February 2011     



This month's feature article:

3/2

Alright, already... let's get February outta here! Like Emily Litella said "It's always something," and I just haven't been able to hammer this month's end out. Well, today's the day. Here we go, the last handful of Silvertonium from February 2011. Rare first.

This 'Aristocrat' is not only rare, it comes with an action-packed story!

676 Kay FHAC F $199 Plenty of wear, fancy bridge still present, MOP markers look good, finish / binding / pickguard / headstock laminate mellowed/faded, neck separating a bit, back separating at neck, tuner buttons deteriorating, rust to tuner plates/covers, screw in heel... and THE HOLE... seller says "I bought this from my picker who bought it from an 80 year old gentleman who said this guitar was his grandfathers. Regarding the hole in the body, the story is as follows: A scorned lover attacked him with a high heel shoe. The grandfather raised the guitar in self defense and it took the beating!" Relisted in March.


632 Harmony FTAC w/ C F $125 Plenty of surface/edge wear, 'snowflake' fret marker stencils look good, some finish checking/flaking, 'deco' logo strong, rust to tailpiece and tuner plates, NS nut shimmed, a couple of small stable cracks



Even though this is the nicest 698 model I've seen, EKO just couldn't seem to avoid major finish checking down the line on these instruments. And while we're on the subject, anybody got a mid-60s Italian Sears catalog?

698 EKO FTAC VG $134 Clean, tuners shiny, tuner buttons bright white, logo and 'Made In Italy' stencil strong, back shows finish checking


710 Harmony FHAC F $75 Clean, edge wear, buckle rash, pickguard missing, fretboard wear, crack running length of body on treble side of body passing through mid-side of f-hole, short crack on bass side, back separating at bottom


1321 Dano SSEG F $307 Wear all over, back painted blue at some point, pickguard and cavity cover missing, logo worn, NS (but exact replacement) bridge/saddle, NS knobs, NS strap buttons, NS tuners, recently professionally set up. Relisted from earlier in month.


657 Harmony FTAC Classical w/ C VG $170 Clean, light wear, inside label looks good


604 Harmony FTAC VG $86 Clean, light wear, logo strong, plenty of 'cross graining' to the faux grain front and back. Relisted from earlier in month.


600 series Harmony FTAC VG $200 Clean, light wear, logo strong,  low E and G tuners bent


1448 Dano SSEG guitar only VG $275 Clean, light wear, a scratch by the D tuner, logo strong, light rust to tuner buttons, knob inserts discolored


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $315 Clean, guitar and amp show light wear, case hardware clean, guitar has sidewall case rub on treble side bottom, logo strong, knobs slightly discolored, seller says "Recently recapped, so no need to worry about capacitor hum. Original tubes test fine and will be included, but I'll throw in a new power and rectifier tube just because I happen to have them around."


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $350 Clean, guitar and amp show light wear, logo strong, knobs discolored, not sure what happened to the short saddle, new jack on amp


1457 Dano SSEG guitar only w/ C G $373 Clean, light wear, NS white dome ribbed knobs, logo worn, some grunge to pickup covers and fretboard


1457 Dano SSEG tube amp in case only G $133 Clean, some corner wear, grille looks good, some rust/staining to grille bezel, some rust and NS screws to re-mounted case hardware, tremolo function unmentioned, no footswitch


1484  Dano tube amp only MOD $178 Recovering material painted black and blue, reverb doesn't work, trem untested, some NS tubes, 1/4" jack mod, no footswitch


1484  Dano speaker cabinet only VG $256 Clean, light wear, 1/4" jack mod to back panel, both stock Jensens present, stamping indicates 1966 build


802 Banjo w/ OC VG $82 5-string w/ resonator, clean, light wear, hardware shiny, logo worn at 'S'


853 Harmony ukulele F $33 Clean, logo strong, damage to back


853 Harmony ukulele VG $100 Clean, light wear, logo strong, neck and wood tuners tight


1836 Oscar Schmidt autoharp P $13 Clean, cracked at tuning pegs, top warped, no case or accessories



3/1

Still cleaning up February, y'all! I've have it tidied up tomorrow, I promise! Here's a nice ukulele to tide you over.

852 Harmony ukulele VG $71 Clean, light wear, stencil and logo strong, one little chip off headstock on treble side top



2/28

February, we hardly knew ye! Great month, though; some nice discoveries, great items and a lot of fun. We'll try and finish up everything tonight (it was the biggest weekend of the month) count the money that changed hands, and get a report out ASAP. Ready for Spring? You better believe it!

Let's kick it into high gear with some big money items, first off this good lookin' (the handle captures are still shiny!) good-rockin' 1484, bringin' in nearly a grand:

1484  Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet E $980 Clean, minimal wear,  grille and covering look great, logoplate present, amp and speaker still connected, even the handle capturese are shiny, footswitch incl., seller says "Plays excellent no sound issues."



Bringing half as much, but 100 times more rare is this 1473:

1473 Dano tube amp VG $495 Clean, light wear



Back into the nearly-a-thousand neighborhood with this 'Black Beauty:'

1385 Harmony HBEG G $899 Clean, light wear, logo "painted over," pickguard missing (small piece hanging on by cutaway), crack on back



Now for a gig bag full of goodies, some rare, some not, all bringing in respectable moolah:

1457 Dano SSEG guitar and tube amp in case E $650 Clean, minimal wear to guitar and ampcase, chrome and finish shiny, sidewalls bright, tremolo functional, original guitar cord and footswitch incl., cabinet stamping indicates 1965 build. Relisted from earlier in month.


1484  Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $750 Clean, light wear, XLR and 1/4" mods on back panel, rev/trem functional, no footswitch, some NS tubes, component dating indicates 1965 build


1484  Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $596 Clean, covering shows light wear except for that big scuff on the front edge, some NS tubes, rev/trem functional,  footswitch incl., stamping indicates 1965 build


1484  Dano tube amp only G $375 Clean, light wear, 2x 1/4" jack mods on back panel, seller says (and this is the entire descrip) "WORKS FINE NO ISSUES PLAYS FINE! Looks all original. Some smaller tears on the tolex in the corners."


1488 Harmony SBEG VG $456 Clean, whammy arm present, light wear, low-contrast logo strong, lamination line showing on headstock, white paint (?) to diamonds of rhythm and middle pickup, light oxidation to tailpiece assembly and pickup covers


1488 Harmony SBEG G $231 Clean, edge/surface wear, crack along lamination line at headstock ,logo faded, some pitting to tailpiece and whammy arm, nut/washer missing from jack, pickup covers dirty/corroded, untested


1481 Dano tube amp VG $350 Clean, round speaker cutout, light wear, re-capped, 3-prong AC mod, (1) NS tube, grille and logoplate look good, NS wood back panel, knobs slightly discolored, handle captures show light rust


1481 Dano tube amp VG $175 Clean, square speaker cutout, light wear, back panel present, handle captures rusty


1482 Dano tube amp VG $390 Square speaker cutout, light wear, control panel clean, light rust to handle captures, tremolo functional, no footswitch, cabinet stamping indicates 1968 build making this one of the last 1482 models made


1482 Dano tube amp G $245 Round speaker cutout, edge wear, wear/grunge to knobs, back panel missing, tremolo functional, no footswitch


1482 Dano tube amp VG $305 Square speaker cutout, clean, light wear, NS AC plug, back panel missing


1483 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet G $375 Rust dots to faceplate, speaker cabinet front has been painted black, cabinet stamping indicates 1966 build date, seller says "I brought it up on a Variac without any problems. The Amp does work but should be gone over as there is a hum all the time. It also needs a cord as the original had a break in it... I just put the new cord on temporarily to test it... a correct one should be soldered in & probably the ground switch eliminated & grounded properly. I checked all 4 inputs & they all functioned though not much volume below 3 on any on them though all I had was a cheapo microphone so may be different with a bass or guitar. Bass & Treble appear to work on both sides & are pretty quiet for not being used for 20 or 30 years
but the pots should be sprayed."



Wolves on Jupiter!

1423 Harmony SSEG MOD $435 Edge/surface wear, some finish checking/flaking, wolf decals front and back, NS tuners, NS bridge, repair at jack, logo missing, currently setup for slide, volume knob missing/shaft split, "Lethal Threat" on pickguard



One good mod deserves another, I guess... It didn't sell, but I thought you'd like to see it.

1423 Harmony SSEG MOD DNS Pickup area had been cut/rearranged, pickguard modified, NS knobs, logo strong



And another...

1304 Dano SSEG w/ OC MOD $403 Clean, light wear, sidewalls clean, NS pickguard, logo worn at second 'e.' I wonder if there's something hidden under the expansive pickguard...


1437Teisco MIJ SBEG VG $380 Clean, whammy arm present, light wear, logo tag looks good


653 Kay FHAC w/ C VG $264 Clean, light wear, playing wear to neck, treble side tuners NS, logo strong, pickguard present, nice deep blue, decal residue on headstock




1457 Dano SSEG pickguard/electronics $196 Both pickup covers split, (1) top knob missing, pickguard/knobs dirty, selector and jack washers rusty, shielding opened, screws incl.


1451 Dano SBEG body/electronics $175 No neck, NS knobs, star decorations on pickguard, no bridge/tailpiece, NS pickup, seller says "The body was originally drilled for a short scale neck, but holes have been drilled to move the bridge for a longer scale. Also, the pickguard has been slightly cut in front of the bridge in order to accommodate the bridge being moved forward." This is the second 'inside look' we've gotten of a 1451 recently, and it looks like confirmation of Danelectro routing the body for two pickups whether the body was destined to be a 1451 or 1452.


1454 Harmony HBEG body/neck $256 No hardware or electronics, no pickguard or truss rod cover, lamination lines showing on headstock, logo strong



These three parts came from the same seller/guitar

1448 Dano SSEG body $38 No hardware or electronics, surface wear, both strap buttons present, sidewalls clean, looks like a break at bass side horn


1448 Dano SSEG neck/tuners $61 Logo gone, no nut, oval-buttoned strip tuners missing posts


1448 Dano SSEGpickguard $19 Some wear,  red mark on edge mid-guard, orig. screws incl.



2/25

Let's see, it would have been George Harrison's 68th birthday today! And, look, there's the guitar-playin' former Beatle with 4/5ths of the Traveling Wilburys, and he's a-pickin' on our favorite amp-in-case twanger, the 1448!

