Silvertone Guitar History

Silvertone guitars were sold by Sears from 1954 to 1969. The Silvertone brand name had been in use since 1915, being applied to Sears' phonographs and radios before being expanded to cover musical instruments. While they were inexpensive during their production run, Silvertones are now a popular collector's item for those who enjoy vintage guitars. Even today, popular musicians like Jack White and Beck use Silvertone guitars and amplifiers.

Significance

The early Silvertone guitars were priced low enough that they were accessible to young people just starting out in music. The basic model was only $69 in 1954 and there were also reasonably priced models that included the popular built-in amplifier in the guitar's case. Legendary musicians like Jimi Hendrix, Chet Atkins and Bob Dylan got their start by playing a Silvertone guitar.

The Danelectro Company

Silvertone guitars were made by the Danelectro company and sold to Sears, whic applied the Silvertone brand name to the instruments. Danelectro was founded by Nathan Daniel in 1947. At the time, he was producing amplifiers for Epiphone, which wanted him to work exclusively for Epiphone. He refused and started his own company so that he could remain independent. Besides producing Silvertone guitars for Sears, Daniel also sold them to his own customers under the Danelectro name.

The First Silvertones

In 1954, Silvertone introduced the one-pickup Model 1375 and the two-pickup Model 1377. The body was a single cutaway made from solid poplar and covered with a layer of maroon vinyl. The body was braced with a long aluminum bar that ran from the bridge to the peghead. The two-pickup models had stacked tone and volume knobs and a much richer tone than other two-pickup guitars of the time. The pickups of Silvertone guitars were wired in series while other guitars were wired in parallel.

New Design in 1957

The body design was radically changed for 1957's Model 1317 (one-pickup) and Model 1319 (two-pickup). Instead of a solid body, Silvertone now used a poplar frame covered in masonite. Only the top and back of the body were painted, with vinyl covering the sides of the wooden frame. "Lipstick tube" pickups were also added to the Silvertone design in 1957. Each pickup contained an alnico bar magnet and coil hidden inside a chrome-plated lipstick tubes. The tubes were installed into a cutout in the masonite body.

Amplifier-in-Case Models

In 1962, Silvertone introduced its amplifier-in-case guitars. Inside the guitar's case was a six-inch speaker and three-watt amplifier, making it easy to play almost anywhere. At first, only a one-pickup guitar was offered with the built-in amplifier, but a two-pickup model was introduced in 1963. The two-pickup Model 1457 had a five-watt amplifier and an eight-inch speaker in its case.