHAC MOD $100 Edge/surface wear, finish checking/flaking, pickguard missing, logo worn, crack in side, seller says "found this old archtop in an old shed in northern Minnesota. It was in bad shape. I took it home & glued the top & back, back on , after gluing some new struts inside to fix a couple cracks. I put new tuners & strings on it, but the original tuners go with it also. I brought it back to playable condition. The neck is straight. Has good tone."


600 series Harmony FTAC w/ C G $108 Edge/surface wear, light finish checking, some fingerboard grunge, logo strong, rust to tuner plates


1217 Harmony FTAC G $50 Clean, light wear, light finish checking, diffraction 'Space Dot'  looks good, neck pulling up a bit, stamped F-70. Relisted from earlier in month.


1210 Harmony FTAC w/ C G $71 Clean, light wear, logo strong, stamps S-69, serial #7283S1210, seller says "this was my wife's when she was a child."


615 Harmony FTAC G $69 Clean, edge/surface wear, first fret marker worn, logo strong, poor photos


604 Harmony FTAC w/ C VG $125 Clean, light wear, logo strong, stamped F-65-GM


657 Harmony FTAC Classical w/ OC VG $100 Clean, light wear, inside tag looks good



This next couple sold as a pair. The 1939 Sears catalog showed some interestingly decorated flattops to be sure, but nothing that matched the model number or configuration of guitar #2.

603 Harmony FTAC G & UNK Harmony FTAC F both sold for $63 Clean, light wear (esp. at painted 'pickguard,'), logo worn at 't,' second guitar bears Harmony-style stamping of S-39 and 3112 1155, bridge broken, bare headstock


1465 Dano solid state amp and speaker cabinet VG $600 Clean, light wear, light staining to grille, casters present, all (6) Jensens present, cabinet stamping indicates 1966 build, seller says "some noise in the amp that is probably due to dirty pots," rev/trem unmentioned, no footswitch


1481 Dano tube amp VG $192 Round speaker cutout, clean, minimal wear, grille looks good, logoplate shiny, light discoloration to knobs, covering tear on side (would be hidden by back panel), missing back panel


1484  Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $475 Clean, edge/corner wear, light rust dots to control face, 3-prong AC mod, 4/8 ohm dual jack mod, rev/trem functional, no footswitch


1484  Dano tube amp only G $195 Could use a good cleaning, light corner wear, 1/4" jack mod, tremolo works, reverb doesn't, scratchy pots, light rust to metal parts, no footswitch


1484  Dano tube amp only $265 No photo provided. Seller says "This head has the usual scratches and dings a 50 year old head should have, (1) mismatched knob, but plays like a brand new one! All of the original tubes power up like new! I just played it through my 4x12 Celestion cab and it is AMAZING!! Great tone, cheesy reverb and tremolo make this head a must for anyone looking for that vintage 60's vibe."

1485 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $800 Looks clean in single photo provided, tremolo "unbelievable," reverb unmentioned, no footswitch


1319 Harmony Lap Steel w/ OC VG $245 Clean, light wear, logo strong, tailpiece cover in place


1310 Valco Lap Steel w/ OC VG $243 Clean, pickup cover present, logo tag clean, rust to tuner plates, serial #X52750


752 Kay mandolin F $30 Edge/surface wear, finish checking, 'wind chime' logo strong, tuner buttons deteriorating, stamped L8191 441


1255 Harmony ukulele G $39 Clean, light wear, logo  missing



UNK Kay FHAC w/ OC G $147 Clean, 'wind chime' logo strong, tuner buttons deteriorated, stamped P4 and L8209 6889, possibly a 696




1446 Harmony HBEG $189 Body/neck/nut, logo rescued from obliteration; top and headstock face refinished


1448 Dano SSEG $125 Modified body/neck/pickguard


1448 Dano SSEG $120 Neck/nut/tuners, logo strong, fingerboard wear, playing wear to back of neck, screws incl.


1448 Dano SSEG $89 Neck/nut/tuners, logo strong, ding on back of neck, screws incl.


14XX Dano footswitch $75 Functionality unmentioned, assumed to be working



12/22

A slow pre-holiday Wednesday, (not too surprising; most Wednesdays are sleepy no matter what) and I hope you've got some time off coming up! I'll slog in and get updates done for tomorrow, but that's all I'm willing to promise. I foresee some slow bidding over the Christmas weekend, with maybe an uptick the first of the week when some cash starts burning some holes in some pockets!

1443 Dano SBEG Bass G $577 Edge/surface wear, logo missing, NS tuners, (1) NS knob and the rest missing, some fretboard wear, some paint stains on back, tailpiece cover present, eller says "The old toggle [switch] has gotten flaky and it was working for both P/U's then it wouldn't work but for just the front P/U."


1240 Harmony FHAC VG $143 Clean, pickguard present, light wear, some buckle rash, 'Space Dot' strong, corrosion to tuner plates


615 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $95 Clean, light wear, logo and painted fret markers strong


600 series Harmony FTAC w/ C G $150 Clean, edge wear, some flaking on bottom back, 'deco' logo strong, seller IDs it as a '57, but gives no reference. A build date of 1957 would make this one a 602, the first of the 600 series to have the 'standard' shape we're so familiar with.



1448 Dano SSEG pickguard only $25 Edge wear and some knob rub/screw wear, tape residue on back




12/21

Welcome to Winter! We've got some cool guitars (and nothin' but guitars) today to go along with the chilly weather, and today's first up is a rare U-shape Dano-built 6-string bass, the 1373. The last time we saw one of these was over the summer, and the buyer wasn't aware of what he had, so it went for a bargain $275 to a savvy Silvertonian. Today's price is more in line with the rarity of this guitar, bringing in nearly a grand! From that peak, I'm gonna roll out the rest of Monday night and Tuesday's auctions in pricing order, high to low.

Before we get to today's Silvertonium, I'd like to accelerate to March 2011, when R.E.M. will have a new album out, "Collapse Into Now." They've got a nice trailer up on YouTube right now (embedded below), and of course, I went through it frame by frame to get you the best views of guitarist Peter Buck and his 1483 amp, a main weapon in his audio arsenal for some years now.


1373 Dano SSEG 6-string bass w/ OC G $995 Edge/surface wear, knobs yellowed, logo worn, some sidewall scuffs, playing wear to back of neck


1423 Harmony SSEG VG $500 Clean, light wear, logo intact, bridge missing, pickguard print strong


1420 Harmony SSEG VG $455 Clean, light wear, chrome shiny, seller is original owner, stamped FL-59, serial #2465H1420, pickup stamped DEC 3 1959


1420 Harmony SSEG w/ C MOD $450 Clean, light edge/surface wear, logo strong, NS 'S' type gold foil insert Rowe-made pickups


712 Kay FHAC G $400 Clean, pickguard and end strap pin missing, logo laminate in good shape, bookmatched 2-piece back shows nice grain, neck recently re-set, 'boater hat' fret markers look good, area under pickguard damaged by "nitro[cellulose] pickguard disintegrating and outgassing which caused it to get a bit ruined. A new guard would hide that!"


1476 Harmony SBEG VG $365 Clean, light wear, logo strong, (2) knobs missing, (3) fret dots missing, repro pickguard, pickup assembly dated March 9, 1964



How about a rare non-catalog red foil insert 1480?

1480 Harmony SBEG VG $264 Clean, whammy present, unusual (but correct for these oddballs) knobs, logo strong, screw crack to pickguard at bass upper horn, NS upper strap button


606 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $210 Clean, light wear, bridge tight, logo strong


623 Harmony FHAC G $164 Clean, edge/surface wear, pickguard missing, light surface wear, stable crack at bass f-hole, logo strong, stamped S-60-NK, serial #3065H623


UNK Harmony MOD $113 This isn't a Silvertone (the seller used the word 'Silvertone' in the auction title, but he seems to think it's a Harmony-made 1215 Archtone), but it's had its finish modded in homage to the style of the Kay-made 'Kentucky Blue,' so I thought you'd like to see it. Seller says it needs a fret leveling/polishing.


