Six String Synopsis:
Silvertone was a brand name used by the American Sears, Roebuck & Company mail order and department store for its line of consumer electronics and musical instruments from 1916. Leading companies like Sears Roebuck, Montgomery Ward and Spiegel revolutionised the way consumer products were sold during the early part of the 20th Century. In 1916, Sears acquired Harmony to produce musical instruments, particularly their ukuleles, for sale through catalogues and stores. During the Great Depression (1929‑1939), consumers became very price sensitive and Sears were there to support ordinary people through years of austerity. In 1940, Sears sold Harmony and started using the Silvertone name for its inexpensive instruments. Silvertone‑branded electric six‑string guitars started appearing in 1941. Sears also sold Silvertone guitar amplifiers made by Danelectro The first Silvertone solid‑body electric guitars were introduced in 1954, just in time for the rock & roll boom.
Instruments and amplifiers bearing the Silvertone name were manufactured by a wide variety of companies including, Danelectro, Harmony, Kay, National, Supro, Teisco and Valco. Silvertone guitars sold during the 1960s and manufactured by Danelectro and Kay were particularly popular with students because of the style, cost and availability through the Sears network. In the mid‑1960s a Fender Stratocaster cost about $300, while a good Silvertone guitar could be bought for as little as $80. By 1969 Sears’ key suppliers such as Danelectro, Kay, National, Supro, Teisco and Valco had all disappeared. Sears stopped using the Silvertone brand in 1972. In 1975, the production of Harmony guitars ceased and the brand name was sold.
In 2001, South Korean company, Samick Music acquired the rights to the Silvertone brand and reissued a number of instruments under the rejuvenated Silvertone name. Samick sold Silvertone to current owners, RBI Music in 2021. Silvertone continues to make guitars updated for the 21st Century while retaining the classic look of the 1950s and 1960s, particularly the image of Danelectro‑made Silvertones. Silvertone also make acoustic guitars, ukuleles, effect pedals and after‑market pickups. Silvertone caters for a new generation of musicians seeking good value instruments.
Silvertone’s official website is… Silvertone.com
Check out the Silvertone’s page on Wikipedia… Wikipedia.org
Famous Silvertone instruments include… 1361/1363, 1375/1377, 1304/U1, 1303/U2, 1373 baritone, 1423, 1457, 1444 basses, 1448/1449 ‘amp‑in‑case’, 1478
Famous Silvertone amplifiers… 1484 ‘Twin Twelve’, ‘Amp-In-Case’
Some famous Silvertone guitar players include… Beck, Coldplay, Arthur ‘Big Boy’ Crudup, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Muddy Waters, Jack White
Links to CRAVE Guitars Silvertone Features…
1964 Silvertone 1449 ‘Amp‑In‑Case’
See also…
Danelectro… Danelectro web site
Harmony… Harmony web site
Kay… Kay web site
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