May 2011 Archive     
 

6/2
 

Cleanup time! Presented in reverse order from last item auctioned in May on down, ladies and gents, I give you the end of May! The big surprise was all the 'space age' 14XX series amps to come through over the weekend. I'll have some Month of May Money totals up tomorrow. Enjoy!

621 Harmony FTAC w/ OC G $23 Clean, light edge/surface wear, logo strong, bridge broken, "KARLSTAD" sticker on bass side, serial #9697H621


1431 Dano tube amp G $243 Clean, light wear, rip in grille, logoplate looks good, seller says "HIS WAS MY GRANDFATHERS AMP. WE HAVE HADE IT FOR ABOUT 25 YEARS. WE JUST PLUGGED IT IN AND PLAYED THE GUITAR WITH IT AND IT WORKS GOOD."


1448 Dano SSEG guitar with 1457 Dano tube amp in case G $300 Wear to ampcase and guitar, no logo on guitar, guitar knobs missing inserts, playing wear to neck, NS speaker on ampcase, weird jack mod to amp, tremolo functional


1448 Dano SSEG guitar and tube ampincase G $495 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, logo strong, cord keeper still on guitar, controls intermittent, loose wire to speaker, light staining to grille,


603 Harmony FTAC $31 Clean, light wear, logo strong, rust freckles to tailpiece, sticker/tape residue on headstock


1464 Dano solid state amp and speaker cabinet G $203 Wear all over, NS knobs or inserts missing on (4) knobs, grille yellowed with a 3-inch horizontal rip on top right, handle captures rusty, seller says "Everything works, but the knobs are scratchy" Relisted from earlier in month.


1481 Dano tube amp G $99 Square speaker cutout, looks good enough in two photos provided, volume knob missing, seller says "THE FUSE CAP AND FUSE WERE MISSING AND HAD BYPASSED IT TO MAKE THE AMP WORK. IT IS ALSO NOISY AND NEEDS CAPS. "


1838 Oscar Schmidt autoharp w/ OC E $103 Clean, minimal wear, 'J.R.' inscribed near case latch, books, Mother Maybelle record, tuning wrench and picks incl.


600 series Harmony FTAC F $39 PLenty of wear, a patched hole, edge/surface wear, seller says "the back of the guitar is wavy."


1484  Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet G $365 Clean, some edge wear, Jensens present, reverb unmentioned, seller says "My buddy and I used it for a harp amp back in the day. It sat for a long time in a garage. I installed a grounded plug and tested it. The output was low probably output tubes as they are the originals. No hum and the trem was on. No foot switches available. I tested the Jensens with my 67 Bandmaster head. They are as clean as day 1 in IMHO."


1432 Dano tube amp VG $377 Clean, light wear, logo in great shape, handle worn, tremolo unmentioned


1417 Dano SSEG G $294 Clean, logo intact but seems bent on each end, playing wear to neck, (1) tuner button missing


1319 Harmony lap steel MOD $160 Refinished, NS Gibson pickup, (1) strip of NS tuners, 1/4" jack where tone knob used to be (stock models had the cord hard-wired in through the side), hand-drawn 'deco' logo, bar not incl.


604 Harmony FTAC VG $71 Could use a good cleaning, light wear, stamped S-63


1481 Dano tube amp MOD $179 Square speaker cutout originally (see the shadow?), light wear, logoplate missing, NS baffle, NS Weber speaker, handle looks good, adhesive seep to knobs


803 UNK Banjo G $70 4-string w/ resonator, clean, light wear, can't see logo in single photo provided, strap, book & new strings incl.


1481 Dano tube amp VG $183 Square speaker cutout, light wear, logoplate looks good, knob inserts show some discoloration


1448 Dano SSEG guitar and tube ampincase VG $455 Clean, finish and chrome shiny, lots of glitter, logo strong, guitar knobs show some discoloration, rust to case clasps, this is an early version; round-buttoned strip tuners, two-bolt neck with no neck tilt and narrow attach pier, offset strap button, triangle knob inserts. You can see the seller, guitarist Joe Chaplain, holding what looks to be a 1449 guitar in the photo on this page (though it could be this guitar with a slide tucked under the strings), and download a free mp3 of this very guitar being played live here.


1256 harmony ukulele w/ OC E $195 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, binding and tuners tight, Mel Bay uke chord book incl.


605 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $68 Clean, light wear, logo strong, stamped S-58, serial #2489H605


1433 Dano tube amp G $331 Could use a good cleaning, edge wear, grille has some staining/fading, (1) NS knob, handle worn, tremolo unmentioned


1482 Dano tube amp MOD $305 Modder did a great job turning this amp into a snazzy head, and you still have the 'combo' option as well! I'll let him give you the story: "Here is what you are bidding on: 1) Modded Silvertone 1482 chassis. About a year ago I had my local tech do the following: re-tube, all new caps, EDCOR output transformer, grounded three prong plug with a receptacle in the back so you don’t have a cord dangling, it now has treble, bass, gain & volume controls including (from the top down it goes- treble-gain-bass-master volume & the stock tremolo controls) two speaker inputs wired for 4ohm-8ohm cabs, 2) Custom head cabinet 17 x 8 x 7 ¼ inches, 3) Custom combo cabinet loaded with a Jensen 70 watt ceramic speaker. 17 x 20x 9 ¼ inches, 4) Combo cabinet “conversion plate” to cover the amp chassis hole if you want to use as a stand alone speaker cabinet."


1482 Dano tube amp cabinet only $100 Looks like some blue paint on one side, NS baffle, handle present


1425 Kay HBEG w/ C VG $367 Clean, light wear, logo strong, seller says "tuners do not hold tune very well."


1211 harmony FTAC F $50 Back and top split, bridge missing, logo not visible in photos


1484  Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $600 Clean, light wear, rev/trem functional, stamping indicates 1966 build


1448 Dano tube ampincase only G $164 Light wear, some grille staining, NS knob, jack intermittent


1452 Dano neck $316 The neck is attached to all this:


702 Harmony FHAC w/ OC G $123 Clean, light wear, pickguard missing, 'deco' logo strong, back separating


1448 Dano SSEG guitar only G $200 Clean, edge wear, logo pretty much gone, NS knobs, NS tuners


1484  Dano tube amp only G $377 Clean, light wear, 2x 1/4" speaker jack mod, NS handle, reverb tank removed, tremolo functionality unknown


1448 Dano SSEG guitar only G $299 Clean,  knobs discolored, logo strong, this is an early version; oval-buttoned strip tuners, two-bolt neck with no neck tilt and narrow attach pier, offset strap button, triangle knob inserts.


856 Harmony baritone ukulele w/ OC G $80 Clean, logo strong, headstock cracked/repaired, NS tuners, binding tight


750 Kay mandolin w/ C MOD $81 Refinished, neck re-glued, logo salvaged in refinish


1838 Oscar Schmidt autoharp w/ OC $21 Hey! Let's build an autoharp! Books and Mother Maybelle record incl.


615 Harmony FTAC G $31 Clean, light wear, logo strong, bottom strap button broken off, seller says "neck has a slight warp in the middle, sounds good just too high to learn on."


1432 Dano tube amp VG $425 Clean, light wear, logo in great shape, NS knobs, NS EV power tubes, tremolo functional


604 Harmony FTAC VG $60 Clean, light wear, logo strong, bridge tight, light rust to tuner plates. The seller had an interesting supposition; "...this particular Silvertone Model 604 is sometimes referred to as an “Audrey Hepburn” since it is nearly identical to the guitar she played when singing “Moon River” in the classic movie “Breakfast at Tiffany's”." Ummm... OK.... Trust me folks, it ain't the same guitar. Grain's going the wrong way, yada yada yada. Harmony Stella? Probably.


604 Harmony FTAC E $125 Clean, minimal wear, braided cord 'strap' still attached, original box, books and record incl.


1448 Dano SSEG guitar and tube ampincase VG $400 Clean, light wear, extra screws in neck, logo strong, staining and corner wear to ampcase covering, transitional setup; 3-bolt neck w/ tilit, oval-buttoned strip tuners, 'volume' and 'tone' legend on knob inserts


604 Harmony FTAC $37 Looks OK in single pic provided, could use a good cleaning


 

6/1

Still plowin' through the big holiday weekend... we're gonna have to string the end of May into the first few days in June... I'm workin' on it!

