Spring 2015

5/4

May The Fourth Be With You!


4/17

Don't Get Me Wrong... I love my mp3 player; it's great to be able to carry around 1,000 songs on a device no bigger than a matchbook. But, when I think that I've had rechargeable toys since my Hot Wheels Sizzlers in the late '60s, I've been playing with LCD and LED displays since before I hit my teens, and I've been digitizing music for over 30 years, the Sansa Clip audio player I favor just seems kind of... inevitable. I came across something the other day, thought, that I never knew existed and has completely fascinated me. I'm talking about the German-made music machine called the Tefifon, invented by engineer Karl Daniel (hmmm... something about that 'Daniel' name...) .Like a record player, it relies on grooves cut into a flat surface. Like a tape, it relies on a ribbon of material being pulled past a pickup that reads the audio from said ribbon. But, it combines both! The 'tape' is a looooong loop of plastic band with the same kind of grooves you'd find on a record pressed into its surface. It's an amazing piece of technology from the early 50s (apparently developed as far back as the 20s). Its sound reproduction was better than the fragile, fading 78s of its time, but not as good as the new durable, long-playing vinyl records that had hit the market. It gained some traction in Germany, but never really caught on here in the US, although I've found some old Billboard ads offering the Tefifon as a provider of office background music. Tefifon tried valiantly to keep current, even releasing a stereo version late in the game. The flat LP/EP/45 was the dominant mover in the music industry at the time, though, and the Tefifon and its lumpy cartridges quietly, sadly faded into audio equipment obscurity in the early 60s.

Here's a great video of the device from YouTuber Techmoan:



Tefifon player with cartridge in place:


Various views of the cartridge, called a 'TEFI.'



Snazzy logo from the machine above:


Snazzier logo for the cartridges:


From "The Routledge Guide to Music Technology:"


From Billboard:


And Cleveland Coin tryin' to get in on the 'T E F I F O N SOUND BOX' action in November, 1960:


One thing's for sure, given what I'd imagine is a very laborious process for the production of the cartridges, we won't be seeing a TEFI resurgence anytime soon. Shame, that...

4/15

A Fine Crop of Mid-week Silvertonium!

1300 Dano SSEG w/ C VG $850 Clean, playing wear, logo worn



1457 Dano SSEG guitar only E $800 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, case clean, tremolo functional, footswitch incl.




1448 Dano SSEG guitar with tube ampincase VG $350 Clean, light wear, logo strong, some sidewall case rub, NS Fender speaker (orig incl.), replaced bridge plate (orig. incl.), orig. cord and 'cord keeper' incl.



1413 MIJ SBEG VG $320 Clean, light wear, prismatic 'Space Dot' looks good, whammy handle present, seller says electronics functional but "could use a good spraying out"



700 Harmony FHAC $104 Clean, 'deco' logo strong, back separating, stamped F-50



605 Harmony FTAC F $85 Needs a cleaning, light wear, top split and warped at top of soundhole, neck bowed/high action, big scratch on back of headstock,  'deco' logo strong



1482 Dano Tube amp MOD <$650 Clean, light wear, recently serviced, tremolo functional, footswitch incl., 3-prong AC mod, 4/8 Ohm speaker extensions added, back panel made replaced with plywood and covered in original covering material, cabinet stamping indicates late 1966 build



1482 Dano Tube amp MOD $375 Clean, ome covering wear, some grille staining, NS speaker (orig. incl.), NS baffle, recently serviced, re-capped, new resistors, 3-prong AC mod, tremolo unmentioned, no footswitch, stamping indicates Spring 1966 build


1481 Dano tube amp MOD $165 Clean, light wear, NS speaker, re-tubed... is that glitter on the volume knob?


1481 Dano tube amp <$150 Clean, light wear, logoplate looks good, knob inserts worn/dirty, come with a bag of parts, seller says "it plays very mildy"


1423 Harmony electronics $175 No knobs, NS selector, selector shaft broken at split, orig. mounting screws incl., pots dated late '61

4/13

A Tale Of Two Pickups... starting today's report off with a couple of two-pickup'd guitars that lead very different lives.... our first, obviously pampered and well-cared for over the past five decades.. the other rescued from the searing flames of a trash barrel.

