Summer 2015

Hello, Fellow Silvertonians! I've got something important to tell you.

Thanks to all of you out there, over the past nine years we've grown Silvertone World into the top site for Silvertone-related information in the known universe. I thank you most sincerely for that. When you search the Web for 'Silvertone,' you're likely to find Silvertone World in the top five results, and that is absolutely awesome. It's all been done in my spare time, balancing home, two young daughters, family life, work life and everything else with providing all of you the best-researched information, images and info that I can muster. But I want more, and I know you do, too.

So, I've left my 'real world' job in customer support for a large nationwide hardware distributor, and am now the CEO and Grand Poobah of Silvertone World! I've set goals for the site, and with your help, I intend to meet and surpass every one of them. First, to have this site not just self-supporting (which it is, thank you very much), but salary-sustaining.

That's where you come in. We have 40,000 or so visitors a month here, and Google ads help pay the site's way. If you could afford a sliver of your time to click through to an ad whenever you visit, it would do a great service not only to me and my family, but to Silvertonians worldwide who enjoy the information presented here. Google does a pretty good job of getting guitar and music related links populating the adspaces here, and even if you go no further than clicking through the ad, it'll add to Silvertone World's bottom line.

I'm not looking to get rich, but I do have the attainable goal of this being a long-term full-time job. As big as the site is, we're gonna at least quadruple it. By the 100th anniversary of the Silvertone brand name in late 2016, I'm aiming to have every Silvertone guitar and amp with its own page on the site. That's right... Every Silvertone Ever. I'll also be revamping older pages with new pictures, newly-discovered catalog listings and new info that I've gleaned over the past 9 years that the site has been online. Along with that, I'm developing a mobile/tablet friendly version of the site for quick reference when you're on the go. Add some Silvertonium merchandising to the mix, and you can see I've got my work cut out for me. But that's good, because ever since finding my first 1448 on top of some sad soul's garbage heap some 33 years ago, I've had an enduring love, appreciation and curiosity for these funky, far-out,  friendly instruments and amps, and I love sharing that with all of you.

Listen, friends, I don't 'click bait' you on this site (never have and never will). Sites that make you trudge through 20 pages of ad-laden material to get what could be presented on one page drive me insane, and actually lessen the chance that I'll ever return. I don't do that. Some Silvertone World pages may have multiple parts, but that's just because there's so much info that I want to get to you on these guitars and amps that I have to split it up. Anyway, my point is, I've always tried to present the kind of website that I would want to go to for this sort of information. Truth be told, I often do Google the site, when my brain can't cough up a fact or year or model! The Google ads are unobtrusive (by my design), tend to match well with our interests, and are certainly not the spammy, questionable ads you might encounter... *ahem* elsewhere.

All that said, your help is greatly appreciated and very necessary. Here's what you can do:  First off, I need your feedback and suggestions; email me if you've got an idea, some information, some new pictures, a page request for a model I've not gotten around to yet... I'll get right back to you, and do my best to honor your request, post your pictures, or simply answer your questions. Secondly, keep coming here, and click through an ad when you visit!

It'll do us all a (Silvertone) world of good.

Thanks!



randy@silvertoneworld.net



Hey, look! There's one of those ads right down there!

8/31

Wrapping us August, and putting Summer 2015 into the memory locker. I tend to go with the 'meteorological' seasons, as it just makes bookkeeping here at Silvertone World a little neater. Most folks are in 'back to school' mode, anyway, so why not? We've seen a lot of changes here at Silvertone World the past couple of months, the most important being I'm full-time on the site now. Whenever you happen to visit, a click-through to one of the Google ads here would be greatly appreciated. Just one click really does make a difference! Thanks in advance. Any ideas, questions, suggestions? Email me. We got a lot of new pages on the site this Summer, with many more to come. Just scroll down this page for links to the all-new and 'refreshed' pages. Anyhoo, today's first up is a fine way to wrap up this Summer of Silvertone, it's a pretty complete 'Chris Isaak' setup, including original case, cord and 'raincoat!'

1446 Harmony HBEG w/ OC VG $1299 Clean, light wear, some fingerboard wear, logo strong, some finish flaking to sides, frets re-dressed (first two frets possible NS), original 'raincoat' incl., from Nationwide Guitars, Inc.





Mighty fine 1457 setup!

1457 Dano SSEG guitar with tube ampincase VG $504 Clean, light wear, logo strong, chrome shiny, re-tubed, recently serviced, trem functional, footswitch incl., glitter added to pickguard




We see these every now and again... it's the ever-popular Silvertone 604 acoustic strummer from Harmony that has a '929' stamped internally as its model number!
Another quick note, the page for the 604 is the most visited guitar page on silvertoneworld.net! It's true!

604 Harmony FTAC G $57 Clean, some edge/surface wear, small repaired crack to top, logo strong



Here's the Harmony Stella 929:



1417 Dano SSEG w/ OC VG $566 Clean with a little grunge at the bridge, light wear, some buckle rash, logo strong



Oddly, this foot pedal was also included in the above auction...



1429 Harmony HBEG VG $789 Clean, light wear, logo intact (have have been re-glued), stamped S-60



While we're here, a big Silvertone World 'Thank You!' to the person or persons at Harmony who came up with and those who decided to continue using this simple, effective date/model stamping scheme!


619 Kay FHAC VG $100 Clean, light wear, logo strong, pickguard missing, tape/sicker residue on body, seller says "I am selling AS IS, FOR PARTS or REPAIR, because I do not know anything about the guitar, have no idea how play it. "



1485 Dano tube amp only MOD $307 Re-cabineted, 3-prong AC mod, tremolo works / reverb doesn't, seller says "One 6L6 Sylvania bottle sized tube is bad and is red plating. The two other RCA black plate 6L6 tubes are fine."