600 series Harmony FTAC w/ OC G $100 Clean, light wear, logo strong, seller says "used to belong to my mother... collecting dust for the last 4 years... it hurts us to part with it...  doing this so we can afford some vestige of a Christmas." That's the saddest thing I've read in a while.


1405 MIJ SBEG G $71 Finish checking, some dings/scratches, logo worn )esp. at second 'e')



12/20

Supergiganticalenormulous! OK, so I just made that word up... but WHAT A WEEKEND! The ol' auction bin seems almost as full as the Toys R Us I visited yesterday! Unlike the Toys R Us, though, I don't see any fist fights breaking out 'round these parts.... but that's another story. I don't even know where to start, so I'll just jump right in with what had to be the best deal of the weekend, this nice 1451 setup going for a bargain-basement price, along with an interesting production-related reveal; the body is factory routed for two pickups! Are all 1451s like this? Right after that solid body beauty, we've got a lovely Harmony-made 710,  it's onto our first (!!!) 'Black Beauty' of the month, then on to Jupiter with a fine 1423.

1451 Dano SBEG and tube ampincase VG $221 Clean guitar and ampcase, some wear to guitar (esp. on back), ampcase handle is loose, logo strong


710 Harmony FHAC VG $400 Clean, minimal wear, pickguard missing, light rust to tuner plates, 'deco' logo strong, another great item from Jukeboxbonfire. Here's a little bit of the very complete story on this guitar: "My repair man went the extra mile on this one. First, he steamed off and reset the neck. Then he pulled all the original frets (yes, all of them!) and got going sanding the guitar's fingerboard down flat again. It had a horrible hump at the 10th-12th fret area and at the end of the fingerboard. He said this part took a lot longer than he thought. There really was no other solution that made sense, so he then RE-FRETTED THE ENTIRE GUITAR with brand new modern style fretwire! He had to re-slot the frets, then cut, trim, all install every single fret you see. He did a great job and had it back to me super quickly. He had to repaint the entire fretboard because it was the painted style they used to use. The nut and bridge then had a going over and were setup so the guitar plays beautifully."


1427 Harmony HBEG w/ C VG $1380 Clean, minimal wear, finish shiny, metal logo intact, pickguard missing, model-specific hang tag (!) and "How To Care For" booklet incl., date stamped 1959, if it had had its p/g I would have given it an E rating


1423 Harmony SSEG w/ OC VG $525 Clean, light wear, pickguard print and logo strong


1477 Harmony SBEG w/ OC  VG $300 Clean, light wear, early non-whammy version, logo strong


1451 Dano SBEG and tube ampincase VG $334 Clean guitar and ampcase, light wear to both, logo strong, guitar knob inserts discolored, weird staining pattern to top of grille, playing wear to fingerboard


1417 Dano SSEG MOD $225 Tone switch removed, V/T network re-wired, NS knobs, tone switch hole covered by Margarita girl,  logo intact but worn, ding on back


1457 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG guitar G ampcase $400 Clean, light wear, playing wear to neck, logo strong, headstock cracked at tuner line; re-glued, ampcase has oxidation or mold spotting to metal parts, outer covering has some scrapes, grille bezel shows some oxidation spots, tremolo unmentioned, no footswitch


1457 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $514 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, interesting removable tailpiece mod, logo strong, tremolo functional, no footswitch, outside of ampcase not pictured


1448 Dano SSEG guitar only G $149 Edge/surface wear, logo strong w/ some residue/staining, some sidewall wear at treble side bottom, knobs show adhesive seep/discoloration, rust to exposed metal, scratchy pots, intermittent jack


1448 Dano SSEG guitar only G $260 Edge/surface wear, logo worn, knobs missing, neck shimmed w/ washers,


That's most of the guitar haul for the weekend; now onto the amps!

1471 Dano tube amp VG $300 Round speaker cutout, light wear, logoplate looks good, stamping indicates 1962 build


1472 Dano tube amp G $256 Round speaker cutout, could use a good cleaning, grille has some rips, edge/corner wear,  red border panel with 'tremolo' spelled correctly, tremolo functional, no footswitch, cabinet stamping indicates 1961 build


1481 Dano tube amp G $204 Round speaker cutout, edge/corner wear, some covering peel on back corner, logoplate looks good, light rust to handle captures, cabinet stamping indicates 1965 build


1481 Dano tube amp F $193 Round speaker cutout, cabinet sagging, logoplate missing, NOS tubes, NS Motorola speaker, back panel missing, handle missing, 3-prong AC mod


1482 Dano tube amp G $250 Light wear, grille shows picks/ripple, back panel has some staining, NS baffle, extra tubes (1) GE 6X4 and (1) GE 6AU6 incl., tremolo functional, no footswitch


1430 Dano tube amp G $157 Clean, light wear, logoplate logo strong, handle looks good, handle captures show light rust, speaker may need replacing


1311/1442 Valco lap steel VG $158 Clean, light wear, logoplate looks good, light corrosion to tuner covers, guide notes painted on neck, serial #66690


1245 Kay FHAC VG $225 Clean, light wear, finish shiny w/ light checking, pickguard present, logo strong, lamination cracks at headstock along tuner line, three-bolt neck


712 Kay FHAC VG $330 Clean, light wear, logo laminate looks great


1211 Harmony FTAC G $67 Clean, edge/surface wear, laminate splits at headstock along tuner line, block logo a bit worn, NS tuners (orig. incl.), serial #0126S1211, Stamped 5-69 ML



Here's another run at this Kay-made 604 from earlier in the month. Brought a little less money this go-round.

604 Kay FTAC G $51 Clean, edge/surface wear, light rust to tuner plates, D and G tuners bent. Relisted from earlier in the month.



And another re-list, this time bringing a bit more moolah in.

661 Kay FTAC 4-string tenor w/ C F $110 Surface/edge wear, a few dings, logo gone but shadow slightly visible (see contrast-enhanced photo), back separating at damaged area, neck beginning to pull, (3) tuner ferrules missing, nut missing, stamped L-1938


605 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $75 Clean, light wear, logo strong


660 Kay FTAC Classical w/ OC VG $149 Clean, minimal wear, stamped 57-660 and N-15


856 Harmony Baritone Ukulele VG $136 Clean, light wear, logo strong


802 Banjo VG $82 5-string w/ resonator, clean, light wear, logo strong, 5th string "difficult to tune"


802 Banjo w/ C VG $200 5-string w/ resonator, clean, light wear, logo strong


802 Banjo VG $179 5-string w/ resonator missing, clean, light wear, logo strong, rust to hardware


758 Kay Mandolin G $117 'Venetian' style, edge wear, some flaking, tailpiece rusty, mid-era scalloped headstock, 'wind chime' logo strong, pickguard 'S' shows show rub, tuner buttons crumbled away


2574 Oscar Schmidt autoharp w/ OC VG $189 Clean, minimal wear, tuning wrench incl.


2574 Oscar Schmidt autoharp G $37 Clean, (1) bar key missing, no case or access. incl.



Passel o' Dano parts from the weekend, most of them harvested from a "severely damaged" 1448.

1448 Dano SSEG parts: pickup assembly $45, bridge/saddle/(2) screws $38, V/T network knobs (pots date to 1964) & pickguard $43


1481 Dano tube amp chassis only $111 Round speaker cutout,


1484 Dano speaker cabinet only $65 Edge/corner wear, handle present, logo tag missing, amp keepers present, water staining to baffle panel


1446 Harmony HBEG $495 Body, pickups, V/T network, knobs, no bridge or Bigsby, assumed functional




This snuck in through the 'silvertone' filter, I just wanted you to see it. Probably a Kay, judging by the headstock. Wouldn't you want the fancy cardwork on the front? I mean, even if it's just a wallhanger... Oh yeah, it sold for $36.


