November 2011

12/1

Nebulous November... In November 2011, we reported on nearly 300 auctions totaling just over $72,000! That's FIFTEEN GRAND down from November 2010 totals, and the price that a bustier from Madonna auctioned for recently.

Our big money went for a nice 'Thin Twin' 1381 model that brought in $1350. The lowest-priced item was $11 for a sad 1212 'Space Dot' acoustic.

If you haven't visited November 2011, head on over... it was a great month!

11/30

A Wednesday Surprise! Check this extremely rare Kay-built 1412 with two pickups!

1412 Kay SBEG  VG $221 Clean, light wear, logo strong on 'paddle' headstock, 'arrow' design on pickup covers strong, whammy bar missing, screw cracks at top horns of pickguard


1317 Dano SSEG MOD $350 Refinished in red, logo just visible under refinish, some wear on top showing original black finish, pitting to chrome of tailpiece, pickup cover dull, some checking/scratches, playing wear to neck, NS lower strap button


1429 Harmony HBEG w/ C VG $850 Clean, light wear, light checking, pickguard missing, logo intact but a little out of dimension, looks like a stick peel-off on upper bass bout,


1423 Harmony SSEG MOD $204 Stripped/refinished, NS custom pickguard, logo gone, NS knobs (1 missing), NS selector switch, NS tuners, pickups stamped 1962, blurry photos



Two Kay-built 604s in one month. Woohoo!

604 Kay FTAC VG $34 Clean, light wear, logo strong, bolt-neck, 2-inch scratch on back


600 series Harmony FTAC VG $59 Clean, light wear, some checking, logo strong


658 Kay FHAC VG $180 Clean, light wear, logo strong, NS bridge, some case rub, 'G' tuner bent, some fret wear and a fretboard ding,  block markers signify pre-1966 model


1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $700 Clean, light wear, some scratching/smudging to front face, 1/4" speaker jack mod, hefty road case incl., tremolo functional, reverb unmentioed, footswitch incl.


1434 Dano tube amp VG $300 Clean, light wear, handle worn, footswitch incl., tremolo non-functional


1472 Dano tube amp VG $295 Clean, edge/corner wear, round speaker cutout, red border control panel with 'tremlo' misspelling, stamping indicates Summer 1962 build, recently serviced, tremolo functional



Can't quite figure this next one out, it's got an early build date stamp, but the later proper spelling of 'tremolo.'

1472 Dano tube amp VG $199 Clean, light wear, round speaker cutout, red border control panel with correct 'tremolo' spelling, stamping indicates Spring 1961 build, untested, seller says "This I just picked up from a friend who has had it sitting in his back room since the kids went off to college and that was back in the 60's. So it has been sitting in the back room, not in use for over 40 years. It has all of its original knobs and the outer black is in very nice shape with just a few corner nicks as seen in the photos. I took the back off and it has the Jensen speaker, and all the tubes look original to the amp. It measures 17 1/2" by 8" by 20". For the testing we plugged it in and the red light in back comes on when you click the on switch. We are not musicians so we do not have the electric guitar or wires to fully test this out. When I did plug the amp in, 4 of the 5 tubes do light up the second one from the top did not glow. "


1448 Dano tube ampincase only VG $200 Clean, light wear, light rust to clasps/handle captures, some scuffing to lining, grille clean, early version; triangle knob insert


802 Kay 5-string Banjo w/ OC G $57 Clean, light wear, tarnish to hardware, logo strong, no bridge, one photo provided


803 4-string Banjo VG $200 Clean, light wear, logo strong, one photo provided


752 Kay Mandolin w/ OC G $26 Clean, some edge wear, 'wind chime' logo strong, tuner buttons crumbling, fingerboard wear, stamped K64 6331



This is actually a remote/extension speaker from the 'Hi-Fi' department at Sears, but they frequently get pressed into guitar usage. Very similar design to the less rare 9075; if we had the back cover we'd know the actual model number. If stamping conventions are similar to Dano's, this one was built in 1964. No clue as to who made them... any ideas?

UNK UNK Tube amp G $95 Wear to cabinet, insides look good, schematic intact, chassis number 528.59400. Relisted in December.


UNK Kay FHAC G $114 Clean, light wear, tuners missing, logo strong, lamination lines showing at headstock, probably a 619


UNK Harmony FHAC w/ C G $115 Clean, light wear, some 'outgassing' damage apparent wear pickguard was, some buckle rash, picking wear (?) at bridge, tuners and bridge missing, 'deco' logo strong, probably a 710, seller says "There is a brace inside that has come loose and it appears the back has been off at some point"



1449 Dano SSEG body only $300 NS finger rest, tailpiece filed out, looks like this was modded into a bass at some point


1457 Dano pickup $114 Probably from that 1457 body/neck yesterday, he's got the bridge and wiring harness up for auction as well


1457 Dano pickup $50 Also from that 1457 body/neck yesterday, light rust


Dano amp keeper $20 Pair

11/29

1482 Dano tube amp VG $481 Clean, light wear, (2) knobs missing inserts, pilot lamp needs jewel, NS Fender speaker, rust to handle captures, tremolo unmentioned, seller says "The amp works great and is quiet."


1434 Dano tube amp MOD $391 Reupholstered, re-grilled, recently professionally cleaned, XLR mod to speakers, tremolo unmentioned


1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $800 Clean, light wear, light rust to face and handle captures, 3-prong AC mod, rev/trem "malfunctioning"


1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $496 Clean, light wear, light grille staining, 1/4" speaker jack mod to amp and cabinet, NS MESA power tubes,


1420 Harmony SSEG w/ OC VG $559 Clean, some edge wear ( a few places touch up), logo strong (with some extra decor), scratch on back at cutaway, selector switch tip cracked/repaired, pots date to 1959


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case G $290 Could use a good cleaning, sidewalls dingy, knob inserts discolored, some grunge to fretboard, hardware on ampcase rusty, handle broken, grille staiing,


1457 Dano SSEG and tube ampincase  VG $650 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, logos strong,


1444 Dano SSEG Bass MOD $275 Refinished, pickguard missing, logo gone, NS knobs, NS tailpiece/bridge



This ampincase was the companion to the parted out 1448 guitar below

1448 Dano tube ampincase only $91 Clean, light wear, no tubes, cracked in corner of grille opening


623 Harmony FHAC G $250 Clean, pickguard missing, some checking/flaking, light wear, logo strong, NS bridge, neck looks to have been re-glued


618 Kay FTAC VG $192 Clean. light wear, 'wind chime' logo strong, stamped L8716 8111


600 series Harmony FTAC G $37 Needs a dusting, light wear, logo strong, can't tell much from the two photos provided



Sad times for the Silvertone Wahini...

852 Harmony Ukulele P $33 Packing tape holding it together, headstock chewed up, tuners missing


2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp w/ OC VG $169 Clean, light wear, tuning wrench/books incl.


