Brand : Supertone - (1914-1940)
Distributed by Sears & Roebuck

Guitars shown below were made by Harmony and sold under the Supertone brand. It doesn't mean that all Supertone guitars were made by Harmony.

Harmony was founded in 1892 and as soon as 1905 was a large supplier for the famous "Sears & Roebuck" catalog. In 1914 Sears introduced the Supertone brand, and in 1916 Sears bought Harmony.
In 1940 Sears sells Harmony to a group headed by Jay Kraus. From this date Sears used the Silvertonebrand.
You can check some Sears catalogs pages on this site.
IMPORTANT : Supertone model numbers given here are proposed as reference, and based on the Sears catalogs ordering numbers. Many of these numbers were re-used several times for different models, so one should precise the year as well as the model number to identify a model.

• Acoustic archtop

• 230 (1935) - Arched top - Acoustic archtop - Shaded brown mahogany -  10 Entry level model. Arched top and back (with round soundhole), all birch construction, auditorium size (15"1/4) - Nickel tailpiece, floating bridge - Painted frets ornaments at 5,7,10,12,15. Neck reinforced with steel. Companion mandolin is model 393.

• 244 (1935) - Archtop - Acoustic archtop - Sunburst -  5 Spruce top and birch body, f-holes. Super auditorium size (15"1/2). Black pickguard. Ovaled fingerboard, painted ornaments at 5,7,9,12,15. Neck reinforced with steel. Mandolin companion is model 394.

• 255 (1935) - Archtop - Acoustic archtop - Sunburst -  5 Spruce top, mahogany body, wooden marquetry bindings around body. Neck reinforced with steel. Super Auditorium size (15"1/2). Mandolin companion is S395.

• 211 (1935) - Curved top - Acoustic archtop - mahogany -  8 Entry level guitar, with "slightly curved top and back", round sound hole, silver "crystalline" fingerboard, all birch construction. Nickel tailpiece, floating bridge. 3/4 size is S221 - All guitars in 1935 catalog had their mandolin companion, the mandolin is model 391

• 221 (1935) - Curved top 3/4 - Acoustic archtop - Sunburst -  7
  3/4 size version of the S211 guitar. "For ladies and children, and others with smaller hands". "Crystalline" fingerboard, all birch construction.

• 257 (1935) - Gene Autry "Old Santa Fe" - Acoustic archtop - Shaded brown -  6 Professional quality. "Old Santa Fe" design stenciled on headstock, "Gene Autry" signature near tailpiece. Spruce top, maple body. Heavy black pickguard. Super Auditorium size (15"1/2). Oval bounded neck, dots at 3,5,7,9,12,15.

• 236 (1935-1936) - Crest - Acoustic archtop - Dark Walnut shaded -  12 Super Auditorium size. Spruce top, maple back and sides. Engraved headpiece. Same model still available without name nor engraved headpiece in 1937, where description precises "carved top", but the "Crest" was then another upgraded model 258.

• 239 (1935-1936) - Royal Crest - Acoustic archtop - Dark Walnut shaded -  24 Super Auditorium size. Spruce top, maple back and sides. Engraved tortoise headpiece. Hinged tailpiece. Neck reinforced with steel. Same model number is used in 1937, where description precises "carved top", but the "Royal Crest" is another model, 266, in 1937, Super Auditorium size (15"1/2). Similar Royal Crest models were sold under different numbers. See models 266 and 288.

• 220 - 222 (1936-1937) - Arched - Supertone quality - Acoustic archtop - Shaded Mahogany -  30 Model was renumbered 222 in 1937. Entry level model. White celluloid bindings. Arched top and back (with round soundhole), all birch construction, grand concert size (14"5/8) - Shaded mahogany finish with spruce frained top. Nickel tailpiece, floating bridge, 14 fret neck. Painted frets ornaments at 5,7,9,12,15. Neck reinforced with steel. Companion mandolin is model 389 (380 in 1937)

• 245 (1936-1937) - Archtop - Acoustic archtop - Shaded mahogany -  14
  Super Auditorium size (15"1/2x40"1/4). Spruce top, Maple body. "The scientific method of arched construction gives this instrument greater power and smoothness of tone". Painted "floral" position markers on 5,7,9,12,15. Black pickguard. White celluloid bindings on body top and back. Renumbered 230 in 1937.

