February 2010

3/1

Saturday night and the rest of the weekend picked up a bit... as usual. I'll get some February totals up ASAP, as we finish out the month and head into March! Spring can't be far away... can it?

Here's the last Silvertone item for February to come off the auction block late last night... a sweet 1429!

1429 Harmony HBEG w/ C VG $700 Clean, light edge/surface wear, logo intact, stress cracks at jack, repaired screw crack at truss rod cover, in same family since 1961, stamped F-61-JW


1420 Harmony HBEG MOD $450 Edge wear, NS: pickups, electronics, pickguard, tailpiece, tuners, knobs, bridge. Logo strong, playing wear to neck


1446 Harmony HBEG w/ C  G $660 Finish checking, Bigsby present, NS tuners, edge/surface wear, ding at jack, pickguard (removed for photo purposes) incl.



From a Harmony trio to a beautiful blue 1436 'Starship!'

1436 Teisco MIJ SBEG VG $357 Clean, whammy present, finish ding on bottom near strap button, light edge wear, finish and chrome shiny, logo tag looks good, high 'E' tuner NS, serial #326970

 

Wait a minute... ELECTRO Harp? Super rare? You betcha! The Electro-Harp was an oddball that Oscar Schmidt came up with in the early 60s. It was listed in the Sears catalog in 1963, right along with another short-lived amp/instrument combo, the 1449, and lasted just about as long (which is to say, not long). Thought you might like to see the entire 1963 catalog page, so give the graphic a click.

1850 Oscar Schmidt Electro-Harp VG $280 Minimal wear to instrument, amp functional, case has a few scuffs, manual/schematic/ 'how to' book/ tuning wrench/pick incl. Furious bidding on this one; 47 bids over the course of the auction!
I wonder who built the amp for these things?



Speaking of rare... I don't see ONE in... um... FOREVER, and then we get TWO; both in Johnny Cash's birthday month!

1217 Harmony FTAC VG DNS Pickguard present, light edge wear, 'Space Dot' logo strong, 'Factory Second' stamped inside along with S-72 and serial #93612176. Interesting that this black-finished Harmony-built 1217 differs from the example below by the addition of a '6300' to its headstock-screened model number, vs. the example below's (see listing below for the 11th) '5100' suffix. I've never seen a 'Factory Second' stamping before on any Sears -sold guitar, either! I love surprises! Relisted in March '10, sold for $59


623 Harmony FHAC G $210 Clean, pickguard missing, logo strong, buckle rash, slight overspray to fret markers, seller says "Needs neck re-set"


604 Harmony FTAC G $90 Light edge wear, bottom strap button missing, logo strong, 'cowboy chord' wear to fretboard,


1296 Harmony FHAC w/ C VG $93 Clean, light wear, soundhole decal and block logo strong. Non-catalog guitar.


612 Harmony FHAC MOD $213 Minimal wear, NS Seymour Duncan p/u added w/ controls on pickguard, refinished,  logo gone, stamped F-62 HB, serial #2150H612


619 Kay FHAC F $149 Edge wear, finish flaking, pickguard missing, logo strong, stamped P-13 and N-2


1415 Kay SBEG F $178  Edge/surface wear, logo strong (flash obliterates it in photo), NS tailpiece, pickup covering worn clean, bridge missing, insert missing from (1) knob, lamination line showing on headstock. This is the rare "paddle head" version of the popular 1413


1452 Dano SBEG guitar only $123 Electronics missing, pickup cavities have extra routing, bridge looks like it may have had a trem-lock or similar device installed at one point


1457 Dano SSEG and tube ampincase VG $472 Clean guitar and amp, minimal wear, sidewall ding treble side, rusty clasps/hinges to ampcase, inside clean, tremolo unmentioned, footswitch incl.


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar only VG $327 Clean, light edge/surface wear, knob inserts show adhesive seep, logo strong, pickguard has chip on tip of treble horn


653 Kay FHAC 'Kentucky Blue' G $228 Clean, pickguard present, light wear, 2" scratch on back of neck, tuner buttons shrinking,  'wind chime' logo strong. These early Kentucky Blues seem to have all faded to a light greenish color. I reckon Kay hadn't quite figured out the long-lasting blue formulation just yet, and I've not seen this severe a fade on anything but the 'wind chime' logo'd models, which were the earliest of the Kentucky Blues.



They don't come much cleaner than this!

1483 Dano tube amp only E $450 Very clean inside and out, 3-prong AC mod, 1/4" speaker jack mod, (2) NS Sovtek tubes, handle captures shiny


1483 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet MOD $330 Painted blue, aluminum vent panel on back of amp, NS metal corner protectors, NS rollers on skpr. cabinet, speakers 're-wired,' functional


1484 Dano tube amp w/ speaker cabinet G $462 Edge/corner wear, some oxidation to face panel, grille obviously gone, (1) speaker cone cracked, reverb "reacts to a foot stomp on the floor," no mention of the tremolo, no footswitch


1484 Dano tube amp only G $456 Light oxidation to front panel, minimal wear, 1/4" jack mod, 3-prong AC mod, rev/trem functional, no footswitch, recently serviced/cleaned


1481 Dano tube amp VG $200 Round speaker cutout, light wear, volume knob insert discolored, new xformer


1465 Dano solid state amp and speaker cabinet $56 Non-functional, clean, light wear, missing fuse holder and power switch, some internal wiring and circuit board traces have been cut


1400 Microphone $28  Clean, untested, original bag and box incl., looks like a homemade alligator clip to 1/4" assembly also incl.



Parts is Parts...

Dano Pickup $22 No lead, untested



2/27

A Slow Saturday so far, we'll see how the weekend wraps up and get some February $$$ totals out to you after the month finishes up tomorrow night. Let's start off an ampincase triple-play with this OK example of the short-lived 1449, and follow it up with a mysterious 1304.

1449 Dano SSEG guitar with amp-less ampcase G $465 Clean, some edge wear, logo strong, some case rubs to sidewalls, covering to amp shows some wear and a a tear or two, 'B' and 'E' tuner shafts missing, tubes missing, no footswitch assumed to be untested


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with tube ampincase G $449 Edge wear, knob line inserts discolored, logo strong, strip tuners 3-bolt neck, seller says amp works but 'needs some TLC'


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar only G $260 Edge wear, knobs missing, hardware shows rust/oxidation/light pitting, logo strong, sidewalls clean, transitional guitar; strip tuners, two-bolt neck


1304 Dano SSEG VG $299  Light surface/edge wear, 'Wildcats' sticker near controls, hole drilled in headstock, sale of this guitar reported here (different photos, so I'm assuming different seller) in October '09, and in May of '09, a 1304 with a stripped neck (no logo), different knobs and a 'Wildcats' sticker in a slightly different position was noted; odd, no? Was there a band with matching guitars? Are they both from a club with wall hangers (the May '09 1304 had a hole in the headstock, as well)?
Cue the theremin; ooooEEEEEEEooooooooooo...


