Another Christmas; another Silvertone surprise!
Last year it was the snazzy electric Silvertone 1445 that showed up under the tree. This year it’s the diminutive 1956 model Silvertone 605 parlor guitar. It must have been misplaced in the back of Santa’s sleigh for some 55 years?
The 605 is a small body, short scale, acoustic flattop with a solid birch top, birch sides and back. These sturdy little guitars were made in Chicago, Illinois for Sears by the Harmony Musical Instrument Company. They were popular with the rhythm and blues crowd and they made great slide guitars. This one is in very good original condition with just a few minor surface scratches here and there. The size is perfect for traveling, so it will be a fun guitar to knock around and take anywhere.
The Silvertone 600 Series of parlor guitars were sold through the Sears Catalog continuously from 1948 through 1970 (that’s 22 years of production). In fact, a 1961 model of this guitar was played by Audrey Hepburn in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s. This 1956 model originally retailed in the Sears and Roebuck catalog for $10.95. Here is a cut from the 1956 Sears Catalog.
For more information about the Silvertone 600 Series and the 605, see Silvertoneworld.com and the Harmony Database.
Tags: 605, Audrey Hepburn, Birch Blues Box, Blind Willie Johnson, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Catalog, Django Reinhardt, H-605, Harmony, Leadbelly, Moon River, Robert Johnson, Sears, Silvertone, Slide Guitar