1446 Harmony HBEG body/neck $160 Logo intact, no hardware/electronics, wear, checking, tuner holes enlarged, truss rod cover and selector switch bezel present


Pickguard $50 Includes bracket/screws, foam still attached


Neck <$179 Clean, logo strong,


Pickups

$200


$124


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


1202 Harmony FTAC G $95 Clean, light wear, logo strong, fingerboard wear, bridge glued down, 7" separation on upper treble bout



1471 Dano tube amp VG $200 Clean, light wear, logoplate looks good, control face worn, pots scratchy, handle captures and jack nuts show rust, light grille staining near bottom, stamping indicates Spring 1962 build




These 1483s seem to be 'heating' up these days... even a tubeless example brought some good money!

1483 Dano tube amp only G $366 Could use a cleaning, some covering wear, rust dots to control face, NS tubes, 1/4" jack mod


1483 Dano tube amp only $261 Needs a good rehab, tubes missing, control face oxidized, untested, light wear


1457 Dano tube ampincase only VG $175 Clean, light wear, NS speaker, tremolo functional, no footswitch



1304 Dano SSEG G $400 Could use a cleaning, some wear/scratches, logo worn, NS knobs, possible NS cavity cover, pickup cover split, mis-ID'd as a 1951 model



1478 Harmony SBEG G $461 Needs a cleaning, some wear/flaking, logo strong, whammy present, pickguard screw-cracked at upper treble horn, rust to metal, untested, out of storage after 30 years



604 Harmony FTAC w/ OC G $75 Clean, some fingerboard wear, logo strong, NS bridge/tailpiece, stamped S-63, seller says "smells like smoke..."



Mysteriously, there was a newspaper article titled "Ballet Uses Old Idea" glued in the soundhole with "Elvis Presly 1947" scrawled on it ...


604 Harmony FTAC VG $51 Needs a cleaning, light wear, logo strong, stamped F-64



696 Kay FHAC $68 Sold as project, significant finish wear, back cracked/badly scratched, 'wind chime' logo strong on faded headstock



856 Harmony Baritone Ukulele w/ OC VG $225 Clean, light wear, logo strong



805 Kay Banjo G $85 Clean, playing wear, logo strong, some corrosion to metal, high action


1463 Dano Solid State amp only VG $36 Needs a cleaning, light wear, functional


1448 Dano tube ampincase chassis only $68 Functional


Body $72


Neck $36 Logo worn, mounting screws incl., datestamped 40th week of 1965


Pickup/electronics $50 Pickguard is NS plastic, Chicago Telephone pots date to 1963, pickup mount is coiled spring instead of later leaf spring type


1409 UNK Microphone $7 Some wear, untested, orig. box



8/27

Electroharp! Tired of the caterwauling vocalist, the self-indulgent lead player, the thundering bass player and the giant drum kit drowning out your sweet-as-a-mountain-stream strumming? Well, this setup isn't likely to help much... you'd better go solo.

1850 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp with amplifier G $76 Wear to case covering, logo violently 'shamed,' amp functional but 'quiet'



Spring/Summer 1964 Sears Catalog Listing:



The model numbers for these Oscar Schmidt-produced autoharps were all over the place. The model that resembles this next one the closest is the 2574 from the late 60s.


2574 Oscar Schmidt Autoharp w/ OC VG $52 Needs a cleaning, light wear, paperwork, books, picks, tuning wrench incl.



1457 Dano SSEG guitar with tube ampincase VG <$700 Clean, logo worn, light wear to guitar and ampcase, tremolo function unconfirmed, footswitch incl.



Unusual to see a 1440 with its original custom-fit case!

1440 MIJ SBEG w/ OC VG <$225 Clean, light wear, logo intact, whammy bar present, untested



602 Harmony FTAC VG $40 Clean, light wear, logo strong, vintage 'Happy Face' sticker



1202 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG <$69 Clean, some edge wear, fingerboard wear, logo strong, buckle rash



1235 Harmony FTAC Classical VG <$120 Clean, light wear, label intact, stamped F-68



1230 Harmony FTAC Classical w/ OC VG <$65 Clean, light wear, label intact, seller says "THIS GUITAR WAS PART OF A STORE DISPLAY AND WAS NEVER PLAYED"


1484 Dano speaker cabinet only MOD $305 Reupholstered (original covering still hiding underneath), re-grilled, needs cleaning, logo emblem missing, original speakers, cabinet stamping indicates Summer 1965 build


14XX Dano Reverb Tank $26 Pulled from amp in working condition



8/24

I Love Silvertones... I reckon you're here for the same reason. With some offbeat and some traditional designs from many different manufacturers over the years, the time they were offered by Sears & Roebuck is a great reflection of players from all walks of life, all skill levels, and all tastes, both aesthetic and musical. I also love the guitars that came branded Danelectro, from the Neptune, New Jersey company that made a lot of the electric Silvertone guitars from 1954 until around 1968. That said, my favorite Danelectro is this guitar. The 'Pro-1.' The shape, the simple elegance, the economy and simplicity in its components... with its lipstick-tube covered pickup, one-piece-of-bent-metal bridge, two-screw neck attach (with neck tilt!), glitter finish, textured sidewalls (for sure grip when you're playing seated), and ribbed dome knobs (in rare brown!), it is a beautiful expression of Nathan Daniel's  'more for less' philosophy. This one is in amazing shape... light wear and a couple of scratches, and it may even have the original flatwounds still on it! Here's the seller's description: "Very clean. Little to no real wear. Frets aren't worn. This thing sat in a case virtually it's whole life so it is ready to add to a collection or get rocked! These are super rare especially in this condition. Really sings. Very special pickup. Never been opened up. All original. Has some very old flatwounds on it that sound spectacular. Comes with the sweet original yellow lined Danelectro canvas gig bag it came with in 1963! Also in immaculate condition. I hate using the words mint or near-mint but this one might be worthy."
Sold on an eBay auction 'best offer accepted' deal for less than the asking price of $900.





