This is on Craigslist for 350 bucks. Deal or not?

If it is an original buy it. If a reproduction maybe try to get him down a bit.

+1!

I'd pass though if it were a re-issue.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

I'm going to ask him for more info, Looks like a repo in this pic, but some of the close ups make me think it might be real. Looks a little like a Danelectro.

The originals were manufactured under contract by Danelectro.

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I'm not an expert, but I play one on the internet.

My first reaction was, oh yeah, get it. Try and get for less of course.
My second reaction was, I think I would get it.

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I have some Fender gear.
(Telecaster, Jaguar, Villager 12 String. Mustang l, Bronco, SCX2, Rumble 350, HRDIII, Rumble 2x8 Neo Cab)
http://www.reverbnation.com/modwiz

I emailed the seller my cell number. His ad says it is "vintage". I told him if its truely vintage I would buy it. We'll see if he contacts me.

Alright. That's the ticket.

Which tubes does that one have? There were two versions of that amp -- one was similar to a Fender Vibrochamp or Magnatone and used a 6V6 power tube. Like all modern tube amps those had both a power transformer and an output transformer. Among other things, the power transformer limits the max current that can come out of the amp and through your body when things are mis-grounded.

The other version was a cheaper, more dangerous amp that used 50C5 and 35W4 tubes. Those don't have power transformers -- they're direct-coupled to the wall outlet. If things are mis-grounded there's nothing to limit the max current -- it's like sticking your tongue directly into the wall outlet and you'll get a huge jolt until your house's circuit breaker trips. Those designs don't come anywhere close to meeting modern safety standards. You really need to add an isolation transformer to the amp to make it safer.

The 6V6 version had a 2-prong plug and it's not up to modern safety standards either, but you can easily and cheaply add a 3-prong plug to those and make them as safe as any modern amp. But with the 50C5 plus 35W4 amps just adding a 3-prong plug isn't enough -- you need to add an appropriately-sized isolation transformer.

(At the very least, only plug 50C5 plus 35W4 amps into GFIC protected outlets so that you have at least a modicum of protection. But I take no responsibility if you die doing that, and I'm so broke your next of kin won't be able to sue me for much.)

Of course, thousands of 50C5 & 35W4 amps were sold and only a few people were ever killed by them (though lots of people got really bad shocks -- much worse than the 2-prong amps with power transformers ever inflicted). Cheap radios & record players and many brands of beginner-guitar amps were built like that -- back when houses had 2-prong wiring, people just accepted that electricity could kill you and figured the transformerless amps weren't any more dangerous than the neutral-grounded shell on the toaster in their kitchen. So chances are you could play one thousands of times and never get bitten (it's just that if ever do get bitten it's going to be a really hard bite). Again, if something bad happens, don't sue me if you use either version stock without modern safety improvements.

There are tutorials on the web showing how to add isolation transformers. I don't feel comfortable recommending any particular one -- my dad was an EE but I only know enough to be dangerous.If you Google "isolation transformer upgrade for old guitar amps" and variations on that you'll find lots of info.

If it were truly vintage $350 would be a decent price because the single pup models can be worth as much as $600 for one in mint or near mint condition.If it's model 1448 it would have been made between '62-'66 and a model1451 would have been '67-'68.The case for the single pickup model didn't have tremolo and was lower Wattage than the case for the 2 pup model,plus the louder case had a Jensen speaker.The '67s and '68s had more rounded points on the horns than the earlier models.The current Silvertone models are being made by Samick.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

I am unaware of any reissues of this instrument. Several years ago a short-lived company " Telestar" marketed a couple of items using the Silvertone set as inspiration, but there is no way for an informed consumer to confuse these with the Danelectro models.

The Dano full scale, two pickup model inspired set was labeled the MONA:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-Telestar-G ... 4d07fa8afa

Another set was derived from the Harmony Jupiter/Stratotone models, (not offered by Sears as an amp-in-case set) called the LISA:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Telestar-LISA-e ... 35c05ebd47

Here are a few of my Dano/Harmony made babies:

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By the River

Thanks everyone! a lot of useful and interesting info. Still waiting to hear back from the seller. Drug dealers and Craigslist sellers are notoriously unreliable.

The 1448 was a cool thing back in the day and I'd grab it.

It looks to be in pristine condition too.




I just read the seller's ad - grab it or someone else will!

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!