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Topic: Help identifying silvertone lapsteel |
Dan Barrett
From:
Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 20 Dec 2022 7:08 am |
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This has recently come up for sale near me, and I’m trying to determine its value and whether or not I could make it playable. I’d appreciate any help folks here can give me. I’ve never seen anything built into a case like this before and thought it was a one off until I found a newer looking version on reverb that’s well outside my budget for experimenting. The seller hasn’t specified a price so far and doesn’t seem to know any details.
Thanks for any assistance.
Here’s the one on reverb for comparison. https://reverb.com/item/60016327-vintage-silvertone-lap-steel-w-supertone-2320-tube-amp-in-case-very-rare |
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Noah Miller
From:
Rocky Hill, CT
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Posted 20 Dec 2022 8:13 am
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It's an early 1940s Hawaiian Electric Mono-Unit with replaced tuners. It was built by the National-Dobro Corporation for Sears.
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Glenn Wilde
From:
California, USA
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Posted 20 Dec 2022 8:26 am
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| Some of those have extremely short scales, making them really hard to play imo. I would still buy one as a curiosity though, if the price was right. |
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Glenn Wilde
From:
California, USA
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Posted 20 Dec 2022 8:34 am
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| Noah Miller wrote: |
It's an early 1940s Hawaiian Electric Mono-Unit with replaced tuners. It was built by the National-Dobro Corporation for Sears.
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That's a great ad page! I never thought of screwing a Valco pickup assembly to a flattop before, now my wheels are turning. |
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Dan Barrett
From:
Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 20 Dec 2022 4:59 pm
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| Thanks for the info. He’s asking $250. It’d be fun to have, but I suspect it wouldn’t get played much even if I got it restored. I’m off to see family for a week, so I guess I’ll see if it’s still there when we get back and make a final decision then. |
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Bill Sinclair
From:
Waynesboro, PA, USA
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Posted 20 Dec 2022 8:02 pm
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| That's a really good price if you do your own amp repairs. If it's being publicly advertised, it probably won't last long. Some of those small tube amps, including the later Danelectro Silvertone case amps, use the infamous "widowmaker" circuit that creates a substantial shock hazard. That one appears to have a power transformer though, so it probably isn't that circuit. It will at least need a 3-prong power cord though. |
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Jim Pitman
From:
Waterbury Ctr. VT 05677 USA
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Posted 20 Dec 2022 8:07 pm
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| It's got MOT (Mother of Toilet Seat) finish, a string thru pickup and a case amp. That's a lot for a $250.00 guitar. |
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Dan Barrett
From:
Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 20 Dec 2022 8:15 pm
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All good points, but I’ve gotta get a little sleep as we leave for the airport in 4 hours. I’ll message him and see if he wants to hold it for me. He’s in the middle of nowhere so anyone else who wants it is gonna have to work for it.
I’m ok working on the guitar side, but if I do get it it’ll be going to someone else to deal with the amp.
Thanks for the input |
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