1474 Dano tube amp G $400 Edge wear, rev/trem not  working, masking tape along back edge (marking tube types, I guess), stock Jensens present, NS fuse holder, NS AC cord


600 series Harmony FTAC G $55 Pickguard present, edge wear, rust to tuner plates, probably a 643, back looks nice



Well, it's nice at least not to start off with an f-hole in our gallery of unknowns today...

657 (?) Harmony Classical MOD $146 converted to steel string, braced with Martin brand braces, Martin fingerboard, NS bridge, NS nut, puzzlingly stamped 6???H663


UNK UNK FHAC w/ OC VG $208 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, neck and binding  tight



2/26

What a week, and what a month this has been! Things have really been hopping here at Silvertone World, and thanks to you all who have been visiting, our page views are up, up, up too! Let's start this last Friday of February with a little geetar that don't get much love (we really don't see too many of 'em!), the funky little 1435.

1435 MIJ Teisco VG $163 Clean, whammy missing, light wear, low 'E' tuner NS, serial #131717. Check out that crazy bridge, and those groovy fret markers! You know, I'm glad that Teisco stamped a model number on all of these non-catalog babies... I'd never know the model numbers otherwise!


1451 dano tube amp VG $151 Clean, minimal wear, logoplate shiny.


1211 Harmony FTAC w/ OC G $40 Light wear, pickguard present, bridge missing, sticker on back of headstock, block logo strong, soundhole decal sharp



2/25

Um... did all the amps just dry up? No, it's been a pretty heavy week... work-wise, Silvertone-wise, life-wise... I'm just now getting to this past week's amps. Here we go!

1484 Dano tube amp w/ speaker cabinet VG $722 Clean, minimal wear, back panel present, amp and speaker still hardwired together, does not light up at power on, some of the wiring looks like it may have been a rat snack... VG on the cosmetics, UNK on the function


 1472 Dano tube amp $180 Round speaker cutout, edge/corner wear, stock Jensen present, back panel present, (1) knob missing, (2) NS knobs, lights up; no sound


1482  Dano tube amp VG $345 Round speaker cutout, light wear, looks like some light grille staining, no footswitch, rev/trem unmentioned


1482  Dano tube amp $226 Round speaker cutout, light wear, lights up; no sound


1483 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $374 Clean, volume knob missing, some dings on faceplate, recently serviced


1465 Dano solid state amp and speaker cabinet VG $399 Clean, minimal wear, speaker cab has rollers,  (6) stock Jensens present, amp and speaker still hardwired together, spkr. logo plate looks good, rev/trem unmentioned, no footswitch


1465 Dano solid state amp only G $155 Clean, minimal wear, (2) NS knobs, corner wear, faceplate clean, rev/trem functional, continuous hum


1465 Dano solid state amp only G $120 Clean, light wear, operational, only one photo provided



OK, that's more or less a week's worth of amps... now to finish up with some git-fiddles... beginning with the rare 1476. This black finished, Harmony-built, non-whammy 'Bobkat' was only listed in the catalog from 1963 through 1965. Today, we've got a stock model, and a brought back to life model (the second one had a mouse nest in its tailpiece!).

1476 Harmony SBEG G $275 Clean, light surface wear, chrome flaking off tailpiece, headstock lamination line showing, pickguard assembly  dated April 1965


1476 Harmony SBEG $248 Rebuilt from parts, NS knobs, NS logo, NS bridge, modded headstock, seller built pickguard assembly that is on guitar, original pickguard assembly (incl.) dated Nov. 1964



Here's another rare pair...

1449 Dano SSEG guitar with amp-less ampcase VG $455 Clean, minimal wear, strip tuners, three-bolt neck with tilt adjust, logo strong


1449 Dano SSEG guitar with ampincase VG $410 Clean, minimal wear to guitar, case has some big dings and a break, trem/rev functional, no footswitch, some of the amp lining has come lose inside/wrikled


More Dano-built goodness!

1448 Dano  SSEG guitar only $178 Re-built from parts; some custom made for this project. Relisted this month.


1304 Dano SSEG VG $359  Clean, minimal wear, ding on back edge, sidewalls a little dingy, pots date to 21st week of 1960


A little Harmony...

708 Harmony FHAC VG $257 Clean, light surface/edge wear, 'deco' logo strong, pickguard present, bottom strap button missing, original 'how to care for' manual included; dated 1948


605 Harmony FTAC F $62 Edge/surface wear, 'deco' logo strong, neck cracked for 6" or so from headstock on down,  some writing (JACK, DAD, THOMAS, MOM) on top, serial #2856H605


Kay...

619 Kay FHAC G $219 Clean, some edge wear, pickguard missing, logo strong, stamped N4 and L3709 6887



Now onto a couple of steels, some imports and a lone unknown...

1310 Valco lap steel VG $250 Clean, minimal wear, tailpiece cover present, NS tuner buttons, logoplate looks great


1311 Valco lap steel w/ OC VG $400 Clean, wear/rust to pickup assembly, logoplate looks good, tuners still shiny/sparkly, serial #T2799. This is an interesting instrument in that it's got the mother-of-countertop covering of a 1310 and the pickup installation design of the 1311. The bodies of both models are basically identical. Late '57 was the last appearance of the 1310, with the 1311 listed in Spring/Summer 1958 with a 'Smart Black Finish.'



ANOTHER rare pair...

1413 MIJ Teisco SBEG VG $159 Whammy missing, 'SR' logo missing, minimal wear, chrome shiny, model sticker gone


1413 MIJ Teisco SBEG G $82 Whammy missing, 'SR' logo missing, surface wear, NS knobs, chrome parts show oxidation. There was a little bit of an argument over whether or not this was a Silvertone. I'd say 'not technically,' because it was branded with the stylized 'SR' logo (the 'Space Dot'), but I still list and cover a lot of the instruments from that 'edge time' when the Silvertone branded guitars were phasing out while the (mostly imported) 'Space Dot' instruments were taking over. For example, the MIJ 1217 has a 'Space Dot' on its headstock, but a label inside bearing a block-font Silvertone logo. So, it's fair to say that some, but not all, 'Space Dots' could be considered true Silvertones, if the name is clearly applied to it. The 1413 was a pure 'Space Dot' instrument, never laying claim to any Silvertonality on the instrument itself... but the boxes they were shipped in frequently still proudly bore the 'Silvertone' cursive logo! A cost-saving measure from Sears & Roebuck to be sure, as they weren't about to throw out shipping boxes just because the name 'Silvertone' wasn't actually on the instrument. Also, I can't find the 1413 in any catalog. Seen one?



Hey, let's make the 'Starship' nickname stick to the pointy 1437 and 1436!

1437 Teisco MIJ SBEG  VG $405 Clean, chrome amazingly shiny, whammy missing, light wear, logo tag looks good, serial #327650



UNK Kay FHAC VG $287 Clean, light wear, light edge flaking here and there, pickguard missing, NS tuners, odd small logo. The seller ID'd this as a Harmony, but that headstock looks mighty Kay-ish to me. Very possibly a 627.


2/24

Well, our friend Wednesday is here, giving me a much needed break in the auction action... just so I can finally finish off the weekend! Silvertone World is a busy place!