Let's get things going with a rare piece of vintage Harmony-built Silvertonium, very probably the FIRST guitar to be branded a Silvertone, circa 1940.

252 Harmony FHAC $265 Clean, playing wear on bass bout, 'deco' logo nearly worn away, NS pickguard, stamped S-40 & 1144 252, seller says "We have recently repaired 3 cracks in the back, the sides and top were fine. This guitar has a really nice, full sound with great resonation and is very easy to play. "



Next, an early 60s vintage piece of audio history. It's an RCA-developed, Bel Canto (part of TRW)-produced proto-cassette offered by Sears, and it sold over the weekend for just $2!

9986 Bel Canto (TRW) Tape Cartridge $2 Packaged in original box. One side is pre-recorded, one side is blank. Some great 1960-era tunes on the recorded 'stereo demo' side: "From This Moment On" by José Melis, "Calcutta" by Lawrence Welk, "One Mint Julep" by Buddy Morrow, "The Thrill is Gone" by Sarah Vaughan, "Pavanne" by Ahmed Jamal, and "Russian Sailors' Dance" by Eastman-Rochester Pops



5/27

Heading into the holiday weekend and in many folks' minds, it's the beginning of summer. Well, I'll finish out May, cobble together some $$$ totals, and then take my traditional summer break from daily auction updates for June, July and August. That doesn't mean I won't be watching, I just won't be reporting and commenting on every nugget of Silvertonium from the mine... just the choice chunks; the shiny, rare and unusual pieces. So, it's a perfect time to follow Silvertone World on Twitter; I'll not be tweeting once daily as I do now to let you know when the new pricing page is up, but I'll tweet when something great comes along, and you can hop over and check it out. I'll also be using the extra time to get more pages up, and revamp existing ones with some new photo-viewing technology (still in beta), with bigger, better galleries and more catalog listings. You may have already noticed the new, individual pages for the 1472 and 1482 amplifiers currently up for testing. It's a good example of what I have set to do as I push into the "Silvertone: 2015" project, with the goal of having a page for every Silvertone guitar, amp and stringed instrument ever on the site at the 100th anniversary of Sears' use of the Silvertone name.

The folks at Rockometer build some fine custom cases, and this 1482 is a great example.

1482 Dano tube amp MOD $395 Custom cabinet, NS speaker, tremolo functional, 3-prong AC mod, seller says "brand new matched set of JJ 6V6s and 2 new JJ 12AX7s."


1472 Dano tube amp VG $320 Square speaker cutout, red border panel with 'tremolo' spelled correctly, light wear, tremolo functional


1320 Harmony HBEG F $260 Edge/surface wear, back off at heel, logo strong, playing wear on bass side, stress crack at jack, bridge needs re-assembly or replacement, electronics untested, knobs look good


1304 Dano SSEG w/ OC G $450 Clean, edge wear, pick wear above bridge treble side, logo strong, NS pickguard


1457 Dano SSEG guitar only w/ C MOD $760 Clean, light wear, logo worn, NS knobs, NS selector switch, circuitry changed to master volume/master tone


600 series Harmony FTAC F $50 Could use a good cleaning, tuners missing, logo strong, binding tight, looks like bridge is beginning to crack, finish dull (but that might just be dirt)

 

5/26

Sometimes you gotta hunt for it, sometimes it just plops right in your lap. I always try and start the daily reports off with a point of interest: most expensive, rarest, something quirky about an item, maybe a weird modification. Today it just fell in my lap with this awesome Kay-made "Thin Twin," a rare if well-worn Harmony-built 628, and a famously autographed 1452. Enjoy.

1381 Kay SSEG w/ OC VG $1550 AU ($1630 USD) Clean, light wear, pickguard and headstock laminate decoration strong, light rust to tailpiece and tuner covers, light buckle rash,  beautiful graining


628 Harmony FTAC MOD $175 Clean, edge/surface wear, logo strong, NS tailpiece, serial #2261H628, seller says "Needs work The neck was reset or repaired using the old tried and true bolt through the heel and patch it with Bondo. It needs to be redone and the top is a little warped. Probably some loose braces."



I asked last week after a couple of 'artist encounter' items who would be next; here's your answer: B.B. King!

1452 Dano SBEG guitar and tube ampincase G $480 Clean, whammy bar present, edge wear to guitar, ampcase shows some grille staining and rust to hardware, tremolo functional, top of guitar inscribed with B.B. King's autograph, stamping indicates July 1966 build, here's the story on the autograph "This guitar used to belong to an old girlfriend of mine who toured with a band in 80's with it. At one point she was on the road and was playing some club in Las Vegas and told me that she intended to go over to one of the bigger rooms where BB was playing and get him to sign her Silvertone--which of course made no sense to me as she didn't play or necessarily love the blues but I just said "sure--sounds cool." Anyway, the story was that she cornered the poor guy in the lobby of some hotel and had him sign it with some kind of silver marker--which unfortunately was not permanent but basically would wipe right off. Long story short is that this baby has been in storage for a long time until i took it out recently. See the pic for what is left of the BB signature."


1448 Dano SSEG guitar and tube ampincase E $490 Clean, minimal wear to ampcase and guitar, cord keeper present, adhesive seep to guitar knobs, sidewalls bright, hardware clean, logo strong, original guitar cord incl.


1448 Dano SSEG guitar and tube ampincase VG $300 Clean, light wear to ampcase and guitar, logo strong, cord keeper and original cord present


1418 Teisco MIJ HBEG G $138 Clean, light wear, print worn from pickguard, logo tag looks good, truss rod cover missing, whammy bar present, high action; needs neck pocket reworked, serial #340305



The 604 started life as the 608 in 1959. Here's a fine example.

608 Harmony FTAC E $118 Clean, minimal wear, original box and braided cord 'strap' incl., stamped F-60 NK


604 Harmony FTAC VG $68 Clean, light wear, some buckle rash, logo strong, stamped F-66


612 Harmony FHAC G $180 Clean, edge/surface wear, logo strong, pickguard missing, thumbwheels removed from bridge assembly, serial #4370H612



UNK Kay FHAC VG $168 Clean, small logo strong, NS tuners, light wear, neck re-glued at some point, stamped N-5, P-15 and L 6094

 

5/25

GUITARO! They oughta make a movie... anyway, the rare and unusual Guitaro starts off our report today, followed by an even rarer 662 classical, offered only in late 1964/early 1965, and then one of the last of the Dano-built amps to roll out of the factory in a very nice 1459.

1840 Oscar Schmidt w/ OC VG $60 Clean, books and Anita Carter record incl.



The tipoff to identifying this guitar was the (barely visible) scalloped headstock illustration and the phrase "bound soundhole, black-and-white block inlay" from the catalog listing.

662 UNK Classical w/ OC G $110 Clean except for some sticker residue, some wear/scratches, soundhole inlay intact, inner label strong



One of the last of the Silvertone-branded amps, as well as the end of the line for Dano-built devices.

1459 Dano Tube amp VG $120  Clean, light wear, grille clean. Looks like a someone maybe 'tapped' into the speaker wires for an extension or maybe it was a curious mouse. Best of this amp I've seen.


1484  Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $512 Clean, light wear, rev/trem functional, some light oxidation to front face, footswitch and original manual/schematic incl.


1484  Dano tube amp only $252 Clean, light wear, most tubes are missing, untested


1465  Dano solid state amp $150 Could use a good cleaning, looks like 1/4" speaker jack mods on back, only two photos provided, functionality unconfirmed, here's the entire auction description: "Silvertone Solid State 150 Guitar Amp"


1481 Dano tube amp $171 Round speaker cutout, could use a god cleaning, rust to handle captures, some grille staining, edge/corner wear, seller is original owners grandson and says "This amp was working great up until recently when one of the tubes went out. I have had this amp for over 15 years. My grandfather bought new. It has 3 tubes and only 2 are lighting up now."


1457 Dano SSEG guitar with tube amp in case VG $500 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, amp knob inserts show adhesive seep, tremolo unmentioned, but seller says "All the electronics work properly in both the guitar and amp."


1457 Dano SSEG guitar only VG $356 Clean, edge wear, some sidewall rubs, ding on back, (1) knob set missing, logo strong, cord keeper present


1311/1442 Valco lap steel w/ OC VG $213 Clean, wear around pickup area, gold sparkle tuner buttons in good shape, logoplate shiny, serial #T11947




And all these guitar parts are from the same poor Dano-built 'dolphin-nose' Silvertone

14XX Dano neck $56 Logo missing 'S,' broken at second 'e,' nut present, finish (and date stamping) sanded away, seller says "The tuner holes have been reamed to fit Fender F Stamped tuners. The job is a little sloppy, but that is covered up when the tuners are installed."


