Hey Zach,
I bought a Silvertone guitar with an amp built into the case
because of how cool it is. Can you tell me a little bit about
who built these guitars, how much are they worth today, and
why this guitar and “amp-in-a-case” package never caught on?
Thanks
—Neil in Atlanta, Georgia
Hey Neil,
What a great piece of
Americana! This is the same
guitar that Lenny Haise (played
by Steve Zahn) plays in the
movie That Thing You Do!,
before the fictional band hits
it big and purchases more
expensive instruments. It is a
cool item nonetheless and, in
my opinion, was the first “
all-in-one-pack” option that has
become so popular for many
manufacturers today.
The Silvertone name
appeared on a lot of guitar
headstocks (and amps) during
the 20th century, but it was
strictly a trademark. Silvertone
was never a manufacturer. Sears
& Roebuck sold a variety of
instruments in their mail-order
catalogs, and Silvertone was
their largest guitar and amplifier line. Guitars were initially
supplied by large manufacturers like Harmony and Kay,
both out of Chicago, but the
majority of Silvertone guitars
produced in the late 1950s
and 1960s (including this particular model) were made by
Danelectro in New Jersey.
In the early 1960s,
Silvertone, Danelectro, or Sears
& Roebuck (it is unknown
whose idea it was), decided
to capitalize on the increasing
popularity of guitars and began
offering an all-in-one package
for the entry-level guitarist. The
package included a guitar, a case
with a built-in amplifier, cord,
pick, chord charts, and a how-
to-play 45 rpm record—every-
thing a beginner would need
to get started! Five different
variations of this package were
available, including options
for single- or double-pickup
guitars, 3- or 5-watt amplifiers,
and onboard tremolo.
LEFT: This '60s Silvertone 1457 was built by Danelectro and came with
a case that featured a 5-watt tube amp powering an 8" speaker.
RIGHT: To use the amp, you had to open the case and stand it on its
end. Owning one of these surely made any guitarist the life of the party.
housed in a cubical cabinet for
a reason—they project sound
better. The Silvertone cases were
essentially made of cardboard
and need to be propped open
to access the controls. Imagine
a speaker sitting on the floor
of your room—how powerful
would it sound? Durability was
certainly an issue since cases get
thrown around, thereby increasing the chances of the amplifier
itself being damaged. Gig bags
are relatively new for carrying
guitars, but they are lighter, easier to transport, and cheaper to
produce. Manufacturers today
often package existing guitars
and amplifiers in their line
together, instead of producing a
special case with a built-in amp.
Because of their uniqueness
and relatively short period of
production, these guitar and
amp-in-the-case packages are
collectible. Currently, examples
in excellent condition with
fully working components
(amp and footswitch included)
are valued between $600 and
$800. The cool thing about
these packages is that you can
use each piece individually.
In other words, the guitar can
be plugged into a different
amp and the amp-in-the-case
will work for any other guitar. Some packages from this
era, like the Epiphone EA-8P
Professional, only worked with
the included guitar and amp.
Director Tom Hanks and
his crew must have known
something about this guitar to
show Lenny playing it when
the Oneders were an unknown
garage band, and then replacing
it with a Fender Jaguar once they
hit the big time. This entry-level
package from the 1960s started
the practice of offering guitar/
amplifier packages for beginners,
still used today by many manufacturers. Not to mention that
it’s a great piece of Americana
that many consider a treasure.
ZACHARY R. FJESTAD
is author of Blue Book of
Acoustic Guitars, Blue Book
of Electric Guitars, and Blue
Book of Guitar Amplifiers.
For more information, visit
bluebookinc.com or email
