Silvertone 1446 semihollow review | GuitarPlayer

Although the original Silvertone 1446 hollowbody electric was born in the early 1960s, these days you’ll often hear the instrument referred to as “the Chris Isaak guitar.” That’s on account of the fact that the retro crooner cradled one in publicity photos around the same time his moody “Wicked Game” became a huge radio hit in 1990. (Incidentally, the tune’s lilting guitar lines were played by lead guitarist James Calvin Wilsey on a Fender Stratocaster.)

Regardless of your familiarity with (or affinity for) Isaak, old Harmony and Silvertone guitars have long been a more accessible entry point to the vintage guitar market than more prominent names, partially because they feature construction details some players, rightly or not, consider cost-cutting compromises. For example, Silvertones typically had three-bolt neck joints rather than the set-neck construction found on more expensive Gibson and Gretsch instruments of the era.

The latter was true of the original Silvertone 1446, which was built by the Chicago-based Harmony Guitar Company and sold in Sears catalogs and department stores, yet it was still considered a top-of-the-line instrument. Beyond its swanky looks — including distinctive hexagonal pickup surrounds and diamond-shaped selector plate — the vintage 1446 also boasted characterful mini humbuckers designed by Gibson pickup pioneer Seth Lover, creator of the legendary PAF (Patent Applied For) humbuckers in highly sought-after Les Pauls and SGs.

The Silvertone brand has changed hands a few times, most recently in 2020, when Texas-based RBI Music bought rights from Korean manufacturer Samick. With the launch of the 1446 seen here, RBI offers a modernized instrument that mates iconic visuals of yore with set-neck construction and a semi-hollow rather than a hollow body.