• 231 - 233 (1936-1937) - Archtop Expert - Acoustic archtop - Sunburst -  7 Renumbered 233 in 1937. Spruce top, mahogany neck, back and sides. Body has a "small dreadnought" shape.

• 266 (1936-1937) - Royal Crest - Acoustic archtop - Sunburst -  10 Spruce top, maple back and sides. Engraved tortoise headpiece, tortoise pickguard. Carved top. Super Auditorium size (15"1/2). Similar Royal Crest models were sold under different numbers. See models 239 and 288.

• 258 (1936-1939) - Crest - Acoustic archtop - Sunburst
  Carved top. Super Auditorium size (15"1/2). Spruce top, maple back and sides. Engraved headpiece. Black pickguard. Nickel plated tuners.

• 226 (1937) - Archtop - Acoustic archtop - Sunburst -  14 All birch construction. Auditorium size (15"1/4). Painted ornaments on frets 5,7,19,12. Black pickguard. Top is painted to look like spruce. Model 227 is the same but with real spruce top.

• 286 (1938-1939) - Archtop - carved top - Acoustic archtop - Sunburst -  44 Super Auditorium size. Carved spruce top, maple back and sides. Wooden marquetry bindings on front. Square block markers at 3,5,7,9,12,15. Size may have been enlarged from 15"1/2 at some point. 1939 Sears catalog says Grand Auditorium, 16"1/4.

• 261 (1938-1940) - Archtop - Acoustic archtop - Sunburst with faux-flame -  31 Early design similar to the Harmony "Archtone" series, all birch construction with faux-flame. Black pickguard with white Supertone logo. "Idento" type tailpiece (designed to hold your name on a small card). The same guitar was proposed with a flat back as model 262. Replaced in 1940 by model 260 in blonde finish.

• Acoustic flatop

• 245 (1921-1925) - Flat top (black flower) - Acoustic flatop -  19 Standard size (12"3/4). Sold as a "Complete Guitar Outfit" : Guitar, rubberized cloth bag, instruction book, fingerboard chart, extra set of steel strings, pitch pipe tuner. Typical floral black "Artistic Ornament" on the lower bout. Adjustable black metal bridge screwed on top. Spruce top, imitation mahogany body. Bindings of coloured wood and white celluloid around body and soundhole. No central strip and no bindings in back. Fretboard is bound in white in 1923, no more bindings on neck in 1925. 3 dots neck (5,7,10).

• 211 (1929-1933) - Bradley Kincaid "Houn Dog" - Acoustic flatop -  27 Standard size (12"3/4). Spruce top, mahogany body. A similar but cheaper model also was produced with an all birch body. Often referred too as "the first cowboy guitar". Large "Houn Dog" decal on lower bout. Colored woods and white bindings on body top and around soundhole. Ebonized wood fretboard, 3 dots (5,7,10). Delivered with Bradley Kincaid songbook. Model was numbered 211 then 212 in last years

• 233 (1933-1935) - Hawaiian Belle - Acoustic flatop - Stenciled -  8 Hawaiian stencil in 3 colors. All birch construction. Pin style bridge

• 237 (1935) - Birds stencil - Acoustic flatop - Stenciled -  11 Spruce top and "hardwood" body. Concert size (14"). 14 fret neck with single dots at 5,7,9,12. Stenciled with birds design between bridge and soundhole. Four colors stencil ressembling marquetry. Pin style bridge. (237 model number was also used later for a cowboy model).

• 238 (1935) - Gene Autry "Round-up" - Acoustic flatop - Natural top stenciled -  6 Stenciled "cowboy" guitar. Concert size (14"). Spruce top, birch sides and back. Top finished in natural, body in sunburst. Open headstock, pin-style bridge. 14 frets neck with dots at 5,7,9,12. The samller 13" model 216 is a lot more common.

• 235 (1935) - Modern Art - Acoustic flatop - Stenciled - black and silver, red striping -  11 Concert size (14"). Black with silver "modern art" stencil, red striping around body and soundhole, black pearl-like pickguard.

