January 2010

1/31-2/1

The storm I mentioned Friday was a pretty good one for this area (good meaning bad... a real grab bag of wintry precipitation, which we just don't see much here in the middle of North Carolina), bringing enough enough ice, sleet, snow and cold to shut down the area for a couple of days.

Pt. II Tryin' to get the rest of the month wrapped up, I may not get to a January/February beginning total until tomorrow.

We're gonna kick off this weekends auction with an oddity. We see the all-black two-pickup version of this one about once a month. The one that sold below, I've only seen once before, and that was just last month. It's a full-on duplicate of the "Value Leader," save for the detail of the Silvertone logo. One nice piece of info we got out of this one was a date. The Stackpole pots pin the guitar to 1965. Are those DeArmond pickups? Anybody know?

UNK Kay HBEG w/ C G $283 Clean, minimal wear, all electronics work



Surprised there's not a pin-up decal on this one... great job repro'ing the logo, though!

1446 Harmony HBEG  MOD $510 Refinished, Bigsby intact, NS bridge, NS dice knobs


1490 Teisco MIJ SBEG Bass VG $213 Clean, minimal wear, logo intact, ding on bottom treble side, ding on headstock below logo


1418 Teisco MIJ HBEG VG $256 Clean, finish and chrome shiny,  whammy missing, pickguard design shows minimal wear, logo tag present, truss rod cover missing, serial #356701


1418 Teisco MIJ HBEG G $110 Clean, pickguard design worn away, whammy arm & spring missing, bridge and truss rod cover missing, serial #311???


1456 Teisco MIJ HBEG G $150 Clean, some edge wear, lead pickup trim ring missing, whammy present, Space Dot version of the 1455 Relisted in February


1460 Teisco MIJ HBEG VG $300 Clean, chrome and finish shiny, whammy missing, binding yellowed, logo strong


1423 Harmony SSEG w/ OC VG $650 Clean, minimal wear, all stock knobs, logo intact


1423 Harmony SSEG w/ C G $499 Clean, some edge/surface wear, some finish flaking, selector knob replaced by 'chicken head,' Blender knob NS, NS bridge, cracks at jack, script logo strong, pickups dated 1963, electronics act odd in 'Blender' position


1482 Dano tube amp VG $376 Clean inside and out, square speaker cutout, back panel present (removed for pics), light rust to xformer, no footswitch, no mention of tremolo function


1482 Dano tube amp VG $400 Clean, round speaker cutout,  speaker jack mod, 3-prong AC mod


1484 Dano tube amp w/ speaker cabinet G $385 Rusty face, edge/corner wear, recently cleaned/serviced, back panel jack mod to amp and speaker cab,  top paenl of amp slightly caved in, NS Celestion speakers, rev/trem functional, footswitch incl.


1485 Dano tube amp w/ cabinet G $580 Edge/corner wear, handle captures rusty, NS Celestion speakers, recently overhauled, original parts incl., rev/trem functional, footswitch incl., manual/schematic incl., same seller as 1484 above


1484 Dano tube amp only $275 Minimal wear, untested


1484 Dano speaker cab only $295 Edge/corner wear, NS (1959 1434 vintage, says the seller) speakers present, NS back panel with jacks


653 Kay FHAC 'Kentucky Blue' G $218 Clean, light wear, no bridge, missing pickguard


1210 Harmony FTAC VG $137 Clean, light edge wear,  logo strong


1443   Dano SBEG Bass w/ OC VG $470 Clean, light  wear, tailpiece cover present, logo broken at 'S,' big edge ding on bass side back


1444 Dano SSEG Bass VG $375 Clean, playing wear to neck, logo missing, NS knobs, swoop cutaway/5-sided access panel


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with tube ampincase VG $399 Clean, edge wear, sidewall ding on bottom treble side, logo strong, knobs discolored, case has edge/corner wear, guitar and amp jacks scratchy


1448 Dano  SSEG guitaronly G $350 Edge wear, buckle rash, logo strong, NS tuners (orig. incl.), NS knobs,  NS saddle, NS pickup bezel (1452/1443 style), relocated NS strap button


1204 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $79 Edge wear, crack on top from soundhole to bridge, extra screw(?) at bridge, logo strong


604 Harmony FTAC VG $78 Plenty of edge wear, bridge looks great, logo strong, stamped S-65 AP, serial #?556H604


1200 Harmony FTAC P $26 Big crack at soundhole, logo condition unknown, stamped ?-67 FC



Parts is Parts...

Here we have a couple of 1448 necks and bodies, all separate auctions, all from the same seller. It is interesting to note the slight differences between the early two-bolt neck model and the later three-bolt neck model.

1448 Dano

Neck $56 3-bolt, refinished, tuners & nut present, monogrammed at top of headstock


Body $36 3-bolt, refinished, no electronics or hardware, monogrammed on back


Neck $44 2-bolt, strip tuners & nut present, logo strong, neck stamp dates to 1962


Body $29 2-bolt, no electronics or hardware, top warped/water damaged


Dano case $100 Edge/corner wear, inside clean, probably from a 1444


1482 Dano knob $8

1448 Dano Pickup $51 No flat bracket springs. Seller says the shell is split, but it works. Doggone it, what does that sticker on the mounting bracket say?!?


The same seller also sold this Dano 'Yesteryear' pickup for $26.



Next up, we have half a dozen (out of eight available) knobs that all went for the same money
1484/5 Footswitch $13




1/29

Have you heard the news?!?


From Conan to Pull-Ups, our favorite guitars are showing up everywhere!

This is actually a pretty creative video, with some neat cardboard scenery, some groovy dancing and music from
Ralph Covert of Ralph's World and The Bad Examples. The blue guitar you see in the background in pic #3 is a Dano reissue, the one Ralph is playing... I'm not so sure... the sides are painted, but it's got a totally funky pickguard that I've never seen, and I can't make out any kind of logo on the headstock. Yo, Ralph... what's the deal?

We're gettin' ready for a fierce winter storm here in the middle of North Carolina. The mid-section of the US has already been glazed over with snow and ice, and it's headin' my way. Soooo... I'll certainly try to update the January totals over the weekend, but I may not be able to do much 'til Monday or Tuesday.; it all depends on whether we get fluffy snow or power/data cable breaking ice. Better break out some of these for the radio....

Well, here's one of the prettiest 1331 amps I've seen in a while, if it weren't for that corner rub and a crackly handle, it'd be almost perfect! Well, that and actually working...

1331 Dano Tube amp VG $432 Clean, minimal wear, handle lightly worn, one corner scrape. As far as function... the seller says: "Plugged in a guitar, and turned it on, heard sound, but not loud, sounded distorted, then plugged into the other channel, and it started to hum. -- I shut it off immediately, turned it back on, and it just hums now. -- not sure what it is, tubes look tight in the sockets, didn't want to mess with it."


