November 2010

12/1

One more ampcase, a coupla bass amps, a kwazy Kay, one funky analog electronical cube just for fun, and we'll put November 2010 to bed. I'll be back later in the day to begin December with our November recap.

1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case G $203 Edge wear to guitar and amp, logo strong, glitter void on bass side top, amp grille looks good, ampcase hardware shows rust, speaker missing, NS chickenhead on amp, chunk missing from fingerboard between 3rd & 4th fret, discolored knob inserts are interesting; one says 'TONE' the other has no legend. Relisted from ealier in month.


1466 Dano solid state amp only VG $100 Covering shows light swear, face and knobs super clean, speaker lead present


1483 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet G $356 Edge/corner wear, oxidation dots to control plate, scrub marks from sticker removal, recently serviced,  "M.T." written in Sharpie on the back of the chassis, spots/weird colors in photos are camera defects


I just thought this part looked really cool... a big, chunky tube-powered FM stereo adaptor from deep in the guts of a larger 7407 Silvertone stereo receiver. A relic from a time when even a $10 mp3 player from your local discount store would have been regarded as pretty close to magic. The auction was just for the adapter, and it sold for $10.



UNK Kay HBEG VG $295 Clean, minimal wear, flaking to sides, logo not photographed clearly



11/30

Yesterday I promised the weekend's ampincase haul. Well, today I'm delivering, just like Santa delivered these all-in-one rock and roll wish answerers for half a dozen years back in the 1960s. Think of the market today... how many of these guitars are out there; mostly the 1448 and the 1457, but a good number of the 1451 and 1452 as well, and probably the least available is the first two-pickup model, the 1449. How many thousands did Sears sell of these that are still available today, how many are still collecting dust in attics and garages and closets across the US? How many more thousands ended up in landfills? The first Silvertone I ever owned was headed for that fate; I rescued an early 1448 from the top of a streetside trashpile 30 years ago. I'd love to see the records of how many of these babies shipped. I wonder if that information is even available these days. If Sears records were computerized in any way back then (I'd imagine this is the case), it'd be on magtape that would take an major engineering feat to be able to read, let alone translate into useable information. If the sales records were tallied only in paper-based logs, I'm sure those have been long-destroyed as a cost and space saving measure. Maybe I'll take a trip to Chicago and see if Sears will let me pore over the books... if they still exist.

I'm gonna bookend the ampincase listings with some interesting related items; first, a Japanese-made, Canadian-sold 26876 paired with a Peavey T-15 ampcase, and picking up the rear is a Dano reissue of the 1457 guitar, but in a growlier baritone configuration.

26876 MIJ SBEG VG $199 Simpson-Sears equivalent to the 1405, clean, minimal wear, logo strong, paired with a Peavey ampcase in good shape


1448 Dano SSEG guitar only G $599 Clean, edge/surface wear, some finish checking (esp. at headstock), rust to jack nut and tuners, knob inserts discolored, dings to neck, logo strong


1448 Dano SSEG and tube ampincase G $300 Clean, light wear, guitar logo not pictured, knob inserts discolored, outside of ampcase shows some wear/tears


1448 Dano SSEG and tube ampincase G $330 Could use a good cleaning, edge/surface wear, logo strong, knob inserts discolored, rust to claps/hinges/handle captures, wear to ampcase, transitiponal model; oval-buttoned strip tuners


1448 Dano SSEG and tube ampincase F $170 Edge/surface wear to guitar, NS black tuners, (1) NS knob, logo strong but it looks like a stick or decal was once in that area, inside of ampcase worn, outside of case show corner/edge wear, stain to grille, rusty hinges/clasps, amp has knob missing, amp has loud buzz, early version of this setup; two-bolt neck with narrow attach pier and offset strap button, triangle knob inserts


1448 Dano SSEG and tube ampincase G $278 Edge wear, NS knobs, logo strong, buckle rash, pickup has tape 'repair,' ampcase shows light wear, case hardware looks clean


1448 Dano ampincase only G $170 Clean, light wear, rip on back side, a few touch-ups, claps/hinges/handle captures show light rust


1457 Dano SSEG guitar only G $325 Clean, light wear, logo faded, some fretboard grunge, (1) button missing on NS tuner strip


Danelectro '63 re-issue $300 This is the longer scale baritone model. Seller says: "A few chips here and there but nothing major. All electronics work perfectly, action is nice and low, frets have plenty of life. Sounds great, looks great! It's about 4-5 years old and I believe it's a discontinued model."



I love the pic the seller included with this 1464 sale to show how far you could separate amp and cab!

1464 Dano solid state amp and speaker cabinet VG $293 Clean, light wear, grille looks great, chrome worn from logoplate, still wired together, rev/trem unmentioned, no footswitch, light rust to handle captures, seller is neighbor of original owner


1485 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG amp G cab $661 Clean, light wear, cabinet grille shows speaker shadows, cabinet has some edge wear, rev/trem unmentioned, no footswitch, seller says "...in very good condition and everything works fine. Everything is original."



Here's a nice review/exploration of the 1470.

1470 Sears tube amp F $69 Edge/surface wear, looks like some water damage/rippling on bottom covering, back panel in place, seller says "the three tubes light up but the unit hums at a louder level than the guitar plugged into it"


623 Harmony FHAC w/ OC VG $230 Clean, light surface wear, logo strong, serial 3422H623, stamped ?-60, late block marker version


605 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $100 Clean, minimal wear, 'deco' logo strong


604 Harmony FTAC G $56 Clean, light wear, logo strong, light warping at soundhole, G tuner bent, (3) NS tuner posts


26933 Teisco MIJ SBEG w/ C VG $233 Simpson-Sears version of the 1445, clean, chrome shiny, whammy present, minimal wear, block logo strong


1482 Dano tube amp VG $199 Square speaker cutout, clean, minimal wear, back poanel missing, no footswitch, seller says "I would suggest the new owner replace the cord with one that is grounded. When the guitar is plugged in and when strummed, a pleasing sound did come from the speaker with the typical tremolo sound you might expect from a Silvertone."


1472 Dano tube amp VG $415 Round speaker cutout, minimal wear, red border panel with 'tremlo' misspell, light oxidation to amp chassis and speaker cage, rust to jack nuts, back panel present, tremolo functional but "very low output"



11/29

Thus beginneth the long slide towards the end of the year. Bet it'll be here before you know it! Sales were a bit slack over the weekend as I figured they would be, but here's most of what went down since Saturday. I'll have a Tuppperware bowl full of ampincase leftovers for you tomorrow! For today's first up we've got a mighty nice 1365 from the so-called 'Aristocrat' series of the mid-1950s. Maybe Santa will bring me some documentation of that common Kay nickname... I can't find a citation anywhere!

1365 kay HBEG VG $745 Clean, light wear, logo laminate looks great, pickguard present with strong edge and 'S,' bridge missing, tuner buttons deteriorated


1340 Valco tube amp G $250 Edge wear, logo worn, marks on grille, NS Gretsch speaker, replacement handle, schematic in bottom of amp in good shape, amp functional


1483 Dano tube amp only VG $399 Clean, light wear, light oxidation 'dots' to front panel, light rust to handle captures and jack nuts, pots date to 1966


1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet G $660 Amp and cab show some edge wear, logoplate missing, grille some staining, rev/trem functional, no footswitchhard to judge from small photos provided


1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet G $465 Clean, light wear, grille clean, logoplate present, no footswitch, limited photos available, 1/4" jack mod, seller say "EVERYTHING WORKS. PLAYS FINE."


1304 Dano SSEG w/ OC G $255 Clean, edge/surface wear, some checking/flaking, sidewalls clean, logo shows some wear, tailpiece/bridge has a piece of cardboard under it, light rust to tuner plates, screws and jack nut, pots scratchy


1307 Valco Lap Steel w/ C E $271 Clean, minimal wear, logo looks great, picks/slides incl. serial #X56314


2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp w/ OC VG $203 Clean, light wear, seller says "VINTAGE Deluxe Oscar Schmidt Silvertone Autoharp w/Case, Vintage Hard Case,
Sabine STX 1100 Chromatic Autotuner, Universal Tuner Pickup, Music, Picks"


1836 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp  VG $100 Clean, minimal wear, tuning wrench, Mother Maybelle record incl., this is the harder-to-come-by 12-chord model




Folks must be cleaning out their closets.... we've got a LOT of bits and pieces today!

1446 Harmony HBEG $477 Pretty much a complete kit, just add know-how, strings and pickguard. Seller says "The original Gibson pickups are included, but they need to be worked on. The two plastic pieces that go around the pickups need to be reattached. The Bigsby whammy and bridge is included but needs to be reattached. There is a little separation of the fret board from the neck, but only slightly. It's at the top of the neck. The front of the guitar has been spray painted black. It will have to be removed with goo off or sanded down and refinished. I do not have the pickguard."