Here's some inside looks at a random Pro that I found... dated 30th week of 1964 in the neck pocket.



Doug Tulloch's incredible book, "Neptune Bound" features these great ads for the Pro 1, as well as some beautiful examples. If you don't already have it, this book is a must for your shelf. Actually, I don't think mine has been on a shelf in the time I've had it!


Used by permission


Red Guitars? Yeah, we've got those...

1457 Dano SSEG guitar with tube ampincase VG $610 Clean, logo worn, light wear to guitar and ampcase, tremolo function unconfirmed, original cord and footswitch incl.



1457 Dano SSEG guitar with tube ampincase MOD $461 Clean, light wear, logo strong, case hardware shows some rust, grille pushed in at speaker, NS tuners, NS bridge, speaker has a tear, tremolo function unconfirmed, 'cord keeper' still present, no footswitch



1436 Teisco MIJ SBEG VG $299 Clean, light wear, ding on bass side horn, whammy handle present, logotag looks good, electronics "scratchy"



1461 Teisco MIJ HBEG $86 Sold as 'part/repair' guitar. Clean, light wear, whammy handle present, block logo strong, control slider tips missing, neck shimmed, cracks near neck pocket, cracks at headstock bass side 'tuner line'




While the changes to this 1444 made me kinda sad, the question posed by a customer in this auction ticked me off... "Very often the necks on these old Silvertones are bowed... blah blah blah" No, no they're not. Nathan Daniel spent the lion's share of the money he put into these guitars on the necks. Two steel rods set in each neck have kept Dano-made guitars' necks true for 60 years. Why do you think they're still so sought after?

1444 Dano SSEG Bass MOD $204 Refinished, logo gone, pickup cover split, NS knob, (1) knob missing, tuners modified/bent



14XX Dano SSEG MOD $300 Refinished, NS Fender tuners, NS knobs, seller is grandson of original owner



1217 Harmony FTAC $64 Clean, edge/surface wear, 'Space Dot' strong, seller says "IS NOT IN WORKING CONDITION"




1435 Teisco MIJ SBEG VG <$275 Clean, light wear, logotag missing, whammy handle missing, recently inspected and set up by Gordon-LaSalle Music



1448 Dano SSEG guitar with tube ampincase G $325 Clean, edge/surface/pickguard wear, logo strong, guitar knob inserts missing, pickup cover split on treble half



Now, for a little amp-itude...

I am constantly amazed by how many of these XL series amps still have the protective plastic on the control face!

1421 Sears tube amplifier E $249 Clean, light wear, tremolo operation unconfirmed, no footswitch



1420 Sears tube amp $20 Sold for parts, no tubes, control face badly dented, wear to knob inserts, mis-dated as ca. 1960


1483 Dano tube amp only $162 Needs a good rehab, lights up but otherwise untested, from Main Drag Music



1485 Dano tube amp only MOD $285 Re-cabineted, control face clean, 1/4" jack mod, tremolo works reverb does not,



14XX Dano footswitch $91 Some surface pitting to aluminum, tested functional


Dano Logo emblem $25 From the 'dolphin nose' series of Silvertones, studs intact



8/23

1423 Harmony SSEG w/ OC VG $692 Clean, light wear, early metal logo intact, plenty of glitter, pickguard legends strong, from Delta Pawn



618 Kay FTAC $73 Sold as project, 'windchime' logo strong, bridge saddle worn, finish checking, seller says "HIGH ACTION, BAD TUNERS, HOLE IN TREBLE SIDE, SMALL HOLE IN TOP"



1474 Dano tube amp VG $839 Clean, light wear, NS tubes (MESA power tubes), 3-prong AC mod, recently serviced, rare early version  stock Fisher speakers and reverb threshold/balance controls on back panel, seller says rev/trem works "but weakly"



1421 Sears tube amplifier MOD <$249 Clean, light wear, NS speaker, electronics modified, seller says "6X4 rectifier was replaced with a heftier Octal 6AX5... new electrolytic filter caps, and all new High Quality Tone caps, including Vintage caps in the tone stack...adjusted the plate voltage so that now it uses the more common EL84/6BQ5 power tube...vintage tubes in this amp., including the 6BQ5, the 6AX5 rectifier, and the 2 12AX7's, are all American made NOS quality...baffle has been re-cut for a Brand New 10" Eminence speaker...added a Standby switch in the back."


1470 UNK tube amplifier $77 Clean, light wear, control face legends strong, grille in good shape, inner label looks good, operational status unconfirmed



1485 Dano tube amp only MOD $485 Refurbished, (3) knobs missing, seller says "I first removed the amp chassis from what may, or may not, be the original case (it lacks the overhang you see on the cases for the 1484 and 1485). I then cleaned the interior and replaced all of the electrolytic filter caps. I tested all the tubes and replaced one that was not working and one that was weak. There was a missing rivet from one of the tube sockets and this was replaced. I removed the "death cap" and replaced the 2 prong power cord with a 3 prong outlet that is grounded to the chassis and both transformers. This is one of the common power plugs you see on computers to allow you to remove the power cable completely. I cleaned the faceplate of all rust. Although it isn't perfect it came back from the dead. All graphics and text are still there and vibrant. I re-covered the case (which, again, may not be original) with new Tolex. I could not find anything that came close to the original so I used some Marshall tolex I had from another project. There are 3 knobs missing that I did not replace. You can buy originals or use replacements, your choice. The reverb works, but the tremolo either doesn't work or needs the foot switch that I do not have, assume it does not work."



