1961 Supro Silverwood 1596 Val Trol Rhythm Master Vintage Guitar Natural Blonde w/ Case, Valco

Up for sale, a 1961 Supro Silverwood 1596 in excellent condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original hardshell case. A fascinating piece of Valco-built history and a Natural Blonde-finished version of the Rhythm Master, the Silverwood was a top-of-the-line Supro model in ‘61, described in the catalog as the company’s “finest electric,” featuring a maple body and a trio of independently-controlled pickups, earning it the “Val-Trol” designation.

The maple body is chambered, described as “semi-solid” by Supro, enabling this Silverwood to be particularly resonant acoustically and weigh just 7lbs 11oz. This guitar boasts two stunning sounding Supro oversized single coil pickups, with an additional hidden pickup located *inside* the compensated wooden bridge. This third “Bridge Tone” pickup (commonly referred to as the “Val Trol” although that marketing is used differently on this model) was designed to deliver the acoustic-style tones of an archtop jazzbox. With Volume and Tone controls adjacent to each pickup, the Silverwood is a rare and versatile tone machine, with a trio of distinct tones from the pickups that range from shimmering, acoustic-esque clean, to overwound single coil punch, to smooth, mellow jazz tones at the neck. This Silverwood 1596 has been professionally setup here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar with low action, 10-46 strings, and optimal intonation.

Neck Specs:

-Wood: Maple
-Shape: Chunky “baseball bat” C, “Kord-King,” measuring .970” 1st fret, 1.050” 12th fret
-Fretboard: Brazilian rosewood, block inlays
-Frets: Slender, leveled/crowned, no wear
-Scale Length: 24 1/2”
-Nut: 1.650” (42mm)
-Tuners: Kluson Deluxe single-line strips, “Special Butterfly” oversized buttons
-Serialization: T5-prefix (badge) dates to ‘61

Body Specs:

-Material: Maple
-Pickups: Single coil x2 (ceramic, humbucker-sized), Val-Trol piezo undersaddle
-Controls: Volume x3, Tone x3, Master Volume, Three-way pickup selector
-Hardware: Brazilian rosewood bridge (Val-Trol pickup inside), trapeze tailpiece
-Plastics: Knob covers x6, Master Volume, raised pickguard, switch tip

The electronics are somewhat unique in their implementation, with dedicated Volume/Tone mini pots north of each pickup. These Volume/Tone pairs have small cylindrical covers that appear like knobs, but don’t turn in the same fashion. They’re designed to be removed to access the pots and preset individual tones for each pickup. The Master Volume works as a conventional knob.

The gloss Natural Blonde finish is well-kept, with some small finish chips, light scratches on the back and a few minor dings and finish scuffs consistent with use. The neck has a bit of palm wear central to the carve and some small nicks worn smooth through play.

The original hardshell case is included.