UNK Kay w/ OC VG $171 Clean, minimal wear, probably a 627 or 619



12/17

Got a lot of response to the posting of that wacky 60s-era performance of "The Wayds" yesterday. Here's the link to more photos and such on their website, and below are a couple of captures of Tom Hopkins (check the 'mailbox monogram' on the bass lower bout) playing that Kay-built 1413 Silvertone, and a color shot from the same performance. If you look closely at the color shot, and at closeups during the video, you'll see some old horn-type speakers with "KPDQ" on them. Here's a history of the changes at that Portland Oregon station, but I wonder what the tie-in with The Wayds was? Did KOIN radio personality Sherm Washburn, who filmed this piece, borrow them just for this shoot? Did the Wayds purchase them surplus or rent them for their PA system? And what's with the odd couple that appears during "Little Latin Lupe Lu" and "House of the Rising Sun?" The male half of the couple (dressed as Fidel Castro) introduces the couple from under his rubber mask as (what sounds like) "Denell and Juanita." Is Sherm 'Denell?' He's certain got a broadcasters voice, whoever he is. Wouldn't it be great if every band you've been in at least had one of their songs recorded like this? What an amazing document!



Alright, back to the future! Start off today with our one lone amp (BTW, I didn't see any Silvertone amps in The Wayds' 'video.'), a nice 10XL.

1421 Sears tube amp VG $100 Clean, grille and control plate looks good, innards are clean, paint spot on top, no footswitch, untested



Next, a very pretty 1352 from 1957.

1352 Harmony HBEG VG $419 Clean, light wear, light checking,  pickguard missing, 'deco' logo strong, headstock has a chip out of it on treble side, serial #2900H61, stamped S-57 E


658 Kay FHAC MOD $355 Clean, light edge/surface wear, pickguard modified to accommodate NS Lollar pickup, logo strong, block markers indicate pre-'66 model, seller says "action is very high...neck is a bit loose" Relisted in January.


1457 Dano SSEG guitar only F $265 Edge/surface wear, top has ding at bass lower bout, all knobs missing, logo strong, neck has scratch or possibly a crack, possible NS tuners


Danelectro '63 re-issue $195 Just thought you might like to see this foam-green confection from Dano. This is the regular scale version.


603 Harmony FTAC G $65 Clean, light wear, light rust to tuner plates, painted on 'pickguard' looks good, logo unseen in four photos. Relisted from November.


802 Banjo G $152 5-string w/ resonator, clean, light wear, logo strong with DYMO label residue under it, resonator lhas some scratches, looks like ID number scratched onto and off of back of  headstock, playing wear on back of neck, hardware show slight tarnish. Seller tentatively ID'd as 30s-40s vintage, but the round-peaked headstock pegs it as a mid-late 60s model.



UNK Teisco HBEG VG $144 Clean, minimal wear, pickguard missing, whammy arm & spring missing, light finish checking. Tentatively ID'd as a 1455/56, it's certainly a variant of that family. However, I've never seen a Silvertone 1455/56 in red-to-black burst, or with a 'Fenderish' headstock OR with a metal logo OR with mildly slanted pickups. No numbers on neck plate.



12/16

In addition to being a guitar geek, I'm a number nerd. I like to see how digits behave; absolute values, addition, subtraction, divisors, multipliers, powers, roots, palindromic numbers... all that stuff (I actually didn't know if "palindromic number" was a real term, but there it is!). That's why I love that our first up today, a rare 1449, sold for $449!

1449 Dano SSEG VG $449 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, 'skate keys' shiny


There wasn't enough difference cosmetically between the 1449 and the 1448, so our next up, the 1457 was born!

1457 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case G $293 Clean, light wear, logo strong, big sidewall rub by controls, flathead screw 'repair' to headstock, edge/corner wear to case covering, innards look clean, light rust to case hardware, NS Radio Shack speaker, tremolo unmentioned, no footswitch.

Here's a nice season-appropriate 'snuck in through the Silvertone filter' product, a card of 'silvertone' bells. Sold at JC Penney back in the day for 10¢ a card. In today's auction, two cards went for five bucks.
Oh, and one more thing... For those about to rock, I salute you! Let's get garage rockin' 1966 style with some chaps from the Pacific Northwest... from Oregon, Ladies and Gentlemen... it's THE WAYDS!!! Silvertonian Mitch turned me on to these rockin' rockers today... check the player on the far left of the screen. Yep, that's a Kay-built 1413. Cap'n Geech would be proud!

Alright, on to the rest of today's Silvertonium!

1455 Teisco MIJ HBEG E $399 Clean, minimal wear, whammy present, logo strong, chrome shiny



If you're gonna mod a Silvertone, this is the kind of mod I like to see; re-engineered, respect to the Silvertone name, and concern for the guitar itself as a playable entity. Also, you get to see how very pretty these older guitars were 'under the skin.' Awesome job!

605 Harmony FTAC MOD $230 Stripped, refinished, re-bridged, and let's let the modder tell the rest: "The fretboard has been sanded smooth to feel like new. The frets have been leveled and polished. The neck is straight, and action is set at 1/8" at the 12th fret. There is plenty of saddle left to lower if you so desire. The fretboard inlays are real inlays (not painted on). This guitar had a few back cracks repaired, as well as one small top crack near the sound hole. The braces are all still nice and snug. The box is now nice and solid. The guitars original metal tail-piece was removed, screw holes filled, and a new pin bridge has been installed. The bridge is outfitted with new ebony pins and a bone saddle. The tuners are original and work great. The guitar has been completely refinished, with the exception of the face of the headstock. The finish was done with multiple layers of Minwax Tung Oil. The oil finish gives this guitar a great vintage feel and looks beautiful. This finishing choice provides a thin and flexible finish, which does not diminish the guitars natural tone. If necessary, the finish can also be easily repaired, by simply adding another layer of Minwax Tung Oil at any point down the road. It is worth noting that The finish was not done by a professional, and so there are some flaws here and there. It is quite beautiful; however, if you are expecting a fresh from the factory professional style finish, this auction may not be for you."


658 Kay FHAC w/ C VG $389 Clean, light edge/surface wear, pickguard present, logo strong, dot markers indicate '66-'68 model, stamped L 2959 and N5



Another "One Foot in the Grave" Special! Second one this week!

1208 Harmony FTAC VG $50 Clean, light wear, block logo and soundhole decoration strong.


641 Harmony FTAC F $50 Clean, edge/surface wear, some warping to top near tailpiece, crack in bottom back, some edge separation, pickguard missing, logo strong, same guitar as the 1210, seller says "Plays and sounds good" Relisted in January.


1482 Dano tube amp E $343 Square speaker cutout, clean, minimal wear, all aluminum bright, tremolo functional, footswitch incl., cabinet stamping indicates 1966 build, one of the nicest I've seen this year.


1481 Dano tube amp F $135 Round speaker cutout, could use a good cleaning, corner wear, 1) handle capture missing, (1) knob insert missing, fuse holder cap missing,  untested


1838 Oscar Schmidt autoharp w/ OC VG $120 Clean, minim wear, tuning wrench incl.



12/15

Vinyl records and the turntables to play 'em on are making a real comeback these days. Even my local 'Lots O Mart' discount store has a USB-enabled turntable for just $50, and many of your favorite artists have releases available on vinyl. I even bought a 45 single this past year of Jack White and Dexter Romweber Duo  from Jack's innovative Third Man  Records. That's why I was so excited to see our first up today. It's in about as near-mint condition Silvertone record player as you'll ever find... it's got its "Remove Before Operation" packaging, the cool 'how to' cardboard platter on the turntable itself, all of its paperwork, and I bet it even has that 'new electronics' smell. The seller checked it out before the auction, and reported some static in the volume pots, a missing 45 spindle, and cracks in the hard rubber of the turntable. Interestingly, it went for about the same money you'd pay for a Crosley unit that looks very similar to this one, $105. The model number is just out of reach of the resolution of the included photos.


