Vintage 1971 Silvertone 1421 (Sears 10XL) Combo Guitar Tube Amp
This great little combo tube amp was built by (who?) and sold through Sears and Roebuck in the late 1960′s and early 70′s. It was originally sold as the Silvertone Model #1421, and in later years as the SR 10XL, and lastly as the Sears 10XL. Oh, the photo of this amp looks innocent enough, but, this is one serious sounding tube screamer. And you won’t usually find them as nice as this one!
Quick Info
Summary: A 10-watt tube combo with tremolo and 8-inch speaker. Hand-wired. Lots of midrange growl that transitions into a creamy overdrive. Great for classic and indie rock, jazz, blues, country and rockabilly. Use as a practice amp or at small venues. Perfect for recording.
Pluses (+): Vintage British, Vox-like, valve sound in an affordable practice amp. Compact and lightweight.
Minuses ( – ): Cheaply constructed lightweight cabinet and thin vinyl covering. The original grille cloth was fragile, and most are completely deteriorated by now. Loud enough for a small venue (i.e. coffee shop) but not for anything larger.
Surprises: 1) The 7189 output tube! This is the higher plate voltage version of the EL84 tube made famous in British amps of the 60′s; and 2) The 8-inch Oxford Alnico speaker sounds great!
Value ($): Depends on the condition and market demand. I have seen them run from $100 to as high as $500.
Similar Amps: The original 1960′s Vox AC4 practice amp. Nothing else in the Silvertone line is similar.
The Complete Silvertone 1421 Review
(Stay tuned… this section under construction)
The 1421 Photo Gallery
This amp is in fantastic condition for it’s age. It even came with the factory original vinyl dust cover. It is all original, except that I replaced a broken power switch, and then replaced the old 2-prong power cord with a safer grounded cord. The tubes, chassis, speaker, cabinet and finish are all in perfect condition — sans for the cigarette-sized hole burned into the original grille cloth (not by me, it came that way!).
Specifications – Silvertone 1421 (Sears 10XL)
| SILVERTONE 1421 (SEARS 10XL) | ||
| Model Number | 257.14211000 | |
| Serial Number | None | |
| Manufacture Date | April 1971 | |
| Type | 8″ Combo | |
| Output (Peak or RMS) | 10 Watts, Peak | |
| Pre-Amp Tube(s) | 1 x 12AX7 | |
| Tremolo Tube(s) | 1 x 12AX7 | |
| Power Amp Tube(s | 1 x 7189 | |
| Tube Rectifier | 6X4 | |
| Speaker | Oxford 8″ Alnico | |
| Speaker Code | 465-7118 | |
| Speaker Configuration | 1 x 8″ | |
| Baffle Board | 1/8″ Masonite | |
| Impedance | 4 Ohm | |
| On-Board Effects | Tremolo | |
| Footswitch | Yes | |
| Controls | Volume & Tone | |
| Inputs | 2 | |
| Channels | 1 | |
| Cabinet Construction | 3/8″ Pressed Board | |
| Cabinet Covering/Color | Vinyl / Black | |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 14″x17″x6″ | |
| Weight | 10 lbs. | |
| Power | 120V AC | |
Schematic for Silvertone 1421
Schematic Courtesy of SchematicHeaven.com
Additional Resources
More info to come…