Let's kick things off with another "Espanada," or as the Sears catalog called it...
"The Black Beauty."

1427 Harmony HBEG G $810 Clean, pickguard missing, stable repair to headstock, some buckle rash and surface wear, tuner buttons showing some wear, repro logo


Here's a nice detail from the seller (Mr. Wiley Nash, noted Harmony researcher/collector), who has owned multiple examples of the 'Black Beauty.' Apparently, the older 1385 models were thicker than the later 1427 models. Here's a comparison of two from the auction above. Interesting, no?


1442 Dano SBEG Bass MOD $190 Edge wear, NS pickup, NS knobs, logo damaged/worn,


612 Harmony FHAC G $143 Minimal wear, pickguard present, logo strong, scratch on bass side of top, treble side top bout top separation, stamped S-63, serial #4390H612. Relisted in March '10.


612 Harmony FHAC G $139 Edge wear, pickguard missing, 2" crack at bass side f-hole, logo has scratch at 'S'


657 Harmony Classical VG $31 Clean, light wear front and back, serial #2621H657


657 Harmony Classical w/ OC VG $85 Clean, minimal wear, some playing wear to fingerboard, stamped S-63


1214 Harmony FTAC $38 Sold as a project, edge wear, rust to tuner plates, block logo strong, crack on side



Parts is Parts...

1484/5 Footswitch $125 Accompanied by this great story: "In the early 90's I made what may have been my worst trade ever... I was bedazzled by a mint condition Silvertone 1484 Twin 12 guitar amp, and this guy talked me into trading my early 70's Fender Telecaster Deluxe for it. The amp was AMAZING. Mint condition, sounded incredible. It's just that at the time that kind of amp only went for a few hundred dollars, as it turned out, and my Deluxe Tele went for a lot more. I was young and dumb. A few years later I moved and felt the need to part with my larger items, including that mint condition 1484. However, for whatever reason, I managed to keep the footswitch. As I'm going through my belongings here, I feel it is time to share it with someone out there with a Silvertone amp would would love to have the official companion footswitch. This is it."


Dano footswitch $76


Dano wiring harness $125 From a '59 model, pot codes date to 33rd week of 1959



2/23

Revolutionary!  That's the kind of money the "Last Silvertone Ever Made" went for yesterday, $1776! Congrats to the lucky bidder, and thanks for the great story from Wiley Nash, noted Harmony collector and researcher, for trusting Silvertone World as a source of info. Remember, sellers are always welcome to link to Silvertone World pages and cite the site for dates, model numbers and such. Feel free to email me with any ID or other questions, if I can help, I will.

2/23

Let's see if I can dig out of this hole before it gets too deep! Lately it's been taking me 'til Wednesday to crawl out from under these amazing Silvertone weekends, and it looks like it's gonna be that way this week, too! Here we go...

1485 Harmony HBEG E $1776 Super clean, totally unique guitar; custom-built by Harmony for an insistent (and moneyed) Sears customer, pickups double stamped 67/68, guitar stamped S-70



From one of a kind to FOUR of a kind!

604 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $79 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, light buckle rash, 'D' tuner slightly bent, original braided cord 'strap' incl., stamped S-65


1204 Harmony FTAC VG $115 Clean, light wear, some buckle rash, stamped S-69


1206 Harmony FTAC VG $106 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, only one photo available


1206 Harmony FTAC w/ OC G $57 Light edge wear, scratches on top, some rust to tuner shafts and plates, logo strong, broken nut shimmed at high 'E' string


1436 Teisco MIJ SBEG w/ OC VG $569 Clean, light wear, whammy present, (1) NS knob, logo tag looks good, serial #326519


752 Kay Mandolin G $113 Minimal wear, logo strong, NS tuners, seldom-seen scalloped headstock


852 Harmony Ukulele G $32 'Hawaiian Girl' model, edge wear, stencil and logo strong, scratches on back, fingerboard dirty


852 Harmony Ukulele P $20 'Hawaiian Girl' model, edge wear, stencil/finish is faded, logo faded as well, back and top separating. Was this poor thing varnished, left out in the pawn shop window for a decade, stuck in a smoky room? Weird how the back looks 'normal.'


1456 Teisco MIJ HBEG G $255 Clean, some edge wear, lead pickup trim ring missing, whammy present, Space Dot version of the 1455. Relisted from January


1311/1442 Valco lap steel $228 Clean, minimal wear, gold-sparkle buttons have shrunk



2/22

Alright, ya'll... be patient with me as I try to clean up nearly five days worth of auctions...  my internet went out Friday, and the weekend was.. well, the weekend, so let me stop making excuses and, as Jerry Reed would say "Get on wit da business!" First up today is a nice setup that didn't sell on it's first go 'round last month, but made up with a nice selling price this past Friday. It's a rare logo-less Valco-made amp, paired with an equally scarce Harmony-made lap steel from the early '50s.

1315 Harmony Lap Steel VG $350 Clean, light wear, logo strong, picks & slide bars incl.
1339 Valco tube amp Clean, some edge/corner wear, handle good, unidentified mod on side panel (ext. jack?)


1317 Dano SSEG VG $455 Clean, logo strong, NS knobs, sidewall and knobs have yellowed, sidewall missing near jack


1304 Dano SSEG G $355  Surface/edge wear, knob missing, big ol' scratch to the headstock, logo strong, rust to tuner plates and neck bolts, pigtail hardwired though jack



I really think this next one would make Eddie Van Halen cry...

1304 Dano SSEG MOD $203  Splatter/drip finish, logo worn, NS chickenhead knobs, wear to back surface, sticker is load-bearing (it holds the access panel on), guitar is sound overall... despite the sadness... Re-listed in March '10


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with tube ampincase G $475 Edge wear, logo strong, some weird wear under the strings at the bridge, ampcase has light edge/corner wear


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar only VG $362 Clean, light edge wear, cord retainer still present, light case rub below cord retainer (sidewalls otherwise very clean), logo strong, light oxidation to tuners


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar only F $163 Edge/surface wear, logo worn at 'i,' washers under bridge, bridge screws rusty, knobs worn/discolored, looks lke some delamination/water damage to edge of Masonite,


1448 Dano  tube ampincase only G $113 Minimal wear, one latch missing, amp functional


1457 Dano SSEG and tube ampincase VG $560 Clean guitar and amp, minimal wear, no footswitch, tremolo unmentioned


1446 Harmony HBEG w/ OC  G $700 Clean, Bigsby present with "Guinn" scratched into it, logo missing,  pickguard present, stock knobs, some chrome wear to tuner buttons, pickguard has screw crack on outer mounting hole, side scratches, checking to finish all over


1481 Dano tube amp G $149 Square speaker cutout, covering is clean, handle captures rusty, looks like a paint stain on top, small 'pick' in grille, back panel missing, oxidation to chassis


1481 Dano tube amp G $165 Round speaker cutout, covering clean, back panel missing, oxidation to chassis, knob inserts discolored


1481 Dano tube amp G $281 Square speaker cutout, covering clean, NS speaker, NS (but very cool) logo on top edge, original logoplate missing, knob inserts discolored, speaker extension jack mod on back panel. If you look closely at the grille in the first photo, you can see the shadow of a much larger speaker; maybe the grille fabric came from a 1483 enclosure.


