1979 Guyatone EX1 Guitar Amp


Very rare guitar amp from Japan maker Guyatone

This 1979 Guyatone EX1 amp is very rarely seen outside of Japan. It was most likely built and sold for the domestic market only. I found this one in a used music store in Portland, Oregon and suspect maybe a U.S. service man or woman brought this amp over from Japan.

The EX1 is an analog,  single channel, solid-state amp with 20 watts of power, a 12-inch speaker, overdrive and reverb. Gain and volume controls, high and low EQ, reverb depth. Normal and overdrive inputs, headphone jack, pilot light.

I had this one serviced by Audio Synapse in Portland, and had a new reverb tank installed, as the original was ineffective.

This amp is bright sounding to begin with, and the 12-inch speaker by Tokyo Sound Co. only makes it brighter. I replaced the original with a Peavey Neo and that added a lot of lower end.

Comments

Silvertone 1428 (Sears 60BXL) Solid-State Bass Amp

60-Watts of Transistor Power! (meh)

The Sears 60BXL (labeled as Silvertone model 1428) was a electric bass amp similar in design and appearance to guitar and bass amps built by Danelectro in the late 1960’s. It appeared in the Sears Catalog from 1971 through 1973. According to the catalog, the 60BXL was a two transistor-powered 60-watt (marketing hype) bass amp with a 15-inch speaker. It seems that very few of these amps were sold, maybe because the more powerful 200BXL met the needs of electric bass players.

Not much is known about these amps; they are rarely seen in the wild. Here is an image from the 1971 Sears Catalog.

Page 928 excerpt from the 1971 Sears Catalog

Here is a posting about this amp in the Talk Bass Forum: NAD – 1971 Sears 60 BXL Combo.

Below are some photos courtesy of Chicago Music Exchange and eBay.

 

Silvertone 1428 Sears 60BXL Electric Bass Amplifier
Courtesy Chicago Music Exchange
Silvertone 1428 Sears 60BXL Electric Bass Amplifier
Courtesy Chicago Music Exchange
Silvertone 1428 Sears 60BXL Electric Bass Amplifier
Courtesy Chicago Music Exchange
Courtesy eBay

 

Courtesy eBay

 

Courtesy eBay

Comments

Arion Stereo Analog Delay SAD-1

PC Board - Arion SAD-1 Stereo Analog Delay Effect Pedal

Great Analog Delay, On the Cheap!

Looking for a good, vintage, analog delay for your pedal board? You can get a legendary early 80’s Boss DM-2 for $200 to $300. But why not give the Arion Stereo Analog Delay a try for about $100 or less? The SAD-1 is a surprisingly great analog delay that truly makes it a serious Tone Gem. It’s warm. It’s quiet. It definitely enhances your sound without robbing your guitar’s true tone. The SAD-1 adds depth and definition to whatever I’m playing without changing or coloring the original tone of my guitar.

This one is dead quiet; and it doesn’t suck tone. I find myself keeping this pedal on most of the time. I snagged this one, in excellent condition, from ebay seller New Vintage Music (seller ID: new_vintage_music) for a great price. A real bargain and sleeper. So give this Tone Gem a try. I think you’ll like it.

This one was built the 30th week of 1985. Not to be confused with the newer Arion SAD-3 pedal, which is made in Sri Lanka.

MN3205 BBD

Arion. SAD-1. PC Board.

The MN3025 BBD is an analog 16-pin integrated circuit semi-conductor producing a 4,096-stage echo, repeat, or reverberation effect.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION FROM THE DATA SHEET:
The Panasonic MN3205 is a 4,096-stage, low voltage operation (VDD=5V), low noise Bucket Brigade Device (BBD) that provides a signal delay of up to 204.8ms at clock frequency 10K Hz and is suitable for use as reverberation effect of audio equipments such as portable stereo and long delay time since S/N is 67dB in spite of the many stages.

MN3205 BBD and MN3102
MN3205 BBD and MN3102

 

The MN3205 is driven by the MN3102 CMOS Clock Generator.

