telestar viola semi hollow.

[jch]

hi i am trying to find out info on this telestar in the neck pocket it read t45 the guitar needs some fret help but sounds way good for as old as it it is. are they worth anything? it is missing one vol knob and aside from the cracks and the trem arm is missing. any info is appreciated.

[Spud1950]

Nice looking guitar.Got some info off the net.Tele-Star was an importer and distributor of guitars and was located in New York City. They had a lot of models made for them by Kawai with the TeleStar brand name put on them. That's what yours appears to be to me,Kawai made,TeleStar branded. Larger pictures would be more helpful.

[jch]

thanks for the response i will try to figure out how to do larger pics. again thanks.

[jch]

. i got a link to some of my guits that can be enlarged by clicking. thanks.- jamie

[Spud1950]

For future reference, open the full size picture in your Phtobucket first and then copy and paste the "IMG" code into your post.

[jch]

thanks. i will do. on the net i did find that this model was made in 65-66 only.do to the closure of telestar then went to teisco or ??? but the only reference was to the solid body version. just curious thank you.- jamie

[Spud1950]

I don't know what else to tell you.Maybe someone else can shed more light on it.Here's the best info I could get off the net,which makes me pretty sure yours was made by Kawai.It certainly looks like a Kawai product. They also took over production of Teisco guitars beginning in 1967 when they purchased the company.

"Tele-Star Japanese-made guitars debuted in the U.S. in 1965. The Tele-Star Trading Corporation, (Broadway, New York) was begun by Maurice Laboz in around 1965 and concentrated on relatively humble low-end guitars (and drums), produced mainly by the Kawai company. In 1967 the Tele-Star company was probably purchased by the Music-Craft Electronic Corporation. In the early '70s, the New York warehouse had a fire and the company relocated to Secaucus, New Jersey. From that point on, Tele-Star abandoned guitars and switched its focus to musical accessories. Circa 1982, Maurice Laboz sold the business to Fred Gretsch, Jr., son of the founder of the more famous guitar company."

[jch]

thank you for your info. very much appreciated. i know the quality is low end but thought it was cool for the time. and was actually surprised at the sound of the pickups from that time. again thanks-jamie

[jch]

hi it has been a long time since this post. i was going to list this guit on ebay does anyone have an idea to the value of such insturments? thanks in advance-jamie