1485 Dano tube amp only $485 Looks good in murky photos, some edge/corner wear, (1) knob chipped, tremolo works / reverb doesn't, no footswitch




1481 Dano tube amp VG $220 Clean, light wear, grille looks good, logoplate and control face clean

8/22

Back To School! Yep, it's about that time...


1446 Harmony HBEG w/OC VG <$1195 Needs a cleaning, some edge wear, logo strong, oxidation to pickup covers, some cracking to pickguard cover, paint loss to Bigsby, untested



1475 MIJ (likely Matsumoku) HBEG MOD $285 Clean, light wear, whammy handle present, repro logo decal, replacement pickguard, NS pickups installed originals incl.



1423 Harmony SSEG w/ C G $442 Needs a cleaning, finish checking, crack on lower bass side, logo strong, all stock knobs, pickguard legend strong, NS tuners



1472 Dano tube amp VG $255 Clean, minimal wear w/ light corner dings, re-capped, red border control face with 'TREMLO' misspell, date stamping indicates December 1962 build, 3-prong AC mod, tremolo function unmentioned, footswitch and original AC cord incl.



1481 Dano tube amp G $175 Needs a cleaning, light wear, paint stain on back panel, fuse holder missing, NS tone knob, stock volume knob shows wear, slight bow to top cabinet panel


1483 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet G $300 Could use a cleaning, duct tape 'repairs' to cab, grille and logoplate look good, edge/corner wear to amp, rust 'dots' to control face, NS tubes, 3-prong AC mod, 1/4" jack mod, recently serviced


1484 Dano tube amp only VG $350 Clean, light wear, red stripe added to front, cord keeper for AC cord, 1/4" jack mod, (2) NS 6L6 tubes, rev/trem unconfirmed but seller says "Sounds great updated with digital reverb which sounds way better than the tiny tank. Amp has a beautiful organic sound."



1430 Dano tube amp G <$200 Clean, light wear, logoplate looks good, covering has a ripped area,  knob dirty, recently professionally serviced, from Ferg's Amp Shop


1448 Dano tube ampincase only VG $104 Clean, light wear, case hardware shows some rust, date stamping indicates 1965 build


1804 UNK Harmonica $12 Clean, light rust to chrome, 'lined' logo strong, in original box



8/20

Happy National Radio Day!


1294 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $139 Clean, light edge wear, 'Space Dot' strong, tuners and tailpiece bright, mis-ID'd as 50s era instrument



1482 Dano Tube amp G <$300 Needs a cleaning, edge/corner wear, oxidation to control face, light grille staining, back panel missing, no footswitch, tremolo function unconfirmed,


660 Kay FTAC Classical w/ OC G $13 Clean, some wear, nut missing, tape residue on upper bout, inner label ripped, stamped L 6415



8/18

August is Flyin' By, and so is the great Silvertonium up on the auction boards! Check out this weekends' haul, starting with this nice 1454:

1454 Harmony HBEG w/ C VG <$950 Clean, light wear, light checking, pickguard missing, Bigsby handle missing, NS truss rod cover, logo strong but worn at 'er,' (2) knobs missing



1369 Kay HBEG w/ C VG $777 Clean, light wear, some edge flaking, strap button broken off, logo strong, screw crack at upper treble side pickguard, pickguard decor strong, seller says "The guitar could use a neck reset because the action was kind of high."



1420 Harmony SSEG w/ C VG $630 Clean, some side wear/flaking, wear at headstock, logo strong, pickguard repaired, playing wear to neck



1476 Harmony SBEG G $229 Body refinished/repaired in places, finish checking to headstock, logo strong, truss rod cover tip broken, pickguard screw-cracked at lead pickup, tailpiece pitted, tuning ferrules missing, B & E tuners lightly bent, tuners show some rust, some fingerboard nicks, rear pickup 'quiet,' pickguard assembly date stamped April 1965



1448 Dano SSEG guitar only G <$300 Clean, edge/surface wear, logo 'shamed,' NS knobs, holes where bridge was moved at some point for some reason, early version with two-screw neck attach and oval-buttoned strip tuners



1431 Dano tube amp $123 Functional, covering gone, grille spray painted silver, some overspray to corner of lightly tarnished logoplate, knobs dirty, handle worn, stamping indicates Fall 1960 build



605 Harmony FTAC VG $84 Clean, light edge wear, 'deco' logo strong, tuner plates show some rust, stamped S-58



658 Kay FHAC G $60 Needs a cleaning, edge/surface wear, finish checking, rust to tailpiece, logo strong, some wear to fingerboard,



617 Harmony FTAC  G $100 Wear/scratches all over, logo strong, stamped F-61



604 Harmony FTAC VG <$180 Clean, minimal wear, frets bright, light rust to tuner plates, action high, logo strong with string scratch at 'S," stamped S-65, original box incl.



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


1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $480 Clean, edge/cover wear and some grille staining to cab, logoplate clean, NS tubes, tremolo works / reverb doesn't, replacement pilot jewel, 3-prong AC mod. Relisted in Sep. 2015, sold for $530.