And let's lead the day off with the very same model George is playin' up there...

1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $315 Clean, guitar and ampcase show light wear, all knobs show light adhesive seep, guitar logo strong, looks like light rust stains to sidewalls, light rust to tuners, ampcase has a rip in covering on one end,  stain to grille, rust to hardware


Followed by its slightly more well-appointed sister...

1457 Dano SSEG guitar and tube amp in case VG $434 Guitar and ampcase show light wear, weird scratch/stain/run on back of guitar, 3-way selector switch has been replaced by lead/rhythm 2-way, knobs show a bit of grunge,  jack nut/ washer shows rust, tremolo intermittent,  footswitch incl.


1369 Kay SSEG G $710 Clean, light wear, checking/flaking, pickups losing chrome, NS tuners, logo strong, rust/pitting to tailpiece, NS strap bottom, binding missing on treble side back


1444 Dano SSEG bass VG $700 Clean, light wear, chrome and finish shiny, logo missing, playing wear to neck, chrome shiny, knobs clean, sidewalls  a bit dingy, pots date to 1959, pro setup, new strings


1471 Dano tube amp VG $290 Clean, light wear, NS Weber speaker,  grille shows wear at speaker bolts, back panel shows light stains, knobs clean, rust to handle captures

1482 Dano tube amp VG $241 Round speaker cutout, clean, light wear, light grille staining, missing back cover, couple of corner dings, tremolo functional, no footswitch, stamping indicates 1963 build, one of the very first 1482 models, seller says "At full volume the speaker tends to fart out a bit." First time I've heard THAT...


1448 Dano tube amp in case only F $78 Lining worn, NS speaker, covering wear/rips, hardware and handles all present and functional, grille looks surprisingly good, tubes light up and amp emits hum; otherwise untested


633 Harmony FTAC VG $299 Clean, light wear, bridge tight, logo strong, binding tight and white, back clean, seller says "The action is high." Relisted in March.


661 Kay FTAC 4-string tenor guitar w/ C VG $204 Clean, light surface wear, (1) endpin top broken off, logo strong, stamped B-3, N-7 and L 1191


758 Kay mandolin MOD $153 Venetian model, refinished, pickguard missing, neck pulling away, scalloped head with strong 'wind chime' logo preserved, dot marker missing at 16th fret, tailpiece rusty


2574 Oscar Schmidt autoharp G $36 Clean, keys unevenly yellowed, E7 and A7 keys sticky, model sticker present (but faded nearly away),  groovy homemade corduroy case incl.



2/24

It didn't sell, and probably came off a TV or radio, but man, what a beauty! Great way to start off a day of this and that.


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $430 Clean, guitar and ampcase show light wear, guitar knobs show adhesive seep, logo strong, plenty of glitter, chrome shiny, some case rub marks to bottom sidewalls


619 Kay FHAC w/ OC VG $250 Clean, light wear, logo strong, nice graining, binding tight, strung as a lefty at some point; pickguard screw holes have been filled, stamped N-1


1448 Dano tube amp in case only G $118 Clean, functional, some lining wear, rust to original hardware, NS hinges, outer covering looks good with light corner wear, grille tight and clean, earlier model; triangle knob insert


1472 Dano tube amp G $400 Square speaker cutout, looks like some overspray of black paint around grille edges, corner/edge wear to covering, handle in good shape, back panel present, NS orange pilot lamp cover, no footswitch, red border panel with 'tremlo' misspell, tremolo untested, no footswitch


1481 Dano tube amp VG $158 Clean, light wear, square speaker cutout, grille pushed in slightly at cutout, logoplate looks good,


1232 MIJ Classical VG $27 Could use a good cleaning, light wear under the finger smudges, sticker residue below bridge, block-logo Silvertone label present


856 Harmony baritone ukulele w/ OC VG $61 Clean,  looks like some light wear through the blurry photos, logo strong


1836 Oscar Schmidt autoharp w/ OC G $150 Clean, edge wear, some sticker residue and scrapes on the back, recently reassembled/refurbished, no accessories mentioned or seen in photos, "Starla Breazeale" left her silvery cursive mark on the back


802 Banjo w/ OC G $100 5-string w/ resonator, clean, light wear, logo strong, (1) tuner broken


7443 Sears stereo headphones VG $21 Clean, logos strong, looks like the only difference between this set and the 7444 set we saw a couple of days ago is the color of the headband!



2/23

Mars Needs Guitars... and it looks like it's got at least these two. Not often I lead off with a non-Silvertone object, much less two, but these crept through the Silvertone filter, and both of 'em could be a Silvertone, and I do love the frequent serendipitousness we enjoy here at Silvertone World, so here goes. The 1326 Silvertone is a rare bird, offered only in the Spring/Summer 1959 Sears catalog along with its two-pickup sister, the 1327. The 1326 was the one-pickup darkburst version of the Silvertones that were derived from the popular Stratotone (specifically the H45 "Mars" model) series of Harmony guitars. The 1420 and 1421 would follow in late '59, being the black and 'shaded walnut' two-pickup versions that lasted until 1963 (last Sears catalog listing F/W 1962). The 1420 was enormously popular, and we see plenty of those on the collector's market today. Our first two guitars up today are similar in appearance to the rare 1326, but neither of them have a headstock logo. The first one would seem to be eliminated by virtue of the seller dating the pots to1961. The second guitar may indeed be a Silvertone 1326, but I can find no evidence of a logo 'shadow' on the headstock of either guitar. The only other color/pickguard scheme these guitars match is the Montgomery Wards-sold "Airline." They were available from Monkey Wards into the mid-60s, and the 'Airline' logo was on a thin, easily removed sticker. So... Silvertone, or not? A simple investigation of the internal Harmony date stamp would probably clear up all of this lofty conjecturing. Great guitars? Indeed.

1326(?) Harmony SSEG G $200 Clean, light wear, scrapes on top at treble side of bridge, neck cracked/repaired (well... sorta) at top of neck, some checking, chrome shiny, no logo, 'G' tuner bent on what looks like NS tuners, NS strap buttons, pots dated to 1961


1326(?) Harmony SSEG VG $599 Clean, light wear, chrome shiny, no logo, rhinestones on headstock, playing wear to neck, light rust to tuner plates



Might as well head off to Jupiter, while we're up here...

1423 Harmony SSEG MOD $500 Clean,  light wear, logo and pickguard print strong, pots date to 1960, nice long story on the non-stock neck and mods from the seller: "The neck on it now is like New because it came from another 1960 Stratotone that had the body damaged in shipping. The Neck screw holes match Perfectly to the Body and it is great just as you see it. No alteration at all and fits perfectly and has real MOP dots, too. I put the original tuners on this neck, too. I had this new neck for 20 year, at least, and never used it. No fret wear and no board wear at all. It plays like Butter and the DeArmonds are tremendous on this one. It is the best sounding Stratotone I have owned and I hate to sell it but I just don't play it anymore. Also, when I got it the end pin was broken but I had another original pin and so I grounded the electronics at the same time because Harmony never grounded them in 1960. This is now super quiet and is the best playing Stratotone that I have ever owned and I've had more than 10 of these in the last 40 years.



A note from yesterday's commentary; sharp Silvertonian 'Steve-O' ID'd Bon Jovi's red guitar that he's currently playing on tour as a German-made Duesenburg!  Looks like they're mighty popular strummers with a huge stable of artists (check the link... everyone from Mike Campbell to Bob Dylan to Mike and Eddie of Pearl Jam to Carrie Underwood to Chris Spedding to John Mayer) playin 'em! Thanks!

1495 Teisco MIJ HBEG Bass VG $228 Clean, logo intact, light wear, nice graining to back, finger rest present, and I wish every seller was this complete in their description: "The D String Tuning Machine knob/paddle is loose (held on with plastic tape). The pickup switch knob (top, over neck pickup) is not original, but functions fine. The volume and tone knobs are different, and I'm not sure which of them is the original. The low-E tuning machine has a dent in its back cover. On the neck, near the body, there is one noticeable ding (about the size of an eraser head). The strap button under the neck has been moved. You can see the original hole too. There are some other minor dings and scratches in the finish. The good news is that the neck is straight, the action is decent (not low, but not crazy high either). The bridge is all original, though probably missing a cover. All the frets are in good shape with no heavy wear. The binding is intact all around, with no visible cracking. All the internal wiring appears to be untouched and original (from what i can see through the F holes)."


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case G $325 Guitar and ampcase show light wear, guitar logo strong, (1) NS dome knob, light wear to case, rust to hardware, handle & captures missing, NS knob to amp, seller says "The amp is working, but it does have a hum."



El-Kabong!!!

615 Harmony FTAC $30 Sold as project, treble bout busted, logo strong, light wear


604 Harmony FTAC $21 Headstock cracked/repaired, top cracked down entire length, flaking, scratches, no bridge/tuners/pickguard/strap buttons, logo strong, stamped S-63, seller says cracks "very stable"



These next three were sold separately by the same seller, so I assume they were of a set.

1484  Dano tube amp only F $158 Could use a good cleaning, control face missing attach bolts, 1/4" jack mod, tremolo non-functional, reverb unmentioned, seller says "It has a loud hum noise but you can still play a guitar through it."


1484  Dano speaker cabinet only G $256 Could use a good cleaning, edge/surface wear, stock Jensens present, back panel present, logoplate missing, cabinet stamping indicates 1965 build


1484  Dano footswitch only G $185 Could use a good cleaning, surface wear, tested functional


1463 Dano solid state amp only VG $80 Clean, minimal wear, NS knobs, light rust to handle captures, light rust to jack nuts and washers, small sticker residue spot on face plate, all four feet present, 'Do Not Open' sticker still present on bottom panel in good shape


758 Kay mandolin w/ C G $180 Venetian model, wear/scrapes to sides, NS bridge, NS tuners, tarnish to tailpiece, looks like a 'cord melt' on the headstock (possibly from a long stored poly-based string laying there in the case), logo strong, pickguard 'S' looks good, binding tight. Relisted in March.