1478 Harmony SBEG w/ OC VG $550 Whammy present, finish and chrome very shiny, 2" ding on bass lower bout, screw crack to pickguard near neck and also to tip of truss rod cover, logo strong. The Lawman took the time to re-drill and remount the pickguard (they tend to shrink), and also installed a NS (but period proper) strap  button on the bottom.


1478 Harmony SBEG w/ OC VG $350 Whammy present, bridge missing, minimal wear, chrome and finish shiny, logo strong, selector switch 'frozen'


1421 Harmony HBEG w/ OC VG $530 Clean, logo strong, light surface/edge wear, stamped F-60


1420 Harmony HBEG w/ OC VG $475 Clean, some surface/ edge wear, logo strong


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with tube ampincase VG $379 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, strip tuners, but I can't see the back in any photos to determine 2 or 3 bolt neck. I would say a two bolt neck because the guitar and amp have triangle knob inserts.


1415 Dano SSEG w/ C MOD $275 Professionally refinished, NS tuners, NS knobs, 5-sided aluminum panel 'swoop' neck cutout, re-issue Dano pickup, logo missing



Parts is Parts...

 We actually have some exciting news on this simple 1484 knob. The seller says
"Manufactured by and identified "Plastic-Ware N.Y.C. on the back inside of the knob."
 Now, that's the kind of news you can use!

1484 Knob $20



1/28

Kicking off today's auction report with a beeeeyootiful 1437 "Starship." I just made that name up; you can quote me if you wish.

1437 Teisco MIJ SBEG w/ OC VG $825 Very clean, whammy present, finish and chrome shiny with slight pitting to chrome, NS selector switch, logo tag present, beautiful example and a rare color



Next up, one of the strangest, most functionally creative mods I've seen... it's like a Silvertone Transformer™!

1482 Dano tube amp MOD $160 Portable speaker cabinet and amp enclosure that all folds out and clips together to form a podium, powered by a 1482 chassis


653 Kay FHAC 'Kentucky Blue' w/ OC VG $173 Clean, light edge wear, pickguard missing, logo strong, stamped  L6410 5520, seller says it needs the bridge adjustment thumbwheels and a neck re-set


1304 Dano SSEG F $225  A bit worse for wear; large area of finish missing at the 'elbow pivot spot' on the lower bass bout, couldn't see a logo even after enhancing some very dark photos, playing wear to fretboard, scratchy pots, refinished, NS knobs, neck stamp dates to 1959


621 Harmony FTAC G $110 Some edge/surface wear, soundhole binding shows very slight area of separation, stamped ?-67, serial #4222H621



The title to this next auction was, appropriately, "SAVE ME!"

1423 Harmony SSEG P $212 Finish flaking, lead pickup missing, (1) knob missing, selector switch knob missing, tailpiece and bridge missing, (2) tuners missing, logo oddly intact, nut and truss rod cover missing


1483 Dano tube amp chassis only $124 Faceplate looks good, obviously no cabinet,  the seller tells the story best: "Here's the deal. Sent amplifier to a local shop for repairs. Had tubes replaced, When I got it back still had strange hum. Sent back, had small different colored things replaced, Paid more money, still has hum plus a strange high pitch sound in channel 2. Was told needed new transformer, paid for transformer. Go to get amp, shop closed. 6 months pass I figure I'm never going to see amp again, so I sell empty cabinet, you can see it in my sold listings. Well I did get the amp back as you see it. All I can say is I spent a lot of money for nothing. If you know how to repair amps this is for you, my loss is your gain as they say. Does power up, all tubes work."


1485 Dano tube amp only G $500 Edge/corner wear,  (1) knob missing, 1/4" jack mod, rust to xformer, rev/trem uinmentioned


1485 Dano tube speaker cabinet only $68 No speaker, re-covered, back panel and amp keepers in place, the Jensens that were in it were stamped with 1964 date codes. The speakers are all in active ebay auctions currently.


1457 Dano SSEG guitar only MOD $292 Edge wear, chrome wear to pickup covers, holes drilled for some reason on either side of pickups, NS bridge, NS knobs, re-wired, playing wear to pickguard, neck partially refinished, logo worn, NS tuners


1478 Harmony SBEG w/ OC VG $400 Whammy present, minimal wear, chrome and finish shiny, logo strong


1255 Harmony ukulele VG $56 Clean, light wear, logo strong



Last but not least, I thought I'd show you this little hybrid that (surprisingly, I thought) didn't sell.

1359 Dano SSEG MOD DNS Contemporary Dano neck modded to fit '50s era 1359 'tan and ginger' guitar


1/27

Well... after a bang-up weekend and week's beginning, things have  s l o w e d  down a bit here in Silvertone World. We do have one super nice and quite rare setup that I was amazed didn't sell. It's a rare 1315 Lap Steel from Harmony from the early 50s, with an unbranded Valco-made 1339 amp from the same period; still together after all these years.

1315 Harmony Lap Steel VG DNS Clean, light wear, logo strong, picks & slide bars incl.
1339 Valco tube amp VG DNS Clean, some edge/corner wear, handle good, unidentified mod on side panel (ext. jack?)


1454 Harmony HBEG w/ C G $460 Clean, pickguard missing, middle pickup makes no sound, Bigsby present, light surface wear, some edge wear, some finish flaking, logo strong, NS bridge, stamped F-65, serial #994H1454


1484 Dano tube amp only VG $331 Minimal wear, seller say it could use a good cleaning


1420 Harmony HBEG w/ OC VG $555 Clean, light edge wear, logo strong, NS selector switch tip, bottom strap button missing, pots date to 1961


1251 Kay Banjo VG $30 Clean, 4-string with resonator, resonator lifting at bottom



1/25-6

Alright, on with the weekend cleanup... quite an active weekend, with some big money thrown around on some nice items. Take the plunge!

1385 Harmony HBEG w/ OC VG $1775 Clean, light wear, string scratch around low E tuner post, metal logo intact, light buckle rash, repro pickguard


1423 Harmony SSEG VG $613 Clean, minimal wear, chrome and finish shiny, plenty of glitter, logo strong, pickguard print strong,  pots date to 1961, song list taped to back including "Ghost Riders in the Sky" and "The Jolly Hunter."


222 Harmony (?) FTAC VG $104 Clean, minimal wear, NS tuners/nut, some possible arch/bracing issues.This guitar is actually a late 30s Supertone, one of the last. Note the similarities to the coming 600series, especially the pickguard. Also note the interesting adjustable bridge. The maker may have been Larson Brothers.


