Silvertone 1448 Guitar

Best guitar ever made. I've owned over 50 and I'm not a dealer. Don't buy one because if mine breaks I want to buy another one. I've owned four. This one is the best so far. Here's the magic secret- the early ones have the plastic key tuners. They don't go out of tune like the skate key ones do. Also, don't use light strings on these.

Short scale with lipstick pickups can't be beat. You can get sounds from down bends that just aren't possible on full scale guitars.

Great thickness to neck. Original worn finish feel can't be replicated on faux worn-in guitars. Age does the magic just like a great scotch I suppose.

They will last unless you smash them. I've smashed a couple in a frenzy. I regret that. My latest one has survived with me for almost 4 years which is pretty good for me. It's a 62 or 63 without the neck adjustment feature. These ones are the best. They have more solid wood inside the body than the later ones. Really they're all great, but I prefer the early ones.

Great- the Silvertone Sears people are on the line 24/7 in your dreams. If you channel them they will come through the lipstick pickup and land in your brain to soothe you in your eternal state of turmoil that is your lowly existence. Don't worry though 'cause it'll all be ok with the 1448 in your hand. Don't worry any more.

Please don't buy these. They are too good. They are as good as any of the old Danelectros. I own old 50s u-1s and the like, but there is something magical about a good 1448. I like it better than my 66 Strat, 38 Martin, 80 Les Paul, etc. What else can I say? Buy 80s Kramers and Charvels so the market will go down on these and I can stockpile them. My dream is to fill my entire house with all of the remaining 1448s. Please help my dream come true and don't buy one of these greatest guitars of all time.

Maybe my last installment.

I bought a replacement nut (http://www.danguitars.com/Parts.html) and some 13-56 round wound jazz strings for the guitar.

I put the new strings on, and presto, no more fret buzz on the g-string. The wound g-string must have done the trick. Therefore, I haven't placed the replacement nut on (so I have it as a spare). I think giving some extra winds down the tuning posts helped as well.

The replacement nut is higher than needed, so it would otherwise need to be ground down to the correct height. The string guides are semi-circular, as opposed to the rectangular guides of the original nut. That should stop all fret buzz regardless of string gauge etc.

The new strings have increased the acoustic volume a little bit, and it sounds quite crisp.

I had to completely readjust the action with the new strings. It is now set quite low and flat. This helps, as the thicker gauge strings are monsters compared to anything else I've ever played.

I couldn't get the intonation correct with the after-market adjustable bridge, so the original went back on, and it has been very good ever since.

Whilst the strings were off, I gave the fretboard a once-over with some lemon oil. Nice and clean now! Don't be shy ... use a stiff toothbrush to get the crap out from the frets.

Some advice from the "Ibanez Rules" website: I used some bore oil on the rosewood fretboard and saddle, and they both look like new. They must have been very dry! Bore oil is used on woodwind instruments, to stop saliva from killing the instrument (so I believe), so it should work well at keeping sweat at bay ... I hope!

I have now bought an 1980 Ibanez Artist AR100 antique vintage finished solidbody. And the website is right: Ibanez Rules! What a great guitar! I digress ...

The latest Silvertones from http://www.silvertoneguitar.com/ are distributed by Samick. I wrote to the 'contact us' link, and was informed that they don't support the vintage Silvertones, and that they simply bought the name. So yes, they got back to me ... no, they can't help!

http://dennysguitars.homestead.com/home1.html

This guy is a danelectro enthusiast, and responded with some great info for me. He loves his Silvertone 1457!

Now for my next installment ...

I received the new after-market bridge from http://www.danguitars.com/Parts.html

So ... I got the guts to pull the whole guitar to pieces, and here's what I found.

With the neck off, I saw that my guitar's serial number is 3054, therefore it is a July 1964 model! ;) Almost 44 years old!

Inside the neck socket is a square nut for the micro-tilt hex-screw. It screws through and onto a press-stud that is on the back of the neck, for making small adjustments to the neck angle. I have mine adjusted with a little bit of dip angle, but you can make it flat as a tack if you wish, but I would bet that one or more of the strings will buzz. I have read and heard that these guitars could not be set very low due to fret buzz, so many guitarists have set them with a high action for playing slide guitar ... for which I think it would be great for, although I don't play slide!