1478 Harmony SBEG G $250 Clean, edge/surface wear, whammy arm missing, significant wear to bottom treble 'corner,' NS knobs, NS selector switch tip, logo faint and no close-up offered


1245 Kay FHAC G $158 Clean, pickguard missing, light wear with some finish weirdness on the back, logo strong, three-bolt neck



Here's the second Kentucky Blue we've seen this month with that unusual shallow-peaked headstock.

653 Kay FHAC w/ OC G $200 Clean, light wear, light checking all over, pickguard missing, heel lifting slightly, stamped L3819 5520, logo strong, unusual headstock


802 Banjo w/ OC VG $155 5-string w/ resonator, clean, light wear, logo strong, resonator looks good, hardware show slight tarnish, seller is original owner and says "purchased new for me by my wife (Christmas present 1965). About 6 months later I realized that I could never play the Banjo. It has been in storage in our home for the last 45 years. If 100% is perfect new condition this Banjo is 95-98%. Very few and very minor items. It comes with the hard case in the photo and 3 steel picks. Some place I think I have the 45rpm record that came with it. If I can find it I will also ship it."



The buyer of yesterday's "Bob Hope guitar" got in touch with me today; he's a Silvertonian from a long time back, and it was good to hear from him. Here's some info he passed along that lends some credence to the story that the 1413 that sold yesterday once belonged to Bob: "Dad was a pack rat," daughter Linda Hope told The Associated Press. "He loved to collect things. Even when he wasn't conscious of collecting, people would give him things. They would be brought home, listed, photographed and placed in storage. There are 11,000 items in his memorabilia collection. A lot of the things will go to the Library of Congress. Most of the paper goods will be going there, scripts and photographs and other things that Dad donated before he died. The Library isn't interested in three-dimensional items." So, the Kay-made 1413 recently found in a storage trailer  (one of the cleaner-outers of that trailer was seen wearing a ring with the Hope family crest on it) with an "address to a New York Penthouse" could very well have belonged to comedian Bob Hope. Well, why not?


12/14

Whatta we got? Ampcases! Lots and lots of ampcases! But first, an incredible 1302, and exciting news on a 'Wish Book' only guitar and amp combo. Our first up is a super-cool 1302 with the rare foil sidewalls and pickguard. I rarely give out a 'near mint' rating, but this beauty warrants it. Awesome!

1302 Dano SSEG NM $1302 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, foil sidewalls and foil pickguard in great shape, stamping indicates 1958 build



More Dano-built beauty, and this one is mighty timely; it's a 'Wish Book' only offered 1450 guitar and 1451 amp that sold as a pair back in 1959! How great to see them still together, and just in time to make the tree! I'm glad this set came up for another reason: we've been calling ALL of these mid-pickup'd Dano U-shaped guitars the 1304 from the sole available Sears 'Wish Book' listing from 1958 (a catalog listing that was actually referred to in this auction), but it seems we need to revise that. From new documents I've discovered, the 1959 version of this pairing gives the guitar the designation of 1450, with the amp being the 1451. Now, we just need to find a 'Wish Book' listing for 1960 (the last time these were available) to see if the combo's model number for that year changed... Come on Silvertonians, hit those attics and find me a 1960 Wish Book!

1450 Dano SSEG w/ OC VG $550 for both Clean, light wear, logo strong, bottom strap button missing
1451 Dano tube amp  Clean, light wear, (1) handle capture needs reorienting, handle strong, logo plate looks good, back panel present



We are amp poor today; here's the only electronic sound-amplifying apparatus to make it through the wires this Tuesday:

1340 Valco tube amp VG $350 Clean, light wear, back panel in place, grille logo lightly worn, tagged as "seller refurbished," re-capped, new resistors, 3-prong AC mod



OK, now that we've gotten those out of our system, let's dig into a great vein of Silvertonium that's opened up here just before Winter. We've got a beautiful 1448 to start things off, an interestingly modded 1451 in second position, a Wish Book full of other ampcases and much more! Go ahead... tear the paper, It's OK!

1448 Dano SSEG guitar only E $365 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, hardware and finish shiny, adhesive seep to knob inserts, tone insert has legend, volume does not


1451 Dano SBEG guitar only MOD $374 Edge/surface wear, light checking all over, logo worn at leading stroke of "S," hardware shows light rust, extra pickup in lead position, pickguard modded near bridge, NS knobs, 'normal' 1451 in last photo for comparison


1451 Dano SBEG guitar only G $275 Clean, edge wear/flaking, logo a bit worn, NS knobs


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case G $430 Clean, light edge wear, some playing wear along bass side back edge, some glitter worn off, (1) NS domed knob, logo strong, sidewalls show some case rubs, ampcase shows light rust to hardware, light scuffing/wear to outer covering, handle missing, a 4" electrical tape 'repair' near speaker grille, (1) NS knob, amp "has a hum"


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case G $450 Edge/surface wear, sidewalls dingy, knob inserts worn, cord keeper still present, logo strong, ampcase shows rust to hardware, knob insert nearly worn away, NS speaker, outer covering not pictured


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case G $282 Edge/surface wear, logo strong, NS metal saddle, ampcase shows light wear, light rust to hardware, internal scuffing, NS knob, speaker grille has light/dark areas; grille was probably covered by a sticker or something at the top


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case E $459 Clean, minimal wear to guitar and ampcase, guitar and amp hardware and finish shiny, poor photos but a great setup


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case G $365 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, tone knob insert badly worn, back of neck has dime-sized ding, sidewalls have some case rubs, guitar hardware shiny, case hardware shows light rust, amp chassis board shows some edge wear, corner wear


1457 Dano SSEG and tube amp in case VG $502 Clean, light wear, logo strong, sidewalls bright, ampcase shows light wear, knob inserts show adhesive seep, tremolo functional, footswitch incl., case stamping indicates 1964 build



Given our newfound knowledge on these mid-pickup'd guitars, this one is a REAL oddball: it's got the newer swoop neck cutaway, but the old-style circular circuit access panel. Someone find me a 1960 Wish Book, I gotta peg a model number on these 1960-available models...

UNK Dano SSEG MOD $300 Refinished in bronze, light wear, logo lost in refinish, NS tuners, NS bridge. Just so you know, I hate calling this one an 'unknown.'


UNK Teisco SBEG VG $76 Clean, minimal wear, low-contrast block logo strong, chrome shiny. This is the Canadian-sold Simpson-Sears version of the 1406.


1423 Harmony SSEG $281 Sold for parts, finish in awful shape, logo broken at 'S,' pickguard has been painted, pickups/controls look OK, selector switch missing, tailpiece looks alright, NS bridge, NS tuner ferrules, neck seems sound


605 Harmony FTAC G $53 Clean, light wear, 'deco' logo strong w/ some factory overspray to stencil, playing wear to 'cowboy chord' area of fretboard


1208 Harmony FTAC VG $70 Clean, light wear, block logo strong. Aside from the flat-topped headstock, this looks very much like the model guitar Beck is holding on the cover of his "One Foot In The Grave" album



Speaking of stars and guitars, here's that allegedly Bob Hope-owned 1413 from last week:

1413 Kay SBEG VG $295 Clean, light wear, logo strong, screenprint design on pickup cover and tailpiece worn, see listing for the 6th for the story.


1210 Harmony FTAC w/ C G $50 Hard to judge by single photo provided, logo looks strong, pickguard present, seller says "the guitar has some scratches and some dents but is not cracked or broken any where guitar sounds really nice and stays in tune but the tuners are really tight not sure why the bridge is in great shape and so is the neck no buzzing on the neck the tail is missing one flat head screw the guitar sounds nice very full sound"


1204 Harmony FTAC VG $100 Clean, light wear, scuff at logo, tuner plates shiny


1310 Valco lap stee; w/ OC VG $250 Clean, light wear, some staining around jack, logo plate looks good, tuner buttons deteriorated, cord and slide incl., serial #X62894




12/13

A SLEIGHFUL of Silvertone from this past weekend! I've got a feeling this holiday will be like Christmas forty-five years ago, when Santa was packin' amps, guitars and ampcases by the hundreds down chimneys all over. We've got an amazing amount and variety of Silvertonium for this first of the 12 Days. Start unwrapping! Be careful, though... you might go into Silvertone OVERLOAD!