1451 Dano SBEG w/ tube ampincase VG $955 Clean guitar and ampcase, minimal wear, thick script logo strong, speaker shows some oxidation


1300 Dano SSEG VG $725 Clean, playing wear, logo strong,


1417 Dano SSEG w/ C G $557 Clean, some surface/edge wear, logo is sad, playing wear to neck, square neck.body joint, circular access panel


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with tube ampincase G $228 Clean, edge wear, some covering dings and wear to ampcase, oxidation to speaker cage, scratch to amp mounting board, logo strong


1457 Dano SSEG and tube ampincase VG $895 Clean, minimal wear to guitar and amp, headstock face painted black; logo craftily saved; Silvertone Pride!


1452 Dano SBEG guitar only w/ C VG $480 Clean, whammy present, minimal wear finish and chrome shiny, thin script logo strong (blurry photo)


1304 Dano SSEG G $265  Clean, surface/edge wear, (1) knob missing, bass side of tuners NS, playing wear treble side of bridge, playing wear to neck, logo strong, headstock has ding, 'square' neck/body junction, circular access panel, two-bolt neck


1204 Harmony FTAC VG $138 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, original box incl., second one we've seen this month


604 Harmony FTAC VG $25 Clean, light wear, logo strong, serial # 1180H604


2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp w/ OC  VG $60 A few light dings, book/record/picks/tuning wrench incl.


1481 Dano tube amp VG $257 Square speaker cutout, clean, minimal wear, grille looks good, knobs discolored, 1" blue paint splotch on top edge


1483 Dano tube amp only VG $350 Clean, edge/corner wear, handle captures and large xformer shows light rust, NS fuse holder


698 Italy FHAC $39 It's a guitar kit!


1464 Dano solid state amp only $117 Clean, minimal wear, untested


600 series Harmony FTAC G $42 Minimal wear, signed by Jonny Diaz, probably a 643


1445 Teisco MIJ SBEG VG $375  Clean, bridge cover in place, whammy missing, light wear, logo strong, this is the earlier bound version


1445 Teisco MIJ SBEG F $113  Clean, whammy present, neck bowed slightly, truss rod nut broken, repair to headstock, this is the earlier bound version, back of pickguard stamped "68"


1420 Harmony HBEG w/ OC VG $450 Clean, headstock wear, light surface wear on back, some flaking near output jack


1420 Harmony HBEG $250 Sold as a project, no pickups, pickup holes modified, no electronics, bridge missing, logo strong, fretboard may have been sanded down at some point


1423 Harmony SSEG F $349 Sold as project, but it looks like everything is there if a bit worn. Edge wear, flaking, logo strong, all stock knobs present, headstock cracked at tuner holes,


1430 Dano tube amp VG $169 Clean, minimal wear, handle looks good, back panel present, small tape spot on back corner, logoplate shiny


1240 Harmony FHAC G $250 Clean, minimal wear, pickguard present, block logo strong


1240 Harmony FHAC G $300 Clean, edge/surface wear, pickguard missing, bridge missing, block logo strong


1482 Dano tube amp G $262 Round speaker cutout, power switch moved to front, ext. jack added on back


1420 Sears tube amp VG $71 Clean, '5XL,'


658 Kay FHAC  VG $200 Clean, some edge wear, block markers indicate pre-66 model, small logo, sold with two other guitars ( Washburn and a 20s era Halakala)


1448 Dano  tube ampincase only G $153 Clean, some corner and surface wear, all latches/hinges present and working with some light rust


1484 Dano tube amp only VG $325 Clean, minimal wear, some kind of staining to top surface rev/trem work, footswitch incl.


643 Harmony FTAC G $25 Clean, edge/surface wear, logo strong, NS tailpiece, crack in side, serial #1276H643


1451 Dano tube amp G $110 'Wish Book' only model, cabinet is cracked, grille stained, handle and captures look good


1421 Sears tube amp '10XL' G $118 Clean, some wear, some oxidation to speaker cage,  tremolo untested, no footswitch



Wow, almost made it through a 5-day period without one of these puzzlers... I was going to proclaim this one a 660, but the body shape is just too weird, everything else matches a 660 spec: the trim ring, headstock design, sticker... but the body shape is quite un-660ish.

UNK Kay Classical F $41 Edge wear, rusty tuner plates, playing wear to fretboard, stamped B-2


Parts is Parts...

Dano footswitch $51 Probably from a 1472 or 1482. Nice views.. thanks, seller!


1446 Harmony neck only  $9 Sides broken off headstock in line with tuner holes, no nut, no fretboard, logo barely there



1/22

Weekend's creeping closer, and with it, a few more deals gone down in Silvertone World. I just checked the pending auctions, and there's some great stuff up for bid set to end in the next couple of days over on ebay right now, so it's gonna be another manic Monday for me, I can already tell.

1423 Harmony SSEG w/ OC VG $872 Clean, light surface wear, two small finish scratches on back, some edge wear at headstock, chrome shiny, selector knob missing, plenty of glitter, logo strong


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with tube ampincase VG $375 Clean guitar and case with minimal wear, light discoloring at speaker on grille, V/T knobs on guitar missing, capo and cord incl.


1240 Kay FHAC VG $203 Clean, light wear, logo strong, binding yellowed


1484 Dano tube amp only G $330 Face has some oxidation 'dots,' xformers show rust, covering has a snag or two, NS tubes, recently re-capped, rev/trem functional


1484 Dano tube amp only G $201 Face looks good, covering has some edge/corner wear, (1) NS knob, back panel shows oxidation 'dots,' top surface dirty/stained,  rev/trem untested, no footswitch, circuit mod switches between 8 ohm and 4 ohm cabinet, 1/4" jack mod, rust to xformers


856 Harmony Baritone Ukulele w/ OC VG $110 Clean, some light scratching, tuners and body tight


856 Harmony Baritone Ukulele G $65 Clean, some surface wear, on pencil eraser-sized ding in side, NS (but pretty cool, IMHO) pickguard and bridge decoration, logo strong



1/21

Some good deals as we head into the weekend, and a real rarity to kick the day off; the very seldom seen 1474 Bass Amp. It was also advertised for accordion use. Go figure.

1473 Dano tube amp VG $600 Clean, light wear, 3-prong AC mod, super rare



Not as scarce as the 1473, but this nice 1396 still deserves a closer look.

1396 Dano tube amp VG $315 Clean, minimal wear, NS 60s era Jensen speakers, back panel present, handle looks great,  tremolo untested, no footswitch


1405 MIJ Teisco SBEG w/ C VG $125 Clean, light edge wear, some pitting to tailpiece cover, logo strong



Seeing double? How about triple? And all with different model designations! That 1206 is quite rare; never seen it listed in any catalog, and this is only the second example I've ever seen.

