Expert: Bill Ruxton - 1/7/2007

Question
Hello Mr. Bill -
I have an Airline dual pickup res-o-glass guitar with the amp in case (case is blue with a tube amp); the guitar is a gold color and has a small tremelo lever just below the pickups; the tremelo is battery powered. i was wondering how I might go about dating the rig; any info you can supply towards that end would be appreciated.  Thanks.  Bill

Answer
Dear William,

Hmmm.  This is interesting.  The Res-o-glass models were made by National, and their own models were sold under the Supro name.  Airline was a "house" brand name for Montgomery Ward.  Up until the late 1960s-to-mid-1970s, most Airlines were made by Harmony, Kay, National, or Danelectro.  

All of the amp-in-case combos I've seen had masonite Danelectro guitars.  They were sold as Airlines through Montgomery Ward, and as Silvertones through Sears & Roebuck, and possibly under other chain store/ catalog house brands.

I've never seen this combination with a Res-o-glass Supro guitar.  Are you 100% sure the guitar and amp/case are original as a pair?  

The amp/case models were from around 1959-1963 or so, but the battery tremelo sounds like something from a later date.  I'm going from memory here, but I don't think onboard batteries started appearing until at least until the late 60s.

I'm not sure when National/Supro went out of business, but it was very probably no later than 1968 to 1975, when Kay and Harmony folded to Japanese competition at the low-priced end of the market.

Japanese makers supplied Ward's Airlines and Sears's Silvertones after that period.  Many of their designs mimmiced those of the Harmony, Kay, and National/Supro models prerviously sold by the mass retailers.

So here's what I think:  If your guitar/amp/case combo is original, it's probably pretty rare.  Does that make it valuable?  Well, sort of.

It was a cheap guitar, case, and amp when it was new, whether paired or not.  Today, it's an old cheap combo.  But it has major mojo to some folks (like me) who apprecfiate these old, funky, cheap guitars that still manage to sound so good and maybe even play fairly well.

I've seen original (Danelectro masonite guitar) amp-in-case sets in vintage stores selling for $900 - $1200 in dead-excellent condition.  Few remaining specimens meet that grade for mere age, and $500 - $700 is more typical for survivors in all-original condition with only honest modest wear and tear. Condition, condition, condition.  Any serious issues make it a yard sale item.

Top price for a set of this kind, especially if yours is a rare original combination, would come only from a very few rabid fans of cool, unusual specimens of cheap American guitars.  Oh yeah, the "few" is determined by those who have the cash to spring.  Lots of players would admire its vintage vibe, but wouldn't spring.

It sounds to me like a very cool set, whether it's first or second marriage.  Those old Reso' Supros were very cool guitars.  My first teacher, the great jazz guitarist, Mr. Harvey Alexander, played a Supro in his studio.

If you can find Ward's catalogs from the 60s and maybe early 70s, you should be able to find your guitar, and see whether it was offered with a case/amp option.

Also, you can go to google.com, and search on Supro, National guitars, Res-O-Glass, etc., and perhaps find further clues.

Hope this helps.  Take care of it, and Have Fun with it,

Bill