2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp VG $100 Clean, light wear, tuning wrench, Taussig's "Folkstyle Autoharp" book  and original box incl. Relisted from earlier in month.


758 Kay mandolin w/ OC G $85 Venetian model, light wear, finish checking all over, 'wind chime' logo strong on scalloped headstock, tuner buttons deteriorating (1) already gone, neck pulling at heel, pickguard and binding look good



UNK Kay FHAC w/ C VG $110 Needs a dusting, light wear, pickguard missing, logo worn at 'r,' stamped  L6186 6887 N3, probably a 619



At first, I was bummed to see what looked like an early 1448 busted up and sold. The body, however, is gonna need some major surgery to the neck pocket and innards to become functional again, so now I'm happy lots of folks got some hard-to-find parts in great shape for their 1448, and the seller got a nice chunk of holiday cash ($471 total!). Everything went in separate auctions. Neck stamping and pot dates indicate 1963 build.

1448 Dano SSEG kit Body $44, neck $112, pickguard/screws $30, tuners $37, tailpiece/saddle/screws $46, pickups $128, wiring harness $22, knobs/strap buttons/neck screws $52


1457 Dano SSEG body/neck  $167 No electronics, no hardware, nut & strap buttons present


1457 Jensen spekaer  $25 Small tear in cone, dated 1965

11/28

Plenty of great Silvertone deals from the holiday weekend... no crowds, no gunfire, no riots, no pepper spray! Man, what has gotten into people? I'm sorry, y'all... waffle irons and XBoxes just ain't worth it. Hey, here's an easy way to avoid the malls: give your favorite picker some super cool Silvertone Picks! Now available in black AND white! Let's run an introductory/holiday special: either twelve of the new white 'thin script' style or twelve 'thick script' black picks for $8, or a dozen of each for just $14, both deals with free shipping in the continental US. Just head on over to the Pick Store.



Alright, we've hauled a lot of Silvertonium up from the mines the past few days, so let's spread it out on the floor and sort through it all. We'll start with the biggest money bringer-inner with this good-looking 1485 amplifier. The 1485 was the high-powered alternative (120 watts into six 10" speakers)  to the bigger-selling (and lower-priced) Twin Twelve 1484 (60 watts). Speaking of, we've got a 1484 right after that, and a pickup truck full of amps before we get into the various strummers that came over the wire since Turkey Day.

1485 Dano tube amp only VG $1200 Seller says "needs cleaning," light wear, faceplate looks good with some light scratching and control settings marked in paint, rev/trem unmentioned, seller says "in great working condition," backside not pictured,


1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $560 Rust to faceplate and jack nuts, edge/corner wear, some duct tape on top of speaker cab, rev/trem functional, seller says "It has been recently professionally recapped."


1483 Dano tube amp only G $200 Could use a good cleaning, rust to control face and xformers,  needs new ground switch


1481 Dano tube amp $170 Could use a good cleaning, stains to top, rust to handle captures, edge wear, some tarnish to logoplate, knob inserts worn, star border to front edge, some NS components, seller says "I PLUGGED A GUITAR INTO THE AMP AND I COULD NOT GET IT TO MAY ANY SOUND, THE TUBE LIGHT UP NOT SURE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS."


1482 Dano tube amp MOD $307 Clean, round speaker cutout, light wear, some grille staining, NS Jensen Profile "Super Shallow" speaker, tremolo functional,  tube rectifier replaced with solid-state unit


1472 Dano tube amp VG $210 Clean, light wear, round speaker cutout, red border control panel with 'tremlo' misspelling, rust to xformer, scratchy pots, tremolo status: "When the speed knob is up it sometimes makes a low thumping sound," footswitch incl.; plug housing cracked


1474 Dano tube amp G $450 Clean, some edge/corner wear, faceplate shows light oxidation/smudging, scratchy pots, rev/trem non-functional, NS reverb tank,


1392 Dano tube amp $180 Clean, light wear, seller says " lights up when plugged in but makes a humming noise."


1431 Dano tube amp VG $148 Clean, light wear, some grille wear/staining, NS handle


1421 Sears tube amp VG $171 Clean, light wear, control face looks good, tremolo functional, NS footswitch incl., tremolo status unmentioned



Well, that's your amplification round-up... now onto the (mostly) six-string things...

1423 Harmony SSEG w/ OC VG $730 Clean, light wear, pickguard print strong, logo intact, plenty of glitter, finish chip near jack, pots dated mid-1961


1444 Dano SSEG Bass G $650 Clean, edge/surface wear, logo missing, neck/headstock refinished, jack repaired/reinforced, buckle rash. Relisted in December.


1444 Dano SSEG Bass G $600 Clean, surface/edge wear, buckle rash, logo intact but most of chrome worn off, 'string ring' at 'D' tuner, pickwear at top of pickguard


1417/1419 Dano SSEG w/ C MOD $500 Refinished, logo intact, nice grain to fretboard, seller says "This guitar was literally found in a chicken shack in Northern Harford County, MD." Relisted in December.


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $424 Clean, 'cord keeper' present, light wear to guitar and ampcase, handle captures missing, logos strong, one sidewall nick, original cord incl.


 

These pop every now and then... an early 1448 with WHITE triangle insert knobs!

1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case MOD $350 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, glitter worn from bass side top, speaker has tape 'repair,' headstock modified, NS Fender tuners tightened down too hard partially cracking headstock, early model; two-bolt neck, triangle knob inserts, 'star' pattern sidewalls


1448 Dano SSEG only G $242 Clean, some wear to top,  logo strong, (1) knob missing, transitional model: oval-buttoned strip tuners, triangle inserts knobs, three bolt neck


1448 Dano SSEG only G $185 Clean, light wear,  some buckle rash, logo worn, both knobs missing, playing wear to neck, transitional model: oval-buttoned strip tuners, two bolt neck


1448 Dano tube amp in case only $180 Clean, light wear, rust to hardware, knob missing, operational status unknown


1457 Dano SSEG and tube ampincase  VG $505 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, logos strong, saddle missing, "buzz in the tone knob," tremolo unmentioned


1477 Harmony SBEG E $300 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, high 'E' tuner missing ferrule


1485 Harmony HBEG w/ OC MOD $721 Refinished in blue, logo gone, Bigsby looks good, truss rod replaced


1405 Teisco MIJ SBEG G $50 Clean, light wear, NS bridge/tailpiece, logo strong, low 'E' tuner missing, only one photo provided


1435 Teisco MIJ SBEG w/ OC G $104 Could use a good cleaning, whammy bar and tailpiece cover missing, surface wear, logo worn, body has crack in back


604 Harmony FTAC VG $57 Clean, light wear, logo strong, light rust to tuner posts/plates


605 Harmony FTAC G $60 Clean, some surface wear, 'deco' logo strong, some back separation, currently strung left-handed


602/1202 Harmony FTAC VG $113 Clean, light wear, logo strong, NS tuners, (2) small professionally repaired cracks on lower top


