Winter 2014, Pt. 1

12/30

Ah.... Cash In The Stocking... seems like its burning a hole right into some Silvertone auctions!

One of the very first Silvertone-branded archtops!

253 Harmony FHAC w/ C VG $500 Clean, light wear, light checking, logo laminate looks good, stamped S-40




Amp-O-Rama!

1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet MOD $650 Amp head painted black, speaker cab re-grilled, 3-prong AC mod, edge wear to speaker cab, 1/4" jack mod on back of cab,  NS Celestion speakers, cabintet stamping indicates May 1964 build, NS footswitch incl., rev/trem functional, recently serviced



1484 Dano tube amp only G <$550 Edge wear, some covering missing, oxidation to front face and jack nuts, 1/4" plug on speaker lead, trem works, rev doesn't, 3-prong AC mod



1484 Dano tube amp only VG $499 Clean, light wear, light oxidation to control face, 3-prong AC mod, 1/4" speaker jack mod, seller says "100% working"



1484 Dano speaker cabinet only G $375 Some edge/corner wear, slight bowing of top cab panel, 1/4" ext. speaker jack mod, stamping indicates October 1966 build


1422 Sears Solid State amplifier VG $150 Clean, light wear, NS speaker, trem works, rev doesn't


1464 Dano Solid State amp only $49 Clean, light wear, NS knobs, pilot light bezel missing, power switch is 'touchy,' NS output transistors, rev/trem functional,  from the seller: "Everything functions but has a distorted sound. PC board was cracked and is repaired."


1482 Dano tube amp E $498 Clean, minimal wear,  footswitch incl., stamping indicates 1966 build



1432 Dano tube amp VG $649 Clean, light wear, some grille staining, handle worn, 'V' emblem looks great, 3-prong AC mod, trem unmentioned

1448 Dano SSEG and tube ampincase VG $355 Clean, light wear, logo strong, pickup cover split, early model with two-screw neck attach, narrow attach pier, no neck tilt, triangle legend knob inserts, oval-buttoned strip tuners



1448 Dano SSEG and tube ampincase VG $350 Clean, some edge/surface wear, corner wear to ampcase, logo strong, early model with two-screw neck attach, narrow attach pier, no neck tilt, triangle legend knob inserts, oval-buttoned strip tuners



1454 Harmony HBEG w/ C VG $1200 Clean, light wear with some flaking on sides, logo strong, truss rod cover missing, pickups dated March 1966



1423 Harmony SSEG w/ C VG $895 Clean, light wear, logo strong, some finish flaking at bottom top edge, NS tuners



1446 Harmony HBEG w/ C G <$1000 Clean, edge/surface wear, logo intact but bent, some checking/flaking, NS tuners, NS bridge, repro pickguard, putty-filled neck repair/mod, Bigsby is paintless



1456 Teisco MIJ HBEG VG $275 Clean, light wear, 'Space Dot' looks good, NS tuners


1444 Dano SSEG Bass F $269 Refnished, logo intact, rust to metal parts, seller says "perfect guitar for rebuilding"


1457 Dano SSEG guitar only VG <$680 Clean, light wear, logo strong, rhythm pickup cover split, selector switch replaced




Cow Spots on a Silvertone... well, there's a first time for everything, I reckon.

1457 Dano SSEG guitar only G $299 Clean, logo strong, some edge wear & flaking, NS selector switch, 'cow spots' on sidewalls, 'cord melt' on back



1457 Dano SSEG guitar only MOD $325 Clean, logo strong, pickup covers split, NS knobs, rewired 'Tele-style'



1457 Dano SSEG ampincase only VG $199 Clean, some marks on liner, adhesive seep to knob inserts, tremolo functional


618 Kay FTAC G $175 Clean, some edge/surface wear, 'wind chime' logo strong with some yellowing, NS pickguard, new nut and saddle, recently setup


1296 Harmony FTAC VG $51 Clean, light wear, block logo strong, stamped S-69


1227 Harmony FTAC 12-string P $25 Clean, some wear/flaking, 'Space Dot' looks good, top cracked at treble side neck area, truss rod snapped, some open seams,  serial #3303S1227


