Your channel inspired me to go out and buy a 50 dollar pawnshop squrier and rebuild it for may grandson. It is a great success thanks to the info I got on your channel. mainly the mentality of not listening to the noise of others and going ahead and doing what you want and just make it work. I got some relays out of an old pinball machine that are just begging to be turned into some pickups. lots of wire on those things. every time I come up short on the windings I am going to just put in a coil tap and say "yep I meant to do that." I think I will use the magnets out of a hard drive, because I have them. A retired old man with a garage is a dangerous thing. lol
Thank you so much Woodpecker AF. That is wonderful to hear. I am just overjoyed anytime someone says that they have been inspired to do experiments and projects. That's why I do this. It may not make a ton of $ and it might not be a big channel but the feedback I get from comments like this, Is more than enough to keep me going and show that I am on the right track. Good Idea on the coil taps, that's right it was all part of the plan. In all seriousness I really do find that as long as you keep that attitude and go with the flow, the universe will show you exactly what needs to be done and you will end up with a magical outcome. I always just kind of let the cards lay where they fall and work within the ability and restraints I have and it all works great. Whenever I do try to be too specific and picky is where things usually give me trouble and don't work out well and its also just no fun to be an anal retentive perfectionist at all. All the best luck to you brother and let me know how it all goes I'm always ready to learn from another persons experiments and projects. Thanks again, this comment made my day!
It kinda did. I cant believe the sound of this thing and was pleasantly surprised that it was decently easy to play. Beat all my expectation for sure... A lot of the old Teisco, Kay, Silvertone, Danelectro, Kawai kind of guitars that I have tried are hard to play, super high action and tiny frets = the strings feel like chording 1/2 inch steel tow cables.
I played a Teisco ET-200 for 13 years both live and in the studio. I combined the two pickups into a stacked humbucker for the neck pickup and put a Di Marzio Super Distortion in the bridge. I replaced the bridge with a Tune-O-Matic and eventually replaced the first three frets from wearing them down over the years. It sounded and played terrifically. I replaced it only because it was stolen by some idiot who could never have gotten any money for it. Thanks for the video!
You are an inspiration. My first electric guitar was a Teisco Del Rey E110, which I bought when I was thirteen or fourteen, at a pawn shop for a hundred dollars with a cheap amp included. It was a tulip-shaped guitar with a zero fret, a weak single-coil pickup, and pretty little flowers etched in the pick guard. The fixed bridge meant the intonation was always off, bad enough that if it was in tune on an open string, it was out of tune on any and every fret. But this video makes me wish I still had that guitar.
Thank you so much Erick. It turned out to be much more of a player than I expected. Ah, I know those guitars e110. I have a friend who is a collector and dealer of vintage guitars and though he is a blues guy now he used to be into garage rock and punk rock and is a big time collector of these vintage Japanese "Sears" guitars. He used to run a music store in Muscle Shoals called Max's Music, where I acquired a great deal of my gear and the walls were covered with Teisco, Silvertone, and Danelectro guitars. I got to play them and check them out so I was keen on changing to an adjustable bridge. Its kind of a shame that people act like these guitars are worth so much $ now days, when it is just a $50 department store guitar. My first electric was a Japanese Univox Les-Paul copy got it for $75 sold it for $75 years later. I looked one up recently and it seems like I wont be getting one of those again anytime soon, I can afford it. Maybe in 30-40 years the First act guitars from Wal-Mart will be super Retro-Cool and desirable for big $. It might actually be a good investment to buy up a bunch of them on the cheap now like Max did with the Japanese guitars and tube amps back in the 70s-80s when they were "un-cool" LOL Thanks again for taking the time to watch and share your past. I appreciate it truly.
Yes, I see that especially with the 3 and 3 tuner guitars like Les Paul or Epiphone type guitars... everyone wants to immediately change the tuners but its often a problem with the nut gripping the strings or its just due to those steep angles on the string coming from the nut... But yes most tuners even cheap ones are serviceable and will work decently well. Ive seen these same types of myths in the car and motorcycle world... funny enough though, I have not really noticed it in the synthesizer world, those guys all seem to be pretty darn knowledgeable and technical, if not a little strange and nerdy to boot but all the best people are??? LOL
your welcome - i bought those when i was doing about the same - well it was a full refinish - on a black epiphone sg for Deet . i paid 30 for it , it was missing a lot of little stuff and someone had , well it had neon green poster pain all over it , like someone had done something then tried to remove all that green paint and scratched the crap out of it . it was a mess. we took it down, rattle can primered it and then shot it with my diy airbrush set with rustoleum gloss black . i put a cross on the head stock and also got pick up covers and tried to make it look like the iommi sig sg . she loves that guitar , it was actually a bit older i think , like it had this weird epi emblem i googled and couldn't find , but it was a really nice guitar so we got lucky . the thing was i shot indoors , in the winter , i had a large air cleaner we got at goodwill and i set up a spray booth with cardboard . anyway i kept shooting that guitar as i had bought a good amount of paint and i just couldn't stop shooting . at one point i moved something in the next room and realized everything in our apt had a coat of gloss black ! - everything . so that began the process of takin rags and thinner and cutting that coat off everything we own . talk about knockin back the life bar . i have done a george harrison rocky clone , an eric clapton cat-ocaster replica , and then i reshot that epi black . thats it game over no more apartment refinish jobs for petey . you did a great job on the tiesco .i have one here a decca with the orig gold foil and it needs a bridge properly installed (some one played with it and it was a mess) . i have parts i am just waitin for the right time . its very similar but larger and its a burst with a black headstock . i think there is no trussrod maybe ? but that gold foil ... it may end up in the catocaster if i convert it into a slide guitar . the thing is i got a thimble slide and man ... thats what you hear on semantical nightmare lp , it does the job so i kind of really have to be in the mood to commit to a guitar project . you do a great job capturing your work as you go so these are fun to watch even though they run longer they are still very enjoyable so - hats off man .
Thanks again Brother Really! As you could see those knobs fit the aesthetic of this old guitar wonderfully. Its kinda funny, I saw it at my dads house and was like awesome an old Teisco type guitar and he said "hell take it with you, I got it for free doing a setup on another similar guitar maybe you can chop it up and do experiments with it"... I said "hell no I'm gonna fix it" and he just shrugged with a look that said "well whatever you want to do i guess, its a cheap old busted POS, I wouldnt" I have to say Petey all the paint-jobs I've seen that you did have come out wonderful and the DIY painting rig you made is cool AF (but, Im sure Gomti just "LOVED" all that black over spray LOL) Especially that Cat-ocaster man that looked like a @ss load of taping, stencils and color changes. Looks great! Thanks for all the compliments but as you saw this wasn't too big of a job, it all just kinda came together smooth thankfully. I was bummed that someone had robbed the pickup from this guitar but a viewer "Alaric Paley" knows a bunch about these old MIJ department store guitars and he keyed me in on what model it is and it is a Palmer/Tempo Brand and as far as I can tell never had a gold foil just a big chrome normal single coil of some kind? I think?... as it seems almost no 2 of these old guitars made it out of the factory identical. Seems they were just reaching into parts bins and chucking stuff on. I didn't even know you had one of the old Japanese Sears specials. It blows my mind how popular and expensive they have gotten over the years. When I was little you could get them at yard-sales for 25-30 bucks all day and my buddy Max did just that. He bought all kinds of cheap guitars and amps back in the 70s-80s Danelecto, Silvertone, Teisco, Harmony, etc.(when they were Un-Cool) Now he has 1 hell of a retirement plan that costed him almost nothing. That made me think to look up First Act guitars and buy some of those and put them up for when they become Retro-Cool. Well they have already gone through the roof so I guess I missed that train phhhttt Seems I wasn't the only one that thought of that... oh well. Maybe for the best its seems that we may be very similar in the vein of loving to acquire/build/mod guitars and gear but selling... not so much. Every time I've sold something I have regretted it. So I would be more likely to give something away than sell it. That seems to feel better in the ole heart chambers. Anyway thanks again for the knobs as well as all that other awesome stuff you sent and for all the kind words. I know you understand what actually goes into recording and editing this much video, The thing I didnt expect was the literal DAYS it took to edit, render and upload. Damn! Final video was like 3 gigs. Also thanks for watching it Petey I appreciate it. Peace and have a nice night.