• 234 (1935) - Modern Art junior - Acoustic flatop - Stenciled - black and silver, red striping
  Junior (12"3/8) smaller version of the S235, "slightly smaller with smaller neck and shorter fingerboard"

• 215 (1935-1936) - The Hill Country - trapeze - Acoustic flatop - Stenciled -  20 Special trapeze body shape - All birch - Floral stencil - Nickel taipliece and floating bridge - Companion mandolin was S388

• 203 (1935-1937) - Modernistic - laurels - Acoustic flatop - dark mahogany -  28 Stenciled with laurels arund sound hole. Silver fingerboard, all birch construction. Nickel tailpiece, floating bridge - All guitars in 1935 catalog had their mandolin equivalent, the mandolin is S390

• 206 (1936-1938) - Lone Ranger - Acoustic flatop - Stenciled -  5 Black with "Lone Ranger" silver stencil, "crystalline" silver painted fingerboard with 4 black dots. No words painted on early versions - Standard size (13"1/8). All birch. Late versions model 208 have a dark silver splattered fretboard with red dots. A different version (with open type head) was sold by Eaton's in Canada.

• 243 (1936-1939) - Gene Autry "Round-up" - Acoustic flatop - Sunburst stenciled -  13 Cowboy guitar with large stencil on lower bout, now in a darker finish. Spruce top, birch back and sides. Concert size (14"), 14 frets neck, dots at 5,7,9,12. Dark mahogany finish. (earlier 243 was a different model in 1935).

• 204 (1937) - Flat top f-holes - Acoustic flatop - Sunburst with faux-flame
  This same model was renumbered 217 in 1937. Unusual model with flat top and f-holes. Standard size (13"1/8). All birch construction, sunburst effect with horizontal faux-flame. Nickel tailpiece and floating bridge. Close to later roundhole Stella models. Companion mandolin is 396 /373 in 1937).
• 205 (1937) - Flat top f-holes 3/4 - Acoustic flatop - Sunburst with faux-flame
  3/4 size (11"1/4x32") version of the model 204. This same model was renumbered 217 in 1937. Unusual model with flat top and f-holes. All birch construction, sunburst effect with horizontal faux-flame. Nickel tailpiece and floating bridge.
• 207 (1937-1939) - Lone Ranger 3/4 - Acoustic flatop - Stenciled
  3/4 size (11"1/4x32") version of the S206 "Lone ranger" (see this number). Silver painted fingerboard. See later model 209 with black fingerboard.

• 237 (1938-1943) - Singing Cowboys - Acoustic flatop - stenciled -  33 Five cowboys singing around a campfire and singing. First year without the words "Singing Cowboys". Dark Grey then Black last year. Many later models based on this scene. Check Harmony H1057.

• 200 (1939-1941) - G clef "The Prep" - Acoustic flatop - Natural -  39 Standard size all birch guitar, contrasting painted frets, "Idento" type metal tailpiece. Model 201 is the three quarter sized version.

• 208 (1940) - Lone Ranger - Acoustic flatop - Black stenciled -  8 Late model with dark silver splattered fretboard with red dots (see early model 206). Model 209 is the 3/4 version.

• 209 (1940) - Lone Ranger 3/4 - Acoustic flatop - Black stenciled -  20 3/4 size version of the model 208. Late model with black fingerboard.

• 220 (1941) - Flat top 3/4 - Acoustic flatop - Shaded walnut
  3/4 size version of the 1941 model 219. Spruce top, maple body. 220 number was also used for a different model (arched top) in 1936.

• 201 (1941) - G clef "The Prep" 3/4 - Acoustic flatop - Natural -  25 Presented as the "standard" version of the Singing Cowboys S236 guitar

• 219 (1941) - The Prep - spruce - Acoustic flatop - sunburst
  Standard size spruce/maple guitar. Presented as the "standard" version of the stenciled 216 "Gene Autry".

• 236 (1941-1943) - Singing Cowboys 3/4 - Acoustic flatop - stenciled -  11 Three quarter sized version of the model 237. Five cowboys singing around a campfire and singing.