When you read about someone getting a 'cheap
Sears Roebuck guitar' for Christmas or from a friendly aunt or uncle or
other benefactor that realized 'the kid had talent,' it was probably this
guitar.
Harmony hit the lowball price point,
and this guitar survived from the late 40s through to the early 70s; the
longest lasting 'run' of any Silvertone-branded instrument.
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The 605 was introduced in 1949 as the absolute low end
guitar from Sears. Our friends at Harmony put together a pretty good little
machine for the initial price of $8.95. Nothing special, inexpensive plywood
with a tobaccoburst finish, stamped/cut metal tailpiece and a 'floating' bridge
gave you a basic guitar to plunk on. The 603, the same guitar but with a
'blonde' finish was introduced in 1955. The 605/3 became just the 603 in 1962
and added a funky pickguard in 1966. A new numbering scheme turned it
into the 1200 in F/W 1968 and stayed available until 1970, letting this guitar
become the 4-decade (just barely) spanning all-time champion cheapo guitar,
ending its run at a still wallet-friendly $15.95.
Introduced:
Fall/Winter 1949 at $8.95
as the 57N0605
Retired:
Spring/Summer 1970 at $15.95
as the 57K1200L
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