1240 Harmony FHAC w/ OC VG $225 Clean, light wear, block logo strong, stamped F-69. This example is the best Harmony-built 1240 I've seen.1240s were odd birds; there were at least three different styles of this 'borderline' guitar. I call it that because some had cursive Silvertone logos, some had the block style, and some were 'Space Dots.'


619 Kay FHAC w/ C VG $325 Clean, light wear, small logo strong, first 12 frets replaced, nut chipped but functional, stamped P-13, 57-619, and L-5869


658 Kay FHAC w/ C VG $225 Clean, light wear, pickguard missing, logo strong, NS tuners, strap button screwed into back of heel, block markers indicate pre-1966 model, NS bridge


612 Harmony FTAC VG $125 Clean, logo and stencil strong. Seller says "Condition is very good cosmetically but we don't know if it can be played as a guitar, although it has all of its strings and does not seem to be damaged. But it may need professional attention to be used as a guitar." This is the 'non-endorsed' version of the Gene Autry guitar.


1425 Kay HBEG w/ C VG $699 Clean, light wear, neck re-set, re-fretted, checking all over, some light edge flaking, strap button in top of heel, logo strong,


1423 Harmony SSEG w/ C VG $551 Clean, light wear, fret markers yellowing, metal logo intact


1446 Harmony HBEG VG $1250 Clean, light wear, Bigsby and pickguard present, logo intact, knobs yellowed, seller says "Everything is original."


1446 Harmony HBEG VG $885 Clean, Bigsby present, logo strong, pickup bezels and knobs yellowed, repro pickguard, NS tuners, scratches at bridge contact point, truss rod cover has screw crack at top


1454 Harmony HBEG G $435 Clean, edge/surface wear, checking/flaking to sides, Bigsby and pickguard present, logo strong, (1) knob missing / pot post broken off, pickguard screw has stripped threads,  ;light oxidation to pickups bezels, serial #7500H1454


1478 Harmony SBEG G $297 Clean, light wear, NS non-whammy tailpiece, (2) knobs missing, logo faded, tuning keys a bit stiff, pots scratchy, tuning keys and truss rod cover have tape residue, pickguard stamped February 11 1964, pots date to September 1963


1420 Harmony SSEG w/ C VG $363 Clean, light wear, logo strong, flaking to back of neck, lead pickup slanted, old-school Dano footswitch incl.



Our second oval-topped Canadian-sold Teisco in a week!

26875 Teisco MIJ HBEG VG $255 Clean, light wear, whammy present, chrome shiny, glue residue (?) near strap button, unusual logo tag. This is the Simpson-Sears Canadian-sold version of the 1455.


1487 Teisco MIJ SBEG with built -in amp w/ C VG $234 Clean, light wear, "Silver Tone" badge missing, logo strong, battery and speaker covers present, amp said to be non-functional but apparently untested by seller


1392 Dano tube amp G $258 Clean, edge/corner wear, a few grille picks, handle worn, handle captures tarnished, 'V' logo looks good, seller says "The amp sounds really good with a fine rich tone. It's not real loud in the instrument channel and for some reason it is TWICE as loud in the microphone channel. The vibrato [tremolo] sounds GREAT and works perfectly. The amp is fully original except the output transformer and 2 resistor's were changed a long time ago as was the power cord. Fully checked out by my technician and ready to play!"


1484 Dano tube amp only G $250 Clean, light edge/corner wear,  (1) corner broken/repaired, rust to xformers, 1/4" jack mod, reverb tank removed, tremolo non-functional, no footswitch


1472 Dano tube amp G $255 Square speaker cutout, could use a good cleaning, corner/edge wear, red border panel with 'tremolo' spelled correctly, tremolo functional, no footswitch, recently serviced/re-capped, 3-prong AC mod, speaker baffle 'reinforced'


1481 Dano tube amp VG $200 Square speaker cutout, light wear, light adhesive seep to knob inserts, check the seller rockin' the harp!

1482 Dano tube amp MOD $355 Square speaker cutout, stain across face of grille, power switch and pilot light openings plugged on back, switch and light relocated to front panel, tremolo unmentioned but " I had it checked out by my amp repairman," no footswitch


1482 Dano tube amp VG $226 Square speaker cutout, light edge/corner wear, grille shows some 'picking' near bottom, some green checkerboard adhesive reveal all around control face, scratchy pots, tremolo unmentioned, no footswitch. Relisted from November.


1420 Sears tube amp MOD $71 New pine box, same old amp... new caps, looks like a new speaker; the seller didn't say


1448 Dano tube amp in case only VG $150 Clean,  minimal wear, hardware bright, "couple of" caps replaced


604 Harmony FTAC P $9 Edge/surface wear, playing wear to fretboard, NS pickguard, logo strong, neck broken/repaired below headstock, seller says "THIS CAME FROM ABANDONED STORAGE UNIT"


660 Kay FTAC Classical VG $81 Clean, minimal wear, neck straight, stamped L 8634, best money we've seen for classicals lately


2574 Oscar Schmidt autoharp w/ OC VG $165 Clean, light wear, hardware bright, book incl., no tuning wrench visible or mentioned


2574 Oscar Schmidt autoharp w/ OC VG $203 Clean, light wear, tuning wrench incl., seller says "Owned by 95 year old man who played it at special church functions. "


856 Harmony Baritone Ukulele VG $225 Clean, light wear, logo strong, hairline crack repaired, binding and tuners tight


752 Kay mandolin G $103 Edge/surface wear, 'wind chime' logo strong, tuner buttons deteriorating


1315 Harmony lap Steel VG $178 Clean, light wear, tailpiece cover present, 'deco' logo strong


1316 Harmony lap Steel w/ OC VG $208 Clean, minimal wear, tailpiece cover in place,  'deco' logo strong, orig. hardwired cord replaced, NS tuners

UNK Kay FHAC w/ C VG $260 Clean, light wear, logo strong, pickguard present, stamped N-1, probably a 619 or 627, seller says "I got it from my neighbor he said it was under his bed since his buddy went off to the army in the 60's."



Custom-built Footswitches $45 / $35 Seller says designed for "1472, 1482, 1457 amp in case, 1449." I'd reckon it'd work on a 1452, as well. The first one covered in original 1457 Silvertone 'tolex.'


1457 Dano SSEG body and neck $108 Sidewalls gone, no electronics or pickguard, bridge present but saddle missing, nut present, tuners present, logo strong


1446 Harmony HBEG w/ C $151 Body and NS neck ("but it looks like it may work as it fits the neck pocket well"), frets have been removed, finish stripped from neck and headstock, crack at jack hole


1446 Harmony pickguard $55 Bumpers, brackets and screws incl. From guitar above; more to come from same seller as he parts this 'Chris Isaak' out.


1448 Dano neck $153 Tuners present., logo strong, nut present, screws incl.


1484 Dano empty speaker cabinet only $125 Edge/corner wear, 1/4" jack mod, logo tag looks good



12/10

It's all about the guitars today, y'all. We've got a gaggle of geetars from great to merely 'meh,' and prices all over the map to match. Grab your mouse and dig in! First up, let's share this lovely Kay-built archtop from a great auctioneer of Silvertone (and many other guitar brands), Jukeboxbonfire. If you need an example of the way to generate maximum excitement and convey maximum information when selling your instrument, this auction is a prime example.

656 Kay FHAC w/ C MOD $352 Clean, pickguard missing, 'wind chime' logo strong, neck re-set, frets dressed, fingerboard planed and smoothed, nice bird's eye grain on back, light finish checking, small piece of binding missing near bottom strap button. Stamped 1-56 & P4



Another great Silvertone Salesman is Lawman-Mike. He's always got some great items going, and he know and appreciates what you want to know about an instrument you might be wanting to purchase from him.

615 Harmony FTAC w/ C VG $340 Clean, light edge/surface wear, logo strong, tuner plates shiny


1441 Teisco MIJ SBEG E $304 Clean, minimal wear, whammy present, diffraction 'Space Dot' bright, chrome shiny, bridge cover present (!)


