The Unique Guitar Blog: The Teisco Spectrum Five Guitar

The Teddybears

In 1964 there was a huge interest in the electric guitar mostly due to The British Invasion of the popular music acts. The median US income that year was $6,000 with many adults earning much less. With that in mind understand that leisure spending was tough on a budget for most families.

To accommodate budding rockstars many parents turned to the cheaper offerings from catalog stores such as Sear, Montgomery Ward, or J.C. Penny. There were plenty of guitars offered by all of these companies.

1964 Teisco Catalog

These guitar, basses, and other instruments were imported from Japan by broker/distribution companies such as Jack Westheimer, and his Chicago company W.M.I.,or Bugeleisen and Jacobson of New York. In the U.K. Rose Morris Music did the same. Lots of these instruments were then wholesaled to one of the aforementioned retailers.

One of the Japanese manufacturers was a company which eventually became known as Teisco. This acronym loosely translates to Tokyo Electric Instrument and Sound Company. It sounded different in Japanese, but according to the company founder he simply liked the name Teisco.

Teisco Factory 1954

The original company shipped countless low cost, low quality guitars and bass guitars worldwide, especially to the United States where most instruments were rebranded with a different ‘badge’ that the retailer chose such as Silvertone, Kent, Duke, Cameo, Encore, Hy Lo, Kimberly, Kingston, Norma, Sonatone, Zim-Gar, Kay, and Audition.

Kawai Built Teisco Del Rey

In 1967 the Kawai Musical Instrument Company purchased Teisco and its assets. Kawai discontinued the Teisco name for guitars using it only on electronic keyboards. The brand name chosen for guitars would now be known as Teisco Del Rey (Teisco the king).

At the time many Japanese manufacturers believed that Spanish sounding names seemed to promote an image of quality in their guitars.

Most of these imported budget instruments, though playable, were still of poor quality. However, Teisco did hit upon one gem. But it was expensive.

Spectrum 5

Introduced around late 1966, the Spectrum 5 was a seriously ambitious guitar that carried a whopping retail price of $375 in the 1967. That price kept this guitar out of reach of most players. Especially when a band new Fender Stratocaster retailed for $289.

The Spectrum 5 was one of the first designs built by Kawai after they bought Teisco and moved production to their plant in Hamamatsu, Japan.

The catalogs spoke of a durable finish using seven coats of lacquer and a strong, thin neck made of laminated ebony, the same wood also featured on the fretboard.

This guitar included intricate electronics for its stereo sound. There were three split pickups (six really) allowing a player to use two amplifiers. Each guitar had two jacks. The bass strings would go to one amp, while the treble strings go to another.

Spectrum 5

Aside from the single tone and volume controls, these guitars had five push switches for different sound combinations. The switches were spring loaded, so the player could only choose one at a time. Hence the name Spectrum 5.

The guitars tremolo bridge was also a brand-new endeavor, and the model’s tremolo cover is as rare and sought-after as the guitar itself. This instrument included a “Fender” inspired adjustable bridge/saddle.

This guitars solid mahogany body was thin and featured a unique shape with a sculpted German carved top. The ebony neck with odd inlays, that appear to be parachutes and was heavily lacquered. Perhaps the company was going for a Rickenbacker vibe. The literature at the time stated they used seven coats of lacquer on the guitars 22 fret neck (which included the zero fret). The binding on the neck is herringbone style with four thin parallel lines in black and white.

Spectrum 5 Headstock

The unusual headstock had a 4 by 2 arrangements for the tuning keys. It is said that the slim neck. Kawai/Teisco used five pieces of ebony wood for the neck on some of these guitars, the same wood they used for the fretboard. Many of the necks were Maple with a Rosewood fretboard. It is said that these guitars had wonderful necks, and an unusually bright sound. They were well balanced guitars.

Spectrum 5

These guitars are scarce due to the original price. Kawai made perfect reissues in the early ’90s, but they’re as hard to find as the originals. They are selling in the $3,000 price range for an original 1966 model.

Silvertone World Teisco Ad

The good people at Silvertone World recently posted an advertisement for Teisco Guitars from a Teisco catalog on their Facebook page. The ad shows the Spectrum 5 being offered at only $159.95 with a plush case selling for $41.95. Now there was an affordable deal!

Eastwood Replica Spectrum 5

Eastwood replica guitars offered a Spectrum 5 model in the past with a different tremolo system, a border surrounding the body, and a six-on-a-side headstock.

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