14XX Dano bridge $17 Saddle cracked, fine scratches, mounting and saddle screws incl.


14XX Dano pickup $23 Light scratches, no splits, functional



Saw this a couple of weeks ago, sold this time around.

1448 Dano speaker $55 NOS still in cellophane

 

5/24

A Garden of Guitars today mostly (and one mystery banjo), but let's start things off with this lovingly refurbed 1465... we even get a chance to hear it!

1465  Dano tube amp MOD $158 Clean, light wear, NS grille, all (6) Jensens present, stamping indicates 1966 build, seller says "...this amp was acquired from a buddy at work who rescued it from a garage sale. I opened it up, cleaned out all the pots, and replaced the front grill frame and cloth, replaced most of the screws, replaced the frayed electric cord, and put in a 1/4 inch jack for the speaker cabinet."


1477 Harmony SBEG VG $400 Clean, light wear, whammy bar present, logo strong, chrome shiny


1451 Dano SBEG and tube amp in case G $285 Could use a good cleaning, plenty of edge/surface wear, tone knob missing, volume knob insert discolored, guitar untested, amp functional, cut in grille, corner/surface wear to ampcase, seller says "Strong musty smell."


1448 Dano SSEG guitar only VG $250 Clean, some glitter ruboff, logo strong, some sidewall rubs, NS chicken head knobs, early model; two-bolt neck w/ narrow attach pier and no neck tilt, round-buttoned strip tuners


1220 Harmony FTAC G $127 Clean, edge/surface wear, logo strong, pickguard missing, bridge tight, big sloppily repaired crack down side


702 Harmony FHAC VG $175 Clean, light wear, 'deco' logo strong, (3) tape removal marks on bass upper bout, stamped F-54-T, serial #3292H702


604 Harmony FTAC VG $119 Clean, light wear, logo strong, NS tuners


1206 Harmony FTAC VG $50 Clean, light wear, logo strong, rust to tuner plates



Well, this is a puzzler... first, there's the black pickguard... was it a user mod to match the non-stock black-buttoned tuners? Then, there's that lonesome '4' stamping inside the soundhole. Everything else says '604,' and the seller IDs it as such, even gives a 1966 date (with no reference), but I'm still scratching my head.

604 (?) Harmony FTAC G $100 Clean, light wear, NS Gibson tuners, logo strong. Relisted from earlier in month.


605 Harmony FTAC G $90 Clean, edge wear, logo strong, seller says "Some minor warping around sound hole area"


615 Harmony FTAC G $69 Bridge missing, logo strong, edge/surface wear, some flaking


856 Harmony baritone ukulele F $41 Finish dull, wear all over, water spotting, some separation, logo strong


803 Kay Banjo VG $52 4-string w/ resonator, clean, light wear,  logo strong



Dunno what to make of this one... I've never seen a block-marker Silvertone Banjo! Compare the hardware and armrest screws to a 1969 Kay-branded banjo and note the similarities.


UNK Kay Banjo G $137 Clean, logo strong, hardware bright, 5-string w/ resonator, 5th string tuner is a Grover, seller says "The big issue is the neck, which is heavily bowed."



5/23

The thermometer's up, and so is the money! Summery weather here on the east coast of the US, and some hot prices on the weekends' auctions! Let's start with a couple of $1000+ items that sold over the weekend, and work our way down.

1454 Harmony HBEG w/ C VG $1325 Clean, light wear, logo strong, Bigsby intact, light checking, some flaking on back, serial #5674H1454, stamped S-66-JW, seller says "It was just set up by one of the best in New York, a guy who’s set up and repaired vintage guitars in the city every day for over 30 years. He told me he’s never seen a better example of this guitar, everything was tested and it received a perfect bill of health. We exchanged the bridge from the rather flimsy, stock Harmony plastic and wood bridge to the far sturdier, vintage Harmony, new dead-stock, all-wood bridge."


1385 Harmony HBEG w/ C VG $1525 Clean, light wear, 'one' broken off metal logo, professional re-fret, repro knobs and pickguard


1423 Harmony SSEG w/ OC VG $810 Clean, light wear, logo intact, plenty of glitter


1385 Harmony HBEG w/ C VG $749 Clean, light wear, logo intact, pickguard and selector switch tip missing, homemade pickguard incl., some wear to fingerboard


1484  Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $625 Clean, light corner wear, rev/trem functional, NS Jensen speakers, 1/4" speaker jack mod


1484  Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $625 Speaker cab shows some edge wear and tape residue, rust freckles to front face, oxidation and maybe a solvent spill stain on back panel, guide marks on front face, tremolo functional, reverb "barely working," 1/4" speaker jack mod


1457 Dano SSEG guitar with tube amp in case VG $500 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, case hardware rusty, adhesive seep to amp knobs, scratchy pots, tremolo unmentioned


1448 Dano SSEG guitar and tube ampincase VG $433 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, logo strong, cord keeper still on guitar


1478Harmony SBEG w/ C VG $428 Clean, whammy bar present, light  wear, logo strong, only one photo provided


1482 Dano tube amp VG $330 Square speaker cutout, clean, light wear, no back panel, tremolo functional,  stamping indicates July 1965 build


26877 MIJ Teisco (?) SBEG VG $325 Clean, whammy bar present, block logo strong, bound version, Canadian-sold version of the 1445


1485 Dano tube amp only $320 Wear to covering, rust to handle captures, oxidation to xformer covers and amp chassis, front panel shows print wear and knob insert wear, tubes light up, non-functional


1415 Dano SSEG F $310 Wear all over, some checking, pickguard missing, bass side lipstick tube split, logo worn/damaged but all there, cig burn at nut. Stamping indicates October 1961 build, making this one of the last Dano U-shaped 6-string Silvertones made, seller says "does not make sound when plugged into amp."


1482 Dano tube amp VG $275 Square speaker cutout, clean, light wear, light paint scuffs on back panel, stamping indicates 1964 build, tremolo unmentioned, seller says "...just serviced with a new pair of JJ 6V6's, and sounds great with excellent headroom."


1482 Dano tube amp MOD $275 Square speaker cutout, clean, light wear, tremolo unmentioned, seller says "I purchased this amplifier in August of 2010 in non-working condition. So I installed: NOS 6X6 and 6AU6 tubes. Used 12AX7 tubes. New speaker. Grounded cord and “Death Cap” removed. New handle and feet. I also made a new back out of plywood covered it with black tolex and cleaned all the surfaces."



Let's end up today's report with a special look at the Kay-made 758, the so-called 'Venetian' model. This is a late-era example, with a scalloped headstock and a thick-script cursive logo, from the early 60s. They were the last Silvertone mandolins to be offered in the catalog, last seen in the Sears catalog in 1964, with the same design available from Kay until at least 1970. The pickguards were usually decorated with an elongated 'S;' this is the only one I've seen with this unusual 'crest' insignia.

758 Kay mandolin E $240 Venetian model, clean, finish shiny, uniquely decorated pickguard, minimal wear, logo strong, light finish flaking at treble bout, stamped L4717 336


This is the prettiest 'Venetian' I've seen, let's enjoy a couple of clips of it actually being played.

   

5/20
 

Ending the week famously! Wednesday it was a 1331 amp owned by  Zappa alum Ray White. Today, it's a 1214 signed by fingerpicker and Grand Ole Opry artist Doyle Dikes. Who's next?

1214 Harmony FTAC F $51 Clean, bridge cracked, screw through heel, logo strong, NS pickguard, signed by famed guitarist Doyle Dykes 


1413 Kay SBEG VG $325 Clean, light wear, logo and tailpiece/pickup cover screenprint strong


1437 Teisco MIJ SBEG w /C G $298 Clean, whammy bar & cover missing, (1) slider switch cover missing, light wear, NS selector knob, glue(?) residue on logo tag, serial #321412


1423 Harmony SSEG w/ OC E $600 Clean, light wear, logo intact, plenty of glitter, pickguard print strong


1495 Teisco (?) MIJ HBEG Bass VG $291 Clean, light wear, metal logo missing (shadow prominent), chrome and finish shiny, NS selector switch, pickguard missing


1482 Dano tube amp $225 Round speaker cutout, no speaker, (1) knob missing, edge/corner wear, speaker lead cut short, , seller says "I bought it from a guy who said it was working when he pulled the speaker for another amp."


