The Vistatone pickup found in the Supro Sahara is a reproduction of the groundbreaking, single-coil design developed for Valco by Ralph Keller in the early 1950s. The Vistatone pickup is cited as prior art in Seth Lover’s PAF patent and is found in many of the most desirable vintage Supro models.
The electric tone of the Supro Sahara is pure 1960’s rock ‘n’ roll, with an aggressive mid-range voice that does not sound like any other instrument. 50’s wiring on the volume and tone controls allow for a broad range of sounds, including crystal-clear clean sounds when the volume is rolled off. Our semi-hollow recipe of an Acousti-glass top and chambered body retains the unique sonic characteristics of the original reso-glass models while providing today’s musicians with a lightweight, highly playable instrument that stays in tune and is easy to maintain.
The Sahara and its relatives in the Americana Series of Supro electric guitars were designed by Trevor Wilkinson and David Koltai to capture the spirit and sound of the Art Deco-influenced, historic line of Supro instruments manufactured in Chicago by Valco during the guitar boom of the 1960s. Features: Vintage Supro body design Wedgewood Blue Metallic finish Redesigned two-bolt neck joint Vintage-correct Vistatone pickups 50’s-wiring volume and tone controls Rosewood bridge Dobro tailpiece Acousti-glass top Semi-hollow mahogany back Mahogany neck with dot inlays 24 ¾” scale