The screws for the neck are fairly deep self-tapping screws - they are easy to get off, but do not over tighten them is my word of caution, when you put it back together. The screws have a small washer with them as well.

I opened up the tuners. They are a simple cog and spline setup. Looking at them exposed, I think some tuning problems people might have is twofold. Firstly, these sorts of tuners come on some classical guitars, and need to be tuned 'up' to the correct pitch; that is, start with the string's pitch slightly flat, and tune up in pitch until in tune. I think this will stop any 'play' in the tuners from letting go after you've tuned it. Secondly, the tuner pegs have a slight bit of 'play' in them, so if you push down on the peg so that it positively engages the cog, then tune it, and it should not let go after you've tuned it. I hope this makes sense!? It works better now, but still not perfect!

The neck socket was not the neatest piece of craftsmanship that I've ever seen, but it fits well enough, and there were no problems with it.

I took out the pickup, but did not disconnect it. My loose pickup cover is due to a crack in the lipstick tube near the mounting screw. The crack is out of sight, but the cover is slightly loose and protrudes a bit - no big deal. The height / tilt adjustment screws are medium size self-tapping screws, and hold against the tension from the leaf-spring (as can be seen on the replacement pickups on http://www.danguitars.com/Parts.html). With the pickup off, you can see into the body cavity; so obviously the centre of the guitar is not solid like some semi-acoustics.

I removed the control knobs, jack plug and pickguard. It must have been the first time that someone had ever done this, as there was still the glue inside the control knobs. The jack plug and volume control are still perfect, although the tone control is a little crackly towards one end of the range of movement. The inserts in the control knobs are simply cardboard by the looks, and I suggest keeping liquids / cleaners away from them to prevent any discolouration / fading of the words - mine are slightly discoloured. Under the pickguard there is a rectangular cutaway for the controls and nothing else - very simple indeed. The controls are shielded by a very simple copper shroud.

There was quite a lot of grime under the pickguard, so it got a good clean!

Surprisingly quiet, but susceptible to background noise if I move the guitar near a powerboard or some other electrical appliance, I can here the interference come and go. Single coil ... so, hey!

Now ... the bridge:
The original bridge is held in place by three deep self-tapping screws. Very easy to get off. They screw through the masonite top into the wooden frame underneath.

After a much needed clean, I simply followed the installation instructions that came with the new bridge (not a hard job), and started adjusting everything from there.

It's very easy to put the strings on now!!

The new bridge's screws are not quite as wide as the old screws (at the top of the neck of the screw), so I found they had a bit of 'play' in the screw hole - the 'mounting' screws (that the bridge rests on) lean forward a little under the tension of the strings. I screwed the attachment screw right down until the bridge rested on the body (as suggested, to enhance tone and sustain) and ensured that the bridge rested right back on the mounting screws.

Adjustment of intonation: this is a fiddly job, as the saddle screws are under the strings - so you have to make an adjustment after you've let the string tension off, then re-tune the string again. Note, that this bridge does NOT have the sort of saddle adjustment of a Stratocaster! I found that the saddles had to be all the way back, and there was just enough adjustment to get the intonation correct. Possibly a by-product of the short scale length of this model?

Action adjustment: now there should be no excuses for anyone. You can set the height of the bridge by adjusting the mounting screws, and there are height adjustments for each saddle as well. So ... set it up however you want to. And it works great!

I still get a bit of buzz from the g-string. Due to the very small angle of the headstock, I have found that the string rattles in the nut. If I press down on the string behind the nut, and them strum it firmly, the buzz is gone.

So ... I reckon one of those little 'saddles' found on some Stratocaster headstocks might hold the strings down at an appropriate angle to stop the problem, but that would mean holes in the head stock (decrease the value of the guitar?). I don't want the action any higher, although that might solve the problem as well, but I'm not confident about that, as it is only the open g-string that rattles, and doesn't do it when fretted anywhere else on the fretboard.