1206 Harmony FTAC DNS Clean, light wear, back has a 6" crack at neck heel, fretboard wear in 'cowboy chord' area, logo strong. Just wanted to show you all this rare strummer for comparison and contrast. Reserve not met @ $73.


1204 Harmony FTAC w/ C G $48 Edge/surface wear, contact melt spot on back of neck, logo strong


604 Harmony FTAC G $14 Clean, (2) long scratches on back, top cracked at soundhole, logo strong


1485 Dano tube amp only G $500 Edge/corner wear, rusty xformers, face shows some rust 'dots,' rev/trem functional.
Give it a look/listen!


1484 Dano tube amp only G $357 Face looks a little smudgy, rusty handle captures, rust on back amp chassis, rust to xformers, tremolo works, reverb doesn't


1471  Dano tube amp G $275 Edge/corner wear, back panel present, control face clean, rusty handle captures, recently serviced and slighty modded circuitry-wise, 3-prong AC mod


1451 Dano tube amp G $125 'Wish Book' only model, light rust to control panel, light edge wear, AC plug replaced


1200 Harmony FTAC F $30 Cursive logo worn, scratches/dings, edge wear, neck has been re-glued, nut re-glued. Never realized these have a painted on pickguard! Relisted from December '09.


802 Harmony Banjo w/ OC $56 5-string w/ resonator, can't tell much from the one photo provided, seller says 5th string tuner is a bit loose, seller is grandson of original owner

1/20

1381 Kay HBEG F $382 Edge/surface wear, chrome shows pitting/flaking, some finish flaking, side shows checking/flaking, binding on bottom back missing/loose, several pickguard screw cracks, looks like some staining to headstock laminate, tuner buttons deteriorating, (2) tuner buttons gone, untested


1464 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $199 Clean, minimal wear, stock Jensens in place, trem/rev functional, NS caster on bottom of spkr. cab, footswitch incl.


1481 Dano tube amp VG $214 Square speaker cutout, clean, minimal wear, knob inserts yellowed


1457 Dano SSEG guitar only VG $337 Clean, minimal wear, NS sadlle,1/2" scrape on bottom front of headstock


1457 Dano SSEG guitar only VG $332 Clean, light edge wear, logo strong


619 Kay FHAC VG $183 Clean, light edge wear, light finish checking, light rust, binding slightly yellowed, slight heel separation, logo strong


1227Harmony FTAC 12-string $28 Can't tell much from the poor photos... seller says 'has some scratches... not warped.'



1/19

Are folks already getting there tax checks back? Because we've certainly got a bit of money flying around the Silvertone auctions as of late! Check out today's and the the rest of this past weekend's auction action below.

Kicking the day off with an unusual instrument; I'd never seen a 1491. Not in an auction, not in a catalog... but here's one in pretty good shape. It differs from the 1490 in several ways: this one has a selector switch vs. the rockers of the 1490, wood thumb rest vs. the 1490 chrome rest, one less knob than the 1490, the logo is obviously unusual, and the configuration actually looks more like a 1971-era 1490 (see link) listing that I have. I love surprises!

1491 MIJ Teisco SBEG Bass VG $200 Clean, light edge wear, finish and chrome shiny, big ding on lower bass bout, unique big 'S' logo strong



Here's a seldom-seen amp, the 1434 'Medalist.'

1434 Dano tube amp VG $572 Clean, light edge/corner wear, handle worn, recently re-capped and re-resistored, tremolo functional, no footswitch


1446 Harmony HBEG  VG $667 Clean, Bigsby present w/ a little paint loss, finish checking, some surface wear, pickguard missing, metal logo intact, NS bridge


1344 Dano tube amp G $245 Handle missing, covering and logo worn, intermittent operation, "Saved from a shut down honkytonk in central Missouri."


1482 Dano tube amp G $295 Square speaker cutout, edge/corner wear, back panel mod, 3-prong AC mod, some circuitry changes, some NS tubes


1413 MIJ Teisco SBEG $170 Whammy present, 'Space Dot' strong, some finish checking, some surface grunge, controls a bit 'scratchy,' strap& picks incl., original box incl.; interestingly still labeled as a 'Silvertone'


1454 Harmony HBEG VG $587 Edge wear, some finish checking, logo strong, pickguard and Bigsby present, case personalized with handpainted "Strawberry" logo and a nicely done Silvertone logo, stamped S-65


1478 Harmony SBEG VG $400 Whammy present, minimal wear, logo faded, light checking


1421 Harmony HBEG w/ OC VG $515 Clean, logo strong, light surface/edge wear, stamped F-60



Wow! TWO 1303 models in one day!

1303 Dano SSEG G $800 Playing wear to bass lower bout, playing wear to fretboard and back of neck and first five frets, logo worn, bottom strap button missing, sidewalls and knobs yellowed, serial # dates to 1958


1303 Dano SSEG G $595 Clean, edge/surface wear, bridge p/u doesn't work, logo removed (for shame!), bottom strap button missing, bridge plate has some pitting, serial # dates to 1958


1304 Dano SSEG G $300  Clean, light surface wear, NS knobs, logo worn, NS tuners (originals incl.), seller is Jimmy Heil.


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with tube ampincase VG $527 Clean, minimal wear to guitar and amp, light corner wear to ampcase


1457 Dano SSEG and tube ampincase VG $600 Clean, guitar chrome shiny, sidewalls could use a cleaning, light wear to amp and guitar, speaker bezel missing, some oxidation to clasps, (1) clasp missing, amp pots a little scratchy, schematic/manual incl.


1483 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $435 Clean, minimal wear


1483 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet G $474 Edge and corner wear to both, grille looks great, some 'spotting' to front panel,


1483 Dano tube amp only VG $325 Clean, light corner/edge wear


1474 Dano tube amp VG $749 Clean, minimal wear, reverb non-functional (the tank's present), tremolo works, stock Jensens present, some NS tubes, (1) knob missing, recently serviced; re-capped, Lyle Baldwin has scratched his name on the back


1474 Dano tube amp F $305 Edge/corner wear, grille has some water staining, channel one treble knob missing, tremolo untested, no footswitch, NS speakers, no reverb tank, pot codes date to 1961


1484 Dano tube amp w/ cabinet VG $850 Light corner wear, some oxidation/dirt to face,  grille has some water staining, NS Tung Sol power tubes, rev/trem functional, stock Jensens present, footswitch incl.


608 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $100 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, 'How to Care For' booklet incl.