These knobs were parted out in sets of three

14XX knobs $29, $34, $31 A little grunge on the outer edge of the inserts, red line strong, (1) knob in set #2 had what looks like a a rim chip



2/22

Saw Bon Jovi in concert last night. They're not really my cup of tea, but they all seem like nice enough fellows. The band clearly cares about giving their fans a great show, and the show was a technical tour de force; reconfiguring video screens showing some great camera work and on-the-fly editing, a reassembling robotic stage, and state-of-the-art sound and lights. Even in the 'nosebleed' seats, I felt I had really seen the band perform up close.  Didn't see any Silvertones. Didn't really expect to... although Jon Bon had a sweet little red guitar that he played a few tunes on. Holllowbody, f-hole, sparkle pickguard, Bigsby-ish tailpiece, silver 'D' logo on the stairstep-topped headstock and on the body. Any ideas? 2/23 News Flash: Astute Silvertonian Steve O has ID'd this guitar as a German-made Duesenburg!



Here's an amp I'm sure we'll be seeing onstage soon when Rock and Roll Hall of Famers R.E.M. hit the road in support of 'Collapse Into Now.' It's Peter Buck's favorite, the 1483.

1483 Dano tube amp VG $425 Clean, light wear, faceplate looks good, 1/4" jack mod



And from Howlin' Wolf to Jack White to Beck and beyond, the 1484 has certainly proven its worth on many a stage.

1484  Dano tube amp only G $415 Clean, light edge/corner wear, small ding in faceplate, light oxidation to front panel, rust to xformers and reverb tank brackets, rev/trem functional, no footswitch, 1/4" jack mod


1484  Dano tube amp only MOD $280 Painted red, cig burns/gouges to top panel, tape/stickers on front face, rust to xformers, double 1/4" jack mod, lights up but missing preamp tube so otherwise untested


1482 Dano tube amp VG $271 Square speaker cutout, clean, light wear, tremolo functional


1482 Dano tube amp MOD $352 Square speaker cutout, clean, light wear, re-capped, back panel present, tremolo functional, some NS tubes, no footswitch, NS speaker, 3-prong AC mod


1463 Dano solid state amp and speaker cabinet VG amp G cab $240 Clean, light wear to amp head, cab has some corner chew and paint transfer, handles and casters present, grille tight and clean, logoplate lightly worn, scratchy pots


1465 Dano solid state amp only P $57 Seller says "This amp barely worked, noisy, dirty pots, hums. You want it , you can bid on it as is. Case was repaired, rust on caps, Sold as is and it is solid state not vacuum tube. I could repair it but I don't want to."


1330 Dano tube amp MOD $100 Corner/surface wear, NS pilot light, NS terminals (?.... they're dropping off the speaker lead) on side, handle worn, light up; no sound


1330 Dano tube amp MOD $225 Corner/surface wear, stock fuse holder replaced by inline type


1446 Harmony HBEG F $487 Surface/edge wear, finish checking, logo worn, truss rod cover tip cracked, pickguard missing, playing wear to top treble side, Bigsby present w/ worn paint, NS roller bridge,  playing wear to neck, buckle rash, seller says "DOES NOT LOOK TO BE IN GOOD SHAPE NEEDS SOME WORK."


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case G $424 Guitar and amp look good in limited photos provided, NS speaker 'has gone out,' NS tuners, playing wear to neck, NS strap button on attach pier, tone knob missing insert, sides scratched, stress crack at jack


603 Harmony FTAC G $71 Clean, light wear, logo strong with corner ding to headstock, light rust to tuner plates, hairline crack running length of back, homemade strap incl.


752 Kay mandolin G $44 Edge/surface wear, some flaking, unusual logo, neck separating


803 Banjo w/ C G $55 4-string w/ resonator, looks good in single photo provided



1431 Dano tube amp chassis only $159 NS knobs, functional



2/21

Usually, I relegate the lap steels to the bottom of the daily reports when they sell, but this news was so exciting I just had to lead with it today. It's one that's popped up to plague me every now and again; we saw one back in February of 2010, but now I've finally got a line on it. It's the 'Deluxe' model 2331, related to the 40s-era Kay 'Epitome.' Along with its catalog partners the 2304 and 2320, this lap steel is among the first to be branded with the 'Silvertone' name! I still think those fancy-schmancy V/T control bezels are re-purposed surplus... they're marked for AM frequency tuning!

2331 Kay Lap Steel w/ OC VG $395 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, neck decorations bright, nice graining to back, scratchy pots



In addition to that long-sought discovery above, it was a HUGE weekend! Here's a well-travelled 'Chris Isaak;' it did a tour of 'Nam, and has been to Alaska a time or two.

1446 Harmony HBEG w/ OC VG $900 Clean, Bigsby present (handle looks like it's been cut), light edge/surface wear, some flaking, logo strong, seller says "This guitar was given to me as a gift by my Uncle when I was 12. He bought it new at Sears in the 1965. He was in the Marines and took it with him on his second tour in Vietnam. He traveled with it periodically to Alaska in the 70's."


Now, let's get even MORE Harmonious!

1429 Harmony HBEG w/ OC VG $723 Clean, light wear, some light checking, hardware shiny, logo intact, NS Schaller tuners, stamped S-60, serial #4072H1429


1453 Harmony HBEG G $300 Clean, edge wear, playing wear to neck, chrome shows some oxidation, whammy arm present, (2) knobs missing, logo strong, serial #5943S1453


1423 Harmony SSEG w/ OC E $632 Clean, light wear, logo intact, chrome shiny, pickguard print strong, plenty of glitter, plastic protector incl., dates to 1963


1485 Harmony HBEG G $760 Clean, playing wear/light checking all over, binding yellowed, Bigsby present and showing paint wear to logo area, block logo strong, NS chrome truss rod cover, arm wear to bass lower bout, rust dots to pickup covers, pickguard missing, NS bridge, no full-length photo provided


1421 Harmony SSEG w/ OC G $330 Clean, light wear, playing wear to neck, logo strong, pickguard missing (7 screws present), (3) tuners ferrules missing, electronics functional, stamped F-62


1477 Harmony SBEG G $238 Clean, some edge wear and checking, logo strong, turner plates and posts show light rust, some oxidation to tailpiece and pickup covers, earlier non-whammy version


633 Harmony FTAC VG $375 Clean, light wear, pickguard missing, logo strong, tuner plates shiny, bridge tight, serial #9765H633, seller says "action does get a little high once you get past the fifth fret."


612 Harmony FHAC G $153 Clean, light wear, logo strong, slight neck separation and top separation on treble side, stamped S-62, serial #1218(?)H612


604 Harmony FTAC MOD $106 Clean, surface/edge wear, pickguard missing, logo strong, NS bridge, NS tuners



A lone Kay archtop...

619Kay FHAC w/ OC VG $126 Clean, edge wear,  logo strong, stamped L2927



Aaaaaannnnnnnd... it's Dano time! We're gonna start off a run of ampcases with a rather odd bird. I wish the seller had  given a little more detail on this one, but here's the full description: "It plays and sounds great. It comes with the original case with built in amplifier which works fine. It is in very good shape for its age. The action is nice and low and everything functions properly." OK, thanks for nothin'. Anyway, this first example has WHITE triangle insert knobs, and look at the odd, 'slightly more towards the neck' pickup placement. Obviously an early example with its strip tuners and two-bolt neck, none of the photos provided depicted the inside of the ampcase.

1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case guitar VG ampcase G $595 Guitar clean, light wear, logo strong, plenty of glitter, ampcase shows some edge/corner wear, hole in grille, inside not depicted


1448 Dano SSEG with ampless amp in case G $255 Guitar and case both show edge wear, NS contemporary Dano pickup, sidewalls clean, logo strong, knobs show discoloration


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $450 Guitar and case both show light wear, guitar logo strong, knob insert discolored, finish shiny, light rust to case hardware, 2" rip in covering at grille edge


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case G $311 Guitar and amp could use a good cleaning, light wear to guitar and ampcase, logo strong, sidewall rub on treble bottom side,   ampcase shows rust to hardware, NS speaker, seller says "The amp has a bad tube the top one #12AU6. The others glow when on. Also one of the wires to the speaker needs to be re-soldered. I placed it on the pole it should be on and turned it on and got a hum from the speaker." Relisted from earlier in month.


1448 Dano tube amp in case only MOD $79 Chopped in half, corner wear, staining to grille, speaker repaired, amp functional, handle and hardware in god working order


1457 Dano SSEG guitar and tube amp in case G $402 Guitar and ampcase show light wear, guitar has had its sidewalls stripped away, rhythm pickup cover split, logo worn, ampcase has NS speaker, amp non-functional although tubes light up


1457 Dano SSEG guitar and tube amp in case MOD $435 Guitar painted black, headstock chopped, logo obviously gone, neck stripped, ampcase shows covering wear, grille traced and pushed in at speaker,


1304 Dano SSEG G $261 Clean, logo strong, playing wear treble side of bridge below pickguard, bridge a bit grungy, NS tuners, pickguard has wear at edges


1437Teisco MIJ SBEG and 1451 Dano tube amp in case both $400 Ampcase missing its speaker and has wear all over, broken at hinges and rust to hardware, amp untested, guitar looks good with whammy arm present, light wear and a ding or two, missing its logo tag, scratchy pots. Re-listed from earlier in the month.



This uke was available from 1965 through 1970. It is distinguishable from the more common 853 by its peaked head and plastic ("accurate, molded") fingerboard.

854/1255 Harmony ukulele VG $43 Clean, light wear, logo strong, sticker residue on back of peghead, small ding mid-neck on back, seller says "It was purchased used in 1961 from Ossa’s Music Store in San Bernardino, California for $20. It was used occasionally in a rag time band for harmony and short solos when playing novelty Hawaiian rags." It's possible the prior owner had his decades mixed up. Twenty bucks in 1971? Sure, no problem. 1961, and at twice the retail value of (the 853 model's) $9.95? Not likely... actually, not even possible.