615 Harmony FTAC G $69 Clean, edge/surface wear, pickguard present, logo strong, heel lifting, 'A' and 'D' tuner buttons NS, low 'E' button missing


708 Harmony FHAC G $325 Edge/surface wear, logo worn, NS pickguard



UNK Kay HBEG VG $277 Clean, light wear, a couple of screw cracks to pickguard, logo strong, rust to tuner plates.
This is that crazy Kay, based on the 'Value Leader.'



2/18

1420 Harmony HBEG G $350 Edge wear, screw missing from lead pickup, couple of big scratches on back, looks like the logo has a little ding on the 'n'


615 Harmony FTAC F $51 Clean, edge/surface wear, pickguard broken, logo strong, action is high, top is warping in spots, neck has been "repaired" with a great big screw... looks like it cracked the body, serial #2880H615


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar only G $277 Edge/surface wear, knob insert discolored, transitional guitar; strip tuners and triangle knob inserts, three bolt neck


2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp w/ OC  G $63 Clean, no accessories



2/17

Finally, a bit of a breather here mid-week... it's been mighty active this week, with just a bunch of Silvertonin' goin' on! Today's a little slower numbers-wise, but there's still some interesting items that went under the gavel recently. If you haven't stopped by recently, check out February so far... what a ride!

First up today, an electrified 619, this one with the crazy aluminum triangle decorated headstock.

619 Kay FHAC MOD $710 Clean, minimal wear, NS electronics, NS tuners, NS tailpiece, logo strong on aluminum plate


1445 Teisco MIJ SBEG VG $250  Whammy missing, clean, minimal wear, non-bound version, swoop headstock, late-era block logo strong


1471  Dano tube amp VG $275 Clean, minimal wear, powered up, tubes light but untested w/ audio source


1482  Dano tube amp VG $330 Square speaker cutout, edge/corner wear, back panel present, tremolo functional, no footswitch


1204 Harmony FTAC w/ C VG $153 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong


1255 MIJ Ukulele VG $32 Clean, minimal wear, late-era block logo strong, orig. shipping box (incl.) postmarked 1968



UNK Harmony FHAC F $89 Edge wear, pickguard present, buckle rash, hardware shows rust, couple of cracks front and back, fretboard quite worn



2/16

A good day for Harmony hollowbodies, and plenty of other goodies - rare and run of the mill...

1317 Harmony HBEG w/ OC F $462 Clean, pickguard present, surface scratches, 6" crack on the back bottom, stress crack at jack, cracks to upper bouts near neck on both sides, neck lifting, homemade saddle, logo laminate strong, stamped F-49, serial #1449H53. I'm also gonna take the time to transcribe the unsigned and undated handwritten letter that comes with the guitar, giving some info on the original and only owner of the instrument. Would that every guitar had a nice piece of provenance like this:

"This guitar belonged to Dick Powers, younger brother of Marie (?) Powers Freeman. He was, by all reports, a gifted self-taught musician who played many instruments. He married and divorced Hannah Powers - two children: Charles and Mary Ann Powers. He lived and died impecunious, working as a carpenter and handyman. Lived most of his life in Brayton, Iowa, but spent some time in Chicago, I believe."


1352 Harmony HBEG w/ C VG $535 Clean, pickguard missing, deco logo strong, some low-ridin' buckle rash, serial #4938H61



How about a super-rare amp from our friends north of the border? Check this out!

26178 Simpson-Sears tube amp VG $130 Clean, minimal wear, functional, tube complement 50C5 & 12AU6


1429 Harmony HBEG w/ C VG $572 Clean, light wear, light checking, stress crack at jack, chrome shiny, logo strong, truss rod cover tip has screw crack, stamped F-61


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar only G $228 Edge/surface wear, glitter worn off in spots, knob insert discolored, transitional guitar; strip tuners and triangle knob inserts, no shots of the back so unknown if 2 or 3 bolt neck


1449 Dano SSEG guitar and tube amp in case VG $925 Clean guitar and ampcase, minimal wear, very light grille stain


1410 Teisco MIJ SBEG G $66 Whammy present, a few dings and some white paint drips, light crazing to finish, logo strong, nut broken, 'G' tuner missing,


615 Harmony FTAC VG $86 Clean, light edge/surface wear, finish shiny, logo strong, chrome looks good


1204 Harmony FTAC G $128 Edge wear/surface scratches, logo strong, NOS tuners


653 Kay FHAC 'Kentucky Blue' VG $300 Clean, light wear, pickguard present, logo strong, light rust to tuners


653 Kay FHAC 'Kentucky Blue' VG $238 Clean, edge wear, logo strong, missing pickguard


619 Kay FHAC w/ OC VG $205 Very clean, chrome and finish shiny, no wear to speak of, manual incl., neck separating


1217 MIJ FTAC G $40 Edge/surface wear, high 'E' tuner missing, rust to tuners, bridge has a stable crack, pickguard design worn (and pretty bizarre looking!), still labeled internally as a Silvertone


1474 Dano tube amp F $335 Edge and corner wear, some covering rips, NS "chicken head" knobs, reverb controls on back, new amp deck built into cabinet, back panel missing, reverb tank incl. but not hooked up, light oxidation to chassis, some NS electronic parts, chassis # 185.10410


1484 Dano tube amp w/ speaker cabinet VG $1000 Clean, minimal wear, all stock, rev/trem functional, no footswitch, this model featured in Vintage Guitar magazine (anybody got a copy?)


1464 Dano solid state amp only G $103 Face shows dirt/staining, "could use a good cleaning," rev/trem functional, no footswitch, back loks nice


1464 Dano solid state amp chassis only $31 Face has some stains, does not power up, fuse holder missing


1481 Dano tube amp MOD $149 Square speaker cutout, some weirdness to grille, cigarette burns to top, NS knobs, NS speaker, tone not hooked into circuit, some electronic components changed out


1482  Dano tube amp VG $435 Square speaker cutout, minimal wear, back panel present, tremolo functional,  NS footswitch


1482  Dano tube amp VG $407 Square speaker cutout, minimal wear, back panel present, tremolo unmentioned,  no footswitch


1482  Dano tube amp G $310 Square speaker cutout, edge/corner wear, rust to handle captures, looks like a melt scar on top, rust to speaker cage and xformer,  tremolo functional, no footswitch


1448 Dano  tube ampincase only $125 Some scuffing to the outside, grille staining, works, loud hum


802 Harmony Banjo w/ C MOD $138 5-string w/ resonator, I'll paraphrase the seller for the rest: "I completely disassembled this down and rebuilt it from head to toe with the following upgrades; The pot was originally a 16-bracket open back. I doubled up on the shoes with parts from an old Kay from about the same period, making it a 30 bracket, and then replaced all the low quality hooks and nuts (normally used on these Silvertones), with 30 nice vintage standard flat hook and nut sets used by many makers for decades. I then replaced the original head bearing with a slightly heavier, polished steel head bearing, (tone ring), and assembled the pot with a new First Quality head.. The neck tilt adjustment connection is a throwback to the Stromberg -Voicenett design. The Silvertone connection bracket was plastic. I replaced it with an original Stromberg cast metal bracket I happened to have and this alone, greatly improved the tonal quality! The finger board and frets are in great shape and the neck is straight with no twists. The resonator is of unknown origin, but retrofitted quite nicely. The back has some scratches and buckle rash but overall looks good! Then I finished her off with a Waverly style adjustable tailpiece, an armrest, new Grover bridge." Whew!


