Silvertone Jaguar-style solid body

This is a 22 fret guitar closely resembling the fender Jaguar (although it sounds nothing like it, not worse just different). Mine was made in the good old US of A in the mid 60s. It has four volume and tone knobs (the front volume knob is too far out under the strumming area I think) a well designed string sliding bridge and a tremelo bar. Moderate trem use does not knock it out of tune thanks to the bridge design. Tuners were cheap, replaced with baby grovers.

No Gibson, PRS, Fender, or anything else can match the sound of this thing for blues. Blues lovers have recently rediscovered the Harmony Stratotone (even Eric Clapton was seen purchasing one). Well, having demoed one myself I can tell you that the main sound difference between that guitar and this one is with this one you get two pickups. Although this guitar has no sound chambers like the Statotone it still gives you that warm accoustic tone. The reason for this is those extraordinary DeArmond or Rowe pickups (people tell me they were both made to the same specs). I understand they are microphonic but mine never squeel or feedback. I have a 70s Ibanez Les Paul Custom with sound chambers that sounds tremendous but this Silvertone sounds fatter and more accoustic. The Ibanez is more precise with better frequency response (never played a Gibson that I liked as well), the Silvertone more resonant, dripping with blues tone.

No masterpiece PRS to be ogled. She's no trophy, with a fat neck a dull finish and no binding, she's an old hag that can really sing the blues.

40 years and counting.

N/A

Highly recommended

This is a made in the USA solid body harmony made guitar with a great baseball bat type neck single coil dearmond pickups. The neck is in great shape after nearly 40 years and is straight as a string. The bridge is rosewood with the adjustment wheels, and the tuners are the open style. The tailpiece is an ashtray, the pots are noise free. The pickguard is cracked all to hell though...

i need to stuff the the lead pickup with cotton or parafin to cut down on the microphonic squel. the soud is good through my musicman hd130, but better played clean tharough a solid state peavey amp. It souds really cool for chicken picken some country licks or blues. Early rock is another good use, CCR, Buffalo Springfield etc. it can be noisy on the single coil because of the loose connection of the cord, the shattered pickguard contributes to this. I love this guitar tho...

No real flaws except of the aging of the plastic picguard and the crappy tuners. This thing was covered in dust and crud sitting in alocal pawn shop. My wife and I cleaned it up ith some old english and guitaqr polish. There were some permanent stains in the paint from someone stickin tape on it and using it for a coffee table...

i I think I will have the pickguar replaced and new shielding installed and maybe silence the squelling lead pickup. The strap buttons are better than many new guitars have and I have a good solid strap on the sucker. I am considering playing it in local clubs, either as amy slide guitar or as my main guitar and using the stratocaster for slide since I can play chords better on the short fat neck of the silvertone.
I understand this is a Harmony H14 type ith 2 pickups instead of 1.

Since this company is no longer in business i will try to get a local fender repairman to make me a new pickguard and do the tune up.

Again I love this guitar and I gave only $140 for the guitar and Musicman hd130...on Friday the 13th. I have always loved short scale guitars, mahogany necks and single coils, this guitar suits me perfect.

USA-made, likely from the mid-1960s; 21-fret rosewood with rectangular "abalone" markers; Harmony-built for Sears with two Diarmond pick-ups; original volume, tone controls (2 each); three-way toggle switch for pick-ups; flat vibrato bar attached to bridgecover tail; wooden bridge with two thumb-wheels to adjust up-and-down, not permanently fixed, so adjust it fore-and-aft for intonation; Jaguar/Jazzmaster-shaped body but narrower and lighter, less heft on lower body; cherry-to-black sunburst, even on back of neck. Came with an original chip-board case (white w/black top/bottom; red "fake fur;" one broken latch; holding strap and compartment in case were both intact).

I originally had one in 1965 and finally re-acquired another a month ago, primarily for "nostalgia." The sound is bright and a lot fuller than I remembered. The pick-ups made this guitar a bargain for the $89.95 originally charged by Sears. The electronics are perfect: no buzzing or crackling. Used for playing "oldies" and instrumentals (e.g. "surfing") - not a "lead" instrument, but good for rhythm. It's probably not suitable for the "modern" sound; can be done, but other guitars are better choices.

I have various tube amps, notably Fender Twin Reverbs (one push-pull master volume, one b/f), b/f Bandmaster, b/f Bassman, Quad Reverb, and Dual Showman Reverb. It plays well with my Silvertone 1484 (Twin-12) piggy-back, another "nostalgia" buy to replace what I once had 35 years ago.

The Harmony-issueed version is identical except for two areas. The tremolo is a rod similar to the Fender Jaguar/Jazzmaster, but without the "trem-lock." The pick-ups have individual screw-like pole-pieces which are adjustable.

String action is high at the top end of the fretboard although the wooden bridge can be lowered. The reason is that the pick-ups are riveted to the pickguard, slightly higher than the neck, and cannot be adjusted lower. No adjustable pole-pieces on the pick-ups. If the bridge is lowered too much, the strings will contact the pick-ups.

Original six-in-line open tuners. One hold-down screw for the gear was missing; my replacement (phillips head) doesn't match, but does the job as the threads match. Little, if any, tarnish on metal parts. The finish is in great shape for a three-decade old instrument with minimal scratches. The four-ply pickguard has shrunken, with the tip toward the upper horn slightly curled. The pickguard screw holes don't quite match-up by the horns because of the shrinkage.

Plastic strap button missing - will replace both with a matching set. I use other guitars for "gigging," but would use this whenever there is a "nostalgia" factor - high school reunions, for example. I don't know the history of this particular instrument, but it's in amazing condition and chances are that it will continue to last, considering that I don't "abuse" my equipment. I always wipe down the bodies, strings, and hardware after each use.

Sears is no longer in the musical instrument business.

Playing 35 years. Other guitars: Fender - standard Mexican strat, re-issue Jazzmaster, '63 Jaguar, '72 Telecaster Thinline, '73 Mustang; Harmony (similar to Silvertone, but slightly smaller body); Mosrite knock-offs (Univox); Ovation classical.

The main reason I obtained this was the "nostalgia" factor. I'm sure that I paid "over book" on this, but the condition is so much better than others I unsuccessfully bid on which went for around $250 or so. But, it's worth the price I paid (maybe even more) to me.

If lost or stolen (send an APB on the thief), I would buy another. The sound is much better than I remember (maybe because I'm a better player now), so I'm really enjoying this instrument. Although I'm still looking for Harmony's more deluxe version (better bridge and tremolo), my appetite for that has been lessened. Oh, and I'll try to get the broken latch replaced.