Description
The fully hollow guitar shown here, produced from 1961 to 1967, is commonly referred to as the Silvertone 1446 'Chris Issak' model because Issak posed with one for the cover of his 1985 first album, also titled 'Silvertone'. The 1446 replaced the Harmony 'Espanada' and re-branded versions of that guitar.
This guitar is in good, almost entirely original condition and plays well. The original two-tone fibre case is included.
Materials, Construction and Features
Notable features of the Silvertone 1446 'Chris Issak' include a fully hollow Maple Laminate body bound top and back, a Poplar neck with ebonized Maple fingerboard and adjustable truss rod.
It also features top quality parts - open-gear Waverly tuners, a single-roller Bigsby vibrato tailpiece, and electronics - pickups and wiring harness - entirely sourced from Gibson. The hum-cancelling pickups were designed by Seth Lover, responsible for both Gibson's classic humbuckers and later, Fender's Wide Range pickups. An aid to dating this example is the 'Patent Applied For' stickers on the pickups, apparently only found on 1961 models. The angular pickup supports, and the pickups themselves, are exclusive to this model and not found on any other Harmony or Silvertone model. The split polepiece rows are also unique to this model and didn't reappear until the Fender Wide Range pickups in 1972.
Harmony had purchased from Gibson previously. In the early 1950's the Espanada (Silvertone S1384) used P-13 pickups. Gibson had developed those pickups to replace the 'Charlie Christian' models but the P-90 soon displaced it and the remaining stock of pickups was sold to Harmony.
The Tune-o-Matic style bridge on a Rosewood base is not original. The original part, included in the reasonably well-preserved two-tone fibre (cardboard) case is dyed Maple with a plastic saddle insert for the adjustable top section.
No Rosewood or imported woods were used on this instrument.
Where did these instruments come from?
Catalog and Department stores were primary sources of musical instruments throughout North America for a number of decades; dedicated music stores were clustered in larger cities, far away from large sections of the population. Countless, perhaps millions of instruments were sold through these channels under many names.
The most common brands, most built in the Chicago area, were:
- Harmony, purchased in 1916 by Sears, Roebuck and branded in their stores as Silvertone,
- Kay, which was often sold through Montgomery Ward stores with alternate brands like Old Kraftsman, Airline, Recording King, and Penncrest for JC Penny.
- Regal, who contracted for all the major retailers as demand required, with a focus on resophonic instruments including DoBro.
- Other smaller stores and distributors or 'jobbers' contracted for shipments of instruments under their own, specified brands.
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There are no refunds or returns on used items unless authorized in advance by a Twelfth Fret Sales Associate at time of sale. View Our Full Terms Here |
DETAILS:
- Instrument Model: 1446
- Instrument Manufacturer: Harmony for Sears as Silvertone
- Instrument year: 1961
- Instrument Finish: Gloss Black
- Instrument Class: Thinline Hollowbody Electric
- Instrument serial number: F 161 W Made during 1961 in Chicago USA
- Country of Origin: USA
- Instrument Condition: Good
- Playing Condition: Good
- Right-handed
- CITIES Documentation Required: No
- Instrument Weight Imperial: 7.392 lbs
- Instrument Weight Metric: 3.36 kgs
- Scale Length Imperial: 24.095 in
- Scale Length Metric: 612 mm
- Nut Width Imperial: 1.773 in
- Nut Width Metric: 45.05 mm
- Case included: Yes
- Case original: Yes
- Case Type: Two-Tone Rigid Fibre
- Items in Case: Original Ebonized Maple Bridge
- Consignment: Yes
- Product ID: 190607
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There are no refunds or returns on used items unless authorized in advance by a Twelfth Fret Sales Associate at time of sale. View Our Full Terms Here |