1446 Harmony HBEG $255 Body / neck / tuners / nut, logo strong


653 Kay FHAC $110 A 'Kentucky Blue' kit... sorta... no tuners or bridge, edge flaking/checking, obvious problems


1481 Dano cabinet only $50 Gutted, no back panel, stock speaker present, spray painted black... they DID keep the logoplate pretty...


1423 Harmony SSEG neck $79 Logo intact but bent at 'S,' edge wear, nut chipped, tuners incomplete


Harmony neck $25 logo strong, no tuners/nut, probably from a 1420



UNK Kay FHAC G $108 Clean, pickguard missing, light wear, logo strong, stamped L4050 6887 and N-4, probably a 627



11/26

Black Friday? Why not GREEN Friday? 'Cuz that's what's flyin' around! Even RED Friday would work, as many of us are putting our own accounts in that category, and you'd still get in the holiday colors. Anyway, there's plenty of moolah transferring to auctioneers from some lucky and motivated Silvertonians this giant shopping day. How's about we start things off with TWO nice 'Chris Isaak' 1446 guitars?

1446 Harmony HBEG w/ C E $1200 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, Bigsby present


1446 Harmony HBEG w/ C G $525 Clean, edge/surface wear, logo strong, NS tailpiece, ding in binding near bottom, logo worn, playing wear to neck, pickup covers dill


1425 Kay HBEG w/ OC VG $667 Clean, finish checking and some flaking, pickguard present, logo strong, fret markers good, stamped L3531 8999 N-1


1483 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $895 Clean, light wear, oxidation 'dots' to control face, light rust to xformer, 1/4" jack mod, 3-prong AC mod, pot/cabinet codes date to 1964


1457 Dano SSEG and tube amp in case VG $780 Clean, light wear, logo strong, amp knobs show adhesive seep, guitar knobs dirty, cord keeper present, frets recently dressed, footswitch incl., tremolo unmentioned, seller says "A-1 condition"


1457 Dano SSEG and tube amp in case VG $640 Clean, light wear, logo strong, cord keeper present, inside ampcase looks great, clasps/hinges shiny, seller says "Electronics work but have some static in pots," tremolo unmentioned, no footswitch



OK, I'll give 'em an 'A' for effort... they did procure a repro logo to proudly carry on this 'Wish Book' only guitar's heritage, and gold-glittered to sidewalls to match!

1304 Dano SSEG MOD $325 Refinished in white w/ maroon-ish on the back, repro logo, NS knobs, NS access cover, wire on saddle, 2-bolt neck; probably a '58



A favorite of St. Vincent (aka Annie Clark), if I'd had 575 bucks, I'd have hit the 'Buy It Now' of this beautiful 1488 too!

1488 Harmony SBEG w/ OC E $575 Clean, minimal wear, whammy present, finish and chrome shiny


1476 Harmony SBEG w/ OC VG $305 Clean, light wear, logo strong, chrome shiny


1421 Harmony SSEG W/ OC F $153 Edge/surface wear, playing wear to neck, lead pickup missing, logo strong, 'D' and high 'E' tuner posts missing, screw cracks to pickguard


1444 Dano SSEG Bass G $270 Edge/surface wear, logo broken at 'S,' , NS rubber bridge, serial stamp indicates 1960 build


1211 Harmony FTAC w/ OC G $99 Clean, NS tuners, block logo strong


1481 Dano tube amp cabinet only MOD $153 Gutted, 12" Wolverine speaker in place, light wear to covering, grille and logoplate look good


1330 Dano tube amp G $215 Clean, light wear, grille shows pick and is a bit loose-looking, logoplate looks great, ext. speaker mod on back panel, NS knob, handle worn, seems that metal strap is a fuse holder holder-inner, (1) NS tube,  seller says "amp works (albeit with some squeal/feedback, might need new cord or tune up) and tubes light up!"


1430 Dano tube amp VG $249 Clean, light wear, logoplate logo strong, handle and captures look good, oxidation to chassis panel


1484 Dano speaker cabinet only MOD $181 Light edge/corner wear, grille in great shape, speakers are Jensens re-issues, two 1/4" jacks on back


2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp w/ OC VG $148 Clean, light wear, storage 'melt' blemish on back, no access./tuning wrench



Our first unknown up today has period proper details that make me think it's a custom job or maybe ordered from the Sears 'Musical Instrument' catalog; P-series pickup with stock bevel, 'deco' type knobs and nicely fitted sided jack. Here's the hitch: it's a Harmony pickup on a Kay mandolin. Regardless, nice job!

UNK Kay Mandolin w/ C MOD(?) $151 Clean, pickguard missing (see the 'shadow'), light wear, 'wind chime' logo strong, hairline crack runs length of top, rust to tailpiece, tuner buttons deteriorating, electronics functional


UNK Kay FHAC G $153 Clean, light wear, pickguard present, 'wind chime' logo strong, NS bridge, neck needs a re-set, probably a 696


UNK Harmony FHAC w/ OC VG $167 Clean, light wear, 'deco' logo strong, fretboard wear in 'cowboy chord' area, probably a 710



11/24

An amazingly HUGE Wednesday! We've got blue guitars, green guitars, red guitars, orange-y guitars, black guitars, a little Frankentone action, even a cool record player I thought you might like!

1448 Dano SSEG guitar only MOD $203 Refinished blue, logo salvaged, NS knobs, edge wear to pickguard, 1.5" ding on bottom back edge


1454 Harmony HBEG w/ C VG $600 Clean, minimal wear, Bigsby paint flaking, logo strong, serial #5669H1454


653 Kay FHAC G $225 Edge/surface wear, faded to green, logo strong, some finish checking


653 Kay FHAC $88 Sold as 'project,' edge wear, bridge missing, finish dirty, pickguard present, 'wind chime' logo strong, tuner buttons crumbled away, neck pulling away


1220 Harmony FTAC VG $675 Clean, light wear, light crazing, logo strong, bridge and neck tight, seller says "HUGE SOUND, NO ISSUES."


1217 MIJ FTAC VG $51 Clean, light wear, light buckle rash, pickguard design and soundhole decal strong, 'Space Dot'  looks good, truss rod adjustment cover missing



This sweet little record player from 1957 caught my eye today... I love the look: the simplicity, the retro cool, the beautiful grille cloth, the totally space-age logo, and the fact that it plays ONLY 45 RPM singles!

7238 record player $139 Seller says "The player [is in] excellent cosmetic condition. The platter turns and records will play, but with hum. Also the records will not drop. The rubber on the changer mechanism has become hard."


1420 Harmony SSEG W/ OC G $280 Clean, light edge/surface wear, tarnish to pickup covers, light rust to tuner plates, logo has a blemish at second 'e,' neck pickup not working


1420 Harmony SSEG W/ OC G $455 Clean, edge/surface wear, sticker residue and a couple of scratches to top, logo nearly worn away, repro p/u selector, repro pickguard,


1444 Dano SSEG Bass MOD $162 Edge/surface wear, NS tuners in a unique configuration, saddle missing, logo in tough shape, access panel missing, NS strap buttons, scratchy pots, screw mod at E string


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $334 Clean guitar and ampcase, light wear to both, all knobs show adhesive seep, small rip in grille at speaker, hardware on ampcase shows light rust,


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case G $356 Wear to guitar and ampcase, logo strong, knobs missing on guitar, latches on case gone, early version of this setup; two-bolt neck with narrow attach pier and offset strap button, triangle knob insert on amp, round-buttoned strip tuners


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $660 Clean guitar and ampcase, light wear to both, logo strong, NS speaker to amp, tubes light up; otherwise untested, transitional guitar; round-buttoned strip tuners


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case G $350 Edge wear to guitar, wear and a ding or two to ampcase, logo strong, NS speaker


1431 dano tube amp VG $150 Clean, light wear, handle worn, logoplate looks good, power cord has an electrical tape repair


1465 Dano solid state amp $75 All knobs missing, light wear to face, fuse holder missing, non-functional


We don't see 'Frankentoned' banjos very often, but the mods on this one were for the better, I believe.

802 Banjo w/ C MOD $150 5-string w/ resonator, NS head, NS bridge, NS tuners, NS armrest, modified headstock


758 Kay Mandolin VG $99 'Venetian' style, light wear, mid-era scalloped headstock, tuner buttons deteriorating


1399 DeArmond (?) Pickup assembly VG $65 Tested functional, chrome shiny, minimal wear, knobs and cables look good, stamped 10 1955



11/23

We've got a naked guitar and some ten-time needles! That's all you need to know. Dig in!