Great video...enjoyed you playing ...very much...also proving that a good musician doesn't need an expensive guitar to sound good...but they do have to bond with the instrument...which you achieved by working on the guitar and making it your own...funny how that works..no... didn't Eddie do just that??.. something to ponder!!!
Damn! i have a Teisco copy of a strat that i wanted to bring back to life! was gonna buy a new bridge already filled the cavity but your solution was better!! will try to find if it works for mine, probably will!! Subscribed after the 2 single coils pickup into humbucker video!! Also excellent edition, had so much fun watching it!
Thanks for watching and taking the time to write a comment Hyram. I am so glad you enjoy the content on this channel. I hope that bridge works out for you.
Thank you for watching and taking the time to write a kind comment Christoffer. I have to say it did end up as my prettiest sounding guitar, I got angry ones and stratty ones and twangy ones but as far as quality of tone this thing turned out awesome its a little low on output for a humbucker but I love single coils so it works great for some specific soft guitar parts. I am so glad you dug the video! I appreciate the support Mr.Berg Thanks again for the kind words.
Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to write such a kind comment Roy. Yes, she turned out with a very pretty quality to the sound, soft, gentle and low output like a single coil but with the honky tone of 2 humbucking coils. I got really lucky with the combo. Sometimes it just seems like a guitar wants to play good: everything goes easy.
Thank you so much Pizza Master. I have to say it blew away any expectations I had going in. I think this is my new #1 guitar tone and recording wise and to think it was a cheap department store guitar... LOL Thanks again for taking the time to watch and leave such kind words.
I love the old mij stuff but never been lucky enough to own one :( the Soviet era stuff is awesome too but they're even more poorly designed and I dont have the tools to work on them but I'll get one someday hopefully. You brought that thing to life dude!
I had always been into the American style guitar thing but my first guitar was a Univox LesPaul copy...very heavy but fantastic guitar, I generally though thought of them as cheap department store junk...but I have a friend that is an older blues musician and he had a music shop that he kept full of Danelectro, Harmony, and Teisco as well as vintage teles and strats and I would trade with him for parts and just hang out there and I knew he wouldn't mind if I got a danelectro off the wall but the butterscotch esquire is probably going to make him very nervous. So I kinda played around with them and started to see that they were decent guitars... I built a lotus strat with parts out of his shop and I LOVE that guitar I always wished it was a Fender when I was young, but as you start to realize they are just wood and wires and stuff and there is no special Gibson tree... That stuff kinda doesnt matter and you just play... I hope you can enjoy whatever kind of guitar you have because im sure its probably easier to play than many of the old "cool" guitars. I have a chinese squire that is decent and a plywood body epiphone strat copy with a vintage fender neck that is Amazing... but my stepdad used to have a limited edition splatter painted american stratocaster that sucked asses all day it was just thuddy and dead feeling. So its kinda luck of the draw either way but I wish for you to get something that makes YOU feel inspired because that really is a key to joy in many ways.
My first guitar was a Teisco "St. George". guitar. I should have never let it go. thanks for the video, and your other ones. I almost bought stuff to make a pickup, I still might do it!
Thank you for the comment Michael, Man my first guitar was a blonde univox lespaul copy with a flamed top and I sold it for $75 I just saw one identical for sale for $999... I cant be mad though I had built a partscaster strat at the time (I still have and LOVE) and it fit my style of playing and tonal goals a lot better. I cant let my self feel bad for letting her go, it was just time. I hope someone else learned to play on it like I did. Go for it bro buy the cheapest stuff you can to start out with and maybe even just build a little scrap wood pickup or something for the first one. Its a steep learning curve right at the beginning to learn how to handle that wire that is thinner than a hair but once you get the feel for it and figure out how it should coil off the reel at your feet and the proper tension on the coil and you make one work and you hear it and you know you made that... it becomes an addiction, the ideas will flow and you will make way more pickups than you have guitars to put them in. Its a disease but its a fun one, its like gun smithing or racing or winemaking, it just grabs some of us and wont let go.
Thank you so much Guitar Grader. Hell I need to catch up on my emails and comments myself and I'm not running a store or anything like you are doing. Just been on vacation then busy. Thanks again for everything bro.
GREAT JOB!!!! I just picked up an old 60's Gibson ES125 with a sweet p90...it was nasty, but now it sings like a DEMON...worth $3000 now! I'm gonna keep it forever
Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment Uncle Dad. That is awesome man Es-125 is a Great guitar! I have a soft spot for big hollow body guitars as well as single pickup guitars so I'm sure it makes a killer combo with that P90. Thanks again for the kind words bro.
Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to leave such kind words Dan. I have to say the guitar blew away any expectations I had. Thanks again.
@@heavymetalATC You did a great job mate - the tone is outstanding, and the finish on the body and neck were awesome. Love the adaptation of the bridge! I’m absolutely with you on leaving the tuners and electronics! Subbed!
I don't know what that sounded like originally but Sure sounds Great now. Very nice.! I enjoyed just listening to the sweet sounds & didn't even notice how long the video was. I don't want to be greedy , but. , Please Sir may I have some more ?
Thank you so much Glenn. I also have no idea what it would have sounded like originally but with my past experiences with similar guitars like Teisco, Silvertone, Harmony etc. I certainly didn't expect it to sound and play like this! I figured it would require a ton of tinkering and massaging and then be somewhat woody and plucky and a little difficult to play. Its not quite as easy to play as a decent Strat but hell it is easier to play than my Telecaster for sure and has more sustain. It doesn't spank and twang but that's why its cool to have different types of guitars right? Thanks for sticking it out for the whole video Glenn I appreciate it. Its about that time to start recording another video and I have several ideas floating around but I just dont know which would be the best to tackle first. Maybe a pickup video?... as I need something that will get some high views and new people to keep the channel growing and up in the results between doing the bulk of the work I got going on for the long time viewers. Cant forget about my OGs LOL
Ho-lee-shitters! Your humor and crafting skills make me want to buy you a beer and crack jokes. So glad i stumbled across your channel man. Keep 'em coming. (the jokes and the crafting)
Btw: Instead of using superglue and sawdust you could use baking soda instead of the sawdust. It turns rockhard in record time+ its actually easy to sand and finish too. I even fix broken nuts with that method.
Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to write such kind words Jordy I am so glad you like the channel, I should be coming out with more videos soon. Great tip on the baking soda as well.
Thank you so much Robin. I was surprised by the sound of the pickup and play-ability of the frets myself. It beat my expectations for sure. Thanks again for taking the time to watch and leave such a kind comment.
