Rock Style from The Boyd Collection 
27 June 2019
Rock Style from The Boyd Collection 
364

Silvertone

U1 electric guitars, set of two

1959, 1961
lacquered wood and masonite, plastic, vinyl, rosewood, chrome, steel 37½ h × 13¼ w × 2½ d in (95 × 34 × 6 cm)
estimate: $1,000–1,500
result: $813
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Printed to headstock of each example ‘Silvertone’. Stamped internally to pot of each example 'BB2917 1MEG 1379 6' and 'HM2 49 100k 137614'. These examples were dated using the pot codes.

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Established by Henry Kay Kurhmeyer in Chicago in 1931, Kay initially manufactured only traditional folk instruments and later developed a line of mid-range guitars. In addition to their own brand, Kay also manufactured a series of house branded guitars made specifically for various department stores: Silvertone and Supertone for Sears, Sherwood and Airline for Montgomery Wards, Old Kraftsman for Spiegel, Custom Craft for St. Louis Music, Truetone for Western Auto, Penncrest for JC Penney, Barclay for Unity Buying Service, Orpheum for the Wards catalog and Suprema for Eaton’s Canada. Kay also produced a line of archtop acoustic guitars called Kamico. 

Jimmy Reed playing a Kamico Thin Twin similar to Lot 295.

Notable players include Jimmy Reed, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow, Jack White, T Bone Burnett, Tom Petty, Elvis Costello, Bob Dylan and Sarah McLachlan. 

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