1210 Harmony FTAC P $21 Top warped, wear/scratches all over, "Firefly" sticker on treble lower bout


1446 Harmony HBEG  G $868 Clean, light checking, a scratch or two,  Bigsby missing, pickguard missing, NS tailpiece, some oxidation to p/u cover plating, thin script logo strong. Relisted from December '09.


1319 Harmony lap Steel VG $214 Clean, logo strong, vintage 'How To Play' books incl., picks slide and original box postmarked 1949 also incl.



Parts is Parts...

1448/1481Knob $10


1484/5 Footswitch $50


Jensen 10" speaker $50 'Special Design'



UNK Kay FHAC G $103 Surface/edge wear, neck re-glued, pickguard missing, stamped L1334


UNK Kay FHAC G $130 Surface/edge wear, pickguard present, stamped L8364


UNK Kay FHAC F $123 Surface/edge wear, a few dings, deco logo barely there, jack installed; no apparent pickup



1/18

Wow, these Mondays knock me for a loop... if I'd had a holiday today, I might have finished everything from the weekend; as it is, I'm about halfway there. We'll get the rest tomorrow.

1352 Harmony HBEG w/ OC VG $750 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, pickguard present, binding clean and tight, arched back shows nice graining


633 Harmony FTAC G $203 Clean, light scratches all over, tuners missing, laminate cracks showing at headstock, logo strong, pickguard needs re-gluing, heel of neck up slightly. No back of the neck stamping, so this is one of the earliest Silvertone 'Sovereign' models available


1449 Dano SSEG guitar and tube amp in case VG $831 Clean, light wear, dusty speaker, logo strong, strip tuners, tremolo functional, no footswitch, lead pick cover split, saddle compensation mod, ampcase covering very clean. There was some back and forth in the comments during the auction about the strip tuners being non-stock; they are original... just like early 1448 models. Seller was well-known Tractor member and luthier, Steve Ripley. Quote from Steve: "When I worked with Eddie Van Halen - with all the fancy guitar stuff we both did - just about the most excited I ever saw him was when he fired up one of these. No joke."


1451 Dano SBEG w/ tube ampincase VG $535 Clean guitar, minimal wear, small ding on back bottom, amp has some edge/corner wear


1487 Teisco MIJ SBEG G $129 Clean, light wear all over, logo strong, pickup missing, last fret missing, amp present but untested


1457 Dano SSEG guitar only VG $525 Clean, logo strong, some edge wear and scratches, weirdness at nut


UNK Supro/Valco G $749 Clean, edge wear, logo worn from pickguard a bit, plating on pickup cover and tailpiece dull/pitted, tuner buttons deteriorating, logo tag looks good. Based on the Supro Rhythm Tone, I've never seen this Silvertone guitar listed in any catalog. Most sources date them to around 1958.


1421 Harmony HBEG w/ OC VG $450 Clean, light wear, top shows nice graining, logo strong, playing wear to back of neck


1421 Harmony HBEG  VG $647 Clean, light  wear, logo strong, in storage for 20 years


1421 Sears solid state amp '10XL' G $31 Clean, tremolo strong, label gone, back suffering from water damage


1482 Dano tube amp F $218 Round speaker cutout, rough; corner/edge wear, oxidation to metal parts, back panel present, tremolo unmentioned, no footswitch




1/15

How'd it get to the middle of January already?

1457 Dano SSEG and tube ampincase VG $699 Clean, light edge wear to guitar, half-inch ding on back bottom, ampcase clean inside and out, tremolo  functional, footswitch incl.


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with tube ampincase VG $499 Clean, some edge wear, chrome shiny, ding in sidewall near jack, amp has (2) NS tubes


1483 Dano tube amp only VG $286 Clean, minimal wear, functional


1483 Dano tube amp only F $181 Face rusty, inside dirty, re-upholstered in black, (2) knobs missing, tubes/pilot light at power up, otherwise untetsted


1484 Dano tube amp w/ cabinet MOD $550 Clean, front face has some wear, (2) NS knobs, reverb tank removed and replace with effects loop, (1)  NS speaker, tremolo works


1431 Dano tube amp  G $203 Light edge and corner wear, handle worn, stock knobs look good, loud hum at power up. Relisted from December '09.


853 Harmony Ukulele G $21 Clean, light wear all over, 'Genuine mahogany' sticker still present



Parts is Parts...

Dano knobs $10/$13 Probably from a 1471/1481/1474; no way to confirm


Dano Bridge/Saddle $50 Comes with screws. Seller says it's from a Dano shorthorn bass, but I thought I'd let you see it anyway




UNK Kay FHAC VG $200 Clean, minimal wear, logo missing, might not even be a Silvertone, stamped N-2, L9871



1/14

1420 Harmony HBEG w/ OC G $290 Clean, some surface/edge wear, crack on top bass side near tailpiece, jack modded to pickguard, NS selector switch tip


1437 Teisco MIJ VG $730 Clean, minimal wear, NS selector switch knob, logo tab present, whammy may need a little fine tuning


1485 Dano tube amp w/ cabinet F $600 Dirty, wear and tear all over, untested, tubes present

1484 Dano tube amp only G $255 Clean, light edge wear along front, intermittently static-y, trem works, rev doesn't, 1/4" jack mod


1310 Valco Lap Steel w/ OC VG $180 Clean, pickup cover present, logoplate in good shape


1310 Valco Lap Steel w/ OC VG $240 Clean, pickup cover presetn, logoplate in good shape, serial #X754?



Parts is Parts...

1484/5 Dano knob $21



UNK Kay F $101 Wear, modded pickguard, finish flaking, 'wind chime' logo worn, probably a mid-40s model



1/13

Looks like the New Year hasn't tamed anybody's desire for all things Silvertone...

1485 Dano tube amp w/ cabinet VG $1175 Clean, reupholstered/re-grilled, face shiny, all six Jensens in place, rev/trem functional, footswitch incl.


1454 Harmony HBEG G $412 Edge wear, finish checking/flaking, pickguard missing, all knobs missing (3 incl. but in sad shape), Bigsby missing, bottom strap button missing,  logo removed, lamination lines on headstock showing, binding tight, all electronics functional, serial #3927H1454, pickups stamped 1963


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with tube ampincase E $544 Clean, minimal wear, a couple of flakes on the back of the headstock, amp case clean, sidewalls clean, finish and chrome shiny, closet stored for 40+ years


1457 Dano SSEG and tube ampincase VG $600 Clean, edge wear, some finish checking, light rust to handle captures, hinges and clasps, light oxidation to speaker bezel, tremolo function unmentioned, no footswitch


1457 Dano tube ampincase only VG $299 Clean, light corner/edge wear, amp is noisy, tremolo function unmentioned, no footswitch


856 Harmony Baritone Ukulele w/ OC VG $113 Clean, some light scratching, tuners and body tight



1/12

Typical Tuesday after a monstrous Monday... we do have a real treat here first off, a nice Dano-made 1357, the first (along with its two-pickup'd sister, the 1359) "lipstick tube" pickup-equipped Dano-built Silvertone from Sears!