Function and Controls

  • Pedal Operation: Press pedal down for the ON position and LED indicator will turn
    on. Depress again for OFF position, LED will go off.
  • Battery Cover: Press both ends marked “PUSH” to lift cover and access battery compartment.
  • LED Check Light: When shining bright, indicates effect is ON and battery is in good condition.
  • Input Jack: 1/4-inch mono phone jack from guitar.
  • Output Jack (OUT 1): 1/4-inch mono phone jack to amplifier.
  • Output Jack (OUT 2): 1/4-inch mono phone jack to second amplifier for stereo effect.
  • OUT 2 / Mode Switch: Selector switch for direct out or stereo out.
  • AC Adapter Jack: Input DC 9-volt, 100mA to 200mA, center pole negative.
  • Delay: Dial Short to Long. Echo, reverb, slap back. Controls the delay time of the effect, from 50ms to 300ms.
  • Depth: Dial Min. to Max. Controls to depth of effect.
  • Repeat: Dial Min to Max. Controls the number of repeats, from one to infinity, as the effect decays.

 

Arion. SAD-1 Silver Label.
Arion. SAD-1 Silver Label.

Specifications

  • Input Impedance: 240K
  • Load Output Impedance: 10K
  • Maximum Input Level: -1dB (0dB=1V)
  • Maximum Output Level: 0dB (0dB=1V)
  • Noise Level: -65.5dB (0dB=1V Input Short)
  • Delay Time: 50ms to 300ms
  • Controls: Depth, Delay, Repeat, Output to Direct or Stereo
  • Jacks: Mono In; Mono and Stereo Out
  • Power Requirements: Requires DC 9-volt battery, or AC Adapter, Outer ring Negative
  • Manufacturer / Country: Prince Tsushinkogyo Ltd. / Japan
  • Years in Production: 1980’s

Arion SAD-1 Stereo Analog Delay Pedal

Arion SAD-1 Stereo Analog Delay Pedal

Related Links

The Boss DM-2 analog delay.

Tags

Arion, Analog, Bucket Brigade Device, BBD, Delay, MIJ, MN3205, Japan, Stereo

Music Man 110 RD Fifty

Music Man 110 RD Fifty Guitar Amplifier

Analog Solid-State/Tube Guitar Amp from the 1980’s

This page (which is a work in progress) is dedicated to the Music Man 110 RD Fifty guitar amplifier, which I recently had an opportunity to play.

Last weekend I was fortunate to make some new friends, hang out, and play some guitar. I had never met these guys before, but we hit it off right away, and it was a great time had by all. Thank-yous go out to our hosts David B, and his wife Elizabeth, who graciously allowed us to invade their home and make noise until the early hours of the next day. And thanks to the other guys for letting me be part of the group. I had no idea I would be in such good company!

During our Saturday night “jam session” (and I use the term loosely), I had the opportunity to play my ’70 Silvertone Mosrite Copy through David’s vintage Music Man amp. And boy, what a great amp that was! It was a Music Man 110 RD Fifty. Similar to the one pictured above, minus the grill fabric, it was the perfect match for my old solid body Surf Guitar with Teisco single coil pups. I simply plugged my guitar into this amp and it immediately started playing beautiful big clean tones with just enough added bite and grit. I loved the sound of that amp so much that I decided to dedicate this page to Music Man, and specifically to the 110 RD Fifty.

Thank you, David!

BTW: If you don’t know what a Mosrite is, then Google it right now!

Some Background

Music Man LogoBack in the mid 70’s a new music company from Anaheim California, called Music Man, hit the scene. This new company was founded by some former Fender employees: Forrest White, Tom Walker, and most notably Leo Fender. Leo himself designed a new line of amplifiers and a new bass guitar for the company. (BTW: The bass guitar, called The Music Man Stingray, is still around today and sold by the Ernie Ball Company.) Some of you reading this will know more than I about Leo Fender, his second guitar and amp company, his Stingray bass, and the Ernie Ball connection, as I am still learning the facts.

The Music Man amps were designed to be clean and LOUD with lots of headroom! They sounded very “Fenderish” (I wonder why?). According to literature, Music Man amplifiers were a unique hybrid design, employing solid-state electronics for the preamp stage, and tubes for the output. Apparently, the 12AX7 tube in the preamp stage is just for the distortion only, but I’m not exactly sure about that? The amps were big on power and built like tanks, to handle the difficult task of traveling professional musicians. Music Man produced amps in several sizes (65-watt, 135-watt, 150-watt) and configurations (combos, heads, cabs).