1449 Dano SSEG with tube ampincase VG $600 Clean, light wear, playing wear to neck, edge wear to case, logo strong, adhesive seep to amp knobs, speaker brittle / needs recoming, tremolo unmentioned, footswitch incl., stamping indicates 1963 build



1457 Dano SSEG guitar only MOD <$500 Kay neck, NS bridge, NS pickups, NS knobs, 'fire barrel' finish... here's the story from the seller: "Several years ago there was this 1457 body on eBay and the story was so cool that I bought it and it's been sittin' around my shop for years. The story goes this guy was walking down a side street in New York city in the wintertime and some homeless guys had built a fire in a 55 gallon drum and there was a guitar neck sticking up out of the can. The guy I got this from ran over and ask them if he could get the guitar out and look at it. Well here is what's left the 1457 the neck was fried but he salvaged the body and gave the homeless cats a few bucks for it.  I had an old neck, a string through the body Telecaster tune-able bridge and a set of aftermarket lipsticks and created this blues monster."



1448 Dano SSEG guitar with tube ampincase VG $499 Clean, light wear, logo strong, wear to amp chassis, heavy adhesive seep yellowing to amp knob, wear to guitar knob inserts, bridge improperly installed




One of the best 1438 basses I've seen!

1438 Teisco MIJ SBEG Bass w/ OC VG $406 Clean, light wear, thumb rest and string mute (!) still present, logotag looks good,



1436 Teisco MIJ SBEG VG $238 Clean, light wear, logotag missing, whammy handle present, needs new jack, needs new zero fret



1437 Teisco MIJ VG $670 Clean, some edge/surface wear, logotag looks good, whammy handle present



1478 Harmony SBEG w/ OC $160 Clean, light wear, some checking, early whammy, logo strong, some pickguard warping, truss rod cover has screw crack-off near nut, (1) NS knob



1420 Harmony SSEG VG $376 Clean, light wear, logo strong, NS bridge, lead pickup non-functional, low 'E' ferrule missing



1420 Harmony SSEG w/ OC G <$225 Wear all over, side bare in spots, logo strong, fingerboard wear, NS knobs, NS bridge, NS tuners




Beautiful example of this mid-50s archtop!

661 Kay FHAC w/ OC VG <$400 Clean, light wear, rub spots on back of neck, finish checking, 'wind chime' logo strong, NS strap button in neck heel




Well... I've definitely seen better 1484s...

1484 Dano tube amp only G $243 Could use a cleaning, light wear, rust dots for control face, rust to handle captures, couple of ciggy burns along top of covering, speaker lead has 1/4" jack, reverb functional, tremolo not



1484 Dano tube amp only $300 Could use a cleaning, very rusty control face, lights up; otherwise untested



1481 Dano tube amp VG $175 Clean, light wear, grille & logoplate look good, NS 'chicken head', 3-prong AC mod, recently serviced


1464 Dano Solid State amp only $130 Needs a good cleaning and tech attention, lights up; otherwise untested



Interesting that the stencil on these 'Wahini' ukes were designed with a void where the bridge went...

852 Harmony Ukulele $35 Clean, light wear, stencil design and logo strong, dimple in plastic fretboard at nut, no bridge, original box/paperwork incl.



14XX Dano footswitch $125 Cleaned and polished, functional


14XX Dano footswitch $99 Functional


1416 Dano neck/tuners $219 Wear, (2) NS ferrules, logo worn and broken at 'S,' date stamp indicates Summer 1961 build


1423 Harmony neck $85 Logo missing, no truss rod cover or tuners


4/10

Color Coordinated! You can't say that about too many Silvertone guitar/case combos... but this beautiful 1413 fits the bill!

1413 Kay SBEG VG <$475 Clean, light wear, logo strong, playing wear to neck, knobs clear (!), tailpiece design strong, pickup shows some wear, orig. strap button broken / NS strap button instaled, orig. gig bag incl.



1484 Dano tube amp only VG $439 Clean, minimal wear, 1/4" jack mod, some NS tubes, reverb non-functional



1484 Dano tube amp only MOD $376 Could use a cleaning, light wear, some touchups around jack area, 1/4" jack mod, seller says "THIS HEAD HAS BEEN REFURBISHED, IN THAT IS HAS FRESH CAPACITORS WHERE NEEDED, INCLUDING THE BIG 100UF CAPS, TESTED AND REPLACED TUBES , CLEANED POTS, REPLACED INDICATOR BULB IN RED JEWEL, REPAIRED REVERB, UPGRADED POWER CORD TO 3 PRONG."



