GreatDane
"up yours, baby."
hey y'all! i picked this one up in a trade a little while back and thought you guys might dig it (or at least use it as the basis for generating some stimulating conversation).
It's an early to mid-60s Silvertone 1446 singlecut hollowbody with some pretty cool and unique features that make it stand out from other catalog guitars from the era (IMO). This was the 2nd most expensive guitar in the Sears catalog at the time (overshadowed only by the flagship #1454 in red sunburst at $189.95 including case). The guitar model was actually made by Harmony in Chicago for Silvertone/Sears.
the mini-humbucker pickups were made and supplied by Gibson. They sound killer - punchy and strong, and really gnarly with a little overdrive. daddy like!
The bigsby is original and was stock for the model as well. i happen to like the Bigsby trem, so no points subtracted by this player. YMMV.
the neck is bolt-on construction, and is solid with good, tight fit and minimal gaps (better than some Fenders I've seen - ha!).
Nice smooth, stable tuners that hold a tune without slippage.
This guitar is also un-officially known as the "Chris Isaak model" due to his association with the model. here's a pic of him with his trusty 1446:
Here's the write-up from the original Sears catalog (thanks to the folks at vintagesilvertones.com for the info!):
"Maple from Canada and Wisconsin for the tops and backs for Sears Hollow-body Electrics..produces a special, mellow resonance on low tones
Yet, thanks to this maple, you still get all the brilliant highs electrics are famous for
Truly professional-quality guitars. Slimmest possible neck makes every chord easy to reach. Strings only 1/18 in. above the fingerboard make fingering a snap. Famous Bigsby vibrato add Hawaiian-guitar effect.
Tone and volume controls for each pickup. Adjustable bridge and steel rod neck reinforcing. Celluloid edge binding; inlaid positiion markers. About 41x16x2 in. deep. With 10-ft cord and advanced instruction book.
Dual-pickup . . three pickup combinations. Hand-rubbed black finish; ebonized fingerboard.
Shipping weight 12 pounds.
57 W 1446L.......$154.95
Case for hollow-body electric guitars. Leather-grained black vinyl on chipboard. Thick, red rayon-plus lining. About 43x17x4 inches deep
57 W 738L--Shipping weight 10 pounds.....$14.95"
The Dimensions are:
Overall length: 41 1/2"
Body width: 16"
Body thickness: 2" with neck 2 3/8"
Scale: 24"
Width of the nut: 1 3/4" (depth 7/8")
I find the documented nut width a little hard to believe since i find this neck to be on the narrow side of my comfort level (and i favor a 1-11/16" width. i've been too busy actually playing it to stop and measure, but i will have to at some point soon to satisfy my curiosity.
if you're in the Connecticut-area, feel free to stop by and try it out if you want (BYOB). it's a really fun ride, and not what you might expect at all for a "catalog guitar".
It's an early to mid-60s Silvertone 1446 singlecut hollowbody with some pretty cool and unique features that make it stand out from other catalog guitars from the era (IMO). This was the 2nd most expensive guitar in the Sears catalog at the time (overshadowed only by the flagship #1454 in red sunburst at $189.95 including case). The guitar model was actually made by Harmony in Chicago for Silvertone/Sears.
the mini-humbucker pickups were made and supplied by Gibson. They sound killer - punchy and strong, and really gnarly with a little overdrive. daddy like!
The bigsby is original and was stock for the model as well. i happen to like the Bigsby trem, so no points subtracted by this player. YMMV.
the neck is bolt-on construction, and is solid with good, tight fit and minimal gaps (better than some Fenders I've seen - ha!).
Nice smooth, stable tuners that hold a tune without slippage.
This guitar is also un-officially known as the "Chris Isaak model" due to his association with the model. here's a pic of him with his trusty 1446:
Here's the write-up from the original Sears catalog (thanks to the folks at vintagesilvertones.com for the info!):
"Maple from Canada and Wisconsin for the tops and backs for Sears Hollow-body Electrics..produces a special, mellow resonance on low tones
Yet, thanks to this maple, you still get all the brilliant highs electrics are famous for
Truly professional-quality guitars. Slimmest possible neck makes every chord easy to reach. Strings only 1/18 in. above the fingerboard make fingering a snap. Famous Bigsby vibrato add Hawaiian-guitar effect.
Tone and volume controls for each pickup. Adjustable bridge and steel rod neck reinforcing. Celluloid edge binding; inlaid positiion markers. About 41x16x2 in. deep. With 10-ft cord and advanced instruction book.
Dual-pickup . . three pickup combinations. Hand-rubbed black finish; ebonized fingerboard.
Shipping weight 12 pounds.
57 W 1446L.......$154.95
Case for hollow-body electric guitars. Leather-grained black vinyl on chipboard. Thick, red rayon-plus lining. About 43x17x4 inches deep
57 W 738L--Shipping weight 10 pounds.....$14.95"
The Dimensions are:
Overall length: 41 1/2"
Body width: 16"
Body thickness: 2" with neck 2 3/8"
Scale: 24"
Width of the nut: 1 3/4" (depth 7/8")
I find the documented nut width a little hard to believe since i find this neck to be on the narrow side of my comfort level (and i favor a 1-11/16" width. i've been too busy actually playing it to stop and measure, but i will have to at some point soon to satisfy my curiosity.
if you're in the Connecticut-area, feel free to stop by and try it out if you want (BYOB). it's a really fun ride, and not what you might expect at all for a "catalog guitar".