602 Harmony FTAC VG $20 Clean, light wear, logo strong, bridge missing, hairline crack at soundhole, stamped S-66


619 Kay FHAC VG $87 Clean, light wear, logo strong


619 Kay FHAC $57 Sold as 'luthier's special,' nut/truss rod cover/pickguard/bridge missing, strap button in heel, some flaking


618 Kay FTAC MOD $100 Edge/surface wear, 'wind chime' logo strong, tuner buttons crumbling, rust to tuner covers, modded for a pickup at some point, neck lifting at heel. Relisted from earlier in month


1209 Harmony FTAC VG $55 Clean, light wear, 'Space Dot' strong


641 Harmony FTAC VG $145 Clean, some edge wear, light checking, logo strong


802 Kay 5-string Banjo w/ OC VG $164 Clean, light wear, light tarnish to hardware, logo strong


1311/1442 Valco Lap Steel VG $188 Clean, light wear, "LC" monogram on headstock,  logoplate looks good, gold sparkle tuner buttons shrinking



1434 Dano tube/transformer chassis only $54


1434 Dano preamp/control chassis only $47 NS knobs


Dano footswitch $89


Dano footswitch $89

 

11/23

My jaw hit the floor on this one. I nearly passed it over as a Harmony-branded guitar that just had Silvertone in the auction title to attract attention. It is entirely possible that this is the only example of this guitar in existence. It's a standard 1202, common enough. But, it's got the 'Melody Ranch/Gene Autry/Roy Rogers/612' stencil overlaid... IN REVERSE. This one is like some of those climbs in the Tour De France: Haute Catégorie, literally 'above classification.' I honestly don't know what to make of it. It's an odd piece. There's that void where the bridge would be on a fixed-bridge guitar such as the 612 that shared this stencil. But it's just slightly off in the details, meaning it's a different stencil, but obviously based on the original. Custom factory job? One-off Harmony experiment that escaped the factory as a gift or promotional item? We'll never know. I love surprises!

1202 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $87 Clean, light wear, logo strong


OK, now I'm freaking out... Is there some mad stenciler loose in guitarland? No sooner do I get over the amazement/puzzlement of the 1202 above than this 1212 shows up with the exact same reverse-stencil! Note how the fixed bridge on the 1212 covers the void present in the 1202 above. What an amazing bit of serendipity (he said calmly). On the other hand, what in the world? What are the chances that these two unique guitars (never seen either model gussied up like this in 30 years of collecting) would sell within hours of each other?

1212 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $138 Clean, light wear, 'Space Dot' strong. Relisted in December.



Cue the "Mission Impossible" music. That's the first thing I thought when I saw this nicely Frankentoned 1457 amp. I just wish they'd shown us the insides!

1457 Dano tube amp only MOD $163 Briefcased, original Jensen present, tremolo status unknown


1446 Harmony HBEG VG $1250 Clean, light wear, logo strong, Bigsby looks good, headstock has some scraping wear


1352 Harmony HBEG G $350 Clean, light wear, finish checking, pickguard missing, logo strong, NS bridge, NS tuners, neck re-set (?), serial #3943H61, dated stamped S-59-E


1420 Harmony SSEG w/ OC VG $272 Clean, light wear, logo strong, original manual/instruction sheet incl., seller says "We plugged it to an amp, and it does not work. I don’t know much about guitars, but I believe that the pick-ups are not working. The switch tip is missing, the plastic end pin (where strap would be attached) is broken off but is in the case. The volume and tone knobs turn, two of them are hard turning though."


1420 Harmony SSEG VG $270 Clean, light wear, pickguard has a crack, logo not pictured, NS knobs, NS bridge, pots date to 1963


1420 Harmony SSEG VG $385 Clean, light wear, logo strong, some buckle rash


1421 Harmony SSEG VG $378 Clean, light wear, logo strong, pickups stamped 1959


1448 Dano SSEG only G $300 Clean, some edge/surface wear, logo strong, (1) knob missing, (1) knob missing its insert


1449 Dano SSEG and tube ampincase VG $576 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, 'cord keeper' present, logos strong, lead pickup cover split, tremolo functional, stamping indicates late 1963 build


1457 Dano SSEG and tube ampincase  VG $763 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, logos strong, 'cord keeper' present, original cord incl., case rub to treble horn, tremolo functional


1457 Dano SSEG and tube ampincase  E $620 Clean, minimal wear to guitar and ampcase, logos strong, adhesive seep to amp knob inserts, tremolo functional


1444 Dano SSEG Bass VG $378 Clean, light wear, logo intact but worn, NS knobs, NS tuners


1490 Teisco MIJ SBEG Bass VG $163 Clean, light wear, logo intact, prismatic 'Space Dot'  looks good, light rust to tuners, later two-knob model


1437 Teisco SBEG w/ OC VG $560 Clean, light wear, a ding or two, whammy bar missing, logo not pictured, serial #322017



We saw this one last month, but I'm pretty sure it was from a different seller. Couldn't they have moved those jacks down an inch? Sheesh. No respect.

1482 Dano tube amp MOD $161 Recabineted, jacks moved up front, untested


1482 Dano tube amp VG $430 Needs a dusting, light wear, tremolo functional, stamping indicates late 1964 build


1484 Dano tube amp only $283 Clean, light wear, rust to xformers and handle captures, untested



I will never understand 604 prices...

604 Harmony FTAC w/ OC G $100 Could use a good cleaning, NS (metal?) bridge, some scratches/wear, nut yellowed, guide stickers to fretboard, logo strong, comes with a couple of books


604 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $49 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, small scratch on bass side top


605 Harmony FTAC VG $50 Clean, 'deco' logo strong, serial #4600H605


621 Harmony FTAC F $59 Wear all over, logo strong, NS bridge, strap button in heel, stamped S-64-H


853 Harmony Ukulele VG $58 Clean, light wear, logo strong, 'Genuine Mahogany' sticker intact


1256 Harmony Ukulele VG $114 Clean, light wear, block logo strong, ding on back


750 Kay Mandolin w/ OC E $71 Clean, minimal wear, 'wind chime' logo strong, NS tuner buttons, one of the nicest of these I've seen, vintage Black Diamond Strings and Sears manual incl., stamped 750 6757


802 Kay 5-string Banjo w/ C VG $121 Clean, light wear, light tarnish to hardware, logo strong


803 4-string Banjo G $31 Clean, light wear, logo strong, no bridge, rust to hardware, (1) tuner post missing


2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp G $80 Clean, light wear, no tuning wrench or case



UNK Kay FHAC F $36 Bridge and pickguard missing, tailp[iecdelogo strong, stamped L6428 6887, seller says "hole in back," probably a 619


UNK Kay FHAC w/ C VG $125 Clean, NS pickguard, logo strong, probably a 619



1300 Valco tube amp only $76 Untested


Teisco HBEG body/neck/tuners $50 Some kind of weird 1418 variant... back sticker model # looks like EG-81. I love the 'multi-grained' headstock and the mismatched tuners!