1421 Sears tube amp E $236 Clean, minimal wear, no footswitch



1483 Dano tube amp w/ speaker cabinet MOD $400 Reupholstered, seller says "very slight background hiss"


1348 Harmony HBEG G $481 Clean, edge/surface wear, logo laminate looks good, 'JCB' initials below volume/tone knobs



658 Kay FHAC w/ OC VG $260 Clean, light wear, logo strong, block markers indicate pre-1966 model


696 Kay FHAC w/ OC G $156 Clean, edge/surface wear, some checking, 'wind chime' logo strong, ding in neck, original cord 'strap' and warranty/care pamphlet incl.



14XX Footswitch $75 Untested, "switches stick when I push it down"


1446 Harmony Pickguard $78 Some tape residue, includes bracket

4/8

It's Not Often I get to feature the guitar and amp that share the 1485 part number... but here ya go!

1485 Harmony HBEG w/ C VG $<$999 Clean, light surface/edge wear, logo worn at 'S,' some scratches to pickguard, some rust dots to pickup covers, paint worn from Bigsby, bridge shimmed, playing wear to neck, lamination splitting on back of headstock bass side, serial #72?7H14541



1485 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $2200 Clean, light wear, seller says "Has 4 RCA matched 6L6 power tubes and the rest are RCA and GE. All new caps and many new resistors. Has 6 gold label C10Q Jensen's. Cabinet, baffle and handles solid and are in good shape, but showing wear. This is no museum piece, but a very good sounding example of the big six with very little tarnish. All lettering, grill and tolex intact. Chassis straight and clean with no dents. Both cabinets solid with some strong repairs. New rubber feet on speaker cabinet and new elastic for your goodies. New black vinyl covered plywood dolly with correct hardware. No footswitch. Great tremolo and good reverb. Very loud and clear with a little noise at idle. Corners and edges showing wear. Head and speaker cabinet separated with 1/4 inch jacks. Three of the Jensen's are from 1965 and 3 from 1966, all produce that warm vintage tone. One of the 66's was reconed a couple of years ago by Dustysamps. Two inputs on 2 channels, previous owner wired ONE of the inputs on each channel for headphones. Can be switched back easily if needed. The other 2 jacks operate normal. Reproduction owners manual and schematic included."



1455 Teisco MIJ HBEG VG $270 Clean, light wear, logo strong, whammy handle present, NS tuners



1448 Dano SSEG guitar only G $178 Needs a cleaning, edge/surface wear, logo nearly worn away, some glitter rub-off, pickup cover split, bridge screws rusty, bridge improperly installed, some sidewall rub-off, transitional version with two-screw neck attach and strip tuners, tone control has little effect




1482 Dano Tube amp VG $305 Clean, light wear, scratchy pots, slight hum, mic input untested, footswitch incl., tremolo unmentioned



Kay numbers seldom mean much more than "I'm A Kay!" This mid-50s archtop, though, has the actual model number towards the tail end of its stamp!

661 Kay FHAC w/ C <$196 Clean, 'wind chime' logo strong, some edge flaking, binding tight, neck lifting, tuner buttons shrinking, no bridge, needs neck re-set, stamped L6972 661




A little wishful thinking here... the auction was advertised as being for a Silvertone guitar... but trust me, it ain't.



First I've seen of this Canadian-sold Uke!

29683 MIJ Ukulele VG $68 Clean, light wear, logoplate in great shape, nut missing, original Simpson-Sears box incl.



1484 Dano speaker cabinet only $289 Clean, light wear, no speakers, cabinet stamping indicates late 1965 build


1481 Dano tube amp cabinet $75 Re-grilled, no amp or speaker, NS baffle cutout, logo and back panel missing



Given the rarity of these knobs, I'd say getting both for $16 in relatively good condition is a pretty good deal.

1448 Dano knobs $16 Early triangle-legend version


1488 Harmony SBEG body/neck $399 Neck screws/washers, tuners w/ replacement ferrules, truss rod cover incl.

4/6

I Don't Get to Put 'Near Mint' on much Silvertonium.... but I'm happy to stamp it on this beautiful 'Chris Isaak.' Folks, the original flatwound strings are still in place. Wow!

