Up for sale, a 1954 Silvertone 1375 in near-mint, 100% original condition and in perfect working order. The 1375 and its dual-pickup sibling the 1377 were the first of many Silvertone models produced by Danelectro, featuring the now-iconic “peanut” body shape, introduced in 1954. Notably rare today, these guitars were only produced for a couple short years, predating the introduction of the lipstick pickup and boasting a unique feature known as the “duraluminum” reinforcing bar, a piece of aluminum extending the length of the neck to the bridge, designed to ensure maximum resonance and stability.
The solid poplar body boasts a Maroon Leatherette wrap, and the neck is topped with a Brazilian rosewood fingerboard, resulting in plenty of natural warmth and more sonic heft than hollow Danos. The “High Fidelity” single coil pickup (also commonly referred to as a “Pre-Lipstick” pickup) delivers quintessential Danelectro treble chime and jangle, with a smooth lower-midrange response accentuated by the 12-52 flatwound strings. This first-year Silvertone 1375 has been professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with easy-playing action and accurate intonation.
Neck Specs:
-Wood: Aluminum, Poplar
-Shape: C, measuring .995” 1st and 12th frets
-Fretboard: Brazilian rosewood, aluminum dot inlay
-Frets: Medium, leveled/crowned, no wear
-Scale Length: 25”
-Nut: 1 11/16”, aluminum
-Tuners: Open-gear strip
Body Specs:
-Wood: Poplar
-Pickups: “High Fidelity” single coil x1
-Controls: Volume, Tone, Three-way Tone switch
-Harness: CTS pots date to the 31st week of 1954
-Hardware: Aluminum bridge with Brazilian rosewood saddle
-Plastics: Hybrid pickguard/pickup cover, cream “radio” knobs
This is a clean example, with sparingly little wear on the Burgundy wrap save for a couple small scuffs along the body perimeter. There is limited finish loss on the neck along the central “duraluminum” bar, and the profile is overall clean and smooth in the palm.
A vintage chipboard case is included.