I've come across some important info on the Dano-made 'Hornet' class Silvertone guitars, a stripped version of the two-pickup model we have for our first up today. We're familiar with calling this one the 1452, which the ampincase combo is known as in catalog descriptions, the combination deal featuring an ampincase with tremolo and a white pickguarded guitar. The 1452 ampincase took over the two-pickup slot from the venerable 1457 in mid-1966, and lasted until the sale of Danelectro to MCA, its last Sears catalog appearance in the Spring/Summer 1968 catalog, the last catalog before the 'Japanese Invasion.' Our first up today, the faux-tortoiseshell pickguarded model would seem to predate the 1452, according to recent documents I've discovered. In the Wish Book for 1965, there is a model 1450 guitar available, sans ampcase, for $69.95. The ad copy read: "Don't let all this professional glitter mislead you - thanks to this slim fast-action neck and easy to press steel strings you won't find an EASIER TO PLAY guitar than this Solid-body ELECTRIC .. a touch of the Vibrato handle adds Hawaiian guitar effects."  It sold for $69.95, and you can find a murky copy (I've done my best to improve the low-quality microform image) of the catalog listing here.

The late-1965 model 1450 Aside from the faux-tortoise pickguard, the only major difference between the 1450  and the 1452 is the bezel that surrounds each pickup of the 1452's white tri-layer pickguard. Also, the earliest 1450 models had a two bolt neck attach, and both the 1450 and 1452 guitars sported three-screw attached necks with equilateral triangular and offset triangular patterns, some with neck plates.

1450 Dano SBEG MOD $305 Finish stripped, whammy present, all pickups and knobs stock, no neck plate, offset 3-screw pattern

Remember those 'one time only' needles I showed you a while back? Well, it's good to see that Sears & Roebuck kept pushing the technology, introducing exciting new products as they came available. Check it out: you can use these needles TEN times! Woohoo! 36 needles in the box, it sold for a buck and a half.

1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case G $305 Could use a good cleaning, light wear to guitar, some scuffs to ampcase covering, logo strong, amp chassis has some edge wear, scratchy pots on guitar, amp non-functional


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $436 Clean, logo strong, light wear to guitar and ampcase, guitars knobs discolored,  ampcase hinges and clasps rusty, speaker needs re-coning or replacing


1210 Harmony FTAC F $31 Clean, light wear, logo strong, shows some finish checking/flaking, stamped S-67, neck/top warped; high action



As far as I can tell, when Dano corrected the 'tremlo' spelling on the control panel of the 1472, they also switched to the cheaper to produce square-holed speaker baffle.

1472 Dano tube amp VG $482 Square speaker cutout, light wear, some paint drips on back panel, red border panel with 'tremolo' spelled correctly,  tremolo functional, no footswitch


1484 Dano tube amp only G $199 Could use a good cleaning, light wear, rust to handle captures and xformers, oxidation 'dots' to amp chassis front and back, reverb functional, tremolo unmentioned


1420 Sears tube amp G $59 Clean, light corner wear, light rust to handle captures, powers up; loud hum


853 harmony ukulele VG $38 Clean, light wear, logo strong, small crack on top bass side, bridge and tuners tight


2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp w/ OC VG $76 Clean, tuning wrench incl.



11/22

Everything from everywhere for the weekend report! The Silvertonium mine has trucked out a motherlode of amazing finds for this pre-Thanksgiving weekend. Let's start things off with the seldom-seen tulip-head 1424:

1424 Teisco HBEG G $153 Clean, light wear, whammy present, logo tag looks good, chrome shiny, seller says "electronics do not work," serial #300230


1340 Valco tube amp F $101 Rough, could use a good cleaning, logo worn, tubes light; otherwise untested


1466 Dano solid state amp only G $81 Covering shows light swear, faceplate has tape & residue, scratching, NS knobs, seller says "This amp sounds very very musical, open, detailed, chimey, transparent, extended, dynamic, involving, and natural. I used it with my guitar through a 12" cabinet with a modern Eminence speaker, very very nice sound."


1482 Dano tube amp VG $300 Square speaker cutout, clean, minimal wear, 1/4" ext. mod on back panel, 3-prong AC mod, tremolo functional, seller says "This Silvertone is in exceptionally good condition - and works perfectly - although the speaker does breakup on the low end when above 6-10, and does get some noise on the mic input past 3-4 and probably needs a set of new tubes. Sounds Like: Well, like their reputation (and nickname) says, they sound a lot like a Tweed Deluxe, though a bit looser and wilder. Decent cleans at low volume. Nice bottom, rich, textured mids. But, get the volume up past 11 O’clock, and these amps really start to show their stuff. Great overdrive – the classic American tube push of the 6V6’s. Just a great, classic blues and garage rock tube sound. Great, deep 60’s style tremolo with a good sweep of speed control."


1483 Dano tube amp only VG $317 Clean, minimal wear, 1/4" jack mod, extra set of power tubes incl.


1484 Dano tube amp only G $300 Clean, minimal wear,  top looks slightly bowed, tremolo non-functional, reverb intermittent, scratchy pots


600 series Harmony FTAC w/ C G $52 Clean, light wear, bridge tight (!), logo strong, gift tags from 1958 inside, possibly stamped X-57, which would make it a 602



There are no less than three guitars with the model designation 1217 that I can find in my early 1970s catalog listings. I can't, however, find a listing for this slotted headstock model. Here's a listing from 1973 that depicts two different 1217s side by side, and the second one matches the unusual body shape of the example below, but the pickguard and headstock are obviously different.

1217 Harmony FTAC w/ C G $40 Edge wear, wear to neck, 'Space Dot' strong


660/1230 Kay Classical w/ C G $34 Clean, light wear


1206Harmony FTAC VG $53 Clean, light wear, logo strong, light rust to tuner plates, stamped S-68 H


604 Harmony FTAC G $51 Clean, crack in top, logo worn/scratched/yellowed, original box incl.


604 Harmony FTAC G $27 Clean, edge/surface wear, logo strong, nut chipped


604 Harmony FTAC G $26 Clean, edge/surface wear, logo strong


1446 Harmony HBEG VG $800 Clean, Bigsby present, pickguard missing light wear, logo strong, stress crack at jack


1444 Dano SSEG Bass w/ OC VG $672 Clean, light wear, finish and chrome shiny, NS knobs, logo bent at 'S,' sidewalls bright, NS Straploks,  pots date to 1965



This is the lowest price I've seen in a while on a 1451 setup. Santa, where were you?

1451 Dano SBEG and tube ampincase VG $330 Clean guitar and ampcase, light wear, (1) knob missing on guitar, logo strong, plenty of glitter


1448 Dano tube amp in case only G $126 Clean, light wear, latches/hinges good, amp chassis modified, amp is functional, I think the yellow triangle might be a pick case


1448 Dano SSEG guitar only VG $295 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong,  knob inserts show adhesive seep


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $611 Clean, light wear to guitar, some scuffs to ampcase covering, logo strong, saddle NS or trimmed, knob inserts show adhesive seep


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $399 Clean, light wear to guitar, ampcase covering shows light wear, 3-bolt neck, line knob inserts on guitar, but triangle insert on amp


1457 Dano SSEG guitar only VG $352 Clean, light wear, logo strong, NS (or painted) outer knobs (but very cool!), light rust to tuners


1425 Kay HBEG w/ OC G $338 Pickguard missing, (1) knob missing, edge/surface wear, some flaking, switch intermittent,  stamped L3532 8999 and N-1. 1425 with same 'serial' number but an N-3 stamping sold in 2008 for $511.


1490 SBEG Bass w/ C G $87 Clean, edge/surface wear, chrome shows some oxidation, logo intact, electronics untested


1487 Teisco MIJ SBEG with built -in amp G $130 Edge/surface wear, NS knobs, logo strong, bridge missing, battery cover missing, low and high 'E' tuner missing, 'Silver Tone' medallion missing, amp works (!)


805 Banjo VG $149 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, hardware shiny, adjustment wrench, capo, books incl.


1251 Banjo VG $175 4-string w/ resonator, clean, minimal wear, logo strong


802 Banjo w/ OC VG $149 5-string w/ resonator, clean, light wear, logo strong


2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp w/ OC VG $86 Clean, books incl., no accessories visible or mentioned


856 Harmony Baritone Ukulele G $58 Clean, light wear, logo strong, small crack in grain on back


1311/1442 Valco lap steel w / OC VG $375 Clean, light wear, playing rub to pickup area, logo looks goods, gold sparkle buttons in good shape, serial #T11947


1311/1442 Valco lap steel MOD $144 Refinished, NS Kluson tuners, logo looks good



1484 Dano speaker cabinet only $100 Clean, covering shows edge/corner wear, no logoplate, no speakers, amp keepers in place, NS rollers


1449 Dano tube only $115 Functional, NS 12AX7, tremolo works, no footswitch


1423 Harmony SSEG body $75 Finish mostly worn away, binding tight



UNK Kay FHAC w/ C VG $158 Clean, pickguard present, light wear, logo strong, probably a 619


UNK Harmony FHAC G $200 Clean, pickguard missing, 'deco' logo shows some wear,


UNK Harmony FHAC $61 Pickguard missing, in pieces, tuner buttons deteriorated, rattlesnake rattles found inside incl. Seller says "A friend saw a guitar case sitting beside a set of rural dumpsters in Union Parish, in near Farmerville, Louisiana. He picked it up and later asked me if I'd like to have it, since i play guitar. I took it from his hands and as i turned it, i heard something moving inside it. i turned it over and rattlesnake rattles started falling out of the cutouts on top. in all, five rattles fell out. Phil, my friend who found the guitar, upon seeing the rattles, said "please take this guitar-I don't want anything to do with it." (the rattlesnake rattles kinda freaked him out) So, at home I set it out in front of me and stared at it, wondering, "who owned this guitar?" and "what's up with the rattles?" My first thought was that a rattlesnake once called this guitar home, but I googled and found that there was an old legend that rattlesnake rattles were inserted for good luck." Yeah, well this old git-fiddle is gonna need some.



