September
2011 Follow silvertoneworld on Twitter


9/30


"Sehr interessant!" as my high school German teacher frequently said; "very interesting." I came across a 2-second clip of George Harrison and the Traveling Wilburys (via the irreverent and informative music, politics & pop culture blog Dangerous Minds), buried inside a trailer for an upcoming Martin Scorcese film ("Living In The Material World" on HBO Oct. 4th & 5th) on the 'quiet' Beatle. We've all seen that "kitchen jam session" picture of the late '80s supergroup (if you haven't, look below), and I always assumed George was playing a 1448. Welp, that brief view of George strumming reveals that he's actually playing the much rarer 1449! Of course, I reckon I coulda figured it out from the neck length, but with George's hand covering the lead pickup in the 'kitchen' still, I assumed '1448' and never looked any closer. Now we know. I love surprises!



Serendipitously, we've got a 1449 as our first up today!

1449 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case G $628 Clean, some edge wear to guitar and light wear to ampcase, guitar logo not pictured, amp knob inserts show some discoloration, bridge and neck pickup covers split, speaker stamping indicates October 1964 build, seller says "...the tremolo comes on slowly ...but does work ..it just comes on a minute after the amp is already working."



Never heard the term "parts cow" before...

1448 Danotube amp in case F $148 No speaker, covering rough, grille stained and re-stapled, seller says "I bought this a few years ago to restore but never got around to it. Speaker is missing. AC chord as been cut off and is missing. All three tubes are there. I have no idea if it works or not. The speaker cloth is stained and has a hole. Case opens and closes okay and latches work. Vinyl has some separating on some edges. Could be restored or used as a parts cow to restore another one."


1446 Harmony HBEG w/ OC VG $1000 Clean, light wear, playing wear to neck, Bigsby present, thin script logo strong,


1416 Dano SSEG G $265 Edge/surface wear, logo and pickguard missing, sidewalls gone, NS knobs, NS saddle, cavity cover stamping indicates mid-1962 build making this one of the last U-shaped Silvertone-branded 6-strings out of the Dano factory


1405 Teisco MIJ SBEG F $36 Could use a good cleaning, overall wear and playing wear to pickguard, chrome shows some pitting/wear, logo strong, seller says "I plugged it into an amp and got nothing but static out of it... repair is needed"


1333 Dano tube amp G $283 Re-grilled, some edge corner wear,  scarring on side, handle worn, NS knobs, logoplate shiny, AC cord fraying, tremolo functional, no footswitch


1420 Sears tube amp VG $52 Could use a good cleaning, light wear, a few grille picks, knobs dirty, back label in great shape, cabinet stamping indicates 1972 build


1470 Sears tube amp VG $75 Clean, some edge/corner wear, 'lunch box' handle present with some rust to handle captures, inner tube spec label looks good with light tearing/yellowing


1472 Dano tube amp G $124 Clean, some edge/corner wear, red border control panel with 'tremlo' misspelling, tremolo status unknown, no footswitch, seller says "Amp has all original tubes and Jensen factory original speaker. Amp needs to be re-tubed. Works, just needs a tune up. " Relisted in October.


1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $600 Clean, light wear, some grille staining, seller says "Reverb, Tremolo work but has a little squeal."


1484 Dano tube amp only MOD $230 Reupholstered with some staining/burn marks in new material, faceplate clean, seller says "...Amperex 12AX7 tubes. The other tubes are vintage original. This has been recovered, I don't know if the original covering is underneath the current covering or not. The amp makes a high pitched sound even when the amp is not plugged into the cabinet. The caps sound fine. This is a good project for someone who knows about working on vintage amps. The cord going to the cabinet has been changed to an RCA type jack like on a guitar cord, which is kind of nice. I know the tubes are not the problem with the noise, I switched them all out with another amp to test it and there was no difference."


615 Harmony FTAC VG $250 Clean, light wear, logo strong, poor photos


1319 Harmony Lap Steel w/ OC VG $149 Clean, some edge/surface wear, 'deco' logo strong,  (1) tuner button missing



1477 Harmony SBEG pickups/pickguard $57 Seller says "The neck pickup has no output and is not working and is not mounted to the pickguard. It will need to be repaired befor it can be used. The bridge pickup is mounted to the pickguard but has weak output and doesn't show any measurement on the meter so it will also have to repaired. The rear of the pickguard is stamped Sep 20 1965 Mfd.by Rowe."


1369 Kay SSEG pickup $230



 

9/29

A nice grab bag of Silvertonium today, and we'll just jump right in with this last of the 'Espanada'-derived guitars, the 1427. This guitar was the direct predecessor to the 'Chris Isaak' 1446. In fact, the first year the 1446 was offered, the catalog illustrated the 'P' type pickups you see on this example, rather than the Gibson-made mini-humbuckers we all know and love.

1427 Harmony HBEG VG $1200 Clean, light wear, metal logo intact (could use a cleaning), couple of scratches on the side, serial #
2640H1427  



"Another SILVERTONE STYLE SENSATION! Designed to reflect the architectural splendor of 1939's great World's Fair!" Whenever this radio comes up, I love to give you a look at it. This example is Machine Age AWESOME!

6109 Sears tube radio $1800 The prettiest one of these I've ever seen, and I believe the highest eBay price as well. That's some mighty fine design by Clarence Karstadt, check out his design patent. This one is far and away nicer than one that went for over six grand at a Christie's Auction a couple of years ago. Seller says "The chassis is sold as not working. I looked over the very clear and rust free chassis and did not see any obvious problems. The cord has been cut."


615 Harmony FTAC w/ OC G $75 Clean (although the headstock could use a good cleaning), light wear, logo strong, chip off pickguard, fretboard cracked near bottom


612 Harmony FHAC VG $225 Clean, some edge wear, logo strong, pickguard missing (well, most of it), 'G' tuner bent, some wear to fingerboard, NS bridge, serial #2461H612, stamped F-62-HB. Relisted from earlier in month.


1482 Dano tube amp VG $255 Clean, square speaker cutout, light wear, tremolo functional, no footswitch, is that a speaker jack mod on the back panel? Seller didn't say.


1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $432 Clean, light wear, looks like water damage to bottom of speaker cab, covering peeling from bottom of speaker cab, RCA jack mod to back panel, NS footswitch incl. with no cord, tremolo unmentioned, 3-prong AC mod, seller says "
no reverb. was messed w/ long ago, someone put rca plugs to attach it, but it never worked so it was disconnected (tubes removed on chassis)."


1484 Dano tube amp only G $203 Light wear, water stains on top, rust to faceplate and most exposed metal, seller says "
The reverb and tremolo don't work too well but perhaps just need new preamp tubes... sometimes when I'm playing it's a little noisy but it goes away quick when I fiddle with the volume knob. "


657 Harmony FTAC Classical w/ OC G $37 Clean, wear all over, inner label looks good, guide dots on fretboard, stamped F63


2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp w/ OC VG $255 Clean, electric pickup, cords & tuning wrench incl.




Baby, Whaddaya Want me To Do? Well, for starters, put this "Jimmy Reed" back together! The knobs, bridge and second pickup are up on eBay right now.

1369 Kay SSEG body $277 Clean, light wear, logo laminate and pickguard look good, no guts, no hardware


1369 Kay SSEG pickup $186


1369 Kay SSEG tailpiece $54 


1482 Dano tube amp back cover $31 Seller says "
Looks like it was wet at some point."


1482
Dano tube amp Fisher speaker $21 Speaker only

 

 

9/28

Well, I changed the logo banner
to some swirling autumn leaves, but I'll be danged if it still ain't hot, muggy and more mosquito-infested than July! Sorry I've been away this week... OBE'd as they say in the Navy... "overcome by events." Well, I know you'd rather hear about some cool Silvertones, so let's get things going. And we're gonna get it going with some huge money from this classic Danelectro-branded U2. I know it's not a Silvertone, but it's in amazing shape, and brought a mighty fine price this past weekend, and I figured you might like to give it a look.

Dano U2 SSEG VG $1404 Clean, minimal wear, light neck and fret playing wear, finish and chrome shiny, sidewalls bright, logo strong, neck stamp of 2107 indicates build date of Spring 1957, orig. gig bag incl.



Alright... let's see what the Silvertonium mines hauled up the past few days... how about a very rare "Mint" classification as the seller says, "
pretty much new old stock [as] I took it out of the box to display...  it has never been played or used. It comes with the original box, instruction booklet, songbook, felt pick and steel adjuster."