604 Harmony FTAC G $47 Clean, some wear/scratches, logo strong, rust to tuners, small crack on lower top bass side


623 Harmony FHAC G $250 Clean, edge/surface wear, some fret wear, logo strong, rust to tuner plates, tuners 'rub' a little, cracked/repaired front and back



698 EKO FTAC F $99 Clean, checking, bridge pulling up slightly, nut broken, high action, logo and 'Made in Italy' legend strong



641 Harmony FTAC G $100 Clean, edge/surface wear, logo strong, wear to painted fret markers, serial #8632H641


1211 Harmony FTAC w/ OC G <$75 Clean, surface/edge wear, rust to tuner plates, block logo strong, neck "probably needs a reset"


1212 Harmony FTAC VG $100 Clean, light wear, 'Space Dot' missing, serial S1212, stamped F-71, cool grain on bass upper bout


660 Kay FTAC Classical G $27 Needs a good cleaning, edge/surface wear, inner label in good shape, stamped L 3075


1446 Harmony HBEG body/neck only $313


1454 Harmony HBEG  <$250 No knobs/wiring/selectors switches, logo gone, NS pickups, NS tuners


14773 Harmony body/neck $75


1442/1443 Dano tailpiece cover $30


1446 Harmony pickguard $75 Bracket, foam standoffs incl.


1448 Dano SSEG and ampless ampincase $132 Amp gone, bridge gone, NS knobs, NS pickup


Normally, I wouldn't pay too much attention to this sad puppy... but when I looked at the disemboweled ampcase, I saw a detail I'd never known of before.

See it?

The date stamping on the amp chassis support rail! 1104 dates it to March (11th week) of 1964! I love surprises!

12/23

The Bare Aluminum Pole is up, the clock in a bag is nailed to the wall, the airing of grievances and feats of strength are about to begin...
Happy Festivus!

For your super-colossal Festivus treat, we've cobbled together 'Wish Book' pages from Sears from the years 1937 through 1975.
Go have a look!




Loved The Shot that accompanied the auction of this good lookin', well-played Dano-built 1417.

1417 Dano SSEG G $410 Clean, edge/surface/playing wear, some buckle rash, recently serviced, some kind of ID number written at neck/body junction, logo intact, dated 1960






In the spirit of the holidays, I'd like to share this look at the top hits from around the world for Christmas week, 1964:

In looking over the charts, you'll see the Beatles' "I Feel Fine" at the top (as it was in the US for that week) in many countries, but in Norway, the lovely ballad "If I Fell" (the 'B' side of the summer's "And I Love Her" in the US) was released as a single, and it tops the charts! Fascinating, really, to look at a snapshot in time like this and see the varied tastes of music listeners across the globe.



I reckon Willie Nelson remembers the day he became a Grand Ole Opry member back in '64...


This good looking bunch of Silvertonium was available for under the tree in '64, just wasn't in the 'Wish Book'...



12/19

Funny How The Silvertonium slows down right near the end of the year festivities. Time is spent doin' lots of other things besides getting guitars ready to ship out from auction sales, and that's OK. Once the bonuses are in the bank accounts, and the holiday cash is in the pockets, things'll crank up again.

1448 Dano SSEG and tube ampincase G $233 Clean, edge wear, knob inserts missing from one guitar knob, rip to amp covering, logo strong, some case rubs to sidewalls, playing wear to neck, amp lights up but produces only static



674 Kay FHAC MOD $350 Clean, edge/surface wear, headstock/logo laminate looks likes it's been modded then repaired (extra strings added?), NS pickguard, NS bridge


 

12/18



I've Really Enjoyed remembering the rockin' year of 1964... hard to believe we're half a century down the line from there. I'll continue to bring you a few more fifty-year treats in the waning days of 2014, and here's a few neat items I came across that were introduced to us that year; some of them things that we still use daily!

