That’s quite a feat when you think of it. The most famous Gibson Guitar – The Les Paul Times change and some of the cheap Japanese guitars that sold in the states for $59.00 now can fetch $400.00 and some like Teisco Del Spectrum above $1500.00. It was the guitar they learned their first chops on. Still, like the vintage Harmony guitars and Kay guitars, were the instrument that today’s musicians weaned on. It used a Fender style headstock with an oversize scroll.įor some, Teisco, was the king of the Knock-off guitars and are truly considered an oddity and for years ridiculed as cheap. Teisco also produced guitar amps and a six string bass similar to Fender Bass VI. It was unconventional and unorthodox but made Tesco guitars were very popular & cool in the 90’s as an alternative for the Fender’s Jaguar (used for the Surf Sound) or the Jazzmaster which were starting to become popular with collectors. When the strings are attacked from behind the bridge, a third bridge sound is created. In the USA Teisco guitars were imported with at least eight brand names. They discontinued the name Teisco for guitars but used it for their keyboard brand until the 80’s. In 1967 the company was aquired by the Kawai Musical Instrument Co. In 1956 the company name was changed to ‘Nippon Onpa Kogyo Co’ then changed to Teisco in 1964. The company was originally called ‘Aoi Onpa Kenkyujo’ meaning (Hollyhock Soundwave or Electricity Laboratories). Teisco was founded by Renowned Hawaiian and Spanish Guitarist Atswo Kaneko and Electrical engineer Doryu Matsuda. I've played some that were useless, but I've played more that were totally viable guitars.The Teisco brand name stands for Tokyo Electric Instrument and Sound Company. Probable, but not necessarily true-until building my jazzmaster, I gigged pretty much exclusively with old teiscos, and while they all had issues, they were all fixable issues and would've (still can be I guess, since I still own them) made the guitars just as playable as anything else- for example, one needed a new nut, and another needed pickup hight springs (the stock ones were rubber tubes that had deteriorated over time). Put one in an open tuning and thrash out some discordant avant-rawk riffs or use it as a lap steel and you'll be getting the best you can out of it attempt to use it as a solid working guitar and you're setting yourself - if not your guitar - up for a big disappointment. These guitars are very definitely at the sow's ear end of the spectrum and, as such, cannot be made into a silk purse. UlricvonCatalyst wrote:Hello and welcome aboard.Īll the advice you've had already may be basically sound, but from your description it sounds like you're expecting more from your guitar than it was designed for, so there are a couple of other points worth considering: replacement bridges for Teiscos - especially the 'space control' variety - often go for insane amounts of money on eBay because inexperienced guitar modifiers seem to be of the opinion that if a guitar is old it must be good. What do you guys think? Any insight or experience with Teisco's or doing similar mods? Thanks!
#CHEAP TEISCO GUITAR HOW TO#
But it looks to be slightly bowed, beyond what the truss rod can do any advice on how to go about possibly straightening it, like at home diy style? haha not very educated in that regardĪnd lastly, I want to keep the neck as I don't really have money to splurge, let alone on a cheap guitar like this. One is missing a screw Do you think the strat-style 6 in line tuners would be ok? I don't know if Teisco and other old manufacturers had a standard or anything. " onclick="window.open(this.href) return false. I was thinking though of picking up one of these But it's annoying because the strings slip and whatnot, blargh. And seems like someone filed it down some because for each string there's like 3 indentations.lol. The bridge is just a bar, no rollers no nothing. The bridge looks like this (though this is not mine). But I've really wanted to start playing it but there's just a couple things I need to take care of on it before then. Not really sure you can call it an offset. Would love to pick up a Jazzmaster style guitar soonĪnyway, last week I picked up a Teisco ET-200, the tulip guitar with 2 pickups. Hey all, I'm new here but looks like a great forum.