The a-string used to rattle, but I solved this by ensuring that all the strings are wound downwards around the tuning pegs, thus increasing the angle across the nut ... and this seems to have worked, but only for the a-string.

Additionally, I have temporarily placed a set of 8 to 46s strings on the guitar (strings that I had left over), and I think the smaller gauged strings are not as good as the 11 to 49s that I had on it beforehand. I am planning to put 12s or 13s (flatwounds) on it next to see how it goes. The thicker strings did not rattle as much; I am hoping for improvements with the thicker strings when I get them.

The tuners are somewhat 'painful' / annoying. I don't want to replace them, as any extra screw holes will decrease the value of the guitar. So ... I guess that means I'm stuck with the problem, although I have reduced the problem greatly with the suggestions I've made above. Can anyone who has changed the tuners, tell me if the screw holes for the replacement tuners will hide under the original tuners if the original ones are reinstalled?

Putting the after-market bridge on it is no problem, as it uses the same mounts / screw holes, and can be returned to original spec if I ever decide to sell it. Being adjustable and easier to string makes it more reliable IMO.

The neck is solid as a rock. Well made IMO.

The hollow body would be susceptible to a big ding, but it would take a helluva big knock to do it!

If you want to gig with this little beast, change the bridge as I have, as well as the tuners ... then it will be very playable and reliable. I suggest this if the overall value of the guitar is immaterial to you!

Another addition:

Check out http://www.silvertoneworld.net/default.html

I got a printout of the 1457 owner's manual which describes stuff that would be the same for the 1448 model:

Micro-tilt adjustment screw in the back. The neck is secured to the body by means of 3 Phillips screws located in a triangle at the rear of the body and the base of the neck. Next to the bottom of these 3 screws is a small hole. Inside this hole is an adjustment screw which may be turned by a hexagon key wrench, size 3/32. Before making this adjustment, loosen the one Phillips screw nearest the hole. After the adjustment with the hex key has been made, retighten the Phillips screw. Do not overtighten.

Amplifier: First remove the guitar and its cord from the case. The case should now be stood on end and opened as wide as the bracket will allow. This is the proper operating position. Never operate the amplifier closed, as the tubes become hot and must have ventilation. Connect the guitar to the amplifier by plugging in the cord.

Power supply ... CAUTION: This amplifier is for operation from 105-125 volt, 60 cycle AC. Never connect to a power supply having a different voltage or frequency. Insert power cord plug into any convenient outlet. Push power switch to 'on' position. Allow 30 seconds to warm up.

Hum: Local conditions affecting your power supply may cause a slight hum or noise in the amplifier. The hum may frequently be eliminated by disconnecting the power cord from the electric outlet and inserting it again with the position of the prongs reversed.

Guitar: Your guitar has been properly adjusted at the factory, however, individual musicians may desire somewhat different settings. Both the pickup and the metal bridge may be raised, lowered or titled by using a Phillips screw driver on the appropriate screws. Avoid excessive adjustments. Raising the bridge too high will make fingering hard. Lowering the bridge too much will result in string buzz. The rosewood slider on the bridge can be moved forward or back. The correct position (as shipped) is indicated by 2 small dots indented on the surface of the metal bridge.

Tubes: Check tubes once a year, or more frequently if amplifier is subject to constant or severe use. When replacing tubes take care to put them in the correct sockets and see that the base pins are fully inserted.

Adding to my last submission.

You can buy a new, adjustable bridge from: http://www.danguitars.com/Parts.html

Item: SB-5800, ADJUSTABLE / INTONATING CHROME GUITAR BRIDGE. $45USD + shipping. And no, I don't work for these guys, so I am not doing any marketing for them ... I just thought it would be a handy thing to know for all those Silvertone owners out there who would like to make stringing / adjusting the guitar easier.

The Danelectro bridge suits the Silvertone 1448L. This was confirmed after I checked with the guys who run the website.