1446 Harmony HBEG w/ OC NM $1100 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, chrome shiny, recent pro set-up




1419 Dano SSEG VG $333 Clean, some surface wear, buckle rash, logo intact, neck wear, bottom strap button missing



1448 Dano SSEG guitar with tube ampincase VG $500 Clean, light wear, logo strong, 'cord keeper' present but 'loop' broken



1448 Dano SSEG guitar with tube ampincase G $260 Needs a cleaning, edge wear, adhesive seep to guitar knob inserts, hinges rusted/relocated, logo strong,  early example; triangle knob inserts, oval-buttoned strip tuners, amp functional, guitar untested



1448 Dano SSEG guitar with ampless ampincase $400 Clean, light wear, logo strong, 'cord keeper' present, pickguard broken at top, knob inserts missing, ampincase included (no photo provided) minus amp



1451 Dano SBEG with tube ampincase F $375 Needs some TLC... finish checking, edge/surface wear, bottom in very weird shape, oxidation to most metal, knob insert brown, logo strong



1300 Dano SSEG G $425 Needs a cleaning, edge/surface wear, fingerboard wear, logo strong but worn at 'S,' NS knobs, cavity cover needs a refit, (1) pickup screw missing, 'D' tuner button missing



1423 Harmony SSEG w/ C G $465 Clean, some wear, some checking, logo intact, pickguard broken at edge and below selector, side cracked/repaired at jack, fingerboard wear



1444 Dano SSEG Bass F $325 Finish in sad shape with checking and some flaking, edge wear, logo intact (!), pickguard missing, cavity cover missing, NS knobs, bridge installed improperly, seller says "working, but needs some attention "



1440 Teisco MIJ SBEG VG $206 Clean, light wear, logo missing, whammy handle missing, bridge cover missing




1392 Dano tube amp MOD $205 Edge wear to covering, grille replaced, 'V' logo emblem looks good, NS Conn speaker, NS handle, tremolo unmentioned



1430 Dano tube amp  G $225 Covering worn, handle captures show rust dots, logoplate looks good, NS knob


1210 Harmony FTAC G $51 Edge/surface wear, logo strong, ding on headstock near 'S,' repaired crack on top, fingerboard wear

 

856 Harmony Baritone Ukulele G $66 Needs a cleaning, edge/surface wear, logo strong but damaged at second 'e,' cracked on back



1446 Harmony HBEG body/neck $306 Gutted, logo strong, truss rod cover and selector switch bezel present



1420 Harmony SSEG w/ C <$297 Wear all over, side cracked near jack, ead pickup missing, nut missing, V/T network gone, selector switch tip missing, untested



14XX Dano footswitch $46 Functional


14XX Dano knobs $25 Indicator lines faded

4/3

April Showers of Silvertonium!

641 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $149 Clean, light wear, logo strong



1446 Harmony HBEG w/ C VG $935 Clean, light wear, logo slightly worn, small chip out of truss rod cover, light buckle rash, scratches near jack, paint worn from Bigsby



1317 Harmony HBEG F $214 Clean, light wear, logo laminate looks good, finish check, back cracked




Best to worst (relatively speaking) on this trio of 1320s...

1320 Harmony HBEG F $338 Plenty of wear, tape residue around pickup mount, logo faded, (1) knob missing, pickguard missing, high 'E' tuner post missing, pickup mount ring missing screws, back separating



1320 Harmony HBEG F $280 Plenty of wear, logo strong, back screwed back together on top edge, cracks in back



1320 Harmony HBEG body/neck <$99 Gutted, back missing, top loose

Space Dot Sovereign!

1221 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $200 Clean, light wear, prismatic 'Space Dot' looks good, pickguard design strong, binding tight




Some Rare Steel...

2325 Valco Lap Steel / OC VG $213 Clean, light wear, some checking, some oxidation to metal parts, orig. cord attached/intact, logo plate looks good, tuner buttons shrinking



1232 MIJ FTAC Classical w/ OC VG <$125 Clean, light wear, inner label looks good



1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet <$750 Rust dots to control face, light covering wear, many tubes missing, DiMarzio sticker on front panel, stain on top spkr cab panel, stamping indicates early 1966 build



1484 Dano tube amp only $385 Clean, light wear, speaker lead still attached, replacement 2-prong AC plug, "all tubes do seem to be working fine," otherwise untested



1482 Dano Tube amp MOD <$375 Clean, light wear, new plywood baffle, back panel missing, tremolo unmentioned, recently serviced: re-capped, vintage CBS Hytron and new GT tubes, 3-prong AC mod


1482 Dano Tube amp VG <$350 Needs a cleaning, light grille staining, light wear to covering, tremolo functional


1482 Dano Tube amp <$349 "Keeps blowing fuses," (1) NS knob, light wear


1448 Dano SSEG body only $175


14XX Dano footswitch $59 Switch retainer nuts missing, unit functional


4/1

In Case You Missed my April Fool's joke on our Facebook page, here it is.
 