852 Harmony ukulele VG $52 Clean, some back separation, sticker residue on upper back, tuner posts oxidized, stencil and logo strong


853 harmony ukulele VG $51 Clean, light wear, logo strong, airline crack on side


752 Kay mandolin w/ OC E $113 Clean, minimal wear, finish and chrome shiny, 'wind chime' logo strong


2574 Oscar Schmidt autoharp w/ OC VG $85 Clean, tuning wrench & some music books incl.


These pop up every now and again, it's a gen-yoo-wine Zippo lighter, emblazoned with the the classic cursive Silvertone log along with an atomic-looking Warwick Manufacturing Corp. mark. Apparently Warwick made Silvertone televisions back in the day. Went for $57.


 

5/19

A Light Smörgåsbord today- little bit of this, little bit of that.

632 Harmony FTAC G $57 Clean, surface wear, some flaking, 'deco' logo has a few scratches, 'snowflake' fretboard markers strong


1457 Dano SSEG guitar with tube amp in case VG $500 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, fuse holder got missing when testing amp, scratchy pots on guitar, adhesive seep to amp knob inserts,


606 Harmony FTAC VG $56 Clean, light wear, sticker on headstock, logo strong, rust to tuner plates, screw in heel


606 Harmony FTAC P $45 Top busted in several places, paint and spatters all over, edge/surface wear


758 Kay mandolin VG $128 Venetian model, some edge/surface wear, some flaking, playing discoloration/wear to pickguard, 'wind chime' logo strong on scalloped headstock, tuner button shrinking



1420 Harmony SSEG Body and neck $99 No electronics or hardware, nut missing, logo gone,,, they did leave the jack


 

5/18

Samick as it ever was... Here's an oddball from what my research is pointing to be from the early days of the Samick-made Silvertones. As you know, Sears stopped using the Silvertone brand name in 1972, and the name had disappeared from the headstocks of guitars and the front badges of amps a couple years before that. So, the trademark lapsed and there it lay, until Korean giant Samick (one of the largest  producers of musical instruments then and today) picked up the trademark for themselves in the '90s. This is a WG59 (Western Guitar), with a nice sunburst and an adjustable saddle at the bridge, and a gold 'Silvertone' logo in a font I've never seen until this example showed up on eBay a couple of days ago. It has the three-piece back typical of more recent guitars, and the other few examples I found mentioned a 'Made in Korea' label (I don't see one on this example) that lit the Samick bulb in my head. It didn't bring its asking price of $50, but it did give me a good research run.




And now, the Silvertonium, please...

1331 Dano tube amp MOD $355 Wear all over, logoplate missing, NS speaker, NS back panel, a few caps replaced, owned by Frank Zappa alumni Ray White. Seller says "This amp has been personally owned and used in the studio by Ray since the early 70's! He has been recently cleaning out his equipment storage and is allowing us to offer this to our eBay buyers! Ray will personally write a letter stating all of the above & sign to whoever should win this auction!"


1484  Dano tube amp VG $560 Clean, light wear, 3-prong AC mod, speaker lead 1/4" plug mod, rev/trem mentioned but operational status unknown


1484  Dano tube amp MOD $165 Covered in woodgrain contact paper, couple of holes drilled in front face, 2x 1/4" speaker jack mods on back, untested, seller says "for restoration'


1485 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $800 Clean, some edge/surface wear, caster platform present, all (6) Jensens present, stamping indicates spring 1965 build, rev/trem status unmentioned specifically but seller says "amazingly dimensional tremolo."


1464 Dano solid state amp and speaker cabinet G $320 Wear all over, NS knobs or inserts missing on (4) knobs, grille yellowed with a 3-inch horizontal rip on top right, handle captures rusty, seller says "Everything works, but the knobs are scratchy" Relisted.


1465  Dano solid state amp MOD $226 Clean, light wear, rust to jack washers, 2x 1/4" speaker jack mod, seller says "all functions work good"


1471 Dano tube spekaer VG $199 Clean, light wear, grille shows speaker cutout and screw shadows, NS Weber speaker


1448 Dano SSEG guitar and tube ampincase G $450 Clean, some glitter rub-off to guitar, logo nearly worn away, crack repair to headstock edge, rust to tuners,  'bullet hole' sticker on back of guitar, clean case has sticker on front and "Mom Help" scrawled frighteningly on the back. Relisted from earlier in month.


1448 Dano SSEG guitar and tube ampincase G $200 Wear all over, input jack area cracked, volume knob missing, grille looks good


1478Harmony SBEG w/ OC VG $475 Clean, whammy bar present, light  wear, logo strong, bridge missing, (3) tuner ferrules missing, high E tuner slightly bent, pickguard back stamped May 1966


1455 MIJ Teisco HBEG VG $230 Clean, whammy bar present, logo strong, bridge cover missing (as usual), tone knob doesn't work


615 Harmony FTAC VG $82 Could use a good cleaning, light edge/surface wear, logo strong, stamped F-63, serial #1016H615


1207 Harmony FTAC VG $60 Clean, light wear, soundhole decal and cursive logo strong, rust to tuner plates


1209 Harmony FTAC VG $31 Clean, light wear, soundhole decal strong,  'Space Dot' missing


603 Harmony FTAC $38 Looks nice enough, can't see the logo or tell much from one blurry photo


1319 Harmony lap steel F $185 Could use a good cleaning, edge/surface wear, untested, cracked at headstock, (1) knob missing, 'deco' logo strong but a bit blurry at 'S'


750 Kay mandolin G $57 Edge/surface wear, 'wind chime' logo strong, some neck separation



14XX Dano foot switch $147 Functional


605 Harmony FTAC body and neck  $50 No hardware, edge/surface wear, 'deco' logo strong, back separating, nut missing


1484  Dano speaker cabinet $158 Spray-painted lack, Jensens present, corner wear


1464 Dano speaker cabinet $150 Can't tell much from single photo, Jensens present, functional



5/17

Nits and picks... that's really the only difference in these four different 1448 ampincase models that I could see, but look at the money! It's all over the place!

1448 Dano SSEG guitar and tube ampincase VG $525 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, NS knobs on guitar


1448 Dano SSEG guitar and tube ampincase VG $799 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase (more to the ampcase), light staining to grille, logo strong, late era transitional oval-buttoned tuners, three-bolt neck w/ tilt, line inserts to amp knob, guitar inserts looks like blank replacements


1448 Dano SSEG guitar and tube ampincase VG $339 Could use a good cleaning, light wear to guitar and ampcase, orig. cord incl. Looks like some pretty cool sheet music, too!


1448 Dano SSEG guitar and tube ampincase VG $495 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, sidewalls bright, logo strong, all knob show adhesive seep, light staining to grille


1449 Dano tube amp in case only VG $203 Clean, minimal wear, stamping indicates late 1963 build, untested; tubes light up, static from knob turn, slight hum


1423 Harmony SSEG VG $572 Clean, light wear, logo intact, plenty of glitter, pickguard print strong


1485 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $1325 Clean, light edge/surface wear, reverb knob missing, caster platform present, all (6) Jensens present, stamping indicates spring 1965 build, rev/trem unmentioned but seller says "in working condition."


1437 Teisco MIJ SBEG w /C G $298 Wear all over, whammy bar and cover missing, logo worn, scratches to pickguard, headstock cracked, as many as (5) NS tuners (I think the only stock tuner is the B)


1245 Kay FHAC VG $280 Clean, light wear, logo strong, 3-bolt neck, orig. 'How Care For' pamphlet, warranty info filled out on filled out on Christmas Day 1968


660 Kay FTAC classical E $79 Clean, minimal wear to guitar and case, seller says "A gift that was never used so it sat in the back of the closet."



Note the difference in the perforated covering on these two. Seller says they were manufactured by Sonotone.

1400 Microphone $60 Clean, tested functional


1400 Microphone $60 Clean, tested functional


1448 Dano ampcase $30 No amp, some corner wear, latches/hinges function properly



5/16

Rock a Hula, Baby! Ukuleles seem to be enjoying a bit of a resurgence lately. Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder is releasing an album of uke songs, Jack Johnson has some mellow ukulele tunes and seems to be doing well, some friends of mine regularly play out with their ukes, and it seems to me the money is a bit on the uptick here as of late on auctions for the plucky, diminutive four-string instrument. We've got a super-rare and quite lovely Supertone to start the day off with. It's the popular "Wahini" stencil and she's lookin' great for nearly 80 ears old!

