sloth unleashed

electricized:

Silvertone 1423 Jupiter

1959-1962
Maple, Rosewood

Also known as the Harmony H-49, this is one of the Sears catalog guitars produced by Harmony. Two DeArmond pickups with a gorgeous tone, lightweight because of a semi-hollow body, it’s a very desirable guitar usually found under $1,000. Photo: Southside Guitars

electricized:

Wandré Model BB

1958-1962
Aluminum, Rosewood, Plastic

The initials B.B. was the title of a Serge Gainsbourg song. It was also the name of one of  Wandré’s first electric guitars. In both cases, they refer to the same emblem of the sixties: Brigitte Bardot.

Her sexy curves were certainly an inspiration for the body shape, on which Wandré experimented with all kinds of unusual finishes, like candle smoke. Long before Travis Bean, Wandré used aluminum for the neck, and plastic for the headstock. Just like Bardot, this guitar was very liberated for its time. More info and pictures at fetish guitars. Photo from Guitarz.

electricized:

Yamaha SG-5

1966-1971
Mahogany, Rosewood

Yamaha started its official line of solidbody electrics in 1966. Of these early models, the most recognizable is probably the Flying Samurai series.

The Flying Samurais were designed by Japanese surf rock legend and Mosrite fan Takeshi Terauchi. Zero fret, reverse asymatrical body shape, this love is all over the flying samurais.

The SG-5 was released in 1966 and the SG-5A the year after. Yamaha had the habit of adding the letter “A” to the name of improved models. Hear it

electricized:

Guild T-100

1950s-1960s

Despite the fact it was not such a popular model at the time, several variations of the T-100 exist. The earliest model had a single Franz P90 pickup (T-100 SP). A dual pickup (T-100 DP) version followed. In order to compete with Gibson’s new models, a version was released as the “Guild Starfire” with two humbuckers.

electricized:

Hallmark Sweptwing

1965-1967
Alder, Maple, Rosewood

Sweptwing were revived along with the Hallmark brand in 2004. But if you want the real deal, you’ll have to be on the lookout for one of the few sweptwings that were made by Joe Hall at the time (around 100). Since Hall was a former Mosrite employee, a few Mosritish features such as zero-fret were common to those guitars.

electricized:

Eko Model 200
1962-1965?
Maple, Rosewood

Little italian beauty. The Model 200 was an upscale version of the then popular Model 100, available with one, two or no pickups at all.

electricized:

Gibson ES-137 Classic
2002
Maple, Mahogany, Rosewood

Gibson went into its cellar, picked some of its finest vintages, came back to the lab to create a new that looks very much like old. The ES-137 has a thinner but similar body to the ES-175 and supposedly sounds like a Les Paul Classic.

electricized:

Silvertone 1478
1964-1968
Maple…

The 1478 is based on the Harmony H-19 model, which itself was a knock off Fender’s jazzmaster body shape. The rare blue version was only made between 1967 and 1968, and the red is for sale

electricized:

Gibson Les Paul Deluxe

1968-1985
Maple, Mahogany, Rosewood

Pushed out by the SG, the Les Paul Model which hadn’t said its last word came back for another round of production in 1968. Along with Standard and Custom, a new brat joined the family: The Les Paul Deluxe.

The brighter, snappier sound juiced out of its two “New York” mini-humbucker was favored by some well known guitarists, and was famed by Pete Townshed who played a few during his career with The Who.

Victim of the 70s Norlin era, the Deluxe model lived through many variations in construction. Early models even featured the heavy “pancake” body (layers of maple and mahogany)

[have a ‘73 goldtop…layered body - heavy as hell…]

electricized:

1969 Fender Swinger
Alder, Maple, Rosewood

Called at times Arrow or Musiclander, The Fender Swinger was born out of a CBS/Frankenstein evil plot to refurbish leftovers from the Fender factory. Less than 300 Swingers were produced, only in 1969, out of parts from Bass V and Mustangs. The model found an afterlife in the underground No Wave New York scene.