Silvertone World Exclusive! Prince announced today that he'll be taking his custom Silvertone 1448 on the road for the Spring leg of his 'Hit and Run' tour. The vintage guitar features gold-plated hardware, and a 'purple starry night' glitter finish. Prince said "When I hit the stage, I don't wanna fool around."

It'd be really funny if this picture went all Nancy on us...

3/31

Out Like A.... Lamb? Lion? Man, March has been all over the place! I'll let you make the call from wherever you're at.

1294 Harmony FTAC E $150 Needs a cleaning, minimal wear, 'Space Dot' strong, small crack near neck, stamped S-70, original box incl.




618 Kay FHAC VG $375 Clean, light wear, light checking, beautiful grain, maroon 'thin script' logo strong, treble side tuners NS, NS strap button in heel,



604 Harmony FTAC G $40 Needs a cleaning, edge/surface wear, logo strong, fretboard wear, tuner plates/posts show rust, pickguard has screwcrack



603 Harmony FTAC G $65 Needs a cleaning, edge/surface wear, logo strong



1483 Dano tube amp w/ speaker cabinet VG $500 Clean, light wear, NS back panel, baffle on cab replaced w/ plywood, 1/4" jack mod to back of amp, 1/4" plug on speaker lead



14XX Dano pickup/mount <$120

3/30

Serendipity, Thy Name is Silvertone! We saw the identity-changed 1459 a couple of days ago, and here we are with the amp that was disguised to make it. I've always loved this era of Silvertone amp design, a little space-agey, and the top-mount controls made 'em practical players.

1432 Dano tube amp G $332 Clean, light wear, handle in good shape, grille damage to corner edge, 'V' logo shows light corrosion, footswitch incl., stamping indicates 1959 build, seller says "tremolo is there but faint and amp is scratchy with it switched on"



1485 Harmony HBEG G $1000 Clean, some surface/edge wear, logo nearly worn away, stress crack at jack, NS bridge, binding yellowed, rust to neck screws and Bigsby handle pivot, pickguard missing, (1) knob missing





Extreeeeeemely rare amp.. whoever bought this thing, send me some better photos!

1335 Dano tube amp G $305 Clean, covering shows wear, logoplate worn, grille looks good, handle missing, control face in good shape, tremolo does not work




1421 Harmony SSEG $200 Clean, some edge/surface wear, finish near jack in bad shape, jack repaired, some finish checking, neck shows playing wear, logo strong but scratched at 'l v', NS knobs, stamped S-61, seller says "Needs work. When plugged it makes loud hum."



1448 Dano SSEG with tube ampincase MOD $315 Clean, light wear, logo strong, all knob inserts dirty, NS bridge & tailpiece, grille pushed in at speaker, amp panel needs cleaning, case hardware rusty, early example; triangle knob inserts, oval-buttoned strip tuners, two-screw neck attach and no neck-tilt mechanism



1304 Dano SSEG w/ OC MOD $400 Refinished, sidewalls missing or painted over, logo strong, NS cavity cover, pickguard missing



1455 Teisco MIJ HBEG w/ C VG $340 Clean, light wear, logo strong, whammy handle present



1227 Harmony FTAC 12-string w/ C VG $114 Clean, light wear, 'Space Dot' looks good, stamped F-72



1481 Dano tube amp VG $203 Clean, some corner wear, back panel missing, logoplate strong w/ light wear on border, adhesive seep to knob inserts, stamping indicates 1966 build



1481 Dano tube amp VG $205 Clean, light wear, logoplate tarnished, 1/4" ext. speaker jack mod on back panel, light rust to handle captures, stamping indicates 1966 build



1484 Dano tube amp only $400 Light wear, some oxidation to front panel, (1) knob chipped, rev/trem functional, no footswitch, not much detail in limited photos