@@robinkozma4459 Ahh I see Thank you Robin. That was a sound clip from a video I did a few years back it was an 80s Epiphone strat copy going into an old GE tube Hi-Fi that I converted into a guitar amp and also a DIY spring reverb unit.
That looks like it'd be about the normal neck position equivalent on a 24-fret guitar. *EDIT:* Man, the more I listen, the more I'm with you on the low DCR buckers. Heard one of the bigger youtube guitar guys run some blade filter-trons in a Tele and I almost cried at how beautiful and delicious that thing sounded. So far, singles sound a little thin, weak, and flat for my tastes (well, except P90s and kinda Jazzmaster singles, and also most of the ones you build), but all the modern high-resistance humbuckers kinda sound the same. Especially when they have covers and pole pieces tightened all the way in instead of offsetting pickup height lower and screwing the pole pieces out to give you a cleaner/more dynamic single-coily sound.
Thanks for taking the time to comment DH. It may be? I really should measure it because I dont even know what the scale is I just know it feels shifted and it sounds "chef kiss". hahaha but the bridge on this guitar is very close to the edge. I think this is worth investigation as I really would like to copy its exact location on my own builds.
@@heavymetalATC I think you should compare it to the testing mule's current pickup location in the latest 2 vids, because that one (especially with last week's pickup) sounds downright perfect. My personal theory (and because of how physics works with string centers as you fret further up the neck) is that directly in the middle of the last fret and the saddles of the bridge is the optimal pickup placement for a single pickup. On a 24 fret guitar, this would be "easily" found by locating the 36th fret location. Also, I edited the comment above pretty much right in the middle of when you were typing your reply, it seems, so if you feel like it, give it another look and let me know what you think about my added remarks.
Thanks again brother, It might not have the same "tone" afterwards compared to highly expensive guitar polish and microfiber buffing cloth but it works... HAHAHAHA
Camphor is an ingredient in some celluloid formulations, so that nut is probably made of celluloid. Be aware that celluloid and camphor are both extremely flammable, so dont emulate the classic Keith Richards "lit cigarette stuck into the peghead" thing!
Thanks for taking the time to comment on the video Troy. That is awesome! I love this little humbucker but I do have a soft spot for goldfoil. Id say neither is better they are just different.
Thank you so much for watching Rob. I'm glad you found this one, it was a good bit of work and time to get it edited and uploaded. I think this guitar came out great. It basically brought me back to the idea of making the gold foil pickup. I am still surprised by how popular the old Japanese department store guitars have gotten. The old pickups especially, when I was little you could hardly give away an old cheap MIJ guitar with gold foils in it... now they are "retro-cool" LOL I did dig the sound of the humbucker though and I figured it would be something different in an old guitar like this and a good compliment to the other guitars I have for recording and finding a spot in a mix. Thanks again for the support and kind words Rob.
Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to comment Doonside. Im pretty sure that you have probably found at least one of the amp build videos on this channel but I have one I never showed to anyone and I never got past the power supply because I ended up taking about 278 volts straight to my hand in an instant capacitor dump. I thought I was done for a few seconds... I do have a pretty col and sketchy series on here though: ua-cam.com/video/WXGQdoIeXxE/v-deo.html
Hey, really liked the video, but I have a question: what can I use to clean and polish my guitar body correcly? All of my guitars have a gloss finish btw
Thank you so much Guitarista. Ahhh this is a subject of much debate and disagreement in the guitar community. 10 people will tell you 10 different answers and then fight each other over what the other one said to use... So this is just my opinion and I am not an expert First off like you saw a soft cloth is a must and water will do wonders. For a crust nasty guitar white vinegar and water are really good for getting the gross stuff off. They sell guitar polishes nothing wrong with those for sure but most of them are just a carnauba based spray wax or paste, to save money you might find a pure carnauba based detailing spray for cars like McGuire's paint polish and protectant. If you are trying to actually polish it to a mirror shine and remove scratches and haze etc. You need a VERY light grade buffing compound and a swirl remover compound and just hand polish the hell out of it, You can use more abrasive compound like rouge and even use an electric buffer but it is easy to burn through the paint if you aren't used to doing it. Just think about the painted body like a car. Anything that you would use on it should be fine for a guitar. I really am not usually one to care if my guitar is shiny or clean so I have mostly only ever used water though and I use a light oil on my necks, so I pretty much break all the rules myself anyway.
Great video, working on a similiar project with a teisco Tulip style guitar. Do you happen to have a link to the jaguar style bridge you bought? I assume I can buy any old fender jaguar bridge
Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment Chalooby. That is Awesome! Glad to hear you are bringing one back to life. Save all the department store guitars! Unfortunately the one I purchased is no longer available but this one looks to be identical to it: www.amazon.com/dp/B08FJ9F1B8/ref=sspa_dk_detail_4?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B08FJ9F1B8&pd_rd_w=3DDm6&content-id=amzn1.sym.bff6e147-54ad-4be3-b4ea-ec19ea6167f7&pf_rd_p=bff6e147-54ad-4be3-b4ea-ec19ea6167f7&pf_rd_r=ZBHMMMCQ755WB7CMD47A&pd_rd_wg=0oZl8&pd_rd_r=9e7fee24-ccd0-42ca-98be-324af6c6a39b&s=musical-instruments&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzWUk1VE4yR1NZVUYmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA5MjA1ODAyR0FITFVVSUhRVDI3JmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA5MTE2OTcyNEFXQTNMNFhZRVZLJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfZGV0YWlsMiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=
@@heavymetalATC I bought this and it arrived today. It does not fit on mine as it is too wide. My existing teisco bridge looks to be the same as yours in the video.
That would be the one sir.. That stuff is aweful. If you drink it all your life you'll pass away. Hahaha! Thank you for watching and taking the time to write a humorous comment Vincent.
Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to comment Boi Mesa. Well this is the thing... unfortunately that foil doesn't really do anything in the pickup, its pretty much for looks. Its actually just a paper card with a reflective surface like the foil inside of a box of chocolates, But if you have a tulip with gold foils in it, you got something people lust after. Those guitars and especially the pickups are highly desirable which is surely why this guitar was missing the original one. I made a video on building a gold foil from scratch it will show the construction and explain the function of the parts: ua-cam.com/video/ZBHkPltaavg/v-deo.html
Thank you so much Alex. It blew away all my expectations for sure. Also surprisingly playable from my past experience with the 60s Japanese department store guitars I did not think it would be. Thanks again for taking the time to watch and write a comment.
Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment Ai. I actually have a made in China Squire bullet strat and it has factory tuners and I have never had a problem with them even one has a wiggle to the key but functions just fine. Sometimes a tuning head can have a mechanical problem that will allow it to slip or shift but I as far as my Squire I haven't noticed these problems. Setup of the nut and nut-slots is a crucial factor there can be no binding, Also the way the strings are wound on the peg is a big factor and also you must always tune the string up to pitch never down. The neck or tremolo system can cause a ton of issues with tuning stability but in my own experience of messing around with cheap guitars and partscasters, it is rarely actually the tuner that is causing the tuning issue. I'll put this in my notes and If/when I do a video on this subject I'll use the squire as an example and I will give you a shoutout.
Yep, I thought that is what you had there. Btw, how do I repair my Teisco's fret board? The thing has a chuck of wood out of it like I saw on yours. I always thought it was played to death, but the fret height is the same as yours, and you made mention about that, so now I am not so sure. I am missing a knob, the whammy bar, and the nut was broken on the low E so needs that. I have no idea if it works because I plugged it in, and got nothing. It needs a lot of work, and one day I may actually do some to it if I can find a sensible source for the parts it needs. Btw, not having a schematic doesn't help because I have never seen a guitar with slide switches and rocker switches too.
Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment and share your info General. If the wood is missing on the dark part of the fret board you can get a product called "plastic wood" its like a 1 part bondo or putty filler that contains wood fibers, it comes in several different colors and it also can be blended with stain or stained afterwards. Sand it smooth and you are good to go. If the piece is missing on the part that was originally colored or covered with nitro finish you can use some wood filler or saw dust and super glue to fill it and mix a little paint to color the place and then sand it back and use the super glue to repair the clear nitro by placing it thick and then doing a progressive sanding from rough 220 or so to a very fine grit like 2500 like I did in the video and it will shine right up and become invisible. Also Yes these vintage Japanese guitars have very small fret wire. It is hard to do a fret level job on them without going to far so I just did a clean up. You can find the original knobs and nuts used on reverb or ebay. I looked at some of them but man they want the big $ for that stuff now, so I just measured and found cheaper stuff that worked. It turned out that a bone nut for a martin acoustic was just right. So thats a good upgrade for less $ though it isnt original. I have heard that the tremolo bars are notoriously rare and hard to find I have not looked for those yet. This guitars electronics were also silent on the first test but cleaning the contacts on the output jack was all that was needed to get it going. So that may be the case with yours as for the switches Brad the Guitologist has some good info on how to clean and repair those Teisco switches as for a schematic maybe someone in a Teisco forum or on the TeiscoTwangers website could help you with that? Surprisingly these old department store guitars are worth decent $ now days so If you felt that you were not attached to the guitar and didnt want to go through buying the expensive original parts and doing the repair. I'm sure you could clean it up and sell it as is for enough to buy a good new guitar. I have a feeling that's not your plans though. LOL Thanks again for watching and taking the time to write such an in depth and interesting comment.
@@heavymetalATC It is the top of the fret board like yours, and we have the same colored freboard (dark Maple?), I have no attachment to this guitar, but it is calling to me. Help me, make me better. SHIT! btw, in with it was a bass from Sears, but the owner kept the pick guard, and all electronics with it. :/ Same vintage. The frets are so low I bet if a gnat crawled next to it it would probably stick up higher than the fret. I wish I could show you this guitar because I looked around a few months ago for the replacement parts, and daaaaaaamn the parts were hideously priced for it. The actual guitar is about 600usd.
@@generalawareness101 It seems I am unable to get links from anyone? I think Alaric Paley also sent me some links and I didnt get those either. He seems to be VERY knowledgeable about this type and vintage instrument. He was able to identify the one in the video immediately as a Palmer/Tempo made by Matsumoko. His #1 guitar is a Teisco and I also saw a nice Danelectro bass on his channel. He may be able to help you find parts and Identify exactly what you have?
@@heavymetalATC No, idea but how do I reach him? btw, the guitar you showed was on that Teisco page in one of their Japanese ads from back then so I am confused.
That Ain't a Teisco for one. V: Also, Kawai (The same one that still build Pianos, actually) bought Teisco in 67. Teisco guitars almost all had Zero-frets and a heel adjust trussrod, easiest way to peg them. This looks more like a very early Matsumoku (Early MIJ Epiphone maker, also the makers of Vantage Guitars) then anything to me - the shape, the headstock, the very rounded neck plate and the notch in the pickguard all look correct for that. This would have likely been sold under Palmer/Tempo branding. They were often a parts company, supplying Vox, Guyatone, FujiGen Gakki, Kanda Shokai (Greco), Hoshino Gakki (Ibanez), Nippon Gakki (Yamaha), Hondo and even Univox with various guitar parts.
Thank you SO much for the info Alaric. I was hoping someone could tell me what it is. I just looked up Palmer and I think you nailed it. Wow you have a great knowledge of vintage Japanese guitars! Thanks again. Where did you learn all this stuff, do you collect and deal in retro MIJ guitars? Anyway awesome info brother I appreciate it.
@@heavymetalATC My main guitar is a 1969 Teisco 1412, I went down the rabbit hole trying to identify it. Turns out mine is a very odd factory parts build, so definitive ID was difficult - Wrong Tremolo, but it was clearly factory installed. Took a lot of cross reference. That and picking up some others at flea markets etc, led into knowing what to look for when IDing import guitars of that era.
@@generalawareness101 Sometimes It's difficult. Mine has the pick-guard and pickups from 68-69, but the trem system is from 64 - A design abandoned by Kawai for needing a body rout. It's almost certainly a 1969 Christmas special, thrown together to meet a quota. It's also easy to get confused by the fact that a lot of parts are shared between the manufacturers. Some of the early Hondo Korean guitars used Japanese parts from Kawai for example.
@@alaricpaley6865 I place this around 1968/1969, but, as you said, it is damn hard to tell. I want to give it some love and repair it, but I need a schematic or something for the wiring as these things are just flat out weird in comparison to modern guitars.
Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment Digi. Oh, yes this is my go-to guitar for any easy going thick juicy rhythm part. The placement of this pickup was kind of a revelation to me, its between the neck and middle position of a strat, and apparently that is a "sweet spot".
@@heavymetalATC thank you for responding back! i’m glad that it has a good tone. i have a japanese teisco offset that i absolutely love. i’m thinking about doing what you did and replace the bridge with a jaguar bridge, it’s a brilliant idea!
Yeah LOL I thought somebody might get a kick out of that. I figired the YT robot would see what I was doing and misjudge what it was so I might as well make a joke about it HAHAHA! Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment Lisen.
Indeed you are 1st Bharat. Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment. As well as for showing such interest and being so active on the channel. I appreciate that truly.
Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment Bobsi. I gotta say for a guitar that was stripped and broken for 20+ years it became my No.1 axe. I love this thing.
Your channel inspired me to go out and buy a 50 dollar pawnshop squrier and rebuild it for may grandson. It is a great success thanks to the info I got on your channel. mainly the mentality of not listening to the noise of others and going ahead and doing what you want and just make it work. I got some relays out of an old pinball machine that are just begging to be turned into some pickups. lots of wire on those things. every time I come up short on the windings I am going to just put in a coil tap and say "yep I meant to do that." I think I will use the magnets out of a hard drive, because I have them. A retired old man with a garage is a dangerous thing. lol
Thank you so much Woodpecker AF. That is wonderful to hear. I am just overjoyed anytime someone says that they have been inspired to do experiments and projects. That's why I do this. It may not make a ton of $ and it might not be a big channel but the feedback I get from comments like this, Is more than enough to keep me going and show that I am on the right track. Good Idea on the coil taps, that's right it was all part of the plan. In all seriousness I really do find that as long as you keep that attitude and go with the flow, the universe will show you exactly what needs to be done and you will end up with a magical outcome. I always just kind of let the cards lay where they fall and work within the ability and restraints I have and it all works great. Whenever I do try to be too specific and picky is where things usually give me trouble and don't work out well and its also just no fun to be an anal retentive perfectionist at all. All the best luck to you brother and let me know how it all goes I'm always ready to learn from another persons experiments and projects. Thanks again, this comment made my day!
Tone went to heaven 😂
It kinda did. I cant believe the sound of this thing and was pleasantly surprised that it was decently easy to play. Beat all my expectation for sure... A lot of the old Teisco, Kay, Silvertone, Danelectro, Kawai kind of guitars that I have tried are hard to play, super high action and tiny frets = the strings feel like chording 1/2 inch steel tow cables.
