1961 Supro 1580A Coronado
For whatever reason, Valco never created the
tooling needed to build archtop guitars. As far back as the mid-1930s,
National-Dobro purchased archtop bodies from various Chicago-area
competitors rather than build its own. This did not change in subsequent
decades; in the 1950s, National and Supro guitars still featured bodies
by Kay, Harmony and even Gibson. Traditional hollowbodies were abandoned
altogether in 1961 when the res-o-glas models were introduced, but
Valco’s acquisition of Kay in 1967 spawned a variety of short-lived
models with hollow Kay bodies.
Some of these bodies were
identical to those found on Gibson, Harmony, or Kay models, but others
were distinct. The Harmony bodies, in particular, were different from
those found on Harmony guitars. The National Club Combo, for example,
featured uniquely stylized f-holes (the same body with
reversed
f-holes can be found on Vega electrics of the period). The body also
featured different control routing and even different binding than the
Harmony equivalent (model H62/H63), suggesting that Valco purchased the
bodies when they had just been glued together. Valco then put the
finishing touches on them, including the routing and the finish.
The same body could be found on the Supro 1590A
Coronado, though the National and Supro catalogs gave slightly different
measurements for the guitars’ depth. Introduced in 1958, the Coronado
lacked f-holes altogether in favor of an unbroken sea of black. Even
more unusual was the guitar’s wiring: the three pickups (two Vista-Power
type units and one “rhythm unit” in the bridge) each had its own volume
and tone control, but these were mini-sized potentiometers adjustable
with a screwdriver. The idea was to create presets for each pickup that
could be accessed with a conventional 3-way selector switch and a
conventional master volume control. This complex setup, combined with
gold hardware, pushed the Coronado’s price up to $225 without a case –
the most expensive product in the Supro catalog at the time. Although
the catalog never showed it, the pickguard was decorated with the “Val
Trol” label.
The Coronado underwent a number of changes in
1960, including the receipt of a new model number (1580A). The spruce
and maple body still lacked f-holes, but it was thinned down to 2” and
given a natural top. The basic frame was apparently taken from the
Harmony H70/H71 Meteor, but again the details were different. The
electronics also changed; the “rhythm unit” disappeared and the
remaining two pickups were given a more traditional 4-knob layout with
conventional potentiometers and no master volume. The hardware was
downgraded to chrome but the neck was now bound. If this version was
less quirky, it was arguably more usable for the average player. It was
cheaper, too, at $197.50 without a case. The pickguard now sported the
Coronado name with a conquistador mascot, but still the
catalog showed an
undecorated guard.
The Coronado was completely revamped in 1961 when
it was given a res-o-glas body and a new neck to match. It became the
model 1582 Coronado II, but the pickups and wiring remained the same
from the second version. Finally, however, the catalog showed the
decorated pickguard (also unchanged since the second version). The
res-o-glas version underwent several minor changes over the years, such
as the addition of a vibrato tailpiece, before disappearing after the
1964 catalog.
The above guitar, with the slimmer Harmony body,
is entirely original. The tailpiece is reversed from the catalog
picture, something seen fairly often on Valco instruments that
apparently reflected the whims of the factory. This was one of the last
wood-bodied Coronados built, with a serial dating from shortly before
the introduction of res-o-glas bodies.