1484 Dano speaker cabinet only VG <$499 Clean, light wear, small stain on top, NS casters, logoplate clean, grille looks good, speaker lead has 1/4" jack added, stamping indicates 1966 build



1457 Dano SSEG neck $31 Headstock broken, nut present, neck tilt 'button' present, logo strong, date stamping indicates early 1965 build


1457 Dano SSEG neck $103 Replacement nut, refinished, NS tuners




3/27

1479 on the Headstock, 14773 in the Catalog. That was the 'gold foil' end-of-the-line version of the 1477. Here's one up today that has the teeny knobs of the 'classic' 1477. I'm wondering... did a previous owner think those big honkin' knobs of the 14773 were wrong, and replaced 'em with what he thought were the 'right' knobs?

1477(3) Harmony SBEG VG $495 Clean, some surface and edge wear and a few dings, logo strong, whammy handle present, NS knobs, rust to tuner plate



1452 Dano SBEG only MOD $275 Clean, light wear, logo strong, trem cavity has a pice of oak plugging it, custom pickguard, Seymour Duncan SLS-1 pickup, custom machined bridge, NS tuners, new wiring harness, needs knobs



653 Kay FHAC w/ OC VG $485 Clean, light wear, logo strong, light checking, stamped L9939 N-2



1296 Harmony FTAC VG $60 Needs a cleaning, light wear, block logo strong, chrome shiny

1481 Dano tube amp E $190 Clean, minimal wear to covering, light wear to amp chassis, adhesive seep to knob inserts, logoplate and grille look good, handle captures shiny



1483 Dano tube amp w/ speaker cabinet VG $394 Clean, light wear, light grille staining, speaker baffle reinforced w/ plywood panels, channel two bass knob rim chipped,  1/4" speaker jack mod, back panel re-covered, cabinet stamping indicates 1965 builld



1448 Dano SSEG with tube ampincase G $305 Needs a cleaning, logo worn at 'S,' checking and flaking, case worn w/ grille stains, (1) knob insert missing, bridge screws corroded badly; looks like the entire kit was kept in a humid environment




1482 Dano Tube amp chassis only <$75 No knobs, no tubes, no pots



14XX Dano footswitch $100 Cleaned and polished, functional


1384/5 Harmony HBEG body/neck $277 Logo intact


Pickguard $80 Some cracking, 'S' shows wear, bracket/screws incl.


1384/5 Gibson pickup $158 Came from bridge position


$133 Neck position


Knobs $34



3/25

Rare As Hen's Teeth. However, unlike hen's teeth, these odd woodgrain-stickered black-covered 1459 amps do exist. They were offered with the 'Value Leader'-based 1458  guitar in a combo deal in the 1960 Wish Book. Dano just took a good ol' model 1432, covered it in black 'tolex' instead of the gray of the late-'50s/early '60s 14XX series, then... printed model number and control legends on woodgrain contact paper and stuck 'em on, hiding the existing 1432 info already on the chassis. Most examples you see either show some scratching of the contact paper, and sometimes some slight bubbling. Needless to say, a rare amp.

1459 Dano tube amp VG $460 Clean, light wear, logoplate shiny, some grille 'push' and light staining, tremolo functional, handle worn, no footswitch, tube diagram label looks great, cabinet stamping indicates Summer 1960 build





Here's another one we don't see much of, especially not this pretty... it's the Rare Red-Ringed Harmony-built classical 664! Just wish the seller had taken a full length shot of it!

664 Harmony FTAC Classical w/ OC VG $190 Clean, light wear, small ding on bass back upper bout edge, serial #7362H664



621 Harmony FTAC VG $290 Clean, light wear, logo strong, new bone saddle




1304 Dano SSEG VG $395 Clean, light wear, logo strong, stamping indicates build date of  early 1959



1448 Dano SSEG with tube ampincase VG $370 Clean, light wear, logo strong, back has been monogrammed with stickers, rip in speaker grille, speaker stamping indicates 1965 build, untested other than "all 3 tubes lit up and it hummed" Relisted in April, brought $455.



1448 Dano SSEG with tube ampincase VG $400 Clean, light wear, logo strong, adhesive seep to knob inserts


1448 Dano SSEG with tube ampincase $260 Finish flaking off back, seller says "This guitar is in very good condition." We'll just have to take his word, won't we?


