1964 Silvertone 1454 Vintage Hollowbody Electric Guitar, Harmony USA w/ DeArmond Gold Foils, Case

Up for sale, a 1964 Silvertone model 1454 in exceptional condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original chipboard case. Produced for Sears under their in-house "Silvertone" banner by Harmony in the USA, this model is analogous to the H75-78 series of instruments which were the flagship guitars in the Harmony catalog.This guitar features all maple, full hollowbody construction with a smooth, natural acoustic tone and articulate note attack. Each pickup has its own on/off two-way toggle and dedicated Volume and Tone knobs for a particularly broad tonal palette. The pickups have strong output and the clear, percussive quality unique to the DeArmond gold foil design (this particular iteration of the gold foil has silver diamond covers). These pickups can deliver everything from spanky twang in the bridge position to warm, bell-like tones at the neck. Full and dynamically responsive, the pickups offer a distinctive woody bite when picked with authority, and a glassy clarity in every pickup position. Featherweight at 6lbs 6oz, we've had this Silvertone professionally setup here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar and strung with 10-46 strings.The flame maple neck has a modest chunky C profile carve with generous shoulder, fretting very easily and measuring .855" deep at the 1st fret and .900" at the 11th. Setting the 1454 apart from lower tiered Silvertone and Harmony models, the guitar features a bound dark Brazilian rosewood fingerboard with pearloid small block inlay. The original slender frets are intact with perfectly rounded crowns and virtually no wear. The guitar plays cleanly in every register with a straight neck and responsive, optimally adjusted truss rod. The scale length is 24 1/4", and the nut measures 1 3/4" in width. On the headstock, the original Silvertone silkscreened logo is extremely clean, and the guitar retains the original open-gear strip tuners which turn smoothly and hold pitch well.On the body, all of the electronics function as intended, with dedicated Volume and Tone controls for each pickup paired with individual on/off pickup selector switches. The DeArmond pickups have individually dated baseplates, and the silver diamond covers are positively gleaming. The original trio of Brazilian rosewood pickup risers are intact too. The hardware includes the original carved Brazilian rosewood bridge with bone saddle insert, and the nickel trapeze tailpiece is a modern component. The sextet of mini DeArmond bell knobs are intact and extremely clear, and the guitar features the original red nitrate tortoise pickguard and switch plate, crafted from the same material as Fender's early tortoise pickguards. The 1964 date and model stamps are bold and visible through the segmented F hole.The original two-tone Red Sunburst nitro lacquer finish is vibrant and clean, and cosmetic wear is limited to some light scuffs and finish scratches in the clear coat of the gloss on the back, primarily on the lower bout. The gloss on the neck is flawless, highlighting broad flame figuring extending along the profile.The original gray tolex chipboard case is included and equally as clean as the guitar, with a blue interior, functional latches, and the original handle.