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It is hard to imagine today, but in the early 1960's having an electric guitar in your home was rare.
In fact, it was likely that your parents were steering you in the direction of accordion lessons.
Yikes! The Beatles - and of course others - stopped all that. Suddenly, electric guitars were #1 on
every kids Christmas list. Companies that had been manufacturing Accordions for 20 years, retooled
for electric guitars. EKO was at the forefront, and within 2 years they were shipping over 10,000
electric guitars to USA per year. For most North American kids, including myself, their first guitar was
an EKO or some Japanese import. Fender, Gibson, Gretsch, Rickenbacker... these were all too expensive for
our parents to buy for us. Hence, the foreign guitar manufacturers gave us what we wanted. Tip of the iceberg!
Here I've highlights a few of my 60's guitars, but it only scratches the surface. If you would like to add YOUR 60's
guitar story, please email me. |
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1959 Fender Musicmaker |
1965 Fender DuoSonic |
Early 60's Airline |
Early 60's Airline Bass |
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ABOVE: A nifty 1959 Musicmaker. I took it to the local luthier and asked him to
refinish it, to remove the awful sticker. He said, "What?! That's a Vintage Sticker!" It took me a
while, but now I see his point of view. A couple of Duo-Sonics. I guess I need a Mustang. Got one? The Airline Guitars were sold
through Montgomery Ward.
BELOW: Perhaps my favorite 1960's guitars, the Domino's. I have owned MANY Domino Californian's over the years
(the VOX Phantom copy). They are fun to fix up and fun to play. Domino made one of the better quality reproduction
guitars in the late sixties. The Spartan pickguard was autographed by Edwyn Collins. |
| A pair of Domino Californian's |
Domino Californian |
Domino Baron |
Domino Dawson |
Domino Spartan |
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(definitely male!) |
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| BELOW: If your first electric guitar was in the 1960's, there is a good chance it was a Teisco.
Here are a few from the mid-sixties. The Teisco Del Ray was perhaps the most popular student guitar from the 1960's.
No wonder guitars became so popular in the sixties, would you rather be playing a Teisco Del Ray or an accordion? |
| Teisco ET-200 |
Teisco ET- |
Teisco ET- |
Teisco EP-7T |
Teisco EV-3T |
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| Teisco V2 |
EKO Cobra 12 |
Galanti |
Victoria |
Regent |
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ABOVE: One last Teisco, a Mosrite Joe Maphis copy. Then, a couple of Italian masterpieces: The Cobra is one
of a dozen or so NOS guitars that I picked up when the Milwaukee connection flushed their last holdings. The Galanti, on the
other hand, is quite a rare bird. I've seen a few in Europe, but not over here. It is an extremely well made piece. The Victoria.
I must say that this is perhaps one of the coolest guitars I have.This is truly a work of art. Art Deco. What a looker. The Regent
is from Canada, the name Regent was a Canadian label for GUYATONE.
BELOW: A few more Guyatones, the second one has a set neck, may be from the late fifties. Check out the pickguard on the middle
one. Awesome! Next to it is an inexpensive Prestige Mosrite copy. Can anyone help with the one on the end? |
| Guyatone |
Guyatone SetNeck |
Tradition (Zen-On) |
Prestige |
Teisco? |
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| Coral |
Coral Refurb |
Norma |
Norma |
Norma - Burns Copy |
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ABOVE: Far left is a guitar I lust after, but have never owned. I found it in a shop in San Diego but they
were asking around $2000 for it. I found the one next to it on EBAY - in a severe state of dsrepair - for $100. I installed
a tune-o-matic bridge and a Bigsby. Awesome player! Next to that are a couple of Norma's and another attempt at copying the
Burns pickguard.
BELOW: One last entry level Norma, then a totally cool EKO Florentine. I picked this up from the LoDuca remnants. It is a
semi-hollow that looks like a cross between an SG and a 335. Believe it or not, it plays like a dream!. Next to that is a
Hi-Lo (also available from Ibanez). The funniest review I have ever read on Harmony central was about a Hi-Lo guitar. Crazy! A KAY SG and an unknown... |
| Norma |
EKO Florentine |
Hi-Lo Burns Copy |
Kay SG (60's or 70's) |
Teisco Sprectrum |
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| Univox Custom Hi-Flyer |
Montclair Burns Copy |
Welson Concord |
Teisco Spectrum 2 |
Another Domino Californian |
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ABOVE: Wickedly popular Univox Hi-Flyer. This one is one ofthe earliest models. Next to that is a
"Montclair" Burns copy, just like the Hi-Lo pictured earlier. A Welson Concord from Italy. Nice guitar
and hard to find.
