Teisco Spectrum 5 Solid Body Electric Guitar (1967)
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Item # 13536
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Teisco Spectrum 5 Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1967), made in Japan, serial # 256041, Candy Apple Red finish, hardwood body and neck, rosewood fingerboard, original black hard shell case.
This Spectrum 5 is the highest grade of Teisco product, one of the finest, most stylish and colorful electric guitars to come out of the mid-'60s "Japanese Invasion." This Candy Apple Red hot rod is absolutely one of Teisco's very best creations, a top-of-the-line instrument that remains a fan favorite today. This is exactly the type of colorful, whimsical fun guitar that encapsulates all one would want out of a 1960's Japanese electric in the rare red lacquer finish no less!
The hardwood body resembles something like a Jazzmaster emerged from a Manga hurricane with an offset waist and wavy double cutaways, accented by a deep German curve all along the top edge. The slim maple neck has a rosewood fingerboard with mushroom-esque inlays topped by a space age 4-and-2 Fender-esque headstock. The guitar also features one of Teisco's many proprietary vibrato systems operated by a large flat arm, feeding over an adjustable bridge which elevates in twin cradles screwed to the body. The top-loaded bridge and vibrato are all one unit, with saddle intonation and bridge height adjustable via flathead screws.
The electronics are the true star of the Spectrum: it offers a choice of mono or stereo output with those five eye-catching "rainbow" selector switches that give the guitar its name controlled by a master tone and volume knob. This system features 3 pairs of slightly staggered block pole pickups, an aesthetic choice that shows its merits when the guitar is in stereo. In mono, the sound is typical of the punchy jangly fun one might expect from a psychedelic Japanese factory guitar. In stereo, it becomes capable of some rather impressive feats; run one output to a dirty amp on the verge of breakup for long sustained drones and feedback while running the other to a clean amp through some reverb for a soaring solo over your own wall of sound. This guitar is capable of more than meets the eye 9and ear) to a creative player. Paired with a couple amps it can open rarely-experienced sonic vistas and look stunning doing it.
Overall length is 41 in. (104.1 cm.), 14 3/4 in. (37.5 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/8 in. (3.5 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 1/2 in. (622 mm.). Width of nut is 1 9/16 in. (40 mm.).
This eye-catching Teisco is in overall very clean and original condition, resplendent in its original rarer Candy Apple Red finish. There are a few dinks and dents here and there, most notably a little chew on the lower bass side bout, but nothing major and the bulk of the guitar looks virtually untouched. The back of the neck has a dark spot in the finish that appears to be a factory flaw.
The complex and wonderful electronics are entirely unaltered or repaired; all five of the "rainbow" switches work like a charm as does the mono/stereo switch. There is a lot of fun to be had experimenting with the stereo functionality of the Spectrum! All hardware is original and in shining clean shape: the Teisco embellished bridge/vibrato system, the serial number plate below the neck plate, the starburst engraved tuner covers and the silver top hat knobs.
The original small frets rest in the rosewood fingerboard with minimal wear, and the guitar resides in its original functional black hardshell case. The finishing and fretwork on the Spectrum models was the best of what Teisco offered, and if not as friendly a player as, say, a 1960s Jazzmaster by its own standards this is a superb, great playing example overall, simply as fine as these get. Overall Excellent - Condition.
This Spectrum 5 is the highest grade of Teisco product, one of the finest, most stylish and colorful electric guitars to come out of the mid-'60s "Japanese Invasion." This Candy Apple Red hot rod is absolutely one of Teisco's very best creations, a top-of-the-line instrument that remains a fan favorite today. This is exactly the type of colorful, whimsical fun guitar that encapsulates all one would want out of a 1960's Japanese electric in the rare red lacquer finish no less!
The hardwood body resembles something like a Jazzmaster emerged from a Manga hurricane with an offset waist and wavy double cutaways, accented by a deep German curve all along the top edge. The slim maple neck has a rosewood fingerboard with mushroom-esque inlays topped by a space age 4-and-2 Fender-esque headstock. The guitar also features one of Teisco's many proprietary vibrato systems operated by a large flat arm, feeding over an adjustable bridge which elevates in twin cradles screwed to the body. The top-loaded bridge and vibrato are all one unit, with saddle intonation and bridge height adjustable via flathead screws.
The electronics are the true star of the Spectrum: it offers a choice of mono or stereo output with those five eye-catching "rainbow" selector switches that give the guitar its name controlled by a master tone and volume knob. This system features 3 pairs of slightly staggered block pole pickups, an aesthetic choice that shows its merits when the guitar is in stereo. In mono, the sound is typical of the punchy jangly fun one might expect from a psychedelic Japanese factory guitar. In stereo, it becomes capable of some rather impressive feats; run one output to a dirty amp on the verge of breakup for long sustained drones and feedback while running the other to a clean amp through some reverb for a soaring solo over your own wall of sound. This guitar is capable of more than meets the eye 9and ear) to a creative player. Paired with a couple amps it can open rarely-experienced sonic vistas and look stunning doing it.
Overall length is 41 in. (104.1 cm.), 14 3/4 in. (37.5 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/8 in. (3.5 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 1/2 in. (622 mm.). Width of nut is 1 9/16 in. (40 mm.).
This eye-catching Teisco is in overall very clean and original condition, resplendent in its original rarer Candy Apple Red finish. There are a few dinks and dents here and there, most notably a little chew on the lower bass side bout, but nothing major and the bulk of the guitar looks virtually untouched. The back of the neck has a dark spot in the finish that appears to be a factory flaw.
The complex and wonderful electronics are entirely unaltered or repaired; all five of the "rainbow" switches work like a charm as does the mono/stereo switch. There is a lot of fun to be had experimenting with the stereo functionality of the Spectrum! All hardware is original and in shining clean shape: the Teisco embellished bridge/vibrato system, the serial number plate below the neck plate, the starburst engraved tuner covers and the silver top hat knobs.
The original small frets rest in the rosewood fingerboard with minimal wear, and the guitar resides in its original functional black hardshell case. The finishing and fretwork on the Spectrum models was the best of what Teisco offered, and if not as friendly a player as, say, a 1960s Jazzmaster by its own standards this is a superb, great playing example overall, simply as fine as these get. Overall Excellent - Condition.