1255 MIJ Ukulele M $57 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, original box, books, felt pick incl.



Here's a lovely 2320 ampincase model steel guitar kit from out friends at Valco? An amazingly nice setup from the early 40s. This is a very rare find, so I had to give you a great big look at it.

2320 Valco lap Steel and amp in case VG $699 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, logo strong on guitar, ampcase has snap-over speaker protector intact, faux fur inside guitar cavity looks great,
pickup rewound by Lindy Fralin




It's weird that these two very different-looking guitars are called by the same model number, but whatcha gonna do?

1437 Teisco MIJ SBEG VG $400 Clean, light wear, some oxidation to hardware, logo tag present, whammy bar present, NS selector knob, pickup switch covers missing, high 'E' ferrule broken, serial #314703


1437 Teisco MIJ SBEG VG $404 Clean, light wear, some oxidation to hardware, logo tag present, whammy bar present,


1418 Teisco MIJ HBEG VG $300 Clean, light wear, whammy bar missing, rust to pole pieces, some chrome flaking on whammy assembly, logo tag looks good on natural 'Mt. Fuji' headstock, serial #348742


1348 Harmony HBEG F $149 Clean, back coming off, no guts, logo laminate strong, no tuners


1476 Harmony SBEG w/ OC G $171 Wear all over, oxidation to metal, tailpiece looks chrome-less, some pickguard cracks at jack, NS bridge, NS sheetmetal truss rod cover, logo worn/faded (looks like it was 'shamed' at some point)


1420 Harmony SSEG w/ OC VG $440 Clean, light  wear, logo strong with mar at 'S' light ding at first 'e,' NS knobs, 


1423 Harmony SSEG VG $610 Clean, light wear, some finish crazing, metal logo bent at 'S,' print worn from pickguard, NS Grover tuners, NS truss rod cover, extra grooves in bridge, pot codes date to 1962


1429 Harmony HBEG w/ OC G $371 Clean, light wear, logo intact, truss rod cover has screw crack, (2) knobs missing, NS tuners, (1) selector needs nut, pots scratchy


1448 Dano SSEG with empty case MOD $143 Painted red, headstock modded, Zippy the Pinhead and Pink Panther stickers, dice V/T knobs, NS bridge, NS metal pickguard, NS Schaller tuners, ampless case shows some covering wear


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $550 Clean, logo strong, minimal wear to guitar and ampcase, NS V/T knobs on guitar, speaker stamping indicates 1964 build


1448 Dano SSEG only VG $178 Clean, logo strong, light wear, low 'E' tuner button missing, early version: triangle insert knobs, two-bolt neck, round buttoned strip tuners


1448 Dano SSEG only VG $200 Clean, logo strong, light wear,  NS knobs, late version: triangle neck plate, ID'd as a 1962 model; um... no.


1457 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $650 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, logo strong, speaker re-wired, light rust to grille bezel and amp xformer, replacement knob set, new tone pot, new latches on case, amp re-capped, tremolo unmentioned but assumed to be working


1457 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $380 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, logo strong, tremolo unmentioned


1457 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $455 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, logo strong, tremolo functional, footswitch incl.


1391 Dano tube amp VG $164 Clean, light wear, logoplate shiny, pot codes indicate early 1957 build, seller says "All out of spec parts replaced. Pots cleaned. 3 prong power cord added for safety. Original handle is little worn, but easily holds this light amp. All vintage Sylvania tubes-6AU6, 6V6GT and 6X5GT. All test good on my Hickok 6000A."


1481 Dano tube amp VG $194 Clean, light wear, round speaker cutout, grille looks good, logoplate has some light rust dotting, knob inserts show some discoloration, cabinet stamping indicates 1966 build


1481 Dano tube amp VG $165 Clean, light wear, round speaker cutout, grille looks good, knob insert show some discoloration


1482 Dano tube amp G $200 Clean, square speaker cutout, light wear, fuse holder missing, pilot lamp cover missing, cabinet stamping indicates 1965 build, seller sadly proclaims "
...sent it to a friend to clean the tube sockets and it never came on again. What a shame - it was working. "


1482 Dano tube amp G $309 Clean, square speaker cutout, light wear, looks nice enough in single photo provided, seller says "
Still works and is all original parts but has some wear and a part in the back has some rust."


1482 Dano tube amp G $282 Could use a good cleaning, square speaker cutout, tremolo status unknown


1482 Dano tube amp G $285 Clean, round speaker cutout, (2) NS tubes, mic input non-functional, tremolo unmentioned, cabinet stamping indicates 1966 build


1483 Dano tube amp only VG $375 Clean, light wear, seller says "
Fully serviced with any leaky caps replaced as well as a grounded power cord added and a 1/4 speaker output for using different cabinets."


1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $650 Clean, light wear, 1/4" speaker jack mod, re/trem functional, no footswitch, cabinet stamping indicates Spring 1964 build


1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $675 Clean, light wear, light grille staining, only (1) speaker wired with both present, single button tremolo footswitch incl., cabinet stamping indicates early 1967 build
v

1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $405 Clean, light wear, some paint staining to cabinet covering, light grille staining, faceplate looks good, rev/trem unmentioned, no footswitch, seller says "
I am not sure if this amplifier is working 100% as it should so it may require servicing."


1423 Sears solid state amp only VG $125 Clean, light wear to face plate and covering, light rust to back panel, tremolo functional, reverb tank removed


1430 Dano tube amp MOD $205 Clean, logoplate and handle look good, grille a bit wavy, volume pot scratchy, screw-on jack added to center of back panel, 'phono/mic' preamp and switch added


1390 Dano tube amp G $270 Clean, light edge/surface wear, 'Meteor' logoplate missing, grille a bit wavy, NS handle, NS knob, re-capped



Kick off today's crop of acoustic guitars with a unique Canadian-sold, Japanese-built model

26953 MIJ FHAC G $32 Clean, light wear, Simpson-Sears type serif'd block logo strong, pickguard missing, damage at f-hole, NS bridge and tuners, seller says "Neck needs some work for it to be playable, hump where neck meets the body (That's why it is setup for Slide!) A piece of the binding on the lower bout (back) is loose."


710 harmony FHAC w/ OC VG $145 Clean, 'deco' logo strong, pickguard missing, light wear, light buckle rash, stamped
F-55-T, serial #1469H710


618 Kay FTAC VG $159 Clean, light wear, 'wind chime' logo strong, tuners missing, stamped ? 6766


620 Kay FTAC MOD $130 Wear all over, fingerboard wear, tuners missing, tuner holes routed larger, NS electronics, nut missing


621 Harmony FTAC w/ C VG $110 Clean, light wear, logo strong, bridge tight, serial #
3845H621 


1227 Harmony FTAC 12-string w/ C VG $180 Clean, prismatic 'Space Dot' looks good, stamped S-72


1315 Harmony MOD $125 Refinished, logo saved (yay!), light oxidation to pickup mounting/cover, NS knobs


856 Harmony Baritone Ukulele w/ OC VG $114 Clean, light wear, logo strong, binding looks good


856 Harmony Baritone Ukulele VG $130 Clean, light wear, logo shamed


852 Harmony Ukulele VG $48 Clean, light wear, stencil and logo strong, split on back,


1256 Harmony Baritone Ukulele P $40 Can't see the logo, bridge is off, seller says "
There is a crack on the top that has been repaired and it does not buzz when played."


2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp w/ OC VG $72 Clean, books & tuning wrench incl.


1250 Kay Banjo w/ OC VG $100 Clean, light wear, logo strong, hardware clean, action high, light wear to resonator


758 Kay 'Venetian' mandolin w/ C VG $103 Looks good in single photo provided; pickguard design and logo strong



658 Kay FHAC body $19

 


 

9/23

Fall Friday!
You wouldn't know it here in central NC, though. Wet, muggy, warm. Feels more like mid-July! Ah, well the leaves will soon start swirlin' and there'll be a nip in the air before long. It's a famous Friday, too... starting off today with a few items that have appeared lately onstage with some noted notemakers.

First, it's a fire-engine red 'Silhouette' 1488 of the kind that has been seen in Annie Clark's deft hands. Although she has been favoring the Harmony-branded H17 onstage lately, I hope she'll dust off the 1488 for her upcoming tour.

