NBD: Silvertone Rescue

[Jefenator]

Pictured here is my very latest bass guitar acquisition.

My Dingwall Afterburner is also in the shot.
I scooped up the Silvertone at a yard sale on the way to my show – along with a nice bathroom trash can and a carry-on bag I need for a fly gig next weekend.
I played it on one song at the end of the first set. (Haven't gotten a strap to work with the weird tiny strap buttons yet.)
I'd like to give this bass the TLC it deserves and get it some real stage time. I don't think I'll be using authentic vintage parts to restore it – at least not from eBay. (Maybe from another yard sale?)

 

[Jefenator]

I can't afford to rescue a cat right now, so this will have to do.

 

[ATLbassist]

If the electronics are working, you're halfway home! And it looks like the paint stripes could come off pretty easily. Refin in black, and you have a Joey Spampinato edition.

Are you going to put a Silvertone/Danelectro style bridge on or stick with the 2-saddle replacement? If the holes are already drilled for a Fender bridge, a Wilkinson would drop right in and give you individual intonation control.

 

[Jefenator]

If the electronics are working, you're halfway home! And it looks like the paint stripes could come off pretty easily. Refin in black, and you have a Joey Spampinato edition.

Are you going to put a Silvertone/Danelectro style bridge on or stick with the 2-saddle replacement? If the holes are already drilled for a Fender bridge, a Wilkinson would drop right in and give you individual intonation control.

The electronics ARE working.
Well actually, I'm not sure about the tone knob yet.
If possible I'd like to lose the rattle can blue stripes but keep the original finish. But I might just leave it alone. Finish work was never my strong suit... and I don't have any other basses with stripes.
I'll probably leave the bridge as-is, but I'll definitely look around & see what's out there.
Highest priority is some knobs – probably a new set of "cupcake" style.
It wouldn't take much for me to spend a lot more on parts than I did for the whole bass.

 

[T748]

What did you pay for the bass?

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Pictured here is my very latest bass guitar acquisition.
View attachment 7348181
My Dingwall Afterburner is also in the shot.
I scooped up the Silvertone at a yard sale on the way to my show – along with a nice bathroom trash can and a carry-on bag I need for a fly gig next weekend.
I played it on one song at the end of the first set. (Haven't gotten a strap to work with the weird tiny strap buttons yet.)
I'd like to give this bass the TLC it deserves and get it some real stage time. I don't think I'll be using authentic vintage parts to restore it – at least not from eBay. (Maybe from another yard sale?)

Congrats on your find. Are you sure that trash can was just in and you don’t like it??

 

[Fender_Bender]

Those original Dano lipsticks are no joke, most cheap Chinese replacements available these days are shorter and not the same thing.

 

[Dana R Gregory]

Back in the 60s, I remember Silvertone guitars, basses and amps at Sears Roebuck. Most of the kids in my high school played them, especially the Silvertone twin amp with reverb and echo.

 

[Mike Marshall]

A friends dad found one in the trash about 40 years ago. He gave me the bass and it had a hole punched in the top. I made a new masonite top and started painting it black. It was right before Christmas and each day I would put a couple coats of black spray on it. It was starting to look good after about 5 days. The masonite absorbed many of the first coats. Then it got really cold out and the bass was hanging in the back room of my basement where it doesn't get much heat and the paint job exploded. I have never seen anything like it deep scars in the paint. I finally gave up after that because I would have had to make a new top and start over. Sadly the bass sounded really good those old Lipsticks sound great. I sold it for $100. Today I have a Jerry Jones Longhorn that sounds great.

 

[klyph]

If the holes are already drilled for a Fender bridge, a Wilkinson would drop right in and give you individual intonation control

I’d probably go with a Schaller roller bridge, the string spacing on these was tighter than Fender.

 

[jholling]

I love the juxtaposition of the Dingwall next to the Silvertone. This is eclectic bass collecting at its finest. Well done!

 

[ghostdog93]

I dig this, it's super cool!

Not going to lie, I would probably just play the snot out of it as it sits (assuming you get the tone knob sorted and add some cools knobs).

 

[TomB]

Yours probably looked a lot like mine prior to your paint job. Mine’s a ‘63. I’m not sure what replacement bridge mine is, but you can see that it’s intonatable. Great little lightweight player. Enjoy!

 

[Pauly 4001]

I had a friend in jr high that visited Goodwill regularly in the mid 70s and he regularly came home with Dan Electros and Silvertone Dan Electros.
I must admit I didn’t get the whole approach as he came from a wealthy family but I certainly get it now. He’s gone on to production and played bass for Willie Nelson before MS slowed him down. Sheldon Gomberg
Beautiful bass.
Congrats

 

[Bar Band Bassman]

Pictured here is my very latest bass guitar acquisition.
View attachment 7348181
My Dingwall Afterburner is also in the shot.
I scooped up the Silvertone at a yard sale on the way to my show – along with a nice bathroom trash can and a carry-on bag I need for a fly gig next weekend.
I played it on one song at the end of the first set. (Haven't gotten a strap to work with the weird tiny strap buttons yet.)
I'd like to give this bass the TLC it deserves and get it some real stage time. I don't think I'll be using authentic vintage parts to restore it – at least not from eBay. (Maybe from another yard sale?)

Dolphin head! My guitar player rescued one out of the trash years ago! I use it at every rehearsal! I've given it a lot more playing time than many of my own basses! Enjoy!

BBB

 

[Jefenator]

What did you pay for the bass?

$30 for the lot.
I wasn't trying to shark the guy. (Actually had a more pressing need for the luggage.)
I had seen the bass a couple of times before, checking out sales on my bicycle. It had a sticker saying "make an offer". He clearly wanted the thing gone and there hadn't been any takers.
I didn't do any online research until I got it home. I really can't believe what some of these are going for on Reverb.
My plan is to get the right set of short scale flats on there, then put the bass to work!

 

[Jefenator]

The trash can is working great BTW, thanks for asking.

 

[ATLbassist]

I’m not sure what replacement bridge mine is, but you can see that it’s intonatable. Great little lightweight player. Enjoy!

It looks like one of the Danelectro Pro model bridges. Maybe one of the early 2010s MIC reissues since it looks like a matte finish.

 

[WI Short Scaler]

$30? Great score. Definitely a unique bass and the stripes make it even more unique.

Those are definitely cool vintage basses. Other than the knobs and bridge it looks great as it is. I've never had any luck trying to set intonation with a 2 saddle bridge like that. YMMV

Enjoy it!

 

[GretschWretch]

Before you go to flats, you may want to do a little research on how the originals were strung. The Dano-tones I saw at my local Sears all were loaded with roundwounds, Black Diamonds IIRC.