Check out this great looking late ’60s Silvertone 1437 just popped up on eBay.
Vintage Collection of 1960s Alamo Guitars
Not exactly a bargain, but how often do you find an entire collection of vintage 1960s Alamo guitars? Fiesta and Fury guitars made in San Antonio, Texas. Offered on eBay.
Check it out here: ALAMO GUITAR COLLECTION. Six guitars as one group. RARE. 1960’s. Fiesta & Fury
Mike Campbell’s 12-string Rickenbacker
The best $150 Mike Campbell ever spent!
Mike Campbell talks about the solid-bodied Rickenbacker 12-string he found shopping through the old “Recycler” advertising newspaper, driving to Anaheim, and later discovering it was built on the assembly line with George Harrison’s guitar in the 1960’s.
Click the link to watch the video.
YouTube Link: Mike Campbell Tells About His Rickenbacker 12-string
Classic Album: Damn The Torpedoes by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers.
Hashtags: #mikecampbell #tompetty #heartbreakers #tpath #rickenbacker #12string #georgeharrison
1965 Sears Silvertone 1438 Bass Guitar by TEISCO (NB-4)
COOL! Check out this a very cool, very red, made in Japan, 1965 Silvertone bass with a hard case up for auction on eBay. Appears to be in pretty good condition.
1965 Sears Silvertone 1438 Teisco NB-4 Electric Bass Guitar, Rare Red!
DISCLAIMER: Bid at your own risk. We just like pointing out the cool guitars we find along the way on the World Wide Web. Tone Gems is not associated with the seller; nor have we inspected or played this instrument and make no claim to it’s condition.
The Real Story Behind Marty McFly’s 1955 Guitar
Compliments of the good folks at Reverb.com, here is the true story behind Michael J. Fox’s “Johnny B. Goode” guitar, played during the 1955 Enchantment Under the Sea Ball – in the first Back to the Future movie. This very unique and rare Gibson ES345 TDC – which didn’t even exist in 1955 – was something of a time traveler itself.
Here is the link to the story:
The True Story of the Time Traveling Gibson in Back to the Future
Here is the clip from the movie:
Hashtags: #BackToTheFuture #BTTF #Gibson #ES345TDC #MichaelJFox #JohnnyBGoode
Univox Coily U1825 Electric Guitar
The Univox Coily Hollowbody Electric – A True 1970’s Sleeper
The Univox Coily is one example of a guitar that no one wanted in the 70’s, but would die for today. This thing just rocks!
Back in the 70’s, Univox was known as the U.S. distributor of Marshall amps… and… that’s about all they were known for! They did have their own line of guitars and amps, but most everyone wanted to rock a Les Paul with their Marshall, not a Univox, or even a Fender for that matter.
But the Coily has that Epiphone Casino-like mojo. It’s a full hollow body Maple thin line guitar, with a pair of P-90 type pickups, similar to John Lennon’s Casino. And these pickups are hot!
The 1975 Coily featured a flamed Maple body, fully bound, in a sunburst finish, P-90 type pickups, a ball-bearing Vibrato arm (Whammy Bar), Matsumoku’s three-piece Maple neck, Rosewood fingerboard with Pearloid “Box” inlays.
The Coily was based on the Epiphone Casino, made popular in the 1960’s by The Beatles. John Lennon was the first Beatle to get one; and later Paul and George each got their own. The Casino was the only guitar that was owned and played by all three. You can see John playing his Casino in several Beatles films and videos. But the Abbey Road Rooftop Concert might be the most famous, with John playing it during their recording of “Get Back.”
Specifications
- 1975 Univox Coily
- Model number U1825.
- Full Hollow body thin line body (no center block), arch top, electric.
- Maple ply top, back and sides.
- Bound body with Flamed Maple finish.
- Sunburst body in Orange, Red, and Jade Green (rare color).
- P-90 Pickups (made to look like Humbuckers).
- Separate volume and tone controls for each pickup.
- Three-way pickup switch.
- Black pick guard.
- Ball-bearing Vibrato Tailpiece.
- Made in Japan by Matsumoku, mid 1970’s.
- Similar to Epiphone Casino, Epiphone EA250, Epiphone 5102T.
- Original sale price: $122.50.
- A bass guitar version of the Coily was also available.
Photos: The Univox Coily
Thanks!
Previous Comments
April 19, 2017 at 11:57 am-
I have the same model, but in green sunburst , serial#0166981 can you tell me how many were made in green?
Lyle C-600 Acoustic Guitar
Say hello to Lyle
The Lyle C-600 is an excellent 1970’s reproduction of the Martin 000-18 guitar. The C-600 was made in Japan at the Matsumoku factory and sold in the United States by L.D. Heater Music Company of Portland Oregon.