1488 Harmony SBEG VG $850 Clean, light wear, low-contrast gold logo worn, whammy bar present, headstock cracked/repaired along lamination line



Next, it's a 1483, the amp favored by Peter Buck. We mentioned his affinity for this model on Wednesday when we got the word that R.E.M. was calling it quits after 31 years.

1483 Dano tube amp only MOD $250 Could use a good cleaning, covering painted black, light wear, handle in good shape, ch. 2 bass control scratchy, check out the speaker jack mods on each side



Let's continue this 'Friday of Fame' on with a little Jack and a little Jagger.

These next two amps have certainly become quite sought-after items the past few years, owing to Jack White's popularity with his band the White Stripes, The Dead Weather and The Raconteurs


1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $687 Edge/corner wear, logoplate missing from speaker cab, rust dots to faceplate, rev/trem functional


1485 Dano tube amp only VG $510 Clean, light wear, rev/trem unmentioned, but seller says "This amp is loud and clean. Recently serviced with new tubes and a clean bill of health. This amp is all origional except for the output jack being converted to accept any cabinet. "



And of course, ol' Mick has been famously seen with his 1457 in hand on tour recently. Shadoobee.

1457 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case E $700 Clean, minimal wear to guitar and ampcase, 'cord keeper' present, chrome and finish shiny, knob inserts show adhesive seep, footswitch incl., tremolo status unknown, cabinet stamping (1104) indicates early 1964 build


1457 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG guitar G ampcase $393 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, 'cord keeper' present, speaker missing, tubes light up, knob inserts show adhesive seep


1415 Dano SSEG VG $400 Clean, light wear, logo intact, playing wear to neck


1481 Dano tube amp VG $265 Clean, light wear, square speaker cutout, logoplate shiny, grille and covering look great, all stock, missing (1) foot, knob inserts dirty, cabinet stamping of 1015= March (10th wk.) 1965 build, pots date to late '64


1449 Dano tube ampincase only VG $173 Clean, light wear, rust to case hardware, tremolo unmentioned but seller says "fully tested"


853 Harmony Ukulele F $28 Could use a good cleaning, side damage, logo strong, seller is original owner


2573 Oscar Scmidt Autoharp w/ OC VG $56 Clean, light wear, 12-chord version, tuning wrench / books incl.




Both of these DeArmond pickups came from Lawman Mike, and he says they're both from a 1423 'Jupiter.' I believe him. Both sold in separate auctions for the same price.

1423 Harmony/DeArmond/Rowe pickup $125 each

 


9/22

Kicked off yesterday's auctions with a uke,
and let's catch another one today. This one is a late '30s vintage Supertone, Sears' brand name applied to instruments before the Silvertone name began to take over in1940. This model is itself a direct precursor to the rare 851, a briefly available uke from the late '50s. Even though available nearly two decades apart, it appears to be the identical main stencil for the waterskiing couple; check the last pic of an 851 with the added green highlights for comparison.

463 Harmony Ukulele VG $61 Clean, light wear, Supertone label shows its age, stencil strong, vintage "Self-Teaching Method" booklet incl.



It's two... two... two brands in one! OK, so maybe you don't remember that Certs commercial ( I myself am too young to remember the b & w clip I just linked, but I DO remember this one), but here's a 'Space Dot'-branded guitar with a Silvertone label inside.

1217 MIJ FTAC VG $43 Clean, light wear, prismatic 'Space Dot' looks good, NS bridge/tailpiece, pickguard design and inner label in good shape



Alligator and tweed... ya gotta love it!

1334 Dano tube amp VG $350 Clean, light corner wear to 'alligator,' control panel looks great, logoplate shiny, grille and 'tweed' look great,  cabinet stamping indicates Summer 1956 build, seller says "All tubes power on, but it is very noisy."


1484 Dano tube amp only MOD $427 Rescued and re-cabineted, rust dots to faceplate, rust to jack nuts/washers,  (1) NS 'chicken head,' 3-prong AC mod, 1/4" speaker jack mod, some NS tubes, tremolo functional, no reverb tank, seller has plenty of good info (it helped bring the bucks in, IMHO) "This amp was rescued 6 or 7 years ago from a porch where it had sat for years without it's cabinet. It's been cleaned up, installed new Sprague caps and ran up on a variac. Original transformers. 1 power tube socket had been replaced with a ceramic socket before I got it, and I threw together a pine cabinet and primed it. I've taken this out on numerous gigs/jams and it performs excellent and has been very reliable. I've owned a couple of dozen of these over the years and this is one of, if not the strongest and best sounding one that I've run across. A Killer amp !! TONE !!! I've been running it through a pair of vintage Jensen P12R or P12N speakers depending on the room and this thing simply smokes !! Takes pedals well too, TS808 especially. These are 4 ohm speaker load. The preamp tubes are vintage American, power tubes are Sovteks. I run RCA single getter, clear top black plate 6L6GC but I just don't have any extra American 6L6 tubes to spare so it comes with the Sovteks. Good used or NOS American power tubes should be used to get the best tone & power from this amp, RCAs, Sylvania, GE. I don't use vibrato so I pulled the vibrato tube for extra gain on channel 2, but the vibrato works as it should, just throw a 12AX7 in the socket behind the power tubes. No reverb."


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $384 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, 'cord keeper' present, knob inserts show some yellowing


1436 `Teisco MIJ SBEG G $285 Edge/surface wear, whammy bar missing, logo tag missing, selector switch covers missing, tuner ferrules broken


1204 Harmony FTAC VG $159 Clean, light wear, logo strong, some playing wear at soundhole, light rust to tuners, stamped F-68, serial #4863S1204. Relisted from earlier in month.


604 Harmony FTAC F $39 Edge/fingerboard wear, logo strong, some odd 'scratch art' on upper treble bout and scratching to headstock, heel beginning to separate, stamped F-61-JC


2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp w/ C VG $103 Clean, one bar needs repair, no tuning wrench, looks like some guide strips incl.


 

9/21

Wednesday Wallop!
Well, this last Wednesday of Summer 2011 sure is packing a punch! We've got amps, we've got guitars, we've even got a uke and an autoharp to round out the field. It's that ukulele I'm gonna get things going with, a great early instrument that looks to be from 1950 or so. Click that model number down there for a nice Fall/Winter 1950 catalog listing.

Extra wallop: Just got the news that R.E.M. are calling it a day. Wow. Thanks for everything the past 30 years Michael, Mike, Peter and Bill. Below, an early shot of the band, followed by a couple of snaps of Peter Buck's main guitar amplificator, a Silvertone 1483 head with Peter at their Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame performance in 2007, and a final shot from a TV gig promoting "Accelerate." Lastly, a video from Austin City Limits of "So. Central Rain." Look for the 1483 in the backline.



853 Harmony Ukulele VG $50 Clean, light wear, some fingerboard wear, some back separation, 'deco' logo strong, tuners tight, light rust to ferrules



Now, on to that autoharp... it's one of the unusual cream-finished ones from the late '60s, the 18XX series. I went and scared up a listing so you can see that they did (however briefly) exist! Don't quite know why the model numbers bounced around so much in '68 and '69, but they did!

1838/1841 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp w/ OC VG $38 Clean, light wear, tuning wrench and books incl.



OK, a couple more unusual items before we get to some 'everydays...'

1209 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $39 Clean, minimal wear, 'Space Dot' looks good, scratching to pickguard (the only thing that kept it from an 'E')



The first of the 'square bottom' 600 series, here's a 602 that needs a little lovin' (and repair).

602 Harmony FTAC w/ C F $47 Clean, 'deco' logo strong, playing wear/dings all over, crack in center back, bridge pulling up, needs new saddle



Next up is a guitar from a time when Danelectro ruled the Sears electric guitar world! Check out this catalog listing from 1958!


1303 Dano SSEG VG $725 Clean, light wear, logo strong, knobs and tuner buttons show yellowing, silver foil has been stripped from sidewalls (vinyl still present), pickguard and jack plate still retain foil, neck joint strap button broken off flush, internal stamping 2088 indicates Spring 1958 build



Alrighty, let's get some more Silvertonium on the table, starting off with a little AMPitude!

1484 Dano tube amp only G $275 Clean, light wear, rust dots and oxidation/staining to control face, rev/trem status unknown


1464 Dano solid state amp only VG $180 Clean, control face looks good, rev/trem functional


1464 Dano solid state amp and speaker cabinet VG $280 Clean, light wear, logoplate missing from cab, weird little scrape to grille, cabinet stamping indicates early 1967 build, seller says "Works 100% with no issues.The speaker wire from head to cab is sort of rigged up but it works and is easy to replace."