I played a Teisco ET-200 for 13 years both live and in the studio. I combined the two pickups into a stacked humbucker for the neck pickup and put a Di Marzio Super Distortion in the bridge. I replaced the bridge with a Tune-O-Matic and eventually replaced the first three frets from wearing them down over the years. It sounded and played terrifically. I replaced it only because it was stolen by some idiot who could never have gotten any money for it. Thanks for the video!
I’m pretty sure this was the exact guitar I had when I was 15 yrs old, 60 yrs ago! Even the color! Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
You are an inspiration. My first electric guitar was a Teisco Del Rey E110, which I bought when I was thirteen or fourteen, at a pawn shop for a hundred dollars with a cheap amp included. It was a tulip-shaped guitar with a zero fret, a weak single-coil pickup, and pretty little flowers etched in the pick guard. The fixed bridge meant the intonation was always off, bad enough that if it was in tune on an open string, it was out of tune on any and every fret. But this video makes me wish I still had that guitar.
Thank you so much Erick. It turned out to be much more of a player than I expected. Ah, I know those guitars e110. I have a friend who is a collector and dealer of vintage guitars and though he is a blues guy now he used to be into garage rock and punk rock and is a big time collector of these vintage Japanese "Sears" guitars. He used to run a music store in Muscle Shoals called Max's Music, where I acquired a great deal of my gear and the walls were covered with Teisco, Silvertone, and Danelectro guitars. I got to play them and check them out so I was keen on changing to an adjustable bridge. Its kind of a shame that people act like these guitars are worth so much $ now days, when it is just a $50 department store guitar. My first electric was a Japanese Univox Les-Paul copy got it for $75 sold it for $75 years later. I looked one up recently and it seems like I wont be getting one of those again anytime soon, I can afford it. Maybe in 30-40 years the First act guitars from Wal-Mart will be super Retro-Cool and desirable for big $. It might actually be a good investment to buy up a bunch of them on the cheap now like Max did with the Japanese guitars and tube amps back in the 70s-80s when they were "un-cool" LOL Thanks again for taking the time to watch and share your past. I appreciate it truly.
Too many people don't know about the tuner thing, it makes me sad how many ridiculous myths exist in guitar world
Yes, I see that especially with the 3 and 3 tuner guitars like Les Paul or Epiphone type guitars... everyone wants to immediately change the tuners but its often a problem with the nut gripping the strings or its just due to those steep angles on the string coming from the nut... But yes most tuners even cheap ones are serviceable and will work decently well. Ive seen these same types of myths in the car and motorcycle world... funny enough though, I have not really noticed it in the synthesizer world, those guys all seem to be pretty darn knowledgeable and technical, if not a little strange and nerdy to boot but all the best people are??? LOL
your welcome - i bought those when i was doing about the same - well it was a full refinish - on a black epiphone sg for Deet . i paid 30 for it , it was missing a lot of little stuff and someone had , well it had neon green poster pain all over it , like someone had done something then tried to remove all that green paint and scratched the crap out of it . it was a mess. we took it down, rattle can primered it and then shot it with my diy airbrush set with rustoleum gloss black . i put a cross on the head stock and also got pick up covers and tried to make it look like the iommi sig sg . she loves that guitar , it was actually a bit older i think , like it had this weird epi emblem i googled and couldn't find , but it was a really nice guitar so we got lucky . the thing was i shot indoors , in the winter , i had a large air cleaner we got at goodwill and i set up a spray booth with cardboard . anyway i kept shooting that guitar as i had bought a good amount of paint and i just couldn't stop shooting . at one point i moved something in the next room and realized everything in our apt had a coat of gloss black ! - everything . so that began the process of takin rags and thinner and cutting that coat off everything we own . talk about knockin back the life bar . i have done a george harrison rocky clone , an eric clapton cat-ocaster replica , and then i reshot that epi black . thats it game over no more apartment refinish jobs for petey . you did a great job on the tiesco .i have one here a decca with the orig gold foil and it needs a bridge properly installed (some one played with it and it was a mess) . i have parts i am just waitin for the right time . its very similar but larger and its a burst with a black headstock . i think there is no trussrod maybe ? but that gold foil ... it may end up in the catocaster if i convert it into a slide guitar . the thing is i got a thimble slide and man ... thats what you hear on semantical nightmare lp , it does the job so i kind of really have to be in the mood to commit to a guitar project . you do a great job capturing your work as you go so these are fun to watch even though they run longer they are still very enjoyable so - hats off man .
Thanks again Brother Really! As you could see those knobs fit the aesthetic of this old guitar wonderfully. Its kinda funny, I saw it at my dads house and was like awesome an old Teisco type guitar and he said "hell take it with you, I got it for free doing a setup on another similar guitar maybe you can chop it up and do experiments with it"... I said "hell no I'm gonna fix it" and he just shrugged with a look that said "well whatever you want to do i guess, its a cheap old busted POS, I wouldnt" I have to say Petey all the paint-jobs I've seen that you did have come out wonderful and the DIY painting rig you made is cool AF (but, Im sure Gomti just "LOVED" all that black over spray LOL) Especially that Cat-ocaster man that looked like a @ss load of taping, stencils and color changes. Looks great! Thanks for all the compliments but as you saw this wasn't too big of a job, it all just kinda came together smooth thankfully. I was bummed that someone had robbed the pickup from this guitar but a viewer "Alaric Paley" knows a bunch about these old MIJ department store guitars and he keyed me in on what model it is and it is a Palmer/Tempo Brand and as far as I can tell never had a gold foil just a big chrome normal single coil of some kind? I think?... as it seems almost no 2 of these old guitars made it out of the factory identical. Seems they were just reaching into parts bins and chucking stuff on. I didn't even know you had one of the old Japanese Sears specials. It blows my mind how popular and expensive they have gotten over the years. When I was little you could get them at yard-sales for 25-30 bucks all day and my buddy Max did just that. He bought all kinds of cheap guitars and amps back in the 70s-80s Danelecto, Silvertone, Teisco, Harmony, etc.(when they were Un-Cool) Now he has 1 hell of a retirement plan that costed him almost nothing. That made me think to look up First Act guitars and buy some of those and put them up for when they become Retro-Cool. Well they have already gone through the roof so I guess I missed that train phhhttt Seems I wasn't the only one that thought of that... oh well. Maybe for the best its seems that we may be very similar in the vein of loving to acquire/build/mod guitars and gear but selling... not so much. Every time I've sold something I have regretted it. So I would be more likely to give something away than sell it. That seems to feel better in the ole heart chambers. Anyway thanks again for the knobs as well as all that other awesome stuff you sent and for all the kind words. I know you understand what actually goes into recording and editing this much video, The thing I didnt expect was the literal DAYS it took to edit, render and upload. Damn! Final video was like 3 gigs. Also thanks for watching it Petey I appreciate it. Peace and have a nice night.
Best video I have watched in a while. Good job.
Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to leave such kind words Justin.
Just what this baby needed! Great job brother 👍
Thank you so much PVD. This has become my No.1 Its got the vibes.
Awesome man. Solid 30 min of entertainment.
Thanx.
Thank you for watching and taking the time to write such a kind comment Ryan. I am so glad you liked it and stuck it out to the end. Thanks again bro!