SHARPIE! Where would we be without the great equalizer? From rock stars to crafty kids to laundry workers, Sharpie has been the 'go to' permanent marker since 1964, when the Sanford Ink Company put them on the market as the first pen-type permanent marker. First as a simple black marker, to today's rainbow of hues... I'll bet you used one today!


8-TRACK! Developed (believe it or not) by the Lear Jet Corporation (among others in the development group), 8-track tape cartridge and player technology was unleashed on the buying public in 1964. If you're as old as me, you likely remember the low-fi, trouble-prone, oddly-edited tapes.


Of course, Sears was there you help you get your sounds on...


G.I. JOE! "Fighting man from head to toe," the quintessential "action figure" and a host of accessories was introduced in 1964. From the 1964 'Wish Book:'


ROCK 'EM SOCK 'EM ROBOTS! From the great toymakers at Marx, this classic came along in 1964. Who can forget that sound when the head pops up? Zzzzzzzzzz! Once again, from the 1964 'Wish Book:'


"I Want a RE-MATCH!"


And as far as TV... well, there is an avalanche of classic shows that made their debut back in '64:
The Munsters, The Addams Family, Gilligan's Island, Peyton Place, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Gomer Pyle USMC, Flipper, Bewitched...
Click here to go the the entire group of debuts, with wikilinks to all of them.

Here's a scribbled page of hopefulness from the '64 'Wish Book:'


The price of use hasn't gone up much on these, comparatively...



12/17

'Near Mint' isn't a term I throw around loosely... the best you'll usually get is an 'E' for excellent. But today's first up... wow!

1429 Harmony HBEG w/ OC NM <$1900 Nothin' much to say but a few details: pickups stamped May 1961, body stamped F-61 W / Inspected by 515 RU, seller says " It was purchased from the original owner's family, and per their recollection, it was never used."






Well, Here's Something you don't see every day...


It's a Harmony-built Silvertone 603 that's been Patsy-fied! Not that decorating the 603/1200 is without precedent, mind you...

Lil' Tumbleweed did it...


A child of the 70s did it... those are 'Dukes of Hazzard' stickers, BTW...


And Elvis Presley signed one!!!


1369 Kay SSEG G $750 Wear/checking/flaking all over, logo intact, pickguard insignia strong,  neck binding ,missing on bass side, nut/knobs yellowed



1232 MIJ FTAC Classical G $40 Clean, some surface wear/scratches, label intact, high action


1432 Dano tube amp MOD $190 Re-grilled, new OSB speaker baffle, handle missing, logoplate missing, NS knobs (2 bare pots), trem unmentioned, stamping indicates May 1960 build


14XX Dano Footswitch $100 Operational





The Beatles' "I Feel Fine" continues it fast flight up the charts! Up to #5 from it's entry at #22 last week.




12/16

Wow. Just wow. It didn't sell for the hope-filled asking price of $2599, but we did get to see this doubleneck Dano in all its beauty over on eBay.






Onward to the Silvertonium!

694 Harmony FHAC w/ C G $200 Clean, light wear, logo strong, neck lift, high action, crack at neck heel/binding, serial #2964H694



UNK Supro/Valco/National SBEG G $714 Clean, logo badge intact, some edge/surface wear, metal surfaces show oxidation, pickguard design worn away, tuner buttons shrunken, (1) knob missing, serial #X86876



1444 Dano SSEG Bass w/ OC VG $500 Clean, light wear, logo intact, seller is orig. owner's son


1448 Dano SSEG and tube ampincase VG $600 Clean (case could use a dusting), logo strong, guitar knob inserts missing, a couple of edge dings, late transitional model with oval-buttoned strip tuners/3-screw neck attach/neck tilt


1464 Dano Solid State amp and speaker cabinet $280 Clean, light wear, light grille staining, rev/trem unmentioned, seller says "Great condition!"


