History Time - USA Guitar Retail + Cool Catalog Guitars- Sears, Harmony, Silvertone etc etc

guitars4you

2 recent chats on FB got me into a bit of Google visiting - Some of this I knew, some I didn't and some I forgot

2 great links to follow - Both links offer multiple additional links

https://tedium.co/2020/03/12/sears-harmony-department-store-guitar-history/

https://www.premierguitar.com/gear/guitars/vintage-guitars-chicago?page=4

I did have this book but can't appear to find it so will order another copy - The history of cool guitars 

 https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1884883087/ref=as_li_ss_tl?keywords=Guitar+Stories:+the+History+of+Cool+Guitars&language=en_US&ie=UTF8&sr=8-1&linkCode=gs2&linkId=8441a71b4688968e0f367467b85cfa17&tag=tedium-21

I dare say our own @HarrySeven ;; can add to this and maybe the likes of @DrumBob from the USA can add additional info 

Today we look at the power of Amazon and how they are 'destroying' the high street with a buy anything + everything by mail order - Yet the likes of Sears, Roebuck&co basically ran retail throughout the USA with stores and catalogues - Then the interlink between brand names, factories producing many instruments for many different companies and/or with different brand names - And how Chicago alone was so key to so much of this history 

Looks like I have some studying to catch upon - Exams tests and home work to follow

Offset

'The History Of Cool Guitars' is £264.51 on Amazon!  I'd just put the money towards a cool guitar :-)

Other links look great, thanks.

guitars4you

Offset said:

'The History Of Cool Guitars' is £264.51 on Amazon!  I'd just put the money towards a cool guitar :-)

Other links look great, thanks.

just noticed that - I was just looking at buying a copy, till I saw that - Looks like I won't be getting a copy unless I come across one at a guitar show

guitars4you

A bit of homework and its peak Sears had over 3000 stores - Never gave it any thought in the past, but did not realise they built/owned Sears Tower in Chicago

DrumBob

Thank you for mentioning me. I wrote an article on off-brand pawnshop guitars years ago for Premier Guitar and covered some of the same ground you can see in that PG article posted here. My article can be accessed on PG's website in their archives, or I also think it's available if you Google "Pawnshop Guitars." 

I would love to get my hands on some old Sears and Montgomery Ward catalogs, just for the guitar photos. I should check Ebay. I did have some music jobber catalogs from the 1950's and 60's, but foolishly tossed them out years ago. You can't save everything. 

Back in the early part of the American 20th century, most people bought guitars through a catalog, or in places like general stores, furniture stores, or hardware stores. Dedicated music stores were not commonplace, especially in rural areas. Folks in rural parts had to buy their instruments from catalogs usually. You mostly found real music stores in urban environments. 

I'm sure many of you know that Silvertone was the Sears house brand name for guitars and amplifiers, many of which were made by Nat Daniel at Danelectro, right here in New Jersey. Nat is one of the unsung innovators of the electric guitar world. His guitars were made of cheap, common, everyday materials, like Masonite, pine and surplus lipstick tubes. Old Danelectro guitars were incredibly sturdy players that have their own sound and vibe, as well as many dedicated collectors. 

You probably also know that Harmony in Chicago was at one time, the largest maker of acoustic and electric guitars in the world. The guitarist in my first high school garage band played a Harmony Rocket and he probably still has it. Valco/Supro/National was, of course, another well known Chicago-based guitar company. I had the opportunity to play an old Res-o-Glas National Glenwood 98 Map guitar a few years ago and it was a real crude beast; not something you could take out and gig without having major work done to it. 

Once the Japanese imports started coming on strong in the 60's, they all but put Danelectro, Harmony, Kay and Valco out of business, by offering guitars for much less money that appealed to parents of modest means looking to buy little Johnny his first electric guitar. 

As today's Baby Boomers are besotted with nostalgia, we are seeing the rebirth of American budget guitar brands like Supro, Danelectro, Harmony, etc. Trouble is, they're made in Asia, and they're no longer $49.95! 

DrumBob

guitars4you said:

Offset said:

'The History Of Cool Guitars' is £264.51 on Amazon!  I'd just put the money towards a cool guitar :-)

Other links look great, thanks.

just noticed that - I was just looking at buying a copy, till I saw that - Looks like I won't be getting a copy unless I come across one at a guitar show

I'm amazed at the cost of that book these days. I bought it when it was new. Problem is, Michael Wright is not always as accurate as one would like. He sometimes skews his facts.