1495 MIJ HBEG Bass body/neck/tuners/hardware $72 Modified, no guts, logo intact


1413 Kay neck $76 Tuners/truss rod cover missing


1400 Microphone G $17  Untested


Dano bridge/tailpiece $27 Reissue


Dano footswitch $124


Grover 'skatekey' tuners $90 I had no idea these even existed; thought you might like a peek. Seller says they work great as ampincase-family replacements.

11/22

You won't find either of these first two in any Black Friday special, I can pretty much guarantee that. In fact, it's the first time I've ever seen this particular holiday-themed gift box for these guitars. Too bad the guitar itself has a few problems. The Kay-made 'Crest' is one of the nicest I've seen.

605 Harmony FTAC $21 Clean, light wear, logo strong with tape residue underneath, back separating, very rare original box incl.



How about a fine 40s era 'Crest?'

290 Kay FHAC w/ OC VG $399 Clean, repro pickguard, 'wind chime' logo strong, fret dot missing at neck joint, neck reset


1429 Harmony HBEG w/ C VG $572 Clean, light wear, logo intact but bent at 'S,' stress cracks at jack


1446 Harmony HBEG MOD $750 I'll let the seller tell the story: "This is an early model Silvertone 1446 as sold in the Sears catalog in 1962. It is not completely original but it is mostly vintage and looks and plays like a dream. The original pickups have been replaced with matched Airline single coil pickups fitting in the original pickup surrounds. The neck PU surround is cracked at the middle mounting screw and has been repaired. Original cupcake knobs, switch plate cover, strap buttons and original pickguard & bracket- truss rod cover is not original. Wiring harness is off a mid 60's Harmony Meteor with NOS vintage tuners. Bigsby is new along with Bigsby ebonywood compensated bridge. Paint has been touched up and layers of Nitro clearcoat applied for a near new look to the finish on this guitar. The action is low and easy to play. Single coil pickups give this Silvertone a very vintage sound."


1415 Dano SSEG VG $500 Clean, some playing wear to neck / bass side lower bout / back bass side waist, light checking, pickguard missing, logo intact but worn, cig burn at bass side nut


641 Harmony FTAC VG $103 Clean, light wear, logo strong, rust to tuner plates, serial #1493H641



Compare and contrast the Harmony 604 vs. the rare Kay-made version

604 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $90 Clean, light wear, logo strong


604 Kay FTAC w/ OC VG $75 Clean, light wear, logo strong, slight warp to neck, ding in fretboard


604 Harmony FTAC MOD $49 Clean, light wear, NS bridge, logo condition not visible in photo


660 Kay Classical w/ OC G $28 Clean, light wear, fingerboard wear, inner label looks good


1484 Dano tube amp only MOD $329 Clean, light wear, handle modified, new output xformer, RCA reverb jack loop mod, 3-prong AC mod, 1/4" speaker jack mod, reverb tank removed, tremolo functional


1463 Dano Solid State amp only VG $50 Could use a cleaning, light wear, faceplate has a few scratches


1421 Sears tube amp VG $178 Clean, light wear, control face looks good, tremolo functional



1478 Harmony pickguard/electronics/knobs $181 No screw cracks, rust to pickup covers and mounting bezels, stamped 1965


Dano footswitch $54

11/21

I sometimes forget how fractured and busy the holiday seasons can be. That is, 'til I get in the middle of it with daughters and wife and nieces and events and shows. Drove 530 miles in 24 hours last week to get my niece to a Taylor Swift show and back. Springsteen was there backstage, but he never came up to the parents/chauffeur's 'quiet  room' to say 'Hi.' Ah, well.... I just wanted to ask him if he'd ever played a Silvertone... Then, there was a musical Christmas show at our local theatre (really enjoyed young Sydney Wheeless singing and playing banjo and mandolin). Then, we've got a pre-Turkey day dinner tomorrow night that I'm cooking my special souped-up Mac & Cheese for, and we woke up early to make chicken casserole out of a Saturday surprise birthday party's leftovers for tonight's meal...
Anyway, you get what I mean; the end of the year is mighty busy and I promise to do my best to keep up with all the Silvertonin' that comes our way.

That said, here's a little bonus material that came Silvertone World's way last week:

An updated, from-the-bottom-up repro of the 1484 manual, courtesy of Silvertonian Rick. A technical writer by day, Rick re-built the manual and re-did the schematic to correct "several schematic errors which cost me hours of troubleshooting grief and an expensive 1960's Diode." Visit his build-it-yourself ribbon mic website.

and

An obscure manual/schematic for the exteeeemely rare 1306 amplifier, courtesy of all y'all put there buying Silvertone World picks; it helps keep the website running, and lets me buy stuff like this to share.

Alright, I'm gonna treat you today to the prettiest and the most unusual items to come across the wire from this past four days:

1483 Dano tube amp only E $799 Clean, minimal wear, faceplace looks great, grille tight, stamping indicates late 1964 build


1448 Dano SSEG only MOD $223 Refinished, extra pickup added, NS selector switch, NS knobs, NS bridge, logo gone

 

11/17

Some Thursday Three-part Harmony to start the day!

1446 Harmony HBEG VG $899 Clean, light wear, some finish checking, pickguard missing, logo strong, Bigsby looks good


1454 Harmony HBEG w/ C VG $855 Clean, light wear, logo strong, pickguard worn, Bigsby paint worn,  NS Grover tuners


1488 Harmony SBEG G $400 Clean, some edge/surface wear, light rust to pickup covers, whammy bar present, logo strong, pickguard has some warping and a screw crack at upper bass 'horn,' 'B' tuner button missing, plastic 'rain jacket' protector incl., pickguard stamped 1965


1444 Dano SSEG Bass VG $332 Clean, light wear, logo intact, poor photos, better look at it in video


700 Harmony FHAC F $113 Wear and scratching all over, crack on back at treble waist, crack in treble side f-hole bottom, logo shamed, string circle at low E tuner post, serial #4060H700


661 Kay FHAC F $88  Wear/checking/flaking all over, pickguard missing, logo shows some wear, NS tuners, back separating, neck lifting


1482 Dano tube amp VG $266 Clean, square speaker cutout, light wear, (1) knob missing insert, tremolo unmentioned, no footswitch


1483 Dano tube amp only VG $300 Clean with some stains on bottom, light wear, light rust to handle captures, (1) big NS knob, 1/4" speaker jack mod, some NS tubes


852 Harmony Ukulele VG $61 Clean, light wear, stencil and logo strong, plastic fretboard, original shipping box (to the Pomona, CA Sears!) incl.


