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Post subject: Can Anyone Identify My Old Guitar?
Posted: Tue May 15, 2012 11:42 am
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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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Post subject: Re: Can Anyone Identify My Old Guitar?
Posted: Tue May 15, 2012 12:06 pm
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It looks like one of the sears guitars Danelectro made to me


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Post subject: Re: Can Anyone Identify My Old Guitar?
Posted: Tue May 15, 2012 12:13 pm
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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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Post subject: Re: Can Anyone Identify My Old Guitar?
Posted: Tue May 15, 2012 2:46 pm
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Looks like a Teisco...........


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Post subject: Re: Can Anyone Identify My Old Guitar?
Posted: Tue May 15, 2012 3:14 pm
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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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Post subject: Re: Can Anyone Identify My Old Guitar?
Posted: Tue May 15, 2012 3:23 pm
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Rick Jones wrote:
Looks like a Teisco...........


Hmmm .....

Could be. Looks very similar to this one:

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

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Post subject: Re: Can Anyone Identify My Old Guitar?
Posted: Tue May 15, 2012 6:24 pm
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Martian wrote:
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.


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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Post subject: Re: Can Anyone Identify My Old Guitar?
Posted: Tue May 15, 2012 9:30 pm
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I see gold foil pickups.


I want your guitar :lol:

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Post subject: Re: Can Anyone Identify My Old Guitar?
Posted: Tue May 15, 2012 11:36 pm
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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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Post subject: Re: Can Anyone Identify My Old Guitar?
Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 6:11 am
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Retroverbial wrote:
Martian wrote:
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.


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


+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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Post subject: Re: Can Anyone Identify My Old Guitar?
Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 8:49 am
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63supro wrote:
+1 I'm almost positive they were their own brand too, but I'm also sure they private labeled.


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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Post subject: Re: Can Anyone Identify My Old Guitar?
Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 9:04 am
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Yep, Cort's the same way. Their own brand plus private labeling.

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Post subject: Re: Can Anyone Identify My Old Guitar?
Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 11:06 am
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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.


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Post subject: Re: Can Anyone Identify My Old Guitar?
Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 11:21 am
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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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Post subject: Re: Can Anyone Identify My Old Guitar?
Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 11:53 am
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texasguitarslinger wrote:
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


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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