11/19

Friday's fabulous fretted festival! Dig in!

1423 Harmony SSEG w/ OC VG $850 Clean, light wear, logo looks worn at 'S,' pickguard print shows some wear, finish and chrome shiny


1452 Dano SBEG with tube amp in case VG $499 Clean, pickguard refinished or NS, light wear to guitar and ampcase, logo strong, whammy and back cover present, triangular neck plate


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case G $325 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, NS tubes, NS speaker, knob inserts dirty/worn, neck stamp indicates mid-1962 build, output xformer blown; tubes light/no sound, early version of this guitar; two-bolt neck with narrow attach pier and offset strap button, triangle knob inserts, round-buttoned strip tuners, seller-owned since 1969


1457 Dano SSEG and tube amp in case VG $631 Clean, minimal wear to guitar and ampcase, tremolo/footswitch unmentioned, footswitch not visible, serial number written along top edge of headstock. You can't go wrong buying a Silvertone from the Banana.


1457 Dano SSEG and tube amp in case VG $625 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, tremolo/footswitch unmentioned, footswitch not visible, seller says "All the electronics work properly"


1413 Kay SBEG G $180 Clean, edge/surface wear, tailpiece cover missing, logo strong, 'arrow' screenprint design on pickup cover worn


1445 Teisco MIJ SBEG G $244 Could use a good cleaning, bound version, NS knobs and (1) missing, bridge missing, whammy arm present, headstock cracked, logo gone, (2) tuner ferrules and (1) tuner post missing


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


2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp w/ OC VG $51 Clean, record/books/access incl., electronic tuner incl.


752 Kay mandolin G $50 Looks good in single photo, logo strong. Seller says "tuner buttons have been replaced looks like someone repainted the white edging has new strings adjustable bridge it looks real nice not a lot of scuffs or scratches nonvisible cracks or separations lower frets have been dressed down because extended fretboard is turned up a little bit sounds real nice plays pretty easy action is a little high sold"


803 Banjo G $60 Looks good in single full-length photo, logo strong. Same seller as above says "everything original but the bridge ivoroid tuners skin head resonator back normal scuffs ans scratches nothing major 1 j hook missing neck straight frets show very little wear plays and sounds good 34 inches long 11 inch head"



UNK Kay FHAC VG $128 Clean, pickguard present, light wear, logo strong, stamped N-4, probably a 619



11/18

Looks like Thursday is gonna take our 'slowest day of the week' award this week.

1434 Dano tube amp MOD $91 As soon as I saw this amp's price, I knew something was wrong. Well, there is - the entire bottom electronics package where the 'power' section of the amp is located is gone! Looks like some Frankentoning of some sort was going on as well; there's a couple of battery holders snaking their wires up into the control bay of this Medalist, and some NS Wolverine speakers screwed to the baffle. The seller didn't mention it, but I wonder if some aftermarket battery-powered amp was wedged up into the top of this amp, and the NS chickenhead knob there by the logo controlled it? We may never know....



This amplifier was the 1959 'Wish Book' only companion to the mid-pickup placed 1304.

1451 Dano tube amp VG $170 Clean, light edge/corner wear, logoplate looks good, back panel shows some staining, handle worn


604 Harmony FTAC G $31 Clean, edge/surface wear, logo strong, light rust to tuner plates, serial #921H604, stamped F-63-EX



11/17

No, the Silvertonium mine didn't dry up... it's just a slower than usual Wednesday. Mondays around here are huge for two reasons; I'm cleaning up Friday night, Saturday and Sunday, and most good auctioneers know to end their auctions on a weekend when folks are home and free to get into a bidding war (there are various arguments for/against that, but my experience in Silvertonium auctions bears it out as truth; your mileage may vary). Conversely, less low volume/high profit auctions end on Wednesday, so I generally don't have as much to report. Case in point: today.

Man, what's up with the 1482s lately? Our first up today is our THIRTEENTH this month, and we only saw a total of fourteen for all of October!

1482 Dano tube amp VG $306 Square speaker cutout, light edge/corner wear, grille shows some 'picking' near bottom, some green checkerboard adhesive reveal all around control face, scratchy pots, tremolo unmentioned, no footswitch. Relisted in December.


1311/1442 Valco lap steel w / OC G $106 Clean, some rust to tuner plates and the logoplate looks tarnished. This is one of those unusual models that had the mother-of-diner-counter covering of the 1310 and the body and specs of the 1331/1442. Go figure.


1211 Harmony FTAC VG $75 Clean, light wear, block logo strong, serial #2815S1211


615 Harmony FTAC P $16 Checking/flaking, pickguard missing, tuners missing, terrible bridge re-glue, holes below neck joint, looks like a screw in the heel, logo strong



11/16

A fine Tuesday, I must say, with some great Silvertonium to peruse. Starting of with a nice example of one of the last of the Dano 'U' shaped bodied 6-strings, the 1416, another fine 1454, a kitty-fied Kay, four amps in numerical order, and a handful of varied acoustics.

1419 Dano SSEG VG $625 Clean, light wear, NS knobs, logo broken at 'S,' chrome shiny, neck refinished


1454 Harmony HBEG w/ OC VG $660 Clean, light wear, logo strong, pots scratchy, playing wear to neck, looks like some finish scratching near the tailpiece and some cord melt on back of the cutaway horn


1457 Dano SSEG guitar only VG $350 Clean, light wear, logo strong, some spots on sidewalls


1413 Kay SBEG G $150 Clean, light wear, tailpiece cover missing, 'arrow' screenprint worn from pickup cover, logo strong, 'rock cat' face drawn on back, matching gig bag in good shape


1461 Teisco HBEG VG $289 Clean, light wear, whammy arm missing, rare script logo strong, auction deal included small amp, seller says "some body/electrical work needed"


1472 Dano tube amp F $123 Round speaker cutout, corner/edge wear, red border panel with 'tremlo' misspell, NS back panel, re-capped, tremolo non-functional, NS Celestion speaker, "very low volume," stamping indicates 1962 build


1482 Dano tube amp VG $335 Square speaker cutout, corner wear, (1) knob insert missing, 3-prong AC mod, tremolo functional, no footswitch


1483 Dano tube amp only F $154 Paint drips to cover, rust to handle captures, rust spots on face, lights up, otherwise untested. Seller says "I plugged it in and the light came on and the tubes started to glow but you should have this checked out by a professional before use."


1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $412 Clean, light wear to amp, edge/corner wear to speaker cab, face looks great, innards clean, stock Jensens in place, tremolo works, reverb "weak," no footswitch, stamping indicates late 1963 build


619 Kay FHAC w/ C VG $154 Clean, pickguard missing, light wear, logo strong, stamped N-7. This is the later, accessible truss rod silkscreen # on the back of the headstock version of this popular guitar


630 or 618 Kay FHAC F $103 Edge/surface wear, NS metal bridge, pickguard missing, bottom fret marker missing, tape residue on headstock, logo faded, chunk out of binding, needs another neck re-set


604 Harmony FTAC E $43 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, finish and tuners shiny, stamped F-67


852 Harmony ukulele  VG $69 Clean, light wear, tuners tight, stencil and logo strong



1457 Dano SSEG pickguard only $6 Edge wear, some staining, some finish crazing



11/15

What a weekend! We've got guitars, we've got amps, we've got autoharps and ukes and banjos and parts and mystery guitars... all here for you in Silvertone World! We're gonna start today with two super-nice 1454 models, move on to a rare amp, then a rarer classical, then a boatload of Silvertonium.... here we go!

1454 Harmony HBEG w/ C VG $1195 Clean, light wear, some light checking, Bigsby present, logo strong, NS (but period proper) tuners, stamped F-64


1454 Harmony HBEG w/ C VG $790 Clean, light wear, Bigsby present, logo strong, serial #997H1454


1300 Valco tube amp G $261 Clean, edge/corner wear, grille stencil strong but slightly worn at bottom, control panel clean, back panel and grating present, handle dry but in good shape, AC cord brittle, untested



Super-rare, but it doesn't matter... classical guitars just don't get no love! This is the red-ringed 664, available only in the Spring/Summer 1968 catalog. This model took over very briefly the slot the long-running 657 held, then all guitar model numbers received a '12' prefix that replace the '6' in Fall/Winter 1968.

664 Harmony Classical w/ OC VG $57 Clean, light wear, serial #8503H664



Looks like the worker in charge of silk-screening the logo may have been having a rough day on this otherwise very nice bound version of the off-center bookmatched Mosrite-y 1445.