804 Banjo G $125  4-string, missing resonator, light wear, hardware shiny, logo strong, one bracket missing


750 Kay Mandolin w/ OC VG $108 Light wear, some surface scratches to top, 'wind chime' logo strong, tuner buttons have shrunk, stamped L4


2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp  G $95 Clean, no accessories


2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp  G $57 Clean, no accessories


Parts is Parts...

Dano Footswitch $71


Dano tuners $95



What's going on with these 're-branded' headstocks? There was that 'Silvertoned' Ibanez yesterday, and now this oddity (from Australia, no less!) with a rather bogus-looking tag on top. Can't read the back sticker, so this may actually be a Teisco K-2L or ET-230 with delusions of grandeur. Also... most examples of this model don't have the treble bout selector switch.

1436 (?) Teisco MIJ SBEG G $402 Clean, whammy present, light checking, logo questionable


Here's that crazy lap steel from last week... it found a good home. Now, I've got to root through a million Silvertone images to find out where I've seen that logo before!

UNK UNK Lap Steel w/ OC VG $340 Clean, minimal wear, screw-on type cord incl.


UNK UNK FHAC G $153 Edge/surface wear, light checking, pickguard present, 'wind chime' logo strong, tuner buttons deteriorating, tailpiece has light rust, possibly a 696



2/15

Plenty of Silvertone love this past Valentine weekend. Check out some of the great deals on some of our Silvertone favorites, and a couple of real oddball instruments in the mix as well. I know I won't get all this caught up today, so look for Pt. II tomorrow.

First up, the oddballs. This first one didn't make its reserve, but keep an eye out, I imagine it'll get re-listed.

1448 Dano  SSEG guitar only MOD DNS Where to start? I'll just paraphrase the seller: "...stripped, refinished, new telecaster pickup and tailpiece added (string-thru setup), jack moved from the body to the side. All new chrome volume and tone knobs, original tuners and short-scale fingerboard, neck, and body, all wearing a new swimsuit. Custom cut pickguard and peghead swirl!" COWABUNGA! Relisted/sold in March.



This next guitar is the first time I've seen a relatively high-dollar brand-name guitar impersonating a Silvertone.

Ibanez  "Artcore" $330 Metal Silvertone logo on Headstock. Don't ask me...



Alright, now on to the real Silvertones...

1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with tube ampincase VG $770 "Under the bed" estate sale find; very clean guitar, coupla case rubs to sidewall, finish and chrome shiny, ampcase has a few "moving around" scuffs, otherwise clean as can be. Amp has loud hum.


1484 Dano tube amp w/ speaker cabinet VG $1189 Clean, minimal wear, stock Jensens in place, no mods, rev/trem functional, footswitch incl.


1437 Teisco MIJ SBEG  VG $348 Clean, whammy present, light wear, logo tag a bit worn, all stock knobs


805 Banjo G $160 No bridge, no tailpiece, needs new head, 5th string tuner missing, oxidation to hardware, sold as 'project'



2/12

Looks like the "Black Beauty" has taken some of the thunder away from the "Chris Isaak" 1446 model lately, with some big money being thrown around for the model 1385 rockabilly jewel, also commonly known by its Harmony moniker, "Espanada." We've got a nice one today opening up our Friday auction recap, going for a jewel of a price!

1385 Harmony HBEG VG $1750 Clean, light checking all over but very shiny, chrome shiny, 'P' series pickups have individuall adjustable polepieces, logo strong, repro pickguard


For comparison, an aluminum-bound 'Espanada'


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar only $440 Clean, minimal wear, plenty of glitter, sidewalls nice and white, light edge wear at headstock, NS tuners, logo strong, in storage for past 20 years


1491 MIJ Teisco SBEG Bass VG $108 Seller says "In rough shape" but working, intonation is off, logo missing, tailpiece cover present


I can't believe we haven't seen one of these 605 models since November of '09!

605 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $74 Clean, edge/surface wear, logo strong, cracks on back, rust to tuner plates, slight back separation


604 Harmony FTAC VG $103 Clean, surface/edge wear, light rust to tuner plates, logo strong, stamped F-6?-K, serial 905H604


1484 Dano tube amp w/ speaker cabinet G $476 Edge/corner wear, NS back panel with 1/4" jack, NS Zenith CTS Alnico 25 watt speakers, rust to xformers, recently serviced, rev/trem not mentioned but assumed to be functional, no footswitch


1481 Dano tube amp VG $178 Square speaker cutout, clean, minimal wear, back panel present, small tear to speaker, look at the pretty wires... no computer chips in this baby!


804 Banjo w/ OC G $38  4-string w/ resonator, can't tell much more from one photo... looks clean enough, and what I see of the logo looks good





UNK Kay FHAC $82 Crack to treble f-hole, cracks at neck joint, oxidation to tailpiece/tuners, logo strong, probably a 619


UNK UNK FHAC $103 Hard to tell much, bridge looks like it needs work


Parts is Parts...

Harmony Neck $15 No fretboard, no tuners, no nut, logo strong, playing wear to back, non-adjusting truss rod present, most likely from a 1420



2/11

I've been waiting for our first up guitar to end its auction so I could feature it. Honestly, I try not to influence auctions at all, other than pointing some sellers to the site so they can make positive IDs on what they're selling. That said, first up is the super-cool and 'Space Dot' logo'd model 1217... IN BLACK! Now, could it be the influence of Johnny Cash and his big hit single "Man in Black" (went to #3 on the country charts in 1971, with Johnny wrapping up the three year run of his HUGE network TV show in '71 as well) that got this guitar to market? Hard to say, but it's certainly a coincidence, especially given that Sears had never featured a black flattop acoustic guitar before. Here's a catalog shot (no info, sorry) from a Spring/Summer 1972 catalog. Here's what I can tell from the model numbers. The first 1217, made by Harmony, and identical to the 600 series guitars, was designated 1217. From the headstock stamping, we can see the black guitar was designated 12175, and from a 1971 Wishbook listing, the MIJ 1217 was designated 12171,  but I have no other info. Got a Sears '72 catalog? Scan those guitar and amp pages and email 'em to me!

1217 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $178 Pickguard present, light wear, light rust to tuner plates, logo tag in good shape, manual and braided 'strap' incl.