Music Man 110 RD Fifty with foot switchThe Fifty Series

The Fifty series was introduced in the early 1980’s. The Fifty series included heads and cabs, as well as small combos that had either 10-inch or 12-inch speakers. These amps were packaged different ways. Some had a built-in distortion effect; others had a phaser; but all had real spring reverbs.

Music Man 110 RD Fifty speaker and chassisThe 110 Combo with Reverb and Distortion (RD)

The 110 RD is a compact (but heavy!) 50-watt single-channel combo, with a 10-inch Ceramic speaker, reverb and distortion effects. I read that the designers of the amp were aiming for a clean tone similar to a Fender Blackface Deluxe Reverb, and apparently they hit the target!

Specs for the Music Man 110 RD Fifty

Mfr: Music Man, Anaheim California
Series: Fifty
Model #: 110-RD-50
Chassis: 1650RD
Power: 50-watts RMS
Speaker: 1×10-inch, Ceramic Magnet
Tubes: Preamp: 12AX7; Output: 2x6L6GC’s
Effects: 3-spring Reverb; Distortion
Accessories: 2-Button Foot Switch
Years: 1981-1983

Schematics for Music Man RD Fifty

Version A

Music Man Chassis RD50, Rev. A (Courtesy of Schematic Heaven)

Version B

Music Man Chassis RD50, Rev. B (Courtesy of Schematic Heaven)

Music Man Hall of ShameA Bit More Character

Now the one I played had a woven wire mesh front grill, so it looked more like this one. But that just added to its character.

More Links

As I work to gather more info about the company and their products, here are some links:

More later (to be continued…)

Music Man 110 RD Fifty Guitar Amplifier

Comments

 

Previous Comments

{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }

Bob September 1, 2014 at 4:23 pm

Hi, Alex
I have a Peavey Musicman model No. 112-RD-50, similar to or exactly the same as the one featured in your article. I remember purchasing mine from American Music, located in Seattle, WA, sometime during the mid to late 70s. So although it’s the spitting image of the one in the article, I did purchase it some years before 1980.

I’m considering selling it and was wondering if you had any idea what it might go for on today’s market?

Thanks
Bob

REPLY

alex September 1, 2014 at 7:49 pm

Bob,
Thanks for reading our article. You say “Peavey Musicman” but I believe you are referring to just the original Music Man, not Peavey? I have seen the Music Man 112-RD-50’s selling on eBay from about $550 to $700, depending on condition.
~Alex

REPLY

Eddie September 11, 2014 at 6:19 pm

Hey Alex, yup yup yup about your exp with the Music Man 110 RD-50! I know what u spk of, I own two in excellent orig cond & they’re stayin’ with me lol! These 110’s are superb & fly way under the radar of guitar plyrs but I don’t understand why. In big cities like NYC where musicians subway to gigs these little giants are revered. I’m going to try a Celestion G10 vintage in one of them, just for fun.
Keep playin’, Eddie, Toronto, Canada.

REPLY

alex October 4, 2014 at 9:24 am

Eddie, thanks for checkin in, and telling us about your Music Man. Let us know how the Celestion G10 sounds!

~alex

REPLY

Eddie February 3, 2016 at 7:14 pm

Well, I finally got around to installing the Celestion G10 Vintage speaker (8ohm, 60w) in one of my MM 110 RD 50 amps (have two), only took +1 year lol. Fantastic improvement on ALL sonic levels! Highly recommend this upgrade, do this. Don’t know what took me so long, just stuff i guess.
Super ez too, the speaker & grill removed forward as 1 unit and Celestion screw-holes lined up perfectly. I’ll hang on to stock spkr to keep amp’s originality.
Curious, anybody tried out other spkrs??
Rock on MM brothers! (are we able to upload photos here?)

REPLY

alex February 4, 2016 at 8:57 pm

Eddie,
Thanks for the update! Sounds like the Celestion G10 was a great choice! And makes sense too, since a lot of the guitar speakers we have available today sound soooo much better than speakers they had in the 70s and 80s. Actually, I believe mfrs back in the 70s and 80s were just making bad choices on the speakers for their amps.

You could try emailing me your photos, I would love to post them here on the site.

Thanks,
~alex

REPLY

Jim October 5, 2015 at 10:50 am

I’m not sure when they started making the 50 watt version but mine is a 1981. I have owned at least 75 amps. This one is a definite keeper.

