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Silvertone was the brand name used by Sears for their line of musical instruments and sound equipment from the 1930s to 1972. Replacing the Supertone brand, Silvertone had already been the brand on Sears' radios and phonographs since 1915. Probably best known for their line of well made and inexpensive guitars, the brand became popular with novice musicians. Jerry Garcia, Rudy Sarzo, Chet Atkins, Bob Dylan, John Fogerty, Tom Fogerty, James Hetfield, Dave Grohl, Phil Keaggy, Mark Knopfler, Mikee Plastik, and countless others had a Silvertone for their first electric, bass, or acoustic guitar. The Canadian band Chad Allan and The Silvertones, which would go on to become The Guess Who, took its name from this line of instruments. Pete Townshend would employ them in live performance with The Who for the purposes of smashing them. Jack White of The White Stripes has been known to use vintage Silvertone amplifiers. Singer-songwriter Beck Hansen's main guitar is a Silvertone.[1]
The name was placed on guitars from several different manufacturers over the years, including Danelectro, National, Harmony, Kay, and Teisco. The guitars—especially the 1960s models—are prized by collectors today. One of the more well-known models is the Danelectro Silvertone 1448, made in the early to mid 1960s. The guitar's case had a small built-in amplifier and the guitar itself had a very short-scale 18-fret neck, which proved popular with beginners. Beck's main guitar is the Danelectro Silvertone 1448, stickered with an old Rush sticker, and a sticker that says: "I *Heart* Country Music," both stickers have been masked by what appears to be black electrical tape (as of the Modern Guilt release up through the present.)
Today, Silvertone is a brand name used by a Chinese and Japanese guitar manufacturer and was endorsed by Paul Stanley of KISS from 2003 to 2006.
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