1484 Dano tube amp only G $236 Needs a cleaning, control face shows rust 'dots,' trem speed knob missing, rev/trem unmentioned, no footswitch, seller says " I WAS INFORMED BY THE OWNER THAT THE AMP WORKS AND HAS THAT 60'S SOUND. "



1484 Dano tube amp only G $350 Needs a cleaning, control face & handle captures show rust 'dots,' trem speed knob missing insert, edge/corner wear, tremolo works / reverb doesn't, speaker cable needs a jack



1303 Dano SSEG w/ C MOD $313 Refinished in 'gunmetal grey,' neck stripped and refinished natural, logo gone, NS knobs, NS pots, NS pickguard, NS cavity cover



1320 Harmony HBEG F $255 Wear/checking/flaking, NS pickup, NS bridge, pickguard missing, 'deco' logo strong, neck heel screwed/plugged, repair/refinish at cutaway



1441 MIJ SBEG VG <$299 Clean, light wear, prismatic 'Space Dot' looks good, whammy handle missing, (1) knob missing, NS Grover tuners, controls scratchy

8/16

Happy Elvis Day!


That's a Dano 6-string bass that Elvis is messin' around with in these shots from a June, 1958 session at Nashville's RCA Studio B. The Colonel pressed him into this session during his Army furlough, and it would be his last until mustering out in 1960. The Nashville folks loved the Dano bass, often adding it's plucky 'tic tac' sound to double the string or P-bass part laid down on a session. This one likely belonged to the studio, or Chet Atkins or Hank Garland, both guitarists for this recording session. Glen Campbell plays one to great effect in the 'Wichita Lineman' solo, and Rene Hall adds its distinctive sound to Ritchie Valens' classic "La Bamba!"


Sears sold a Silvertone-branded version under the model number 1373.



Now, from the King to an 'Aristocrat'...

1367 Kay HBEG VG $1100 Clean, minimal wear, light crazing, NS tuner buttons, neck pickup non-functional, bolt through neck heel, headstock laminate looks good, some rub off the pickguard 'S'



1420 Harmony SSEG w/ OC E $396 Clean, minimal wear, metal bright, finish glossy, logo strong



1448 Dano tube ampincase only VG $179 Clean, light wear, amp chassis loose


1457 Dano SSEG guitar with tube ampincase VG <$675 Could use a cleaning, some wear, logo strong, grille frame and case hardware show some rust dotting,  tremolo unmentioned, AC cord has had a new plug spliced in, no footswitch, stamping indicates late 1964 build, so this is one of the first 1457s out the door, seller says "It has electric tubes and they all light up when plugged up. The guitar has a little short in the electricity but it plays and it needs new strings."



696 Kay FHAC w/ C G $180 Could use a cleaning, light wear all over, binding and nut yellowed, blemish on upper treble bout, rust to tuners, logo strong, pickguard missing



621 Harmony FTAC  $29 Needs help, stamped F-63


1245 Kay FHAC F $103 Needs a cleaning, a tailpiece, a bridge, some strings, a nut, a 'D' tuning peg... logo strong


1450 Dano SBEG <$360 Needs plenty, as you can see



1381 Kay HBEG VG <$1595 Clean, some yellowing of pickguard and headstock laminate, light wear, some edge flaking, strap button through heel, neck has been re-set



1448 Dano SSEG guitar with tube ampincase VG $355 Clean, light wear, logo strong, pickup cover split, transitional setup: strip tuners, triangle legend knobs and 3-screw neck attach



1448 Dano tube ampincase only VG <$300 Clean, light wear, light oxidation to latches, seller relates: "Take this story with a grain of salt. I am not using this as a selling point and doesn't matter either way cause there is no way to prove it. But here goes. The guy I got this from claimed he was a friend of Jeff Beck and this case was his. Jeff left at his house and took the guitar with him but he never came back for the case. "


1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG <$1095 Clean, light wear, grille looks great, all stock tubes, 1/4" jack mod, tremolo works / reverb "weak,"  footswitch, manual reprint and NS vinyl cover incl.



1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $1275 Clean, light wear, some grille staining, rev/trem functional, recently pro serviced, (2) NS tubes, 'no plate' footswitch incl., stamping indicates Summer 1966 build



1483 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet G $350 Could use a cleaning, some edge wear, light grille staining, control face shows oxidation, ground wire added



661 Kay FTAC 4-string G $195 Clean, some wear, logo strong, sticker residue on pickguard, needs new bridge pins, slight binding shrinkage on back, seller says "action is a a bit high, but fixable"



600 Series Harmony FTAC  $70 Could use a cleaning, rust  to tuner plates, neck wear, logo strong, neck needs re-set


14XX Dano footswitch <$125 Some staining to aluminum panel, functional


8/13

The 1448 Ampincase Setup had several phases of production. First was the very rare mid-placed-pickup model with black dome ribbed knobs, strip tuners and two screw neck attach with an offset strap button, and never appeared in any Sears catalog. Next was the familiar towards-the-neck configuration with dome knobs giving way to the familiar cylindrical style knobs with a triangle design on the top paper insert with the two-screw neck attach, an offset strap button and strip tuners with round buttons at first, then giving way to oval buttons. Then, the (most common) 1448 with a 3-screw neck attach and centered strap button and wider attach 'pier' with Dano's neck tilt mechanism and the (in)famous 'skate key' tuners and a change to line-legend knobs from the earlier triangle legend style. There were a few other nits and picks along the way; the curvature of the 'swoop' on the iconic headstock changed ever so slightly, a few models had white cylindrical knobs, the paper insert had 'Volume' and 'Tone' printed on them and then just a plain line, and the last of the run had metal plates on back at the neck attach. There were also very subtle changes to the body in the transition from the two screw to the three screw style. Our first up today is of the early two screw, oval tuner button, triangle legend variety, and it's in mighty nice shape.