1357 Dano SSEG VG $819 Clean, slight discoloration on treble side of face, light edge wear, logo strong, chrome shiny, serial numbers date to 1956, very nice example of a 'C' body shape based guitar.


1457 Dano SSEG guitar only VG $400 Clean, cord retainer still present, light edge and surface scratching, logo strong


1472 Dano tube amp G $250 Round speaker cutout,  some edge/corner wear, (1) NS knob, red border control panel with 'tremlo' misspell, tremolo functional, no footswitch


1484 Dano tube amp w/ cabinet VG $630 Clean, light edge and corner wear, oxidation to tube sleeves, light oxidation to control face, light grille staining, rev/trem functional, footswitch incl., (1) NS tube, recently serviced



We hardly see a 12-string a month, and here we go with two in a row! (And there was another auction going at the same time for a THIRD 1227 that didn't sell!)

666 Harmony FTAC 12-string w/ OC G $256 Clean is about all I can see in this one photo that was provided, although the logo looks strong in the enlargement I made. This is the least common first version of this 12-string guitar.


1227Harmony FTAC 12-string MOD $55 Wear all over, converted to 6-string (bridge cut for some reason), bottom sides flaking terribly, 'Space Dot' logo, seller is original owner


852 Ukulele G $28 'Hawaiian Girl' model, stencil and logo strong, some edge and surface wear, hairline cracks in back



1/11

Another big weekend as we wiggle on into 2010 (Are you used to writing it yet?). Lots of goodness all around from Harmony and Dano mostly with a Kay treat or two thrown in. Our  list today starts off with eight Harmony-made Silvertones in a row!

1385 Harmony HBEG VG $1825 Clean, some light finish checking, NS Bigsby (orig. trapeze incl.), 'S' in logo is bent, pickguard cracked at bracket screw, stamped S-59


1446 Harmony HBEG w/ C  VG $807 Finish shiny with minimal wear, Bigsby present, pickguard missing, silkscreened logo worn, screw crack to truss rod cover tip, tuner ferrules loose, some surface wear, lead pickup bezel has a crack, selector switch plate painted or NS


1446 Harmony HBEG w/ C  G $547 Surface wear, finish flaking all over, finish checking, Bigsby present, logo intact


1454 Harmony HBEG  VG $710 Clean, minimal wear, finish and chrome shiny, Bigsby intact, logo strong, NS strap buttons and truss rod cover (originals incl.)


623 Harmony FHAC w/ OC VG $320 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, serial # ?841H623, stamped F-61


623 Harmony FHAC w/ OC G $153 Clean, light wear, logo strong, buckle rash on arched back


1476 Harmony SBEG G $272 Some edge wear, pitting to chrome, NS whammy mod, logo strong. Don't know what to tell you about this one. I've never seen a 1476 with a whammy, and it's never spec'd as an option for the year it was available, and I don't know what that mysterious (spring cover?) thingy is that goes through the back of the guitar, the whammy'd 1477 doesn't have a spring in the mechanism. So, what is this really? Retrofitted whammy from a 1477 (sunburst model)? Re-painted 1477? Frankentone?


1488 Harmony SBEG w/ OC G $600 Clean, whammy arm present, some edge and surface wear, logo strong, screw crack at bass side upper horn, light checking


1452 Dano SBEG guitar only w/ C F $260 Whammy present, finish in poor shape, NS neckplate, logo strong


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar only G $200 Edge wear, knob inserts worn/dirty, strip tuners, logo worn, worn pickguard, some light buckle rash/scratches on back. This is the very last of the transitional 1448 model guitars: everything's up to the 'later version' standard except for the strip tuners.


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with tube ampincase G $315 Clean, chrome shiny, some sidewall abrasions, volume knob insert missing, amp has some surface dings and scrapes,  speaker torn/repaired, logo status on guitar unknown


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with tube ampincase G $270 Some edge wear, tone knob missing, volume knob missing insert, picku has crack in cover on treble side, ampcase has edge and corner wear and surface scrapes, strip tuners


1415/1416 Dano SSEG G $205  Bridge and pickup look good, repainted, NS knobs, pickguard missing, logo broken at 'S,' interesting grain to fretboard, tail screw at bridge missing or painted, swoop cutaway, 5-sided access panel, bass side of nut looks broken


1444 Dano SSEG Bass body only w/ OC $228 Routed for a Gibson EBO (not incl.), logo present (!) but in sad shape, playing wear near bridge area, major wear on back, no tuners, no bridge (the screws are there!), no electronics, no nut, no pickguard, sidewalls look good, later model; swoop neck cutaway, and 5-sided access panel. Relisted from December.


2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp w/ OC  G $66 Has writing on top soundboard for guide notations, case has rusty hardware, books and tuning wrench incl.


856 Harmony Baritone Ukulele w/ OC G $81 Clean, light wear all over, thick script logo strong, personalized by "Sue (or Eve?) Menle"


853 Harmony Ukulele P $41 Wear all over, side cracked 75% of the way around, logo strong, sold with another uke; a Regal


802 Harmony Banjo w/ OC VG $103 5-string w/ resonator, head worn, hardware dull but clean, thick script logo strong, resonator has some small dings, (1) position marker missing


804 Kay Banjo P $23  4-string, resonator, head ripped, top tuners in sad shape


604 Kay FTAC w/ C G $50 Clean, some surface wear, bolt neck. This is the rare Kay-made version of the 604; note narrower head, bolt-neck, and slightly different stripe width as compared to a Harmony 604.


1484 Dano tube amp w/ cabinet VG $545 Clean, minimal wear, NS (Jensen) speakers, NS tubes, rev/trem functional,  footswitch incl.


1484 Dano tube amp only VG $399 Clean, minimal wear, rev/trem functional, speaker cable has 1/4" jack added, no footswitch


1481 Dano tube amp G $205 Square speaker cutout, edge and corner wear, discolored knob inserts, rusty handle captures


1481 Dano tube amp VG $214 Square speaker cutout, minimal wear, knob inserts slightly discolored


1464 Dano tube amp only VG $150 Clean, rev/trem functional, no footswitch



Parts is parts...

1410 Kay SBEG neck $79 No truss rod cover, no tuners


1484/5 Dano footswitch $20 Untested, lettering worn



A much-sought audiophile tube (as far as my research indicates), here's another RCA-made Silvertone branded 2A3 going for some good money!

