Everything about Teisco totally explained
Teisco (テイスコ) was a
Japanese manufacturer of affordable
musical instruments from
1948 until
1969. The company produced
guitars as well as keyboard instruments, microphones, amplifiers and even drums. Teisco products were widely exported to the United States and the United Kingdom.
Company History
The Teisco brand name stands for 'Tokyo Electric Instrument and Sound Company'. Teisco was founded in 1946 by renowned Hawaiian and Spanish guitarist Atswo Kaneko, and electrical engineer Doryu Matsuda. The company was originally called 'Aoi Onpa Kenkyujo' (roughly: Hollyhock Soundwave or Electricity Laboratories). In 1956 the name was changed to 'Nippon Ompa Kogyo Co'. The company was acquired by
Kawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (河合楽器製作所 Kawai Gakki Seisakusho) in 1967, who discontinued the Teisco brand name for guitars in 1969, but continued to use it for electronic keyboards until the 1980s.
Guitars
Teisco guitars sold in the United States were badged "Teisco Del Rey" beginning in
1964. Teisco guitars were also imported in the U.S. under several brand names including Silvertone, Kent, Kingston, Kimberly, Tulio, Heit Deluxe and World Teisco. Likewise, they were imported in the U.K under such labels as Arbiter, Audition, Kay and Top Twenty. While guitars manufactured by Teisco were ubiquitous in their day, they're now very collectable. In fact, highly sought after models are now being reproduced.
From 1948 to the early 1960's Teisco products were often, like many Japanese products of the period, close copies of American and Western European products of the time including
Hagström and
EKO. However, in the early 1960's Teisco products became increasingly unique. Teisco guitars became notable for unusual body shapes, such as the May Queen design resembling an artist's palette, or other unusual features such as having four
pickups (most guitars have two or three). After
Kawai bought Teisco in 1967, they started to produce all the Teisco guitars, as well as their own brand, Apollo.
Hound Dog Taylor famously used a variety of these Kawai-era Teiscos, which he bought at his local
Sears department store.
Many Teisco guitars had a primitive
tailed bridge in their extended tail bridges with limited
timbre when used in an
extended technique. When the strings are attacked behind the bridge, a 3rd bridge sound is created. This is one of the reasons these guitars became popular again during the 90s among many noise artists as a cheaper alternative for the
Fender Jaguar or
Jazzmaster, which were beginning to attract collector interest.
Basses
Teisco basses are easily identified through a unique pickup design exclusive to the Del Rey series. This design consisted of a large rectangular chrome pickup with black plastic holding the four poles in one place. Other designs may vary, but are all easily distinguishable and unique among more contemporary bass designs.
Amplifiers
Teisco also produced numerous models of guitar and bass amplifiers which were often sold under the Checkmate brand name, but also named Teisco or Silvertone. In the 1950s, early amplifier models were very basic 5-10 watt tube/valve designs. During the 1960s, more advanced and powerful models were offered, such as Checkmate 25 and Checkmate 50, featuring dual channels, reverb and tremolo effects. Teisco also made solid-state (transistor-based) models, some designed no less radically than their guitars of the time.
Synthesizers
Teisco also produced a range of synthesizers, with models including the
60F,
110F,
100F,
100P,
SX-210,
SX-240, and
SX-400.
The British band
Hot Chip very visibly features a Teisco 60F in their stage act. The Belgian band Goose uses Teisco synthesizers as well.
Drums
Teisco marketed drum sets in limited sizes and configurations during the 1960s, sold under the brand name Del Ray. They were produced by sub-contractors to fill out the company's catalog as a supplier of combo instruments, but discontinued after the acquisition by Kawai.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Teisco'.
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