"I'm Movin' in Stereo..." Hey, new album from The Cars comin' out in May. Might be fun to listen to it on these groovy headphones, with the best of both worlds... stereo Space Dots and a Silvertone logo. Far out!

7444 Sears stereo headphones G $19 Clean, tested functional, 'Silvertone' logo a bit worn, Space Dots on both earcups strong, rubber ear pads still soft



1385/1427 Harmony HBEG hardware/electronics $339 'Black Beauty' tune-up kit! Seller says "These parts are off a Silvertone 60's era single cutaway hollowbody I had to scrap body because neck was badly warped and not worth repairing."


1448 Dano SSEG neck only $50 Broken/repaired along tuner line, nut missing, stamping indicates spring 1964 build





2/18

We'll have to call this one a 'Kentucky Bloom!' Ba dum bump! Sorry, y'all... I blame Spring Fever; it's mighty springy feeling here in central NC with temps up near 80 today, and a three-day weekend looming! After the flower show, we've got an astounding array of Silvertonium; including some of our favorite archtop electrics, a rare 1449 amp in case, a pretty cool acoustic-to-electric mod, a 40s era lap steel, and more! You're welcome!

658 Kay FHAC MOD $328 Clean, light wear, logo strong, pickguard missing, bridge shimmed up, low E tuner button seems like a replacement, decorated with floral decals



We had a naked 'Chris Isaak' yesterday.... here's one fully dressed!

1446 Harmony HBEG VG $961 Clean, Bigsby present, light edge/surface wear, some flaking, logo intact,  looks like an oil or poly stain and a small ding at top of fingerboard, recently re-fretted


1454 Harmony HBEG VG $310 Clean, light wear, Bigsby present, logo hard to see in all photos, (3) knobs missing, NS bridge (original incl.)


1416 Dano SSEG VG $400 Clean, light wear, logo bent at 'S,' serial stamp indicates 1961 build, seller says "The tone knob is not working the rest works great."


1448 Dano SSEG guitar only VG $306 Clean, light wear, logo strong, knob inserts have 'VOLUME' and 'TONE' legends, hardware and sidewalls bright


1449 Dano SSEG and tube amp in case G $510 Clean guitar and amp showing light wear, logo nearly lost in the glitter (!), NS selector switch, rhythm pickup split and area around is worn, rhythm pickup does not work, tremolo functional, amp pots "a little scratchy," no footswitch, cabinet stamping indicates 1963 build


1457 Dano SSEG guitar only G $550 Clean, light wear, bright pickguard knobs and sidewalls, logo strong, some 'ripple' (water damage?) to the Masonite (tempered hardboard, they call it these days) on the bottom back

1420 Harmony SSEG G $750 Clean, logo removed (I cranked the gamma/contrast/sharpness so you could see the area that was painted over), fine playing scratches to pickup covers, playing wear to neck, mysterious '1843' stamping to headstock edge, seller had a lot to say: "This is one of the most unassuming guitars I've played in a while, and easily one of the best Stratotones I've got. It’s a fantastic neck,and just received a little fret/fretboard love. There was a very thin crack that ran through the very middle of the fretboard. It wasn’t too bad, but it was long, and I worried about moisture and environmental effects so I glued and filled the crack, then smoothed the fretboard. The first 3 frets were replaced, then all frets were leveled, re-radiused, re-crowned, and polished. 2 of the dot inlay fret markers are non-original, but you'd never be able to tell. I spend a lot of time on these old Harmony guitars… I also cleaned up the fret ends, re-beveled the edges and the neck now feels like you could play it all day long. Its very comfortable to hold and play.It plays like an absolute dream, and has a very loud output from both pickups. – a ground lead was also recently added, and is now properly grounded to the tailpiece. The electronics were cleaned, tuners adjusted and lubed, its all ready to go."


621 Harmony FTAC MOD $167 Clean, light wear, pickguard missing, some extra holes up near top of treble bout, logo strong, 1" piece of binding missing from back upper bass bout, NS electronics test functional, serial #4664H621


604 Harmony FTAC w/ OC MOD $69 Clean, edge/surface wear, pickguard missing, logo strong, double fret dots added, NS tuners, set up for slide, stamped S-64-H


604 Harmony FTAC F $52 Plenty of playing wear to finger board, logo strong, slight back separation, pickguard has cracks, seller has an interesting lost and found story: "This is my first guitar which I bought in 1965. It was a great guitar to learn on due to its smaller size and small distance between the top of the frets and the neck. Ten years later I gave it to a friend in order to gain some space to store my other guitars, amps, etc. A few months ago my friend e-mailed me asking if I wanted that Silvertone back. Honestly I had forgotten it ever existed, but agreed to take it not knowing what to expect. The Guitar Today: I was pleasantly surprised to find that it still played as easy as I remembered."


604 Harmony FTAC P $50 Top cracked, paint spatters, dings, edge wear, tuner plates rusty, Chiquita banana sticker on board


1482 Dano tube amp VG $575 Square speaker cutout, clean, minimal wear, small scuff on back panel, handle captures show light rust dots, tremolo functional, no footswitch,  extension cord orange 3-prong AC mod, cabinet stamping indicates 1966 build


1484  Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet F $260 Could use a good cleaning, corner/edge wear to covering, untested, seller says "I did plug it in and the red light came on. Needs to be cleaned as it has been stored in a shed for several years. The small tubes say Silvertone. One of the larger tubes says GE Electronics the other says Silvertone."


2317 Valco lap steel w/ OC G $193 Clean, light wear, logoplate looks good, tuner buttons crumbled away, light corrosion dots to pickup assembly plate, signal cord frayed, electronics tested functional



2/17

It's been a while, Buck! I can't remember the last time we saw a real Sears-sold Buck Owens 'American' model... lemme see... looks like late September of last year, when we got TWO in one day! I've seen a few of the repros and re-issues, but not the true-blue (and red and white) Harmony-made 1219 model. So, just in time for President's Day, let's have a look at this 'un!

1219 Harmony FTAC $245 Clean, light wear, finished has mellowed, logo laminate looking good, custom repro pickguard, repaired/stable cracks on both sides of neck (damaged in a fall, says the seller/repairer), slight neck lifting at heel, NS tuners



Our first 1443 of the year!

1443 Dano SBEG bass w/ OC G $625 Clean, edge/surface wear, some finish checking, light buckle rash below neckplate, logo broken at 'S,' finger rest and bridge cover in place, (1) knob missing


1457 Dano SSEG guitar only VG $425 Clean, light wear, bright pickguard knobs and sidewalls, logo strong, plenty of glitter, all chrome and hardware tarnish-free


1477 Harmony SBEG w/ OC G $313 Edge/surface wear, green paint spatter on top surface, tuner buttons have red ink/paint residue, logo strong, bridge cracked, NS tuners, early non-whammy version


1446 Harmony HBEG MOD $499 Refinished natural, Bigsby present, homemade bridge, NS tuners, looks like the knobs and pickup bezels have been painted, logo obviously gone, seller says "The guitar needs a new nut, it does not play that well now. There is a small segment of binding missing from the fingerboard."


1464 Dano solid state amp and speaker cabinet VG $198 Clean, looks good in single photo provided, seller says "It has only had 3 owners, my uncle, cousin and me. It's in great shape and comes with a tremolo/reverb pedal." Relisted in March.


1472 Dano tube amp G $330 Square speaker cutout, wear/corrosion to control face, light wear to covering, back panel present, some NS tubes, no footswitch, red border panel with 'tremolo' spelled correctly, tremolo functional




More from ebay seller T & R Vintage ("Over 300 Original Molds and Growing"). I get a lot of emails looking for parts like this, and I'd just like to let you know these fine folks are out there.

14XX Harmony pickguard $27 Reproduction, specifically drilled for the 'straight across' Silvertone pickup configuration. Most of the Harmony-branded Bobkats and Silhouettes pickups were slanted.


I also got a note today from Silvertonian David who won the bidding for that 658 archtop yesterday. He was looking for a set of tuners to replace the broken D tuner on the piece. I always recommend STEWMAC. Any other good suppliers out there y'all know of and use?


2/16

Another Winning Wednesday... there was a mighty big pile of Silvertonium sittin' in my 'completed auction' box this morning, more than I expected for a winter Wednesday.... Fine by me, let's get goin'! Best 1457 setup I've seen in a while getting the ball rolling today, followed by more beautiful Kay, Harmony and MIJ guit-fiddles. NICE!

1457 Dano SSEG guitar and tube amp in case E $676 Clean, minimal wear to guitar and ampcase, chrome and finish shiny, sidewalls bright, tremolo functional, original guitar cord and footswitch incl., cabinet stamping indicates 1965 build. Relisted.


1381 Kay SSEG VG $795 Clean, minimal wear, NS bridge, some edge flaking, screw crack at upper bass corner of pickguard, logo laminate and p/g stencil strong, cig burn/melt at E string


1478 Harmony SBEG w/ G $665 Clean, edge wear, whammy bar present, chrome shiny, logo a little faded, screw crack at tip of truss rod cover and upper bass side of pickguard, cord melt and some checking on back,  NS bridge, screw


1437Teisco MIJ SBEG w/ OC  E $700 Clean, minimal wear, chrome shiny, store in original case with strings off, serial #46522, seller says "The original owner  went to war [ I'm assuming Vietnam war] and left the strings off."


1415 Dano SSEG VG $375 Clean, edge/surface wear (esp on bass back waist area and bass side lower bout top), logo intact, chrome worn from pickup cover on bass side, NS knobs (or inserts into stock knobs), wear around jack, playing wear to neck, NS tuners


1439 Harmony HBEG VG $455 Clean, chrome shiny, whammy bar present, minimal wear, both logos strong, pickguard has repaired crack from cutaway to rhythm pickup, screw hook in headstock, stamped F-66


1405 Teisco MIJ SBEG VG $86 Clean, light wear, some finish checking, logo strong


1431 Dano tube amp G $150 Light ear, grille show some staining, rust to jack nuts and washers, corrosion dots to logoplate, # scratched in back control face, handle worn but functional


612 Harmony G $199 Clean, logo and stencil strong, back separating, 2" crack on front at soundhole, serial ??62H612

617 Harmony FTAC w/ OC G $75 Clean, light wear, high action, logo strong, stamped S-63-FK


661 Kay FTAC 4-string tenor guitar VG $275 Clean, light surface wear, pickguard warped into a bump, logo strong, stamped N6, mis-ID'd as 40s era, these are actually from a brief 1964 window of availability


658 Kay FHAC F $124 Could use a good cleaning, edge/surface wear, some checking, logo strong, D tuner broken, stamped N-3, seller says "One tuner knob is broken, the thing the strings sit in is cracked. Looks like a sticker has been painted over. No strings, its been sitting for years."



