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gtr animationWelcome to the unofficial home of vintage Teisco guitars!

This site is dedicated to all you guitarists out there who ever owned an old Japanese Teisco guitar, especially those of you who started out with one and still have it today. I created this site out of frustration at not being able to identify the model of my first Teisco despite my best online and off-line efforts. I found out (eventually!) that it's an SS-4L made some time in the early/mid 60s.

Many of the photos that are on the site come from numerous other online sources and I'd like to apologise now to the original owners for any photos that I've mis-credited or not credited at all! I hope you don't mind and enter into the spirit of this site.

I would also like to credit writers Michael Wright in the USA and Paul Day in the UK and the Kawai musical instruments Mfg. CO, Ltd who's fantastic research I've referenced quite a lot for source material, especially on the 'Timeline' page.

Sorry, but please don't try to email me as I just don't have time to respond to the dozens of emails I get each day. However, the FAQs below should offer some help. 

Q: If I can't email you anymore how do I contact you if I have info you might want to put on the website?
A: You can't. Sorry. The site is currently a time capsule, i.e. frozen. If that changes in the future I'll say so on here.

Q: How do you pronounce 'Teisco'?
A: According to various sources, some from Japan, the best guess is tey (as in 'hey!') - sco.

Q: I have a guitar which looks like a ??? model but it's a little different. What is it?
A: If it looks like a ??? it almost certainly is a ??? Because the factory used to change the hardware at a whim there will be slight variations. This has, in most cases, nothing to do with a particular year but more to do with what happened to be to hand at the time. Some exceptions are pickups, pickguards, logos and headstocks. All I know is here on the website if you look hard enough. Also bear in mind that your guitar may have been modified at some stage in its life.

Q: The serial number on my guitar/amp is ????? when was it made?
A: Identifying the exact age is usually impossible - no records were kept of serial numbers and manufacture dates. If you read the 'Timeline' page then you should be able to make a rough guess. I have no extra knowledge - it's all there on that page and I add to the page as I learn more.

Q: How much is a ??? worth?
A: It's worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it. Check eBay regularly and see what they are going for at the moment.

Q: I have a guitar - it's not a Teisco but you might know anyway?
A: All I know about is Teisco, and then not as much as I'd like to. Sorry, can't help you.

Q: Do you have a circuit diagram for a ???
A: If I do there will be a link to it on the 'Technical' page. The only one I have at the moment is the built-in amp for the TRG-100.

Q: I have an old Teisco amp. Do you know more about it?
A: Again, all I know is posted here. I don't know too much about amps as it's the guitars I have collected and therefore I don't have any amps.

Q: Where can I get Teisco parts?
A: Keep an eye on eBay. If you see someone selling Teisco parts but they don't have what you need, email them - you might get lucky.