1255 MIJ Ukulele E $80 Clean, light wear, block logo strong, inner label clean, original hang tag/manual/pick/tuner tightener incl.


1254 5-string Banjo F $55 Could use a good cleaning, some edge wear, fretboard seems dried out, rust to hardware, no bridge, 'Space Dot' strong



This guitar scattered to the winds in separate auctions.
1429 Harmony HBEG body $104, pickup mounting rings $53, wiring harness (pots dated 1960) $100, neck (headstock broken) $31, switch mount plate and screws $13, pickguard $41, tailpiece and screws $69, (1) pickup $129

11/16

Start our midweek off with a very rare and very nice Kay-made archtop. Aside from the crumbling tuner buttons (not much you coulda done to prevent that) and the surface scratching (oddly, no buckle rash... just honest playing wear to the top), this is a great example of this rare axe.

663 Kay FHAC VG $300 Clean, surface wear, pickguard looks great, logo strong, tuner buttons deteriorated, binding tight and clean, stamped 663-6527


1245 Kay FHAC VG $350 Clean, light wear, some checking/edge flaking, some binding missing from back edge, pickguard missing, logo strong, bolt-neck


1415 Dano SSEG w/ OC VG $350 Clean, some playing wear to neck / bass side lower bout / back bass side waist, logo intact but worn, NS tuners, NS knobs, wear around jack and toggle switch


1478 Harmony SBEG  VG $455 Clean, light wear, chrome dull, logo shows wear, lamination line showing at headstock, NS bridge. Relisted from earlier in month.


1453 Harmony HBEG VG $500 Clean, light wear, whammy bar present, logo strong


1334 Dano tube amp $260 Clean, light wear, small pick in grille weave, logoplate and handle captures show  tarnish, light staining of cover on top and bottom, tremolo unmentioned, seller says "I plugged a guitar in and it did not play in the instrument jacks. It did play in the microphone jack."


1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $750 Clean, some edge/corner wear, rust dots to face plate, 1/4" plug on speaker lead, NS power tubes, 3-prong AC mod, rev/trem functional, stamping indicates 1965 build


1465 Dano solid state amp and speaker cabinet VG $275 Clean, light wear, grille panel bowed a bit, rev/trem unmentioned, stamping indicates late 1967 build


2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp w/ OC E $90 Clean, minimal wear, tuning wrench, picks, registration card, guide sheets, books and Mother Maybelle record incl.


2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp w/ OC VG $80 Clean, light wear, tuning wrench incl.


752 Kay Mandolin F $52 Needs some help: pickguard and tailpiece loose, cracks in top, wear all over, 'wind chime' logo strong, finish checking, rust to tuners, tuner buttons crumbling

11/15

Holidays are nice, but cleaning up after a weekend and a day off can take a little time. Here's most of the weekend's and the first part of this week's Silvertonium harvest.

1450 Dano SSEG w/ C G $367 Clean, edge/surface wear, finish checking, playing wear to treble side pickguard, whammy bar and back cover plate missing, logo strong


26875 Teisco HBEG w/ C E $575 Clean, minimal wear, light checking, whammy bar present, chrome shiny, oval-button logo looks good. These little thumbnails don't do this guitar justice; check the huge hi-res galley for this auction here. Oh, by the way, this is the Canadian-sold version of the 1455.


1455 Teisco HBEG  VG $275 Could use a good cleaning, light wear, chrome shows some gunk,  whammy bar missing, logo strong, scratchy pots


1322 Harmony HBEG VG $600 Clean, pickguard missing, light wear, NS knobs, (1) tuner strip NS, logo not pictured, seller says "Original logo and face of headstock in great shape. "



Early version...

1352 Harmony HBEG F $300 Could use a good cleaning, 'deco' logo strong, pickguard missing, NS tuners, neck repaired, seller says "It could use some work. The electronics quit working. I see no major cracks or separations, but lots of small ones. Frets have been filed on after 14th fret. The neck has been broke and repaired at heel (see pics) and has two ebony pegs in it now. It plays better now after being reset. "


Later version...

1352 Harmony HBEG G $400 Clean, pickguard missing, thick script logo strong, some finish checking/flaking, (1) NS knob, scratchy pots, (2) NS tuner ferrules, NS bone nutcool graining to fretboard, serial #940H61


1483 Dano tube amp only VG $245 Clean, light wear, some rust to faceplate, NS tubes, speaker lead hanging; seller offered 1/4" jack mod


1484 Dano tube amp only MOD $306 Covering painted dark brown, light rust to faceplate, 1/4" speaker jack mod, RCA phone mod, 3-prong AC mod, rev/trem functional, no footswitch


1482 Dano tube amp F $191 Could use a good cleaning, some edge/corner wear, square speaker cutout, oxidation to face plate, NS speaker, (1) knob broken (incl.), back panel missing, tremolo non-functional, cabinet stamping indicates late 1964 build


1482 Dano tube amp MOD $168 Could use a good cleaning, some edge/corner wear, round speaker cutout, grille and covering painted,  AC cord-keeper added to back panel, tremolo functional but strength pot needs repair


1465 Dano solid state amp only G $160 Could use a good cleaning, rust to exposed metal, some oxidation to faceplate,  rev/trem functional


1202 Harmony FTAC w/ OC E $299 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, tailpiece shiny, best one of these I've seen


1227 Harmony FTAC 12-string w/ C G $170 Clean, light edge/surface wear, soundhole decoration and prismatic 'Space Dot' looks good, screw chip at truss rod cover tip, neck lifting at heel and heel cap missing


600 series Harmony FTAC F $60 Logo strong, tuners missing, nut missing, edge/surface wear, bridge cracked


1212 Harmony FTAC MOD $60 Decorated, 'Space Dot' gone, tuners show some rust


853 Harmony Ukulele VG $70 Clean, minimal wear, light scratches to back, 'Mahogany' sticker intact, logo strong, original box incl., seller dated to 60s; more like late 40s


853 Harmony Ukulele VG $63 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong


853 Harmony Ukulele MOD $118 Clean, refinished, headstock inlaid with MOP lady, new bridge, artist/seller says "There is my signed artwork inlay in the headstock which is done in shell mosaic. MOP, paua abalone, and bone ivory. The tuners are a new set of ivoroids. The strings are a new set of D'Addario Black Hawaiian. The bridge is koa and has paua abalone accents. The saddle is bone Ivory. There was one significant crack on the side, and one on the back, both have been repaired with cleats from the inside. The uke is finished in its natural wood color with > 10 thin wet sanded coats of Minwax Wipe on Poly."


852 Harmony Ukulele VG $91 Clean, light wear, stencil and logo strong, some playing wear to upper fretboard


852 Harmony Ukulele VG $25 Clean, light wear, stencil and logo strong, back sloppily re-glued



Kay neck $55 Nut missing, wind chime logo strong, lamination lines showing, no tuners


1484 Dano speaker cabinet grille cloth only $79 Badge included. Relisted in December.

 

11/11

This Harmony H62 doesn't really have a Silvertone counterpart. But it was pretty, no Silvertone electrics came up today, and I thought you might wanna see what TWO GRAND worth of Harmony guitar looks like. Have a great holiday weekend!