1482 Dano tube amp MOD $395 Covering painted black, clean, light wear, grille looks good, NS pilot light cover, 3-prong AC mod, new Electro-Harmonix 6V6 & 12AX7, trem functional, no footswitch, cabinet stamping indicates late 1964 build


12/15

Oh, Canada! The Silvertonium mines are still chock full of gems... time digs a little deeper, and we get something we've not seen before! Oh, it's in excellent shape, too! Thanks, Santa! This vaguely 'Starcaster'-shaped axe is certainly a mystery; we know it was Canadian-sold (the double S headstock logo tells us it was from Simpson-Sears), Made In Japan (the sticker on the headstock makes this plain, just in case we were wondering), the triangular control cover is very Teisco-ish, but the pickup covers, bridge, headstock, pickguard, whammy and... I dunno... 'feel' of this twanger isn't very Teisco-ish to me. If you have any ideas, let me know.

UNK MIJ HBEG w/ OC E <$890 Clean, minimal wear, logo intact, all chrome shiny, whammy handle missing




1452 Dano SBEG G $450 Could use a cleaning, some edge/surface wear, logo gone, (2) replacement knobs (not the right kind, but at least they're Dano),  trem spring cover missing



653 Kay FHAC E $650 Clean, minimal wear, paint chip on corner of headstock, tuner buttons shrunk, thumb wheels missing from bridge, strong 'wind chime' logo indicates earliest available version of this guitar, original guarantee/care booklet incl.



1202 Harmony FTAC VG $75 Needs a cleaning, light wear, 'Space Dot' strong, stamped 'Factory Second'


856 Harmony Ukulele w/ C VG $100 Clean, light wear, logo 'double screened'



12/10

1423 Harmony SSEG w/ OC VG $699 Clean, light wear, logo intact, pickguard lettering worn, extra bridge incl.



1476 Harmony SBEG w/ OC VG $275 Clean, some edge/surface wear, logo strong, chrome shiny, 'D' tuner ferrule missing,  pickguard dated April 1965




This 'project' 604 came with a super bonus... a rare look *inside* this Harmony-built six-string!

604 Harmony FTAC w/ OC $60 Clean, light wear, logo strong, orig cord 'strap' incl., back separated



Overspray, stamping bracing, kerfing, neck & heel block... it's all there!



1294 Harmony FTAC G $89 Clean, edge wear, repaired crack on back bottom, 'Space Dot' scratched, tailpiece shows oxidation, rust to tuner plates, some playing wear in 'cowboy chord' area



853 Harmony Ukulele VG $27 Clean, light wear,  logo strong, wood fingerboard



Auctions sure are funny things...

825 Harmony Ukulele F $31 Needs some TLC, logo strong, wood fingerboard, nut broken



1463 Dano Solid State amp only $125 Clean, wear to control face, some covering wear, logo scratched, tape residue on back, untested



14XX Dano footswitch $70 Tested functional




Five decades ago this week on "Shindig!" the Kinks rocked the youngsters with "You Really Got Me."

12/10

Here's a Wild One for your Wednesday! It's a redecorated, seldom seen, Kay-built 'Value Leader'-based 1458, available mostly in the early '60s 'Wish Book.'

1458 Kay SSEG VG <$550 Could use a good cleaning, logo strong, some surface/edge wear, headstock repair, playing wear to neck, logo strong, replacement pickguard, NS controls



1484 Dano tube amp only VG $389 Clean, covering wear, NS handles, 1/4" speaker jack mod, rev/trem functional, no footswitch


1484 Dano tube amp only VG $320 Clean, covering wear, some oxidation to control face, 1/4" speaker jack mod, 3-prong AC mod, reverb tank removed, trem functional, NS handle, recently serviced


1484 Dano tube amp with speakerless cabinet $295 As is


1471 Dano tube amp VG $175 Clean, light wear, one small covering peel, ext. speaker mod on back panel, 3-pron AC mod, recently serviced


1471 Dano tube amp G <$185 Plenty of covering wear, NS knobs, grille stained/brown, back panel missing, cabinet stamping indicates early 1962 build


1421(1000) Sears tube amp VG $284 Clean, a couple of grille rips, re=capped, re-tubed, trem functional


621 Harmony FTAC G $66 Needs a cleaning, some edge/surface wear, light strap melt on back, logo strong, bridge split, stamped F-65


698 EKO FTAC VG $57 Clean, light wear, small chip to nut, logo strong, 'Made in Italy' logo strong, back checking (as usual)


14XX Dano footswitch $100 Tested functional






A few musical notes from this week in 1964...

