Crummy Teisco (Kawai, maybe Wen?) Guitar

[frets]

Hi Fellas,
I was at an antique store today and ran across a Teisco (I think). The lady in the shop wasn’t around so I couldn’t get her to take it down. I’ve seen my share of Teisco’s but have never seen a 4 pup with a two piece Pickguard. I’m thinking ‘64 or ‘65? They want $119 for it, I was going to offer $50. Just wanted to know if anyone had any familiarity with this exact combination of plates pups.  The two piece pickguard with the 4 pups is what is puzzling to me. I saw this thing from like 12 feet away.  I know it doesn’t work but that’s not an issue.  

[newey]

It's a 1964 Teisco SS-4L, like this one:



The folks over at Teiscotwangers.com are the source for this, and all things Teisco. This one is designated as the "SS-4L "alt" version, which seems to differ from the SS-4L only in having the whammy bar.

The fact that yours has a chrome strip beneath the tuners doesn't negate the ID, there were numerous variations within a model year with Teisco.

But yours has a headstock decal that I can't make out, but doesn't look to be a Teisco badge. These guitars were often marketed under other brand names back then. "Kingston" and "Kent" come to mind as a couple of those names, it might have been originally branded differently. Some of these used no headstock marking, others just used a gum-backed sticker which typically didn't last long. Teisco typically (but not always) used a screw-in metal badge reading "Teisco Del Ray", at least in the US. These tended to last and are unlikely to have been removed.

[frets]

Thanks Newey (as always),
The label says “Prestige.” Which I know was a model.. But I’m on the fence about getting it. It would be a fun guitar just to hang up on my shop wall. But this gal ain’t paying $119 for it. I’m a cheapskate.

[newey]

Some people (for reasosns unknown to me) just love the old Teisco pickups. If all 4 work, you just might find some wanker willing to give you $119 just for the pickups.

Apart from that, as far as playability of these old Japanese guitars, jack up the bridge, put heavy-gauge strings on it and use it for slide. Probably all that it's good for.

If this is in an antique shop, that $119 isn't a price, it's a prelude to negotiate. I'd offer about $50, be prepared to go to $65, and if they don't bite, walk away. Then go back a month or so later, and if it's still hanging on the wall, make the same offer. Eventually, if you're the only serious buyer they've had, they'll get tired of it taking up space in their shop.

[newey]

The label says “Prestige.” Which I know was a model.

No, I think "Prestige" is the brand name. Remember what I said about these things being sold under different brand names? Here's a '60's-era "Prestige"- branded single pickup electric I saw on Reverb.com, the seller noted that it was "probably made by Teisco".



What I found interesting was that the first guitar I ever owed was a "Norma" brand single-pickup electric that had a gold-foil pickup that was identical to the one on the Prestige guitar above, but the rest of the guitar is quite different from mine. Both of these brands, however, may have ultimately been made by the same manufacturer, or by 2 mfrs sharing parts suppliers. There were 3 or 4 Japanses manufacturers back in the '60s making guitars under a dozen or more brand name, and the relations between the factories seems to have been pretty incestuous. Kawai, Matsuoka, and (I believe) Tokai were the big ones. Trying to trace the history of all the different brands will give you a quick migraine. Steve and the guys at VintAxe.com's forums are the best source to answer these types of questions.

[frets]

Hey Newey,
It dawned on me last night that it was the name of the company after doing some research. Why do I want this crummy geetar?

[sumgai]

Oct 14, 2020 18:25:21 GMT -5 frets said:

Why do I want this crummy geetar?

(Barely audible whisper:  If you build it, they will come.)

[thetragichero]

you want it because it looks cool. has a bunch of f0nky switches
not to mention the challenge of trying to make a playable instrument out of something that was made by, as a friend and i were saying the other day, somebody who saw a guitar and said "i can make one of these"

[frets]

Oct 14, 2020 22:13:28 GMT -5 sumgai said:

Oct 14, 2020 18:25:21 GMT -5 frets said:

Why do I want this crummy geetar?

(Barely audible whisper:  If you build it, they will come.)

But If I Rebuild it, Will it Strum?  That’s a bad one.
Trag pretty much hit home the heart of the appeal.  

You know how you buy something and you intend to fix it and it just sits there for years? And then you wonder why did I buy this thing? And then you still think to yourself, “Oh, I’ll still get that fixed up someday.”

We should start a thread on the stupidest project guitar each one of us ever bought.  Or maybe just the stupidest unfinished project.  The one you try and hide up in the attic covered in an old rug.

[darrenvox]

wow thats a really interesting guitar...

[frets]

Darren,
It is interesting but these were fairly low end guitars. I love the look but have still not bought it.

[darrenvox]

its not crummy.. how many guitars have distortion buttons like above!!

[thetragichero]

hey frets, how's this?



picked up for 35 bucks off craigslist. missing the high e tuner post and gear. going to check the local shop to see if they may have one in the junk drawer, otherwise appears i can buy the whole unit (6 tuners on a plate) for about 15 bucks
after tuning it up (at least the five strings on there) and plugging in... doesn't sound half bad! all the electronics work, although the tone pot works backwards (is this normal for these?) and the volume knob isn't on right. plan is to get the tuner situation sorted, take it all apart for cleaning, and get some new strings on it. was interesting to see that this has a zero fret

[newey]

Cool find! Please keep us updated.

Apr 5, 2021 18:52:01 GMT -5 thetragichero said:

was interesting to see that this has a zero fret

Back in the 60s-early 70s, zero frets were pretty common on Japanese axes. My 1969 Norma had a zero fret, as does the 1970 Univox.

Is that a short-scale Ibanez micro bass in the pic? cynical1 has one of those, said he loved it, fun to play if you're used to a full-sized bass guitar.

[frets]

Trag,
You got a deal. Looks like a Wen to me. But they all looked pretty much the same. I hope you will take it apart and redo the wiring and clean everything up. I love these guitars. The backwards tone pot is normal.

[thetragichero]

it appears to be a cameo guitar according to this site: jedistar.com/cameo/

no, that is my 85 ibanez roadstar ii rb850 I've had since i was but a wee lad (13ish). few years back i replaced the coroded bridge (who'da thunk plating different metals would be problematic?!) with a hipshot bridge, wired in a preamp and completely rewired everything (coil cut push/push pots didn't provide much tonal difference but series/parallel on the neck pickup can have this sounding like a music man bass), and sanded some of the black plating off the brass truss rod cover (having the embossed parts shiny brass vs the black on the background looks super sharp)