I started playing guitar in the late 60's, and quit in the early 80's. I was playing mostly classical by the time I quit and was pretty good. I decided to start playing again in 2010, however arthritis has taken its toll and my fingers don't move like they used to. I take lessons (which I never did before), playing mostly Blues. I am trying to figure out what guitar and amp I am playing in the attached photo taken circa 1967-1969. I vaguely recall both being purchased at either Sears or Montgomery Wards, but beyond that, I have no recollection. If anyone has a clue, I would be interested in hearing from you. TIA.

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Bill

It looks like one of the sears guitars Danelectro made to me

Do you have any photos from the time? It does not appear to be a Harmony:

http://harmony.demont.net/catalogs.php

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Bill

Looks like a Teisco...........

Those guitars were all from the same Japanese plant back then. They were wholesaled to American department stores such as, Sears, Montgomery Ward, E.J. Korvette, W.T. Grant, etc, who in turn, had their own company specific brand labels put on them such as, Teisco, Sekova, Bradford, Tel Star (which I'm pretty sure yours is), etc, etc.

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You dig?

Hmmm .....

Could be. Looks very similar to this one:

http://craigslistvintageguitarhunt.blog ... ic-in.html

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Bill

I believe Teisco ("Tokyo Electric Instrument Company") was a stand-alone brand sold as such, and independent of any store or line of stores in the US. They also made and sold their own line of amps (tube and solid-state), some of which are still considered as pretty solidly engineered and built. My very first guitar was a sunburst, tulip-bodied, tremolo-equipped, dual-pickup model with the striped-aluminum pickguard and dual rocker-switches as pickup selectors.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

I see gold foil pickups.


I want your guitar

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I'm not sure about the guitar, but I think I might recognize the amp. It looks an awful lot like a Gene Leis. They were manufactured for Montgomery Ward in the mid-late 60's and they still aren't very expensive by vintage tube amp standards. I found one online once that was fairly cheap, which is why I did a bunch of research on them. I ended up not buying it, because I don't have the need for one with my pro junior. But I really like how they kind of look like something out of Lost in Space or the original Star Trek series. Chrome and black with simple controls.

http://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&source=mog&hl=en&gl=us&client=safari&tab=wi&q=gene%20leis%20amp&sa=N&biw=320&bih=356#p=0

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+1 I'm almost positive they were their own brand too, but I'm also sure they private labeled. Teisco was pretty popular here, but I knew some guys who played Kent guitars that looked the part. The amps were very solid and actually they sounded great. I played through a few Teisco Checkmate amps in my time. Lafayette Radio Electronics carried them as well as most of my Mom & Pop shops at the time.

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Life...... It's sexually transmitted and always fatal

I believe you're right, supro. I once saw a guitar exactly like my tulip Teisco that was branded "Decca". Likely, Teisco built many house-brand guitars as well as their own line of instruments. Sort of like the Samick plant of the early '60s.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

Yep, Cort's the same way. Their own brand plus private labeling.

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Life...... It's sexually transmitted and always fatal

Teisco guitars are pretty popular around here as a unique guitar for serious players,they're cheap and must be well made,a guitar tech friend of mine has been buying them and selling to some really talented guitarists.

here is a decent price for one very similar.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/370613683677?_t ... 030wt_1187

cleaned up it should be nice.

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I looked at that one and some others that popped up, but I don't remember my amp being a tube amp. Pretty sure it was a cheap solid state.

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Bill