Great video...enjoyed you playing ...very much...also proving that a good musician doesn't need an expensive guitar to sound good...but they do have to bond with the instrument...which you achieved by working on the guitar and making it your own...funny how that works..no... didn't Eddie do just that??.. something to ponder!!!
Damn! i have a Teisco copy of a strat that i wanted to bring back to life! was gonna buy a new bridge already filled the cavity but your solution was better!! will try to find if it works for mine, probably will!! Subscribed after the 2 single coils pickup into humbucker video!! Also excellent edition, had so much fun watching it!
Thanks for watching and taking the time to write a comment Hyram. I am so glad you enjoy the content on this channel. I hope that bridge works out for you.
I have been binge watching this channel since I saw the 2 single-coil into a humbucker video
Your definitely a gifted gear head on the fret board and polishing up the 1/4 in Jack 👍
This rules man. Great job
Thanks for watching and I appreciate you taking the time to leave a nice comment Joe.
Great sound brother
Thank you for watching and taking the time to write a kind comment Christoffer. I have to say it did end up as my prettiest sounding guitar, I got angry ones and stratty ones and twangy ones but as far as quality of tone this thing turned out awesome its a little low on output for a humbucker but I love single coils so it works great for some specific soft guitar parts. I am so glad you dug the video! I appreciate the support Mr.Berg Thanks again for the kind words.
Nice job!
thanks for the bridge idea
That's one interesting guitar you got there sir 👌 it got some tones alright✌️😎🎸🤟🤘rock on dude
Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to write such a kind comment Roy. Yes, she turned out with a very pretty quality to the sound, soft, gentle and low output like a single coil but with the honky tone of 2 humbucking coils. I got really lucky with the combo. Sometimes it just seems like a guitar wants to play good: everything goes easy.
Sweet..... Nice job.... sounds great
Thank you so much Pizza Master. I have to say it blew away any expectations I had going in. I think this is my new #1 guitar tone and recording wise and to think it was a cheap department store guitar... LOL Thanks again for taking the time to watch and leave such kind words.
I love the old mij stuff but never been lucky enough to own one :( the Soviet era stuff is awesome too but they're even more poorly designed and I dont have the tools to work on them but I'll get one someday hopefully. You brought that thing to life dude!
I had always been into the American style guitar thing but my first guitar was a Univox LesPaul copy...very heavy but fantastic guitar, I generally though thought of them as cheap department store junk...but I have a friend that is an older blues musician and he had a music shop that he kept full of Danelectro, Harmony, and Teisco as well as vintage teles and strats and I would trade with him for parts and just hang out there and I knew he wouldn't mind if I got a danelectro off the wall but the butterscotch esquire is probably going to make him very nervous. So I kinda played around with them and started to see that they were decent guitars... I built a lotus strat with parts out of his shop and I LOVE that guitar I always wished it was a Fender when I was young, but as you start to realize they are just wood and wires and stuff and there is no special Gibson tree... That stuff kinda doesnt matter and you just play... I hope you can enjoy whatever kind of guitar you have because im sure its probably easier to play than many of the old "cool" guitars. I have a chinese squire that is decent and a plywood body epiphone strat copy with a vintage fender neck that is Amazing... but my stepdad used to have a limited edition splatter painted american stratocaster that sucked asses all day it was just thuddy and dead feeling. So its kinda luck of the draw either way but I wish for you to get something that makes YOU feel inspired because that really is a key to joy in many ways.
There is a guy on UA-cam who specializes in collecting and fixing up Soviet-era guitars but I don't remember the name of the channel.....
My first guitar was a Teisco "St. George". guitar. I should have never let it go. thanks for the video, and your other ones. I almost bought stuff to make a pickup, I still might do it!
Thank you for the comment Michael, Man my first guitar was a blonde univox lespaul copy with a flamed top and I sold it for $75 I just saw one identical for sale for $999... I cant be mad though I had built a partscaster strat at the time (I still have and LOVE) and it fit my style of playing and tonal goals a lot better. I cant let my self feel bad for letting her go, it was just time. I hope someone else learned to play on it like I did. Go for it bro buy the cheapest stuff you can to start out with and maybe even just build a little scrap wood pickup or something for the first one. Its a steep learning curve right at the beginning to learn how to handle that wire that is thinner than a hair but once you get the feel for it and figure out how it should coil off the reel at your feet and the proper tension on the coil and you make one work and you hear it and you know you made that... it becomes an addiction, the ideas will flow and you will make way more pickups than you have guitars to put them in. Its a disease but its a fun one, its like gun smithing or racing or winemaking, it just grabs some of us and wont let go.
I’ve been trying to get to UA-cam notifs but it’s been crazy busy bro. Need to catch up on your vids 🤘🏻
Thank you so much Guitar Grader. Hell I need to catch up on my emails and comments myself and I'm not running a store or anything like you are doing. Just been on vacation then busy. Thanks again for everything bro.
if it wasn't for Japanese guitars id probably not be playing guitar today ! i owe it all to the old MIJ guitars
Holy crud! I’m shocked at how good that thing sounds. Must be in the fingers…🤔
Hahaha I think that alnico humbucker is a big part of it.
beautiful bean footage as always
Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to comment E4rth B. I will be making more bean footage soon.
GREAT JOB!!!! I just picked up an old 60's Gibson ES125 with a sweet p90...it was nasty, but now it sings like a DEMON...worth $3000 now! I'm gonna keep it forever
Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment Uncle Dad. That is awesome man Es-125 is a Great guitar! I have a soft spot for big hollow body guitars as well as single pickup guitars so I'm sure it makes a killer combo with that P90. Thanks again for the kind words bro.
@@heavymetalATC there's a video on my channel...check it out
I love it!
Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to leave such kind words Dan. I have to say the guitar blew away any expectations I had. Thanks again.
@@heavymetalATC You did a great job mate - the tone is outstanding, and the finish on the body and neck were awesome. Love the adaptation of the bridge! I’m absolutely with you on leaving the tuners and electronics! Subbed!
I don't know what that sounded like originally but Sure sounds Great now.
Very nice.! I enjoyed just listening to the sweet sounds & didn't even notice how long the video was. I don't want to be greedy , but. , Please Sir may I have some more ?
Thank you so much Glenn. I also have no idea what it would have sounded like originally but with my past experiences with similar guitars like Teisco, Silvertone, Harmony etc. I certainly didn't expect it to sound and play like this! I figured it would require a ton of tinkering and massaging and then be somewhat woody and plucky and a little difficult to play. Its not quite as easy to play as a decent Strat but hell it is easier to play than my Telecaster for sure and has more sustain. It doesn't spank and twang but that's why its cool to have different types of guitars right? Thanks for sticking it out for the whole video Glenn I appreciate it. Its about that time to start recording another video and I have several ideas floating around but I just dont know which would be the best to tackle first. Maybe a pickup video?... as I need something that will get some high views and new people to keep the channel growing and up in the results between doing the bulk of the work I got going on for the long time viewers. Cant forget about my OGs LOL
Ho-lee-shitters! Your humor and crafting skills make me want to buy you a beer and crack jokes. So glad i stumbled across your channel man.
Keep 'em coming. (the jokes and the crafting)
Btw: Instead of using superglue and sawdust you could use baking soda instead of the sawdust. It turns rockhard in record time+ its actually easy to sand and finish too. I even fix broken nuts with that method.
Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to write such kind words Jordy I am so glad you like the channel, I should be coming out with more videos soon. Great tip on the baking soda as well.
That bridge mod is GENIUS! I picked up an old Teisco a few months back and the bridge is one of the worst parts of the thing.