12/8

1457 Dano SSEG guitar with amp-less case VG $338 Clean, light wear, logo strong, pots scratchy


1448 Dano SSEG and tube ampincase VG $385 Clean, light wear, logo strong, knob inserts missing, late transitional model with oval-buttoned strip tuners/3-screw neck attach/neck tilt


1481 Dano tube amp E $168 Clean, minimal wear, logo tag looks good,



14XX Dano Bridge <$65 Saddle and mounting screws







We may have the Oculus Rift these days... but back in the day, I explored the 3-dimensional world with no WiFi, no LED screen, no batteries.... VIEW-MASTER! I went underwater, traveled to outer space, Pike's Peak, the World's Fair, laughed at Peanuts, rode with Batman, saw the Grand Canyon...
This listing from the 1964 'Wish Book.'





Wow! 50 Years ago this very week one of the longest running holiday specials made its debut. Of course, I'm talking about "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer," chock-full of now-classic Johnny Marks tunes, featuring great animation (done in Japan!), and a holiday favorite for many of you out there. The USPS has released a great set of stamps to mail your cards with, along with some nice collectible art. There's a book out on the making of the special, and a 50th anniversary Blu-Ray set, plus a LOT of other 50th anniversary geegaws... Go Rudolph!



A little bit from the country side of late '64...




12/7

1448 Dano SSEG and tube ampincase VG $529 Clean, minimal wear, case rubs to bottom sidewalls, knob inserts show adhesive seep, skate key tuners/3-screw neck attach/neck tilt



1448 Dano SSEG and tube ampincase VG $445 Clean, some wear, logo strong, 'cord keeper' present, knob inserts show adhesive seep, sidewall has case rub,  light staining to grille, transitional model with oval-button strip tuners, line/legend knob inserts and three-screw neck attach w/ neck tilt





Thought you might want a gander at some of the beautiful point-to-point wiring in this amp...

1482 Dano tube amp VG <$400 Clean, light wear, scratchy pots, tremolo functional



619 Kay FHAC G $125 Clean, light wear, logo strong, thumbwheels set up incorrectlyhole in heel, neck looks re-glued


696 Kay FHAC Body $64 Sold as is; no hardware, stamped L1463 6889


1479 Harmony Knobs $25 for the pair


And from the Great White North, our friends at Simpson-Sears had the grooviest vinyl spinning machine around! Less speakers, it sold at auction for just $81!






Back in my day, we didn't have no fancy eyePods or EmPeeThree players... it was transistors!
And that's how we liked it!

 

12/6

Here's a nice little flattop featured in the 'Wish Book' in our banner year of 1964...

615 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $113 Clean, light wear, logo strong, recently set-up


And here's that listing from the 1964 'Wish Book.'




1448 Dano SSEG and tube ampincase G $300 Clean, some wear, knob inserts yellowed, amp does not power up, amp lining worn, NS speaker, early transitional model with oval-button strip tuners, triangle knob inserts and two-screw neck attach w/ no neck tilt



1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet VG $605 Clean, some edge wear, oxidation to control face, re-capped, footswitch, rev/trem unmentioned


1460 Teisco MIJ HBEG w/ C VG $300 Clean, light wear, logo intact, whammy bar present, nut cracked low 'E'



1441 Teisco MIJ SBEG VG $327 Clean, light wear, bridge cover missing (as usual), whammy bar present, 'Space Dot' looks good, NS bridge


1385 Harmony HBEG body/neck only $183 Needs pretty much everything, logo intact but a little 'out of spec'



12/5

Santa's Dropping a Few Bucks Today... some good money goin' for the first few up as we head into the weekend.