1457 Dano SSEG guitar only VG $375 Clean, light wear, logo strong, playing wear to neck, neck pickup cover slightly split

I am going to attribute the approaching plethora of parts and pieces to Spring cleaning...

1482 Danofootswitch <$180 Cleaned, functional


1457 Dano amp chassis $50 "Works, but makes a buzz sound," tremolo strength knob damaged, pots dated late 1964, tremolo function unmentioned


1474 Dano tube amp chassis only $154 No tubes, reverb balance knob missing, oxidation to aluminum and pot covers, untested




1484 Dano tube amp only $188 Needs a cleaning, corner wear, rust, (2) knobs missing, (2) tubes missing, untested, seller says "Found this while cleaning out my father's house"



676 Kay FHAC <$325 Poorly refinished at some point, neck lifting, NS bridge, top cracked/repaired, brace loose, neck binding gone, logo laminate and pickguard design strong



1423 Harmony SSEG body/neck $350 Logo gone, no electronics, truss rod cover, tailpiece and nut present



1452 Dano body/pickguard $125 Neck tilt mechanism still present


1448 Dano SSEG body $54 Finish stripped. Relisted in April, sold for $40.


1449 Dano SSEG body only $68 Neck tilt mechanism still present


Pickgaurd $10


Volume/Tone Network $36


1478 Harmony SBEG body/neck $160 Routed, stripped, markers lifting, logo barely there



3/24

Archtops? Yeah, we got 'em. Start things off with a mid-50s pair, the 696 and 688 from Kay.

696 Kay FHAC VG $183 Clean, light wear, 'wind chime' logo strong



688 Kay FHAC G $250 Clean, surface wear, buckle rash, pickguard missing, checking all over, tuner buttons shrinking, 'wind chime' logo strong




On to this rare and well-kept 663, needs a new bridge and some attention to the neck, but it's in beautiful cosmetic shape. Check that binding!

663 Kay FHAC w/ OC VG $281 Clean, light wear, 'wind chime' logo strong, needs a new bridge, neck needs re-set, pickguard needs to be screwed into bracket, stamped 663 6384 P4




Now on to some Harmony, and you may remember this 623, it sold for a few dollars less back in February.

623 Harmony FHAC w/ C VG $295 Clean, light wear, NS Harmony-branded pickguard, logo shows slight smudge at 'one,' serial #3037H623



710 Harmony FHAC VG $181 Clean, light wear, 'deco' logo strong, some playing wear to cowboy chord area, stamped F-54

OK, time to get electric!

1488 Harmony SBEG w/ C G $550 Clean, edge/surface wear, some flaking, lamination line showing on headstock, logo strong, NS knobs, NS bridge, NS tuners, whammy handle missing



1477 Harmony SBEG w/ C VG $286 Clean, light wear, logo strong, whammy handle present, screw chips to pickguard top and bottom




One of the last guitars to receive the Silvertone brand, this 1412 was always illustrated in its scant catalog appearances as a 'Space Dot.'

1412 Teisco MIJ SBEG G <$300 Clean, some edge/surface wear, heavy checking on back, (1) neck screw missing, whammy handle missing, 'block' logo strong, some oxidation to metal parts



1442 Dano SBEG Bass G $285 Clean, edge/surface wear, some chipping/flaking, checking, logo intact



1420 Harmony SSEG w/ C VG $330 Could use a cleaning, light wear, logo strong, shiny chrome, selector switch tip missing, playing wear to neck



1304 Dano SSEG G $329 Looks good enough in single photo provided, some surface wear evident, NS knobs, seller says logo "Worn off, but you can still see it."


856 (1256) Harmony Baritone Ukulele w/ OC VG $140 Clean, light wear, logo strong



856 (1256) Harmony Baritone Ukulele w/ OC G $85 Clean, some checking/drying, logo strong


660 Kay FTAC Classical w/ OC G $76 Clean, can't tell much from photos; looks good enough


1319 Harmony Lap Steel G $215 Clean, some edge/surface wear, 'deco' logo strong, some oxidation to chrome, come checking, original integral cord intact




3/23

Astounding. That was the first word that came to mind when I saw this very early non-catalog mid-pickup'd 1448. Then, I was kinda at a loss for words when I saw that the guitar went for just slightly over three hundred dollars, with just three bids placed! Very few of these are 'in the wild' these days, as a very limited number of them were built, before Dano moved the pickup forward a couple of inches, brought on the ribbed cylindrical knobs, and became the familiar 1448 that is the poster child for all that is Silvertone.

