Here we have a rather cool Supro Clermont from the late 60's . These guitars were only built for a couple of years . What a vibe ! It sounds great even with a few crackling pots ! Condition wise it has various marks and scratches and some real cool checking in the finish . It's missing the "supro" logo off the headstock and it appears to have a replaced trem arm . Pleanty of wear on the back of the neck - it also has a hole up around the headstock (who knows why!) Replaced pickguard by the looks as well . Case is original and beaten up although is cool and still provides some protection . Pictures help form description .
This somewhat atypical Supro-branded guitar dates to the tail end of the 1960's "Guitar Boom" era, when the boom was going bust. As the decade waned, many American guitar makers found themselves financially overstretched from meeting the frantic demand for instruments in 1964-66 and forced to re-trench. Increasing Japanese competition and a suddenly stagnant market affected many of the familiar names in the business, including Chicago-based Kay and National/Valco.
As these two former crosstown rivals collapsed, for a brief time in 1967-8 both companies were under the same ownership and built guitars with features drawn from both lines. This Supro-branded guitar is typical of the final last-gasp Valco product, using mostly National/Supro components but showing some Kay heritage as well.