I'll say one thing for this next guitar... it got played! Most classicals we see come through with little or no wear to them, but still go for usually very low prices. This one went for a low price, but it's good to see it some lovin' in its day.

660 Kay FTAC Classical G $12 Clean, plenty of playing wear to fingerboard and neck, edge wear, stamped L 7572



Well... MOST of 'em go for low pries. Really! They do!

657 Harmony FTAC Classical w/ C VG $106 Clean, looks good in single photo provided


1319 Harmony lap steel VG $209 Clean, light wear, pickup section bright, scratchy pots, logo strong, tape residue at nut, wear or incomplete stenciling on fingerboard, looks like some tape pull-off damage to finger board side, one long surface scratch down middle of back, orig box incl.


1400 Microphone VG $34  Casing shiny, 'S' logo present, orig. box incl., tested functional



2/15

Amps of all kinds; beige, black, maroon, silver-grey... all sizes, all shapes... well, mostly rectangular... and all RIGHT HERE! Let's roll it on out with this t-rriffic 'Twin Twelve,' you know.... the famous 1484. After that, it's a well worn Medalist, and then MORE 14XX amps!

1484  Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $765 Clean, face and knobs look great, minimal covering wear, light staining to grille (close-up grille photo enhanced), cabinet stamping indicates 1964 build, one owner, rev/trem unmentioned, no footswitch, seller says "It is in Great shape and works fine."


1434 Dano tube amp G $575 Clean, light wear, nasty 'chew' on corner, knobs and handle and control plate look good, long black grille stain next to logoplate, tremolo unmentioned, seller says "...this amp is a beast, and does it sound good."


1344 Dano tube amp G $312 Light wear, control face looks great, front logo worn, handle in good shape, hole cut in back panel, untested, seller says "Inside is very dusty. Power cord is brittle so I have not plugged it in. I do not know much about this item, was my great grandfathers."


1484  Dano tube amp only G $345 Could use a good cleaning, light wear, some oxidation dots to faceplate, rust to handle captures, 1/4" jack mod, rev/trem unmentioned, no footswitch, seller says "It looks and works good."


1484  Dano tube amp only G $370 Wear and some staining to covering (esp. on top), main xformer rusty, handle and captures missing, 1/4" jack mod, no footswitch, rev/trem functional, tremolo knobs missing, rust dots to faceplate, quite a story from the seller/owner: "I am a professional bench tech and this is one of my personal amps. Just thinning the herd. Like the lady who works at the animal shelter who ends up with 143 cats, yeah, I keep taking the things home with me. This amp has been completely inspected and gone over. A burned resistor was replaced in the trem circuit, all the controls, jacks, sockets and switches were cleaned and treated. The first several layers of grime removed and the amp tested on the bench and with a guitar. It is remarkably original with all original caps (including some "Planets") and does not hum or buzz. It is quiet and powerful. I considered recapping and fresh tubes just on GPs, but it is rare to find one this original and clean inside so I decided to keep it as-is. The cosmetics are a bit rough, but inside the chassis is completely clean and unaltered. You will not find the replaced resistor, it blends right in. Everything works, The trem fires in all settings, the control knobs are smooth and quiet and the jacks and tube sockets are solid. Do note, that the input jacks on this amp do not have the shorting contact found in "premium" guitar amps and it will be noisy if you turn up the volume with nothing plugged in. The reverb is noisy and kinda blows just like when it was new. The preamp tubes are all older US production, including some Silvertone branded ones that are probably original. The power tubes are a lightly used pair of Winged C Svetlanas that will probably last forever in this little guy. I've got quite a few hours playing on this and would be comfortable taking it out with a back up."


1481 Dano tube amp MOD $255 Clean, light wear, square speaker cutout, NS speaker, knob inserts show some wear, back panel present, seller explains "...completely modified to the Tweed Fender Princeton 5F2A circuit. Speaker has been replaced with vintage Jensen C8R (220741). OT has been upgraded to new Fender Champion 600 OT. Input jacks upgraded to shorting Switchcrafts. 3 prong power cord added for safety. The all vintage tube lineup is 12AX7 (unknown US made), 6V6GTA (Silvertone labeled Westinghouse) and 6X4 (unknown US made). All test good on my Hickok 6000A."


1481 Dano tube amp VG $180 Clean, light wear, square speaker cutout, all tubes replaced, NS or painted handle captures, knobs show some adhesive seep


1482 Dano tube amp VG $305 Square speaker cutout, clean, light wear, stain on top panel, footswitch jack taped off, scuff on back panel, tremolo unmentioned, no footswitch, seller says "...amp seems to function perfectly."


1482 Dano tube amp VG $310 Square speaker cutout, clean, light wear, snag and staining to grille, scratchy pots, tremolo unmentioned, no footswitch


1472 Dano tube amp VG $350 Round speaker cutout, staining to lower corner of grille, light wear, control face clean, back panel present, red border panel with 'tremolo' spelled correctly, tremolo unmentioned, no footswitch, cabinet stamping indicates 1961 build, seller says "I have replaced the filter capacitors and a couple of tone capacitors with quality USA parts and added a three prong cord.... All tubes except one are original Silvertone branded and test strong to new: (2) 6V6GT, (2) 12AX7, (1) 6X4 & (1) 6AV6 - GE (not Silvertone branded, I believe it may still be original)... Graphics on inputs have rubbed off on Microphone channel and partially on Instrument channel. Speaker is original Jensen 1961 C12R. Phenomenal studio amp and great for mic'ing to gig with."



Lastly, purely amp-wise today, I really would love to turn this puppy into a dock for my mp3 player. Removed from a Silvertone record player, it's got a self-contained speaker with a metal grille, and a really cool protruding tube and volume knob.

Chassis #137.910 Sears tube amplifier $10 Untested


1449 Dano tube amp in case only VG $260 Clean, light wear to outer covering, inside looks great, tremolo functional, no footswitch


1457 Dano tube amp in case only VG $255 Clean, minimal wear, hardware and grille bezel bright, tremolo functional, no footswitch


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case G $305 Guitar and amp could use a good cleaning, light wear to guitar and ampcase, logo strong, sidewall rub on treble bottom side,   ampcase shows rust to hardware, NS speaker, seller says "The amp has a bad tube the top one #12AU6. The others glow when on. Also one of the wires to the speaker needs to be re-soldered. I placed it on the pole it should be on and turned it on and got a hum from the speaker." Re-listed.


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case G $285 Guitar and ampcase show wear, guitar logo worn, sidewalls have a few rubs, (1) knob missing on guitar, amp knob missing insert, inside of case has lining scuffs, early model; two-bolt neck, triangle knob inserts, strip tuners



Time to kick off some super strummers for today! Leading off with this very nice 'Jupiter,' followed by a sadly shamed 1476, then a Dano variation, followed by an acoustic or two.

1423 Harmony SSEG w/ OC VG $750 Clean, light wear, light finish checking all over, pickguard print strong, logo intact, chrome mostly shiny with some tarnish dots, screw crack at tip of truss rod cover


1476 Harmony SBEG w/ OC VG $420 Clean, light wear, chrome shiny, logo removed, rust to tips of tuner posts


1321 Dano SSEG F $445 Wear all over, back painted blue at some point, pickguard and cavity cover missing, logo worn, NS (but exact replacement) bridge/saddle, NS knobs, NS strap buttons, NS tuners, recently professionally set up. Relisted.


600 series Harmony FTAC P $59 Wear all over, pickguard missing, binding yellowed, logo strong, NS 'yardstick' bridge, $3.95 written on top face in grease pencil


603 Harmony FTAC VG $125 Clean, light wear, fingerboard wear to 'cowboy chord' area, painted 'pickguard' loooks good, logo strong, stamped S-66-GM



2/14

Love is all around, and so are the Silvertone deals... what a weekend! Let's jump right in with this mighty fine 'Chris Isaak'  going for a mighty fine dollar. After that sweet deal, we've got a heart-shaped basketful of Silvertonium treats from Kay, Danelectro, Harmony, Valco... everybody weighing in on this Valentine's Day 2011.
I concentrated on strummers today, tomorrow we'll get to the amps.

1446 Harmony HBEG w /OC VG $1390 Clean, light wear, some light checking, repro logo, stress crack at jack, other NS parts: pickguard bracket, (1) tuner ferrule, Bigsby spring


1365 Kay HBEG MOD $650 Clean, some arm wear at lower bass bout, wear on back at mid-waist bass side, logo laminate looks good, some finish checking, ,looks like (3) NS P90 pickups, NS bridge, scratchy pots, seller says "This guitar belonged to my uncle who played music up until 1998 when he ended up in the hospital, and has since passed away. This guitar is being sold as is."


1429 Harmony HBEG G $425 Clean, edge/surface war, some flaking, (3) knobs missing, logo looks OK in enlargement, cracks at jack spreading out on sides



The second I saw this completed auction, I thought "What's wrong with that guitar? The price is so low!" Well, now we know.

13XX Dano SSEG MOD $208 Refinished black, sidewalls painted, logo gone, pickguard cut, (1) NS knob. Relisted in March.


1440 Teisco MIJ SBEG G $228 Clean, edge/surface wear, logo intact, NS brass nut, NS whammy arm, all (3) knobs missing inserts, oxidation to chrome, couple of finish touch-ups


1310 Valco lap steel w/ OC VG $203 Looks good in single photo provided, tuner buttons deteriorated



Alas, no full-length shot of this rare 'Crest' model from the early 40s, but we did get a shot of the signifying diamond fret markers.

