by Michael Ambrose » Fri Dec 19, 2008 10:01 am
I have some Kay-branded Tulips with the same pickup/hardware/electronics config as this... (they're in the other room, and I just got up and I'm really too lazy to go look at the brand, but I think they're ET-110's)...
DEFINITELY 70's Teisco.
I've actually never seen an ET-10 before... but interestingly enough, I used to own a pair of "Heit Deluxe" guitars with this EXACT body shape, but with the older style "Kawai" pickups (the ones mounted through the pickguard as opposed to resting on the top like these).
Tone-wise... I kind of like my single-pickup Tulips. A lot. Like I said, I have a few of them. I kind of just use them as knock-arounds, but they're great "test-beds." Here's my experience. Typically I start by running mine into a single-ended Class A tube combo (usually all I ever play), something like a reverberocket. Its VERY dry sounding, very BLAH... which can be a good thing. I then run it through a Keeley Tube Compressor and either Tube Screamer or a Fulltone OCD (just a little bit, for a little more edge), and the tone rounds out quite nicely. This rig makes it sound kind of like my Silvertone 1413L's running straight in. (Yeah, I have this weird thing for single "middle-position" pickup guitars.)
Going in straight, flat, and clean, these things sound like junk... but when I run it through the aforementioned rig, I'd have no problem taking it on stage. I don't really know if thats a reflection on the guitar or on Keeley... I'm thinking Keeley hahaha...