600 series Harmony FTAC F $51 Pickguard present, high action, edge/surface wear, finish flaking, logo strong, modified or NS bridge, probably a 643


696 Kay FHAC w/ C VG $228 Clean, pickguard present, light wear, light tailpiece oxidation, 'wind chime' logo strong


1232 MIJ Classical w/ C VG $76 Clean, minimal wear


632 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $115 Clean, light wear, logo strong. Fairly rare late-50s/early 60s guitar, painted diamond/snowflake fret markers


1481 Dano tube amp VG $225 Round speaker cutout, minimal wear, light grille staining, back panel present


1423 Sears Solid State amp only G $62 Clean, light scratching to face,  missing a few slider knobs, one dime-sized ding on one corner, rev/trem functional, no footswitch



Thought you might want a peek at this rare 1305 even though it didn't sell.

1305 Dano SSEG w/ OC VG DNS Clean, minimal wear, NS knobs, sticker on pickguard, logo strong, access panel slightly bowed, re-fretted, v/t network replaced



2/10

Well, it's the middle of the week, and I've finally dug out from under the weekend. I'd held off on a few things that sold over the weekend, and I'll be kicking today off with them. First up is a rare and nice-to-see round-bottomed 600 model, the Godfather of the entire 600 series. I even dug an old 1948 mid-season Fall catalog listing out for it, since it's internal stamping indicated its build date as S-48. After that a nicely re-crafted uke, and a rare 696 f-hole.

600 Harmony FTAC w/ OC G $275 Pickguard missing, string circles to headstock, tuners a bit stiff, neck tight, plenty of playing wear, stamped S-48


853 Harmony Ukulele MOD $76 Nice MOP work on the headstock "depicting an Auana Hula dance pose," refinished, logo craftily preserved, one repair on back


696 Kay FHAC w/ C G $126 Clean, pickguard present, bridge missing, tuner buttons have shrunk, light wear, 'wind chime' logo strong


1302 Dano SSEG G $585 Edge/surface wear, buckle rash, wear to headstock/logo, rust to tuners


1303 Dano SSEG G $660 Playing wear, logo worn, dates to 1958


1478 Harmony SBEG w/ OC G $261 Whammy missing, surface/edge wear, logo worn, chrome worn from tailpiece, (1) knob missing


1483 Dano tube amp only VG $425 Clean, minimal wear, handle captures shiny, light rust to xformers, 1/4" jack mod, NS tubes, previous owners Oregon ID # scratched on back


1482  Dano tube amp G $375 Square speaker cutout, scratches to control face, light corner wear, light grille staining, minimal covering wear, 3-prong AC mod, tremolo status unknown, no footswitch, pots date to 1964, nice and colorful inside


1482  Dano tube amp G $260 Square speaker cutout, light wear, tape label on some knobs, tubes light up; otherwise untested


1484 Dano tube amp only VG $435 Clean, minimal wear, NS power switch mount, recently serviced, rev/trem functional, NS foootswitch incl., 3-prong AC mod


1421 Sears tube amp '10XL' VG $179 Clean, chrome shiny, tremolo functional, recently serviced, cover tear on left top corner


1207 Harmony FTAC G $24 Clean, top slightly warped, pickguard present, edge/surface wear, 'Space Dot' logo strong, light rust to tuners, serial # 369H1207, mis-ID'd as an Oscar Schmidt... don't ask me why.



A real head-scratcher today... weird logo (although I've seen a very similar one before), weird body shape and decor... just an odd piece. It didn't sell, but I thought you might like to see it.

UNK Lap Steel w/ OC DNS Looks at those knob bezel markings... they look suspiciously like AM radio frequency indicators...
Relisted, sold after Valentine's Day



2/9

OK, I did what I could yesterday, and here's most of the rest of the weekend plus yesterday and part of today! Whew! Starting the day off with a nice little treat; a verified 1427! We see this 'Espanada' derived guitar from time to time, and it's nice to finally see one with a last-of-the-line model number stamped inside.

1427 Harmony HBEG VG $1550 Clean, light finish checking, binding tight, logo strong, nicely patina'd binding and knobs, professionally rewired,  NS tuners, slight stress crack at jack, stamped  FL-59, serial #426H1427


1478 Harmony SBEG VG $334 Whammy present, light wear, chrome shiny with very light pitting to tailpiece, logo strong, pickup assembly stamped Oct 5, 1966


1478 Harmony SBEG G $330 Whammy present, clean, some edge/neck wear, all knobs missing, logo painted over, lamination line in headstock showing, NS truss rod cover, big ding/scrape on back, 'monogrammed' with glitter paint. Rock on, KS!


1465 Dano solid state amp only G $162 Clean, minimal wear, speaker cord spliced, power lamp bezel gone, rust to knob inserts and jack nuts, slight hum at idle, scratchy pots, rev/trem untested



Oh, the things we'll do to electrify a guitar...

604 Harmony FTAC MOD $61 'P' series pickup added


604 Harmony FTAC F $40 Edge/surface wear, fingerboard worn, pickguard cracked, logo strong


1484 Dano speaker cabinet only $125 Rough shape, no speakers


1482  Dano tube amp G $200 Round speaker cutout,  minimal wear, grille shows some water staining near bottom, back panel present, recently serviced, no footswitch, NOS rectifier (orig. incl.)


1482  Dano tube amp VG $256 Round speaker cutout, light wear, light rust to handle captures, back panel present, tremolo functional, no footswitch


1472 Dano tube amp G $265 Square speaker cutout,  some edge/corner wear,  red border control panel with 'tremolo' spelled correctly, tremolo functional, no footswitch, not really sure what's up with those glued and stapled popsicle sticks...


1460 Teisco MIJ HBEG VG $213 Clean, minimal wear, whammy missing, pickguard missing, 'Si' missing from logo, light rust to bridge, finish shiny, binding tight, pickup trim slightly different than what I'm used to seeing


1461 Teisco MIJ HBEG G $165 Edge wear, whammy missing, pickguard missing, selector switch tip broken off, logo missing, finish worn/flaking near bottom strap button hole, stamped F-71 SW. Funny thing... it just now hit me that these only have one f-hole!



Here's a study in contrasts; check out these two 619 models from Kay

619 Kay FHAC w/ OC E $355 Very clean, finish shiny, no wear to speak of, manual incl.


619 Kay FHAC F $57 Edge/surface wear, pickguard present, NS bridge, stamped 57-619. This is the version with the crazy aluminum triangle logoplate on the headstock;  can't tell from the poor photos if the logo is still there or not.


658 Kay FHAC w /OC  VG $250 Clean, light wear, dot markers indicate 1966-68 model, oxidation to tailpiece, pickguard present, logo strong, NS tuners, NS Barcus-Berry pickup added


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with tube ampincase VG $825 Clean guitar, chrome shiny, triangular neck mount plate, minimal wear, ding on bottom sidewall and edge, logo strong, amp has light rust to clasps/hinges/handle captures, light stain on grille, amp is operational w/ all stock tubes


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with tube ampincase VG $338 Clean guitar, adhesive seep to knobs, minimal wear, case has light grille staining, speaker cone has been re-glued


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with tube ampincase VG $405 Clean guitar,  light buckle rash, logo strong, amp has a few scrapes, schematic/manual incl.


