1960 Silvertone 1304 (Danelectro U-1) Semihollow Electric Guitar

I'm pretty sure I remember the serial number in the body ending in a zero and the looks are right for that, so I'm calling this a '60. This was basically the last year of the "coke bottle headstock" version of the Silvertone 1304 -- which is a short-scale Danelectro U-1. That makes it a semihollow guitar made with pine/poplar blocking in the body and masonite for the top/back.

As usual, the pickup sounds clean and balanced and fantastic -- like a bit of a "toastier" acoustic sound -- perfect for someone who mostly plays acoustic but wants to plug-in and get some retro chime.

It's also lightweight, has classic looks, a comfy Dano neck (a little bit like a flatter-radius Fender from the time), and is a charmer. The simple, spare, well-thought-out "economy of means" design is excellent, too, as usual. My guy Ancel did most of the work on this and when he was taking it apart and checking-out the features he was duly-impressed by the no-fuss engineering. I'm always impressed because the dang things are so stable.

Repairs included: a fret level/dress, new foam riser for the pickup, bridge compensation and adjustments, new repro-style StewMac tuners, and setup.

Body wood: poplar/pine blocking w/masonite top/back

Bridge: rosewood saddle, steel base

Fretboard: rosewood

Neck wood: poplar

Pickups: 1x lipstick single coil

Action height at 12th fret: 1/16" overall (fast)
String gauges: 46w-10 lights

Neck shape: medium C/D

Board radius: 16"

Truss rod: non-adjustable

Neck relief: straight

Fret style: wide/medium-height

Scale length: 23 1/2"

Nut width: 1 5/8"

Body width: 13 1/4"

Body depth: 1 5/8"

Weight: 5 lbs 8 oz

Condition notes: clearly, it's beat-up a bit. It's had strap buttons moved here and there, the tuners are now new replacements, side dots have been added, and the pickguard is a replacement leather one which is kind-of neat. There are scratches all over the body and wear and tear on the body, too. The neck finish has aged a bunch but looks great.