452 Harmony ukulele VG $150 Clean, light wear, stencil strong, 'Supertone' label is a bit deteriorated This is a late 30s vintage instrument, just before Supertone became Silvertone.



Now, here's a little more recent vintage uke, with the classic 'thick script' logo. Seller bought it for his wife in the early '60s, and it's sat in the closet almost the entire time since then. Classic story, but one that we never tire of hearing.

853 harmony ukulele w/ OC E $128 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong



Now on with the six-strang twang thang! Let's start it off with a another extreeeemely rare instrument; the Kay-built paddle-head whammy'd 1416... possibly only the third one I've seen.

1416 Kay SBEG VG $453 Clean, light wear, logo and pickup cover silkscreen strong, stock whammy present (!), original turquoise gig bag incl.



Let's keep the rare (if not pretty) a-goin' with this Country Gentleman clone from Japan, the last electric guitar to be branded with the Silvertone name.

1475 MIJ Univox HBEG G $290 Surface wear, finish dull, whammy gone in favor of NS fixed tailpiece, goldtone finish rubbing off metal parts, logo intact but bent slight at 'S' selector switch tips missing



Another one we don't see every day...

712 Kay FHAC w/ C G $700 Clean, pickguard present, 'boater hat' fret markers and logo laminate looks good, low E and A tuners have ivory blocks on tuner shaft, seller says an awful lot.


1304 Dano SSEG VG $455  Could use a good cleaning, light wear, logo strong, NS knobs, pots date to mid-1961


1477 Harmony SBEG VG $349 Clean, light edge wear, logo present (can't tell any more from photos), NS bridge, (1) knob missing, early non-whammy version


1476 Harmony SBEG G $207 Edge/surface wear, bridge shimmed, tailpiece shows oxidation/chrome loss, (1) knob missing, logo strong, high E tuner post missing,


1245 Kay FHAC MOD $530 Clean, light wear, logo strong, bolt-neck, NS electronics



These next two were only SEVEN serial numbers apart! Think of the astronomical odds that they'd sell within just a few hours of each other 50 years down the line...

696 Kay FHAC MOD $200 Refinished, 'wind chime' logo strong, tuner buttons missing, light wear, bridge missing, stamped 696 6524


696 Kay FHAC F $175 Clean, 'wind chime' logo strong, tuner buttons crumbling/missing,  edge wear, some flaking, pickguard missing, bridge collapsed, fingerboard dried out, stamped 696 6531 and P4


657 Harmony Classical w/ OC VG $190 Clean, light playing wear to treble side top, small ding to headstock, bridge clean and tight, binding looks good, serial #4063H657


657 Harmony Classical w/ OC G $100 Clean, light wear, crack on top treble side, inner label torn, stamped S-65, serial #1956H657


1207 Harmony FTAC w/ OC $31 Looks good in single photo provided, cursive logo



UNK Kay FHAC $75 Sold as a 'wall hanger,'  neck bowed, pickguard missing, major flaking, probably a 619

5/13

Slew of Acoustics today... and I'm starting things off with a couple of very seldom-seen guitars, but ultimately I'm disappointed. Why? Not because they're not rare and terrific guitars, but because our view of them is so doggone poor. No full-length shots on the 'Crest,'  and on the super-rare 'Artist,' nothing with any real detail.
Ah, well... Friday the 13th... gotta have a little bad luck, right?

291 Harmony FHAC G $111 Clean, light wear, ding on neck, logo strong, binding looks good, NS tuners, seller says "Neck has a little curve... strings are 3/16th of an inch off fretboard at 12th fret."


293 Kay FHAC w/ OC DNS Clean, looks good in limited views, add-on DeArmond pickup, needs a neck re-set


1220 Harmony FTAC G $60 Clean, block logo strong, pickguard missing, hard to tell much more from limited photos


661 Kay FTAC 4-string tenor guitar w/ C $275 Clean, logo is present, stamped L XXXX, hard to tell much more from limited photos, seller says (1) NS bridge pin, strap button chipped (replacement incl.)


600 series Harmony FTAC F $45  Surface wear, logo strong, (1) bridge pin missing, bridge has crack and bridge area has surface scrapes; looks like it sat broken a long time and then was repaired


605 Harmony FTAC G $90 Clean, edge wear, 'deco' logo strong, tailpiece bright, stamped S-54-T, serial #285H605, seller glued some braces and back separations


604 Harmony FTAC F $16 Could use a good cleaning, edge wear, pickguard missing, logo strong, tuner buttons crumbled away


604 Harmony FTAC w/ C G $123 Clean,  light wear, some buckle rash, pickguard missing, rust to tuner plates, stamped F-63(?)


606 Harmony FTAC F $16 Clean, edge/surface wear, logo strong, rust to tuner plates



Well, this is a puzzler... first, there's the black pickguard... was it a user mod to match the non-stock black-buttoned tuners? Then, there's that lonesome '4' stamping inside the soundhole. Everything else says '604,' and the seller IDs it as such, even gives a 1966 date (with no reference), but I'm still scratching my head.

604 (?) Harmony FTAC G $80 Clean, light wear, NS Gibson tuners, logo strong. Relisted



Alright, let's turn on the power...

1317 Harmony HBEG w/ OC VG $470 Clean, some surface wear, logo laminate strong, pickguard missing, slight neck lift, binding tight, serial 1707H53


1457 Dano SSEG guitar only VG $325 Clean, light wear, logo strong, scratches to headstock, some glitter rub-off to top, light checking


1448 Dano SSEG guitar and tube ampincase VG $525 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, NS knobs on guitar, logo strong, chrome shiny


1482 Dano tube amp VG $260 Square speaker cutout,  light wear, some grille staining, noisy pots, tremolo status unknown, no footswitch


 

5/12

Fame and Fortune... it was a song in the classic "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" special, and it finds us every now and again here at Silvertone World. Today's first up is a lightly modified 1420 owned by Jimmy Pitman, formerly of the Strawberry Alarm Clock. He's also appeared on The Dick Cavett Show, Laugh-In, The Andy Williams Show, American Bandstand... and his work was featured in the first “Austin Powers” movie. Hit the links in the item listing; great rock n' roll history reading.

1420 Harmony SSEG w/ OC MOD $300 Wear all over, chunk out of back of headstock, logo strong, NS pickguard, the seller,
Jimmy Pitman (former Strawberry Alarm Clock guitarist/singer), says "It plays sooooo sweet. great for Blues and/or Slide. It is light weight and has another 50 years of life still in it. I have owned this guitar for 45 + years and have drug [it] all over the USA."


1481 Dano tube amp MOD $200 Painted black (inside and out), round speaker cutout, light wear, stamping indicates 1966 build


1472 Dano tube amp VG $400 Round speaker cutout, clean, light wear, some scratches on back panel, tremolo functional, red border control panel with 'tremlo' misspell


1457 Dano SSEG guitar with tube amp in case E $650 Clean, minimal wear to guitar and ampcase, tremolo functional


1448 Dano SSEG guitar and tube ampincase E $495 Clean, minimal wear to guitar and ampcase, logo strong, chrome and finish shiny, sidewalls bright, cord keeper present, orig. cord incl., date stamping indicates early 1966 build, making this one of the last 1448 setups to be sold


1448 Dano SSEG guitar and tube ampincase VG $355 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, logo strong, cord keeper present, light case rubs to sidewall


1448 Dano SSEG guitar and tube ampincase VG $659 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, logo strong, all knobs show light discoloration


1448 Dano SSEG guitar and tube ampincase VG $425 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, some corner rubs and felt wear to case, logo strong, triangle insert to amp knob, NS knobs on guitar



Maybe third time's the charm with this one...

1488 Harmony SBEG MOD $500 Could use a good cleaning, some edge wear, whammy arm present, (1) knob missing, NS bridge, NS truss rod cover, some corrosion to pickup covers, logo strong. Relisted (again!) from earlier in month.



1448 Dano pickguard $30 Stickers, edge wear, some wear at pot openings


1420 Harmony SSEG Body and neck $127 No electronics or hardware, nut and pickguard present



Can't believe this didn't sell...