This particular guitar came to me as a gift from my family last Christmas. My son found this Lyle online at a Goodwill Store in Seattle. When the guitar finally arrived, it looked a bit rough: with a few scuffs, marks, dings, and plenty of scratches. Not to mention a few decades of dust!
The passing of time had not been kind to this Lyle, which resulted in a bowed neck. Poor Lyle. Here’s a picture of Lyle the day he arrived in his original chipboard case.
A New Life
Lyle spent quite a bit of time earlier this year at Barrett Coughlin’s repair shop. Barrett straightened Lyle’s bowed neck, lowered the bridge saddle, treated the fingerboard, filed and polished the frets, and generally brought this old instrument back to life.
A Good Build
- Crafted in Japan, in the Matsumoku factory.
- Imported and sold by the L.D. Heater Co. of Portland, Oregon.
- 000 size.
- Solid Spruce top.
- Martin X-bracing.
- Laminated Mahogany sides and back.
- Mahogany neck.
- Rosewood fingerboard and fixed bridge.
- Simple Dot inlay markers.
- Inlay headstock.
- Black (vinyl?) pickguard.
- Cheap tuners.
- Unknown (plastic?) nut.
- Chipboard case.
Silvertone 1445 Electric Guitar
A Vintage 1970 Silvertone MIJ Copy of the Mosrite Guitar
This crazy looking solid-body electric guitar is ready to play surf, jazz, classic rock or county, and is simply a kick to play! The exquisite Silvertone 1445 (I mean, by dept. store standards of course) was hand-crafted by Teisco in Japan for Sears. The body style is an excellent Teisco version of the 1960’s Mosrite of California guitar played by rock Hall-of-Famers, The Ventures (Walk, Don’t Run and Hawaii Five-O).
The Silvertone 1445 first appeared in the Sears catalog in 1968, and hung around in a few variations through the early 1970’s. It has three very loud single-coil (“Hound Dog”) pickups wired in series just like the old Danelecto models. The fast, low-profile solid Maple neck with Rosewood fingerboard sports medium to low action and is easy to play. The growling Teisco “Hound Dog” single-coils have lots of bite, and the solid poplar body has plenty of sustain. Of course, the single-coils and non-shielded wiring can be a bit noisy if you’re not careful, but easy to avoid. And I must say that the hand-painted sunburst finish over the flamed Maple; the contoured German carve body with tortoise shell pickguard; and intricate triple-layer celluloid binding makes this guitar a stunning sight to see.
The 1445 represents the pinnacle of Teisco’s contribution to the Sears Silvertone line. All high quality materials and workmanship. It has the following specifications and features:
- Body: Morite-style, celluloid bound, fully contoured, flamed Maple over basswood with German carve; sunburst (yellow-red-mahogany) high gloss polyurethane finish; tortoise shell celluloid pickguard.
- Neck: Bolt-on solid Maple neck with Brazilian(?) Rosewood fretboard, Pearloid block inlays and triple bound celluloid edge (w/b/w); 25½″; 22 frets with zero fret; 1-5⁄8″ at nut.
- Pickups: Three Teisco single coil “Hound Dog” pups wired in series (loud, louder, loudest); 3 slide switches plus tone boost switch for 7 pup combinations; 3 volumes and 1 master tone control.
- Headstock: Solid Maple; black nitro-lacquer finish; block style logo.
- Tuners: 6 in line; sealed; made in Japan.
- Vibrato: Teisco tremolo bar.
- Bridge: Teisco adjustable roller bridge; chrome cover.
- Dimensions: Length 41½″; Body 19″; Upper Bout 12½″; Lower Bout 14½″; Thickness 2″ at base of neck.
The Silvertone 1445 Photo Gallery
Here are some photos of the 1445 taken with the Silvertone 1421 (Sears 10XL). The 1421 is a 10-watt tube amp that was also offered by Sears around the same time. These two instruments were often bundled and sold together as a set around Christmas time (the Sears Wishbook).
Silvertone 1445 Guitar Schematic Diagram (by randoid.com)
Special thanks to Randy (randoid.com) for helping fix the electronics and getting it back into stock, playing condition!
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
November 7, 2012 at 3:04 pm
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i own a 68 model that i refinished in 2004.i should not have done that but the end result looks great and at the time i only paid 85$ for it.it was my first experimental guitar.i learned about guitar construction,electronics,it taut me every thing i know about guitars today.i could build one from scatch if need be.if you want to check out a photo go to my facebook page.
