Orpheus 12-String Electric Guitar

1970s Orpheus 12-String Electric Guitar


Orpheus – a little known brand of guitars

Over the years, the Orpheus brand is a name has been used on several lines of guitars in different parts of the world: from Bulgaria to the former Soviet Union, to the United States and Japan.
Through research, we found that in the late 1960s through mid-1970s, Coast Wholesale Music Company of California imported a line of electric guitars made in Japan under the Orpheus name. It is suspected, but not proven, that these electric guitars could have been made in the highly respected Matsumoku factory of Japan.

Luckily, we found this Orpheus 12-string hollow body electric back in May 2019 at Centaur Guitar in Portland, Oregon (BTW: The guys at Centaur really know their stuff when it comes to 1970s made in Japan guitars, so give them a call or stop by). Since I already owned a mid-1970’s Univox Coily, I recognized that the build and the pickups were very similar. The body, the neck, the triple edge binding, the cherry burst finish, and the pickups all resembled other guitars we’d seen from Matsumoku.

Built by Matsumoku Industrial of Japan (we think, we’re not sure!) and imported to the U.S. by Coast Wholesale Music Company of California, this 12-string semi-acoustic hollow body electric from the 1970’s is a rare bird.

Ultra-thin cutaway electric guitars from an old Coast Wholesale Music Company catalog.

What do you think? Leave your comments below, thanks!

Comments

Hashtags: #Orpheus #MIJ #Matsumoku #Tesico #Lawsuit #Guitar

Coast Wholesale Music Company



Coast Wholesale Music Company from the San Francisco Bay Area was an importer and wholesale distributor of musical instruments. They focused predominantly on importing instruments (guitars!) made in Japan to the United States in the 1940’s through the 1960’s. The company was purchased by Charlie Kamam of Kaman Music around 1968, along with Coast Wholesale of Los Angeles — a completely separate company in Southern California with the same name — and C. Bruno & Sons of Texas.

Kaman Music Corp. would later introduce the line of Ovation guitars.

Some of the people in the music business connected to Coast Wholesale Music Company were: Don Talbot, Gabe Ireland, Donald Johnson, Bob King, Hai Muradian, Allan Small, Lloyd Stark.

More info from National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM): Coast Wholesale Music Company.

Similar links: Coast Wholesale Music Co. of Los Angeles (founded by Eric Emerson), Ovation Guitars, Kaman Music Corporation, Jupiter Band Instruments, KHS Musical Company, Hohner, Inc., St. Louis Music, C. Bruno & Sons.

C. Bruno & Sons was a sister company in Texas.

Kaman Music Corp. introduced the Ovation line of guitars. Charlie Kaman and son, Bill Kaman.

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Silvertone 1437 Guitar Electronics Tear Down

Silvertone 1437 Pick Guard and Electronics

Detailed tear down photos of a 1969 Silvertone 1437 electric guitar, pick guard, pickups and electronics.

Keywords: Sears, Silvertone, 1437, Shark Fin, Sharkfin, Teisco, ET-460, K4L, WG-4L

Hashtags: #tonegems #silvertone #silvertone1437 #sharkfin #teisco #teiscoET460 #teiscoK4L #teiscoWG4L

Silvertone 1437 Shark Fin Electric Guitar

Gallery Silvertone 1437


Also known as the Teisco ET-460 or K4L “sharkfin” guitar.

Check out the photos of this super cool, vintage 1969, made in Japan, Sears Silvertone 1437. The 1437, more commonly known as the “Sharkfin Guitar,” has a mean-looking hand-carved body, four (4!) pickups, and a machine-striped solid aluminum pick guard. Sold in the U.S. by Sears & Roebuck in the late 1960s and early 70s as Silvertone model number 1437, it’s known in Japan and other markets as the Teisco ET-460 or Teisco 4KL. Could have been sold elsewhere under other names as well?

Made in the now-defunct Teisco factory of Japan.

This particular guitar was recently purchased from eBay seller mwbutler. The excellent photos below are by mwbutler.

1968 Teisco Catalog Page

Courtesy www.teiscotwangers.com
Courtesy www.teiscotwangers.com

Keywords: Sears, Silvertone, 1437, Sharkfin, Sharkfin, Teisco, ET-460, K4L, WG-4L

Hashtags: #tonegems #silvertone #silvertone1437 #sharkfin #teisco #teiscoET460 #teiscoK4L #teiscoWG4L

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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.

Sears 1965 Silvertone 1438 Bass Guitar by Teisco (NB-4)
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.