290 Kay FHAC G $204 Clean, pickguard missing, playing wear, 'wind chime' logo strong, tuner buttons crumbled


658 Kay FHAC G $178 Could use a good cleaning, only one photo provided, logo is there but I can't tell much more, block markers signify pre-'66 model, seller says "...minimal use since new, kept in the attic. No cracks, in as found condition, needs cleaning and tuning... The number 1891 is visible inside the body."


604 Harmony FTAC VG $81 Clean, light wear, logo strong, plenty of 'cross graining' to the faux grain front and back. Relisted.


612 Harmony FHAC w/ C VG $290 Clean, light wear, logo strong, NS Fishman pickup, stamped F-62HB, serial #2471H612


710 Harmony FHAC w/ C F $146 Clean, edge/surface wear, buckle rash, playing wear to fretboard, logo strong, tuner plates show some rust, top separating, needs neck re-set, possibly a 710


1230 Kay classical G $38 Clean, edge/surface wear, nut chipped on bass side, seller says "...needs a neck set, best I can tell."


1235 Harmony classical w/ OC VG $1 Clean, light wear, Silvertone logo looks good, vintage books incl., stamped S-69, serial #2101S1235


853 Harmony ukulele w/ C VG $89 Clean, light wear, logo strong


856 Harmony baritone ukulele VG $150 Clean, light wear, logo strong, NS pickup, pickup untested



UNK Kay FHAC w/ C G $132 Clean, scratches to top, 'wind chime' logo strong. My clues: Kay 'bump' headstock, bound top edge, bound fingerboard, four fingerboard dots, straight-edge pickguard, logo. Couldn't find a match.



1482 Dano back panel $26 Clean


More from ebay seller T & R Vintage ("Over 300 Original Molds and Growing"). I get a lot of emails looking for parts like this, and I'd just like to let you know these fine folks are out there.

1446  pickguard $25 Reproduction



2/11

Weekend's upon us with a few choice bits of Silvertonium to peruse today, leading off with this rare and mighty fine 696 from Kay. It's in great shape, and brought a good dollar. Next it's another rarity; the double-cutaway version of the popular 1454, the 1485. Then it's handful of this and that, including yet another seldom-seen Oscar Schmidt-made GUITARO!

696 Kay FHAC VG $425 Clean, minimal wear, 'wind chime' logo strong, spent some time as a lefty so the pickguard was on the other side and left two small screw holes, stamped N-4


1485 Harmony HBEG w/ OC VG $798 Clean, light wear, some buckle rash, logo strong, Bigsby present, labeled as a 1454


1490 MIJ bass G $180 Clean, edge/surface wear, rust to tailpiece cover and pickup covers, logo gone except for 'ton,'


1448 Dano SSEG guitar only G $225 Clean, edge/surface wear, dingy sidewalls, volume knob insert missing, tone insert shows adhesive seep/wear, logo strong, NS saddle


1465 Dano solid state amp only VG $163 Clean, from face looks good, can't tell much more from the one pic provided, rev/trem functional, reverb pot scratchy


1482 Dano tube amp VG $285 Square speaker cutout, clean, light wear, scuff on back panel, tremolo functional, no footswitch


1206 Harmony FTAC w/ OC G $135 Could use a good cleaning, edge/surface wear, logo strong, looks like a little top warping upper treble side top


802 Kay or Valco banjo G $81 Clean, can't tell much else from single photo provided. Seller says "New looking Remo banjo head and bridge. Repairs have been made to neck. It will play. No returns. I was told that these were sold by Sears??" And if we had a picture of the back of the headstock, we could tell if it was Kay (most likely) or Valco (far more rare).


1840 Oscar Schmidt Guitaro w/ OC VG $280  Clean, no tuning wrench or accessories, case hardware shows rust, masking tape note guide under strings at strumming area



1484 / 85 Knob $17 Chrome rim worn, manufactured by Plastic-Ware N.Y.C, stamped inside on back. I think I also see a faint '4' stamped underneath that


These next two pickguards are reproductions from ebay seller T & R Vintage ("Over 300 Original Molds and Growing"). I get a lot of emails looking for parts like this, and I'd just like to let you know these fine folks are out there.

1420 pickguard $28 Reproduction


1352 pickguard $26 Reproduction



2/10

A Tale of Two Whammies... that's our lead story today, as we begin our auction report with two examples of the early-mid '60s Kay-built 1400 series, one the rare but incomplete 1417, and the other the gussied-up wannabe sister 1413. Also, check the neck screw pattern on both. Most 1413/17s you see are of the 'two up top directly across from one another about an inch or so apart with one in the middle about two inches below' (inverted isosceles triangle) pattern, but I've seen enough examples of the two configurations we see today to know it wasn't just a slip of the drill press. As far as the physics of neck/pocket stress goes, I'd think the 'four screws in a rectangle with a neck plate' would be optimal, while I'd need some supercomputer time to simulate the differences in three-bolt patterns.

1417 Kay SBEG VG $280 Clean, light wear, screen print arrow design on pickup cover strong, logo shows light wear, whammy arm missing, (1) knob missing metal insert, G tuner bent, tight neck screw pattern


1413 Kay SBEG MOD $250 Clean, light edge/surface wear, NS (but very interesting... is that thing internally sprung somehow?) whammy/bridge setup, pickguard truss rod cover and knobs yellowed, logo strong, arrow design worn from pickup cover, playing wear to neck, wider neck screw pattern



Silvertone excellence, commence!

1454 Harmony HBEG E $1000 Clean, minimal wear, Bigsby present, finish and chrome shiny, logo strong, sides and neck clean, seller says "The person I purchased this guitar from only used it a handful of times before is was stored carefully for many years, and it shows."



Best example of this funky little Teisco twanger I've ever seen!

1435 Teisco MIJ SBEG E $350 Clean, minimal wear, whammy present, finish and chrome shiny, logo and back model/serial tag look good, serial #263420



Amp-in-case guitars....? Yeah, we've got those! Aisle 3! Prices? Don't ask ME!

1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case G $695 Clean, logo obliterated, knob inserts show some wear/discoloring, pickup cover split on bass side, transitional setup; triangle guitar knob mark inserts, strip tuners, 3-bolt neck, line insert to amp knob


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $645 Clean, some edge wear to guitar/ampcase, sidewall rub on treble lower bout, logo strong, NS washers & strap button at neck pocket, rust to case hardware


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $495 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, ampcase clean, case hardware shows light rust, case handle missing, shiny, NS metal inserts to guitar knobs, light rust to tuner keys


1457 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $629 Clean, light wear to guitar (esp. along headstock edge), logo strong, sidewalls bright but with rub on bass lower bout, some scuffs or removed paint/stains to ampcase cover, hardware shows rust, tremolo unmentioned, but seller says "No problems," no footswitch


1471 Dano tube amp VG $125 Clean, light wear, NS speaker, logoplate missing, back panel in place, knobs very clean, light rust dots to jack nuts/washers, seller is original owner


1484  Dano tube amp only F $276 Could use a good cleaning, edge/corner wear, NS knob on reverb post, NS power tubes, 1/4" speaker jack mod, untested other than power light on 'on.'



OK, I've spent far too much time trying to bloodhound this next one. It's a curious one, though; bound top and back, flat-top headstock, USA-made Silvertone Oval inside, but a soundhole decal that I've never seen. No stampings evident in any pictures, no legend on back of headstock. Hmph.

UNK UNK Classical w/ C G $66 Clean, light wear, some scratches to top on bass side, fretboard shows a little grunge, bridge lifting



146X Dano amp knob $12



2/9

It's a 'Wow!' of a Wednesday. I usually come into Wednesdays not looking for an awful lot... maybe even a slow day, Silvertone-wise. Well, that ain't what I got today! We've got a truckload of Silvertonium to sift through, so let's get goin'! And we're gonna get goin' with this mighty rare custom-color 'C' body shape 1358 from the mid-50s. At first glance, this might look like a run-of-the-mill Dano-built Silvertone, but you'd be wrong. Check out the 'bronze and mint' goodness on this smaller 'C' bodied strummer!

1358 Dano SSEG G $313 Clean, some edge/surface wear, some playing wear treble side near bridge, arm wear on lower bass bout top, pickguard missing, logo strong, sidewalls worn (but still minty!), cavity stamping indicates 1956 build.  From the seller: "The three way switch on this guitar actually works. On the top position, there is a slight bass roll off, the middle position disengages the tone pot, the last position engages the tone pot. The tone pot works well. The volume control works fine if left alone, but will only really work as an on or off switch at the time. There is no middle ground. This isn't an issue if you don't use your volume knob much." Stock examples of this model were 'tan and ginger,' but 'bronze and mint' was one of the custom color combos you could get. 1358 is the custom color model number for the 1-pickup 'C'-bodied model in this series.



Our first 'Chris Isaak' of the year!

1446 Harmony HBEG w /C VG $650 Clean, light wear, thin-script logo strong, NS Grover tuners, pickguard and Bigsby present, written appraisal from Gruhn Guitars (while you're there, check the awesomely cool Ryman model Martin acoustic they've got: pieces of it made from pews in the original Ryman Auditorium!): "With the exception of the non-original tuners, this guitar appears to be in fine original condition. It conforms to the typical specifications of the model for the period in which it was made, with single-cutaway thin hollow laminated-maple body, maple neck, rosewood fingerboard with white binding and pearloid block inlays, Silvertone peghead logo, bolt-on neck construction, white binding on the top and back edges of the body, two mini-humbucking pickups, white pickguard, black finish, three-position toggle switch on the cutaway horn, two tone controls, and two volume controls."



A wild and weary EKO-built Silvertone. It's true!

698 EKO FTAC $13 More of kit, really... Seller says "Has a nice rosewood bridge and I think it's a bone saddle. The body is rough, the neck needs re-fretting, and someone repaired a section of the headstock that will need to be finished. I included some screws to hold the neck on, but they are not the right ones, you'll have to make/find a neck plate too. Someone also put a trapeze tailpiece on it. " Logo's worn, pickguard missing, some (typical for this model) heavy finish checking, check the truss rod (or 'T-Bar' as the sticker calls it) peeking out the end of the neck, and the extra internal stamping of 12-2T. Anybody got an old Italian Sears catalog with one of these in it? Email me!