1445 Teisco MIJ SBEG VG $400 Clean, light wear, chrome shiny, nice graining, logo funkiness


1446 Harmony HBEG G $475 Clean, light wear, NS tuners, NS bridge, pickguard missing, screw crack at tip of truss rod cover, logo strong, re-fretted 8 yrs. ago, "bridge pickup is in need of a rewinding"


1423 Harmony SSEG w/ OC VG $661 Clean, light wear (mostly to top of headstock), pickguard print strong, still has plastic protector, plenty of glitter, logo intact


1477 Harmony SBEG w/ OC  VG $263 Clean, light wear, some pitting to chrome, early non-whammy version, logo strong, pickguard assembly stamped Sept. 6, 1965


1478 Harmony SBEG G $250 Edge/surface wear, whammy present, (1) knob missing, logo worn or 'shamed' away


1478 Harmony SBEG G $231 Edge/surface wear, whammy missing, (1) knob missing, finish crazing, pickguard has screw crack on bass side upper horn, logo worn, bridge "falling apart"


1410 Teisco MIJ SBEG G $58 Clean, whammy arm and bridge missing, logo strong, NS neck bolts, hairline crack at headstock


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case G $190 Edge wear, NS knobs, NS saddle, sidewalls dingy, rusty tuners, sidewall has gouge near jack, logo strong, amp shows edge/corner wear, grille looks good, knob missing from amp


1452 Dano SBEG only w/ OC $383 Clean, light wear, whammy and back cover present, couple of big dings on bottom back, chrome shiny, logo strong


1457 Dano SSEG and tube amp in case VG $600 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, (1) NS knob on guitar, ampcase has light rust to case hardware, tremolo unmentioned, no footswitch, seller is original owner


1457 Dano SSEG and tube amp in case VG $460 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, rust to grille bezel, tremolo unmentioned, no footswitch


1448 Dano SSEG guitar only G $170 Edge/corner wear, grille staining, inside liner has a couple of snags, amp chassis has some edge wear


1482 Dano tube amp VG $375 Square speaker cutout, clean, light wear, tremolo functional, no footswitch


1482 Dano tube amp G $129 Square speaker cutout, clean, corner wear, light grille staining, Jensen speaker, seller says: "Instrument channel doesn’t currently work. Mic channel works fine. Missing back panel. Slight tear in the covering above control panel and wear marks on corners. Replaced speaker." Tremolo functional, no footswitch


1482 Dano tube amp G $238 Square speaker cutout, clean, corner wear, back panel has hinge and catch mod, this amp was sold in Canada by Simpson-Sears, seller says "I would suggest the new owner replace the cord with one that is grounded as the amp is currently giving you a shock when plugged in. Because of the shocking I did not test extensively but did confirm with the guitar plugged in that when strummed, a pleasing sound did come from the speaker with the typical tremolo sound."


1482 Dano tube amp G $203 Round speaker cutout, edge wear, tremolo functional, no footswitch, seller says: "This amp has some ripped and missing covering as shown in the picture, tarnished chrome, scratches on the face plate and a dirty grill cloth. It also has some hissing, pops and cracking sound as well as a hum when using the microphone input. "


1483 Dano tube amp only VG $300 Clean, corner wear, light faceplate oxidation


1474 Dano tube amp VG $500 Clean, light wear, NS casters, rev/trem mentioned assumed to be functional, footswitch incl., stamping indicates 1961 build


661 Kay FTAC 4-string tenor G $153 Clean, surface/edge wear, nut missing, treble side tuners missing, logo strong


600 series Harmony FTAC w/ C G $52 Edge wear, finish checking/flaking, logo strong, bridge sound


604 Harmony FTAC G $39 Clean, edge wear, some checking/flaking, logo strong, playing wear to neck


604 Harmony FTAC G $42 Could use a good cleaning, edge/surface wear, tuner plates show rust, screw crack in pickguard, stamped S-65, serial #870H604


605 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $65 Edge wear, logo strong, chrome shiny


605 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $44 Bottom half Refinished, edge/surface wear, logo strong


852 Harmony ukulele w/ OC G $61 Light wear, crack on top, some scuffs to back, stencil and logo strong


853 Harmony Ukulele G $35 Clean, edge/surface wear, back shows slight separation, logo shows some wear


2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp w/ OC VG $100 Clean, minimal wear, tuning wrench incl.


2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp VG $56 Clean, light wear, model sticker still in place,  no case or access.


1838 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp w/ OC VG $87 Clean, minimal wear, books & access. incl.


1838 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp w/ OC VG $62 Clean, light wear, books, Mother Maybelle record and tuner incl.


802 Banjo VG $150 5-string w/ resonator, clean, light wear, NS head




UNK Kay FHAC MOD $449 Clean, logo strong, NS electronics and pickguard, pickup stamping indicates 1966, stamped P-3, probably (as usual) a 619


UNK Kay FHAC $85 'Wind chime' logo strong, body and neck look good, NS tuners, no bridge/tailpiece/pickguard



1304 Dano SSEG $150 Refinished in red, no electronics, logo obviously gone, bridge/saddle & nut present


1457 Dano SSEG Body/neck/tuners/nut $154 Bridge missing, no electronics/knob/pickguard, logo strong, tuners and posts show rust, neck stamping indicates 1966 build



11/12

Nothing like a beautiful guitar to get the deals a-rollin' today. Our first up is a terrific example of the famous single-pickup ampincase model favored by Dexter Romweber and Beck, the 1448. The only flaw on the guitar was a little chip out of the finish on the edge of the headstock inbetween the 'B' and 'E' tuner posts.

1448 Dano SSEG guitar only E guitar VG ampcase $725 Clean, minimal wear to guitar and ampcase, ampcase has a dark grille stain and some liner rub, hinges/clasps/handle captures shiny, early version of this guitar; two-bolt neck with narrow attach pier and offset strap button, triangle knob inserts, oval-buttoned strip tuners


1482 Dano tube amp VG $275 Square speaker cutout, clean, corner wear, rust to jack nuts/xformer/handle captures, 3-prong AC mod, (1) knob missing insert, back panel in place but not pictured, tremolo unmentioned, no footswitch


1483 Dano tube amp only G $171 Covering shows light wear, amp is non-functional, control face has oxidation and rust to jack nuts, rust to xformer and handle captures, 1/4" jack mod


1432 Dano tube amp G $205 Clean, edge/corner wear (actual 'chews' from the owners friends dog), light grille staining, handle missing, logo looks good, speaker has been professionally re-coned, back panel present but removed for photos, tremolo functional, no footswitch


1433 Dano tube amp MOD $186 Painted grey, could use a good cleaning, edge/corner wear, some grille staining, handle worn, control panel still has some good shine to it, extension speaker jack mod, tremolo non-functional, no footswitch


1421 Sears tube amp G $195 Clean, grille has a rip, covering shows some wear and scratches, handle captures show some rust, re-capped, 3-prong AC mod, tremolo functional, footswitch incl.



Here's another one of those Canadian-manufactured amps... It has TWO "Mirtone" stickers on the back, both with different model numbers. Here's what I'm figuring: one number, 26701, is the Sears-Simpson model number (I'm basing that on my general knowledge of S-S musical instrument department model numbers). The second sticker has the number GA40, which seems more descriptive; something in the line of Guitar Amplifier 40 watt. I can't find much of anything on Mirtone of Weston, Ontario. This amp also bears the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) rating number LR22177.

26701 Mirtone solid state amp F $75 Edge/corner wear, face plate scratched, (1) NS speaker, (1) speaker missing, handle captures show rust, functional but tremolo unmentioned


1446 Harmony HBEG w/ OC VG $731 Clean, light wear, Bigsby arm missing, pickguard missing, logo strong, screw crack at tip of truss rod cover


1478 Harmony SBEG G $228 Pickguard is warped, screw cracks at top points, nut missing, bridge and most of whammy mechanism missing, logo faded, seller is friend of original owner


604 Harmony FTAC VG $65 Clean, minimal wear, light rust to tuner plates, stamped S-65



Not as nice as the one above, but I initially took the 'jaggies' from the crappy resolution camera photos as edge wear!

604 Harmony FTAC VG $52 Edge/surface wear, logo strong, books and original box incl.



1452 Dano tube amp only $100 Functional, tremolo unmentioned, some resistors replaced, 3-prong AC mod, no ampcase or speaker


UNK Kay FHAC Neck and body only $50 At least they preserved the logo...



Jukebox Bonfire runs some great auctions. He knows his stuff, he's a great player, and he's excited about his products, sharing that knowledge and excitement with his buyers (that's me & you!). Click here to read the adventurous tale of the loss and redemption this wood-tailpiece'd wartime "Playtime" Harmony model that shares a model number with the Silvertone 700. It sold yesterday for $278.