REPLY

alex October 6, 2015 at 7:20 am

Hi JIm!
Thanks for that info. Glad to hear that you still have yours! I have revised this page, by changing the dates to 1981-1983, which probably fits the Music Man timeline better.

Thanks!
~alex

REPLY

bruce November 29, 2015 at 10:30 am

the date built is on a white sticker under the top back panel on the right
year/month like 83/3
i fell so deep in love with the amp i put an ad in VG mag and acquired 10
some heads/10’s/and 112’s
the last editions show a more wedge shaped cabinet ..wider at the bottom ,
harder to tip over …. first ones….no wedge shape at all
revision e models have a mid shift rocker instead of the clean/distortion rocker in the
center of the panel i have a 112 and a head both with this set up and they both have black grills the head was originally a half stack with a closed back 1 15 bottom
i also had a white rev e half stack
it also came with a closed back 1 15 bottom
in both cases i sold the bottoms and used all sorts of other cabs with these heads

these amps are fixes bias no need to worry just change the power tubes as needed

sovtex 12ax7 lps is a secret weapon for the amp enhancing smooth creamy sustain
the 2 110 models i acquired were equipped with JBL and EV speakers
a cool pair of amps for sure
the EV magnet was cut along the top to fit under the chassis no way a home made fit .. it must have been built for the amp at ev

leo took a 110 to g&l with him and it was in his office there to test guitars

GOD bless leo and the rd 50

REPLY

alex November 29, 2015 at 11:05 am

Bruce,
Thank you for all that valuable information! Great to hear from people who were there, playing their gear! (I was in college, broke, and still hadn’t begun playing seriously) Your contribution will make this page on the 110 even better! Since I wrote this article, I have passed on several, but still intend to get one in 2016!

~alex

REPLY

Brand New 1981 Boss DM-2

Post image for Brand New 1981 Boss DM-2

Here’s an interesting one: an early 1980′s Boss DM-2 in Like New condition for sale on eBay. Only $579, woah! It even comes with the correct power supply (ACA-120) which is also in pristine condition. The DM-2 is coveted for it’s classic analog delay effect, and is the choice of many professionals. This early version is the original Boss circuit design and uses the MN3005 bucket brigade device (BBD).

Here is the link to the auction: Boss DM-2 Analog Delay Small Logo 3005 w/ACA-120 PSU Nearly NOS/Museum.

Boss DM-2 Analog Delay with ACA-120 PSU

Here is a link to some more info: Boss DM-2 Delay.www.bossarea.com Boss DM-2

Related Links:

Check out the Arion SAD-1 Stereo Delay. It was also produced around the same time as the Boss DM-2 and uses the lower voltage version MN3205 Bucket Brigade Device.

Arion SAD-1

Vintage Arion Pedals on eBay

Arion SAD-1

Good times for vintage Arion pedal players and collectors.

Arion SCH-1If you like to play or collect vintage Arion pedals, there are many more pedals currently listed on eBay than I can recently remember. Vintage Arion pedals are all-analog guitar effects pedals that were made in Japan by Prince Tsushinkogyo Ltd. mostly back in the 1980′s. Although they were considered a “budget brand” at the time, Arion pedals had many of the same internal components and IC devices as their higher priced competition, and some pedals had features that no other effects maker offered at that time (i.e. stereo output). For example, the SCH-1 Stereo Chorus used the same MN3207 Bucket Brigade Device as the Boss CE-3.

The SAD-1 Stereo Analog Delay, the SCH-1 Analog Stereo Chorus, and the SRV-1 Analog Stereo Reverb pedals are now highly regarded and sought after by musicians and collectors.

You can check out the current listings on eBay at the following link: Arion Pedals on eBay.

Silvertone 1421 (Sears 10XL) Tube Amp

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 for Silvertone 1421

Schematic Courtesy of SchematicHeaven.com

Additional Resources

More info to come…

Silvertone 1421 (Sears 10 XL) Guitar Tube Amp

Sears 10XL. Silvertone 1421.


NOTE: This amp in the photo now lives happily with its new owner in Charleston, South Carolina.