600 series Harmony FTAC G $90 Clean, edge/surface wear, logo strong


600 series Harmony FTAC MOD $90 Refinished body, pickguard missing (brass pins in old screw holes), 'de-ebonized' bridge, logo strong, repaired crack in lower bout


628 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $199 Clean, light scratching / buckle rash, logo strong, stamped MVC, serial # 3423H623


615 Harmony FTAC $37 Clean, light wear, logo strong, seller says "Neck is bent. Sold as-is."


604 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $72 Clean, light wear, logo strong, playing wear to fretboard, heavy-handed 'faux grain' stenciling, possible NS tuners


604 Harmony FTAC G $25 Clean, edge/surface wear, playing wear to fretboard, logo strong, B tuner post missing, D tuner bent, rust to tuner plates, pickguard has screw cracks



Alright, let's amp it up!

1484  Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $546 Clean, light wear, some oxidation dots to face plate, rev/trem functional, NS power tubes, no footswitch


1484  Dano tube amp only F $276 Could use a good cleaning, edge wear, face plate shows rust dots, NS AC cord, 2X 1/4" speaker jack mod, something going on at the fuse holder (cap missing? switch?), rust to handle captures and jack nuts/washers, untested, no footswitch


1464 Dano solid state amp only $75 Clean, light wear, 1/4" jack mod, rev/trem functional, no footswitch


1465 Dano solid state amp and speaker cabinet VG $250 Head and cab show light wear, grille looks good but frame seems 'bowed' or maybe just loose, back panel present, logoplate worn, caster present, rev/trem unmentioned but seller says "it is a little noisy but it does work and sounds great," no footswitch


1463 Dano solid state amp only $103 Clean, edge/corner wear, wear/scratches to face plate, rust to handle captures, 1/4" speaker jack mod, tested functional


1420 Sears tube amp VG $128 Clean, light wear, sticker residue on top panel, cabinet stamping indicates early 1972 build


752 Kay mandolin w/ OC G $151 Clean, edge/surface wear, 'wind chime' logo strong, fitted with electric pickup, NS tuners, back shows slight separation


2574 Oscar Schmidt autoharp w/ OC VG $16 Clean, minimal wear, crack in face, tuning wrench and book incl.



Silvertone rules!

Sears metal promotional ruler $3 Light scratches, a few pain smudges, crease in center



2/8

More, more more! Let's clean up the weekend and see what Monday and Tuesday have brought us. In fact, we're gonna lead off with this awesome 'Thin Twin' that auctioned last night. It's in great shape, and brought the seller some good money.

1381 Kay SSEG w/ OC VG $934 Clean, some playing wear/flaking to back of neck, headstock laminate looks good, pickguard stenciling strong, pots "a tad scratchy." Relisted in March.


1423 Harmony SSEG w/ OC G $385 Clean, edge wear and some flaking, crack around bottom side from jack, binding yellowing, light oxidation to chrome, logo intact with slight bend at 'S,' selector control missing, 4 of 6 tuner ferrules missing, high E tuner post missing


1477 Harmony SBEG w/ C VG $289 Clean, light wear, logo strong, whammy bar present,



Here's an odd couple... wonder how these two met? Maybe they were both hanging out in a pawn shop or music store storage room, and someone thought they looked nice together...

1437Teisco MIJ SBEG and 1451 Dano tube amp in case both $400 Ampcase missing its speaker and has wear all over, broken at hinges and rust to hardware, amp untested, guitar looks good with whammy arm present, light wear and a ding or two, missing its logo tag, scratchy pots. Relisted.



Now, here's a proper twosome... our first 1449 of the year!

1449 Dano SSEG and tube amp in case VG $550 Clean guitar and amp showing light wear, some chrome plating worn from bridge/tailpiece, NS tuners, logo strong, screw-in fuse holder replaced by spliced-in inline type, scratchy pots, tremolo functional, no footswitch, cabinet stamping indicates spring 1963 build


641 Harmony FTAC G $65 Clean, edge/surface wear, logo strong, hairline crack on back bottom, seller says "Action is slightly high, but definitely playable."


641 Harmony FTAC G $162 Clean, edge/surface wear, logo worn at 'S,' tailpiece shows light rust dots, seller says "The strings are very low so the guitar chords easily."


657 Harmony FTAC Classical w/ OC VG $62 Clean, light wear, neck and binding tight, inside tag looks good, stamped S-65, serial #2089H 657


619 Kay FHAC G $166 Clean, edge/surface wear, logo strong, lamination lines showing at headstock,  neck lifting at heel, stamped 57-619 and N-3


605 Harmony FTAC P $75 Edge/surface wear, checking/flaking, no bridge or tuners, logo looks good in poor photo, stamped S-63 HB


1331 Dano tube amp F $150 Wear and water staining all over, handle worn, back panel missing, logoplate looks good, amp is functional
,

1463 Dano solid state amp only $48 Clean, light wear, volume knob cracked, faceplate very clean, rust to jack washers, covering shrinking on one side, light rust to handle captures, seller says "Found in a basement recently. No way to test thoroughly. I plugged it in and it lights up, that's as far as I took it. Assume it will need repairs and we are all happy.Sold for parts or repair."


1472 Dano tube amp G $305 Round speaker cutout, edge/corner wear, could use a good cleaning, rust to xformer, no footswitch, red border panel with 'tremlo' misspell, tremolo unmentioned but seller says "Plays Well & Tubes have been tested by TV Radio Tech with over 50 years experience!!!! ALL tested Good!!!"


1482 Dano tube amp G $250 Square speaker cutout, light wear, faceplate could use a good cleaning, grille stain mid-bottom, some water staining to bottom edge of baffle, tremolo functional, no footswitch, cabinet stamping indicates summer 1965 build, seller says "The amp is very quiet and has been cleaned and checked by a professional technician. One axial electrolytic capacitor was replaced."


1482 Dano tube amp VG $389 Square speaker cutout, clean, light wear, cig burns on top covering, control face shiny with light oxidation dots, tremolo functional, no footswitch, manual/schematic incl., cabinet stamping indicates spring 1965 build, seller says "This amp was just gone through and had a complete check-up, pots were cleaned, one cap was replaced, "death" cap was removed, and a new 3-prong power cord was installed for safety. It also has a new set of NOS dark glass Russian power tubes installed, and the rest of the tubes (all Silvertone branded USA made) were all tested and all test strong."


1482 Dano tube amp VG $330 Square speaker cutout, clean, light wear, 3-prong AC mod, power light needs replacing, tremolo unmentioned, no footswitch

I gotta start watching these uke auctions better while they're active... I want a deal like this!

853 Harmony ukulele VG $21 Clean, light wear, logo strong, 3" paint transfer mar on back


838 Oscar Schmidt autoharp G $53 Clean, light wear, crack on back, some fret bars loose, pitch pipe and tuning wrench incl.



Try as I might, I couldn't find this guitar in my catalogs. It's a Harmony, but the seller didn't mention (and I didn't ask while the auction was active) what that number was tantalizingly visible through the f-hole. It's got some upper-end features, too: 3-ply binding on front, and one-ply on back, MOP fret markers... I just couldn't find a visual match in my catalogs. Look at that logo... doesn't it look suspiciously off-kilter? Maybe this isn't a catalog-offered Silvertone at all. It looks very much like a 1456 Monterey.

UNK Harmony FHAC G $161 Clean, edge/surface wear, some checking/flaking, some binding shrinkage, 2" crack on back, stamped F-5?, serial #XXX8HXXX



1331 Dano tube amp chassis only $145 Seller says "It powers up and the tubes light up but beyond that is untested."



2/7

Super Bowl-sized Silvertone weekend! GUARANTEED Black Eyed Peas-free! Another big 'un, y'all, and I'm pretty sure it's gonna take 'til tomorrow to dig out from under it, so let's jump right in with this excellent example of one of the soldiers of the late-60s 'Japanese Invasion,' the venerable 1455 (our first one this year!).

1455 Teisco HBEG E $430 Clean, minimal wear, whammy arm present, logo strong, chrome and finish shiny


1415 Dano SSEG VG $415 Clean, edge/surface wear, logo intact but worn, light rust to tuner strip, wear around jack, playing wear to neck, pot codes and cavity stamp indicates late '61 build.


1304 Dano SSEG G $575 Clean, edge/surface wear, logo has ding at 'rt,' playing wear to neck


1487 Teisco MIJ SBEG with amp on board VG $275 Clean, light wear, pick wear to pickguard, all covers in place 'Silver Tone' badge present, logo strong but worn at 'o,' chrome shiny with light surface scratching, one of the nicest of these I've seen, seller says "...we were never able to get the on board amplifier to work."


1434 Dano tube amp G $350 Clean, light wear, seller says "I would not and I do not lift it by the handle as it looks very fragile. Electrically it will need work. The 6L6's are all Silvertone and may be original they have been tested (all good) and the results are on the tubes. All have matching production codes. At least one speaker has been replaced since I don't know what is original to the amp both could have been replaced only one of the speakers is hooked up and it looks like the transformer for the other speaker has been removed and/or bypassed I added pictures of the top and bottom of the chassis. The amp does work on both channels the pots are scratchy and there is a hum that seems to come and go. I could not check the tremolo. This amp is... being offered as is for restoration."


600 series Harmony FTAC F $31 Sold as project, clean, some edge/surface wear, missing pickguard & tuners, logo strong, bridge cracked


1202 harmony FTAC w/ OC G $31 Edge/surface wear, Steel Reinforced Neck' stamp on headstock, unusual fret stencils, 'Space Dot' strong, 'Clint Black' (not an autograph; see comparison) written on top bass side, mis-ID'd as 1964 era, actually early '70s



Speaking of black...