1448 Dano SSEG guitar only VG $302 Clean, some edge wear, neck shows playing wear, some glitter rub-off, logo strong, case rub to sidewall lower bout, high 'E' tuner bent, this is the very earliest example of the 1448: black ribbed dome knobs, mid-placed pickup, round-buttoned strip tuners, star-pattern sidewall tape, two-screw neck attach and no neck-tilt mechanism






And here's a beautiful example of the 1448 we are all familiar with...

1448 Dano SSEG and tube ampincase E $420 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, case looks great, light adhesive seep to knob inserts, seller says "closet find"




How about a nice example of the 1451, the successor to the mega-selling 1448?

1451 Dano SBEG with tube ampincase VG $448 Clean, light wear, logo strong, white finish to pickguard show humidity-induced 'puckering,'

1317 Dano SSEG w/ OC VG $428 Clean, light wear, logo strong, pickup cover slightly split, swirly pattern to sidewall tape (NS?), cavity stamping indicates late 1957 build, untested




1300 Dano SSEG G $525 Clean, edge/surface wear, neck shows significant playing wear, logo stronf, some finish checking, picking wear at treble side of bridge



1381 Kay HBEG VG <$1200 Clean, some edge/surface wear, light flaking,  logo laminate looks good, pickguard design strong, plenty of bedazzlement via added rhinestones, initials missing from personalization plate



1441 Univox (?) MIJ SBEG VG $356 Clean, light wear, 'block' logo strong, whammy handle present

At last! A mostly intact Kay-built 680! Time to update the page!

680 Kay FHAC VG $386 Clean, light surface wear, pickguard missing, logo inlay intact, new tuner buttons, nice graining, neck has been re-set, stamped L 8086-8905 & P4



653 Kay FHAC w/ OC VG $267 Clean, light wear, logo strong, neck lifting, stamped L 9836



604 Harmony FTAC w/ OC E $150 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, light rust to tuner plates, stamped F-61, case very clean



619 Kay FHAC VG $153 Clean, light wear, logo strong, NS strap button in heel

1430 Dano tube amp  $195 Could use a cleaning, covering wear/staining, logoplate looks good, handle broken, oxidation to chassis, does not power up



1446 Harmony HBEG w/ OC G $774 Needs a cleaning, edge/surface wear, pickup mounting rings and knobs yellowed, logo strong, rust to pickguard bracket and neck screws, scratches and maybe some cord melt to back, Bigsby paint flaking off



1446 Harmony HBEG G $687 Clean, some edge wear, finish checking, logo intact, paint worn from Bigsby, NS Grover tuners, headstock scratched on back, some binding sloppily re-glued, pickups are patent number (vs. the more rare PAFs)



615 Harmony FTAC box only $25 Addressed to a Syracuse, NY Sears, from 'H. Co.,' the thinly veiled name Harmony put on their shipping labels





And now, for a little perspective... all kinds of things slip through my 'Silvertone' filter on eBay. I've tuned it over the years to let the good stuff through, while not exclusively limiting my search to only amps or only guitars, cutting down my results from an insane 450,000+ active auctions that have the word 'silvertone' in them, to a more manageable 15,000 items or so. OK, I said all that to say all this... sometimes something slips through the filter that puts everything I report on here in a different light. Like this Hermés 'Kelly 28' bag, with 'silvertone' hardware (which is why it snuck it's way into my list). It's 9 years old, and it looks like... well... a purse. No better or worse for carrying around your stuff than would a bargain center purse that you'd pick up for ten or twenty bucks. This purse, however, sold for SIX THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS. Yup. $6,500. Sixty-five Benjamins. Six and a half large. And I must say, with the padlock and the catches and the straps and such, it does look like a particularly inconvenient purse, as purses go. So, I'd say we've got it pretty good. I'd far rather be collecting Silvertones, where you just saw that super-rare mid-pickup'd 1448 go for just $302, than collect purses... stained purses, according to the auction description, that cost more than I have left to pay on my Toyota Matrix.



 

Check out this all new page for the famous 'Kentucky Blue!'

 

ABBREVIATION KEY:
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, BOA - (related to price) Best Offer Accepted; price shown was asking price, sold for less, 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.