The days are long gone now, but there was a time when the Sears Department stores just ruled! And if you didn’t have a store nearby, at least you could peruse the famous Sears catalogs. Man, I just love the old Sears catalogs because they’re like a little time capsule of sorts, encompassing pop culture, technology, and fashion….and of course GUITARS! I know many of you remember the days of the Sears catalog.
Now if you happened to look in the Sears catalog in the fall of 1969, you would’ve seen this nice guitar on page 929! This somewhat fancy guitar was simply called the “Double Pickup”, but it’s more commonly known by the Sears order number, 1460L. This guitar cost $88 and change back in 1969, and the model didn’t last more than a year. Just one of the many short-lived models of the time, this guitar was a victim of the sagging guitar market and the many factories that were closing in Japan. By 1969, the guitar boom was over, which is sort of a shame since the Japanese builders were getting really good!
I really love the logo on this guitar! It is a raised, metal logo. And that stylized script is just cool. It kinda looks like my cursive writing! Of course the Silvertone brand is legendary, but by 1969 it was a fading name. Only one guitar in the catalog was made in the USA (the 1485) and all the rest of the electrics were made in Japan.
When I first got this guitar, I was sorta shocked at its light weight. I thought it would be beck heavy but the guitar’s large body allowed for a nice balance. The electronics were ok, but the pickups were kinda weak sounding units. These pickups appeared on a few different guitars and always sound just sorta “ho-hum.” I guess is depends what kind of music you’re into. The design of the pups was cool though! The pickups read out in the mid 4k range.
The neck joint was very interesting on this guitar, because it was like an old Gretsch…the end of the rosewood “floated” over the body. I’d never seen a vintage Japanese guitar use that technique before, but like I said, the Japanese builders that had survived the crash of the guitar boom, were starting to really get good at the craft. I look at this model as a sign of things to come. Notice the volute below?
So all you youngsters from 1969, did any of you ever own or see this guitar? Mike Dugan, who plays guitar on all our demos, remembers going to Sears when he was a kid, and seeing stuff like this hanging on the wall. One of the cool experiences for him is to play these old guitars, even if he couldn’t afford them back in the day.
Drowning in Guitars! 
Wow, I remember this particular guitar, looks like a Gibson Barney Kessell but thin, (The Young Rascals), I was one of the fortunate ones: there was a Sears Roebuck store in my town, the equivalent of a Walmart Supercenter today!! From 1962 or 1963-on they had their line of amplifiers on display with a few of the early “Danelectro-style” guitars, which the store manager let us “examine”.
Great Article. Neat guitar
I did purchase one of these from Sears, it had been used so I’m assuming that it had been returned. Bought it for $50 in 1970, still have it. The logo was missing (the outline is still present although) when I bought it. It came with a white pickguard. Still intact, but at some point I had to replace the volume and tone knobs. As a 16 year old at the time, I loved the feedback and howl that I could get out of it. I had one of the Sears solid state, black tolex combo bass amps as well at the time, ultimately frying it unfortunately.
Thanks for sharing!
I still have mine
What is a mint cond worth today with the case and the Made in USA stamp inside?
I don’t know, maybe around $300? $400? But these were made in Japan, not USA
some of the 1st bodies were made in USA and shipped to Japan to be finished. They are stamped inside the hollow body. Here is a link: http://www.vintagesilvertones.com/forsale_silvertone_1460_red.html
Thank you for your time just the same
I never heard of the US guitars going back to Japan for finishing. Something doesn’t sound right about that and what I know about the Japanese manufacturers. Not saying it didn’t happen, but that would be a rare occurrence. The two versions of this guitar that I’ve seen, look really similar but were made by two separate factories in Japan.
I recently sold one of these on eBay a few months ago. Wish I would have found this before hand. It was a super cool guitar, loved the logo as well!
I have my 1460 that I bought new from the Sears catalog. Mine also has the made in the USA stamp inside the body. The guitar however was made in Japan. I have to give credence to the story about Kay sending the bodies to Teisco to be finished. This guitar has been on my possession since it arrived in the mail directly from Sears.
i have a blue 319.14788 SN# on the back of headstock sez made in the U.S.A.
im also looking for a good neck for my 1969 Silverstone 319.14609 i was going to se if i could adjust the neck and the truss rod was snapped in half and i got to checking it out some one filled the frets flat agents the fret board i also need the spring and handle on the tail my 1478 needs vol and tone knobs and they are real small there are parts out there its like aliens i keep looking up