Teisco Stratocaster Copy

[sneakypete]

[Bassassin]

[kospaang]

[Spud1950]

[VintAxe]

[kospaang]

[Bassassin]

I'm actually a bit annoyed because I remember browsing around a few years back & running across a website which showed some Teisco-branded "proper" copies like yours. Can I find it now? Like ***** I can!

I remember being surprised at seeing these because I didn't know any had been produced under the Teisco brand until then. The pics weren't great & my impression was that they were for the Japanese home market - on reflection it was quite likely a Japanese collector's site.

Anyway - speculation central time: I think Teisco-branded copies were Japan-market only, while the same factory (according to the Bizarre Guitars quote that would be Okegawa or Enshu) produced unbranded or importers' rebrands for the rest of the world.

There are many MIJ copies that defy identification by comparison to brands with known manufacturers so the Teisco factories are very likely to have built some of these. It's particularly interesting that yoiur Teisco Strat has appeared on here at the same time as unusual Strat copies from and - both of which are as yet unidentified. I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that they're from the same factory as yours but there are some similarities.

Anyway like I said, pure guesswork - but I will try & find that link I mentioned - if it's still there.

J.

[kospaang]

[sneakypete]

yeah I see the lawsuit thing a lot on line. To me it`s more like the lawsuit era than actual lawsuits that were brought against companies...I read it was Ibanez that was threatened and in the end it never happened because they altered their design...`course I read that on line so... reader beware. There are so many people building precise headstock clones here that the US big two would have to shut just about everybody down, if they could but there doesn`t seem to be much they can do about it since it has continued for years.

[kospaang]

[lebowski]

Hey Kospaang

I am the owner of the 'other' Teisco Strat copy and wrote the review that's on Harmony Central, I believe mine was made in 1972. I looked to be identical to the one you have except that mine has a maple fretboard (a separate slab, not a 'one-piece)

I still have my Teisco, however it's a bit different these days:

Unfortunately on the way to rehearsal the case latches somehow failed simultaneously (!!) and it fell onto some very rough bitumen. The guitar was virtually mint at this point and the fall really made a mess of the paintjob! Luckily it did nothing more than cosmetic damage but quiet nasty, that was about 4-5 years ago...

Maybe a year later I decided to a 'relic' number on it, sanded it back (the body is indeed ply) and it's now a 'roughed up' vintage white - it does look pretty good now, quite like Albert Hammond Jnr's white Strat.

I also put on a CTS 5-way switch (the original switch was very thin and fragile) and changed the tuners to proper Fender F-key tuners which actually hold tune - again the original parts were not of great quality. I also put a Fender logo on it and refinished the headstock. Was thinking about changing the bridge to a heavier type but have never gotten around to it

I still find it hard to believe that the quality of the neck is so good!

Have been thinking of selling it though as I rarely play it these days...


Cheers, Lebowski

[kospaang]

Hi Lebowski,

thanks a lot for the info! (how did you find year 1972?)

Sad to hear about the mishap with your Teisco Strat, but it would still be interesting with a couple of pictures with it's current look. And perhaps from original state if you have ?

I can't remember if I mentioned above, but late '09 I had mine set-up properly by an expert: Adjusted neck angle and truss. Replaced nut with a Tusq® and adjusted frets plus of course streng height and intonation.

So the neck and action are really first class now !!!

However, to make it superb it would need a raised quality on mic's, pot's & switch and of course tuners.
But I don't think I will go all that way as it, in addition to beeing rather expensive, will violate it's original state substantial.

Since my Gibson Les Paul Std.'08 gives me all I can handle for the time beeing, I can leave my Teisco Strat as is

regards,
KOSPAANG

EDIT ref.:

[lebowski]

I got the 1972 date from what the original vendor told me, but there's no serial number or other identifying labels

Judging by the materials and quality of parts (or lack there of in some cases) it seems about right

Here's some pics with my vintage white relic finish. Can't find the original pics I'm afraid...

[Spud1950]

"I got the 1972 date from what the original vendor told me, but there's no serial number or other identifying labels "

Can't comment on the exact year,but 1970s would be my guess,considering it has two telltale features of a 1970s Fender Strat. The large headstock and the bullet truss rod nut. Does yours have also have the 1970s 3 neck screws ?

[Bassassin]

Very nice Strat copy (although I have to say it's a pity you went down the Fake Sticker route) but I don't think it's as early as '72.

Most early 70s copies are quite idiosyncratic & carry over some of the peculiarities of 60s Japanese guitars - you'll find odd features like truss rod covers on Fender clones, zero-frets, position markers which stop at the 17th fret . By the mid 70s they were much more accurate & I'd guess this guitar is probably '74 - '76, maybe even later if Teisco copies were predominantly home-market.

I'd be 99% certain it won't have a 3-bolt neck - I don't remember ever seeing an MIJ copy with this.

Jon.