1465 Dano tube amp only VG $128 Clean, control face looks good, rust to xformer, 'speaker' scratched in chassis above 1/4" speaker jack mod, rev/trem mentioned as feature, but operational status unconfirmed


1448 Dano tube amp in case VG $120 Clean, light wear, functional, early amp; triangle knob insert

 


Another guitar or three...

604 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $50 Clean, light wear, logo strong, some 'string circles' inscribed at tuner posts, light rust to tuner plates, stamped S-65


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $305 Clean, light wear to ampcase, edge and playing wear to guitar, transitional guitar, 3-bolt neck, legend/line kob inserts but oval-buttoned strip tuners


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $305 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, 'cord keeper' present, some yellowing of grille, transitional guitar, 3-bolt neck, legend/line kob inserts but oval-buttoned strip tuners, speaker stamping pegs it a mid-1964


And, now... the origin of the 'Parts is Parts' segment title, followed by.... PARTS!





1473 Dano tube amp chassis only $81 Knobs missing, no tubes, obviously untested


Dano pickup $129 Companion to yesterday's pickup


Dano footswitch $91


Jensen
spekers $10 Some tearing at cone edges, seller says "These came in an old Silvertone 2-12 cab. Baskets both stamped 220034 LS 830 105 P12RJ C6958. Original cone stamped 3012B11-H4. Overall nice condition but will need to be re-coned as shown."


 

9/20

Let's start today off
with a classical guitar. They come up every now and again, go for cheap, and just don't get the lovin' that the rest of the Silvertone family gets. Our first up today is the super-rare 1235, offered for only one catalog issue in Fall/Winter of 1969. It's made by Harmony, has a lovely (and unique) red soundhole ring, and was part of the last of the Harmony/Kay line of classical that had been with us since the 657 beginning in 1961. Come 1970, and it's all about the Land of the Rising Sun in the classical department, and most of the rest of the Sears guitar family.

1235 Harmony classical w/ OC VG $88 Clean, light wear, top binding looks good, Silvertone label looks good, serial #4975S1235

1210 Harmony FTAC w/ C VG $44 Clean, light wear, ding on lower bout, some wear to fingerboard, chrome shiny, stamped F-68, serial #3733S1210


625 Harmony FTAC w/ OC G $37 Clean, light wear, logo strong, bridge cracked, stamped ?-61


619 Kay FHAC w/ OC VG $200 Clean, light wear, logo strong, chrome dull


604 Harmony FTAC MOD $40 Wear all over, pickguard missing, logo strong, modded for electronics (now missing) at some point, stamped S-64


710 Harmony G $105 Clean, light wear, 'deco' logo looks good, some cracks on back and slight separation


1420 Harmony SSEG w/ C VG $350 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong with light wear at cross of 't,' finish and chrome shiny, light buckle rash


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case E $385 Clean, minimal wear to guitar and ampcase, logo strong


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $305 Clean, light wear to guitar, action is "a little high," light scuffs to ampcase, light rust to case hardware, logo strong, pickguard needs cleaning, legend/line insert knobs show light adhesive seep, amp knob shows yellowing


1457 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $376 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, tremolo status unknown, no footswitch


1481 Dano tube amp VG $194 Clean, light wear, round speaker cutout, logoplate shiny, knob inserts dirty, scuffing on bottom, seller got a nice review from his guitar-playing friend: "Your amp works. I knew my little practice amp was a piece of crap, buy your amp proves it in spades! Very nice slightly warm but mostly neutral tone with broad range. Handles both ends very well, lows particularly so. "Daytripper" sounds awesome. You know that riff? It starts on the lowest guitar note an "E-G-G#-B-e-D-B-f#-B-D-e." Very cool! It has a nice preamp too as it much more sensitive to my dual pickups and guitar tone adjustments compared to my modern IC amp. I was a little nervous about cranking it way up, but I did take it loud enough that I started getting just a little "fuzz." Anyone looking to get that old classic distortion better have understanding neighbors. It gets pretty loud before any of that kicks in. Not likely an issue in single home units, but not gonna work in an apartment."


1481 Dano tube amp MOD $168 Re-grilled, some edge/corner wear, NS knobs


1472 Dano tube amp VG $313 Clean, light wear, some rust to xformers, pots a tad scratchy, tremolo functional, red border control panel with 'tremlo' misspelling, seller thinks speaker may be NS but no photo


1394 Dano tube amp MOD $255  Re-grilled, looks like some duct tape to speaker baffle, logo relocated, handle and control panel worn, tremolo status unknown. Relisted in October.


1333 Dano tube amp VG $424 Some edge/corner wear, logoplate shiny, grille looks good, NS handle covering,  NS footswitch incl., tremolo functional, tape on bottom of control panel chassis


1319 Harmony Lap Steel G $124 Some edge wear, some oxidation to control panel, 'deco' logo looks good, both knobs missing, rust to tuner plates, untested



UNK Kay FHAC P $77 Dirty, worn, pickguard missing, stamped L3712 6887, probably a 627 or 619




1420 Harmony pickup $105 Stamped 1960, seller says "This is an old Silvertone pickup taken out of a Les Paul-shaped thing."


1341 Dano tube amp chassis only $111 Rare, functional


1457 Dano SSEG body neck and nut $137


Dano pickup $80

 

Dano footswitch $80


Dano tuners $56


Dano bridge $44 Light pitting to chrome, screws, saddle and saddle anchor screw incl.


1448 Dano SSEG body $30 Finish partially stripped, sidewalls missing, late version with triangle neck plate mount


 

9/19

Root canal
has put a cramp in my day... I'll do what I can and then bounce back a little sharper tomorrow. Let's get today's auctions out of the pen with this cowboy-stenciled Harmony creation. For years, this was the guitar endorsed by Gene Autry, and even came in two sizes. This model is endorsement-less, and advertised in 1958 as "Ideal for children 7 to 14 years of age."

612 Hamrony FTAC VG $51 Clean, logo and stencil strong, 'G' tuner button missing



Another odd (and obviously rare) 604-family acoustic with Stella appointments, much like that unusual 604 from Friday.

1204 Harmony FTAC G $100 Clean, light wear, hole in side, logo barely there, unusual fret stencil and lengthwise faux grain front and back more common to Harmony-branded Stella models


1220 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $248 Clean, light wear, some side scratching, thin script logo strong with rub or or missing leading edge of 'S,' pickguard missing, stamped F-66


605 Harmony FTAC w/ C VG $80 Clean, light wear, 'deco' logo strong, serial #6118H605, stamped S-56-T


605 Harmony FTAC F $28 Clean, light wear, logo strong, some water damage/warping to front & back bottom, NS strap button in headstock and heel, stamped ?-61


653 Kay FHAC w/ C VG $318 Clean, light wear, light finish checking, some buckle rash, logo strong, pickguard present


1320 Harmony HBEG F $238 Wear all over, 'demo' logo strong, pickguard missing, coupla cracks in back, thumbwheels missing from bridge


1429 Harmony HBEG w/ C VG $404 Clean, light wear, logo intact, (1) knob missing, cracks in side, stamped S-60-JW


1417/1419 Dano SSEG MOD $275 Refinished in pinkish with some edge wear to the new finish, sidewalls stripped away, neck natural, logo broken at 'S,' saddle missing, transitional guitar; it has the swoop neck cutout of the  1415/1416, but the circular cavity cover of the earlier 1417/1419 guitars


1444 Dano SSEG bass VG $400 Clean, light wear, logo worn but intact, sidewalls bright, NS ribbed barrel knobs


1372 Kay HBEG G $250 Finish dull/worn, logo strong, pickguard missing, (1) NS pickup, (1) knob missing, bridge missing, seller says "it has been repaired between the neck and the body." Relisted from earlier in month.


604 Harmony FTAC G $44 Light wear, logo strong, light rust to tuner plates, guide stickers on fretboard, fretboard worn, stamped S-63-NB


604 Harmony FTAC G $35 Wear all over, logo strong, playing wear to neck


604 Harmony FTAC $99 Clean, light wear, cannibalized for parts, logo strong, bridge / tuners / nut missing, sold in combination with 2 other 'needy' acoustics

 


9/16

Nice bag of Silvertonium as we head into the weekend; an amazing Frankentone, some great Dano-built guitars, a beautiful 1481 amp, a mysterious 604, a nice 'Aristocrat,' even a big ol' Sovereign. C'mon in!