That guitar intro sounds beautiful
Thank you so much Robin. I was surprised by the sound of the pickup and play-ability of the frets myself. It beat my expectations for sure. Thanks again for taking the time to watch and leave such a kind comment.
That video guitar intro that you use on your videos is really beatifull too
@@robinkozma4459 Ahh I see Thank you Robin. That was a sound clip from a video I did a few years back it was an 80s Epiphone strat copy going into an old GE tube Hi-Fi that I converted into a guitar amp and also a DIY spring reverb unit.
That looks like it'd be about the normal neck position equivalent on a 24-fret guitar. *EDIT:* Man, the more I listen, the more I'm with you on the low DCR buckers. Heard one of the bigger youtube guitar guys run some blade filter-trons in a Tele and I almost cried at how beautiful and delicious that thing sounded.
So far, singles sound a little thin, weak, and flat for my tastes (well, except P90s and kinda Jazzmaster singles, and also most of the ones you build), but all the modern high-resistance humbuckers kinda sound the same. Especially when they have covers and pole pieces tightened all the way in instead of offsetting pickup height lower and screwing the pole pieces out to give you a cleaner/more dynamic single-coily sound.
Thanks for taking the time to comment DH. It may be? I really should measure it because I dont even know what the scale is I just know it feels shifted and it sounds "chef kiss". hahaha but the bridge on this guitar is very close to the edge. I think this is worth investigation as I really would like to copy its exact location on my own builds.
@@heavymetalATC I think you should compare it to the testing mule's current pickup location in the latest 2 vids, because that one (especially with last week's pickup) sounds downright perfect. My personal theory (and because of how physics works with string centers as you fret further up the neck) is that directly in the middle of the last fret and the saddles of the bridge is the optimal pickup placement for a single pickup. On a 24 fret guitar, this would be "easily" found by locating the 36th fret location.
Also, I edited the comment above pretty much right in the middle of when you were typing your reply, it seems, so if you feel like it, give it another look and let me know what you think about my added remarks.
@@Drunken_Hamster Yes I need to do some measuring for sure and I think your edit is bang on!!!
the sock/water polish is genius
Thanks again brother, It might not have the same "tone" afterwards compared to highly expensive guitar polish and microfiber buffing cloth but it works... HAHAHAHA
Camphor is an ingredient in some celluloid formulations, so that nut is probably made of celluloid. Be aware that celluloid and camphor are both extremely flammable, so dont emulate the classic Keith Richards "lit cigarette stuck into the peghead" thing!
I have a couple like this, one with gold foils, that I plan on refurbing. I saw that pup and wondered if it would be any good, thanks.
Thanks for taking the time to comment on the video Troy. That is awesome! I love this little humbucker but I do have a soft spot for goldfoil. Id say neither is better they are just different.
Hmmm ur diy gold foil pickup would look good in this one. Didnt get the notification for this video
Thank you so much for watching Rob. I'm glad you found this one, it was a good bit of work and time to get it edited and uploaded. I think this guitar came out great. It basically brought me back to the idea of making the gold foil pickup. I am still surprised by how popular the old Japanese department store guitars have gotten. The old pickups especially, when I was little you could hardly give away an old cheap MIJ guitar with gold foils in it... now they are "retro-cool" LOL I did dig the sound of the humbucker though and I figured it would be something different in an old guitar like this and a good compliment to the other guitars I have for recording and finding a spot in a mix. Thanks again for the support and kind words Rob.
Gday mate, cool vids. Would be cool to see you make an amp (dodgier the better)
Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to comment Doonside. Im pretty sure that you have probably found at least one of the amp build videos on this channel but I have one I never showed to anyone and I never got past the power supply because I ended up taking about 278 volts straight to my hand in an instant capacitor dump. I thought I was done for a few seconds... I do have a pretty col and sketchy series on here though: ua-cam.com/video/WXGQdoIeXxE/v-deo.html
Hey, really liked the video, but I have a question: what can I use to clean and polish my guitar body correcly? All of my guitars have a gloss finish btw
Thank you so much Guitarista. Ahhh this is a subject of much debate and disagreement in the guitar community. 10 people will tell you 10 different answers and then fight each other over what the other one said to use... So this is just my opinion and I am not an expert First off like you saw a soft cloth is a must and water will do wonders. For a crust nasty guitar white vinegar and water are really good for getting the gross stuff off. They sell guitar polishes nothing wrong with those for sure but most of them are just a carnauba based spray wax or paste, to save money you might find a pure carnauba based detailing spray for cars like McGuire's paint polish and protectant. If you are trying to actually polish it to a mirror shine and remove scratches and haze etc. You need a VERY light grade buffing compound and a swirl remover compound and just hand polish the hell out of it, You can use more abrasive compound like rouge and even use an electric buffer but it is easy to burn through the paint if you aren't used to doing it. Just think about the painted body like a car. Anything that you would use on it should be fine for a guitar. I really am not usually one to care if my guitar is shiny or clean so I have mostly only ever used water though and I use a light oil on my necks, so I pretty much break all the rules myself anyway.
Great video, working on a similiar project with a teisco Tulip style guitar. Do you happen to have a link to the jaguar style bridge you bought? I assume I can buy any old fender jaguar bridge
Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment Chalooby. That is Awesome! Glad to hear you are bringing one back to life. Save all the department store guitars! Unfortunately the one I purchased is no longer available but this one looks to be identical to it: www.amazon.com/dp/B08FJ9F1B8/ref=sspa_dk_detail_4?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B08FJ9F1B8&pd_rd_w=3DDm6&content-id=amzn1.sym.bff6e147-54ad-4be3-b4ea-ec19ea6167f7&pf_rd_p=bff6e147-54ad-4be3-b4ea-ec19ea6167f7&pf_rd_r=ZBHMMMCQ755WB7CMD47A&pd_rd_wg=0oZl8&pd_rd_r=9e7fee24-ccd0-42ca-98be-324af6c6a39b&s=musical-instruments&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzWUk1VE4yR1NZVUYmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA5MjA1ODAyR0FITFVVSUhRVDI3JmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA5MTE2OTcyNEFXQTNMNFhZRVZLJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfZGV0YWlsMiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=
@@heavymetalATC I bought this and it arrived today. It does not fit on mine as it is too wide. My existing teisco bridge looks to be the same as yours in the video.
that cleaner is called dihydrogen monoxide
That would be the one sir.. That stuff is aweful. If you drink it all your life you'll pass away. Hahaha! Thank you for watching and taking the time to write a humorous comment Vincent.
I have a teisco tulip and thought I could replace the foil inside with gold... Do u think that would sound good?
Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to comment Boi Mesa. Well this is the thing... unfortunately that foil doesn't really do anything in the pickup, its pretty much for looks. Its actually just a paper card with a reflective surface like the foil inside of a box of chocolates, But if you have a tulip with gold foils in it, you got something people lust after. Those guitars and especially the pickups are highly desirable which is surely why this guitar was missing the original one. I made a video on building a gold foil from scratch it will show the construction and explain the function of the parts: ua-cam.com/video/ZBHkPltaavg/v-deo.html
@@heavymetalATC sadly mine doesn't have the gold foil in it
That's a sweet guitar brother good job.
Thank you so much Alex. It blew away all my expectations for sure. Also surprisingly playable from my past experience with the 60s Japanese department store guitars I did not think it would be. Thanks again for taking the time to watch and write a comment.
Clementine brother please show us the way to make squire tuners great with just adjusting the nut.
Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment Ai. I actually have a made in China Squire bullet strat and it has factory tuners and I have never had a problem with them even one has a wiggle to the key but functions just fine. Sometimes a tuning head can have a mechanical problem that will allow it to slip or shift but I as far as my Squire I haven't noticed these problems. Setup of the nut and nut-slots is a crucial factor there can be no binding, Also the way the strings are wound on the peg is a big factor and also you must always tune the string up to pitch never down. The neck or tremolo system can cause a ton of issues with tuning stability but in my own experience of messing around with cheap guitars and partscasters, it is rarely actually the tuner that is causing the tuning issue. I'll put this in my notes and If/when I do a video on this subject I'll use the squire as an example and I will give you a shoutout.
@@heavymetalATC Thank you brother
Yep, I thought that is what you had there. Btw, how do I repair my Teisco's fret board? The thing has a chuck of wood out of it like I saw on yours. I always thought it was played to death, but the fret height is the same as yours, and you made mention about that, so now I am not so sure. I am missing a knob, the whammy bar, and the nut was broken on the low E so needs that. I have no idea if it works because I plugged it in, and got nothing. It needs a lot of work, and one day I may actually do some to it if I can find a sensible source for the parts it needs. Btw, not having a schematic doesn't help because I have never seen a guitar with slide switches and rocker switches too.
Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment and share your info General. If the wood is missing on the dark part of the fret board you can get a product called "plastic wood" its like a 1 part bondo or putty filler that contains wood fibers, it comes in several different colors and it also can be blended with stain or stained afterwards. Sand it smooth and you are good to go. If the piece is missing on the part that was originally colored or covered with nitro finish you can use some wood filler or saw dust and super glue to fill it and mix a little paint to color the place and then sand it back and use the super glue to repair the clear nitro by placing it thick and then doing a progressive sanding from rough 220 or so to a very fine grit like 2500 like I did in the video and it will shine right up and become invisible. Also Yes these vintage Japanese guitars have very small fret wire. It is hard to do a fret level job on them without going to far so I just did a clean up. You can find the original knobs and nuts used on reverb or ebay. I looked at some of them but man they want the big $ for that stuff now, so I just measured and found cheaper stuff that worked. It turned out that a bone nut for a martin acoustic was just right. So thats a good upgrade for less $ though it isnt original. I have heard that the tremolo bars are notoriously rare and hard to find I have not looked for those yet. This guitars electronics were also silent on the first test but cleaning the contacts on the output jack was all that was needed to get it going. So that may be the case with yours as for the switches Brad the Guitologist has some good info on how to clean and repair those Teisco switches as for a schematic maybe someone in a Teisco forum or on the TeiscoTwangers website could help you with that? Surprisingly these old department store guitars are worth decent $ now days so If you felt that you were not attached to the guitar and didnt want to go through buying the expensive original parts and doing the repair. I'm sure you could clean it up and sell it as is for enough to buy a good new guitar. I have a feeling that's not your plans though. LOL Thanks again for watching and taking the time to write such an in depth and interesting comment.
@@heavymetalATC It is the top of the fret board like yours, and we have the same colored freboard (dark Maple?), I have no attachment to this guitar, but it is calling to me. Help me, make me better. SHIT! btw, in with it was a bass from Sears, but the owner kept the pick guard, and all electronics with it. :/ Same vintage.
The frets are so low I bet if a gnat crawled next to it it would probably stick up higher than the fret.
I wish I could show you this guitar because I looked around a few months ago for the replacement parts, and daaaaaaamn the parts were hideously priced for it. The actual guitar is about 600usd.
@@heavymetalATC Check your possible spam as the links I sent to you disappeared on UA-cam. Should be in your studio.
@@generalawareness101 It seems I am unable to get links from anyone? I think Alaric Paley also sent me some links and I didnt get those either. He seems to be VERY knowledgeable about this type and vintage instrument. He was able to identify the one in the video immediately as a Palmer/Tempo made by Matsumoko. His #1 guitar is a Teisco and I also saw a nice Danelectro bass on his channel. He may be able to help you find parts and Identify exactly what you have?
@@heavymetalATC No, idea but how do I reach him? btw, the guitar you showed was on that Teisco page in one of their Japanese ads from back then so I am confused.
That Ain't a Teisco for one. V:
Also, Kawai (The same one that still build Pianos, actually) bought Teisco in 67. Teisco guitars almost all had Zero-frets and a heel adjust trussrod, easiest way to peg them.
This looks more like a very early Matsumoku (Early MIJ Epiphone maker, also the makers of Vantage Guitars) then anything to me - the shape, the headstock, the very rounded neck plate and the notch in the pickguard all look correct for that. This would have likely been sold under Palmer/Tempo branding. They were often a parts company, supplying Vox, Guyatone, FujiGen Gakki, Kanda Shokai (Greco), Hoshino Gakki (Ibanez), Nippon Gakki (Yamaha), Hondo and even Univox with various guitar parts.
Thank you SO much for the info Alaric. I was hoping someone could tell me what it is. I just looked up Palmer and I think you nailed it. Wow you have a great knowledge of vintage Japanese guitars! Thanks again. Where did you learn all this stuff, do you collect and deal in retro MIJ guitars? Anyway awesome info brother I appreciate it.
@@heavymetalATC My main guitar is a 1969 Teisco 1412, I went down the rabbit hole trying to identify it. Turns out mine is a very odd factory parts build, so definitive ID was difficult - Wrong Tremolo, but it was clearly factory installed. Took a lot of cross reference.
That and picking up some others at flea markets etc, led into knowing what to look for when IDing import guitars of that era.
@@alaricpaley6865 I have a Teisco my sister found in the garbage can a few years ago, but I can't id it. I can get close but never exactly it.
@@generalawareness101 Sometimes It's difficult. Mine has the pick-guard and pickups from 68-69, but the trem system is from 64 - A design abandoned by Kawai for needing a body rout. It's almost certainly a 1969 Christmas special, thrown together to meet a quota.
It's also easy to get confused by the fact that a lot of parts are shared between the manufacturers. Some of the early Hondo Korean guitars used Japanese parts from Kawai for example.
@@alaricpaley6865 I place this around 1968/1969, but, as you said, it is damn hard to tell. I want to give it some love and repair it, but I need a schematic or something for the wiring as these things are just flat out weird in comparison to modern guitars.
sounds great, you still have it?
Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment Digi. Oh, yes this is my go-to guitar for any easy going thick juicy rhythm part. The placement of this pickup was kind of a revelation to me, its between the neck and middle position of a strat, and apparently that is a "sweet spot".
@@heavymetalATC thank you for responding back! i’m glad that it has a good tone. i have a japanese teisco offset that i absolutely love. i’m thinking about doing what you did and replace the bridge with a jaguar bridge, it’s a brilliant idea!
Hard drugs😂😂😂😂😂
Yeah LOL I thought somebody might get a kick out of that. I figired the YT robot would see what I was doing and misjudge what it was so I might as well make a joke about it HAHAHA! Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment Lisen.
Man you videos are amazing and the intro always gets me 😂😂
BTW I've sent some plans through insta do check em when you are free
And stay safe
First
😂
Indeed you are 1st Bharat. Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment. As well as for showing such interest and being so active on the channel. I appreciate that truly.
Bloody horrible 🤨
Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment Bobsi. I gotta say for a guitar that was stripped and broken for 20+ years it became my No.1 axe. I love this thing.