1960s Teisco E-200 "Tulip" Electric Guitar
Update Deember 2022: this has come back in on trade so I've updated the photos, description, and added a new video...
While bearing no branding (update: the owner fit a repro Teisco badge to the headstock), this has an E-200 model mark on the neck plate. The "standard issue" Teisco "tulip" model (which looks almost the same, save chrome-covered pickups and a wide pickguard) is the ET-200, so it's not a long stretch to assume this used to have a Teisco or Teisco Del Rey mark stuck to the headstock when it was new.
Like a lot of late-'60s or early-'70s Teisco budget models, the neck is multi-multi-ply maple (sort-of like a Framus) and has a rosewood fretboard. The two pickups are single-coils but spankier and more lively than your average metal-covered "tulip" pickups which tend towards dark and fiunky. The controls are simple -- on/off slider switches for each pickup and master volume and tone controls.
While they're simple guitars, if you find one of these "as-is" they often play like total garbage. They really need to be gone-through to bring the best out of them, and I've definitely gone through this one head to toe and now it's playing fast and easy and it has its own, classic sort-of tone.
Repairs included: a fret level/dress, side dots install, compensation added to the bridge (for 3-wound, 3-plain, modern stringing), string trees added (to replace a broken original downpressure bar/tree), one replacement pot and cap for the wiring, a new Switchcraft jack, and new ground wire to the tailpiece, cleaning, and setup.
Body wood: not sure
Bridge: one-piece height-adjustable
Fretboard: rosewood
Neck wood: multi-ply maple
Pickups: 2x single coil in plastic covers
Action height at 12th fret: 1/16" overall (fast)
String gauges: 46w-10
Neck shape: medium C
Board radius: ~12"
Truss rod: adjustable
Neck relief: straight
Fret style: medium-low
Scale length: 24 5/8"
Nut width: 1 11/16"
Body width: 12"
Body depth: 1 3/16"
Weight: 5 lbs 12 oz
Condition notes: the original string tree/downpressure bar at the nut is broken/missing, it has replacement string trees, a replacement jack, replacement tone pot and capacitor, replacement ground wire, and a modified (compensation added) bridge. The knobs appear to be '80s-era replacements and the finish on the body has lots of weather-check/hairline finish cracking. There's also the usual plethora of small scratches and usewear marks throughout. Both pickup covers have a little damage but are holding-up fine. The bridge pickup is shimmed-up with leather pads a bit to get it closer to the strings. All the pickguard mounting screws are replacements. The on/off slider switches are a little noisy in use but work fine.
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