Silvertone 1457 – Two for One

The complete set from 1964: Guitar + amp + case + cable + footswitch !!!!

Back in the mid 1960s, catalogue guitars were the backbone of the US guitar industry, and this Silvertone 1457 offered ultimate convenience with a guitar and amp combo. None were as cool as this 1964 Silvertone 1457 guitar and case/amp combo, which was sold through the famous Sears Roebuck mail-order catalogue.

Taking advantage of the explosion of guitar music, Sears commissioned various manufacturers to produce guitars and amps for its catalogue under the Silvertone brand. Tese included famous names such as Harmony and Kay, but in this instance we have a guitar made by Danelectro, and an amplifier built into a hard case, probably manufactured by Valco. Sears described this compact combo as “our finest all-in-one guitar outfit” and when new, budding guitarists would have found a 45rpm ‘how-to-play’ record, some beginner charts and a pick inside in the case, plus a wedge-shaped tremolo footswitch covered in the same vinyl as the hardboard case and a guitar cable. Of all the items surprisingly the original cable, footswitch (these sell for 100-150 these days!) and even the original Silvertone tubes are still present, althoung the tubes have been replaced by better sounding ones.

The condition of both the guitar and amplifier/case are remarkable considering that they were manufactured in 1964. The date codes on the amplifier control pots correspond with late 1964 so we are towards the middle of the production run. The 1457 replaced the black-finished but otherwise identical 1449 that was produced during 1963 and 1964. The guitar is exactly how it was when it originally left the factory, and aside from a handful of marks and chips it is in great condition.

Although described as a "Redburst" in the catalog, the colour is more of a purple burst overlaid with silver glitter. Danelectro’s approach to glitter application was about as discerning as drunk in a kebab shop at 3am. And indeed: the glitter is absolutely everywhere! From the exposed wood sides of the neck heel to the back of the neck and even the headstock. It looks fabulous of course! All the classic Dano features are present, including dual-concentric knobs (tone+volume), a Braz RW bridge wedge that can slide and twist for intonation adjustments and six-in-a-box tuners that work backwards... Best of all there are not just one but two of the famous "lipstick"’" pickups because this is, after all, the more upmarket package.

The amp is very clean and original and has only the power cord replaced for a grounded one. The original is in the case. The tube lineup includes 2 x 12AX7 preamp tube, a 6V6 power tube and a 6X4 rectifier. And all four can be viewed through circular cutouts in the amp panel! The circuit is a fairly simple single-ended affair with lovely small baby output transformer, but there’s onboard tremolo with speed and strength controls that wobble the bias of the input side of the 12AX7 triode. This amp runs on 110 volts, so it needs a step down transformer in Europe, which we provide as well. The amp pushes out a whopping 4 WATTs through the original Jensen speaker, date stamped week 46 of 1963.

Just as the bumblebee is the most unlikely of flying insects, Danelectro guitars shouldn’t really work. A sandwich of construction-grade plywood and hardboard wouldn’t strike you as a toneful combination, but almost invariably they’re chimey, resonant instruments. Then again, the neck is maple with a Braz RW fingerboard, so it’s not all cheap stuff! All in all this guitar is moreishly playable with a slinky and buzz free action and stable tuning. The lipstick pickups have an almost hi-fi clarity. The bridge has quack and a proper nasal twang while the neck is fatter, woodier and more vocal. Individually both also have a sweet sparkle that even the finest Fender-style single coils would struggle to beat and in series they take on a snarl that can easily overdrive an amp. For clean and overdriven roots and blues sounds, this guitar is endlessly intriguing and tremendous fun. This really would be an outstanding player’s guitar. The amp has relatively little clean headroom, but the crunch is great and the tremolo works really well, it’s surprisingly clear sounding and the overdrive provides garage punk and lo-fi blues fun at socially acceptable volume levels. While the guitar can hold its own with anything when played through a regular amp, it’s transformed into a period piece through the Silvertone amp.

Since these all-in-one packages were made for beginners, maybe those who took to playing them traded up quickly, leading to the Silvertones being tucked under the bed and simply forgotten about. Either way, they often look like they haven’t seen a lot of action and there are plenty about in excellent condition. This one is priced about right considering what these sell for in the US and the added costs of import and taxes, and you’d struggle to find a better example!