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar only $160 Re-built from parts; some custom made for this project. Relisted this month.


1457 Dano SSEG guitar only G $480 Some edge wear, rust to jack nut/washer and selector switch nut/washer, logo strong, sidewalls clean, lotsa weirdness on back


1457 Dano SSEG guitar only G $250 Clean, light edge wear,  logo strong, neck has stable crack that goes from 3rd fret to nut


1457 Dano SSEG and tube ampincase G $385 Clean guitar and amp, "electrical issues" whatever that means, cord keeper still present, hinge broken, worse-for-wear footswitch incl., tremolo status unkown


1452 Dano SBEG guitar and tube ampincase VG $522 Whammy present, clean guitar and amp case, minimal wear, logo strong, tremolo status unkown


1481 Dano tube amp VG $175 Square speaker cutout, clean, minimal wear, light corner dings, back panel missing, adhesive seep to knobs, scratchy volume pot, also "note very old chewing gum on bottom which I decided to leave as this may be beneficial to overall sound quality."


1430 Dano tube amp F $86 Surface wear and staining, rusty handle captures, oxidation to amp chassis, volume knob missing, rust to jack nut, operational but with a loud hum


643 Harmony FTAC w/ OC G $86 Clean, light wear, light crazing to top, needs neck re-set, binding tight, logo strong, nice graining on back, light rust to tuner plates, stamped F-67, serial #8365H643


1483 Dano tube amp only G $414 Clean, light edge wear, rusty handle captures, rust dots to face, rusty jack nuts and washers,1/4" jack mod to back, NS Groove Tube, filter caps replaced


1483 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $595 Clean, light corner wear, light grille staining


1311/1442 Valco lap steel $74 Electronics and hardware gone, tuners missing, logo badge looks good, serial #T22615


1477 Harmony SBEG G $250 Earlier non-whammy version, edge/surface wear, logo strong, (2) knobs missing, bridge ground has been moved outside the control cavity,


750 Kay Mandolin G $46 Light edge wear, 'wind chime' logo strong, tuner buttons deteriorated, stamped L8192


1250 Banjo F $109 5-string open back, no bridge, holes in head, hardware shows oxidation, headstock lamination separating (has been poorly re-glued), rusty tuners, logo strong



UNK Kay FHAC w/ OC F $115 Bridge missing, surface wear, fingerboard worn, nut missing, NS tuners aren't screwed in, big veneer crack under pickguard, stamped L6186 6887 and N-2



Parts is Parts...

1484/5 Footswitch $100 Here's a nice treat: I've never seen a footswitch dissected before. As always, Nat Daniel used the least amount of effort for an inexpensive, yet durable and elegantly designed product



2/8

This past weekend was HUGE, with plenty of Super Bowl-sized deals goin' down! I don't know if I can dig out from under it all today, but I'll get to what I can, and clean up the rest tomorrow. Let's start with the big daddy of the weekend, this amazing $2200 deal that netted its buyer an instant Silvertone collection!

Dano/Silvertone Guitars $2200 Varying conditions, Dano U1, 1442 Silvertone Bass, modded/refinished Silvertone1457, 1444 Silvertone Bass, 1448 Ampincase, '98 Korean Longhorn re-issue, the auction didn't mention the amp, and I'm disappointed there weren't more pictures, but that a family get-together!


1381 Kay HBEG VG $709 Clean, light edge wear, light checking at edges, headstock laminate strong, neck tight, NS knobs, (1) pot replaced, playing wear to neck, jack plate added



1484 Dano tube amp only MOD $299 Re-cabineted, face clean, rev/trem functional, 1/4" jack mod


604 Harmony FTAC VG $60 Clean, light edge wear, tuners clean, logo strong, serial #1355H604, stamped F-66-GR


602 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $73 Clean, finish glossy, very light scratching on back (the only thing that kept it from receiving an 'excellent' rating), looks like it's spent most of its life in storage, stamped F-67 MS


2573 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp VG $42 Clean, books & storage bag incl. This is the much rarer 12-chord model.


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with 1451 tube ampincase VG $420 Clean guitar; only flaw I can see is some very light edge wear at the headstock and some adhesive seep to the knob inserts, outside of the case has a few scrapes and water stains



2/5

Funny how things happen in groups... especially here at Silvertone World. We'll not see a particular type of guitar or amp for months, sometimes years... then 3 or 4 will pop up within a few days or hours of each other. Take that 710 with the unusual number stamping from Wednesday, for instance. No sooner is the ink dry on the website than I get another question concerning the 710, but this time, it's actually a 702 with a 710 stamping. Here's the end discussion from the Silvertone Forum:

Thanks for the pictures, Tim. Normally, the XXXXH710 ID would be enough to peg the model number, but when you look at the old Sears catalogs, you see the 710 was a brownburst paintjob, while the 702 is classified as 'blonde.' Harmony stamps are (thank goodness!) great indicators of model designation and year, with very few anomalies across the years. Value-wise... f-holes have been enjoying a bit of a resurgence lately... I'd expect anywhere from $150-250, maybe more, as yours is in mighty fine shape; minimal wear, strong logo, good shine to the finish, frets look great, tuners are intact. The '57 listing mentions a nickel-plated tailpiece. Your "8-56-7" is probably actually "S-56-T." The 56 is a definite reference to 1956, but some argument exists as to the 'S' designation. Some folks say the it stands for 'Spring or Summer,' as there is also an 'F' stamped that you'll see on Harmony guitars as well; some folks saying it's stands for fall. Here's the alternate story: Harmony apparently closed down in the middle of the year, so everyone could go on vacation at once, since everyone was pretty much always needed along the assembly line to crank out the literally thousands of guitars they made. The 'F' is first half of the year, and 'S' is the Second half of the year. The last character stamp is probably a shift or employee number.

Head over to the forum and read the whole exchange, the last items in the message queue, page 9. I found it a fun exercise in detective work.

Doubt it's gonna be a 'Super' weekend here in Silvertone World; I would hope that smart sellers wouldn't have a big auction ending during the big game, but you never know. We'll see on Monday.

1484 Dano tube amp w/ speaker cabinet VG $727 Clean, light rust to xformers, rev/trem functional, no footswitch, some rust dots to handle captures, some edge wear on bottom of speaker cabinet, casters present, 3-prong AC mod, grille looks great


1457 Dano SSEG and tube ampincase VG $380 Clean, minimal wear to guitar, slight yellowing of knobs and pickguard,  ampcase has some major staining outside, footswitch incl. but non-functional, tremolo untested


1423 Harmony SSEG w/ OC MOD $365 Nicely refinished, chrome shiny, logo gone, couple of pickguard screw cracks, NS selector (orig. incl.)