1476 Harmony SBEG VG $205 Clean, light wear, logo strong, NS truss rod cover, some grunge up at the nut


1452 Dano SBEG guitar only G $900 Edge/surface wear, some checking/flaking, scratches to whammy back cover and pickup covers, playing wear to pickguard at rhythm pickup treble side, rust to jack nuts, tuner keys & screws, NS whammy arm, logo strong


1436 Teisco MIJ SBEG  F $122 Sold as project, logo tag/(2) tuner posts/whammy assembly/(2) knobs missing, serial #269007, heavy fret wear


1460 Teisco MIJ MOD $203 Poor photos are hard to judge, logo in bad shape, NS Gibson humbuckers & electronics, see last pic for original example


710 Harmony FHAC MOD $90 Refinished, pickguard missing, bridge missing, 'deco' logo strong


Finish off the day with one lone amp...

1481 Dano tube amp VG $125 Square speaker cutout, light corner wear, some adhesive seep to knob inserts, logo plate looks good, handle captures show light rust, back panel missing



12/9

Stockingful of Jack White amps today! Seem like that's the name these 1484 and 1485 amps have inherited over the last couple of years. Beck uses one to crank the sound of his 1448 guitar, and Howlin' Wolf was often seen with one of these well-loved amps behind him. Oh, and let's not forget Lenny Haise from The Wonders! Who else is rockin' these great amps? Let me know!



1484 Dano tube amp only VG $455 Could use a good cleaning, faceplate smudgy but no rust dots, light wear, light rust to handle captures, innards shiny, 1/4" jack mod, 3-prong AC mod, rev/trem functional, silkscreened chassis ID


1484  Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet G $501 Light wear, recently re-capped, NS output tubes, stock Jensens, rev/trem functional, no footswitch, oxidation dots on faceplate, logoplate discolored


1484 Dano tube amp only G $300 Edge wear, oxidation dots to front panel, rust to xformers, stock tubes, 1/4" jack mod, rev/trem functional, no footswitch, seller says "turns on and everything seems to work.. I'm assuming it's all 100% original.. I didn't clean it at all or do anything to it so it is fresh out of 20 years of garage storage."


1485 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet MOD $900 Repainted black (successfully test-removed from bottom panel), all (6) stock Jensens in place, light wear, 1/4" jack mods to back, 3-prong AC & convenience outlet mod, tremolo functional, re-capped as needed, reverb removed from circuit (original broken reverb parts incl.) pots date unit to 1965


1421 Sears tube amp G $41 Rough appearance, but apparently works great with tremolo functional, (2) NS knobs


1455 Teisco MIJ HBEG VG $200 Clean, minimal wear, chrome shiny, whammy present, logo strong


653 Kay FHAC G $210 Clean, light wear, light buckle rash, light checking esp. at headstock, pickguard missing, logo strong, unusual headstock


641 Harmony FTAC VG $30 Clean, light edge wear, logo strong, low E tuner slightly bent, same guitar as the 1210


657 Harmony FTAC Classical G $66 Clean, edge/surface wear, fingerboard wear, light checking, high action, serial 4033H173, stamped S-64


853 Harmony ukulele E $63 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, tuners tight, "mahogany" sticker present, original box/books/felt pick incl.


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case F $268 Plenty of wear to guitar (esp. on back), sidewalls dingy, all knobs discolored, logo strong, ampcase outer covering looks good, inside ampcase shows wear and logo has been removed, NS speakers, amp/guitar untested


1448 Dano tube amp in case only G $250 Wear to case, glitter writing on grille (looks like "The Lazy"), scary hook mods inside case (no idea what they do), damage to amp chassis, weird sticker on chassis, case hardware shows light rust, amp functional


1457 Dano tube amp in case only VG $214 Clean, light wear, knob inserts missing, corner chew/separation, hardware shows light rust, tremolo unmentioned, seller says "Amp works fine."



Isn't it weird they'd name a 12-string guitar with all 6s?

666 Harmony FTAC 12-string G $250 Clean, edge/surface wear, light checking, NS pickguard (see the shadow?), truss rod cover missing, logo strong



UNK Dano replacement bridge $31 Just thought I'd let y'all know these are out there. This one is a string-through version, so you'd have to mod a stock 1448/49/57/51/52. There's also a stop-tailpiece version, and you'll have to hunt to find them; Danguitars is out, but allparts seem to have some.


1484 Dano knob $20 Manufactured by and identified "Plastic-Ware N.Y.C." stamped inside



12/8

Not a bad haul for a Wednesday... and for our first up we've got a beautiful example of my favorite Dano-built Silvertone AND a mystery! This clean 1451 setup sold for a good dollar, and it was signed by.... Stadelish Intl? Stardust Jill? Stedeluck Jewel? It was somebody important/famous enough for a previous owner to seek out their autograph, apparently... anyone got any ideas? Stadetusk July? Little help?

1451 Dano SBEG and tube ampincase VG $428 Clean guitar and ampcase, light wear, logo strong, NS tuners, "Award Winner" gold sticker on headstock, undecipherable signature


1423 Harmony SSEG w/ OC MOD $630 Clean, light edge wear/flaking, logo intact, repro pickguard w/ no legend, NS bone nut, top of truss rod cover has screw crack, built from two 1423s


26875 Teisco MIJ HBEG VG $320 Clean, light wear, whammy present, NS pickup selector, small ding on bass horn, light buckle rash, unusual logo tag, (1) nut missing from back of string holder bar, back of control panel stamped 68 412; mid-April 1968? This is the Simpson-Sears Canadian-sold version of the 1455.


620 Kay FTAC G $178 Clean, edge/surface wear, buckle rash, playing wear on bass edge of soundhole, D tuner bent, top pickguard screw missing, tuner covers show rust,  logo strong, stamped L957 8105


615 Harmony FTAC VG $68 Clean, light wear, logo strong, neck has been re-set


1484 Dano tube amp only VG $291 Clean, minimal wear, face plate bright, top shielding panel shows a few minor 'catches' along top edge, rev/trem functional, no footswitch


1464 Dano solid state amp and speaker cabinet VG $250 Clean, light wear, tremolo works, reverb iffy, NS Morley footswitch incl.


1482 Dano tube amp G $250 Square speaker cutout, some edge/corner wear, (3) knobs missing inserts, scratchy pots, tremolo unmentioned, no footswitch, back panel status unknown


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $305 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, light edge wear to ampcase and guitar, 3/4" tear to covering on speaker grille edge, clean sidewalls, adhesive seep to knobs, couple of light dings at neck mount


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case G $301 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, NS speaker, NS bridge, corner wear to ampcase,  guitar knob inserts worn, glitter loss on bass side top, early version of this setup; two-bolt neck with narrow attach pier and offset strap button, but a line knob insert on amp, oval-buttoned strip tuners


1448 Dano tube amp in case only $129 Sold as "EZ Project," grille looks good, covering shows light wear, case hardware shows rust, seller says "Powers up, hums loudly, just lays there. No sound, even with cord plugged in. All tubes light. Does NOT smoke, or anything like that. Speaker dryrotted, hole in it."


1457 Dano SSEG and tube amp in case VG $490 Clean,  arm wear/glitter loss and some edge wear along bass top side, playing wear to neck, wear to treble side of bridge, ampcase shows minimal wear, amp chassis clean, tremolo unmention but seller says "All electronics work."


661 Kay FTAC 4-string tenor w/ C F $62 Surface/edge wear, a few dings, logo gone but shadow slightly visible (see contrast-enhanced photo), back separating at damaged area, neck beginning to pull, (3) tuner ferrules missing, nut missing, stamped L-1938. Relisted.