11/11

"Simpler than a guitar to play! Forms 15 most used chords with buttons, not fingers. You just strum... hauntingly beautiful songs fill the room. Thrilling as solo or accompaniment. Maple body has resonator to add volume. Bass strings plus 1 chromatic octave; 24 strings. Imitation leather-covered hardboard case, how-to-play book with 29 songs, pick and tuning peg." That's the description of the rare and unusual Guitaro from our friends at Oscar Schmidt and Sears, Roebuck. Only available briefly in 1965 and 1966 from Sears, Oscar Schmidt apparently sold a few of these, and did so into the early '80s, discontinuing the instrument in 1982. Here's a nice link to some good info about the instrument and how it differs from a standard autoharp, and here's a link to a nice view of the OS-branded Guitaro. Wanna hear one? Look at today's Guitaro auction for an embedded video  of  "Alabamy Bound' from artist "lewdite."

1840 Oscar Schmidt Guitaro w/ OC G $425  Looks good in single photo provided, seller says " some of the chords do not seem to play correctly." Relisted from earlier in the month. The rest of the photos are examples of Guitaro material and accessories that did not come with this auction, and a video of a Guitaro in action.



Wow! I don't see one of these 'Artists' in 25 years of Silvertonium mining, and then BOOM! Two in two months! What's even better is that it's the "violin browb" model the 295, whereas we saw the 293 back in the  last part of October. Awesome!

295 Kay FHAC w/ OC VG $522 Clean, logo and pickguard design in great shape, beautiful graining to bookmatched back, and I'll let the seller give you the rest of the story: "Recently in the shop for a refret and new bone nut, this guitar's owner abandoned it and now we have to auction it off. The guitar is in great shape with minor dings from over the years, and the neck angle is pretty good, though there is a small gap between the heel and the body which is solid and not moving around (action is 5/64ths of an inch at 12th fret treble side and 7/64ths on the bass). It has (I believe) the original hardshell case. It plays and sounds terrific and is beautiful shape for a 60 [more like 70] year old guitar."


643 Harmony FTAC G $69 Clean, pickguard present, light edge wear, checking, logo strong, serial #216H643, stamped F-67


604 Harmony FTAC F $28 Clean, edge/surface wear, finish checking, heel lifting, 5" crack below bridge on top, original box incl., stamped S-63


1442 Dano SBEG Bass MOD $256 Refinished, bridge cover missing, logo intact, triangular neck plate


1476 Harmony SBEG G $322 Clean, light edge wear (mostly to headstock), some crazing, logo strong, chrome shiny


1472 Dano tube amp VG $431 Round speaker cutout, light corner wear, red border panel with 'tremlo' misspell, cabinet and handle solid, 'in superb working order' I assume includes tremolo function, no footswitch. This amp was originally bought in Canada at Simpson-Sears.


1420 Sears tube amp P $39 Clean, light wear, NS knobs, here's the money quote: "Turns on, but smokes. Does not work. Was not tested any further after it started smoking." Good call.



1457 Dano SSEG Neck/tuners/nut $72 Finish wear all over, logo nearly gone, playing wear to fretboard, crack at tuner line 'repaired' with screws



As we ride off into the sunset for today, can I get a "Hi Ho, Silvertone!" Here's that cowboy radio in great shape goin' for a rootin' tootin' $1295!



11/10

I've been waiting a couple of weeks for this USA-themed Harmony to sell so I could show it to you. With its red/white/blue binding and color scheme, it certainly earns its name 'All American.' It didn't sell its first time around, but this auction went for $615, which seemed pretty low to me for this very rare instrument in such great shape.



Here's one of those funky little 'Hi Fi' amps that Sears sold that's been retrofitted for guitar use. I really don't have a clue as to who made these amps for Sears; doesn't look like typical Danelectro construction. Anybody know?

9316 UNK Tube amp VG $203 Clean, light wear, modded for guitar use, 'Loudness,' 'bass,' and 'Treble/Off' controls.


1477 Harmony SBEG w/ OC  VG $370 Clean, light wear, whammy present, logo strong,  chrome shiny, some cord melt on the back


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case G $332 Edge wear to guitar and amp, logo strong, glitter void on bass side top, amp grille looks good, ampcase hardware shows rust, speaker missing, NS chickenhead on amp, chunk missing from fingerboard between 3rd & 4th fret, discolored knob inserts are interesting; one says 'TONE' the other has no legend. Relisted.



I sat on the fence with the rating of these next four 'Jack White' amps. Cosmetically, the amps themselves were pretty good, but each one had its own fatal flaw. The first one was the grille stain, the dirt and the non-tremolo. #2 looked good, but had lots of mods and #3 was pretty, but had some covering chew and no rev or trem and #4 was chewed pretty well, dirty and had a scratchy face. OK, I feel better now.

1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet G $330 Could use a good cleaning, light wear to covering of amp and speaker cab, grille staining, rev works, tremolo doesn't


1484 Dano tube amp only MOD $330 Light edge/corner wear, rev/trem functional, seller says: "Output transformer blew many many years ago, and was replaced with a very nice sounding unit with both 8-ohm and 16-ohm taps. The head is currently set up for use with an 8-ohm speaker cabinet., and sounds absolutely wonderful. An adjustable bias trimpot is also included on this amp, which helps dial in a wider range of tubes for better tone... A 1/4" speaker cable jack was added to the rear panel many decades ago. To sweeten the deal, I will install a brand new pair of output tubes prior to shipping this amp."


1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet G $365 Clean, edge/corner wear (esp. to spkr. cab), light grille stain, rev/trem non-functional


1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet G $326 Could use a good cleaning, plenty of edge/corner chew, rev/trem status unknown, pilot light bezel missing, rust to jack nuts and handle captures, scratching to front face,


1482 Dano tube amp VG $276 Square speaker cutout, clean, light wear, scratchy pots, tremolo unmentioned, no footswitch


1482 Dano tube amp G $243 Square speaker cutout, clean, rust to exposed metal, (3) knobs missing inserts, scratchy pots, tremolo unmentioned, no footswitch


1331 Dano tube amp F $126 Rough covering, grille looks good, logoplate has some scratches, back panel missing, handle worn, functional, scratchy pot


1202 Harmony FTAC w/ OC G $111 Light wear, logo strong, some wear to 'cowboy chord' area of fretboard, scrape on back


657 Harmony Classical w/ OC G $52 Clean, edge/surface/fingerboard wear, looks like a crack in the treble side top



UNK Kay FHAC F $76 Tuners missing on one side, nut missing, modded pickguard and holes from a pickup installation, logo strong, probably a 619



Dano pickup $99 Shows some slight tarnish/oxidation to cover and parts




11/9

1352 Harmony HBEG G $541 Edge/surface wear, checking all over, 'B' tuner bent, repro logo decal, neck recently re-set. Given the condition of the guitar, I'm gonna reckon that smooth, pretty pickguard is a repro also.


1446 Harmony HBEG MOD $566 Clean, light wear, buckle rash, NS whammy, NS bridge, NS truss rod cover, repro logo, pickguard missing, nut worn. Relisted from October.


1448 Dano SSEG guitar only F $250 Rough, edge/surface wear,  tarnish to metal, knob insert discolored, missing pickup, logo nearly worn away, transitional guitar; 3-bolt neck/line insert knobs/strip tuners


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case G $439 Clean, edge/surface wear, ampcase shows some grille chew, all exposed metal shows oxidation, and if there's a logo n that headstock... it's barely there


1457 Dano SSEG and tube amp in case VG $405 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, (1) hinge broken, ding on sidewall near bottom treble side, seller says amp works well, tremolo unmentioned, footswitch incl.


1435 Teisco MIJ SBEG  G $163 Clean, edge/surface wear, (1) knob missing, whammy arm missing, light wear, uncommon screenprint logo strong


1482 Dano tube amp VG $390 Square speaker cutout, clean, staining to grille, light scratching to front control face, minimal wear to covering, handle captures shiny, tremolo functional, footswitch incl.


1482 Dano tube amp VG $394 Square speaker cutout, clean, minimal wear, handle captures show tarnish, recently re-capped/pot cleaned/ 3-prong AC mod added, NS cord holders added, 1/4" jack removed from back panel, tremolo unmentioned but assumed to be functional, no footswitch


1482 Dano tube amp VG $300 Square speaker cutout, clean, minimal wear, tremolo unmentioned, no footswitch


1471 Dano tube amp VG $250 Round speaker cutout, clean, light edge wear, logoplate clean, handle in good shape, back panel present, light grille stain


1471 Dano tube amp VG $162 Round speaker cutout, light wear, back panel missing, logoplate looks good, recently upgraded with new tubes (orig. incl.), 3-prong AC mod


1481 Dano tube amp F $153 Round speaker cutout, edge/corner wear, (1) knob missing, can't see the hadnle in any pics, logoplate shows tarnish


700 Harmony FHAC $65 A 'fixer upper' from The Lawman... plenty of wear, no hardware, no pickguard, finish flaking to sides, logo worn, some binding replaced, neck has been reset, tuner holes enlarged Relisted from October.