OK, I already said it was amazing... this is probably the best Silvertone mod I've seen in a couple of years. This one is unashamedly Frankentoned to the max, and they were cool enough not to obliterate the Silvertone name.

658 Kay FHAC MOD $510 Clean, light wear, logo strong, NS electronics, NS tuners, NS Kay pickguard, NS bridge, 'Indianapolis Motor Speedway' sticker, 1966+ model


1481 Dano tube amp E $200 Clean, minimal wear, square speaker cutout, logoplate shiny, original manual schematic incl.



The seller had a pickguard made for this one that adheres to the standard of the 136X and 137X Kay-built guitars of the mid-late 1950s. However, the toggle switch and thick script logo lead me to believe this guitar is a 1425 available from 1959-1961. The 136X and 137X guitars all had a slide-type selector switch, rather than a toggle.

1425 Kay HBEG VG $500 Clean, edge/surface wear, some finish flaking,  'thick script' logo strong, NS pickguard. Relisted in October.


1454 Harmony HBEG E $1350 Clean, minimal wear, pickguard present, logo strong, seller says "The guitar appears to have not been played a whole lot."


1323 Dano SSEG VG $886 Clean, light wear, some finish checking,  logo strong, cavity stamping indicates mid-1957 build, cavity cover missing, some wear at jack


1302 Dano SSEG G $381 Clean, some edge wear, NS knobs, logo shows wear, bottom strap button broken off



Cannot figure this next one out. It's certainly a 604-type guitar (meaning it could be a 604, a 606 or a 608), but what really puzzles me is the mixture of fretboard appointments; dot markers, including a double-dot at the 12th fret AND Harmony-branded 'Stella'-style tri-bar stenciled markings. The seller does not mention, and I cannot see any internal or external model indicators. Replacement fretboard? Who knows? I love surprises!

604 Harmony FTAC G $17 Wear all over, logo strong, pickguard missing, Sharpie
© 'touch-ups' on edge/surface/fingerboard, all tuner pegs slightly bent, light rust to tuner plates


605 Harmony FTAC w/ C VG $70 Clean, light wear, 'deco' logo strong, rust to tuner plates, seller says "Slight deformity to the top between soundhole and fretboard, result is that area of fretboard follows that shape. Neck plays well and is straight until you get where I just mentioned (first buzz happens at the 15th fret, of 18)."


1220 Harmony FTAC w/ C VG $213 Clean, light wear, block logo strong, pickguard design shows light wear, is that a screw in the bridge?



Harmony/Gibson P-13 pickup and controls $184
Mepco/CentraLab pots date to 1946 or 1956. The physical configuration of this network leads me to believe it came from a Lap Steel. Now, since in 1956 both the 1307 and 1310 models that Sears offered were made by Valco, let's roll it on back to the 1947 model that was available, the 1316. This is the only Silvertone lap steel offered within the manufacturing window set by the potentiometer dating. Or, it could be from a Gibson or other 'private label' concern.


Dano speaker cabinet 'amp keeper' $17 Screw incl.


 

9/15

Fortunately, the slow days usually bring at least one exceptional piece our way, and today we got lucky with two: first, it's a beautiful 1443 bass guitar, one of the very last of the Silvertone instruments to come out of the Danelectro factory before the MCA-bought firm closed its great big doors in 1969. One can only surmise that if MCA hadn't changed Dano's way of doing things (they tried to shift the focus from massive production and sales (Sears!) to smaller guitar shop oriented business (um... not Sears) that the 'Japanese Invasion' of 1968 might not have happened the way it did, and there'd be even more Dano-built models for us to be discussing, buying and collecting.
Hey, I can dream, can't I?

1443 Dano SBEG Bass VG $780 Clean, minimal wear, chrome pickup surrounds missing, chrome and finish shiny, logo intact



Then there's this rare gem from north from the border, the Canadian-sold Simpson-Sears version of the 1455; a very rare guitar in very rare 'Near Mint' condition. Part of the aforementioned 'Japanese invasion' of the Sears catalog; Fall/Winter 1968 saw nearly every electric available at Sears a Japanese import (the only holdout was the Harmony-made double cutaway 1485).

26875 Teisco HBEG w/ OC NM $500 Clean, no wear to speak of, chrome is glass smooth and mirror shiny, unique logo tag looks great



Here's a little something interesting to go with this Harmony-built Buck Owens "American." Look at the the poster behind the guitar (a rare piece of record company ephemera itself... I can't find a copy anywhere)... it's a promo for Buck and Ringo Starr getting together on a 1989 re-make of Buck's first number-one single from 1963,  "Act Naturally," a song that Ringo also recorded with the Beatles on the "HELP!" album. Look at Ringo... he's playing (or just posing with) a stock "American!" Interestingly, in the 1989 video for the song (see below), Buck plays a small-bodied Harmony re-issue of the famous red white and blue guitar.

1219
Harmony FTAC VG $550 Clean, light wear, logo laminate in fine shape, NS bone saddle


Heck, it's a slow day... here's three versions of the tune! Note that in the 'Hee Haw' clip, Buck is playing the original Semie Moseley-designed and built "American."


1434 Dano tube amp VG $425 Clean, light wear, some staining to grille bottom, edge piping intact, logoplate and control panel in great shape, (1) NS Radio Shack speaker, original speaker stamping indicates early 1961 build, stored under vinyl cover for 40 years, untested, seller says "There is very little scratching when turning the knobs and all tubes light up. That is as much as I know. "


1457 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $500 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, light rust to hinges/clasps/handle captures, guitar logo looks somewhat faded (although it may be the photo angle)


853 Harmony Ukulele VG $57 Clean, light wear, logo strong, 'Genuine Mahogany' sticker still (mostly) present, last fret missing, nut damage on bass side


1255 Harmony Ukulele E $34 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, ID'd as late 50s/early 60s vintage, but the 12XX number sequence commenced in late 1968



To the Bat-tar, Robin! Check out the wild pickguard on this mild-mannered classical.

660 Kay FTAC Classical F $11 Finish dull, fingerboard looks dried out, edge wear on back, NS pickguard, stamped 57-660,



1457 Dano pickguard/control harness $100 No pickups incl., leads clipped short. Looks like most of the rest of the axe is up for auction, as well.



9/14

Wild Wednesday? Hmmm...
more like a mild mid-week. Yes, indeed, it seems that Wednesday and Thursday are certainly the slowest days of the week, Silvertone auction-wise. Doesn't mean we don't have a few nice ones to throw your way, though... like this mighty fine ampincase setup. Lots o' glitter!

1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $465 Clean, minimal wear to guitar and ampcase, logo strong, knob insert missing on amp



Sad 'Jupiter,' but some interesting info on the inside... this is the first "INSP. BY" stamp I've ever seen in a Harmony-built guitar! I wonder why I've never seen this before? Is it something Harmony tried and then abandoned? I always thought the initials after the date were the inspection ID, but these are clearly different; one is 'JB' and the other is 'JC.' Oh, to spend a day working at the Harmony plant 50 years ago!

1423 Harmony SSEG F $300 Wear all over, finish removed from sides, crack in side, headstock finish flaking, logo intact, (3) knobs missing, NS 'Chicken head' selector, hole in side beside tailpiece, bottom strap button missing, stamped S-61


1482 Dano tube amp VG $350 Clean, square speaker cutout, light wear, some staining to covering, tremolo unmentioned, seller says "Recently serviced. All original except for the power cord."


1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $512 Clean, rust dots to faceplate, light wear to amp and cab, (1) knob missing, tremolo functional, reverb not, speaker stamping indicates 1966 build


615 Harmony FTAC w/ OC E $98 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong


615 Harmony FTAC G $76 Clean, edge/surface wear, logo strong, seller says "The action is on the high side (still well within the normal range - in my opinion). The non adjustable neck has a minor bow. Cosmetically, the guitar looks good with normal wear and tear. The top has about a 1/3" rise on the bass side of the sound hole. The back is wavey. By looking through the sound hole, I can see a rib on the back that needs to be glued."