Vintage 1971 Sears 10 XL Silvertone 1421 Combo Guitar Tube Amp

The Sears 10 XL was sold through Sears and Roebuck in the late 1960’s and early 70’s. The 10 XL is a single channel, 10-watt (peak) combo amp for electric guitar with a very cool built-in tube-powered tremolo effect.

This little amp first appeared in the 1969 Sears Catalog as a 10-watt tube-powered amp and, transformed into to a solid-state amp around 1972, and then discontinued in 1973. The label on the rear panel identified this model as Silvertone 257.1421100.

The photo of this little amp looks innocent enough. But don’t let the its appearance fool you! This is a serious sleeper of a tube amp, and sounds fantastic. Perfect for your next garage band. 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. A classic garage amp! Starts out loud and stays there. Comfortable at full volume playing in a garage, but will blow you out of your bedroom. Lots of midrange and natural tube overdrive. Highly responsive and touch sensitive to player’s technique; so a talented strummer can get a wide variety of tones and sounds. This amp lives mostly on the treble end of midrange, but depending on the speaker can growl and howl on the low-E notes. 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 1960’s tube sound in an affordable practice amp package. Compact and lightweight. Tube powered tremolo that is other-worldly!

Minuses ( – ): Typical department store construction; lightweight cabinet and vinyl covering (it’s a Sears amp!). The original fabric grille cloth was fragile, and therefore most are completely deteriorated by now. Not really loud enough for a big venue, but still perfect for those small and intimate gigs (i.e. coffee shop).

Surprises ( ! ): 1) The 7189 output tube! This is the higher plate voltage version of the EL84 tube found in British valve 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 $150 (beat up and not working) to as high as $500 (too much!).

Similar Amps: Unique, nothing else in the Silvertone line is similar. Preamp tube (12AX7) and power tube (7189 version of EL84) used in the 1960’s Vox AC4.

The Sears XL Story (as best I know it)

Sears 1969 catalog, page 928, guitar amplifiersThe Sears 10 XL was a member of the Sears XL Series of amplifiers that first appeaed in the late 1960’s and ran through the mid-1970’s. The XL Series followed the venerable Silvertone 1400 Series (1472, 1482, 1483, 1484, 1485) from the early to mid 1960’s. The XL Series ranged from the little 5 XL (3-tubes, 3-watts) to the giant 200 XL (200-watts solid-state).

Before the XL Series, the Sears Silvertone 1400 line up of amps was designed and built by the famously efficient and economical Danelectro Company of Neptune, New Jersey. Danelectro was founded by the pioneering electronics engineer and builder Nathan Daniel. Nate Daniel specialized in building quality musical instruments and gear at reasonable prices. Danelectro built and supplied all the guitar amps to Sears and Roebuck from about 1958 to 1968. In 1966 founder Nate Daniel sold his company to MCA, and unfortunately by 1969, MCA had to shut down the operation and thus the original Danelectro Company no longer existed.

From about 1968 to 1972 the smaller amps in the Sears XL Series (the 5 XL, 10 XL, 40 XL) continued to be hand-wired tube amps. But by 1973 the entire XL line – except for the little 5 XL – had transitioned to all solid-state electronics. Exactly who built these XL amps for Sears remains a uncertain. We have speculated that the 5, 10 and 40 XL’s were still built in New Jersey with left-over parts from the defunct Daneletro.

The Chassis

The chassis of the 10 XL is all hand-wired point-to-point electronics with a 6X4 tube rectifier, a 12AX7 preamp tube, a 12AX7 tremolo tube circuit and a single 7189 output power tube. The amp has volume and tone controls, Tremolo speed and intensity controls, two 1/4″ guitar input jacks, and one 1/4″ tremolo foot switch input jack.

The Speaker

The loudspeakers that came in the Sears 10 XL varied throughout production. All speakers were 8-inches in size. But the manufacturer and type of speaker varied. This particular model has an 8-inch speaker made by Oxford with an Alnico magnet, which perfectly compliments the lower output level of the 7189 power tube, and sounds great in this amp. Some other 1421 models were made with speakers from the CTS or Fisher factories, and by my account, those all had ceramic magnets instead of Alnico.

The Baffle Board and Grille Cloth

The baffle board is typical Silvertone quality: 1/8″ pressed board (Masonite). That just helps to establish this amp’s personality. The original silver, gold and green sparkle fabric that covers the baffle board is quite delicate, and in most cases rotted away over the years. Thankfully, somehow the original fabric survived on this model.

