Luthiery Laboratories

The Silvertone 1450 is a relatively rare model from 1965 to 1967. It is identical to the much more common 1452 "Amp-in-Case" model, except that the 1450 has a three-ply tortoiseshell pickguard in place of 1452's white masonite, and the 1450 did not come with an amp. The three-bolt neck attachment indicates that this is a fairly early example. There should be a date stamp inside the neck pocket, but I don't want to take it apart. For a long time I thought this was a 1452, I was quite pleased to discover while writing this that it is actually the more deluxe 1450.

The 1452 replaced the 1457 in the Sears catalog, lasting from 1966 to 1968. Like the 1457, the 1452 was an "Amp-in-Case" model, and came with the same amp and case as the 1457. Like the 1457, the 1452 had a little brother - the single-pickup 1451. The big difference between the 1457/1448 and the 1450/1451/1452 is the body. The earlier models are classic Danelectro masonite over hollow poplar core construction, while the newer models are solid-body, probably poplar. Gone is the Tolex body binding.

The body shape also changed, from 'devil horns' to a more Fender-like shape similar to the Coral Hornet line. The major difference between the 1450 and the Hornet is that the 1450 is slab-sided, while the Hornet is rounded all over. The stacked controls of the 1457 are replaced by more conventional individual controls, and finally, the 1450 gained a tremolo. Retained are the lipstick pickups, skate-key tuners, and solid bar truss rod. There was also a pair of basses built on this body style - the 1442 and 1443.

This particular guitar is in really nice condition, as you can see in the pictures. The finish is almost like new, the neck is straight, and everything works. The pickguard is in perfect condition, which is unusual. Plastic pickguards generally shrink over time, and eventually crack around the fasteners. All this guitar needed was some cleaning, setup, and new strings.

Don't you just love the marketing shills?

All-in-all, the 1450 seems like an attempt by Danelectro to go more upmarket and conventional, but alas, too little, too late. The company did not last long after this, being bought out by MCA and mis-managed into the grave. Danelectro's association with Sears ended in 1968, and Danelectro's models were replaced in the catalog by a range of very similar ( you could say copycat ) models from Harmony, and imports from Japan. Not to take anything away from those - they are great guitars in their own right.