1482 Dano tube amp E $428 Clean, minimal wear, square speaker cutout, tremolo status unknown, footswitch incl., cabinet stamping indicates 1965 build


1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $455 Clean, light wear, some grille staining, 1/4" speaker jack mod, (1) knob missing, some rust and light scratching to face, tremolo works, reverb non-functional, no footswitch, seller says "This amp has been serviced and is ready to play. "


1481 Dano tube amp MOD $220 Clean, light wear, square speaker cutout, NS Celestion G8 speaker, (1) knob chewed, back panel missing, pine board in place to brace amp, NS power cord


1212 Harmony FTAC P $11 Wear/checking/flaking all over, prismatic 'Space Dot' looks good, crack in back, crack on top at neck, bridge lifting, serial #9003S1212


802 Kay 5-string Banjo w/ OC VG $149 Clean, light wear, hardware shiny, logo strong, scalloped headstock, paint on resonator


803 4-string Banjo VG $103 Clean, light wear, logo strong, finish shiny, hardware clean



1457 Dano tube amp only $72 Works, tremolo functional, footswitch jack missing, NS tubes

 

11/10

This and That Thursday... seems to be the trend lately on the Day of Thor.

1303 Dano SSEG VG $733 Clean, light edge/surface wear, logo strong with a worn spot on the 'n,' looks like white paint residue to both knobs, sidewalls a little dingy, cavity stamping indicates early 1959 build


1454 Harmony HBEG w/ OC VG $800 Clean, light wear, logo strong, pickguard missing, (1) NS knob


1472 Dano tube amp MOD $199 Re-cabineted, re-baffled (original grille used; changed from square to round cutout), (1) NS knob, original speaker stamping indicates early 1962 build, red border control panel with 'tremlo' misspelling, tremolo functional, scratchy pots, NS footswitch incl., NS tubes, 3-prong AC mod


619 Kay FHAC w/ C G $76 Clean, light wear, logo strong, some back separation, neck lifting, high action, back of headstock stamp and truss rod cover indicate later model


604 Harmony FTAC G $34 Edge/surface wear, logo strong


853 Harmony Ukulele E $120 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong


803 4-string Banjo VG $76 Clean, light wear, logo strong, some tarnish to hardware


 

11/9

Bad Barbecue knocked me for a loop yesterday... but I'm back and ready to roll... and let's roll on into some fine Silvertonium with this fine "Thin Twin" from Kay! This is one of the "just before the black headstock" model, with no 'crest' on the headstock.

Oh yeah, before I forget, we've got a new page up for the last of the 'Aristocrats,' the 1425. More to come weekly as we add this entire family to Silvertone World. If you haven't been, check the pages for the very first 'Aristocrats,' the acoustic 712, and the electric 1354 & 1356.

1381 Kay HBEG E $1350 Clean, minimal wear, pickguard and headstock laminate designs strong, (1) NS pot, playing/fallover wear to neck, light rust to tuner covers



Another rare Kay...

1323 Kay HBEG G $323 Clean, edge/surface wear, pickguard missing, 'Lightning Bolt' logo strong, 'quarter round' fret markers look good, NS Kluson tuners, seller says "The volume works fine after I cleaned it, but the tone control doesn't seem to affect the sound. I'm guessing the cap is well past it sell by date. There is no truss rod, but the neck is straight and the frets have very little wear. I could lower the action to a very playable level, by sanding off some of the bottom of the bridge, but hated to tinker with something this old and rare, without knowing more. There are numerous scratches on the body and neck. The biggest issue, is the top is split and separating a little on the lower left side, and there is a dent into body on the bottom, left of the input jack and strap button. "



Next up, a Made In Japan guitar signed by one of the architects of American rock 'n' roll, Scotty Moore!

1455 Teisco MIJ HBEG VG $351 Clean, light wear, whammy bar missing, neck pickup surround missing, logo strong, signed by Scotty Moore in 1997 on a book tour for his excellent memoir "That's Alright, Elvis." Autographed copy of the book and framed photo of Scotty at signing also included.



On to a few very American Dano classics...

1417 Dano SSEG VG $600 Clean, some edge/surface wear, logo broken at 'S,' pickguard missing, NS cavity cover, some buckle rash, playing wear to neck



Unusual to get all transitional models of the 1448, but that's what we've got today...

1448 Dano SSEG only VG $410 Clean, light wear, logo strong, light rust to tuner and neck screws, knob inserts show some discoloration, transitional version, oval-buttoned strip tuners, triangle knob inserts, but a three bolt neck


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $595 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, logos strong, NS amp knob, NS sidewall material, rather odd transitional version, skate key tuners, black ribbed dome knobs, two bolt neck


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $400 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, logos strong, NS amp knob, needs some screws to the tuners, transitional version, oval-button strip tuners, triangle knob inserts, three bolt neck



Wind the electric twangers up with this beautiful and rare Harmony-made 1488.

1488 Harmony SBEG w/ OC VG $600 Clean, light wear, logo strong, high 'E' ferrule missing, strap buttons missing, name scratched at bottom of fingerboard


1344Dano tube amp VG $397 Clean, some edge/surface wear, handle missing, logo strong,  amp chassis bent, seller says "...replacement power cord, replacement electrolytic capacitors, replacement vibrato oscillator capacitors. This amp has been cleaned, tested, and is fully functional."


1481 Dano tube amp VG $156 Clean, light wear, square speaker cutout, knob insert discoloration, logoplate looks good, top panel bent/warped, seller says "when I plugged it in and turned it on it took about 30 seconds but the tubes lit up."


1472 Dano tube amp MOD $275 Clean, re-grilled, 4/8 Ohm speaker jack mod, some switches added to back panel, rust to handle captures, some edge/corner wear, red border control panel with correct 'tremolo' spelling, tremolo status unknown but assumed to be working, no footswitch, 3-prong AC mod, seller says "ALL tubes have been replaced with vintage NOS tested tubes. Chassis tested and any thing out of spec replaced, pilot light added to front."


657 Harmony Classical E $149 Clean, minimal wear, stamped F-64-WN, serial #7127H657


618 Kay FTAC MOD $125 Edge/surface wear, 'wind chime' logo strong, tuner buttons crumbling, rust to tuner covers, modded for a pickup at some point, neck lifting at heel Relisted.