Silvertone 1445 Mosrite Surf Guitar


A Vintage 1970 Silvertone MIJ Copy of the Mosrite Guitar

Silvertone 1445 GuitarThis 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).

Sears 1969 Catalog Page 929The 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.

Silvertone 1445 Guitar Body
Silvertone 1445 Guitar

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)

Silvertone 1445 Guitar Schematic Diagram

Special thanks to Randy (randoid.com) for helping fix the electronics and getting it back into stock, playing condition!

Keywords: Sears, Silvertone, 1445, Mosrite, Surf uitar, Teisco

Hashtags: #tonegems #silvertone #silvertone1445 #mosrite #surfguitar #teisco

Comments

Previous Comments

{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

larry tiedemann November 7, 2012 at 3:04 pm

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.

REPLY

alex November 7, 2012 at 7:20 pm

Hey Larry, that’s a great looking refinish you did. Love that guitar. Thanks for dropping by and sharing. ~alex

REPLY

1970 Silvertone 1445 Mosrite Copy Guitar

Silvertone 1445 Electric 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).

Sears 1969 Catalog Page 929The 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.

Silvertone 1445 Guitar and Sears 10XL Tube AmpThe 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

Silvertone 1445 Guitar Schematic Diagram
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!

 

 

 

 

{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }

Terry January 30, 2011 at 11:51 am

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

REPLY

alex January 30, 2011 at 12:40 pm

Thanks Terry for visiting the site. I have responded to your question by email, as you requested.

Alex

REPLY

frank December 15, 2011 at 4:44 pm

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

REPLY

alex December 15, 2011 at 5:39 pm

Hi Frank. Thanks for visiting the website! I have been following the prices for this guitar on eBay and craigslist for about 2 years. The asking prices have been all over the place. Its value really depends on the condition and the amount of original hardware. A lot of these guitars have lost their whammy bar and chrome bridge cover. A decent price for one like mine would be around $450, or even more.

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cornbread April 13, 2012 at 7:46 am

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

REPLY

alex April 13, 2012 at 4:33 pm

@cornbread
Yes. Even though the headstock and logo changed over a short time span, these guitars are all the same model. Sears started using the atomic SR logo in ’71. Therefore, your guitar would have to be a 1971 model, or later.

REPLY

Ian June 27, 2012 at 8:11 am

Hello,

I have this Silvertone-teisco 1445L guitar.

What is a fair price for this type of guitar is good condition?

REPLY

alex June 27, 2012 at 8:28 am

Hi Ian. Thanks for the inquiry. I have answered your question via your hotmail address. ~alex.

REPLY

peter September 5, 2012 at 10:00 am

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

REPLY

alex September 5, 2012 at 10:43 am
alex September 5, 2012 at 10:45 am

Peter, congrats! Send us some photos of your new guitar after you get it.

REPLY

Billy Decker December 1, 2012 at 7:07 pm

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.

REPLY

Paul Chesney April 12, 2013 at 9:41 am

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.

REPLY

alex April 12, 2013 at 10:29 am

Awesome mod! Love getting comments like this. Thank you Paul!

 

Andrew December 8, 2013 at 11:25 pm

 

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

REPLY

alex December 9, 2013 at 10:12 pm

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!
Alex

REPLY

Andrew December 10, 2013 at 9:02 am

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!

REPLY

alex December 11, 2013 at 10:15 pm

Glad that you love the guitar and are finding the parts you need. Enjoy!

REPLY

 

Jayson May 12, 2014 at 11:31 am

 

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?

REPLY

alex May 26, 2014 at 4:58 pm

Jayson, thanks for the comments. From your description, it might be the last version, about 1972, I believe.
~alex

REPLY

 

James November 11, 2014 at 8:56 am

 

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.

REPLY

alex November 17, 2014 at 8:30 pm

James, thanks for posting your comment! The parts you need can probably best be found on eBay. Check out the seller named ezpz-parts.

Here’s the wammy bar: http://www.ebay.com/itm/TEISCO-SILVERTONE-TREMOLO-ARM-60s-VIBRATO-WHAMMY-ARM-FITS-MANY-OTHERS-TOO-/251715391093?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a9b680e75

But don’t know about the tail piece and bridge. You might have to buy another Silvertone 1445 to get the parts off it.

Good luck!
~alex

REPLY

 

Randy Doran August 26, 2015 at 5:25 am

 

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?

REPLY

alex September 20, 2015 at 9:04 am

Hi Randy!
These knobs for this guitar are rare and hard to find. Occasionally one will appear on eBay. That’s your best bet.

Good luck!
~alex

 

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.