I have been searching for a confirmation regarding the electrocution hazard, and so far the only feedback I've had suggests that the hazard does NOT exist! However, I will keep checking!

I'm simply adding to what I've already read.

I live in Australia, and I recently purchased this little relic from a guitar shop in Singapore. I was looking for vintages Danelectros, which are proving to be rare as rockin' horse sh*t, when I asked the Singaporean shop owner if he had any idea where I could get one - instead, he produced this dust covered Silvertone from the back of store. He stated that he'd had it for 8 years, and no one had shown any interest in it. He plugged the amp into his transformer (to stepdown the voltage), and voila, the amp worked (much to his surprise and relief), the guitar worked, and all the occupants of the shop stood there smiling at it.

I haven't had the neck off to see what year it is. I don't have the guts to risk a bolt snapping etc!

BIG WORD OF WARNING: I just had the guitar set up by my local guitar shop here in Sydney, and the technician told me that these guitars are famous for electrocuting people!! They are direct mains powered and not the safest electrical items in the World. If you are really interested in playing the guitar through the amp, get an isolation transformer installed (but note, this may drop the value of such a vintage relic)! In Australia, it's not so bad for your health, as our homes must all have circuit breakers installed in our electrical meter box, but elsewhere in the World, things are different ... SO BE CAREFUL! Anyway, it doesn't help the household if you keep tripping off the power, even if you do live in Australia.

Every one failed to mention that the sparkle finish is also all over the case. My case is simply missing a couple of studs, but everything else is in tact.

Overall, the entire package is not very heavy. 23lbs / 10.5kg, I believe?

The top half of the lipstick case on my pickup is slightly loose. If someone has a tip for reattaching it, I'm all ears!

I saw one for sale here in Australia on the internet for $1695AUD, so I thought I was onto a bargain. All the ones cheaper than mine seem to be in poorer condition, don't have the amp-in-case or someone has been luckier than me (such as finding one in a Salvation Army shop!).

I rate this as a 7 because it is simply not as good as the glorious GB10 I have!

Surprisingly cruisy!

I also own a November 1979 Ibanez George Benson GB10 sunburst, and a Crafter SA-TMVS. All 3 guitars sound distinctly different, and that is a good thing for me, as I get a different sound for different purposes. I only have a Laney LC30 valve amp combo, and the gutiar gives a great sound through it (as already described). It's not as versatile as the other 2 guitars, but that's to be expected, considering the features it doesn't have that the other guitars do have.

Through a stepdown transformer (here in Australia), the amp hums at 50Hz (funnily enough!). This may not occur in the USA etc. Another point to note when purchasing these little relics overseas: you'll need a USA adapter to plug in the power - not a big expense, but something to mention, none the less.

Watch Led Zeppelin's DVD set and Jimmy Page playing 'White Mountain'. Yeah ... this baby sounds like that!

Rated 7 because it does sound great, but lacks versatility.

Action is good, and reasonably low. Other reviews surprise me, where the action sounds as though it is quite high, as my guitar has been set up quite nicely. As good as the GB10 ... no! ... but comparable to the Crafter (which is a surprisingly good guitar for the price as well!).

I am getting more and more scared to play this guitar, the more I read. The sparkle finish on mine is still in tact over the entire guitar - it shows no sign of play wear! The frets are completely unworn. It only has a couple of small blemishes. The neck is perfect, with no wear. The amp works ... and it even still had the original lead! The case is in great condition. Thus, I think this is a future show-stopper! Bring it on ... if someone famous takes one on stage!

Tips I have for stringing the guitar: with a pair of needle-nose pliers, put a very slight kink in the strings at the attachment end of the string (where the ball and windings are), so that it fits into the bridge better. It seems to hold in place easier, especially when putting the damn strings on in the first place. Something I learnt owning a GB10 (with a unattached bridge): string the guitar one string at a time, to stop any movement in the bridge and ruining the intonation. I believe this is a good way to strings all guitars, not just guitars with unattached bridges (as it is better for the neck to keep the tension on it etc).