1970 Silvertone 1445 Mosrite Copy Guitar
A Vintage 1970 Silvertone MIJ Copy of the Mosrite Guitar
Here is the latest addition to the Tone Gem galaxy of stars: a vintage 1970 Silvertone 1445. Also known as the Silvertone Mosrite Copy, made in Japan by Teisco. Picked this one up in Seattle from John, another Silvertone collector. The 1445 represents the pinnacle of Teisco’s contribution to the Sears Silvertone line. All high quality materials and workmanship.
This crazy looking solid-body electric guitar is ready to play surf, jazz, classic rock or country, and is simply a kick to play! The exquisite Silvertone 1445 (I mean, by dept. store standards of course) was hand-crafted by Teisco in Japan for Sears. The body style is an excellent Teisco version of the 1960′s Mosrite of California guitar played by rock Hall-of-Famers, The Ventures (Walk, Don’t Run and Hawaii Five-O).
The Silvertone 1445 first appeared in the Sears catalog in 1968, and hung around in a few variations through the early 1970′s. It has three very loud single-coil (“Hound Dog”) pickups wired in series just like the old Danelecto models. The fast, low-profile solid Maple neck with Rosewood fingerboard sports medium to low action and is easy to play. The growling Teisco “Hound Dog” single-coils have lots of bite, and the solid poplar body has plenty of sustain. Of course, the single-coils and non-shielded wiring can be a bit noisy if you’re not careful, but easy to avoid. And I must say that the hand-painted sunburst finish over the flamed Maple; the contoured German carve body with tortoise shell pickguard; and intricate triple-layer celluloid binding makes this guitar a stunning sight to see.
The 1445 represents the pinnacle of Teisco’s contribution to the Sears Silvertone line. All high quality materials and workmanship. It has the following specifications and features:
- Body: Morite-style, celluloid bound, fully contoured, flamed Maple over basswood with German carve; sunburst (yellow-red-mahogany) nitrocellulose lacquer finish; tortoise shell celluloid pickguard.
- Neck: Bolt-on solid Maple neck with Brazilian(?) Rosewood fretboard, Pearloid block inlays and triple bound celluloid edge (w/b/w); 25½″; 22 frets with zero fret; 1-5⁄8″ at nut.
- Pickups: Three Teisco single coil “Hound Dog” pups wired in series (loud, louder, loudest); 3 slide switches plus tone boost switch for 7 pup combinations; 3 volumes and 1 master tone control.
- Headstock: Solid Maple; black nitro-lacquer finish; block style logo.
- Tuners: 6 in line; sealed; made in Japan.
- Vibrato: Teisco tremolo bar.
- Bridge: Teisco adjustable roller bridge; chrome cover.
- Dimensions: Length 41½″; Body 19″; Upper Bout 12½″; Lower Bout 14½″; Thickness 2″ at base of neck.
The Silvertone 1445 Photo Gallery
Here are some photos of the 1445 taken with the Silvertone 1421 (Sears 10XL). The 1421 is a 10-watt tube amp that was also offered by Sears around the same time. These two instruments were often bundled and sold together as a set around Christmas time (the Sears Wishbook).
Schematic Diagram
Special thanks to Randy (randoid.com) for helping fix the electronics and getting it back into stock, playing condition!
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
January 30, 2011 at 11:51 am
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Hey just wondering what these models are worth. I picked one up from a guy in Alberta, Canada. I paid $125 for it. The electrics are alot crackily but they still work. Everything else is in good shape with the usual nicks and bumps. It also came with an old hard case. Looks a little big for the guitar but it looks old. It has a very thin red plush interiour. Not sure if I will get a reply if you reply through this web site so if you could reply directly to my email address [address removed].
Thanks Terry
Terry
December 15, 2011 at 4:44 pm
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Hi my name is frank i have had mine for about 20 years i haven,t picked it up in years whats 1 of these worth model #319.14459 japan silvertone mosrite copy/tone gems
3
April 13, 2012 at 7:46 am
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Hello sir, I have one of these but it has the holographic atomic symbol headstock. Do you know the difference? Here’s what the headstock looks like: http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=52948
June 27, 2012 at 8:11 am
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Hello,
I have this Silvertone-teisco 1445L guitar.
What is a fair price for this type of guitar is good condition?
September 5, 2012 at 10:00 am
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I’m about to purchase one of these 1445 Silvertone’s, it is a 1969 and in perfect condition other than the tremelo bar is missing. Do you know if these are easy to get hold of?