658 Kay FHAC G $285 Clean, edge wear, pickguard missing, logo strong, '33' sticker residue on back, professionally restoration included "...reset the neck to the proper angle. It had a neck screw put into it that he removed and replaced with a strap button on the end. He then dressed the frets, sealed up some of the side seams and re-installed the original bridge (had two sets of slots cut into it already, but works fine)," dot markers indicate '66-'68 build. More from Jukebox Bonfire: "You can see in the photos it has an ancient seam repair done to it on the back at the bottom (not my guy's work!) that is ugly but seems solid. You can see the photo at the wood under the fingerboard extension was cracked before my guy got to this from the neck set coming loose but this area holding on. It is all glued up and solid now, though. Just you can still see it. The back has a '3' reflective sticker left on the back from a '33' that probably came from a truck stop. I love the look of these stickers, it makes this thing totally look like the axe of some veteran juke joint blues warrior. They'd probably clean up better with a little elbow grease, but I have not done anything to that. It looks like it might have had controls (an old Dearmond pickup?) glued to the top of the guitar at one point. Or stickers like on back. Not holes, though."


658 Kay FHAC G $142 Clean, light wear, logo strong, light rust to hardware, neck lifting slightly at heel, low E tuner button missing, bottom strap button missing, dot markers indicate '66-'68 build.




13XX Dano logoplate $21 Light tarnish, mounting nails incl.


1457 Dano pickup $99 Edge/surface wear, strap buttons in place, neck-tilt slug and bridge screws present



2/4

Sometimes the Mod Squad goes above and beyond the call. That's the case with or first up today; a simple 1300 Valco made amp that we generally see in various grades of disrepair (check last month's listing for the 26th), as they don't seem very well cared for over the years. I don't know how this one started out, but look how it ended up!

1300 Valco tube amp MOD $400 The pictures tell the story, and here's the rest from the seller/restorer: "The chassis was expertly serviced by Mr. Valco, Terry Dobbs, and the amp is just a killer sounding blues/rock barker, think Elmore James. Terry knows Valcos and uses the most accurate parts available. The power cord has been upgraded to a 3-prong grounded type. The speaker is a mint 1957 Jensen P12S alnico and works perfectly with the tube line up and wattage. The original cabinet was wrecked so I built this TV cab from 3/4" pine and 3/8" plywood. I tubed it with my best vintage tubes and they are: 2 x 6V6GT, 2 x 6SL7GT and 2 x 5Y3GT. The amp is 17-1/2" wide, 18" high and 9-7/8" deep, it weighs 21 pounds. There is a hum at idle that we could not eliminate but it's easy to get past it once the amp starts oozing its bluesy honk."


1423 Harmony SSEG w/ OC E $725 Clean, minimal wear, plenty of glitter, logo strong, chrome shiny


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $700 Clean, logo strong, light wear to guitar, ampcase covering has a few wear spots, cord keeper in place, case hardware shiny, another winner from the Lawman!


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $418 Clean, logo strong, light wear to guitar and ampcase, knobs inserts worn on guitar, burn spot on one knob, NS knob on amp, one latch won't close


623 Harmony FHAC w/ OC G $124 Clean, light wear, pickguard/bracket incl. but not installed, logo strong, back cracked at neck heel, hairline crack in top at bass f-hole bottom, serial #4360H623, stamped F-61-HB


1365 Kay HBEG P $188 Electronics missing, (3) tuners missing, headstock laminate loose, pickguard missing, bridge missing, finish checking, jack area repair. The REAL shocker? Internally stamped  L7657-1365!


1850 Oscar Schmidt Electro-Harp VG $199 Clean, light wear



Both of these came from the same seller from a long-ago parted out 1457 ampincase set. The pots in the harness dated to 1964.

1457 Dano pickup $33 No mounting hardware, non-functional


1457 Dano pickup $78 Mounting hardware, functional, cover split on bottom on both sides



2/3

Thriller Thursday! Two great pieces of Silvertonium to start off with today, and a pretty interesting handful after that. Dig this second-year 1304/1451 setup (technically the guitar is a 1450, but I'm calling '58s, '59s and '60s the 1304 for consistency's sake - if you ordered the two together out of the catalog, the combo would be cat. no. 1452). As clean as I've seen, offered by the Lawman, and someone picked up a smokin' hot piece of Silvertone history in awesome shape. The next guitar up didn't sell (!?!), but I knew you'd like to see this late-50s era model 640 Kay-made masterpiece.

1304 Dano SSEG w/ C 1451 Dano tube amp both VG $900 Clean, light wear to amp and guitar, logo strong, amp professionally refurbished, light shadow on grille


640 Kay FHAC VG DNS Clean, light wear, headstock and pickguard logo strong, hole drilled in lower treble bout



After seeing how much of this guitar is routed out, you could almost called it 'semi-solid.' Plus, I don't think I've ever seen a shot of the pickguard back with all the circuitry in place. Bonus!

1487 Teisco MIJ SBEG with amp on board $129 Sold as project. Seller says "Missing pickup, screws, last fret, strap buttons, and rear electronics cover."



I have one of this model, and it's a terrific strummer; easy to handle, great tone, and the binding front and back and in the soundhole give it some great looks.

643 Harmony FTAC VG $190 Clean, light wear, logo strong, binding white, nice grain to back, stamped S-65


600 series Harmony FTAC w/ C G $149 Clean, edge/surface wear, logo strong, seller IDs it as a 621 but no photo proof



This next flattop is one of the last 6-string acoustics to be blessed with the Silvertone name, and is featured (at least in photos) on Beck's album "One Foot in the Grave"

1208 Harmony FTAC VG $42 Clean, edge/surface wear, chrome shiny, logo worn at 've'



2/2

Happy Groundhog Day! I just read an article that theorized Bill Murray spent over 43 YEARS (!!!) in Punxsutawney in the movie "Groundhog Day." Hmm... I'd probably get tired of bidding and winning the same bunch of Silvertones for that long, and they wouldn't ship for a looong time. Best to stay here with the daily reports I reckon, even if forty plus years courting Andie McDowell is mighty tempting... Today's first up is about as 'Groundhoggy' as we're gonna get (using that odd adjective as meaning a repetition of identical events). It's this crazy Silvertone "reverb chamber" that's been bouncing around ebay for a  few weeks, and finally sold last night. Judging from the grille snags, it's the same one that sold (or maybe didn't) back in September of 2010. The seller went the extra mile on this one, obtaining a Sams Photofact schematic for the device to include with the auction. Theorizing from the auction photos, the reverb tank is the long aluminum box seen at the top of the backside view of this device, you'd pipe the signal in through the white leads, and an amplified  'reverbed' signal could be heard through the 6'" (looks like) speaker.  I still wanna hear what this thing sounds like!

9614 Silvertone Reverberation Chamber G $21 Grille has some snags, cabinet shows some edge wear, logo plate and control knob look good, unit untested, schematic incl.


1477 Harmony SBEG VG $251 Clean, light wear, logo strong, missing top strap button


1482 Dano tube amp VG $200 Round speaker cutout, clean, light wear, ding on back edge top, 3-prong AC mod, tremolo doesn't work, no footswitch



1484  Dano amp knob $20 Manufactured by Plastic-Ware N.Y.C, stamped inside on back, seller says "very good uncleaned condition and would clean up to an excellent or better condition."



2/1

Kick That Year Off! We sure did, with some great items a some good moolah! In January 2011, we reported on over 277 auctions totaling $75,450! That's a sad five grand less than January 2010, but still 10 grand more than January '09.

Here's some highlights of what changed hands:  A nice (26) 1448 guitars/amps or one or the other, (12) 1457 guitars/amps or one or the other, (28) 1484 amps, (10) 1482 amps, (12) 1481 amps, (10) 'Chris Isaak'  1446 model guitars, and only (5) 1385/1427 'Espanadas.' In a Silvertone World first, it was a Dano-made 1303 that brought home the big bacon this month at $1330.  The least amount brought in January was $12 for the front grille from a 1484 speaker cabinet (there were two things that sold for less, a couple of repro pickguards, but not being true Silvertonium, they don't count). In another Silvertone World first, of the six pieces that brought in $1000 or better, all six were different items; a 1457 ampincase setup at $1000, a nice Harmony-made electric archtop 1454 at $1150, a rare Kay-made 1372 hollowbody electric at $1095, a 1427 'Black Beauty' at $1200, a 'Chris Isaak' 1446 at $1137, and that sweet Dano-made 'U' bodied 1303 (with silver foil sidewalls and pickguard!) at $1330.

If you haven't visited January 2011, give it a look... it was QUITE a month!



Pretty good start to the second month, with some mid-high dollars going to some good ol' Silvertone favorite guitars.

1423 Harmony SSEG VG $585 Clean, minimal wear, plenty of glitter, logo intact, chrome shiny, rust to tuner plates, cracks at jack


1381 Kay SSEG VG $585 Clean, a few scratches on top, pickups shiny, (3) knobs missing, back is clean, pickguard and logo laminate clear/strong, jack relocated from accident site, scratchy pots, NS bone nut


1427 Harmony HBEG MOD $699 Surface wear and scratches, refinished, some checking, NS tuners, NS pickups, NS knobs, NS tailpiece, pickguard missing, logo intact, playing wear to neck,


1457 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $799 Clean, minimal wear to guitar and ampcase, headstock logo unseen in 6 photos, adhesive seep to amp knobs, light rust to case hardware, plating loss on treble side of bridge, tremolo non-functional, original cord with keeper and footswitch incl.





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

Abbreviations: M-Mint, NM - Near Mint, E- Excellent, VG- Very Good, G- Good , F-Fair, P-Poor, NS- Non-Stock, HBEG- Hollow Body Electric, FHAC- F-Hole Acoustic, FTAC- Flat-Top Acoustic, SBEG- Solid Body Electric, SSEG- Semi-Sold Electric, MIJ- Made In Japan, MOD - Modified significantly from stock, w/ O/C Original / Case, DNS - Did Not Sell; used mainly to show an item of interest whether it sold or not
Unless otherwise noted, I'm rating them by what I see in the pictures and read in the description.

The items depicted on this page are not for sale by Silvertone World. These are reviews of items from completed ebay auctions on or around the date specified.

Links in blue open in a new window, and take you to a Silvertone World info page, a period catalog listing, or a link of interest.