Sears "Read Listen Learn" 2-record learning system for rhythm guitar $8 Cover is dated 1964



11/8

Our first November weekend saw a great amount of Silvertonium go under the gavel. Starting off with a famous Kay, moving on to a nice handful of Harmony models, then into a bunch of Dano-made equipment, the majority of which was ampincase setups. Not that I'm complaining... it's actually interesting to see FIVE 1488 setups that I all (but one) rated as 'Very Good' go for some wildly different prices. I've said it before; auction price = quality of product + desire of bidder(s).

1381 Kay  HBEG G $660 Clean, edge/surface wear, logo laminate and pickguard design strong, knobs a bit dirty and (1) missing, cig burns at low 'E' and 'D' string tuners on laminate, lamination cracks in headstock, tuner buttons deteriorated, binding missing on bass side back, neck pull-away has been repaired, stored 45+ years in  a closet


1420 Harmony SSEG W/ OC E $423 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, one of the nicest 1420s I've come across


1454 Harmony HBEG w/ OC VG $800 Clean, Bigsby present, edge/surface wear, some checking, wear, logo strong, buckle rash, dated 1965


1385 Harmony HBEG w/ C VG $1450 Clean, light wear, pickguard missing, logo intact,  period but NS tuners, fretboard from donor 1385 (see below), NS bridge


Here's the fretboard donor for the above guitar. I'd have thrown this one into the "Part is Parts" area, but it's cool to see them both together. As you can see it's just the body, and the headstock is broken but has been professionally repaired and retains its original logo. Sold for $160.


1477 Harmony SBEG w/ OC  VG $210 Clean, light wear, nasty case wear on bass horn, logo strong, pickup assembly dated Feb 3 1966, early non-whammy version



Nice to get a look 'under the hood' of the center-mount whammy assembly on this 1435...

1435 Teisco MIJ SBEG w/ C G $150 Clean, edge/surface  wear, whammy arm and cover missing, logo missing



Ever wonder what Danelectro workers saw when they dreamed? These next few items might give you an idea...

1448 Dano SSEG guitar only VG $250 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong,  knob inserts discolored, early model; two-bolt neck w/ narrow attach 'pier,' triangle knob inserts, round-buttoned strip tuners


1448 Dano SSEG guitar only G $200 Light edge wear, playing wear to neck, knob inserts missing, early model; two-bolt neck w/ narrow attach 'pier,' triangle knob inserts, round-buttoned strip tuners painted black


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $795 Clean, light wear, guitar knob inserts discolored, logo strong,  chrome and finish shiny, sidewalls bright


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $410 Clean, edge wear, guitar knob inserts discolored, logo strong, sidewalls bright, ampcase covering show light wear and  light rust to hinge/clasp/handle hardware


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $419 Clean, edge/surface wear, knobs show adhesive seep, ampcase cover has a rip near upper hinge, corner wear


1457 Dano SSEG and tube amp in case VG $530 Clean, light wear to guitar, corner dings to ampcase covering,  footswitch incl., sells says "perfect operating condition," so I'm assuming tremolo is included in that


1444 Dano SSEG Bass VG $332 Clean, light wear, logo broken at 'S,' circular access panel, square neck cutaway


1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet F $224 Wear to amp and cab, oxidation to face plate, handle and captures missing, (2) NS knobs, (1) NS Realistic speaker, back panel has some jack mods, some tubes light / some don't; otherwise untested


1481 Dano tube amp G $128 Round speaker cutout, edge wear, handle captures rusted, back panel "bows in a bit"


1481 Dano tube amp G $290 Round speaker cutout, grille clean, control plate bright w/ some wear around jacks and light staining at both ends, light wear, handle capture pulling up, NS tubes, NS knobs, 3-prong AC mod


1471 Dano tube amp G $148 Round speaker cutout, light wear to covering, grille has yellowed, logoplate missing, handle worn but functional


1311/1442 Valco lap steel VG $149 Clean, light wear, logoplate looks good, sparkle buttons in better-than-usual shape


Bargain price for this unusual instrument.

1840 Oscar Schmidt Guitaro w/ OC G $50  Looks good in single pic provided, seller says " some of the chords do not seem to play correctly." Relisted above.


1211 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $100 Clean, light wear, logo strong, book and 45 RPM record incl.


604 Harmony FTAC F $75 Clean, edge/surface wear, logo strong, 'G' tuner bent, weird staining inside, bridge lifting


602 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $20 Clean, minimal wear, logo & painted on 'pickguard' strong


852 Harmony ukulele G $26 Edge wear, stencil looks OK, logo status unknown, back ungluing, (1) tuner missing, one (poor) picture provided



1484/85 Dano footswitch $89 NS switches, grungy aluminum, tests OK


I was gonna leave these ribbed dome knobs off since there's no way to confirm their "Silvertone-iness," but figured you'd like to see what it was going for, nonetheless.

Dano knobs $39 Yellowed, indicator bots present, ribs show light wear, could use a good cleaning


1465 Knob $10 If you're curious: " Rear knob entire diameter is 15/16" or 38.1cm The rear/outside rim or lip is 1/16" or 2.54cm so the inner diameter is 13/16" or 33.02cm The hole inside the knob (which would fit over the potentiometer or pot stem) is 5/16" or 12.7cm in diameter. The height of the knob is 9/16" or 22.86cm"




11/5

It's always exciting to come across a rare amp, and even more exciting when the amp is in the great shape this one is. That's the case with today's first up; it's a wonderful 1336; the faux alligator-and-tweed 'Twin Twelve' of the mid/late-1950s. This 50-watt output tremolo'd powerhouse was the top of the Silvertone line for the years it was offered, the entire reign of gator/tweed amps, 1954-1957.

1336 Dano tube amp VG $995 Clean, light wear to alligator sides, NS handle, tremolo functional, no footswitch, internal stamping indicates 1955 build date



You say you want archtop electric guitars? Step right this way...

We had that great 1350 yesterday, and here's a fine 1352 and a nice 1348 close on its heels...

1352 Harmony HBEG w/ OC VG $510 Minimal wear, "The finish on this guitar is excellent but needs a good cleaning," 'deco' logo strong, nice graining on back


1348 Harmony HBEG G $321 Clean, edge/surface wear, logo laminate looks good, V/T knobs missing, some binding damage on back at heel; "Regarding the the repair to the back upper edge, it has to be done for the guitar to be playable. Bracing probably needs reglued."


1446 Harmony HBEG w/ C VG $950 Clean, pickguard missing, paint worn from Bigsby, edge/surface wear, repro logo, NS Bigsby bridge, period proper but NS tuners/ferrules, repaired crack on bass side of head, some re-finished buckle rash on back


1485 Harmony HBEG VG $713 Clean, minimal wear, block logo strong, Bigsby present, bolt neck, serial #5428S1485



Who started the separate amp/speaker thing? Hmmm... googlegooglegooglegoogle... looks like it was Standel in 1957/8. Hit that link! Looks like Standel had a lot of other "firsts:" separate bass/treble controls, JBL speakers, up-front controls, lighted control panels and more.
Of course, the first Silvertone 'piggybacks' arrived in early 1963 in the form of the 1483, 1484 and the 1485. Jack White was born in 1975.

1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $514 Clean, amp shows minimal wear, cabinet has some corner chew, stock Jensens in place, tremolo functional, reverb intermittent, no footswitch


1457 Dano SSEG and tube amp in case G $478 Light edge/surface wear to guitar and amp, glitter loss on top bass side, fretboard wear, fretboard seems very 'light' as if the oils of the wood have been sweated out, oxidation/rust to all exposed metal, pickguard has paint around edges from removed paint job, some paint in the ridges of the V/T knobs also, bowed neck (!!!), discolored knob inserts, tear in original speaker, tremolo functional, rust to handle captures/clasps/hinges on amp, odd bluish woodgrain look to both sides of ampcase, no footswitch, seller is original owner. I'm wondering how hot/humid this guy's attic was because of all the oxidation. Could high humidity/heat also have caused the neck warping? You very rarely see that on any Danos, because of Nat Daniels ingenious double truss rods.



Double your lap steel fun!

1311/1442 Valco lap steel VG $164 Clean, light wear, logoplate looks good, tarnish to tuner covers/posts, gold sparkle buttons pitted/shrinking, serial #T20554


1311/1442 Valco lap steel VG $158 Clean, light wear, (1) knob missing, logoplate looks good, gold sparkle buttons shrinking, serial #T16684



11/4

Beautiful guitar to start today's report with; it's a terrific 1350 from the early 1950s. All stock, equipped with the famous 'P' series pickup, clean and ready to rock!

1350 Harmony HBEG VG $525 Clean, minimal wear, headstock laminate looks great, long stable crack on back, binding tight


1457 Dano SSEG and tube amp in case MOD $252 Clean, some edge/surface wear, bad case of buckle rash, NS knobs, looks like looks like a 1452 head Frankentoned onto the body, and I'm not sure quite what's going on at the bridge...