1448 Dano SSEG guitar with tube ampincase VG <$495 Clean, light wear, light buckle rash, logo strong, case liner shows wear



623 Harmony FHAC G $96 Clean, pickguard missing, logo/headstock scratched at 'Sil,' fingerboard wear, buckle rash, playing wear to neck, NS tailpiece (original incl.), seller says "the lower registry of the neck is sagged a little bit but plays great"



1464 Dano speaker cabinet MOD $195 Clean, light wear, grille looks goods, logoplate shows wear to silver finish, (1) NS Celestion speaker, 1/4" jack mod, date stamp of October 1967 makes this one of the last cabs out the door, ID'd as 1484 cab



14XX Dano footswitch $53 Some oxidation to aluminum panel, tested functional


14XX Dano footswitch $71 Clean, untested

8/12

Amazing What a Few Changes can do to a guitar. From a charming classic to a funky 'what?' That's what happened to today's first up, this modified Harmony-built 'Espanada'-derived 1385 'Black Beauty.' High-quality 'P' series pickups switched out for MIJ single-coils, a funky angular handle swapped in on the Bigsby, a not-nearly-as-elegant-as-the-original replacement pickguard, and some bargain bin Sharpie'd V/T knobs... on top of that, it was mis-ID'd as a 'Chris Isaak' 1446...

1385 Harmony HBEG MOD $531 NS bridge, NS pickups, NS knobs, NS strap button on bottom, NS whammy handle, finish checking, repaired crack in side, strap button through neck heel, logo intact, replacement pickguard



Quick collector's tip:

Even if everything else is stripped away, and you can't get a peek inside to see the model stamp, you can still tell the 1446 from the 1384/5/1427: just look at the treble-side cutaway:



As Luck Would Have It, we get to follow that Frankentone up with this beautiful setup...

"...this set sits together as it was purchased in the 60's."



The pair went for $1,500.

1446 Harmony HBEG w/OC E Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, small ding on treble side top headstock



1482 Dano Tube amp VG Clean, minimal wear,  grille clean, no footswitch, tremolo function unconfirmed, seller says "this package is in full working order. No tune-up or refurb done."


1432 Dano tube amp VG $499 Clean, light wear, some grille staining, handle in fairly good shape, some corner wear, 'V' logo clean, footswitch incl., stamping indicates late 1960 build, tremolo functional, footswitch (with burn marks) incl.



1457 Dano SSEG guitar with tube ampincase E $536 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, chrome/metal very clean, recently serviced, footswitch incl.



1448 Dano SSEG guitar with tube ampincase $305 Looks good in limited, murky photos, seller says "Has some wear on the body and heavy wear in the headstock. The neck is playable with high action and some hard fretwear on the 10th, 11th, and 12th fret. Amplifier is in working condition with static and should be checked out by a service technician for safety."


1410 MIJ SBEG VG <$299 Clean, light wear, some checking, string holder missing from headstock, logo strong, whammy handle present, chrome clean



1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet MOD <$899 Clean, looks like covering was painted black at some point, some tape residue on cab, couple of dents to control face, 3-prong AC mod, 1/4" jack mod, reverb works; tremolo unmentioned



1420 Harmony SSEG w/ OC G $342 Clean, wear all over, logo strong, 'cord melt' and buckle rash on back, pots/selector replaced; old pots dated to 1963, from Ace Pawn Shop MDWST



1466 Dano Solid State amp only <$175 Looks OK in murky photos, functionality undetermined


14XX Dano footswitch $55 Needs a cleaning, no plug, sold as 'parts' piece


8/11

1483 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet G $370 Could use a good cleaning, yellowing/stains to grille, some oxidation to metal parts, water staining to cabinet insides, channel one volume knob missing, "musty odor," volume pot replaced, date stamping indicates 1966 build



1330 Dano tube amplifier VG $177 Clean, light wear, logoplate looks good, 1/4" ext. jack mod, recently serviced



8/10

1446 Harmony HBEG VG $885 Could use a cleaning, light wear, logo strong, ding to headstock on bass side, pickguard shows cracks, oxidation to pickup covers, paint wear on Bigsby, NS strap button on upper bass bout, untested



1381 Kay HBEG w/ C VG $699 Could use a cleaning, light wear, logo laminate looks good, tuner buttons shrinking, selector switch tip missing



1410 Kay SBEG VG $235 Clean, light edge wear, logo strong, light buckle rash, some chrome rub-off to knobs, Mepco/CentraLab pots dated 27th week of 1962



1410 MIJ SBEG G $91 Clean, some wear, finish checking all over, 1" ding on backside bottom, logo strong, whammy handle missing, string separator above zero fret chipped, serial 3021 and early sticker indicates as one of the first to roll off the line



1304 Dano SSEG w/ OC G $299 Could use a cleaning, wear/scratches all over, logo strong, knobs missing, pickup cover split, date stamping indicates Summer 1960 build




1448 Dano SSEG guitar only MOD <$200 Refinished and edge trim removed, stained pine pickguard, knobs missing, logo gone,




Loss = gain. This top-removed 'project' 623 revealed something I didn't know before. The tops and backs of these were stamped with serial/model numbers!

623 Harmony FHAC $70 Sold as a project, light wear, logo strong, date stamped F-61, serial #4788H623



661 Kay FHAC MOD $425 Clean, light wear, light checking/crazing, 'wind chime' logo strong, pickguard missing, NS bridge, NS tuners, neck re-set, stamped L6972661 / P4



1294 Harmony FTAC VG $95 Clean, light edge wear, 'Space Dot' strong, stamped S-70



1330 Dano tube amplifier G $189 Could use a cleaning, logoplate looks good, some grille picks/stretching, improvised fuse holder-inner, NS knob



1331 Dano tube amp G $128 Wear all over, grille looks good, handle in good shape, knobs missing, logoplate missing


1482 Dano Tube amp $350 Looks OK in murky photos, 3-prong AC mod, tremolo functionality unconfirmed, no footswitch


1457 Dano tube ampincase only neck $138 Clean, light wear, speaker missing, untested


1311/1442 Valco Lap Steel w/ OC E $228 Clean, minimal wear, tuner buttons deteriorating, logoplate looks good, serial T58056, fingerpicks, slide incl.