2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp VG $85 Clean, light wear, tuning wrench, Taussig's "Folkstyle Autoharp" book  and original box incl. Relisted



1446 Harmony Gibson-made pickup $203 Patent # sticker partially missing. This is the "Patent #2,737,842" vs. the "Patent Applied For" stickered model. Oddly enough, this patent number is actually for a Les Paul credited trapeze tailpiece from 1952. Hit the first link for more info, but here's the money quote from that link: "Gibson printed the incorrect number on some PAF stickers after they obtained a patent (U.S. Patent 2,896,491) for the PAF pickups. Most humbuckers were labeled with U.S. Patent 2,737,842 until 1962 and the number shown on the pickup is actually a patent for a Gibson trapeze tailpiece bridge and not for a pickup at all. Both true PAFs and incorrect patent marked PAFs are fairly rare today and make an expensive vintage collectors' item."


1442 Dano bridge $30 Saddle missing


1443 Dano bridge $50 Longer scale bass; notches further apart


148X Dano knob $20

 

11/7

What a Weekend! We've got some of the best stuff that Sears/Silvertone had to offer; beautiful guitars, great amps, even some of the lesser-seen instruments,... lapsteel, banjo, mandolin, autoharp. Dig in!

1450 Dano SSEG w/ OC VG $740 Clean, light wear, a few scrapes/dings, chrome shiny, some cord melt near neck joint, whammy bar present, logo strong, offset bare triangle neck screw configuration


1452 Dano SBEG with tube ampincase VG $699 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, light checking, scratch on headstock, logos to both amp and guitar have been shamed, otherwise a nice setup, tremolo functional, stamping indicates 1967 build


1477 Harmony SBEG w/ C VG $314 Clean, some surface/edge wear, whammy bar present, chrome shiny, logo strong, rhythm pickup foil worn


1477 or 1476 Harmony SBEG w/ C MOD $135 Refinished, chrome shiny, logo gone, headstock modified


1429 Harmony HBEG w/ C MOD $680 Clean, edge/surface wear, repro or transplanted logo, truss rod cover missing, repaired stress cracks at jack area, first three frets worth of fingerboard replaced (see the DOT marker?), seller is second owner, stamped S-60 JW


1420 Harmony SSEG w/ C VG $349 Clean, light wear, logo strong, playing wear to neck, hairline crack on side, G tuner bent


1423 Harmony SSEG VG $800 Clean, some edge wear, picking wear at lead pickup, logo intact but 'loose on one end,' pickguard print worn, plenty of glitter, chrome and finish shiny


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $675 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, logos strong, sidewalls bright, NS knobs


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $350 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, logos strong, 'Custom' logo on outside of ampcase, NS AC cord


1455 Teisco MIJ HBEG VG $750 Clean, light wear, logo strong, whammy bar missing (looks like the tailpiece was modified, as well), crack at neck joint


1456 Teisco MIJ HBEG $100 wear all over, logo strong, NS tailpiece, v/T network and control guard missing, pickups functional


1487 Teisco SBEG w/ solid-state amp on board VG $204 Clean, some scratches/checking, amp non-functional, guitar plays normally plugged into external amp, headstock logo gone, "Silver Tone" badge present, battery cover missing, serial #140531


1440 Teisco MIJ SBEG VG $300 Clean, light wear, NS whammy bar, logo intact


606 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $32 Clean, light wear, tape residue on headstock, logo strong, stamped F-6?


604 Harmony FTAC w/ OC G $58 Wear all over, bridge broken, logo strong, tuner plates rusty, crack in side



Where did these come from? Well, Italy, of course.... but where were they sold? They never appeared in any domestic Sears catalog.... did Sears have stores in Italy in the mid-60s? Che ne dici di un piccolo aiuto dai nostri amici Italiani? Per favore?

699 EKO FTAC F $45 Clean, light wear, finish checking, logo and 'Made in Italy" banner strong, seller says "Needs: Bridge re-glue, tuning key repair, frets are popping out and the neck heel is split and poorly repaired."


618 Kay FTAC G $150 Clean. light wear, some buckle rash, 'wind chime' logo strong, tuner buttons deteriorating, rust to tuner covers, stamped L8952 8111, seller says "some warp in neck."


1451 Dano tube amp VG $200 Clean, light wear, logoplate bright, handle edges worn, light tarnish to handle captures, seller says "This one has been gone thru and has NOS tubes from GE and new electrolytic caps. By "gone thru" I mean, one pot cleaned, filter caps changed out (originals will be included) and fuse holder solder joints touched up. All else is original."


1474 Dano tube amp VG $213 Could use a good cleaning, edge/corner wear, tape repair to bottom covering corner, some grille staining, NS Celestion speakers, rust to jack nuts and xformers, reverb tank missing, seller says " The amp powers up but there are tubes missing so it makes no sound."


1481 Dano tube amp VG $215 Clean, light wear, round speaker cutout, knob insert discoloration, logoplate looks good, light rust to handle captures and some stains on control panel


1482 Dano tube amp VG $380 Clean, light wear, tremolo unmentioned, no footswitch


1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $725 Clean, light wear, rust dots to faceplate, NS Rola speakers, 1/4" jack mods on amp and cab, 3-prong AC mod, tremolo functional, reverb unknown, footswitch incl.


1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $650 Could use a good cleaning,  light wear, some oxidation to front and rear panels,  rev/trem functional, scratchy pots,no footswitch


1484 Dano speaker cabinet only VG $250 Some corner wear, logoplate looks good, Jensens present, brass corners added


1464 Dano solid state amp only VG $51 Could use a good cleaning, back not pictured, tremolo unmentioned, seller says "works great, hook up to your speakers, has reverb, great little amp."


1420 Sears tube amp $88 Clean, light wear, label spotty, stamping indicates 1972 build, seller says "I plugged this in and it lit up but it made a humming noise." Not tested with signal input.


1311/1442 Valco Lap Steel w/ OC VG $200 Could use a cleaning, light wear, rust to tuner covers,  logoplate looks good with a bit of tarnish, gold sparkle buttons shrinking


802 Banjo w/ OC VG $105 Clean, light wear, logo not pictured, light oxidation to hardware


750 Kay Mandolin $71 Project, neck needs installing, pickguard present, 'wind chime' logo strong, tuner buttons shrinking


2573 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp w/ OC VG $51 Clean, tuning wrench incl., original delivery ticket (dated 1/21/60) and registration card incl.




Dunno why these "Developed for Sears" cases didn't stay around longer... they arrived in 1965 and disappeared just as quickly. Original price $7.95.

742 Sears guitar case $25 Light wear, light rust to hardware


1429 Harmony pickup by Rowe/DeArmond $129 If you need parts for your 1429, this seller's got and entire guitar parting out.


1446 Harmony HBEG neck $125 No nut, no tuners, fingerboard bear, logo strong, truss rod cover present


1457 Dano SSEG neck only $200 Married to Dano Coral Firefly hollowbody


Dano footswitch $81


Kay 'Speed Bump' pickup $70 I have no way to tell if this came out of a Kay-built Silvertone; but it looked great, and I thought you might want want to get a price fix on such an animal


 

11/4

Harmony ended its 'Bobkat' run with some slightly snazzier versions of those best-selling guitars (bigger knobs, different foil in the p/u covers, adjustable bridge). Our first up today, the  more rare red version 1477-2, was headstock-ID'd 1479 and was the end of the line for those guitars being sold at Sears.

