The first versions of these fabulous pickups were wound hot and in series, and truly sound amazing. which were found on a number of other Teisco models as well. Teisco later fitted the ET-440 with square pickups housing square pole pieces. The gray top pickups are really rather rare and help the keen-eyed observer place this model firmly in the 1964-’65 range. And although these pickups sound very good, with a little bit of old Rickenbacker tone in them, they’re sealed and just about impossible to repair. When set up properly, it was probably among the first of the old Teisco tremolo units that could actually hold a tune! The ET-440 also featured a nice adjustable bridge.Įarly versions of the ET-440 were sometimes equipped with grey-colored pickups ( Photo 3) with rounded S-style edges. Gone was the sketchy old clamshell tremolo, and in its place was a large floating-plate tremolo that was quite the feat of engineering. Its body shape featured longer bouts and a few more curves than the older, boxy, and clunkier Teisco models, making the 440 much sleeker. Still, the guitar with all the bells and whistles was the ET-440. This was the same year Teisco introduced a truly awesome 6-string bass (TB-64), as well as an interesting amp-in-guitar model called the TRG-1. The ET-400 made its first appearance in a Japanese music trades magazine, where a brand-new Teisco lineup was introduced in June of 1964 ( Photo 2). The Japan-based Teisco had already been introducing new models every year, and constantly tweaking things like headstock shapes, fretboard inlays, and pickup designs. The introduction of the Teisco ET-440 coincided with the huge jump in worldwide electric guitar sales in the ’60s. Gone was the sketchy old clamshell tremolo, and in its place was a newer, large floating-plate tremolo that was quite the feat of engineering. Tip: Search “Van Halen Teisco mom” and you’ll be offered up a nice old photo of a young, beaming Eddie with his mom and guitar. So, for this month’s column, I want to shed a bit of light on both the model and Teisco’s place in the electric guitar explosion at the time. Like so many youngsters in the ’60s and ’70s, Eddie’s very first axe was a Teisco ET-440 ( Photo 1). Gift giving is a big thing in Japan, and I figured the best gift I could offer Tadashi was that signed stub.ĭuring my last visit to Matsumoto City, we spent a lot of time talking about all the guitars Eddie used over the years. My best friend in Japan, named Tadashi, is a huge fan, and his most prized possession is a signed ticket stub I got from a local teenager when Van Halen played in my area. While Van Halen the band was worshipped there in their early days, Eddie, in particular, was absolutely revered. I’ve also been remembering his popularity in Japan. Like so many others, I’ve been thinking a lot about the passing of Eddie Van Halen this past month.
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