Antique Silvertone guitars were manufactured by five guitar makers, Danelectro, Harmony, National, Kay, and Teisco, to be sold by Sears department store from the 1950s into the early 1970s. While all of these guitars bear the name 'Silvertone' on their headstocks, the design of the instruments differs greatly from manufacturer to manufacturer. Many different models of Silvertone guitars exist, but the vast majority of them can be dated via the serial number. In general, the older the guitar is, the more it is worth. Search the guitar for a serial number.

Look behind the headstock and on the base of the neck. If there is a four-digit serial number, which the vast majority of Silvertone instruments have, you can use it to find the guitar's age. Remove the guitar's neck if you cannot find the serial number anywhere else.

Most vintage Silvertone guitars have the serial number stamped on the neck pocket, which is the piece of the neck that hugs the body of the guitar. Remove the strings and unscrew the screws at the base of the neck. Carefully separate the neck from the body of the guitar.

Teisco Del Rey In 1964, the company name changed again, this time to Teisco Co., Ltd. At some point in ’64 the Japanese Teisco logo changed from the circle Swan-S to a stylized, modern sans-serif type set in an italicized T shape. In about 1964, Jack Westheimer began bringing in Teisco guitars bearing the Teisco Del Rey logo.

Look for the serial number in the neck pocket. Read the serial number. The first two digits indicate what week of the year the guitar was made, and the last two digits indicate the year the instrument was made. Take the guitar to a guitar shop, preferably one that sells vintage guitars, and inquire about dating the instrument if you can't find a serial number.

Few non-American guitar brands have meant so much to so many American guitar buffs as Teisco guitars. Indeed, through their mid-’60s connection with the Sears and Roebuck company, many a modern guitar player learned his or her first chops on a Silvertone made in Japan by the Teisco company.

Nevertheless, for years Teiscos were the object of ridicule, the penultimate examples of “cheap Japanese guitars” (a reputation more based on cultural chauvinism than objective analysis, truth to tell). Even Dan Forte, who essentially began the category of writing about off-brand guitars (and who has given me many an entertaining moment in my life), chose Teisco Del Rey as his nom de plume, with more than a little tongue-in-cheek humor in the selection, no doubt. Times change, of course, and so do perceptions.

No longer regarded with complete disdain, Teisco guitars — which not that many years ago retailed for $59 — are now fetching upwards of $300 for certain models, as much as $1500 for the coveted Teisco Del Rey Spectrum 5s. With the renewed interest in these humble guitars growing, I thought it might be time to turn our intention to the story of Tesico guitars. Before we begin, it should be pointed out that some time ago Guitar Player presented the history of Teisco, based on information painstakingly translated from a Japanese article penned by Mr. Hiroyuki Noguchi of Japan’s Rittor Music, editor of the Guitar Graphic book series. Unfortunately, the article used for reference was an older piece which has subsequently been totally revised and corrected by Mr.