1310 Valco Lap Steel VG $150 Clean, light wear, pickup cover in place, logo plate  clean, tuner buttons deteriorating, serial # X56338

 


9/13

Mondays are tough all over, I guess...
and it's same here at Silvertone World. The weekends are just full of things to do (especially when you're chasin' a 4 and a 7 year old!), so I let the auctions simmer until Monday morning, get what I can done, then clean up on Tuesday (if I'm lucky.... sometimes it takes me all week to catch up). That said, we've got a lot of great items from the weekend for you today, and we're gonna start it off with an amp that sold back in August as a buzzing, in need of some love amp. It got some expert attention, and you can see the results below, with even a video to give it a gander and a listen!

1339 Valco tube amp E $280 Cleanest I've seen, covering and grille in great shape, amp chassis shows a little rust, this is the same amp from earlier in the month, fully restored. Quam speaker date stamped for last week of 1953, right in line with the end of the 1339's window of availability. Seller/restorer has some great info: "Even though this amp actually has a power transformer, it still uses the tubes of a transformerless amp. The PT secondary puts out 50V for the heater supply and 120V for the HV. All out of spec parts replaced. Pot cleaned. 3 prong power cord added for safety. All vintage tube line up is- 12SQ7GT (Sylvania), 35Z5GT (GE) 50L6 (Silvertone labeled Sylvania). All test good on my Hickok 6000A."


1484
Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $455 Clean, minimal wear, rev/trem functional, seller says "Channel one needs to be
checked has been cutting out but channel two is very strong and working well."


1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $740 Clean, light wear, edge wear, small dent in faceplate, rust dots to faceplate and handle captures, new power cap, 1/4" speaker jack mod, rev/term functional, speaker stamping indicates 1966 build


1484
Dano tube amp only G $281 Clean, rust/staining to faceplate, NS Groove Tubes, NS AC cord, 1/4" speaker jack mod, rev/trem functional


1432 Dano tube amp G $306 Edge/corner wear, grille staining, logo looks good, could use a good cleaning, possible NS baffle, tremolo status unknown


1420 Sears tube amp MOD $90 Clean, light wear, recently restored with new grill cloth, new capacitors, and a new 3 prong power cord.


1472 Dano tube amp MOD $199 Clean, grille loose, NS speaker, (2) 'chicken head' NS knobs, tremolo very intermittent ("every-so-often it just comes on unexpectedly if the dials are turned up"), some NS tubes, NS handle, 3-prong AC mod, red border control panel with correct 'tremolo' spelling


1446 Harmony HBEG VG $1099 Clean, light wear, Bigsby present, metal logo intact, original monogram stickers on pickguard ('RLH'), crack at bass side f-hole, seller says "The fret board was pushed up by the truss rod when we got it into our shop. The entire fret board was taken off and re-glued onto the neck. Due to the way the neck and fret board split, and warping, the fret board shrunk a little as compared to the neck."


1354 Kay HBEG VG $400 Clean, light wear, logo laminate and pickguard design in great shape, tuner buttons deteriorating, mystery screw in top below pickup


1440 Teisco MIJ SBEG VG $140 Clean, metal logo intact, whammy bar missing, "Shaky M" signed the guitar


1441 Teisco MIJ SBEG VG $300 Clean, 'Space Dot' looks good, whammy bar missing, chrome shiny, this is the later non-bound, non-flame back version


1415 Dano SSEG VG $404 Clean, light wear, logo intact, playing wear to neck, pick wear at treble side bridge


1413 Kay SBEG VG $296 Clean, light wear, logo strong, tailpiece and cover design look good, (1) NS knob, original matching gig bag incl.


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $350 Clean, light wear, logo strong, looks like some light chipping around pickup cutout, ampcase corners worn, scratchy amp pot


1372 Kay HBEG G $900 Finish dull/worn, logo strong, pickguard missing, (1) NS pickup, (1) knob missing, bridge missing, seller says "it has been repaired between the neck and the body." Relisted


658 kay FHAC MOD $150 Clean, logo strong, some finish checking, light rust to tuner plates, NS bridge, NS pickup & electronics, 1966 or later model


653 Kay FHAC VG $203 Clean, light wear, logo strong, pickguard missing


612 Harmony FHAC VG $225 Clean, some edge wear, logo strong, pickguard missing (well, most of it), 'G' tuner bent, some wear to fingerboard, NS bridge, serial #2461H612, stamped F-62-HB. Relisted



Could it be that these two guitars are only 43 serial numbers apart?

619 Kay FHAC w/ OC E $395 Clean, minimal wear, finish shiny, logo strong, stamped N-2 and L-1355


619 Kay FHAC w/ OC $128 Clean, neck separated, some edge/surface wear, logo strong, bridge incl., stamped L-1399


615 Harmony FTAC $21 Clean, edge wear, logo strong, no bridge/tailpiece, (1) tuner post missing


2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp w/ OC VG $155 Clean, tuning wrench incl.



1452 Dano SBEG with tube amp in case $101 Finish stripped, some parts included


Dano bridge $20 Seller says "taken off my Silvertone 1304 guitar before I had an adjustable bridge installed."


 

9/12

It's like flipping a switch
when September hits! We've already seen some amazing items at auction this month, and this weekend was HUGE! Let's jump right in with this beautiful Dano-built 1444 bass... clean as can be!

1444 Dano SSEG bass w/ OC E $699 Clean, minimal wear, logo intact, sidewalls bright



Here's a rare 1478, with the 'Type 1' whammy.

1478 Harmony SBEG G $336 Could use a good cleaning, logo strong, light wear, hardware dull, early-era ('64-'66) hinge-type whammy



Next we've got a good-looking (but operationally challenged) Teisco-built 'Beatle' bass, the 1495!

1495 Teisco HBEG Bass G $145 Clean, light wear, block logo strong, later version with one-piece back, high action, seller says "...electronics issues. It does produce some sound when connected to an amp, however, the sound cuts out regularly. The connection does cut out when the cable is bumped also."



Here's a real classic, the Harmony-built 1454!

1454 Harmony HBEG VG $1150 Clean, light wear, pickguard present, logo worn at first 'e,'  some rust to pickup covers and pickguard brackets, Bigsby in good shape



Here's an unusual piece; it's basically a 605, but blond, and sold/distributed by
Buegeleisen and Jacobson. If you know anything about these folks and their relationship with Sears/Harmony, please let me know.

UNK Harmony FTAC G $25 Clean, light wear, B & J-ified logo strong


1487 Teisco SBEG w/ solid-state amp on board VG $165 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, chrome shiny, battery cover missing. As far as the amp.... seller says "YOU CAN HEAR WHITE NOISE FROM THE SPEAKER WHEN YOU TURN IT ON BUT THE SOUND IS ALMOST INAUDIBLE...LAST TIME I USED IT WAS A FEW YEARS AGO AND THE SPEAKER WAS GREAT SOUNDING BUT RIGHT NOW IT IS NOT WORKING."


1487 Teisco SBEG w/ solid-state amp on board G $160 Clean, light wear, logo missing, knobs missing, battery cover missing, amp does not work,  "SILVER TONE" badge below bridge has been shamed.


1457 Dano SSEG only VG $500 Clean, light wear, some finish checking, 'cord keeper' still present


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case MOD $149 Refinished black, sidewalls tape removed, NS knobs, NS strap buttons, logo gone, saddle missing


1448 Dano tube amp in case only G $99 Scuffs/staining to covering, staining to grille, worn corners, scratchy pot, handle sound, rust to hinges/clasps, early version; triangle knob insert



This ghostly-pale 1448 Frankentone is gearing up for Hallowe'en... scary!

1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case MOD $231 Guitar top covered in countertop material, ampcase hinges rusty and pulling out, amp/guitar untested


1482 Dano tube amp E $267 Clean, square speaker cutout, minimal wear, tremolo functional, speaker code indicates 1966 build


1483 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet G $339 Edge/corner wear, (1) NS knob, (1) knob missing


604 Harmony FTAC w/ OC P $31 Wear all over, cracks, pickguard missing, bridge missing, logo strong, fingerboard wear, nut damaged



1448 Dano strip tuners $58 These tuners are from the partner guitar to the early 1448 ampcase above. Seller says "We pulled these off of a really nice Silvertone 1448 that my son wanted to upgrade the tuners on and make it into a really playable guitar."


9/9

I think I can, I think I can...
the little webdude that could is sure gonna try to catch up to 'real time' today, and we're starting off with a quartet of Dano-built U-type guitars.