Strap buttons seem good. One note, is that the neck button is behind the neck, not on the upper bout!?! Whether this gives you the balanced feel you like or not, is entirely up to you.

As far as feel goes, I find that the guitar sits back under my arm far more than any other guitar I've ever played. Thus the fretboard seems as though it is a bit too far to the right (for a right handed player - did these guitars ever come out as left handers?). Therefore, I occasionally play a fret or 2 too low by accident ... oops! Simply a matter of getting used to, but you may consider a back-up guitar (if you gig with it) rather than changing types of guitars mid-gig.

Rated 7, as it is 'different', but still great / really cool!

Haven't had it long enough to comment.

If smiles can rate a guitar, I always smile every time I take this little gem out of the case.

Everyone else smiles too!

Vintage collectible at a good price. My entry into collecting vintage guitars.

The guys at the local guitar shop were very amused at the guitar, and very pleased to work on it (and pass it around for a fiddle with, whilst I was out of the shop). ;) They all said the same thing, "Gee ... it plays surprisingly nicely for such an old relic!"

IT'S MINE!! LOL!

1963 Amp-in-Case made in Neptune, NJ. 18 frets, 23 3/4" scale poplar neck with Brazilian rosewood fretboard, 1 11/16" nut width. Plywood body on minimal poplar frame, spray painted black with bits of glitter. 1 lipstick tube, volume and tone. Tuners were stamped metal type (read reliability/durability about these).
Mine still had the plywood amp-in-case, which is a 3watt tube amp with 6" speaker and single volume control.

I bought this because I love Cat Power's tone on the first few records and this was the guitar she used (before being smashed in Paris in 2001). I use it to play her songs, as well as others which I play fingerstyle. It gets her tone exactly, which is warm, hollow, and a little springy in the bass. With flatwounds, it would be a great surf tone. With rounds, it's a wonderful, full almost acoustic sound with a nice bloom and the ability to twang when needed. Even with one pickup, there's a lot of variety using the tone knob. All the way up, it can actually get quite bright. The wooden bridge adds a nice "plonk" that accentuates fingerstyle nicely but is a little trashy sounding with a pick. Using a thicker pick helps, but it still sounds much better with just fingers. Like a lot of classic guitars, it mostly does one sound very well, and the lipstick tube is simply unbeatable. Acoustically, it really feels alive in your hands.
I use several amps, but mostly a Vox Valvetronix set to either the Fender twin or AC15 sound.

Action = terrible. Even set up, the action was almost unplayable high when I bought it. I ultimately shimmed the neck with three pennies and may need to make a nice wooden shim in the future since it's still a little stiff for my tastes. The finish is one coat, so it wears off quick with even moderate use - great if you want the relic look! I can see why these were always prized for slide - it takes a fair amount of work to make them do anything else! Most other issues were the usual fair for a 45 year old guitar.

On the first restringing one of the tuning gears sheared off. It looked as though it had always been slightly misaligned and time just got to it. After trying to recut it for an hour, I replaced the tuners with some cheap open-backs I had on hand and now the tuning is much better. Most of the other hardware seems sturdy. The fifty-ply pickguard certainly isn't breaking soon! The finish, as I said, wears down quick. I'd use it without a backup if I was playing backup, but not usually. Plus, I need more then 1 great tone!

Sears probably won't honer the warranty on this one...

I've been playing for 12 years and have 23 other guitars. Right now, I'm going back and forth between this and a Rickenbacker 325. I chose this guitar because I wanted Cat Power's tone and learned the awful truth about modern Danelectros: They use the wrong magnets! The new Danos use Alnico II, which has a soft, slightly jazzy sound. These original lipsticks are Alnico VI, which is much brighter, louder, and has better string definition. I knew I needed an original, and this just happened to be at the store where I was selling my old Fender Bassman. I love the sound, but it has to be the most difficult to play guitar I own - it was a steep learning curve to get used to the high action and goofy narrow string spacing at the bridge. It still needs a few hours of work, but all in all it's good for what it is. Just be prepared for "retro" playability.
AND they're still cheaper then they were new! Adjusted for inflation, the 1448 cost $470 with case!