1448 Dano speaker DNS NOS still in cellophane



5/11

Things sneak in through my Silvertone eBay Filter all the time. I've got it tuned as best as I can to eliminate the thousands of jewelry and metallic items that have 'silvertone' in their description field. It takes a 'silvertone' search result at eBay down from about 17,000 items to a manageable 2,500 or so (that's using todays numbers... sometimes it's higher, sometimes lower... but that's about right). I purposely don't search on just 'silvertone amp' or 'silvertone guitar' because folks misspell, and you'd be surprised at the number of things that come through that don't even have guitar or amp mentioned in the description, even though that's what the item being sold is. Go figure. Anyhoo, that said, I still see a lot of silvertone-termed things that didn't come from Sears. Todays first up got a Silvertone in the description through an understandable mistake. This amp was sold as a Silvertone, and also as a Harmony. An eBayer caught the "T.H.C." on the control panel that IDs this Valco-made amp as sold by our friends at Harmony, the Model 8418. It was in great shape, with the cool guitar silkscreen still strong on the grille, and went for a pretty price too: $500.



Silvertonium, Ho!

1457 Dano SSEG guitar with tube amp in case E $563 Clean, minimal wear to guitar and ampcase, tape residue or scrape to top on bass side of bridge (the only flaw that I could see), chrome shiny, logo strong, adhesive seep to amp knobs, tremolo functional, no footswitch, seller purchased from original owner's daughter


1448 Dano tube amp only VG $395 Clean, some edge/surface wear, crack to top on bass side of pickup cutout, NS knobs, logo strong, pots date to 1963, oval-buttoned strip tuner, 3-bolt neck w/ neck tilt, seller says "I did... dress and polish the frets, cleaned and oiled the Brazilian rosewood fretboard, and beveled and smoothed the fret-ends. Its got a new Switchcraft #11 ¼” output jack, cleaned pots, and a new lead wire from the pot to the jack. – the pots are original, but the knobs are vintage Dakaware replacements (replicas) – all of the original shielding was put back just as it was. –the infamous “copper box” and serial stamped fiber board piece. I even used the same type of masking tape as original! The original tone capacitor works great as well."


617 Harmony FTAC w/ C F $47  Clean, edge/surface wear, logo strong, stamped F-63-FK, seller says6


1303 Dano SSEG VG $650 Clean, access cover missing, logo strong, pickguard yellowed



Sad amp day here at Silvertone World...

1474 Dano tube amp MOD $257 Clean, NS grille, labels stickers above controls, no speakers; back has NS hinged panel, inner chamber lined with carpet with plugs on wither side of a 1x2 strip above the door panel for speaker connections, seller says "This amp has no speakers - it has 2 multi pin outputs, that the speaker wires are connected to. I will include the cable seen that has a converter to a 1/4 jack. it works on the plug pictured. Amp power on and works on channel 2. works on channel 1 as well but there is a squealing sound. tremolo works but I cant seem to get the reverb to work."


1421 Sears tube amp $109 Clean, light grille picks, label and control panel look good, seller says "AMP NOT WORKING- AMP LIGHT WILL POWER UP WITH JUMPER SWITCH. ORIGINAL POWER SWITCH TOGGLE IS BROKEN. HAS SWITCH, AND SILVER TOGGLE PART PRESENT. SWITCH IS BROKEN INSIDE. THE AMP MADE NO SOUNDS WHEN TESTED. DID NOT CHECK MOUNTED INNER FUSE."


1484  Dano tube amp only $253 Wear all over, stains on top, all knobs and tubes missing, rust dots on front and back panels, non-functional (duh.)


752 Kay mandolin w/ OC G $64 Clean, edge wear, neck loose, 'wind chime' logo strong, tuner buttons deteriorating, bridge bowed, stamped P4 and  L7628-752 (What? A Kay number that IDs the model?!?)


802 Banjo VG $87 5-string w/ (unusually dark) resonator, hardware shows light oxidation, logo strong



I believe there were two versions of the blond model 702 made; one (earlier) by Kay, and one by Harmony. I believe today's is a Kay. Catalog illustrations, logo design, headstock shape, pickguard shape and body shape are what I'm basing my conclusions on.

702 (?) Kay FHAC P $50 'Wind chime' logo strong, wear to top/back, pickguard present, tuners crumbling/missing, cracks in top



5/10

Tuesday! Thin Twin!  Funky bass!  Contact paper! Spotty Pickguard! Enjoy.

1381 Kay SSEG w/ OC E $899 Clean, minimal wear, pickguard and logo laminate look great with minimal yellowing, nice graining to sides and back


1443 dano SBEG bass VG $625 Clean, some wear/dings, logo broken at 'S,' oxidation to metal parts, NS knobs, NS string retainer


1304 Dano SSEG MOD $166  Contact-papered, knobs painted, pickguard missing, logo strong with light wear, repro access panel missing, internal stamping and natural headstock/neck indicates a 1958 build. This is the same guitar that sold back on the 3rd, and it's also the same guitar that sold back in April 2010; look at the listings for the 15th.


1488 Harmony SBEG MOD $350 Could use a good cleaning, some edge wear, whammy arm present, (1) knob missing, NS bridge, NS truss rod cover, some corrosion to pickup covers, logo strong. Relisted again from earlier in month.


1445 MIJ Teisco(?) SBEG VG $270 Clean, light wear, whammy arm missing, logo intact, nice graining to back, early bound version


1217 Harmony FTAC w/ C F $31  Edge/surface wear, crack in lower bout,  no nut,  'Space Dot'  missing, NS pickguard, NS bridge


1472 Dano tube amp G $224 Round speaker cutout, clean, some edge wear, red border control panel with 'tremlo' misspell, amp operational, tremolo unmentioned, stamping indicates 1962 build


1482 Dano tube amp VG $350 Round speaker cutout, clean, light wear, looks good in limited photos, seller says "I tested all 6 tubes. All were good except one that I replaced. The output tubes are 6V6GT's. I replaced several caps. I tested with a microphone and it sounded great. I do not have an instrument to test it with."


1482 Dano tube amp MOD $215 Square speaker cutout, reupholstered in black, tremolo functional, seller says "When I tested it out, the volume would be loud and crisp, untill you get the dial to around 4 then it was producing some loud feedback."


1838 Oscar Schmidt autoharp w/ OC G $15 Clean, light wear, plastic string cover cracked slightly, tuning wrench and picks incl.


856 Harmony baritone ukulele VG $75 Could use a good cleaning, light wear, logo strong




 

5/9

Mother's Day weekend seemed a little slacker, as weekends go... but it may also be attributed to proms, vacations, the first rumblings of the summer season, and the like. No matter, we've still got some choice Silvertonium from the past couple of days, and let's get going with this rare 'Bobkat'-based 1479 model from the very end of the 1477 model run. The hardware was beefed up, a little pearly gold plastic was added to the pickups, and the model number was changed oh-so-slightly from the long-running huge-selling 1477.

1479 Harmony SBEG VG $350 Clean, light edge wear, logo strong, chrome shiny


1478Harmony SBEG w/ OC VG $365 Clean, edge wear, logo strong, no bridge (bridge pictured is just there for string-view purposes), bottom strap button missing, shrinkage-induced cracking to bass side upper pickguard


1477 Harmony SBEG MOD $285 Refinished in blue, no logo, truss rod cover and knobs missing, no whammy, NS bridge, rust to tailpiece, pickguard back stamped 1965


1423 Harmony SSEG VG $460 Clean, light wear, logo intact, wear at lead pickup, pickguard printing strong, pickups stamped Oct, 1961


1429 Harmony HBEG w/ OC VG $699 Clean, light wear, logo intact, in seller's family since new


1429 Harmony HBEG w/ OC VG $610 Clean, light wear, logo missing, (1) knob missing

 

1454 Harmony HBEG w/ OC VG $680 Clean, light wear, logo strong, Bigsby intact, (2) NS dice knobs, some finish checking, some side flaking


1446 Harmony HBEG $650 Finish stripped, logo gone, truss rod cover / pickguard / bridge / nut missing, corrosion to most hardware, wear to fingerboard, seller says "This guitar was originally black, I say paint it black . I plugged it in & it was noisy but promising , I tapped on both pickups & they are responding . If you want the look , feel & smell of an Oklahoma Honky Tonk this is it ."