Silvertone Vacuum Tube $338 2A3 Single Plate Triode tested good





UNK Kay SBEG G $250 Clean, some surface wear, thick script logo strong, pots scratchy. This is the mysterious, never-found-it-in-a-catalog-yet Kay-built guitar, based on the popular 'Value Leader.'


UNK Kay FTAC G $138 Missing bridge, logo strong, light checking, NS tuners, stamped N-7 and 57879 (I think that may be a misread; this is probably a 619)




1/8

Well, it's a big birthday in the music world, not just Silvertone World... although, I'm pretty sure that any guitar maker in the 50s and 60s would have said that Elvis was one of their top salesmen, along with this handful of British chaps...

For today's 75th birthday festivities, I decided to bring back a paragraph or two from last year,  just in case you hadn't seen it:

Happy Elvis Birthday! Long rumored to have started his musical career on a guitar bought in a hardware store in Tupelo, there's certainly a chance that it was a Silvertone. Never seen Big E holding a guitar branded with the Big S, and believe me, I've looked. Someone DID snap him  playing a Danelectro sometime during his Army hitch, here he is rockin' an E chord:

Pull out your '68 Special DVD and check out what a truly great guitarist Elvis was. I mean, to have the cojones to take Scotty Moore's electric guitar away from him... Yowza! After the Sun sides, Elvis really never got to play guitar in any significant way on his recordings. But in the '68 special 'in the round' segment, you can hear him playing a brutal, snarly rhythm, flavor songs with intricate passing notes and rockin' riffs and just generally add the "atomic power" (the phrase the ol' Colonel used to advertise Elvis in the early days) to truly electrify every song that he played on.

This next was posted 5 days later...

Talking about Elvis the other day got me thinking about his first guitar. Surely, Elvis passed that thing on to someone that kept it, knowing its future historical worth. Well, I was watching a Kris Kristofferson-narrated piece on A&E called "Return to Tupelo," and I got some of my answer. They showed the Tupelo Hardware store where the guitar was purchased and a framed picture of the alleged tape-repaired guitar itself. A little Googling, and I find a great page at Scotty Moore's  website detailing some aspects of the guitar with a front and back photo, and also some good info over at the Tupelo Hardware website.

It's a well-worn Kay flattop, with a square-shouldered bridge and a scallop-topped headstock. There's no visible logo, but the body shape conforms to the look of the mid-50s K-XX series of acoustics. There is no provenance other than word of mouth, and apparently no pictures of Elvis with any guitar during this period of time (which I find very odd), so... Elvis' first guitar still remains somewhat of a mystery.

You can also check out my pages about Elvis visits to MY hometown; Norfolk, Virginia.




Alrighty then, let's start today's auctions off with a two-fer deal and a beautiful 'catalog shot' along with a great shot of the combo just after it was given as a graduation gift (to the seller's father-in-law) in 1963! In fact, we've got 'triple two-fers' today! Check it out!

1423 Harmony SSEG w/ OC VG Clean, minimal wear, logo intact, bridge missing, in storage for 40+ years
1472 Dano tube amp VG Round speaker cutout,  red border control panel with 'tremlo' misspell, trem/footswitch unmentioned
The pair sold for $630




These next two were sold separately by the same seller, but spent much of their musical lives together:

UNK Kay HBEG MOD $515 Clean, logo strong, tone knob missing, NS pickup added. This guitar looks a lot like a 1323 offered in the late 1940s, but has different position markers and a different control orientation.


1300 Valco tube amp G $181 Wear all over, rope has replaced handle, grille design nearly worn away,  NS back panel



And two nice Dano-built setups to finish out the 'two-fers.'

1457 Dano SSEG and tube amp in case G $427 Clean, missing tuners and saddle, selector switch gone, amp looks good w/ minimal wear, modded somehow; the speaker xformer is missing, in storage 30+ years


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar only VG $270 Clean, minimal wear, chrome and finish shiny, sidewalls clean, NS cupcake knobs, logo strong




1/7

Most of the time, it's just a ding or a scrape... maybe a lost knob or whammy bar, or a broken plastic thingy or less-than-perfect logo... if it gets really bad, you've got finish checking all over, or maybe the sides and around the binding is peeling or flaking. Point is, most of the Silvertone equipment we see up for auction is in pretty good shape. However, today's first up looks like its been put  through a NASA Extreme Exposure Test or something... Poor baby.

1457 Dano SSEG guitar only $160 I've never seen another 1457 in this kind of shape. Everything's there, it just looks like massive water/weather/exposure damage. Untested. Logo's gone, finish flaking, rust everywhere, headstock laminate splitting. Funny thing is, the sidewalls are super clean and white! I do love that one string still hangin' on!



1220 Harmony FTAC G $285 Clean, light surface wear, pickguard missing, logo strong, light checking and cracks (repaired) on top, bridge looks sound, recently had frets dressed and oiled. Based on the Harmony 'Sovereign.'


1210 Harmony FTAC F $29 Clean, NS Martin bridge, NS tuners, neck bowed


1296 Harmony FTAC G $35 Some edge wear, pickguard present, playing wear to 'cowboy chord' area of fretboard, solid headstock with strong block logo



Amazing that this is the only item rated 'VG' today... especially when I make a point in my opening monologue about how well-kept most Silvertones are.... Anyway, this 2574 15-chord autoharp was a great deal for some lucky bidder; it's one of the best autoharps I've seen lately; just no accessories or tuning wrench. Still, 30 bucks... not too bad a deal!

2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp w/ OC  VG $30 Clean, no accessories, (2) books incl.


1319 Harmony Lap Steel G $131 Cord still attached, light wear, logo strong


1481 Dano tube amp G $154 Round speaker cutout, looks like the amp was painted at one point and then cleaned, amp works, edge/corner wear, logoplate stained, tone knob missing




UNK Supro/Valco G $781 Clean, light wear, logo worn from pickguard a bit, plating on pickup cover and tailpiece dull, logo tag looks good. Based on the Supro Rhythm Tone, I've never seen this Silvertone guitar listed in any catalog. Most sources date them to around 1958.


UNK Kay FHAC G $135 Clean, minimal wear, neck's been reglued, stamped L 3488



1/6

1484 Dano tube amp w/ cabinet VG $950 Clean, light edge wear on speaker cab, grille looks great, NS Jensens installed, stock Jensens incl, tremolo works, reverb doesn't


1420 Harmony HBEG MOD $355 Refinished, NS 'bell' type truss rod cover, hand-painted logo, refinished by Danny Ferrington


1488 Harmony SBEG G $334 Clean, whammy arm missing, some edge and surface wear, logo strong, some issues with the electronics and switches


802 Harmony Banjo G $113 5-string w/ resonator, hardware clean, bridge and all tuners present, logo strong,; may have a slight printing smudge


1482 Dano tube amp VG $375 Square speaker cutout, clean, minimal wear, light grille stain, light rust to xformers and jack nuts



1/5

Every day I try to feature a different guitar or amp or other Silvertone thingy, just to concentrate on the many facets of the things available in Silvertone World. Just like yesterday's bit about the ever-so-slightly different pickguard; that's the fun of collecting anything, really... knowing what is and what ain't, and maybe even figure out why. In that vein, onward with a very rare and very fancy lap steel guitar made by Harmony, and offered by Sears for only a short time in the mid-40s.