All I want for this one is some new tuner buttons, Santa... this rare blonde 'Aristocrat' is in terrific shape!

1367 Kay HBEG w/ C VG $812 Clean, light wear, logo laminate looks good, 'S' pickguard logo strong,  tuner buttons deteriorated/missing, currently strung lefty



Showroom Shiny!

1484 Dano tube amp and speaker cabinet E $901 Clean, minimal wear, light oxidation of control face and handle captures, rev/trem functional, 3-prong AC mod, manual/schematic/footswitch incl.



1441 Teisco MIJ SBEG VG $499 Clean, light wear, bridge cover missing (as usual), whammy bar present, slight wear to 'Space Dot'



1445 Kay SSEG VG $495 Clean, light wear, NS 'chickenhead' selector, logo strong, some yellowing to pickguard and binding, a few binding cracks, some rust to tuner covers and posts, center pickup "seems a bit weak when compared to the others," NS nut, NS tuners, light finish crazing




621 Harmony FTAC VG $76 Clean, light wear, logo strong, serial #1008H621


Somebody's elf was watching over the purchaser on this one... what a deal!

605 Harmony FTAC VG $28 Clean, light wear all over, looks like some slight water damage on back bottom, 'deco' logo strong, 'D' tuner slightly bent



856 Harmony Baritone ukulele VG $149 Clean, light wear, logo strong




OK, so a lot of parts that I see show up at auction claim "from a Silvertone this or that." Knobs, tailpieces, bridges, tuners... but, really... unless you see it on the guitar, how are you gonna know it's real Silvertonium? Well, there's certainly one item that's specific to a certain Silvertone guitar. As long as it's in that unique pentagonal mounting ring... it's the Gibson-made mini-humbucker from the 1446 'Chris Isaak' model. Generally goes for a pretty penny, too... this one went for $182, and its sibling went for $170.


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."



Here's an entire V/T/ network from a 1446 that went for less than $400:







Sears' 'Wish Book' choices could sometimes be puzzling... you'd think that the 1448 or 1457 (recently featured in the Fall/Winter 'Big Book') would be a natural for the holiday shopping season... instead we get the oddball Electro-Harp featured, along with a nice 1482. Sears 'Wish Book,' 1964





Lastly for today, a little something from the "I know it's not a Silvertone, but..." file. This wild (mid-60s?) Univox 12-string electric!



12/4

I'd Never Heard of Noble Amplifiers... but this one that sold at auction certainly seems to be related to the Dano-built 13XX Silvertone line... I've compared this amp to a Silvertone 1334. Pretty neat! Oh, the Noble sold for $195 in "powers up but doesn't make a sound" condition.















1385 Harmony HBEG G $500 Needs a good cleaning, light wear, pickguard missing, logo intact, crack in side, binding/knobs yellowed



758 Kay mandolin w/ OC VG $300 Clean, light wear, logo strong, NS tailpiece, tuner buttons shrinking


1457 Dano SSEG guitar only VG $338 Clean, some wear and scratches, wired mod to saddle, logo strong






Well, if you didn't want to spring for a Silvertone, time-honored Danish Craftsmen were there for you! And Beatles. Wish Book '64.




12/3

1448 Dano SSEG and tube ampincase VG $475 Clean, light wear, logo worn, some adhesive seep to knob inserts, transitional model with oval-buttoned strip tuners & three-screw neck attach




They wouldn't need the wire on the saddle on this one if they'd put the bridge plate on right...

1448 Dano SSEG and tube ampincase MOD $215 Needs a cleaning, light wear, pickup chopped, NS knobs, bridge improperly configured


1472 Dano tube amp VG $300 Could use a cleaning, light wear to edges, trem unmentioned, but seller says all is functional, red border panel with correct tremolo spelling


1482 Dano tube amp VG <$450 Clean, light wear, 3-prong AC mod, recently serviced


1482 Dano tube amp G $159 Needs a thorough cleaning, light wear, "tested and working," tremolo unmentioned


1392 Dano tube amp G $275 Covering rough, a few grille picks, logo shows some oxidation, tremolo unmentioned (although seller says "works great"), handle missing


1444 Dano SSEG Bass w/ OC VG $689 Clean, light wear, a ding or two, logo intact but worn



1420 Sears tube amp VG $76 Could use a good cleaning, light wear, back panel present, tested good



This guitar is back in action after "hanging over a bar in a saloon out West for decades."