1451 Dano tube ampincase only G $195 Some rips and wear to outside, inside looks clean, orig. cord incl., NS Jensen speaker, volume knob scratchy


758 Kay 'Venetian' Mandolin G $156 Clean, light wear, thick script logo strong, some binding broken/missing, some finish flaking, stamped N-1 L9806


1440 DeArmond (?) Pickup assembly VG $104 Tested functional, chrome shiny minimal wear, knobs and cables look good, the earlier version of this was model number 1399, #s switched in late '59, this one is stamped 7 1 61



UNK Kay G $180 Edge wear, finish shiny, logo strong, oxidation to frets, slight neck separation, stamped  L3115 6887


2/4

I ain't tongue-tied, just don't got nothin' to say. Talk to you tomorrow.

1454 Harmony HBEG VG $650 Clean, Bigsby present, light wear, logo strong, cracked at jack


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with tube ampincase VG $375 Clean amp and guitar with minimal wear, two-bolt neck but skate key tuners and line knob insert


618 Kay FTAC G $129 Edge and surface wear, finish flaking, logo strong, crack in top from bridge to bottom, NS tuners, headstock lamination cracks showing


1431 Dano tube amp  P $110 Covering is worn, grille has some stains, top of cabinet broken,  amp works, back panel present, logoplate nice


1470 Sears tube amp $128 Grille's a bit tattered looking, re-capped and modded for safety and noise-free operation


Parts is Parts...

1448 Dano neck only $40 transitional neck, strip tuners, 3-bolt, logo worn, playing wear, couple of small dings, neck stamp dates to 1963


1457 Dano ampcase chassis only $135 Amp tested functional, tremolo works


UNK Lipstick tube pickups $58 One's got a bracket, one doesn't. The one with the bracket looks fatter than the other. I don't think either one is Dano vintage.


1481 Dano tube amp transformer $35 Functional at removal. Seller modded his 1481 with new tubes and xformer



2/3

A slow day, with a grab bag of Silvertonium, and one very odd man out with our first auction up today. The seller says the serial inside ends with a 1215 after the H, with a 1957 stamp inside as well. The deco logo would seem to bear that era out, but the 12XX Sears catalog numbers didn't come into play until the late 60s. Luckily, our Harmony expert François has the answer! The model 710 is based on the Harmony 1215! These have also been spotted with an H35 stamping. Go figure.

On a "Let's Watch a Master Play His Silvertone 1448" note, Dex Romweber Duo will be having a live shindig at the newly christened Third Man Live stage tomorrow night.

710 Harmony FHAC VG $150 Clean, light wear, NS tuners, stamped F-57-T, serial #4822H1215


1444 Dano SSEG Bass F $266 Edge/surface/playing wear, 'S' broken off logo, back access panel missing, pots date to 1965


1445 Teisco MIJ SBEG P $261  Refinished flat black, whammy present, oxidation/scratching to all metal, logo, tuners and headstock look great, tested operational


625 Harmony FTAC G $63 A few minor finish scars, bridge screw holes plugged, serial #4852H625


600 series Harmony FTAC F $52 Light surface/edge wear, logo strong, split down top face middle below bridge to bottom


1482 Dano tube amp VG $265 Square speaker cutout, minimal wear, NS Jensen, tremolo works, no footswitch, back panel has (3) extra screws, recently serviced & re-capped, 3-prong AC mod, pots date to 1965


1482 Dano tube amp VG $321 Square speaker cutout, minimal wear, NS preamp tubes, light hum at idle, tremolo functional, footswitch incl.


1331 Dano Tube amp G $266 Clean, edge/corner wear, recently serviced, NS rope handle



UNK Kay HBEG w/ C P $160 Top face and neck warped, tuner buttons worn away, playing/surface wear, electronics static-y and intermittent. This is that crazy Kay, based on the 'Value Leader.'



2/2

Kicking off February with a bunch of the guitars and amps we love to love! Yup, today we've got some of the most popular amps and guitars, and certainly some of the most active models on the auction circuit. First off, though, is a rare gem; the guitar and amp that would become the 1457, the venerable 1449, available for only a very short period of time in 1963, until Sears and Dano got together and decided that there just wasn't enough to distinguish the 1448 and 1449 from each other, and the red-sparkle 1457 was born. The pickguard on the 1457 was cut a little differently, the strip tuners were replaced with 'skate keys,' and another subtle difference between the 1449 and the 1457 was the lack of a decorative chrome bezel around the speaker grille on the 1449 ampcase.

1449 Dano SSEG guitar and tube amp in case G $450 Clean, light edge wear, light buckle rash, both pickup shells split, speaker disconnected, tubes light up but otherwise untested, no footswitch, rust to hinges and clasps, duct tape repair on one corner of lightly worn case, pots date to (duh!) 1963


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar with tube ampincase VG $350 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, ampcase looks good


1448 Dano  SSEG guitar only $203 Hard to tell much from one awful picture.... the knobs have been painted blue, looks like some wear on the bass horn, and maybe a NS saddle


1457 Dano SSEG guitar only $202 Sold as a project, headstock has a split and a screw 'repair,' finish has some large areas of wear (but hardly any edge wear), chrome shiny, (1) volume knob missing, saddle missing, logo worn, rust to tuners. Possibly water damage/rot to affected areas.


1452 Dano SBEG guitar only w/ C G $294 Whammy missing, edge wear/dings, major finish flaking on back, logo strong, pickguard screw crack at treble horn


1446 Harmony HBEG w/ OC  G $504 Clean, Bigsby missing arm, pickguard missing, thin script logo strong, NS bridge, crack at jack, significant finish flaking to sides, seller is original 60s garage band hit playin' owner

1478 Harmony SBEG w/ OC VG $500 Whammy present, a few edge dings, chrome shiny, all stock knobs, NS tuners, logo strong, lamination/shrinkage crack on headstock, back of headstock repainted to hide previous tuner marks



And now, on to the amplification!

1482 Dano tube amp G $315 Light corner wear, round speaker cutout, corner has been broken, back panel either reupholstered in gray fuzzy or NS, looks like some water damge inside cab along bottom, no footswitch, tremolo works


1483 Dano tube amp only VG $465 Clean, small ding on corner and top edge, speaker cable has been modded with 1/4" jack


1484 Dano tube amp only G $368 Face and handle captures and xformers rusty, untested


And we'll wrap up the day with a favorite strummer, the 15-chord 2574

2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp w/ OC  G $52 Clean, tuning wrench incl.



2/2

The January totals were a mighty fine start to the year! I tracked 274 Silvertone items in January, and they sold for a total of $80,675. That's fifteen grand more than the January '09 numbers!

Here's some highlights of what changed hands:  (16) 1448 guitars/amps or one or the other, only (12) 1457 guitars/amps or one or the other, an amazing (23) 1484 amps, (6) 1485 amps, (10) 1482 amps, (4) 1472 amps, (8) 1481 amps, (6) 'Chris Isaak'  1446 model guitars, (6) 1427 'Black Beauty' guitars and (7) 1423 'Jupiter' guitars. The highest dollar item was an nice 1385 'Black Beauty' guitar that went for $1825. The least amount brought in December was $8 for a 1482 knob.

If you've  not stopped by in a while, check out last month and all the other fun you've missed; just click on any of the archive links below.