Silvertone 1420

[twangjunkie]

Blueshawk asked me to post pics of the new addition to my family so here it is a 1960 Silvertone 1420 Stratatone.
It all seems to be stock and in fairly good condition. It's light as a feather and as I have never owned one before I had no idea what to expect.
Sound wise it is very dark with much less top end than my other guitars, a drop in volume too, but it definitely has a character of it's own, very chunky and thick sounding.

The neck is as thick as a baseball bat which suits me fine and after a couple of hours of acquainting myself with it (unable to resist playing along to a couple of Tom Waits tracks in the process) I have decided it is a great little guitar, a little high in the action but great.

I know it is probably a no no but I can't help wondering what it would sound like with a bigsby on it.

[VintAxe]

Very Cool.

It looks to have DeArmond "hershey bar" pickups in it. A little research into what values of pots or resistors work well with these pups might help you open the tone up a bit.

Here is a website to get you started:

[twangjunkie]

Thanks for the info vintaxe, I'm always a bit worried about changing anything on a stock vintage instrument but I am intrigued.

[VintAxe]

Your instincts are correct twangjunkie, In general, modifications to any vintage guitar will reduce it's value. However, in this case, the 1420 will never have fantastic value as a collectible in our lifetime. The condition of the finish appears to be more player grade than collector grade anyway so if you make modifications that enhance it's value tonally without modifying it's appearance you will probably break even or make a little money on a resale. In the meantime you will have a more suitable recording tool and player to enjoy while it is in your possession.

As far as the Bigsby goes, I don't think it is a good match for the floating bridge that is currently on the guitar. If you want a Bigsby, find a guitar originally designed with a Bigsby.

Let us know if you decide to make mods