Silvertone Archtop: You guys didn't tell me about this one.

[rbdeli]

Just spent a few minutes browsing eBay and noticed there are lots of bids on Silvertone Archtops. Being the naive trumpet player that I am; I had never heard of these. I just added this brand to my site. It's absence nearly seemed as conspicuous as the Gretch you all told me I was missing.

Are there lots of action on these because they are cheap or are they pretty decent guitars?

Silvertone Archtop

[cosmic gumbo]

There is definitely a cool retro appeal for these guitars, but many had horrible necks with no adjustable trussrod, not very nice playing. I'm sure there were a few exceptions. It would still be fun to own a nice one.

[derek]

There is a whole genre of quirky guitars out there, from makers like Kay, Silvertone, Harmony, DiPinto and the like. My experience is, they were lousy construction, and have issues as they aged. I have a 76 year old student that has an old Kay archtop. He brought it in, and it is odd, but cool. Needs different pups and new tuners, but otherwise a decent guitar for the $ he paid.

For those who want a unique guitar, and know what to look for, it could be fun to hunt for a decent example of those types. You certainly can get them cheaply.

[Doctor Jeff]

I had a cool-looking Silvertone that I got last year. The neck action was not too bad, and with a little work and low-tension strings I was able to get a decent sound out of it. The neck was pretty blocky though, and it wasn't the most pleasant guitar to play.

The last month I had it I tuned it to open E and played slide with it--it's an awesome slide guitar, makes you think you are Muddy Waters reincarnated. (He played a Harmony on several recordings BTW.) I bought the guitar for $50 and sold it for $200, so not a bad investment.

I think they are pretty neat guitars with a great vintage look, but from what I've read only about a quarter are decent players. Nevertheless they are a cheap way to expand your collection, connect with American guitar manufacturing history, and maybe pick up a guitar for sliding, etc.

[brad4d8]

Silvertone was the brand used by Sears for its guitars. Many of them were rebranded Harmony models, although I don't know if they ever had any of the real high end Harmonies. Until the explosion of eBay, Harmony guitars were often a bargain, but now they seem to be a little overpriced, IMO. I actually have seen good condition Harmony models in brick and mortar stores for reasonable prices compared to eBay. Debated buying a Harmony archtop tenor for aroun $150-waited too long.
Brad