1304
Dano SSEG G $400 Edge/surface wear, logo worn, NS knobs


1304
Dano SSEG G $400 Edge/surface wear, some finish checking, logo strong, NS 'cupcake' knobs, last version offered; swoop neck cutout w/ aluminum cavity cover


1415 Dano SSEG VG $400 Clean, light wear, logo intact, stock ribbed knobs, playing wear to neck, replacement toggle switch, replacement tuners, re-fretted


1415 Dano SSEG VG $399 Clean, light wear, logo broken at 'S,' stock ribbed knobs, playing wear to neck, cavity serial 5091 indicates late 1961 build, seller says " I bought this used in 1973 and took it out of the case only once, plugged it into the amp I bought, plucked it a few times , put it away, and never messed with it again."



Next, a mighty scarce 1473 amp... for bass OR accordion!

1473 Dano tube amp VG $449 Clean, light wear, looks like a speaker extension jack mod on back panel, power indicator lamp needs replacing, cabinet stamping indicates late 1962 build



Here's a rare beauty; the surf-twangin' 1416!

1416 Kay SBEG VG $247 Clean, light wear, whammy assembly complete, logo strong on 'paddle' head, pickup cover design strong, some scrapes and scars to back, some finish checking, note stickers down neck, (2) tuner ferrules missing


1420 Harmony SSEG w/ C VG $375 Clean, light wear, logo strong, 'D' tuner bent, some 'cord melt' on back


1421 Harmony SSEG VG $305 Clean, some edge wear, logo strong, NS knobs


1477 Harmony SBEG VG $204 Clean, edge wear, logo strong, chrome shiny, whammy bar missing, screw cracks to pickguard, stamped Oct 20, 1966


1478 Harmony SBEG G $225 Clean, light wear, (2) knobs and whammy bar missing, (1) NS tuner, logo cannot be seen in any photos


1423 Harmony SSEG w/ OC VG $500 Clean, light wear, metal logo intact, plenty of glitter, pickguard print shows light wear, stress cracks at jack, NS 'chicken head' selector


1303 Dano SSEG MOD $400 Wear all over, playing wear to neck, pickguard missing, NS tailpiece/bridge, logo worn, cavity stamping indicates mid-1958 build


1484 Dano tube amp only MOD $360 Clean, light wear, couple of labels on front, (1) knob cracked, jack mod on back, NS tremolo switch incl., rev/trem status not specifically mentioned


1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet G $500 Clean, edge wear, logoplate missing from cab, rev/trem functional, no footswitch


1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $760 Clean, light wear, ogoplate missing from cab, footswitch incl., rev/trem functional

1484 Dano tube amp only G $251 Wear to covering, corner cracked, amp chassis dented, scratchy pots, rev/trem status unknown, seller says "it works and it sounded good when we tested it."


1391 Dano tube amp VG $199 Clean, light wear, logoplate shiny, pot codes indicate early 1957 build, seller says "All out of spec parts replaced. Pots cleaned. 3 prong power cord added for safety. Original handle is little worn, but easily holds this light amp. All vintage Sylvania tubes-6AU6, 6V6GT and 6X5GT. All test good on my Hickok 6000A." Relisted.


1430 Dano tube amp G $165 Edge wear, graffiti on grille, logoplate worn, back panel missing


1472 Dano tube amp F $160 Clean, light wear, grille pulled out along bottom edge, speaker has rip, red border control panel with 'tremlo' misspelling, speaker stamping indicates 1962 build, footswitch incl. , seller says "amp keeps blowing fuses."


1472 Dano tube amp F $208 Needs a good cleaning, rust to metal parts, red border control panel with correct 'tremolo' spelling


1481 Dano tube amp VG $204 Clean, minimal wear, round speaker cutout, logoplate shiny, knob insert show some yellowing, grille clean


1481 Dano tube amp E $275 Clean, minimal wear, square speaker cutout, logoplate shiny, cabinet stamping indicates 1965 build


1482 Dano tube amp VG $204 Clean, round speaker cutout, minimal wear, tremolo functional, seller says "It has a very small amount of static in the volume control knob. It has a slight static sound as it sits plugged in. It is not a constant static almost like a ticking static noise."


1482 Dano tube amp VG $200 Clean, square speaker cutout, edge/corner wear, handle captures show rust, tremolo functional


1482 Dano tube amp G $225 Edge/corner wear, paint spills on top, square speaker cutout, (1) NS knob, tremolo status unknown, give it a listen below



1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $460 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $355 Clean, playing wear to neck, guitar logo worn, (1) hinge broken on case, knobs show adhesive seep, early version; round-buttoned strip tuners, two-bolt neck, triangle insert markers on all knobs


1448 Dano SSEG only VG $203 Clean, light wear, logo strong, knob insert missing, light rust dots to bridge, compensating wire on bridge


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case G $335 Light wear to guitar and ampcase, logo strong, grille shows staining, early version; triangle knob inserts, oval-buttoned strip tuners, two-bolt neck


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case G $225 Clean, edge/surface wear to guitar and amp, logo strong, case clasps loose, amp produces loud hum


1437 Teisco MIJ SBEG VG $406 Clean, chrome shiny, logo tag missing, whammy bar missing, rare redburst, serial #321776


1204 Harmony FTAC VG $128 Clean, light wear, logo strong, some playing wear at soundhole, light rust to tuners, stamped F-68, serial #4863S1204. Relisted


1245 Kay FHAC w/ OC VG $203 Clean, light wear, logo strong, NS bridge, 3-bolt neck


632 Harmony FTAC VG $41 Clean, light wear, logo strong, 'snowflake' neck stencils strong


605 Harmony FTAC w/ C VG $54 Clean, light wear, 'deco' logo strong, serial #3137H605


623 Harmony FHAC MOD $265 Clean, logo strong, damage at f-hole, Kent electronics added


660 Kay FTAC Classical w/ OC VG $2 Clean, light wear, playing wear to fingerboard, bridge looks good


802 Banjo w/ C G $56 Logo strong, head shows some staining, hardware shows some rust, this mid-60s vintage banjo was erroneously ID'd as from the 40s


802 Banjo VG $117 Clean, light wear, logo strong, hardware clean, again mistakenly ID'd as 40s vintage


Here, lemme get you a vintage catalog ad showing the unique 'rounded peak' headstock. This listing is from 1967.


853 Harmony Ukulele F $25 Playing wear all over, logo mentioned but not pictured, 'Genuine Mahogany' sticker present, crack in side


2573 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp w/ OC VG $38 Clean, thumbpick and tuning wrench incl., pictured amp cord is part of Washburn pickup (not included)


1311/1442 Valco Lap Steel VG $225 Clean, light wear, some oxidation/wear to pickup assembly panel, logo plate clean, sparkle tuner buttons shrinking


1310 Valco Lap Steel VG $205 Clean, light wear, pickup cover in place, logo plate  clean


1316 Harmony Lap Steel VG $105 Clean, 'deco' logo strong, hardwired cord present





Another 'you build it,' this time all in separate auctions... brought slightly less than the complete 1420 above.

1420 Harmony SSEG body (stamped F-62) $29, neck $37, tuners/ferrules/screws $47, pickups (stamped 1962) & mounting ring $132, pickguard with controls/jack/ broken selector with missing tip $67


1446 Harmony HBEG pickup mounting bezels $79


I thought I could, I thought I could! Have a great weekend, y'all!

 

9/8

OK, so after fiddling around with the proper presentation of auction item info on a handful of graphs, I've come to the conclusion that it's (a)easier and (b)better for me and you and Silvertone World to just go ahead and include all the 1448s, 1484s, 1423s, 1420s, 604s and other 'run of the mill' guitars and amps that come our way. Many factors figured in, but the main one is that they're all special in one way or another (hey, they're Silvertone!), and I want you to see the differences between guitars and amps that might go for vastly different sums in similar shape. Also, a graph just can't capture a rusty faceplate or a pretty fingerboard or some other oddity that separates one from the rest of the pack. That's kinda the whole point of this page, innit? That's said, we've got some catching up to do, let's go!