1352 Harmony Lap Steel F $127 Pickguard and 'fretboard' have all-the-way-through cracks, pickup cover missing, scratches and wear


658 Kay FHAC  VG $200 Clean, block markers indicate pre-66 model, pickguard present, some finish checking, high action, some playing wear to neck, logo strong. Wow, didn't even see one of these in December!


1452 Dano SBEG guitar only w/ C VG $440 Whammy present, some surface wear, some flaking, storage marks from coiled cord, thin-script logo strong


1230 Harmony Classical G $100 Surface wear, edge wear, binding tight, screenprinted stylized tylized 'SR' logo looks good, stamping undecipherable other than the 'MADE IN USA.' legend


1207 Harmony FTAC w/ OC G $50 Clean, some edge wear, block logo, one of the very last guitars to receive the Silvertone brand name


604 Harmony FTAC G $90 Clean, looks like some rust on the tuner plates and some edge wear


604 Harmony FTAC G $24 Poor photos, can't tell much, looks like some wear to the fretboard and some edge wear to the body and headstock


1464 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $299 Clean, light wear, both speakers NS Eminnence, rev/trem functional


1331 Dano Tube amp G $360 Edge and corner wear, some finish flaking off back control panel, handle taped, logoplate shiny, 3-prong AC mod, missing back panel



Parts is Parts...

1449 Dano amp chassis only $138 Clean, no speaker, tremolo confirmed, looks like NS xformer and some NS tubes


1484/5 Dano knob $20

1484 Dano tube amp manual/schematic $12



Usually ukes are pretty easy to ID. Even though they may have been structurally different throughout the years, Sears only used a few numbers for all models. The uke that sold today isn't as easy to peg down. It has a 'how to play' pamphlet that's dated 1931, and Sears didn't start branding instruments with the Silvertone name until 1938 or so. Without any ID'ing numbers or other markings/paperwork to go on, it'll likely remain a mystery.

UNK UNK Ukulele G $30 Some surface wear, logo strong, tuners tight


UNK Kay VG $96 Clean, some edge wear, thin script logo strong



1/4

OK, it's all in the details, right? So, I'm going to bring your attention to the oh-so-slightly different pickguard of the Harmony-built 1217 that sold today. The last member of the very popular  600 series, it sported a  well-liked shape, coupled with an attractive price/feature point. I have one (a 643); they're nice guitars- great for strumming, the binding on front and back and soundhole gives it a well-finished appearance, and it sounds surprisingly good. This one is from 1970, and its 'Space Dot' is missing. Also, you can see the upper part of the pickguard is just different enough to be different. I wonder what provoked the pickguard change? The design had been around since the forties, that little point at the top right of the pickguard jumping down and out to give the pickguard its unique look. The shape lasted until the 1217; where the top of the pickguard (on the 600 series and the 1214) used to swoop down and outward to a point, on the short-lived 1217 it slopes out and down, if you get my drift as far as what changing the order of what the point is doing is related to the shape of the point. I think the older pickguard made the guitar appear slightly longer, since the pickguard ended far higher up the neck than the 1217 version, whose left top point just does touch the bottom of the fretboard. OK, so too much detail.... well, that's me.

1217 Harmony FTAC G $101 Clean, light edge wear, 'SR' logo missing, serial #6541S1217, stamped F-70


1429 Harmony HBEG VG $435 Clean, some finish flaking and edge wear, some playing wear to neck, logo intact, chrome shiny, all stock knobs


1425 Kay HBEG w/ OC VG $317 Clean, pickguard present, chrome shiny, surface wear to sides, some peeling, some flaking, logo obliterated. Relisted from 12/09.


1471  Dano tube amp G $128 Edge and corner wear, (1) NS tube, rusty handle captures


1481 Dano tube amp VG $281 Square speaker cutout, one small corner ding, logoplate and grille look good



1/3

Just a handful in these first few days of January. I'm sure it'll climb to its usual highs, though.

1484 Dano tube amp w/ cabinet VG $1100 Clean, minimal wear, stock Jensens, dolly present, footswitch present, 1/4" jack mod on back panel


1445 Kay HBEG w/ OC VG $350 Pickguard present, (1) NS knob, chrome and finish shiny, repro logo


1413 Kay SBEG G $149 Edge wear, wear on back, logo strong, stock knobs yellowed, screenprint worn from pickup and tailpiece cover


1472 Dano tube amp VG $316 Round speaker cutout, some edge wear, light rusting to pots, grille looks good; has one small 'push,' NS speaker, red border control panel with 'tremolo' spelled correctly, completely serviced, tremolo functional, 3-prong AC mod, all original parts included


854 Harmony Ukulele VG $30 Some surface scratches, some light water or storage marks on back, small logo, mahogany sticker still present



UNK Kay FHAC G $78  Three cracks on back, on on top, plenty of playing wear, plays/stays in tune, logo worn



1/1

The December totals were just tinsel on the tree! I tracked 296 Silvertone items in December, and they sold for a total of $77,905. That's $5,000 more than the December '08 numbers, and about three dozen more items! Our grand total for the year (excluding the summer months) was right around $700,000! That's a lot of money moving around a pretty active playing and collecting market, if today's numbers and the media we see are to be believed. So... a niche, but a nice one, yes?

Here's some highlights of what changed hands:  (24) 1448 guitars/amps or one or the other, only (1) 1457!, (15) 1484 amps, (3) 1485 amps, (15) 1482 amps, (3) 1472 amps, (5) 1481 amps, (7) 'Chris Isaak'  1446 model guitars, (4) 856 baritone ukuleles. The highest dollar item was an nice 1427 'Black Beauty' guitar that went for $1500 with no Bigsby. The least amount brought in December was $11 for a 1410 truss rod cover, amusingly, the seller called it a 'garnish.'

The first Silvertone Guitar sold in 2010 is a sweet Kay-made rarity, the 644.

644 Kay FHAC G $510 Clean, edge wear, checking all over, some yellowing of pickguard and tuner buttons, most of the 'S' on the pickguard is still there, some rust at top pickguard screw, odd dull/shiny area on top