Here's a rarity... a USEFUL Kay number stamp! Lookie there! Well, really, I guess it would be useful if this was a hard-to-ID guitar... as it is, the model 661 4-string is about as unique an acoustic guitar as Sears ever sold; right up there with the see it from a mile away Kentucky Blue and the rockin' black 658.

661 Kay FTAC 4-string tenor VG $181 Clean, minimal wear, nice graining to top, small repaired crack on top, binding tight, logo strong, stamped L3229 N-3 AND 661


1418 Teisco MIJ HBEG VG $295 Clean, light wear, logo missing,  this is the unusual "MK II" version of the short-lived guitar, the last pic is a postage-stamp size quickie comparison


1466 Dano solid state amp only G $62 Covering could use a good cleaning but shows minimal wear, light rust to handle captures, NS knobs, no knob on treble pot, lights up; otherwise untested. Oh, come on... someone scratched out Sears?!?


1483 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $950 Clean, light wear, light oxidation to face, light rust to handle captures, 15" stock Jensen in place, 1/4" jack & plug mod to amp and speaker cab, serial in cab dates to 1966... don't know if Garry & Cori are still an item...


1487 Teisco MIJ SBEG with built -in amp VG $275 Clean, light wear, logo strong, chrome shiny, battery cover missing, low and high 'E' tuners bent, (1) tuner ferrule missing and (1) chipped, tone knob missing insert, (2) finish chips at pickguard screws, ding at headstock treble side, amp works, red lead needs to be re-soldered


1477 Harmony SBEG w/ OC  VG $248 Clean, whammy present, chrome shiny, minimal wear, logo strong



1423 Harmony SSEG w/ OC G $450 Clean, light wear, logo intact, pickguard print strong, binding a bit yellowed, big crack in side


1446 Harmony HBEG w/ OC G $760 Clean, surface wear and finish checking, replacement Bigsby present (orig. incl.), NS pickguard, logo strong, stress cracks at jack


605 Harmony FTAC F $29 Edge wear, logo strong, looks like the top of the fretboard and nut were spray-painted black, stamped S-62


1295 Harmony FTAC E $13 Clean, minimal wear, screen looks great, unusual fret  markers strong, tailpiece and tuner plates shiny, soundhole decoration clean




11/3

Off to a pretty great start for the eleventh month, I'd say. We've got a great variety today, from a super 'Chris Isaak' to a super-RARE 1400 Harmony series guitar in stock baby blue, an early 1448 setup, and an odd 1455. We've even got 45 RPM record adapters! Let's get goin'!

St. Vincent aka Annie Clark, on Fallon tonight. Set your DVR, maybe she'll be playin' her 1488!

1446 Harmony HBEG VG $1100 Clean, light wear, thin-script logo strong, Bigsby present, finish shiny


1478(?) Harmony SBEG w/ C VG $786 Clean, whammy present, hardware shiny, very rare stock blue finish, finish checking, logo strong, screw crack to bottom of truss rod cover, (1) knob missing. Since this is such an unusual guitar, I'm not gonna say if the knobs are stock or not. However, on a similarly 'one-off' from Richard Oblinger in September (see below), a red 1488 had similar knobs, and matches-the-finish pickup inserts.


1478 Harmony SBEG w/ C VG $413 Clean, light wear, whammy present, hardware shiny, logo strong, NS Rickenbacker adjustable bridge



This early 1448 setup is another piece from the collection of the late Richard "Obe" Oblinger. You may remember a nice 1488 we saw in September from this noted guitar craftsman. Check the listings for the 15th.

1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $406 Clean guitar, minimal wear, logo worn,  ampcase has some paint marks to outside, NS amp knob, very early model; two-bolt neck w/ narrow attach 'pier,' black dome knobs, round-buttoned strip tuners


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $355 Clean, light wear, sidewall ding, logo strong, some scuffing to ampcase covering and a ding in the grille, rust to clasps and handle captures, mid-'63 transitional model; oval-buttoned strip tuners


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case G $257 Edge/surface wear, action high, stain to pickguard, guitar knob inserts discolored, ampcase has some wear to covering and light grille staining, guitar logo strong, some smoke smell lingers, static-y pots


1304 Dano SSEG VG $645 Clean, light wear, logo strong, and I can't believe there were absolutely no 1304s that sold in October!


1455 Teisco MIJ HBEG VG $150 Clean, pickguard missing, NS whammy arm, whammy spring missing, light wear, note slight differences in this odd model; the fancier control plate and the unusual mounting deck for the pickups, lack of headstock binding, no neck plate


653 Kay FHAC G $203 Edge/surface wear, slight yellowing to finish, heel pulling up, pickguard present, logo strong, looks like a NS bridge, rust to tailpiece, stamped L2064 5520


1217 MIJ FTAC VG $34 Clean, light wear, pickguard design and soundhole decal strong, inner label looks good, 'Space Dot'  present, high 'E' tuner post missing


1210 harmony FTAC G $164 Clean, edge/surface wear, logo strong, looks like some wear around the tailpiece


604 Harmony FTAC F $60 Edge/surface wear, logo is there (that's all I can tell!), looks like the bridge may have been re-glued, screw crack at top of pickguard, stamped S-65


853 Harmony ukulele F $40 Edge/surface wear, logo strong


1352 Harmony lap steel w/ GEIB case F $249 'P' series pickup missing, knobs missing, 'deco' logo and fretboard and tailpiece cover design strong, light wear, appearance-wise I'd have given it a 'VG'


1400 Microphone G $14  Casing dull, 'S' logo present, tested functional


Silvertone 45-RPM record adapters 3/$1 I have a bagful of these myself. What a cool reminder of technology past. And present.



11/2

A BIG, fun October!  The air was a little cooler, the light started getting to be a little different, and the Silvertone auctions were crankin'!
In October 2010, we reported on over 321 auctions totaling $81,830! That blows last October away by better than ten grand!

Here's some highlights of what changed hands:  An amazing (30) 1448 guitars/amps or one or the other, (13) 1457 guitars/amps or one or the other, (18) 1484 amps, (13) 1482 amps, (7) 1481 amps, (3) 'Chris Isaak'  1446 model guitars, (6) 1423 'Jupiter' guitars, and (5) 1385/1427 'Espanadas,' one of which was our highest dollar item at a tasty $2120.  The least amount brought in October was $8 for a pitiful rescued from the barn well busted up 1838 autoharp.

If you haven't visited October 2010, give it a look... it was QUITE a month!

11/2

November is here and Silvertone auctions are rollin' on! Oddly, this first bit of the eleventh month had a boatload of Silvertonium going for over $400 a chunk! Check 'em out!

1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet G $425 Some edge wear, oxidation to face plate, 6L6 tubes NS, NS back panel, logo missing from speaker grille, stock Jensens in place, 1/4" speaker jack, 3-prong AC mod, rev/trem unmentioned, no footswitch


 

Wow! This one has a Dano-shaped mole on the back!

1300 Dano SSEG G $500 Clean, edge/surface wear, logo strong, I guess the odd painting on the back was to cover some buckle rash.


1485 Dano tube amp only G $405 Clean, light wear, 1/4 jack on speaker lead, NS tubes including 4 Mesa Boogie 6L6 powertubes, rev/trem unmentioned, some pots scratchy


1449 Dano SSEG guitar and 1457tube amp in case G $405 Edge/surface wear to guitar, some glitter worn off top, playing wear to neck, amp looks good, has some edge/corner wear, dark spot on front covering, amp "works but has a lot of static"


1478 Harmony SBEG w/ OC VG $455 Clean, whammy present, minimal wear, one screw crack to pickguard, logo is present but condition could not be assessed from pics provided


1423 Harmony SSEG w/ OC VG $455 Clean, some edge/surface wear, looks like a case rub on one side has flaked some paint, logo broken, first fret marker missing


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $495 Guitar and amp show light wear, playing wear to neck, logo strong



And now to the less expensive side of town...

1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case G $315 Guitar and amp show wear, amp looks like it might have some mold growing inside, NS latches to case, earlier guitar; triangle knob inserts and strip tuners


1477 Harmony SBEG  G $250 Looks good in single pic provided, single family provenance, in storage since 1988


1437 Teisco MIJ SBEG w/ C G $218 Clean, some edge/surface wear, buckle rash, logo tag looks good


1482 Dano tube amp MOD $310 Square speaker cutout, edge/corner wear to (painted?) covering, scratchy pots, NS handle loose, NS back panel, NS speaker, screw through front of grill (to hold speaker on?)


604 Harmony FTAC VG $51 Clean, light wear, logo strong


 630 or 618 Kay FHAC G $100 Clean, pickguard present, minimal wear, logo hard to see in single pic, neck pulling away, stamped L5284


1255 Harmony Ukulele VG $140 Clean, light wear, original box incl.


852 Harmony ukulele G $43 Clean, some edge wear, stencil and logo strong, 'JUDY' written on wahini's leg