1369 Kay SSEG VG $810 Clean, light wear, metal logo intact, this is the end of the "Thin Twin" line, seller erroneously ID'd as Dano-built


1448 Dano SSEG with tube amp in case VG $405 Clean, light wear to guitar and ampcase, NS knobs on guitar, logo strong on both, transitional guitar; strip tuners


1478 Harmony SBEG w/ OC E $725 Clean, minimal wear, chrome shiny, knobs look great, logo a tad faded (although the low-contrast gold screen was never that bold to begin with)


1478 Harmony SBEG w/ OC MOD $261 Clean, light wear, whammy assembly missing, NS stop tailpiece, NS bridge, (2) NS knobs, logo strong


1352 Harmony HBEG E $850 Clean, minimal wear, pickguard present, chrome and finish shiny, logo strong, beautiful graining on back, best I've seen of this model


1483 Dano tube amp only VG $338 Clean, light wear, corner rub, (1) knob missing, light rust to handle captures and xformers, recently cleaned, hum fades after warm up


1483Dano tube amp only G $228 Wear to cover, rust dots to faceplate, 'protector' mod on back, needs some work; seller says "Powers up and a sound like an air raid siren gets louder and louder."



If Danelectro had made the 1444 this way, it'd be nicknamed 'The Camel.'

1444 Dano SSEG bass w/ OC MOD $400 Clean, modified headstock with glue residue on surface, 'P' monogram on NS multi-layer pickguard


1322 Harmony HBEG $123 You build it! Parts package includes pickup, bridge and NS knobs, some components still in body, pickguard missing


1217 MIJ FTAC VG $99 Clean, light wear, prismatic 'Space Dot' looks good, bridge in great shape, pickguard design and inner label in good shape


1457 Dano SSEG only G $309 Clean, some edge wear, knob stack modified, bottom strap button missing, logo faded


1419 Dano SSEG G $355 Clean, edge/surface wear, logo intact but worn, NS tuners, hanger mod on back of headstock, (1) knob missing, (1) NS knob, date stamp/pot codes indicate 1960 build


1451 Dano tube amp G $210 Clean, light wear, logoplate shiny, grille in great shape, tubes light but no sound


1304 Dano SSEG G $376 Clean, logo strong, bridge and pickup covers show some corrosion/chrome loss, stress crack at jack, cavity stamping indicates early 1959 build


1446 Harmony HBEG VG $1100 Clean, light wear, Bigsby present, thin-script logo faded, some pickguard cracking


1320 Harmony HBEG F $275 Wear all over, damage to side at neck, logo faded, pickguard missing, pickup and control operational status unknown, stress crack at jack, , serial 3854H54


623 Harmony FHAC VG $76 Clean, light wear, logo strong, pickguard present


1484 Dano tube amp only $120 Could use a good cleaning, edge/surface wear, some rust spots to front panel, untested


1484Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet G $300 Faceplate rusted, grille yellowed, back looks good, rev/trem functional, footswitch incl, speaker stamping indicates late 1965 build


1484Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet G $600 Clean, light wear, cabinet re-grilled, re-tubed with Groove Tubes, rev weak / trem functional, speaker stamping indicates Spring 1966 build


1452 Dano tube amp in case only F $100 Wear to case covering, NS Radio Shack speaker, tremolo functional, victim of 'Silvertone Shame'


658 kay FHAC w/ OC G $128 Clean, light wear, logo strong, wear to fretboard, (1) pickguard bracket missing, light rust to hardware, block markers show some yellowing, pre-66 model, possible some back separation


1255 Harmony Ukulele G $25 Clean, edge wear, side cracked/repaired, block logo strong, plastic fretboard could use a cleaning, last of the Harmonys before the MIJ ukes hit


1838 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp $24 Autoharp mostly complete and a bag o' parts



UNK Kay FHAC F $150 Finish flaking, pickguard missing, logo in surprisingly good shape, probably a 696, seller says "RECOVERED FROM GRAMPA'S FARMHOUSE"


UNK Kay FHAC F $87 Finish dull, pickguard / bridge / tailpiece / tuners missing, stamped L 9367

 


9/6

Holidays are fun, but they sure throw your schedule for a loop! Easin' back into the everyday swing of things here at Silvertone World, and I'm already playing catch-up! It was a slow start to the month, but it has increased enormously (my browser had so many completed auction tabs open it blew up on me today). So, here we go, maybe I'll dig out by Friday!

Here's a beauty to start things off; a seldom-seen Kay-built 1445 in fine shape.

1445 Kay SSEG VG $1025 Clean, light wear, pickguard missing, logo strong



Chris Isaak appears on the new Glen Campbell album... I wonder if he's playin' his namesake 1446?

1446 Harmony HBEG w/ OC E $1150 Clean, minimal wear, thin-script logo strong, serial #4680H1446, seller says "I'm selling this guitar for my father. He purchased this guitar new in 1963 from Sears & Roebuck. He purchased this guitar with intentions on learning to play. He took lessons for 3-months and decided this wasn't something he wanted to continue. It has been stored in his closet in a controlled environment."


1423 Harmony SSEG w/ OC E $1000 Clean, minimal wear, metal logo intact, plenty of glitter, pickguard print strong



Well, that's it for the "$1000 Club" for today; here's a couple that fell just shy.

1451 Dano SBEG with tube amp in case E $930 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, chrome shiny, knob inserts clean


1454 Harmony HBEG w/ C VG $899 Clean, light wear, logo strong, Bigsby looks good



I'm still refining  I've given up on my price tracking graphs for the 'everyday' items like 1448s, 1484s and such. Here's Version 1.0:



 

9/1

What a Summer!
Saw some good shows, had some beach fun with the young'uns, enjoyed some good times with old friends... you can KEEP the hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and wildfires, however. What's next, locusts?

Let's start the season off with a bang,
and share some exciting news that I was lucky enough to come across recently. We've all seen the early-era Harmony 'Newport'-based Silvertone guitars. In fact, a nice one sold just a few days ago. Never listed in any catalog, the Sears model designation has been somewhat of a mystery. Well, that mystery is partially solved now, thanks to an odd piece of Sears advertising ephemera I bought on eBay. It's a newspaper 'galley' for a November 1956 ad campaign. Sears would send these huge books out to their stores, so they could customize them with special prices, individual store location and hours and other info, and yet still have Sears-designed and approved art and layout for their newspaper ads. Here's what I found; it was a big onesheet, with two separate ads, number 168 and 169. One was an ad for a 1382 (model designation w/ case) Thin Twin ("for rock-n-roll, hoe-down or bop"), and an ad for a trio of other guitars. I recognized the 696 and the 605 immediately, and then my eye was drawn to the side legend, in a classic typewritten font, confirming my visual ID of those guitars. Then, just before the "NOV. 56" date, there it was! 1379, the model designation for the yellow version of the Harmony Newport-based electric. Even though the illustrations were rendered in black and white, you can tell this represents the lighter in color of the two guitars. Now, if we extrapolate out from what we know of the general pattern of 57-XXXX Sears guitar model numbers, we can hazard a guess that the green Newport would be the model number 1380. Since we don't know this for sure, and may never come across any other piece of info to confirm it, I'm gonna start calling these guitars the "1379 series," and be happy we've got that much.
Click the ads for a larger version.


The example above sold for a nice $1150 last month, and was in amazing shape; clean finish with some light checking/flaking, strong logo, "Harmo-metal" edge binding shiny with rubber edging intact, 'cupcake' knob and 'Hershey bar' pickup lookin' good. Feels good to finally give it a model designation.

On to the auctions!

2320 Harmony Lap Steel VG $129 Clean, light wear, 'deco' logo strong, seller says "The pickup has a very weak signal, but does produce sound."


1311/1442 Valco Lap Steel w/ OC VG $321 Clean, light wear, some oxidation/wear to pickup assembly panel, logo plate clean, sparkle tuner buttons in good shape, serial #T8264


I'm gonna cheat these next two into September, even though they came in on the very last part of August
... just because we NEVER see either of these, and I thought you might like to. First, it's a fine example of the most '
Tele
'-looking of the early '70s MIJ clones, the 1442. Missing its bridge cover, but otherwise in fine shape, with a diffraction grating 'Space Dot,' this pale yellow rocker went for just $139. Compare this to the 1407 and the 1413. They were close to a Tele clone, but their dimensions were just a little... off.


Next, it's the elusive Valco-built amp, the
1339 Valco tube amp Relisted Cleanest I've seen, covering and grille in great shape, amp chassis shows a little rust, metal strip on handle a bit loose, amp only buzzes currently, but it oughta be an easy fix. If it had been fully operational, it would certainly have rated an 'E.' Quam speaker date stamped for last week of 1953, right in line with the end of the 1339's window of availability.



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.



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