BELOW: A Stafford semi-hollow body. A beautiful Hagstrom II and a Hagstrom Futurama. Hagstrom made some wonderful guitars
with exceptionally fast necks. The greenburst is a Kawai and then a single pickup version of the Domino Baron. |
| Stafford |
Hagstrom II |
Hagstrom Futurama |
Kawai Greenburst |
Domino Baron |
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| EKO 700 4V |
EKO 700 3V |
EKO 500 3V |
Cobra |
Cobra Bass |
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ABOVE: Another of my favorite designs, the EKO 700, in two models, 4V and 3V. Equally nifty is the 500 3V.
According to my neighbor, one of the best playing guitars in the entire collection, the single pickup 1967 Red Cobra. Next
to that is it's brother the Cobra Bass.
BELOW: According to me, one of the best playing guitars in the collection, the Goya Rangemaster. Made in Italy. As is the
beautiful Red Galanti and the Espana 335. The Espana is identical to the VOX Lynx. The GL Rangemaster is another outstanding
Italian guitar. Lastly is a token Airline Bass with a white Gumby headstock. |
| Goya Rangemaster |
Red Galanti |
Espana 335 |
GL Rangemaster |
Airline Bass |
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| Kawai 4 P/U |
Teisco May Queen |
Norma Barney Kessel |
Teisco ET460 |
Sekova Bison |
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ABOVE: More unusual suspects. Another Kawai 4 p/u Bison-like beast. Then, the ever-popular but VERY hard to
find 1967 Teisco May Queen. (You can find a nice May Queen re-issue on the 1990+ page). A very rare Norma split p/u Barney Kessel design. The timeless Teisco ET460 Del Ray and a simple Sekova
Bison.
BELOW: As you can see, we got our walls painted the other day, hope you like it! Anyway, on the left is an AWESOME Kawai Bass.
This baby looks, feels, plays like no other Bass from its time. REALLY well made, big and heavy (the picture scale looks small
but this is bigger than a Fender Precision). Next to that is a nice Silvertone Mosrite with slider controls. Interesting because
it as an indiviual slider volume for each pickup, so you can dial in an unlimited variety of tones. A 1965 Hofner Galaxie. An
early 1960's Vivona which was made by EKO, and a wee Hi-Tone. Wee guitar, HUGE head. Great canoe paddle. |
| Kawai Monster Bass |
Silvertone Mosrite Slider |
Hofner Galaxie |
Vivona |
Hi-Tone |
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| 1962 Fender Musicmaster |
Goya Rangemaster |
Goya Rangemaster |
Galanti |
Espana Viola |
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ABOVE: Here is a nice '62 Fender Musicmaster. Then two sweet GOYA Rangemasters and a wacky Galanti. Cool,
Rare, but wacky! Next is one of my current favorites, a 6-string Espana Viola shaped guitar. Extremely well made guitar.
This guitar was also made at the VOX factory, and shares all the same parts and finish ast the 335 style Espana pictured
way up above.
BELOW: A beautiful Ampeg AMUB-1 Fretless Bass. Nice piece. Next, a MINT 60's Airline Barney Kessel featuring the very cool
"Kleenex Box" pickups. Next is NOT a Univox Hi-Flyer, but a RAVEN. This is exactly the same as the Univox, but
was imported to Canada under the brand Raven. Then, a 9.5 Silvertone Mosrite and a VERY odd and curious guitar labeled
CONTESSA. It is from Italy, and looks, feels, smells, just like the JG Italians. Unbelievealby good player. |
Ampeg AMUB-1
Fretless Bass |
Airline Barney Kessel
Kleenex Box Pickups |
Raven Mosrite |
Silvertone Mosrite |
Contessa |
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| BELOW: On the left is a RARE Wandre Doris from the mid 1960's. A true work of art. Next is a nice '67 Fender
Jaguar and the '67 Domino Spartan, costing about 7000% less. Lastly, an EKO Florentine Bass with it's partner 6-string. |
| Wandre Doris |
'67 Fender Jaguar |
'67 Domino Spartan |
EKO Florentine Bass & Guitar |
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| Fender Music Master |
Any ideas here? |
Teisco EP-7 |
Univox U2 |
1967 Domino Bass |
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| '67 Mosrite Combo |
'63 Supro Res-o-Glass |
'67 Supro Stratford |
'62 Airline Res-o-Glass |
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| Below is a MINT early 1960's Airline with original case. This guitar is extremely rare. It is owned by a
friend of mine that brought it over last week to tease me! ouch! Fortunately he agreed to let me share some pictures with
you. Thanks David! Take a look, she's a beauty! (stop drooling!) |
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