758 Kay 'Venetian' Mandolin w/ OC VG $150 Clean, light wear, 'wind chime' logo on scalloped head strong, tuner buttons shrinking, 'S' on pickguard worn

8/8

Does Anyone Know who made these funky amps for Sears in the late, late 1960s and the early 70s, after Dano had passed from the scene as Sears' amp connection? It's bugged me for years, but I cannot find a reliable answer.




Here's an all-new page for the all-around leader of the pack, the 1422.


643 Harmony FTAC F $42 Clean, some surface wear, fingerboard wear, logo strong, NS bridge, seller says "NECK IS SLIGHTLY BOWED OUT.  IT IS STILL PLAYABLE BUT INTONATION IS OUT. SELLING AS IS FOR PROJECT. "



1200 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $95 Clean, light wear, logo strong, some fingerboard wear, a couple of finish bubbles on top



1457 Dano SSEG guitar with tube ampincase E $450 Clean, minimal wear, logo strong, 'cord keeper' and original cord still present, footswitch incl., tremolo unmentioned



8/6

Quite a Variety Today, starting with this resonator-modified Kay-built late 60s 1245.

1245 Kay FHAC MOD <$165 Wear all over, NS metal nut, pickguard missing, action set high, resonator holes installed, binding yellowed, logo strong but marred by hole drilled through headstock



Stock 1245 for comparison:


1384 Harmony HBEG VG $1095 Clean, light wear, logo bent a bit, pickguard repaired



1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet G $399 Could use a cleaning, some edge wear esp. to cab, some scratching to control face, tremolo speed knob missing, rust to handle captures, NS Realistic (Radio Shack) Nova speakers, rev/trem unmentioned, 1/4" output jack mod, seller says "It turns on, and works, it needs a tune up."



1484 Dano speaker cabinet only VG $600 Clean, light wear, channel 1 volume knob missing, some front face scratching near channel two jack, rev/trem functional, no footswitch



1481 Dano tube amp VG <$200 Clean, light wear, grille has some staining, logoplate worn, tone knob insert worn, stamping indicates Summer 1965 build, recently cleaned



1418 Sears solid state amp $25 Clean, light wear, powers up; further functionality unconfirmed



1431 Dano tube amp $150 Edge/corner wear, some grille staining, speaker missing, tubes light; otherwise untested


1340 Valco tube amp MOD <$175 Very rough cosmetically, NS handle, NS Celestion speaker, modified by Bill Penn to have a 2xEL84 power section, also added on/off toggle where the fuse went, and Inst. #2 input hole re-purposed to accommodate a master volume/volume configuration



1448 Dano tube ampincase only VG $103 Clean, light wear, some rust to case hardware, NS speaker


1476 Harmony SBEG VG $565 Clean, light wear, logo strong, some oxidation to pickup covers & tailpiece



1420 Harmony SSEG G $338 Clean, wear and scratches, bridge pickup not working, logo 'shamed' (but still very slightly visible under the paint, looks like 'cord melt' on back



1461 (?) Teisco MIJ HBEG VG $307 Clean, light wear, whammy handle present, no logo or model sticker



Here's the 'polished red' 1461 we're used to seeing:


UNK Harmony headstock & laminate $35 Laminate clean, some wear around tuner ferrule holes, headstock piece cracked


8/5

A Few Curiosities Today, starting with this refurbed 618 flattop.

618 Kay FTAC MOD $214 Refinished, NS tuners, unusual 'wind chime' logo, NS bridge



Comparison of the 'wind chime' logo on a stock 618, and the one on the example above: there are definite differences in uniformity of ink applied, line thickness and logo details... did the refinisher paint it back on?


Stock 618:


1448 Dano tube ampincase only MOD $243 Case shortened, clean, light wear, some grille weave 'picks'



1217 Harmony FTAC VG $99 Clean, light wear, 'Space Dot' looks good, stamped F-70, serial 8573S1212, from Pick and Slide Music



Curiously, this 1217 is stamped internally with a '1212' model ID, but with a proper model ID of 1217 on back of the headstock...



Hey, look! A *real* 1212!

1212 Harmony FTAC VG $155 Clean, light wear, prismatic 'Space Dot' looks good, seller says "Neck has some 'relief' but is well within bounds for the veteran player."



1448 Dano SSEG guitar with tube ampincase G $350 Clean, edge wear, logo worn, tone knob insert very worn, major buckle rash, tuners and guitar jack show some rust, light grille staining




1452 Dano SBEG with tube ampincase VG <$799 Clean, light wear, logo strong, case clean, tremolo function unmentioned, footswitch incl.



1423 Harmony SSEG G $429 Clean, some wear, top shows glitter rub-off, logo intact, bridge missing, selector knob missing, some pickup foil puckering, pickguard legends strong, untested



710 Harmony FHAC w/ C VG $182 Clean, light wear, logo strong, stamped S-58


619 Kay FHAC VG $270 Clean, light wear, logo worn, light rust to tuner plates


1206 Harmony FTAC G <$86 Clean, edge wear, some surface dings and scratches, logo strong



1440 MIJ SBEG G $77 Clean, light wear, logo intact, whammy bar present but spring missing, bridge missing, knob inserts missing, untested

8/3

Happy August, Y'all! Someone said the other day that August is the Sunday of Summer, and I guess that's right... one last hurrah before we have to buckle down and get back to it. Pack in a few more beach weekends, or a trip you've been meaning to take before school and Fall and football and everything else comes along to wind down this somewhat carefree season. I hope you're summer's been a good one so far. I've been working hard here at Silvertone World, crafting new pages, learning some new 'responsive' programming techniques, managing the household and my two girls... it's been a good start to Full-Time Silvertone! More pages and more Silvertonium to come, certainly, and I hope you'll stay along for the ride. Figured we'd kick August off with a return to our eBay auction views and reviews. Summer is a slow time for sales, anyway, but some nice Silvertonium has come across the wires as sellers and buyers get together on some choice amps and instruments. Here's the most recent crop, with a pretty good variety of favorites, and some rarities, as well.