1478 Harmony SBEG VG $500 Clean, light wear, some oxidation to whammy unit, screw cracks to pickguard, logo worn/faded, (3) knobs NS but period correct repros, recently cleaned and set-up, lamination lines showing on headstock, pickguard stamped Dec. 11 1964




And this one looks like it might have just come from an Old West barfight...

600 Series Harmony FTAC  $10 Sold "As Is." Needs plenty of TLC: tuners buttons gone, cracks, scratches,








The folk revival was certainly booming in 1964, and Sears was there to help you get your hootenanny on! This page from the Spring/Summer '64 Sears catalog.



 When the Beatles arrived in early '64, I would imagine that this was the pin that popped the folk balloon.
Hit this link to read a self-righteously snarky bit from late 1964 from "Hootenanny" magazine.

12/2

1422(2001) Sears Solid State amp G $99 Clean, some edge and corner wear, trem functional, reverb weak, scratchy pots



604 Harmony w/ OC VG $292 Clean, light edge wear, logo strong, 'grainy' headstock, rust to tuner plates, some scratches on back



641 Harmony FTAC F $75 Clean, pickguard missing, edge wear, logo scratched at 'n,' high 'E' tuner post missing, neck loose



1464 Dano Solid State amp only $49 Cabinet/covering shows light wear, sound is distorted, rev/trem functional, power switch touchy, circuit board cracked/repaired, NS knobs

 

Originally scheduled for a July 1963 release, "Introducing The Beatles" came out on 10 January 1964, on Vee-Jay Records, ten days before Capitol's "Meet the Beatles!" The album was the subject of much legal wrangling, but ultimately, Vee-Jay was permitted to sell the album until late 1964, by which time it had sold more than 1.3 million copies. This copy has lived happily in its Sears poly bag for fifty years. Grab it on eBay if you've got a few dollars you want to spend.



12/1

December is Underway! We're gonna have a lot of fun this month; wrapping up our year-long look at 1964 with a stocking full of 1964 catalog treats daily, and of course, a sleighload of Silvertonium!

608 Harmony FTAC w/ OC VG $80 Clean, light wear, logo strong, light rust to tuner plates, neck lifting slightly, stamped FL-59, serial #2365H608



621 Harmony FTAC w/ OC G $185 Clean, light wear, logo strong, bridge repaired, (2) bridge pins missing, stamped F-64, serial #4665H621


1482 Dano tube amp VG $300 Clean, light covering wear, trem functional, no footswitch, cabinet stamping indicates May 1965 build

 

Beautiful listing for the Harmony-built Silvertone 1478. Sears Wish Book, 1964.

712 Kay FHAC G $230 Clean, pickguard missing, some overall wear esp. to playing area, logo laminate looks good, NS tailpiece, NS tuners, neck possibly reset, this is the later version with the 'boater hat' markers



 

With zero songs on the Hot 100 since October, the Beatles finally return this week 50 years ago with the feedback-laden intro'd "I Feel Fine." The song entered the Hot 100 at #22, and we'll track its rise over this last month of 1964-centric throwback updates. Dig the isolated guitar-only track of the Beatles' classic below:



I was quite amazed to find out that the distinctive riff on this song was played by John on a Gibson acoustic-electric, the J-160E!



Hit this link for the (extensive) story behind the song.



In researching 1964, I'm always coming across these odd, minor hits from groups I've never heard of... like these young ladies.




...and some pleasant surprises, like this holiday ditty from The Gems, featuring the exquisite Minnie Riperton.

 

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.

The items depicted on this page are not for sale by Silvertone World. These are reviews of items from completed eBay auctions on or around the date specified.