If you sniff around vintage guitars long enough, you'll come across the Valco name quite a bit. Valco was the Chicago-based manufacturer that had been National-Dobro in the '30s. For decades, Valco made a wide variety of instruments under tons of different brand names—Gretsch, Oahu, National, Silvertone, Ariline, Rickenbacker, etc. But no Valco instruments embody Rock n Roll quite like those with the Supro name.
The Supro Lexington debuted in 1967, and this striking asymmetrical double cutaway shape (almost like a Jazzmaster) was offered with 1, 2, or 3 pickups. The S645 is the three-pickup version, and it was intended to be a top-of-the-line deluxe model. Like other Valco-made instruments, the Supro Lexington has a lot of authentic '60s charm—the large six-in-line headstock, the three tone sunburst, the tortoise guard, etc. So cool!
The Lexington pickups might look like humbuckers, but they're actually overwound single coils. They use an interesting design where the magnet is next to the bobbin, rather than stacked under it. They're hot, and the controls deliver a wide range of sounds. On the S645, you have six switches: three that turn each pickup on or off, and three "Hi/Lo" tone shading switches. There are also individual volume controls for each pickup and a very cool tremolo vibrato system.
This Supro Lexington S645 dates to ~1968. It's in impressive shape, featuring all of its original parts and components. There are some minor bumps on the headstock edges, most pickguard screws are tarnished, the bridge volume knob is chipped along the edge, and the stickers are missing from the pickup covers (leaving some residue). But it is free of severe play wear, ussues, or damages. It also plays nicely, and while the electronics are a little wonky, they work as they should.
This 1968 Supro Lexingoton S645 includes its original case, original tremolo arm, a vintage Kingston strap, and a vintage Hamilton capo. All in all, it's an extremely cool package that oozes with retro '60s mojo. The vibe is strong with this one!