1410 Kay SBEG VG $189 Clean, light edge wear, logo strong, light buckle rash, some chrome rub-off to knobs



1417 Kay SBEG VG $450 Clean, light edge wear, whammy bar missing, small logo strong, some rub-off to pickup cover design



1448 Dano SSEG guitar only VG $355 Clean, light wear, logo strong, knob inserts missing, transitional model with oval-buttoned strip tuners and three-screw neck attach w/ neck tilt



1441 MIJ SBEG VG $249 Clean, light wear, 'block' logo strong, whammy handle present, missing (1) neck attach screw



1481 Dano tube amp VG $203 Clean, light wear, back panel shows some fading/staining, logoplate shows some oxidation, cabinet stamping indicates late 1963 build, NS Jensen speaker


1419 Sears tube amp F $40 Covering wear, numbers marked on back panel (ID?), some water damage to back panel cover, front corners decorated, control panel has dent/scratches, seller says "When a guitar is plugged in you can still hear the signal but is hard to over the buzz."



This is a fairly seldom-seen amp... here's a 1970 'Wish Book' listing:


1474 Dano tube amp G $500 Clean, covering wear, recently serviced, 3-prong AC mod, no reverb



1483 Dano tube amp only $250 Needs a good rehab, untested


1484 Dano speaker cabinet only G $195 Clean, some edge wear, 1/4" jack mod to side, cabinet/speaker stamping indicates late 1963 build


1431 Dano tube amp $150 Clean, some covering wear, some grille staining, handle worn, logoplate looks good, no speaker, tubes light; otherwise untested


620 Kay FTAC w/ C G <$525 Clean, playing wear near soundhole, neck lifting slightly, screwhole/ding near low 'E' tuner; logo laminate looks good otherwise, hole drilled in side for output jack, stamped A1037 8105 Relisted in Sept. 2015



1294 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG <$79 Clean, light wear, 'Space Dot' strong, stamped S-70



1256 Harmony Baritone Ukulele VG $128 Clean, light wear, block logo strong




Here's a very rare instrument from the early 1940s...

2323 Valco Lap Steel G $150 Clean, oxidation to control/pickup area, tuner buttons deteriorated, logo badge in good shape, marker overlay peeled



Here's the catalog listing from 1942:

7/31

July's Over Already? Wow. Well, we've gotten a pretty good start on my new full-time Silvertone World job, with a bunch of new brand-new and revamped pages. I will keep the push on, and look here for the resumption of daily eBay auction reports, showing you some of the best Silvertonium being traded these days, and lots more new and 'refreshed' pages for all you favorite Silvertone instruments and amps, and lots more! Every Silvertone Ever is on its way!

All-new papge up for the rockin' 658!


7/30
I'd Been Thinking About This Amp  for the past couple of days for some reason, and I've put it on my 'revamp' list as I freshen up many pages here at Silvertone World while also working on brand-new pages for many more models, as I'm working full-time on the site now. Anyhoo, this humble amp, the Valco-built Silvertone 1300, was the amp that Luther Perkins, seminal rockabilly/country player laid down many, many of the first of Johnny Cash's great sides at Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee. Of course, Cash soon went to Columbia Records, but his Sun sides have always been my very favorites. The amp is on display with a handwritten (by Cash himself, looks like) card at the Johnny Cash Museum in Nashville, TN that proclaims "On this amp was recorded "Hey, Porter!," "Folsom Prison Blues," "I Walk the Line" and others." "Folsom" was recorded at Sun 60 years ago today. This amp is probably the most-heard Silvertone amp in history.

From The Folsom Prison Gang:


From Marshall Grant's book "I Was There When It Happened":



7/29

Whew! Lotta Page Craftin' goin' on 'round these parts! Click on the screen grab to go to these all-new pages at Silvertone World!







7/18

A Guitar of Note... musical notes, that is. We've got a brand new page for the Kay-built model 290 with some sweet dot and diamond fret markers, and a unique-in-the-Silvertone-line pickguard!


7/14

Another 'Artist?' You Bet! The 'Artist' title was spread across a few Silvertone guitars and lapsteels. We saw the Harmony-built archtop Artist last week, and here's a snazzy one from Kay!

7/10

Five Days, Five New Silvertones! Today we wrap up the "First Family of 1940" with the rare Harmony-built 'Maestro', the Silvertone 256!


7/9

The 'Named' Silvertones Keep a-comin'!  Here's a brand new page for the Harmony-built 'Artist,' Silvertone model number 255!


7/8

Three for Thee, with more to come. Here's the second in the 'named' series of Silvertones that first hit the catalog in 1940, it's the Silvertone model 254, the 'Royal!'


7/7

Rolling On With The Very First  Silvertone strummers from Sears. Here's a brand new page for the model 253, the 'Crest,' built by Harmony.

7/6

What Better Place to start than the beginning? Here we go with the very first Silvertone six-string acoustic from the Fall of 1940. It's the 'good' model in the lineup, the Harmony-built 252, only available for a year. Look for the rest of the class of 1940 this week.

 

7/4

Happy Fourth, everyone!


 

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.