853 Harmony ukulele VG $45 Clean, light wear, logo strong, tuners tight, "mahogany" sticker 80% present


1836 Oscar Schmidt autoharp w/ OC VG $150 Clean, light wear, no access. incl., recently re-felted, case hardware shows rust, this is the 12-chord model, painted ivory/black rather than the 25XX 'natural' finish series, model sticker 57-18369 present



1484 Dano empty speaker cabinet only $66 Light edge wear, a big corner chew on back, no speakers, no logo, top panel braced, water damage visible to bottom of baffle


1410 Teisco MIJ SBEG Pickguard/pickup/electronics $40 Functional, neck pickup stamped 7 31 69


Repro archtop pickguard $25 Just wanted to let y'all know these are out there, available from this ebay seller. In addition to Silvertone repro parts, they've got Dano, Kay, Harmony, Gibson, Epiphone, Mosrite and more!



12/7

As in Christmases long past, we're seeing a LOT of ampincase action here just before the holidays. I'm sure Nat Daniel and Joe Fisher would be proud of their babies.

First up, a sad tale of a Silvertone that its owner just wasn't happy with... something about its black sparkle and lipstick tube pickup and swoop headstock wasn't right in its owners eyes. So... off came the sparkle, CHOP! went the headstock, and a circular hole was cut in the top and a different pickup dropped in the place of the famous Dano-made lipstick tube. I won't even mention the white painted sidewalls, knobs and pickguard... *sniff*

1448 Dano SSEG guitar only MOD $55 The seller humorously made a tentative ID on this Frankentone as a VOX. "Electronics not connected."



From here on out, the picture gets a little rosier on the ampcase front.

1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $330 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, tear in ampcase covering on edge of speaker grille, sidewalls clean, knobs show adhesive seep


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case G $215 Edge/surface wear, headstock worn but logo strong, headstock decorated with 'JIMI' pin, grille shows some 'picks,' wear to amp chassis, edge/corner wear to ampcase covering, scratches to top of guitar and glitter missing on top half


1448 Dano SSEG guitar only G $261 Edge wear, glitter worn off on bass side, knob inserts missing, NS red tuners, same guitar sold back in January  '09.


1448 Dano SSEG guitar only G $133 Could use a good cleaning, logo strong, knobs show adhesive seep, tuner housing split


1448 Dano tube ampincase only G $145 Clean, light wear, triangle knob insert, tubes light up; no sound


1448 Dano tube ampincase only G $126 Clean, light wear, hardware shows rust


1448 Dano tube ampincase only G $100 Clean, light wear, (1) broken latch, triangle knob insert shows some adhesive seep, grille in good shape, functional


1457 Dano SSEG and tube amp in case VG $341 Clean,  light wear, everything looks good in single photo provided, cord keeper still present, logo strong, tremolo unmentioned, no footswitch



That's it for the ampcases; now let's rock a few amps before we jump back into the guitars and other instruments...

1471 Dano tube amp VG $150 Round speaker cutout, clean, light edge/corner wear, NS handle, grille and logoplate look good


1481 Dano tube amp VG $179 Round speaker cutout, clean, minimal wear, rust to screws/handle captures, oxidation to amp chassis, stain to back panel


1482 Dano tube amp VG $335 Round speaker cutout, light wear, light oxidation to amp chassis, scratchy pots, tremolo functional, no footswitch


1483 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $500 Clean, light wear, light staining to grille, back panel/shelf apparently missing


1417 Dano SSEG VG $520 Clean, logo intact, NS pickguard or modded, playing wear near bridge


1415 Dano SSEG G $331 Clean, arm wear on lower bass bout, logo broken at 'S,' playing wear to neck, tone control and toggle switch non-functional; volume OK, compare stock pickguard to modded example above


1477 Harmony SBEG w/ OC  VG $218 Clean, edge wear/flaking, logo strong, chrome shiny, 1st fret marker missing


1420 Harmony SSEG VG $328 Clean, light wear, logo strong


1410 Teisco MIJ SBEG finish G overall VG $108 Clean, whammy present, logo strong, checking to finish



With that extra bridge, I'd imagine the intonation of this next guitar is... um... unique!

1487 Teisco MIJ SBEG with built -in amp G $173 Clean, NS extraneous bridge, amp non-functional


630 or 618 Kay FHAC VG $180 Clean, light wear, pickguard missing, maroon logo strong, stamped L 2373 6887 & P4


802 Banjo VG $184 5-string w/ resonator, clean, light wear, light oxidation to hardware, light playing wear to back of neck, logo strong, resonator looks great


661 Kay FTAC 4-string tenor MOD $270 Clean, and I'll just let the seller/modder tell the rest of the story: " I replaced the plastic inlay dots with pearl, made new bone nut and saddle, and replaced the tuners with new Grovers. The top was removed and I stripped the ladder braces and X-braced the top. I sanded down the peghead and re-cut the shape, adding a Brazillian rosewood peghead veneer and some tasteful sylvan pearl inlay. I also cut & shaped a pearl truss rod cover. This guitar is a true player's hot rod, and I have used it in two ways - first, as it is currently strung with three unwound and one light nickel wound strings, as a jazz machine, playing closed chords up the neck. It has a nice bright, snappy sound in this configuration. Second, I have strung it with three heavier wound bronze strings and one wound string, which makes it more like a baritone guitar. In this configuration it makes a great back up guitar for Celtic music or fiddle tunes, and has been used for many a contra dance."


2574 Oscar Schmidt autoharp w/ OC VG $103 Clean, light wear, had to lighten up the single pic provided to find the tuning wrench... but there it is!



12/6

On the 6th Day of December my true love didn't get me: A 1300 guitar and a 1391 amp, a Canadian 1455, a 1423 Jupiter, a 1472 amplifier, a 1960 1416, fiiiiive 1448s, an American 1455, a 1413 that supposedly belonged to Bob Hope, a 1443 bass... OK, you get the point; no partridge in a pear tree, but a LOT of great items didn't sell over the weekend. I reckon the holiday buying season takes a bite out of Silvertone sales, and maybe we'll have an uptick right after folks find those stockings stuffed with cash. Still, there was some great stuff that DID sell, and I'm going to get to as much of it as I can today. First up, TWO might fine 1429s going for nearly two grand between them!

1429 Harmony HBEG w/ OC E $1100 Clean, minimal wear, chrome shiny, nice graining, orig. paperwork incl., groovy artwork on case


1429 Harmony HBEG MOD $750 Clean, light wear, NS Bigsby, repro 'S' added to original logo, (2) NS tuners, some edge wear/flaking,


1300 Dano SSEG w/ C G $400 Clean, wear to finish on bass side top and bridge area, playing wear to neck finish, logo worn, pickguard missing


1416/1419 Dano SSEG G $336 Clean, some surface/edge, logo looks intact, possible NS knobs, can't tell much more from single pic provided


1304 Dano SSEG G $499 Could use a good cleaning, edge/surface wear, sidewall loose on bass upper side, logo worn, treble side tuners NS, pickguard missing



Here's a rarity: the short-lived Kay-built 1411.

1411 Kay SBEG VG $175 Clean, light wear, logo strong, tailpiece cover missing, (4) tuner ferrules missing


1418 Teisco MIJ HBEG VG $225 Clean, whammy present, light wear, truss rod cover missing, logo tag looks good, NS Kluson tuners


604 Harmony FTAC G $61 Clean, edge/surface wear, logo strong


2574 Oscar Schmidt autoharp w/ C G $96 Clean, light wear, books/picks/cassette incl., no tuning wrench mentioned or visible



OK, I know you're probably wondering about the 'Bob Hope' mention up there. Well, here's what the seller said: "The item was acquired by me last week from some local scrappers who were asked to clean out a trailer in storage. Believe it or not the two scrappers, with not more than a total of an eighth grade education between them, did not know who Bob Hope was! The trailer had an address to a New York Penthouse, it was filled with personal belongings such as suits, photos, Macys day parade items etc. The pickers threw most of the stuff in the trash because they were only interested in metal scrap. The guitar was just about the only thing they though was worth anything. They did not mention any of this until after our transaction was complete and I asked them where they got it! One of them has a gold ring with the Hope family crest on it; unbelievable." Nothin' special about the guitar, just a Kay-built 1413 in pretty good shape. It'd be nice to have some provenance... a photo of Bob holding the guitar in a skit or something.