632 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $74 Clean, light wear, 'deco' logo and 'snowflake' fretboard markers strong, two 1/4" holes in back

 

1294 Harmony FTAC VG $63 Clean, light wear, 'Space Dot' looks good, tailpiece and tuner plates shiny

 

604 Harmony FTAC $60 Clean, edge wear, no tuners no nut, logo strong. Price inclusive of a group of three fixer-uppers, including two Kays.


How about that? An ALL HARMONY Day! Stay tuned - plenty of ampcases, amps and more coming your way for Tuesday.

 

5/6

A handful of interesting Silvertonium as we head into the weekend. Also, I think I've worked all the bugs out of the new pages for the Harmony-built 'Bobkat' and 'Silhouette'-based guitars. Give 'em a try.

Let's start today off with a couple of seldom-seen acoustics; a late-era 1207, and an early 702, both from the fine folks at Harmony.

1207 Harmony FTAC VG $29 Clean, light wear, soundhole decal and block logo strong, stamped S-69-ML


702 Harmony FHAC F $156 Could use a good cleaning, wear all over, 'deco' logo strong, tuner plates rusty, small crack at bottom of bass side f-hole, playing wear to neck, looks like some pickups were installed at some point, serial #1466H702



Here's a fine little late-era Harmony-made uke; the 1255.

1255 Harmony ukulele E $63 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong



I seem to recall this 1413 from some time in the recent past, but maybe I'm just remembering a garishly-colored nightmare... I will tip my hat to the saving of the logo...

1413 Kay SBEG MOD $91 Refinished, logo salvaged, (1) knob missing, NS bridge, tailpiece cover missing, NS truss rod cover, 'arrow' screenprint on pickup cover mostly there


1204 Harmony FTAC VG $128 Clean, some edge wear, logo strong, rust to tuner plates, bottom of bridge broken off, extra screw in center of bridge, seller says "THE TOP AND BACK WERE SEPARATED WHEN I GOT IT. I RE-GLUED THE BRACES AND THE TOP, BACK AND SIDES, I SAW NO CRACKS IN THE TOP, BACK AND SIDES. THE BRIDGE POPPED OFF ONE OF THE SCREWS ON THE BASS SIDE. I REATTACHED THE BRIDGE WITH THE ORIGINAL NUTS AND BOLTS AND ADDED ANOTHER NUT AND BOLT IN THE CENTER OF THE BRIDGE FOR SECURITY AS WELL AS GLUING IT. THE ACTION ON THIS GUITAR IS VERY GOOD. THE INTONATION IS GREAT FOR A CHEAP GUITAR. IT TUNES UP WELL. I AM SURPRISED AT HOW GOOD IT SOUNDS AND PLAYS."


1448 Dano SSEG guitar and tube ampincase F $216 Glitter rubbed off guitar top, nothing left of the logo but (just barely) the 'S,' looks like the fretboard has been polyurethaned, ampcase looks water-damaged, amp is functional, seller says "...you should buy new tube."


1448 Dano tube ampincase only F $120 Edge/surface wear to covering, inside looks OK, input jack repaired, amp chassis could use a good cleaning, pots date to 1965, seller says "Amp lights up but U can barely hear the guitar. Amp has a loud buzz."


1836 Oscar Schmidt autoharp $32 You build it!



1485 Dano speaker cabinet $89 Edge/surface wear, caster platform present, logoplate present, no speakers




5/5

Today's first up was a nice coincidence; I'm working on a 1488 page right now. I'll try to have it up for weekend perusal. In fact, if all goes well, I should have the entire Harmony 14XX Bobkat/Silhouette series up by then!

1488 Harmony SBEG MOD $785 Could use a good cleaning, some edge wear, whammy arm present, (1) knob missing, NS bridge, NS truss rod cover, some corrosion to pickup covers, logo strong. Relisted.



I've never seen stock goldtop domed knobs on a 'U' series guitar, but they sure look nice!

1416 Dano SSEG G $750 Clean, edge/surface wear, playing wear to neck, back of headstock has serial/ID # painted on with same number scratched in to bass upper bout on back, NS knobs, logo intact but worn, stamping indicates late 1961 build


OK, you've gotta check out the seller playing and talking about the above guitar, he's cool, and it's a great clip! He mis-IDs the guitar in the clip, but begs forgiveness in his (really great) auction listing.


1448 Dano SSEG guitar only F $175  Knobs missing, wear all over, logo worn, finish checking, saddle missing, shielding support stamping indicates summer 1962 build, oval-buttoned strip tuners, two-bolt neck, narrow attach pier, no neck tilt


1437 Teisco MIJ SBEG VG $339 Clean, whammy bar missing, logo tag missing


1482 Dano tube amp VG $330 Square speaker cutout, clean, light wear, NS tremolo knob, tremolo functional, NS footswitch incl., can't quite tell if the cabinet stamping is late '63 or '68


1484  Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $677 Speaker cab shows some edge wear, amp head looks good with light wear, both could stand a good cleaning, channel one knobs chipped, still cabled together, rev/trem functional, no footswitch


1319 Harmony lap steel G $175 Edge/surface wear, pickup hardware area is dull, knobs clean, logo has a mar at 'r,' cable still hardwired in, light rust to tuner plates, seller says "THE ONLY THING NOT ORIGINAL TO THIS IS THE INPUT JACK DID NOT HAVE A CASE AROUND IT (I'M GUESSING IT WAS BAKELITE & BROKE OFF). THE ORIGINAL INPUT PIN IS SWITCHCRAFT (MARKED). SO I PUT A SWITCHCRAFT CASE ON IT & SHIELDED THE INPUT JACK. "



UNK Harmony FHAC $129 Edge/surface wear, no bridge, no pickguard, no tuners, 'deco' logo strong, at least one brace loose, probably a 710


UNK Kay FHAC $119 Sold as a 'wall hanger,' screw through heel, logo strong, pickguard missing, holes where a pickup was installed, probably a 619

5/4

What a Wednesday! From a beautiful Dano bass to a trailerful of ampcases to an odd Canuck amp to a far-away lost banjo to a broken-up 'Silhouette,' you'll have fun with today's lot. Get to it!

1442 Dano SSEG bass VG $330 Clean, some edge bumps, logo worn/bent at 'S,' bridge cover present, finish and chrome shiny, screw crack at bottom of pickguard, triangular neck plate


1448 Dano SSEG guitar and tube ampincase VG $417 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, sidewalls bright, guitar logo strong, corner wear to case, some discoloration to knob, NS case hinges, NS tubes inserts,


1448 Dano SSEG guitar and tube ampincase $355 Looks nice enough in the single blurry, poorly-lit photo provided, seller says "A real clooectors piece." [sic]


1448 Dano SSEG guitar and tube ampincase $500 Clean, some glitter rub-off to guitar, logo nearly worn away, crack repair to headstock edge, rust to tuners,  'bullet hole' sticker on back of guitar, clean case has sticker on front and "Mom Help" scrawled frighteningly on the back. Relisted.


1449 Dano SSEG guitar and tube amp in case VG $580 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, tremolo unmentioned, logo strong, footswitch incl.


1457 Dano SSEG guitar with tube amp in case VG $550 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, some rust to handle captures / tuners / grille bezel / jack washers / speaker cage, logo on guitar worn, tremolo speed knob insert damaged, great graining to fretboard, tremolo functional


1457 Dano SSEG guitar only w/ C VG $255 Clean, light wear, logo strong


1437 Teisco MIJ SBEG VG $325 Clean, whammy bar missing, logo nearly worn away, NS knobs, couple of tuner ferrules broken



An odd little amp from north of the border... more than one picture would have been nice... the inside shot is from one I saw a few years ago.

26178 Simpson-Sears tube amp $113 Edge wear, knobs missing, grille looks good, here's the full descrip from the seller "Amplifier works great, 8" speaker, volume/on off switch and tone controls, (knobs are missing). Breaks up nice at about 3/4, cabinet covering is in fair shape worn edges and a cig burn on top. Grill cloth is in great shape no cuts tears or fraying. Gold faceplate is also in fair shape with a couple of dings and rub marks from the control knobs. Amp has not been modified to the best of my knowledge and is original down to the power cord and tube chart. Winning bidder will also receive an extra set of tubes that have been tested and are good to go. They are not common and hard to come by. Power tube is British made Rogers, Mullard."