Thanks
Peter
September 5, 2012 at 10:43 am
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Try eBay. This one looks exactly like the one on my 1445L:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/EZPZ-VINTAGE-TREMOLO-VIBRATO-TAILPIECE-WITH-BAR-BEST-PRICE-TEISCO-TULIP-/261093735966?pt=Guitar&hash=item3cca663e1e
December 1, 2012 at 7:07 pm
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I’ve had my Silvertone 1445 since1974 and it still plays. It was my first electric guitar. Bought it from a friend of mine with a Sears tube amp but the amp got stolen. Saw one on Ebay for almost $500. Bought both amp and guitar for $40. Missing my bridge cover. Never got a case with it and the only thing it fits in is a coffin bass case.
April 12, 2013 at 9:41 am
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Want even better Mosrite-like sound from the 1445? Bypass the other two pickups and wire the bridge pickup straight to the input jack. Even better, replace the bridge pickup with an M3 or California “RH-100″ Wow! No need to drop $6,000 to get that Mosrite Mark 1 sound.
- December 8, 2013 at 11:25 pm
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Hey,
I just bought one of these on eBay for $250. The differences are that the headstock is almost like a generic block but the top of the head is shaped like a wave. Another difference is there is no white lining surrounding the edge of the body. The pearl inlays stop at the 17th fret, there are actually two separate smaller inlays on the 12th fret, and the paint job and finish covers the entire guitar including the back of the neck and back of the headstock. My questions are what year was this model made? Also, it’s missing a volume knob, the whammy bar, and the original bridge so I’m also wondering where I could find these parts?
Thank you very much
December 9, 2013 at 10:12 pm
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Andrew,
Congrats on the new guitar! Is it a 2 pickup or 3 pickup version. A 3 pickup is model 1445 and the 2 pickup version is a 1440 or 1441. From your description, it sounds like it might be a 1971 or 72 model year.The guitar was built in Japan at the old Teisco factory, which was owned by Kawai by that time. You can search for parts on eBay by searching for “Teisco knob” or “Teisco whammy bar.” The is a seller on eBay to offers new reproductions of the original Tesico parts. That seller go by the name ezpz-parts. I have not purchased from that seller so I cannot endorse. But the parts look pretty good.
Good luck and enjoy your new find!
AlexDecember 10, 2013 at 9:02 am
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Thanks! I’ve already found a teisco old style tremolo and spring. The seller you mentioned has some good stuff. I even picked up a new strap. The one I bought is indeed a 3 pickup. I’ve seen more than a few of these recently and a lot of them seem to have small variations. I’m not sure if they were moded that way or actually made that way. First time I saw this guitar I instantly fell in love. Then that love went to a whole new level when I heard what it’s capable of. Vintage just has a feeling that not even repro can give you. I have a lot of years left and this will for sure be my #1 guitar out of any others I get in the future.
Thanks again!
May 12, 2014 at 11:31 am
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I bought one of these guitars back in october and I love its uniqueness.
However my is slightly different.
Mine has a big almost flag shaped headstock with 3 tuners on each side, and doesn’t have binding all the way around the body. Does this make it an older/new model?
Also what are all the woods that make it up? I don’t think mine has the maple top. so what’s the body and neck? November 11, 2014 at 8:56 am
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Hey there, I own a Silvertone 1445 (actual SN is 16877) but the wammy bar and tail bridge are destroyed and missing. Where can I get a replacement? Is it possible or do I need to add a new one on?
thanks for any and all help.
cheers
James.
August 26, 2015 at 5:25 am
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I own one of these great guitars. Silvertone from Sears. 1445 model I believe
It is in mint condition and sounds great with the original pickups.
I am missing one volume knob and would really like to get one to make this guitar
good as new. Any idea where I could get an original knob?
Brand New 1967 Teisco EP-7, Checkmate Amp
Drop dead, new old stock guitar, amp and accessories.
A guitar time capsule discovery. While out trolling the flea marts, pawn and antique shops today, Jon and I ran into this absolutely beautiful 1967 Tesico EP-7. It came with its original matching Checkmate 12 amp, guitar strap and cables. It was entire ’67 Teisco electric guitar starter package, minus the original gig bag (but the seller might have had that hanging around, too). Even though the set was 45 years old, the guitar and amp were as new as the day they came out of the Teisco factory. Someone must have received the set back in ’67 and then locked it on a closet. The nitrocellulose finish was perfectly glossy, the chrome was gleaming, and the rosewood fingerboard and brass frets appeared to never have been played before today. We did hear some hum coming from the solid-state Checkmate 12, but that may have been caused by the super-cheap unshielded guitar cable we were using. The EP-7 sounded just “OK” through it’s little solid-state amp. But when we plugged it into a ’47 Harmony tube amp, those two single coil pickups really began to shine. We were impressed by this little guy. It was the find of the day, and maybe the year.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }