Teisco / Teisco
Del Rey
Before we begin,
it should be pointed out that this article was originally written by Michael
Wright and published in two parts in Vintage Guitar Magazine (April and May) in
2002. The content has been modified as discussed below. This page will be
posted until such time that our own Teisco web page is compiled and in a
presentable format.
The original
article superseded an article in Guitar Player presenting the history
of Teisco, based on information painstakingly translated from a Japanese
article penned by Mr. Hiroyuki Noguchi of
In 2004 Michael
Wright wrote an article on Jack Westheimer that was published in Vintage
Guitar. This provided more information on the history of Teisco and the
original article now needed to be updated with the newly sourced information.
There is a very
small amount of new information added to the original published article. This
was provided by guitar researcher Jimmy Noise. Pictures have also been added to
complement the article. The guitars pictured may not be correct for the year
referenced in the article, but are the best that could be found at this time.
Also some of the pictures feature guitars that are not in their original
condition.
So in 2012, we
currently have the latest and most accurate information on Teisco (in
regards to company history), confirmed in repeated direct communications with
Mr. Noguchi in
But this story is
not complete. Your corrections and additions are most welcome! We are
contactable at MIJ_60s_Guitars@iinet.net.au
or visit Help Re-Discover
Teisco.
Vintage Guitar Magazine
Teisco Guitars – Parts I & II (Second
Edition)
Original Written by Michael Wright
Compiled and edited by Teisco World (Mar
2012)
Few
non-American guitar brands have meant so much to so many American guitar buffs
as Teisco guitars. Indeed, through their mid-'60s connection with the Sears and
Roebuck company, many a modern guitar player learned his or her first chops on
a Silvertone made in Japan by the Teisco company. Nevertheless, for years
Teiscos were the object of ridicule, the penultimate examples of "cheap
Japanese guitars" (a reputation more based on cultural chauvinism than
objective analysis, truth to tell). Even Dan Forte, who essentially began the
category of writing about off-brand guitars (and who has given me many an
entertaining moment in my life), chose Teisco Del Rey as his nom de plume,
with more than a little tongue-in-cheek humour in the selection, no doubt.
Times change, of course, and so do perceptions. No longer regarded with
complete disdain, Teisco guitars - which not that many years ago retailed
for $59 - are now fetching upwards of $300 for average models. The highest sale
recorded to date was the sale of the coveted Teisco Del Rey Spectrum 5 which
sold for over $6000.
With the renewed interest in these humble guitars growing, I thought it might
be time to turn our intention to the story of Teisco guitars.
If you like older Japanese guitars, you must obtain a copy of Mr. Noguchi's
book, '60s Bizarre Guitars (Guitar Magazine Mooks, Rittor Music). It
is lusciously printed in colour and, while the text is in Japanese, model names
and dates are in English, so it is an invaluable reference tool, as well as a
fun coffee table book. Some of the following information on specific guitars
comes from this source, as well as catalogues and other research materials
kindly provided by dedicated guitar fans in both the
The Name Game
First of all,
let's clear up some minor confusion over the name. It has been variously
reported, including by me, that the name "Teisco" stands for the name
of a company in
Another clarification about brand names is in order. Teisco guitars can be
found mainly bearing at least eight brand names;
1. Teisco;
2. World Teisco;
3. Del Rey;
4.
5.
6. Teisco Del Rey;
7. Silvertone;
8. Kay
Teisco was the name used mainly in
In late '59 or early '60, Westheimer Sales Company owned by guitar
importing pioneer Jack Westheimer, began to import Teisco electric guitars made
by Teisco. These earliest Teiscos were the plain Teisco-brand (not Teisco del
Rey). Westheimer would use his Kingston Brand and the Del Rey brand in the
early 60’s.
In 1965 most
Teisco guitars were imported into the
Domesticity
At the beginning of the Teisco saga, Teisco instruments were primarily built
for domestic consumption in
According to Mr. Noguchi, Teisco instruments debuted in 1946 and were made by a
company founded principally by the late Mr. Atswo Kaneko, a renowned Hawaiian
and Spanish guitarist, and Mr. Doryu Matsuda, an electrical engineer. Mr. Doryu
Matsuda was born in 1921 and was still alive at the time of this writing. As
mentioned, Mr. Kaneko gave the guitars the Teisco brand name, however,
the original name of the company was Aoi Onpa Kenkyujo (roughly
translated: Hollyhock Soundwave or Electricity Laboratories). This was a small
workshop formed in war-ravaged
Period I: Gibsonia
Early Teisco instruments were primarily electric Hawaiian guitars and
accompanying amps, although the company quickly got into electric Spanish
guitars, too. Little information is available on these earliest Japanese
Teiscos. Teisco guitars from most of the '50s were clearly inspired by Gibson;
presumably this was true from the very beginning. We'd welcome any information
on these early Teisco guitars and amps, including photos and photocopies of
catalogues or ads, from our Japanese readers, if they can provide them.
Generally speaking, Teisco guitars through the mid-'60s follow a fairly logical
designation scheme (although don't be surprised at exceptions).
For solid bodies there is usually a one- or two-letter prefix indicating the
body style or general model. This is followed by a dash and a number which
usually indicates the number of pickups (e.g., J-1), although on occasion the
number indicates the year of introduction (e.g., TG-54). Guitars bearing a
vibrato usually appended an "L" after the pickup number (e.g.,
MJ-2L).
Hollow bodies use either an EP or PE prefix, followed by a dash and number
which indicates the specific model (e.g., EP-14). Obviously, in this case, the
number is not the number of pickups! Usually higher numbers indicate more
pickups, cutaways, full body depths, fancier appointments, etc.
Hawaiians use the EG prefix followed by a dash and a letter which
indicates the specific model (e.g., EG-R).
Some models in
the 50’s only had the numbers stamped on the model tags. (ie. an EP-15 might
only have 15 stamped.)
This early generation of Teiscos had long rectangular logos with italicized
block letters spelling "Teisco" in English.
The earliest Teisco Spanish guitar of which I'm aware was the EO-180 from
around 1952. This was basically a glued-neck folk-style acoustic guitar with a
three-and-three slothead, round soundhole, bound top and glued-on bridge.
Essentially dissecting the soundhole was a large triangular round-cornered
pickguard with a white insert shaped like a sock, toe pointing toward the head,
with a white-covered pickup situated on the ankle of the sock, just behind the
soundhole on the bridge side. The cord appeared to come out of the side on the
lower bout.
In 1953 Teisco introduced its EP-6, about which very little is known, except
that the EP designation was applied to electric Spanish archtops, probably with
a single neck pickup. The slightly later EP-7 was a non-cutaway, so probably so
was the EP-6.
'50s Snapshot
By
1954 the Teisco line had begun to grow. Some valuable reference is available in
a Japanese history of Teisco guitars, which is written completely in Japanese
(which I unfortunately can't read). This has an early photo of the company's
founders and presumably engineers and designers, mugging around a car parked in
front of the Teisco factory. The photo is from the '50s (1954 or later), and
the instruments in their hands and surrounding them are at the core of the '50s
line. Shown were two small Les Pauls, two single-cutaway archtop electrics, at
least three Hawaiian lap steels, and at least four amplifiers.
The two mini Les
Pauls are also illustrated in '60s Bizarre Guitars. These were the J-1
and TG-54, slab-bodied solid body electrics with bolt-on necks. Both had
typical Teisco three-and-three headstocks, with a point or hump in the centre
not unlike Kay guitars, but slightly more rounded. They had rosewood 'boards
with large white dots, except for two small dots at the octave.
The Teisco J-1 was a natural maple-topped guitar with a single pickup near the
adjustable wooden bridge, a large affair with a metal cover with six slots
parallel to the strings and two round bulbs on either side, very space-age! The
stop tail was probably rounded, allowing strings to pass through the body, and
was covered with a square metal plate. A small pickguard sat between the pickup
and the neck. A volume and tone control sat on another little piece of plastic
down on the lower treble bout. Knobs were white plastic knurled with a silver
ring around the top.
The Teisco TG-54 was a two-pickup Les Paul, named for the year it was designed,
1954, not long after the original! It had a large white plastic covered pickup
at the neck, set into the pickguard, and a slanted metal-covered pickup set
into a metal tailpiece assembly, sort of like a Telecaster. Again, strings
passed through the tail assembly and the body. Similar to the J-1, the volume
and tone controls (same knobs) sat on a small rectangular plate, this time
metal like a Tele, with an added chicken-beak three-way rotary selector switch.
The model designations of the archtops are unknown. Later these guitars would
have either a PE or EP model designation, so presumably the ones in the photo
did, too. One appears to be a full-sized, thick-bodied archtop with a rounded
cutaway. Not much is visible in the photo, but it apparently had a single,
white-covered pickup at the neck, block inlays and a white pickguard. The other
guitar had a single pointed Florentine cutaway and was slightly smaller than,
say, a Gibson ES-335. It's impossible to tell the depth from the photo, but it
looks as though it's a thinline. This, too, had a single white pickup at the
neck, moveable adjustable bridge, trapeze tail, large white pickguard (not
modelled on a typical Gibson shape, by the way), a little plastic plate on the
lower bout with volume and tone, with white knobs. The fingerboard has large
white dots, with double small dots at the octave. The f-holes are three-part;
the headstock Teisco three-and-three.
The Hawaiians are likewise hard to identify. One looks to be similar to the
later Teisco EG-7L, with a Gibson sort of shape and a pair of offset rocket
shapes on either side of the pickup which house roller wheels for volume and
tone. A second appears to have a rounded body similar to a Rickenbacker frying
pan, looking perhaps like the later Teisco EG-K. This had the same slotted
pickup as the J-1, and a single volume control. Finally, there's an
unidentified eight-string lap with an elongated sort of rectangular body and an
elevated fingerboard. This had a volume and tone with white knobs, and the
tuners were behind the head, rather than sticking straight up, as on later
eight-strings.
The amps are interesting and also pretty much impossible to I.D. These were, of
course, tube amps. Their basic cosmetics consist of two-tone tolex or vinyl
covering - contrasting dark and light - arranged vertically with a wide band in
the middle, just slightly narrower than the grill cloth. Cabinets had rounded
edges, and, in fact, sort of look like '50s TVs. One was a small practice amp,
with two medium sized amps about 15" or so high, and one humongous amp,
complete with six 8" speakers (which looks like the later HG-8).
Two
other Spanish guitars were available in 1954 which were not shown in the Teisco
history photo, the J-2 and the TN-54. The TN-54 is pretty much a mystery and is
completely unknown. The J-2 pictured left has had some modifications made top
it. A few years later, both J-1 and J-2 models had become double-cutaways.
Also
shown in '60s Bizarre Guitars, but not in the Teisco book photo, is a
ca. 1954 Hawaiian Teisco EG-R which was sort of shaped like a Gibson and which
had the same pickup as the J-1, with more elaborate symmetrical metal rocket
shapes on the sides, housing the volume and tone controls. A chrome dome sat in
front of the pickup between it and the dot-inlaid fingerboard. The head was
stubby and rectangular. This was very "Moderne" looking, very Buck
Rodgers.
Flametop
At least one other Teisco guitar was available from around this time in the
'50s, probably slightly later on - another mini Les Paul that was the '50s piece
de resistance, the J-5. The J-5 was a single-cutaway solid body that went
beyond the other more derivative LPs. This had a slightly elongated body shape,
with less pronounced waist than a traditional Les Paul. The upper bass bout
headed toward the neck with a more angular, almost pointed corner rather than
the typical rounded shoulder. The cutaway horn was also more angular, heading
out at almost a right angle to the neck. It has a glued-in neck. The
fingerboard was bound, and featured the typical large white dots with two small
dots at the octave. The headstock was a white-concave dip across the top.
Tuners had white rectangular buttons. These would be interesting enough, but
the body had a bound flamed maple top - flat, not carved. The pickguard
followed the body profile, with an extension down the lower side for the volume
and tone controls. On the black pickguard were two black-covered pickups,
looking sort of like P-90s. Pickup selection was with a chicken-beak rotary
three-way switch. Knobs were white knurled with silver top rings. The bridge was
a typical adjustable wooden type. Again, a large tailpiece assembly allowed the
strings to pass through the body. This is a very beautiful guitar.
By 1955 the Teisco line had become quite large, indeed. My only reference for
these guitars is a listing, so no detailed descriptions are available.
Solid body electrics in the '55 line remained the J-1, J-2, TG-54 and
(presuming it's a solid) the TN-54. The J-1 and J-2 were probably
still single-cutaways at this time.
The '55
hollowbody line consisted of no less than eleven guitars. Models included the
EP-4, EP-5, EP-6, EP-7, EP-11, EP-12, EP-13, EP-14, EP-15, EP-16, and EP-23
(Pictured Below). Clearly, in these instances, the numerical designation
indicates appointments, not the number of pickups. Some of these are likely to
be thin-bodied archtops with no cutaways, some thinlines with a single cut, and
some full-bodied archtops with a single cutaway, with either one or two
pickups, and no vibratos.
(Picture Not Available) |
|
(Picture Not Available) |
(Picture Not Available) |
|
(Picture Not Available) |
EP-4 |
EP-5 |
EP-6 |
EP-7 |
EP-11 |
EP-12 |
|
|
|
(Picture Not Available) |
|
|
EP-13 |
EP-14 |
EP-15 |
EP-16 |
EP-23 |
|
Finally, there were some twelve Hawaiian lap steels in '55, the EG-NT, EG-K,
EG-Z, EG-A, EG-S, EG-R, EG-L, EG-7L, EG-P, EG-8L, EG-M and EG-NW. Again, since
I have no reference materials, there's no point in attempting any description.
However, many of these guitars continued on into the '60s where we'll discuss
them in detail, and you can probably extrapolate backwards to these mid-'50s
models, allowing for pickup changes, etc.
|
|
|
(Picture Not Available) |
|
|
EG-NT |
EG-K |
EG-Z |
EG-A |
EG-S |
ER-R |
(Picture Not Available) |
(Picture Not Available) |
(Picture Not Available) |
|
|
(Picture Not Available) |
EG-L |
EG-7L |
EG-P |
EG-8L |
EG-M |
EG-NW |
Legible in the
essay in '60s Bizarre Guitars is a list of numbers which probably
indicates amplifier availability in '55, since the numbers are similar to those
used to signify slightly later Teisco amps. These were the #30, #28, #17, #40,
#6, #7, #5A and #5B.
(Picture Not Available) |
(Picture Not Available) |
(Picture Not Available) |
(Picture Not Available) |
#5A |
#5B |
#6 |
#7 |
|
(Picture Not Available) |
|
|
#17 |
#28 |
#30 |
|
|
|
|
|
In
1956, the company changed its name from Aoi Onpa Kenkyujo to Nippon Onpa
Kogyo Co., Ltd., while the instruments continued to be called Teisco. The logo
changed to include Nippon Onpa Kogyo Co Ltd.
Little
data is to be had on Teiscos from the late '50s, but it's probably safe to assume
the line continued on roughly as before.
In 1958 the EP-61
joined the line. This was obviously not numbered for the year of introduction!
It's not known what this guitar was, but shortly thereafter the high-number EPs
were fancy full-bodied archtops, so that may have been it.
At some point before
1961, the Teisco logo also changed from italicized blocks to a more modern,
thin sans-serif typeface with a large, swan-shaped "S" in the middle
which joined the "e" and the "s."
|
|
Period
II: Frumpy Fenderama
As mentioned, most of the '50s Teisco guitars were heavily influenced by
Gibson-style design. At the very end of the decade or just at the dawn of the
'60s, Teisco guitars began to change to double cutaways and exhibit a
playful - if slightly frumpy - more Fender-oriented design aesthetic. This was
almost in lock-step with American guitar industry trends. Gibson launched its
thinline ES-335 in 1958 and, indeed, changed its single-cutaway Les Paul to the
double-cutaway SG in '61. American manufacturers such as Kay and Harmony
quickly followed suit. The Teisco change was a part of the guitar Zeitgeist.
Teisco's design changes also no doubt had a lot to do with the emerging
importance of the American export market which was just about to explode. It
was at the very end of the '50s that demand for guitars in
Large-scale traffic in guitars between
In the Spring of 1960 the Kent Musical Instrument Company (
Westheimer Sales Company
In terms of the Teisco brand, the moving force was Jack Westheimer and his
company Westheimer Sales Company. According to published accounts, Westheimer
began importing Teisco-made
The
first signs that the times they were a-changin' began to appear in 1960 with
the debut of the T-60 and the EB-1.
The T-60 (named
for the year) was a more-or-less Jazzmaster-shaped guitar with an extended
upper horn and backward-sloped lower cutway. Even the pickguard was similarly
shaped, although not tripart, bearing three pickups, the bridge pickup angled
slightly like a Strat. Controls included one volume and one tone and a
chicken-beak rotary selector. This had a covered bridge/tailpiece assembly. The
headstock was a long, extended variation on a Fender Strat head, with
six-in-line tuners, with a round sticker Teisco logo on the round tip.
Fingerboard inlays were the soon-to-become-signature rectangles along the upper
edge. However, the most striking detail was the so-called "monkey
grip," a handle-shaped cutout on the top of the lower bout. This design
would continue through the early '60s (two decades before Ibanez would
introduce it on its JEM guitars!).
The EB-1 was probably Teisco's first electric bass guitar. This was basically a
Fender Precision bass copy, with a P-bass offset double-cutaway body, bolt-on
neck, Tele-style four-in-line head, the fingerboard edge rectangle inlays, a
wooden adjustable bridge and a covered tailpiece assembly. The pickguard was
very similar to Fender, with a single pickup in the middle. It's not known how
long this bass was offered, but by the following year the similar EB-2 was
introduced, and no mentions of the EB-1 are encountered, so perhaps it only
lasted around a year.
An instrument
designated P-1 was also introduced in '60, but no information about what this
was is available.
Swinging '60s
By 1961, at
least, the makeover was complete. The old mini Les Paul, the J-1, was changed
to become a sunburst double-cutaway solid body. These had widely flaring equal
cutaways, a single rectangular neck pickup, a large pickguard which covered
most of the treble side, a wooden adjustable bridge, covered tailpiece, volume
and tone. The bolt-on neck now had a more Gibson-style open-book head shape
(with round logo sticker). The fingerboard had the old large dots with two
small octave markers. The J-1, in a number of forms, would survive the early
60’s. The J-2 completely evolved and had also become a double-cutaway
stratocaster style guitar; it most
certainly was still in the catalogue, as a double-cut, in '62.
Joining
the J-1 (and J-2) were the sunburst J-3 and J-5. These had no real relationship
to the earlier, very fancy J-5 mini Les Paul. These both had somewhat larger
bodies with narrower waists and had ever-so-slightly offset double cutaways,
with the upper horn just slightly extended. The bolt-on necks were similar to
the J-1, with an open-book head and large dots, with added binding. The J-3 had
a single rectangular bridge pickup, while the J-5 had a pair of
pickups and a chicken-beak selector on the upper horn. The pickguards covered
just the area under the pickups; controls were mounted on the top, volume and
tone for the J-3 and three controls on the J-5.
The T-60 "monkey grip" guitar was still present in '61.
New was the EB-2, which had a P-bass body shape, a bolt-on neck with a
P-bass-style four-in-line headstock, rectangular fingerboard edge inlays, a
large pickguard with one centre-placed metal-covered pickup, volume and tone.
At least five sunburst hollow bodies were offered in '61, the PE-7, PE-8,
PE-13, PE-14 and PE-51. These have glued-in necks, by the way, with the
open-book head, circular sticker logo and rectangular metal-covered pickups.
The PE-7 was a non-cutaway thinline with dots, a single neck pickup, elevated
pickguard, a fancy lyre trapeze tailpiece and volume and tone controls mounted
on the lower bout. '60s Bizarre Guitars shows a ca. '61 PE-8 with a single
black-plastic-covered pickup with Teisco printed on the top, small strip
inlays, wooden pickguard, a fancy harp tailpiece and volume and tone mounted on
the lower bout. The following year this model would have two pickups, so
whether this is typical or not is unknown. The PE-13 and PE-14 were
single-rounded-cutaway archtops, the difference being in finish, the former
being blonde and the latter sunburst. Both these were full-bodied jazz guitars,
with the small block inlays, twin pickups, chicken beak selectors, elevated
'guards and two volumes and two tones mounted on the lower bout. Some of these
carried fancy Gibson Johnny Smith trapeze tails. The PE-51 was a twin pickup,
single-rounded-cutaway thinline archtop, with a chicken beak selector, ordinary
trapeze tail and one volume and tone on the lower bout.
Hawaiians were still available, but no information was available to me except
on the EG-TW which was an eight-string double-neck with three telescoping legs.
Each neck had two pickups, a selector switch, volume and tone control. Also
offered was a curious instrument called a "Harp Guitar," which was
some sort of three-legged Hawaiian console with four electronic pedals!
Amps available in '61 included the large HG-8 (recommended for use with the
EG-TW and Harp Guitar), the Amp-75C, Amp-73C, Amp-72A, Amp-72B, Amp-72C,
Amp-71A, Amp-71B, Amp-71C, Amp-30, Amp-4C, Amp-15 and Amp-86 bass amp. These
came in a verity of shapes, mostly with either a single colour covering with a
tweed grill cloth, or the two-tone Amp-30 or the two-tone Amp-15 with a
cross-shaped grill cloth area. All had the Swan-S logo. These were most likely
still all tube amps at this point in time.
Continuo
The Teisco line probably continued more or less as before into 1962. Both the
J-1 and J-2 are definitely offered, as double-cutaways (as are the J-3 and
J-5).
Archtop-wise, the PEs apparently went into the '62 and sometime in that year
was renamed with the EP prefix, but otherwise remained the same. No detailed
info on the full line is available, but the '62 PE-8 had a bound fingerboard,
small block or strip inlays, a single rounded cutaway, a rosewood pickguard,
two - not one - metal-covered pickups (with one row of exposed poles along the
edge), a chicken-beak selector on the upper shoulder, and four controls on the
lower bout.
Two basic new solidbodies were introduced in '62, The SD-4L/SD-2L and the
SS-4L.
|
|
|
SS-2L |
SS-4L |
|
The SD is a classic.
This had a more exaggerated Jazzmaster shape than the T-60. It had a
dramatically swept back lower horn, and an offset pair of waists, looking as
though it's been slightly melted. These had bolt-on necks with the elongated
Strat-style head, with round logo stickers. A rectangular plastic control panel
was mounted above the strings, with large thumbwheel controls and on/off rocker
switches, while a large-ish pickguard was mounted under the strings. The
controls on the SD-4L were especially interesting, taking their cue from the
Italians, no
doubt. The
thumbwheels were for volume and tone, while there were a total of six rocker
switches. Four of these were on/off for each of the four pickups, but in
between were two more. Their function is unknown, but a good guess would be
phase reversal between the front and back pairs of pickups. Both models had the
rectangular fingerboard edge inlays. With "L" designations, both had
vibratos. These consisted of a fairly simple bar for string attachment with a
series of springs behind it, all covered with a hinged metal cover. The handle
was extremely long. Pickups were the beefy tall rectangular type with metal
cases and black plastic centre tops with exposed pole pieces (these could be
screws or squares). The SD-4L had four pickups, in two pairs, while the SD-2L
had two. If I couldn't have a Spectrum 5, I'd be looking for one of these.
|
|
|
SS-2L |
SS-3L |
SS-4L |
The SS-4L was almost
identical in electronics and other appointments to the SD, with the main
differences being in body shape, vibrato and pickups. The body was more like a
Strat, except the entire lower horn was lopped off and slanted toward the lower
bout. Very, very... well, this is one of those ideas that's so ugly it becomes
beautiful! This had a new, very nifty vibrato system, one of the coolest the
Japanese ever produced. This consisted of a plate or platform resting on
springs, sitting above the top of the guitar. This then had a metal block with
several holes along the treble side, into which the arm was inserted and
secured with a thumbwheel screw. The SS-4L had two-tone metal-covered pickups
with six poles along the rear edge, two half-slots exposing a gold insert in
the centre and six holes showing the insert along the front edge. These
"two-tones" would become a mainstay of many early '60s Teiscos.
Blue
At least nine Hawaiian lap steels were offered in '62, and probably provide a
good snapshot of Teisco laps at their apex. Included were the EG-NT, EG-K,
EG-Z, EG-A, EG-S, EG-O, EG-U, EG-L, EG-6N and EG-8N. Since this is a good
selection which probably reflects backward as well, we'll describe these in
detail.
The
'62 EG-NT, EG-K and EG-Z were fairly primitive and appear to be leftover from
the mid-'50s. The EG-NT had a small rectangular body with the bass side flush
with the neck and the treble sticking out a bit to handle the controls. The
head was stubby three-and-three with a circle Swan logo sticker and the
fingerboard had painted diamond markers. The pickup looks to be the old slotted
pickup of the early J-1, but may not be, with volume control. The EG-K was the
Teisco version of the Rickenbacker Frying Pan, with a round body and neck with
a head wider than the neck. This, too, had the rectangular head with a circle
Swan logo. Markers were diamonds, the pickup was the slotted J-1 pickup, with
one volume control. The EG-Z had an asymmetrical body with a short width on the
bass side and a longer width on the treble side, with diamond markers and the
stubby head. This had the old slotted J-1 pickup with volume control.
The remaining '62 Teisco laps had a sort of paddle shape to the body, with
sides wider than the fingerboard all the way up to the asymmetrical head with
the circle Swan logo. The EG-A and EG-S had short scales and black fingerboards
with the diamond markers, while the EG-U and EG-L had longer scales with
fingerboards angled toward the bass side at the pickup. The EG-U had a light
fingerboard with split-parallelogram markers, whereas the EG-L had a dark
'board with dots. All were six-strings with one black-covered pickup and a
little plate with volume and tone controls. Tuners mounted from behind the head
as on a Spanish guitar.
The EG-6N had a similar profile but tuners were mounted on a square-topped head
with the buttons facing up. This had a dark square-ended fingerboard with dots
and a single chrome-covered pickup with black centre insert and exposed poles
(same as on the SD-2L/4L), volume and tone control. The EG-8N was similar
except for having a light fingerboard with black dots, and two of the
chrome/black insert pickups, volume, tone and three-way select. A folding stand
to hold the steels was available (this was a standard Teisco product from the
mid-'50s on).
In '62 Teisco also now offered some pickup assemblies for retrofitting
acoustics. The GM-F1 and GM-F2 were for archtops. The GM-R1 and GM-R2 were for
round-hole flattops. No details are available on what the numbers meant.
By August of 1962, Teiscos were coming into the
In
1964, the company name changed again, this time to Teisco Co., Ltd. At
some point in '64 the Japanese Teisco logo changed from the circle Swan-S to a
stylized, modern sans-serif type set in an italicized T shape.
In
1964, WMI Corporation was importing Teisco’s with a Del Rey waterslide logo in
front of a crown with a small Teisco underneath. In late 1964 early 1965 Jack
Westheimer who had been importing Teisco prior to this, ceased importing from
Teisco due to supply issues and began to import from Kawai.
Del Rey, of course, is Spanish for "of the king," which
explains the crown. This was no doubt added to the Teisco name, in part, to
suggest quality. However, it was also a way to add the de rigeur
Spanish cachet necessary for "Spanish" guitars of the time. It was
convention that "Spanish" guitars carried Spanish names, except for
the well-known brand names - Gibson, Fender, Martin or Kay; thus the plethora
of imported guitars named Greco, Ibanez, Goya and España. Of course, none of
these were made in
In
Early 1965 WMI Corporation managed to obtain the exclusive rights to import
Teisco Del Rey branded guitars. The guitars had a mixture of logos at this time
and were in a transitional state. Some guitars had a stylized, modern
sans-serif type set in an italicized T shape. Some still had the Del Ray
Waterslide.
In late 65 WMI had phased out all the old logos on their imports
and introduced the Teisco Del Rey logo. This had an italicized Teisco
superimposed over a crown with a script Del Rey underneath, backed by a round
circle. This being the most commonly known.
Classics
What most of us know as the classic '60s Teisco line began in
1964. The year marked both the debut of many new guitar models, noted by a
transition to a new headstock designs (which can help you date a particular
guitar). As already noted, Teisco headstocks through the '50s were mainly
variants of the Gibson three-and-three. Indeed, these remained into the '60s on
Teisco hollow bodies.
Beginning in 1960 with the T-60 solid body, Teisco began to use the elongated
"Strat" six-in-line headstock. This lasted through 1963. In 1963, the
squarish Strat headstock appeared with the GB-1 solid body bass. This seems to
have lasted through 1965, but only on selected models, and with several subtle
variations, including a slightly more rounded version. In 1964, probably later
in the season, most of the Teisco solid body line acquired a new hooked Strat-style
headstock with four-and-two tuners on the guitars and three-and-one on the
basses. This had the little hook at the throat like a Strat, and a larger hook
on the tip, almost like a Woody Woodpecker plume.
Still
in the '64 line was the MJ-2L, pretty much unchanged, except for the new hooked
headstock in later '64. Given the evidence of Westheimer's
Also apparently still in the line in early '64 was the SD-4L, which had adopted
four of the two-tone, metal-covered pickups found on the SS-4L guitar. This
still had the old, elongated Strat head. It also had the platform vibrato
system found on the previous SS guitars. The SD-4L probably didn't make it into
'65, but the shape was taken over by the more conventional TG-64.
New
in '64 were the TG-64 (named for the year) and a matching series of solid
basses. The TG-64 was essentially a Fender Jazzmaster shape with a slightly
extended bass horn, the new, hooked four-and-two headstock (usually with a
metal plate on the front), and best of all, our old friend the "monkey
grip" handle in the lower bass bout, handed down from the old T-60. The pickguard
was two-part, with one large piece under the strings and a little extension on
the lower bout for knobs and jack. These had three single-coil pickups, usually
the chunky, metal-covered kind with a black insert and exposed poles, although
some have smaller oval metal covers with exposed poles, all controlled by three
on/off rocker switches above the strings. A small sliding switch served as a
rhythm mute, or lead boost, depending on your point of view.
Some versions of the TG-64 had the same floating-table vibrato system as on the
SD-4L; my guess would be that these were earlier versions, although one can't
place too much faith in dating Japanese guitars by hardware appointments.
Others had the more typical Japanese version of the Bigsby vibrato. This guitar
was sold in the
Companion to the TG-64 was the TB-64 bass. This was virtually identical to the
guitar - including the three pickups and monkey grip - except it was a bass, so
it had no vibrato. Two other basses debuted in '64, the NB-1 and NB-4. These
were basically the same guitar as the TB-64 except they did not have the handle
cutout in the body. The NB-1 had a single pickup and the NB-4 had two.
Amp-in-guitar!
The
TG-64 was definitely a boss guitar, but even cooler was the TRG-1
transistorized guitar, also introduced in '64. This guitar did Nat Daniels one
better and, instead of putting the amp in the case, put a transistorized amp and
speaker in the guitar! To be fair, Danelectro did produce some guitars with a
miniature tube amp built-in, but it's not known if these ever made it to
production status. But the TRG-1 is a remarkable guitar available in a
confusing number of variations.
The 1964 TRG-1 was a slightly more asymmetrical variant of the WG
body style, with offset double cutaways and offset waists. It had the
squared-off Bizarro Strat head introduced in '63 and rectangular-edge
fingerboard inlays. The tail was a primitive top-mounted trapeze. Most of the
face of the guitar was covered with a large metal pickguard, which had one
two-tone neck pickup. The volume and tone knobs were above the strings, as was
a small sliding on/off switch for the amp. In the off position, the guitar
played out as a normal electric guitar. Horizontal grill slots were cut into
the pickguard, behind which sat a 3-inch speaker. The amp operated on two
9-volt batteries installed in back. The TRG-1 shown in the subsequent '64-65
catalogue had a new, hooked headstock, but all the examples I've seen have the
squared-off Bizarro Strat head. Also, the model I have has a TRE100 designation
on the back sticker, so at least some were called this.
There was a second single-cutaway version, also called the TRG-1, with a thick
waist and vaguely tubby Tele shape. It had a different grill shape and a
slightly more rounded version of the Bizarro Strat head, but otherwise it was
the same. There was also a version of the double-cutaway guitar with a vibrato.
This was a small, metal-covered tailpiece with three springs in the housing and
a handle that screwed into a hole in the cover.
The TRG-1 was an amazing guitar and any serious collector of
electrics should have one. The little amp worked quite well. While one wouldn't
win any audiophile awards with the tiny radio speaker, a player could easily
cause a ruckus in the back seat of a convertible with one of these babies. The
TRG-1 is a Star-A-Star guitar!
(Picture
Not Available) |
|
|
EP-7 |
EP-8 |
EP-17-T |
Information on the hollow bodies is available from catalogue pages
reproduced in the Japanese Teisco history. They are not dated, but they show
the "new" TRG-1 and EP-9 guitars, which debuted in '64, so presumably
this reflects the '64 line. The line included four thinlines and four
thick-bodies.
Still among the thinlines was the old Model EP-7, a non-cut archtop with
bolt-on neck, non-
dipped three-and-three head, dots, single neck pickup, trapeze
tail, elevated pickguard and controls on a rectangular plastic strip on the
lower bout. This was described as a guitar "...for beginners."
Also available was the Model EP-8, the small thinline with a
single rounded cutaway, bolt-on neck, non-dipped head, dots, two pickups, fancy
harp tailpiece, elevated guard, rockers on the upper shoulder and controls on a
rectangular plate on the lower bout.
The Model EP-17-T was a regular-sized thinline with a single round
cutaway, bolt-on neck, non-dipped three-and-three head, dots, three pickups,
adjustable bridge, plain trapeze tail, elevated guard, three rocker switches
plate-mounted on the upper shoulder, and controls on a rectangular strip on the
lower bout. All three were offered in shaded mahogany finish.
Double Cuts
Brand new in '64 was Teisco's first double-cutaway, the Model
EP-9, a small-bodied thinline hollowbody archtop. The EP-9 had a pair of
pickups, mainly the oval kind with centre poles. This had the old centre-humped
three-and-three head (no open-book dip), and the rectangular edge inlays.
Controls were placed on the lower treble bout on a triangular plastic plate,
with one volume and one tone, and two on/off rocker switches.
There were also four full-sized archtops; the Model EP-14, Model EP-15, Model
EP-17 and Model EP-18. These were basically all variations on the same guitar,
with glued-in necks, non-dipped heads, mini-strip plastic inlays, single
rounded cutaway, f-holes, adjustable bridge, trapeze tail and translucent
pickguard. Rocker switches were mounted on a small plate on the upper shoulder,
while the volume, tone and jack were on a small plate on the lower treble bout.
The EP-14 (shaded mahogany) and EP-15 (natural) had two pickups. The EP-17
(shaded mahogany) and EP-18 (natural) had three pickups, some two-tone, some
flat rectangular metal-covered.
|
|
|
|
EP-14 |
EP-15 |
EP-17 |
EP-18 |
At least three 6-string Hawaiian lap steels remained in the Teisco line in
'64-65. The H-39 was a cool piece with a rectangular body, tapered neck and
slothead with tuners pointing up. This had two pickups, volume and tone, and
the neat diagonally split fingerboard design as seen on the '63 EG-M.
The H-905 was a similarly shaped and outfitted lap with a light colored
fingerboard with black outlined rectangles for position markers.
Then there was the new TRH-1 (transistorized Hawaiian). You guessed it. This
was the H-39 with an extension behind the bridge where the built-in amp and speaker
of the TRG-1 was situated, yielding a self-amplified Hawaiian lap steel guitar.
Yowza!
Teisco offered at least seven amplifiers in the '64-65 catalogue; three Teiscos
and four Check Mates. This apparently marked the first appearance of
transistors, although tube amps were still available in the 1966 catalogue.
About this time, many companies began jumping on the transistor bandwagon.
The three Teisco amps included the Teisco-88, the AMP-71R and the Miny. No
details are available on these, but they were fairly rectangular cabinets with
top-mounted controls. The Teisco-88 had "Teisco" and a big
"88" on the grill cloth. The '66 model was a tube amp, so this likely
was, as well. The rest were tubers as well. The Miny had the italicized T logo
on the front. The AMP-71R had reverb.
|
(Picture Not Available) |
|
|
88 |
66 |
Amp -71C |
Miny |
The Checkmates Tube Amplifiers were the 15, 20, 25 and 50. A good guess would
be that the numbers represented the output wattage. These had lightly-covered rectangular
cabinets with dark grill cloths and front-mounted controls. The Check Mate 15
and 20 were combos, while the 25 and 50 were piggybacks. Some of these models
continued and became solid sate amps. No other details are known about these
amps.
|
|
|
|
Checkmate 15 |
Checkmate 20 |
Checkmate 25 |
Checkmate 50 |
Finally, Teisco also began marketing two portable electric organs and two
electric console organs at this time.
Just
exactly when W.M.I. began selling Teiscos to Sears is unknown, but the '64-65
line was the first to appear with the Silvertone logo.
Go! Go! Go!
The Teisco guitars introduced in '64 essentially continued into the '65 line.
In '65, Teisco was heavily represented on "Go! Go! Go!," the Japanese
TV version of "Hullaballoo."
Also in '65, W.M.I. produced a Teisco Del Rey catalogue that offered some
interesting wrinkles in the story. For starters, the guitars shown are the same
as in Teisco's catalogue, but the models were all renamed with a one or
two-letter prefix followed by a dash and a three-digit number. Solidbodies were
designated E- for stoptails, and ET- for those with tremolos/vibratos. Basses
were labelled EB-. The numerical suffix signalled the number of pickups in the
first digit; the ET-320 had three pickups, the ET-200 had two pickups, etc.
Hollow bodies retained the original EP- prefix and either single or
double-digit suffix. Amps remained as the Checkmate line.
So, the monkey-grip Teisco TG-64 became the Teisco Del Rey ET-320. The WG-2L
became the ET-220, while the WG-3L became the ET-300 and the WG-4L became the
ET-440. The old MJ-2L became the ET-200, while the MJ-2 became the E-200. The
TRG-1 self-amplified guitar became the TRE-100 or TRET-110 with tremolo. The
NB-4 bass became the EB-200.
Tulips
|
ET-210 |
Two new models that would eventually become mainstays joined the
Teisco line in '65. They were two double cuts with slightly more flared horns,
in a sort of tulip shape. Both had a single, wide, chrome-covered pickup with
poles exposed along one edge. This was similar to the old MJ-1 but by '65 would
become the new SM series. Both had bolt-on necks with bound rosewood fretboards
and the top-edge rectangular inlays. The E-100 had a bridge/tailpiece assembly,
volume and tone on a small pickguard, and one of the elongated Strat-style
heads. The ET-100 had a platform vibrato. As a sign of things to come, the
Teisco Del Rey ET-100 had a regular Strat-style headstock, the first to appear
on Teiscos, as far as I'm aware.
Finishes shown in the '65 Teisco Del Rey catalogue included a black/brown
tobacco sunburst, a fire-engine red and a metallic silver. Many pickguards were
brushed metal.
Another point to remember about '65 Teisco
|
YG-6 |
One very interesting and strikingly modern Teisco guitar, the
YG-6, appeared in
1965: Changing Their Stripes
A significant cosmetic change occurred in
'60s Bizarre Guitars shows a pair of full-size hollow bodies, our old
friends the sunburst EP-14 and blonde EP-15. These remained consistent except
for a sort of axe head-shaped chromed metal control assembly down on the lower
bout, and a rather large, distinctively shaped elevated pickguard.
|
|
|
(Picture
Not Available) |
EP-14 |
EP-15 |
EP-17 |
EP-18 |
Period III: A New Spectrum of Originality
In 1966, Teisco guitars shed some of its adolescent awkwardness of the early
'60s in favour of a svelter, hipper look. While some of the tubby bodies and
monkey grips remained, they were joined by leaner shapes, thin, pointed, flared
cutaways and German carve contours. In many ways, the '66 Teisco line is the
quintessential year for Teisco, which is fitting since it would be the last
under the original ownership.
There are, by the way, a number of discrepancies between Japanese Teisco and
American Teisco
Of
course, the big news was the introduction of the Spectrum 5. This had a slim,
highly contoured body with a pointed upper horn pointing up and a hooked lower
horn. The body featured a German carve relief along the edge. The head was the
new hooked kind from '64-65, while inlays were triangular "picks,"
sort of like Kay’s of the time. Pickguards were two-part plastic covering the
entire area under the strings, with volume and tone controls and stereo and
mono jacks. The "vegematic" push-buttons came in five groovy colours.
This guitar is cool enough to warrant an extensive quote from the '66 Teisco
"Designing and making the Spectrum '5' was a labour of love. It required
infinite patience and craftsmanship to sculpture solid mahogany wood into the
graceful and intricate design.
"The
magnificent lustrous finish is the result of individual coats of hand rubbed
lacquer - not two or three coats - but seven coats of lacquer individually hand
rubbed.
"The trim which follows the contour of the body is inlaid by hand. A
beautifully styled triple ply laminated pick guard protects all working
surfaces.
"Spectrum '5' has an unusually thin
neck. To achieve the proper rigidity in this fast action neck Teisco had to
select the hardest (and the costliest) material available...Ebony. The
adjustable neck is fashioned out of 5 plys [sic] of laminated Ebony to insure
maximum strength. The fingerboard of the Spectrum '5' is likewise fashioned out
of Ebony. Note the unique position markers and the extra wide, easy to finger
frets.
"The name SPECTRUM '5' was coined to denote five different basic colour
tones which can be produced with this unusual guitar. Flick any of the five
self-cancelling switches and this amazing instrument will reproduce sounds
ranging from treble to bass - any combination of switches can be played to
achieve an infinite variety of sounds.
"What appears to be six pick-ups on the Spectrum '5' are actually three
split pick-ups to produce stereo. The Spectrum '5' can be played monaurally or
stereophonically at the flick of a switch. There are two channel outputs and a
volume control for each channel.
"The tremolo tail assembly was engineered specifically for the Spectrum
'5.' The bridge is an integral part of the whole assembly and is, of course,
universally adjustable. The marvel of it all, however, is that the tremolo does
not exert any friction (hence no wear and tear) on the strings. The tremolo
action causes the whole bridge assembly to move smoothly back and forth.
"No amount of time and expense has been spared to create the finest and
most unique guitar in the world. Length 41"."
Now
you see why these Spectrum 5s are so desirable! It is not clear, by the way,
how many (if any) were ever made with ebony necks. The few I've personally seen
had maple necks. Certainly the expense of the ebony would have been enormous
and hard to justify on the Teisco brand name. Also, with the density of ebony,
the guitars probably would have been hard to balance. In any case, these are
the Holy Grails of Teisco!
A companion to the Spectrum 5 guitar was a solid body bass version with the
Spectrum 5 body shape. This was the Teisco EBX-200 Bass. It had two small
pickups with two centre half-slots and two sliding on/off switches, with volume
and tone and was described in the
K-cars (I mean guitars)
Situated just under the Spectrum 5 were the Teisco K guitars. Indeed, these Ks
may have been introduced slightly before the Spectrums, since they appear in a
1966 Japanese Teisco brochure that does not contain the Spectrum. A second '66
Japanese Teisco brochure contains both Ks and Spectrums. The K guitars were
very similar in profile to the Spectrum, except that the horns were not curved,
and flared out more or less equally in a more tulip shape, though still
pointing slightly inward. These still had the German carve relief, 22-fret
rosewood fingerboards, plus the new hooked headstocks. Inlays, however, were
dots, and the vibratos were the more pedestrian Japanese version of the Bigsby.
Pickguards were the new striped metal affairs introduced the year before,
extending from above the strings down through the lower bout control area.
The K-4L & ET-460 models had four of the large, chunky, single-coil pickups
with chrome sides and black centre insert revealing six square poles. These
were controlled by four sliding on/off switches, plus a 3-position switch for
solo, rhythm and super bass sounds, as well as volume and tone. The roller
bridge had a spring-loaded muffler/mute.
The K-3L and ET-312 Models were similar to the K-4L except for having three
pickups, two back by the bridge and one up at the neck, as if #3 had just been
removed. This had the sliding on/off switches, another sliding switch for solo
and rhythm tones, two volume and two tone controls.
The K-2L and ET-230 models were the two-pickup version, otherwise identical.
This had two sliding on/off switches and the third solo/rhythm switch.
There was also a companion K bass, the KB-2 and EB-220 models with the K body
shape. This was pretty much a bass version of the Ks, with the thick
rectangular pickups and striped metal pickguard.
|
(Picture Not Available) |
|
(Picture Not Available) |
ET-230 |
ET-312 |
ET-460 |
EB-200 |
(Picture Not Available) |
|
|
|
K-2L |
K-3L |
K-4L |
KB-2 |
A Little S & M
|
SM-2L |
Also new in '66 was the SM series, a variation on the E-100 and
ET-100 introduced in the previous year, very similar to the Ks except the cutaway
horns were flared outward in the classic Teisco "tulip" shape which
would dominate later in the decade. These had fairly flat rectangular
chrome-covered pickups, with a rectangular indentation stamped in the centre
and six flat round poles, plus to long half-slots along both outer edges. The
SM-2L (Teisco Del Rey ET-210) had the hooked headstock, small striped metal
pickguard along the lower body, two on/off sliders, volume, tone, roller bridge
and Bigsby-style vibrato. The SM-2L retained the German carve relief of the K
series. A plain-Jane SM-2 (Teisco
The SM series, by the way, would spawn a number of descendents and eventually
form the beginnings of the early '70s imported Kay guitar line.
Solid Holdovers
Still available in Japan in '66, but not promoted in the U.S. by Teisco Del
Rey, were the Teisco TG-64 "monkey grip" guitar, its companion TB-64
bass, plus the similar non-grip NB-1 and NB-4 basses. The three-pickup TG-64
had a striped metal guard and the four-and-two hooked headstock with a metal
plate on the front. The TB-64 probably still sported a plastic guard and three
pickups. However, in the Japanese catalogue from '66, the TB-64 appears to be a
6-string bass, with an elongated variant of the hooked headstock with a rounded
tip and a four-and-two tuner arrangement.
The same Japanese Teisco catalogue from 1966 that introduced the K series, but
not the Spectrums, also still features the boss TRG-1 guitar with a built-in
amplifier and speaker. By the time the '66 catalogue featuring the Spectrum
guitar and bass had appeared, the TRG-1 was no longer to be seen, so it
probably bit the dust in early '66.
(Picture
Not Available) |
|
(Picture
Not Available) |
MJ-1 |
MJ-2L |
MJ-4L |
Also still in the line in '66 were our old friends, the MJ series.
These were essentially unchanged except for a new striped metal guard, the new
hooked headstock, and a new chrome-covered oval pickup with an oval indentation
stamped in the centre and six flat, round poles. Available were the MJ-3L
(Teisco Del Rey ET-300), MJ-2L (promoted in
(Picture
Not Available) |
|
|
WG-2L |
WG-3L |
WG-4L |
Also promoted only in
Ringing Hollow
The Teisco hollowbody line continued into 1966 with some interesting changes
and additions. All were double cutaways, but gone were any traces of the single
cuts of yore. New features included vibratos on the thinlines - something that,
to my knowledge, had not previously been offered.
The
top of the archtop line featured two very nifty new models called the Vegas 40 and
Vegas 66. The Vegas 40 (Teisco Del Rey EP-11T) double-cutaway thinline was
promoted both in
Along side the Vegas 40 in the Japanese catalogue (but not the Teisco Del Rey)
was the Vegas 66, presumably named for the year. No descriptions of this are
available, but it appeared to be almost identical to the Vegas 40. It cost just
slightly more than its brother (1,000 yen), possibly due to better materials.
|
Vibra
Twin |
Even cooler was the '66 Vibra Twin (Teisco Del Rey EP-12T), a
twelve-string version of the Vegas. This had a slothead variation of the check
mark head, with tuners facing alternatively out or back. The trapeze tail picked
up the same angular design of the Vegas vibrato. Despite the Del Rey number,
the EP-12T did not have a vibrato. The Teisco Del Rey in the '66 catalogue
differs from the Vibra Twin shown in '60s Bizarre Guitars in that it
adds a third rotary select for solo/rhythm/bass sound tones, whereas the Teisco
omitted this feature. Figure on finding either.
|
|
EP-200L |
EP-200B |
Another swell new hollowbody for '66 was the EP-200L (Teisco Del Rey
EP-10T Deluxe). This had an offset double-cutaway body basically like a Strat,
with offset waist and a groovy single f-hole shaped like a stylized T. It also
had the hooked four-and-two head, dots, twin square-poled pickups, roller
bridge and Bigsby, and an elevated pickguard and semicircular control plate on
the lower bout. Controls included two on/off rockers and a third solo/rhythm
rocker, with volume and tone.
The EP-200B Bass was a hollowbody bass version of the EP-200L (for once, both
sides of the Pacific used the same number!), with standard f-holes, trapeze
tail, volume, tone, and simple rotary select with the new chrome lever knob.
|
|
|
EP-1L |
EP-2L |
EP-9T |
In the '66 American Teisco Del Rey Catalogue, the small, humble EP-9T
was left over from before (formerly EP-9), with the quasi-Gibson style head and
triangular control plate. The only thing new was the Bigsby (thus the T). In
the '66 Japanese catalogue, the small thinlines were represented by the EP-2L
and EP-1L. The EP-2L looks for all the world like the EP-9T, with the large
rectangular pickups with black inserts, controls on the triangular lower bout
plate, and a long-armed trapeze vibrato with a curved handle. The EP-1L was the
same except for having a single metal-covered pickup at the neck.
Hula Bula
Hawaiian lap steels are not in the American Teisco
Powered up
Amps offered by Teisco in the '60s can sometimes be confusing, because they
were a mix of tube and solid-state, and sometimes particular models shift back
and forth. Amps promoted in the
At least eleven solid-state Checkmate amps were offered in U.S. Teisco Del Rey
catalogues in '66: the 10, 12, 14, 16, 17, 18, 20, 25, 50, 100C and Infinite.
These were basically rectangular cabinets with dark tolex covering and large
checkered grill cloths with the Teisco Del Rey and Checkmate logos on either
corner. Controls were front-mounted.
Specs for combos were as follows: Checkmate 10 (6 watts, 6" speaker, two
inputs, striped grill cloth); Checkmate 12 (9 watts, 8" speaker, three
inputs); Checkmate 14 (14 watts, 8" speaker, three inputs, tremolo);
Checkmate 17 (20 watts, 10" speaker, tremolo, reverb); Checkmate 16 bass
amp (20 watts, 10" speaker, volume, tone); Checkmate 17 (20 watts,
10" speaker, reverb, tremolo); Checkmate 18 (30 watts, two 10"
speakers, reverb, tremolo); and Checkmate 20 (40 watts, 12" speaker,
reverb, tremolo). Piggyback amps included the Checkmate 25 (50 watts, 15"
speaker, reverb, tremolo); Checkmate 50 (two-channels, 100 watts, two 15"
speakers, reverb, tremolo, "E tuner"); Checkmate 100C (two channels,
voice input, 200 watts, two 15" speakers, reverb, tremolo); and the big
hugger-mugger Checkmate Infinite (200 watts, two 15" speakers, stereo/mono
preamp section, reverb, tremolo and a bunch of other switches). The one shown
in the catalogue actually has a block Teisco logo and carried the
Japanese-marketed name - King - in the lower corner.
The 1966 Japanese Teisco catalogue shows several additional amps, including the
Teisco-88 combo (8 watts), Checkmate-15 combo (15 watts), and the Bass Note combo
bass amp. These were tube amps.
The Japanese catalogue also shows a number of neat Teisco accessories,
including guitar, lap and bass strings, a microphone, three add-on pickups
(GM-F1, UP-1 and GM-X2). There were also a number of fingerpicks, slides, a
volume pedal, strap, rectangular moulded hard-shell case, and what appears to
be an FM wireless transmitter. Also listed are two Teisco electronic organs.
You have to hand it to Teisco. The '66 guitar line was pretty impressive and
many were definitely not derivative.
Enter Kawai
In January of 1967, the Teisco company was purchased by the Kawai company,
which is best known for its high quality pianos. Kawai had begun making its own
guitars in about 1956 and had been one of the players in the American guitar
boom of the '60s, although not to the same degree as Teisco.
There was no immediate effect of the new Kawai ownership on the '67 Teisco
line, although changes would come soon enough.
A snapshot of the '67 line can be seen in a Bennet Brothers catalogue from that
year. Basically, the entire '66 line was present. Bennet Brothers escewed both
the Teisco and W.M.I. numbering schemes and gave the models new names. Bennet
Brothers also sold the '66 Checkmate amp line, and packaged them in a number of
guitar-and-amp combination packages.
This basic '66-67 Teisco line lasted unchanged at least through the Summer of
Love. Many survived into late '68 or early '69, but incorporated a number of
stylistic changes.
New Stuff
Several new models related to the '66-67 line also appeared in 1967.
|
Spectrum
22 |
One was the nice little Spectrum-22, which basically had the
Spectrum body, head, neck and fingerboard (with pick inlays), but with more conventional
Bigsby, roller bridge, sliding on/off switches and a pair of the chunky
rectangular pickups with square poles. This guitar lasted at least through 1968
and was pretty much the prototype of an expanded Spectrum line which would
appear either at the end of '68 or early in '69 (probably the former).
Another new '67 model was a cool KB-2 bass, with the K body style. This had the
pick inlays, by the way, and a pair of pickups one encounters occasionally with
clear plastic tops showing the paper bobbin and wire winds inside. This also
had some designs engraved on the plastic pickguard, a sign of things to come.
This guitar would last through '68 and, with a change of pickups, become part
of the late '68-early '69 Teisco line.
Fiddling While
While the principal export line remained the same when Kawai took over, certain
changes in Teisco offerings did begin to emerge. Some of these were no doubt
due simply to the evolving guitar market, but others clearly reflected the
sensibilities and tastes of the new owners. These can be seen in two other
instruments which debuted in '67, the FB-2 violin bass and the DG-67 guitar.
|
FB-2 |
The FB-2 bass was a violin-shaped hollowbody, inspired by EKO's violin
bass. The appearance of this design was an early sign of the coming trend in
copying other guitar designs, which was about to explode. It's interesting that
the Japanese focused on the violin-bodies, although the violin guitars and
basses being made by EKO in
The FB-2 had the round-scrolled violin headstock and a pair of
chunky pickups with chrome sides and black insert, now with a pair of
rectangular slug pole pieces. The select was a three-position rotary with a
chicken-beak. The bridge was an adjustable archtop wooden unit; the tail a new
oval chrome trapeze. The tortoise pickguard was elevated. These were finished
in a natty three-tone black/red/yellow sunburst. Although the FB-2 never really
showed up in the W.M.I. import offerings in the
|
DG-67 |
The DG-67 was another decidedly different Teisco solid body
debuted in '67, under the new Kawai hegemony. Certain Spectrum influences are
visible in this axe, but perhaps more significantly, they're also more than a bit
of Burns. For reasons I've yet to discover, a number of Japanese manufacturers
became quite taken with Burns products. The 1967 and '68 Tele-Star lines
(manufacturer unknown), for example, were full of Burns Bison and Jazz
Split-Sound interpretations. Kawai was another company enamored of the inwardly
turned Bison horns.
Thus, it's curious that the DG-67 had an offset double cutaway body with very
sharp, inwardly curving horns. The body had a German carve contour along the
horns to the slightly offset waist. There was a taper to the lower bout. The
bolt-on neck ended in the new check-mark headstock; truss adjustment was at the
body. The bound fingerboard had a zero fret and block inlays. The two pickups
were black-covered with exposed poles. The neck pickup was angled slightly back
toward the bridge, as would be subsequent Mosrite-copy guitars, and a tiny
multi-lam pickguard sat between the pickups. The three-way toggle was on the
lower horn, while the volume and tone were mounted directly on the top of the
lower bout. This had a roller bridge and a new, square, almost art deco Bigsby
vibrato design.
I'm not sure if this very interesting DG-67 guitar ever made it to the
And, with this curiosity, we'll pause again before forging ahead to the
conclusion of the Teisco story, where we'll discover its connections to a
venerable American brand. Till then, happy trails to you!
Invaluable help in preparing this story was provided by Horoyuki Noguchi,
Makoto Takahashi, Bob Ohman, Scott Freilich and Michael Lee Allen.
Link to Help
Re-Discover Teisco Web Site
This site has
been visited times.