Ok, I never really find the need to write reviews, until I played this guitar. Pretty straight forward - I personally gravitate tward simple guitars. Single lip stick single coil placed in the middle/neck area. Single volume and single tone knob. OLD slate key tuners and an aluminum nut. It has kind of an odd bridge, it uses a small wood block - but the inotation, atleast on mine, is good. It has a short scale and only 18 frets - some people don't like this but I personally prefer it. I've always been a fan of short scale guitars like the mustang or LP jrs.

Well, I pretty much bought this guitar expecting a delightfully crappy sound. However, when I got it I was very suprised - I love the sound lipstick pickups. The beauty of this guitar lies in its cost effective construction. The masonite body keeps very lighttweight, and gives a very warm, resonate sound. Coupled with the jangliness of the lipstick pickup the sound is amazing. Great for anything but hard rock and metal, but really comes into its element in the surf/blues/garage arena. It also makes a great slide guitar, Mike Jagger has the later model for playing slide. Honestly this guitar has fast become the guitar I find myself grabbing for.

Well, I shimmed the back of the neck with 2 nickels, and this brought the neck to a perfect level. From factory the action is harsh but within 5 minutes it is a quick fix. I love the neck, wide fingerboard, and medium frets. The tuners aren't great, but as long as you keep the aluminum nut clean and lubed it should help a lot, but I still run a tuner in my rig when using this guitar at a gig - but that is a good practice regardless of the guitar.

So far so good, I can imagine the tuners eventually wearing out, but the guitar was madein 62 thats understandable. Simple wiring and no pots to replace so reliability really isn't an issue.

I absolutely love this guitar, my strats seem to be collecting dust now.

Pretty much as the rest are described, but I got mine without the amp/case.

I sold my gibson marauder about a year ago after falling for a pignose 3/4 guitar. Since then I've been obsessed with mini-guitars. I'm selling a Epiphone Sheraton to cover this. Never really got on with the Sheraton. This, as with the pignose, cut's throught my sampled backdrops like a hacksaw!!...awesome, yet simple sound. Clean when needs be, nice and full sound too.

Will need a bit of tweeking, i used a earvana to sort out the pignose, but don't think i'll need it for this one.

It's taken the pignose crown and I can't wait to gig it. Up the creek if you stood on it thought as it's hollow! Probably won't bring a back up.

ha ha ha

Been playing for 20 years, see:

http://www.myspace.com/larrypickleman

I want a spare already, i just love everything about it, that's the way I was with my marauder, then the pignose, but this one steals the crown, it's a true diamond!!!

This is a Sivertone 1448- as far as I know they all have the same features. Thicker-than-hell pickguard, short neck, rinky-dink tuners, sparkly black finish.

For some reason, I get an almost distorted sound WITHOUT plugging it in, on certain barre chords (?) I generally play what I guess you'd call Rock music...

I bought this guitar for $8 US !!! YES, eight measly dollars at a local Salvation Army. The same store yielded a Teisco Checkmate66 Tremolo Amp for $4! So...whoever owned the guitar before had the bridge piece on UPSIDE-DOWN, therefore the strings didn't fit the grooves; so the numbskull TAPED the strings to the underside of said bridge, and had it jerry-rigged from there. Once I got it home, after stopping to buy new strings, and figured out what the hell happened and righted it, it plays fine. I used an earlier posters advice on slipping nickels behind the neck to improve the action.
I also have a Danelectro single pickup, which plays ridiculously well, and stays in tune no matter what I do; but it's been relegated to closet storage, as I play this one more often.
I like the wide flat bridge for complex-sounding fingertaps, not so much interference from the strings yr NOT playing.

I believe it would be good for live playing- don't know that I'd try and go without a backup, tho.

N/A--this is a dinosaur, folks. You gotta rig it yrself. But don't put the bridge on upside-down!

Love the simplicity of it, as with my Dano six-string, and my Dano Longhorn Bass. I like the way it looks, I about sh*t when I saw it in a thrift store! My favorite feature is the fact that I don't have to baby it.