1482 Dano tube amp G $260 Round speaker cutout, could use a good cleaning, some edge/corner wear/tear, rust to handle captures and xformer, back panel in place, tremolo unmentioned, amp tested functional


1484  Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet $325 Wear all over, grille loose, oxidation/wear to faceplate,  output xformer mount modded / xformer replaced, 1/4" speaker jack mods to cabinet, all tube locations marked/ID'd in black marker, stamping indicates late 1966 build, seller says "The amp was taken to the local tube amp tech and it was not working. He stated that the output transformer was bad so he ordered another output transformer, installed it, played it and he said it sounded very very good. He also stated that the tremolo was working also. The amp suddenly lost its power and is now distorted and not working correctly. He checked it out, obtained the schematic and is at a loss as to what is wrong. He did replace 3 small resistors that were open, but the amp still does not work."


653 Kay FHAC G $138 Clean, edge wear, some checking/flaking, pickguard missing, faded color, 'wind chime' logo strong, tuner buttons shrinking, some wear at bridge area, some back separation


1200 Harmony FTAC G $69 Clean, edge/surface wear, logo marred slightly at 'Si,'  tape/sticker residue on top back, rust dots on tailpiece


1204 Harmony FTAC VG $128 Clean, light wear, logo strong, light rust to tuner plates, scuff at bridge


615 Harmony FTAC G $49 Clean, edge/surface wear, pickguard broken, logo strong, paint on bass side of bridge, stamped S-64


600 series Harmony FTAC $150  Looks clean enough in limited photo set, seller says "Had a neck reset, new bridge replaced and new pickguard work done here in Music City USA. Very tight crack on back, I hate to call it a crack since it doesn’t go through the solid back. Tuners are replacement, they are what the guitar came with when I got it."


1235 Harmony FTAC classical VG $99 Clean, playing wear on either side of soundhole, inner label looks good, stamped S-69


657 Harmony Classical w/ OC G $45 Clean, light wear, bridge needs to be re-repaired, inner label a bit dirty, stamped F-66-GM, serial # 3299H657



I'd love to know the story of how Jimmy C's banjo made it across the country from Kinston, North Carolina to Norland, Washington. I did undertake a dead end, hour-long search for a banjo-playin' (or any) Jimmy Carlyle in Kinston, NC. 'Carlyle' is a common spelling of the surname in the area, but a search for a 'James' or 'Jimmy' turned up nothing pertinent. I did find a little brick house on a quiet town lane at the address scrawled on the case, but the search ended there. Fools' errand, maybe... but I had to do it.

802 Banjo w/ OC VG $175 5-string w/ resonator, head shows playing wear, logo strong, "Property of Jimmy Carlyle Kinston, NC" written on case.


852 Harmony ukulele VG $114 Clean, light wear, stencil and logo strong, 1" crack at soundhole


758 Kay mandolin F $78 Venetian model, some edge/surface wear, top cracked at bass f-hole, logo missing, some finish flaking, tuner buttons crumbling, screw 'repair' to lifting neck, stamped P 4




This 1488 was parted out over the past few days, and here's what we've got. Seller says "MY SON WAS GOING TO REFINISH THIS GUITAR, BUT NEVER DID."

1488 Harmony SBEG body & neck screws $26 Finish stripped. Interesting construction note; see the spring hole for the whammy assembly?


'True Vibrato' Assembly $22 Some wear to the chrome. Awesome; we never see the bottom of these things!


Neck $58 Tuners clean, truss rod cover missing, binding tight, markers looks good


Pickguard & electronics $290 Lead pickup foil damaged, stamped May 1966


1448 / 1481 Dano knobs $33 Some adhesive seep/wear to inserts. Seller says "This PAIR of old knobs (volume & tone) was in a plastic box labeled 1960s Silvertone guitar AMPLIFIER KNOBS although we have no way to confirm this."


14XX Dano Speaker cabinet logoplate $26

5/3

Amazingly Abundant April! In April 2011, we reported on over 298 auctions totaling $87,762! That's four grand more than April 2010 totals, and thirteen thousand dollars more than April 2009! Just like gas prices, I'm pretty sure Silvertonium sales don't rely a lot on supply and demand.

Here's some highlights of what changed hands:  (17) 1448 guitars/amps or one or the other, (10) 1457 guitars/amps or one or the other, (20) 1484 amps, (12) 1482 amps, (14) 1481 amps, (12) 'Chris Isaak'  1446 model guitars, and only ONE (!) 1385/1427 'Espanada.' An amazing early Dano-built 1375 brought in the top green for April at $1850, and there were three more items in the $1,000+ category this month; $1495 and $1050 for a couple of fine 1446 models and $1200 for a nice 1381 'Thin Twin.' The least amount brought in April was $5 for a funky 1249 Sears guitar, and as far as Silvertonium goes, $9 for a Silvertone plastic case emblem..

If you haven't visited April 2011, give it a look... it was QUITE a month! Even if you've been recently, click over and check out the last couple of days, some great stuff ended up the month.

5/3

I'm making some changes to the pricing page here; I'll only be listing the current week on the main page, and then linking to the rest of the month. This will help everyone (regular visitors and new Silvertonians) with their page load times. As the month progresses, the number of graphic files on this page increases to 1000+ pretty regularly, and your load times (as you vets well know) go up appreciably. I hope this change will make everyone's experience here a little better. Let me know if it's working out OK for you.

The first bit of Silvertonium to sell on eBay this May was this 1484 setup; the gavel fell at 15 seconds past midnight on the first.

1484  Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet G $935 Clean, some edge wear, grille's a bit brown, rust freckles to faceplate, rust to handle captures, some staining to top panel of amp, 1/4" speaker jack mod, pilot light out, reverb weak/intermittent, tremolo functional, footswitch incl., stamping indicates 1965 build


1434 Dano tube amp $510 Clean, light wear, handle worn, some grille staining at logoplate, poor photos make it hard to tell much more, powers up; otherwise untested



Interesting detail inside this 1451; the cabinet stamping indicates a 1958 build, and 1451s were only available in the '59 Wish Book (as a partner to the 1304). Could it be that some 1451s are just 1389s (the 1304 partner in '58) with a little gold fleck and a different control panel silkscreen?

1451 Dano tube amp G $123 Clean, some corner/surface wear, NS logo, NS knob, NS handle, stamping indicates 1958 build



Speaking of Wish Book deals, here's that wacky amp that came with the 1304 guitar in its last year of availability, 1960.

9075 tube amp G $150 Clean, light wear, couple of (rust?) stains to grille, cover missing, 'hi-fi' logo looks good



Speaking of 1304s...

1304 Dano SSEG MOD $166  Contact-papered, knobs painted, pickguard missing, logo strong with light wear, access panel missing (repro incl. but not pictured), internal stamping and natural headstock/neck indicates a 1958 build. Pretty sure this is the same guitar that sold back in April 2010; look at the listings for the 15th.

 

1449 Dano SSEG guitar and tube amp in case VG $550 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, logo strong, cord keeper and footswitch incl., stamping indicates early 1964 build, seller says "THE AMP FUNCTIONS WELL, BUT IS A LITTLE NOISY. I HAD TO REPLACE A BAD 12AX7 ONCE, AND I THINK ALL THE OTHER TUBES ARE ORIGINAL SILVERTONES. THE TREMOLO HAS A REAL COOL SOUND TO IT, BUT CAN GET OUT OF CONTROL REAL FAST. IF YOU WANT A DIFFERENT SOUND THAN ANYONE ELSE; THIS LITTLE AMP HAS IT."


1413 Kay SBEG VG $418 Clean, light wear, logo strong, screenprint on tailpiece strong but worn on pickup, original matching gig bag incl.


1413 Kay SBEG w/ C MOD $326 Clean, some surface wear, logo strong, light rust to tuner covers, pickguard and truss rod looked original but painted black, NS knobs


600 series Harmony FTAC MOD $150  Some surface wear, pickguard missing, headstock refinished logo gone,  MOP thunderbird/diamond inlay to headstock, carved thunderbird bridge and diamond detail (of "macassar ebony") to top


1256 Harmony baritone ukulele w/ C VG $75 Clean, light wear, tuners and binding tight, logo strong, vintage Mel Bay uke book incl.


1400 Microphone $41 Clean, tested functional, light oxidation, (1) original box incl., I recorded the growly guitar, the vocal and harmonica for the piece below with one of these mics





MODEL # / MANUFACTURER / INSTRUMENT TYPE / CONDITION / 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.

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