Silvertone 1448 amp-in-case
1963 Silvertone 1448
In the 1960’s U.S. department store chains like Sears Roebuck and Montgomery Ward would purchase guitars manufactured by other companies like Kay, Harmony Valco and Danelectro to sell in their stores and in their mail order catalogs. The guitars were made under the store’s house brand. The Sears line of guitars and amps were branded Silvertone which was also the name that they used for their televisions and radios.
The guitar featured here is a 1963 Silvertone model 1448 electric made by Danelectro. The Danelectro company was founded by Nathan Daniel in 1947 out of Redbank, NJ. They started making amplifiers and eventually added electric guitars like this 1448. The guitar is constructed out of Masonite and poplar to save costs. The intention was to produce no-frills guitars with reasonably good tone for a low price, targeted towards beginners. The 1448 features a single “lipstick-tube” pickup. They were referred to as lipstick pickups because they stuffed the pickup components inside a metal tube that resembled a lipstick container of the era.
It has a short scale length at 21”. A maple neck and rosewood fretboard with 18 frets. The neck is slim with a flat radius and features a 1.75” wide metal nut. It has 1 volume and 1 tone knob. The design, construction and parts are all pretty basic. From the six-on-a-side skate key tuners to the metal trapezoidal bridge with a strip of rosewood on it for a saddle. The top and back of the body are made of Masonite which is a type of engineered wood hardboard, made from steamed and compressed wood fibers, often without added glues, using the natural lignin as a binder, resulting in a dense, durable board. The body panels have a black, sparkle finish. The guitar has a band of white, “tolex like” tape that wraps around the entire outside edge of the body like binding. The neck doesn’t have a truss rod, but rather a fixed metal rod that goes through it for support and to help keep it straight. The neck is a bolt-on construction and the tilt can be adjusted through a hole in the back of the guitar.
Everything on this guitar is really unique. The headstock shape, curved horns, “formica like” finish, pickguard and knob style have a space age, mid-century modern look that is totally representative of the time.
One of the most interesting things about this Silvertone is the guitar’s case which has a built in 5 watt tube amplifier inside. Danelectro wanted to give beginners the full package, guitar and amplifier in one easy to carry set. These are referred to as Silvertone “Amp-in-case” guitars. Danelectro used the design for other Silvertone models like the 1449 which was a two pickup version of this guitar, and also the 1451, 1452 and 1457, with the 1448 being the first.
The guitarist would take the guitar out, stand the case up length wise with the case open, plug your guitar in and you’re ready to go. You can’t get more of a 60’s garage rock sound than with this baby.
You always hear that kids were a lot tougher back then. This amp is a great example of what they had to deal with. They were built with a two prong plug like most electronics in the day and it wasn’t grounded well. The amp was know for giving you a good shock if you didn’t plug the prongs into their correct slot in the wall socket. God forbid you make the mistake of touching a microphone while the guitar was plugged into the amp.
While these were designed to be inexpensive beginner guitars, there is something about them that has made them popular with famous guitarists over the years. The lipstick pickup gives off a clear bell like chime that gets gritty and has some feedback when pushed. The semi-hollow masonite body is resonant and has an airy wolf like tone unplugged. Jimmy Page is known for using a similar Danelectro model on Kashmir and a few other Led Zeppelin songs. His Dano had a little more versatility than this 1448 with it’s 2 pickups and concentric pots. Beck has also been known to use a 1448 live.
The sweet sounding pickup and small body makes these so much fun to play. Whether your strumming chords or picking out licks this 1448 is a total blast. It’s a great guitar for blues players that use a slide. The flat neck and bridge design aren’t the best for doing a lot of bends or shredding. Not having a truss rod can also make the necks prone to warping if they weren’t well cared for so make sure to inspect them thoroughly when buying one. It’s not the norm, but I have seen a few twisted ones over the years and there’s not much you can do to compensate for it once they are. Usually if it’s lasted this long without twisting you should be good to go. The built in amp is fine for messing around at home and while it is a very cool sound it’s pretty limited. I definitely recommend having your local tech install a 3 prong plug for safety if you do plan to use the amp. Good luck!