1477-2 Harmony SBEG VG $258 Clean, light wear, whammy bar present, chrome and finish shiny, logo strong, knobs missing


1454 Harmony HBEG w/ C MOD $925 Clean, light wear, logo strong, extra hole near tailpiece, seller says "The pickups were recently professionally hand rewound by Curtis Novak in California look him up he is known for his vintage rewinds. Guitar and neck were recently setup by Bill Foley at German Village Music Haus in Columbus, Ohio. He also rewired the pickups after being rewound, and at that time put a new custom shop made bonenut bridge and has been setup for great intonation. It has a great tonal range between the three pickups and all the possible combinations." Relisted from October.


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case $276 Clean, light  wear to guitar and ampcase, tone knob insert shows adhesive seep, amp not working


1482 Dano tube amp $128 Light wear, some grille staining, rust to speaker frame, handle captures and xformers, (4) tubes missing, AC cord spliced


658 Kay FHAC VG $255 Clean, light wear, logo strong, dot markers signify 1966-68 model, stamped 57-658 (!)


660 Kay Classical w/ C F $25 Wear all over, NS strap button at bottom, fingerboard wear, bridge in questionable shape, inner label looks good


2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp w/ OC VG $51 Clean, light wear, tuning wrench missing



1478 Harmony pickguard/electronics/knobs $193 Bass side upper 'horn' has screw crack, dated May 1964, seller says "I cleaned the pots, switch, and jack, and plugged it into an amp- all seems to work fine."


 

11/3

It's always fun to see the items with the word 'Silvertone' in their description. Well, let me take that back... it's a pain a lot of the time, because I have to look through so many things to get to the sweet, sweet Silvertonium we love. So, it's a blessing and a curse, I guess, that we get to see things like Silvertone brand razor blades and bird feed, and also lots of guitars and other instruments that automatically get called a 'Silvertone' just because their cheep and cheezy. We know better, though, don't we? Case in point, this odd little twanger from today's haul. Mirror pickguard, vaguely 'Jag'-shaped body, straight bridge, pretty cool tailpiece, and definitely NOT a Silvertone. Japanese, possibly Teisco origin? Likely. Anyhoo, it's interesting enough that I thought you might want to give it a gander. Went for a little over 200 smackers.



1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $304 Clean, light  wear to guitar and ampcase, NS chicken head on amp, logo strong with leading edge of 'S' worn, some knob insert discoloration,


1420 Harmony SSEG w/ OC  VG $382 Clean, light wear, logo no pictured, the shininess of the shot at the bridge makes me think this may be a refinish


1482 Dano tube amp VG $335 Clean, square speaker cutout, light wear, some oxidation to front face, tremolo functional, 3-prong AC mod, stamping indicates 1966 build


1319 Harmony Lap Steel w/ OC MOD $190 Finish stripped, headstock cut , jack mod at tail



11/2

Just Your Typical slow Wednesday... at least we've got this rhinestone... well, I wouldn't say encrusted... 623 to start things off.

623 Harmony FHAC w/ C G $104 Clean, light wear, logo strong with a possible ding on leading edge of 'S,' pickguard missing, lightly 'bedazzled,' some back separation, couple of back cracks, serial #1352H623


604 Harmony FTAC VG $95 Clean, light wear, logo strong, stamped F-6?


1202 Harmony FTAC G $34 Could use a good cleaning, edge/surface wear, logo strong, some fingerboard wear, 'A' tuner post missing, 'G' tuner bent, some rust to tuner plates, crack in side at heel


1478 Harmony SBEG  VG $540 Clean, light wear, chrome dull, logo shows wear, lamination line showing at headstock, NS bridge. Relisted.


1478 Harmony SBEG w/ OC  G $305 Could use a good cleaning, major flaking on bottom, some pitting to chrome parts, logo strong, 'G' and 'B' ferrules missing, 'B' tuner post missing



Here's an unusual 1410 model in that it has a whammy assembly. Never seen one before... in a catalog or 'for real.'

1410 Kay SBEG G $175 Clean, light wear, tailpiece cover and truss rod cover missing, logo strong, wear to knobs, rust to tailpiece, whammy bar missing


1482 Dano tube amp VG $361 Clean, square speaker cutout, light wear, footswitch incl., tremolo unmentioned, in storage since 1968, seller says "CALLED A FRIEND WHO PLAYS AND RAN IT THROUGH THE PACES AND SOUNDS GREAT."


1483 Dano tube amp only $199 Could use a good cleaning, handle captures and xformers rusty, light wear, untested


1311/1442 Valco Lap Steel w/ OC VG $153 Could use a good cleaning, light wear, gold sparkle buttons shrinking, logoplate looks good, serial #T19619

 

11/1

Scarily good October! In October 2011, we reported on over 300 auctions totaling $78,868! That's just three grand shy of the October 2010 totals, and the average yearly salary for a typical worker in San Jose.

Our big money went for a fine Buck Owens 'American' model that brought in $1775, and as far as a true Silvertone is concerned the highest price this month was for a beautiful 'U-2' 1302 that went for $1300. The lowest-priced item was a really nice 621 flattop acoustic that went for a surprisingly low $12.

If you haven't visited October 2011, head on over... it was a great month!



Hello November! Starting off with a 'last nights bucket of assorted treats.'

1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet G $395 Could use a good cleaning, some corner wear to speaker cabinet, 1/4" speaker jack mods to amp and cab, rev/trem functional


1481 Dano tube amp E $211 Clean, minimal wear, square speaker cutout, looks like some tape residue on logoplate, adhesive seep to knob inserts


1451 Dano tube amp G $83 Edge/corner wear, logoplate shows light patina, speaker cutout 'shadow,' handle worn/broken, NS speaker, tubes light and static comes from speakers; otherwise untested


660 Kay Classical w/ OC VG $80 Clean, light wear, a little binding separation at waist, original Sears1965 receipt included (!)


758 Kay Mandolin VG $150 Clean, light wear, logo and pickguard 'S' strong, light wear to tailpiece



1434 Dano tube amp chassis only $178 Functional, tremolo status unknown


1485 Dano tube amp chassis only $150 Sold for parts, 1/4" mods to back (labeled), names of band members written over controls


Dano footswitch $75


 

You'll be grinnin' while you're pickin' with our exclusive new Silvertone World Custom Picks! Head over to the Pick Store and grab a vintage repro card full for collecting or gift-giving, or a dozen or two in the bulk pack for some serious Silvertone-flavored strummin', all at great prices and free shipping on US orders.

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.

©2006-2011 SilvertoneWorld.net