12/3

There's a Hank Williams song that has a line it it: "The hide's gettin' scace."  It's from the song "Please Make Up Your Mind," where poor Hank is describing his worsening condition at the hands of his seemingly rather violent sweety. Ol' Hank uses a vernacular or 'country' version of the word "scarce" so he can rhyme with the previous line asking her to "slow down the pace."
Anyway... that's what I thought of when I was perusing today's auctions. Kinda "scace" for a Friday. I'm sure the busy holiday season has a lot to do with it, but we've still got a few choice Silvertonium baubles to share with you. First up, it's an OK example of an oddball guitar: the KAY-made 604 model. At some point in the mid-60s, Kay made at least a handful of the ubiquitous 604 guitar. Whether it was to fill a gap in Harmony production, to try and prove to Sears they could build a low-ball priced guitar too, or for some other reason, these slightly different body shaped, narrow-headed, Kay-stamped, slightly wider pin-striped, slightly different faux-grain stenciled guitars were available from Sears for some time at some point. I can't tell you more than that.

604 Kay FTAC G $56 Clean, edge/surface wear, light rust to tuner plates, D and G tuners bent. Relisted.



Here's a first for Silvertone World! This 1200C flattop is from a mid-70s family of guitars that were made in Taiwan!

1200C MIT FTAC VG $42 Clean, light wear, original braided cord 'strap' incl.


1217 Harmony FTAC G $51 Clean, light wear, light finish checking, diffraction 'Space Dot'  looks good, neck pulling up a bit, stamped F-70. Relisted.

1464 Dano solid state amp and speaker cabinet G $199 Clean, light edge/corner wear, staining to grille, (3) knob inserts missing, back panel in place, rev/trem functional, no footswitch. Relisted from October.


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case G $365 Cord 'burn' to length of back of guitar, light wear to amp and guitar, scratchy pots, logo strong, transitional version of this setup; three-bolt neck with triangle knob inserts, oval-buttoned strip tuners.



How retro cool would it be to turn one of these into an iPod dock? I suppose the 'books' (in this model, it's the works of mark Twain) had to be porous or perforated somehow to let the music through... maybe the books are just a floating front and the music seeps out the edge. Anybody got one of these?

9636 Sears Speaker E $24 Clean, minimal wear, colors bright, seller says "UNUSED EXCEPT FOR TESTING. SILVERTONE SPEAKER ENCLOSURE MODEL 9636, TERMINAL INDEPENDENCE: 8 OHMS, SPEAKER PART NO. SR69D-8, SEARS ROEBUCK AND CO., MADE IN THE U.S.A. THE OUTSIDE IS A LIGHT WEIGHT WOOD WITH THIN VINYL COVER, THE LOOK ALIKE BOOKS ARE A 7 VOLUME SET OF MARK TWAIN. 8 1/4" TALL, 10 3/4" LONG AND 6" DEEP."


UNK Kay FHAC G $235 Clean, pickguard present, edge/surface wear, some checking/flaking, 'wind chime' logo strong, some music book print transfer to back of guitar from case storage



12/2

Well, THAT didn't take long! Our first up today is our first Frankentone of the month, a worse for wear, lightly decorated, slightly modded 'Jupiter,' the venerable Harmony-built 1423.

1423 Harmony SSEG w/ OC MOD $300 Edge/surface wear, NS 'extra' pickguard, finish flaking, logo broken at 'S,' NS bridge, NS selector knob, tarnish to pickup covers, fret markers and binding yellowing


1454 Harmony HBEG w/ C VG $675 Clean, light wear, Bigsby present, logo strong, NS locking tuners, NS roller bridge, middle pickup missing; covered with custom-made plate



Can you believe we didn't even have ONE 658 last month?!?

658 Kay FHAC G $232 Clean, light wear, pickguard missing, NS tuners, NS bridge, unusual small logo strong, block markers indicate pre-1966 model, stamped  L 5907



Haven't seen a 'Starship' in a while.... much less the rare sunsetburst-finished model.

1436 Teisco MIJ SBEG  VG $565 Clean, light wear, logo tag looks good, whammy present, couple of small checks to finish


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $399 Clean guitar and ampcase, light wear, guitar knobs in sad shape, logo strong


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case G $223 Playing wear/scuffs to top bass side, surface/edge wear, knobs discolored,  early version of this setup; two-bolt neck with narrow attach pier and offset strap button, triangle knob inserts, oval-buttoned strip tuners. Seller says "The guitar has no strings but it worked fine last time it was played it is missing the volume knob on the amp it still has the silvertone tubes in it some wear as i have played it for 20 years."


1474 Dano tube amp $299 Sold as project, edge wear to covering, some oxidation to face plate, handle strong, (3) NS knobs, back panel missing, seller says "This amp was working when I purchased it about 5 years ago but was popping fuses after being on for a few minutes. Could probably stand a servicing including a cap job, grounded power cord and definitely new tubes."


1482 Dano tube amp VG $225 Square speaker cutout, (1) NS knob, light wear, tremolo functional, no footswitch, back panel missing,  seller says " I just had it serviced by Mick Miller (amp tech and builder for the Black Keys). It really does sound fantastic."


603 Harmony FTAC VG $119 Clean, light wear, logo strong, chrome shiny, original box incl., stamped F-66-GM



1446 Harmony pickup/electronics/bezels $350 Gibson-made pickups, mounting rings and V/T network for the popular 'Chris Isaak' model, tested functional. These are the "Patent #2,737,842" vs. the "Patent Applied For" stickered models. Oddly enough, this patent number is actually for a Les Paul credited trapeze tailpiece from 1952. Hit the first link for more info, but here's the money quote from that Wikipedia link: "Gibson printed the incorrect number on some PAF stickers after they obtained a patent (U.S. Patent 2,896,491) for the PAF pickups. Most humbuckers were labeled with U.S. Patent 2,737,842 until 1962 and the number shown on the pickup is actually a patent for a Gibson trapeze tailpiece bridge and not for a pickup at all. Both true PAFs and incorrect patent marked PAFs are fairly rare today and make an expensive vintage collectors' item."



12/1

Humongous November!  Parades, turkeys, stuffing, gravy and incredible Silvertone sales! In November 2010, we reported on over 327 auctions totaling $87,831! That takes the stuffing out of last November by almost ten grand!

Here's some highlights of what changed hands:  An amazing (35) 1448 guitars/amps or one or the other, (18) 1457 guitars/amps or one or the other, (15) 1484 amps, (15) 1482 amps, (5) 1481 amps, (11) 'Chris Isaak'  1446 model guitars, and only (2) 1385/1427 'Espanadas,' one of which was our highest dollar item at a $1450.  The least amount brought in November was $1 for three cool Silvertone 45PRM record adapters.

If you haven't visited November 2010, give it a look... it was QUITE a month, with some great items, and exciting new info about the Dano-built 1450/52!



Starting December off in fine fashion with our first up, a well-kept and quite rare 1485, the last American-made Silvertone-branded electric guitar to be sold by Sears.

1485 Harmony HBEG w/ OC E $975 Clean, minimal wear, chrome and finish shiny, block logo strong, includes original truss rod adjustment wrench and plastic guitar cover, serial #5428S1485


618 Kay FTAC G $225 Edge/surface wear, 'wind chime' logo strong, NS tuners, 'repair' to heel, seller says "This guitar needs adjusting and has a screw in the neck... it all works, but right now it doesn't play great."



Another of those odd hybrid lap steel with the mother-of-diner-counter covering from a 1310 paired with the body and controls of a 1311. This one's paired with a non-functioning 1391 amp.

1311 Valco lap Steel w/ OC VG and 1391 Dano tube amp F both for $170 Lap steel is clean with minimal wear, logo plate and gold-sparkle buttons look great, serial X93540. Amp shows wear, missing handle, volume pot shaft broken and knob missing, non-functional