The 10 XL Photo Gallery

This 10 XL is in fantastic condition for it’s age. It even came with the factory original vinyl dust cover and tremolo foot switch. 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 in the original grille cloth (not by me, it came that way!).

Specifications – Silvertone 1421 (Sears 10XL)

SEARS 10 XL (SILVERTONE 1421)
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 for Silvertone 1421
Silvertone 1421 Schematic Courtesy of Schematic Heaven

Additional Resources

Links to additional information.

More info to come…

Previous comments

{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }

dave carter June 8, 2012 at 4:06 pm

have one in perfect condition,with the foot petal.no dust cover.ready to sale

REPLY

b d brown February 2, 2013 at 6:10 pm

the other maker of sears guitar amps was electrnic sound corp of chicargo ill during the 1970s to about the late 80s. they used oxford, and quam speakers and maybe cts or some utahs. the also made cabents for the game manufactuers wiaims/bally/ etc.

REPLY

alex February 3, 2013 at 9:03 am

That’s great info! Thank you. I will look into that further… ~alex

REPLY

alex February 3, 2013 at 9:11 am

The Silvertone 1420 (Sears 5XL) is identical to the older Danelectro built model 1459. After Danelectro was no more, do you think maybe they built the 1420 for Sears from old Danelectro parts, or maybe just copied the Dano design? ~alex

Link: http://www.tonegems.com/sears-5-xl-amp-silvertone-model-1420/

REPLY

Allan Kidd July 25, 2013 at 12:50 pm

looking for schematics for sears 1422/ 40XL Tube amp

REPLY

Two Silvertone Amps + Boss CE-3 = Stereo!

Boss CE-3 Chorus

Boss CE-3 Chorus

I love stereo! That’s why I got pretty excited when I looked at my Boss CE-3 chorus pedal and realized I could connect a pair of amps to the CE-3′s dual outputs and play my guitar in stereo. So I decided pick up two inexpensive Silvertone 1421′s (aka: Sears 10XL) off eBay. These are great little tube amps from the late 60′s and early 70′s. The 10-watt 1421 uses two 12AX7 tubes—one for pre-amp and the other for tremolo—and a single 7189 as the output tube. The 7189 tube is the industrial version of the venerable EL84, a tube found in so many British valve amps. The 12AX7/EL84 tube combination is unique to the 1421 amp within the entire Silvertone line, and compares it nicely by design to the original Vox AC4 Combo of the early 60′s.

Silvertone 1421 Original

Silvertone 1421 – Completely Original

This first amp is a beautiful 1971 model, completely original and in excellent condition. The Sears model number is 257.14211100. It probably sat in someone’s closet for the better part of 30+ years and was hardly played. Except for a power switch stuck in the “on” position, the old two-conductor power cord, and a little bit of hum, this combo is totally functional and sounds great. It even has its original protective vinyl cover (I’ve never seen a cover for these before) and its original tremolo foot switch. The original grill cloth is in great condition, which is truly rare for this model, even though it does have one cigarette-sized hole in the fabric. The speaker is an 8-inch Oxford Alnico magnet speaker that rings clear at low volume, but breaks up nicely when cranked (along with the tubes in overdrive). All in all, this little combo is a real sweet find! After I fix the power switch and replace the cord, I plan to keep this guy all original. I can live with a little hum for now.

Silvertone 1421 (brown grill)

Silvertone 1421 – Grill Cloth Replaced

The other amp is a 1970 model 1421. Also Sears model number 257.14211100. It’s in pretty good condition too, and is almost completely dead quiet (no hum) when running. But the original grill cloth was replaced and the tremolo is not working. Somebody already replaced the notorious power switch and the 2-prong power cord before I bought it. Unlike it’s twin, this 1421 has an 8-inch CTS speaker with ceramic magnet. I plan to mod this amp as my next project. I will need to work on the tremolo circuit, then replace the caps, ditch the ugly brown fabric, and build a new baffle board to hold a bigger 10-inch Alnico Blue speaker (think: Celestion). After those mods are complete, this 1421 should sound more British than American.

Then, plug these two into my CE-3 stereo chorus pedal and have fun!

A full Tone Gems review of the Silvertone 1421 will be in the near future.

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.