NBD - 60's Teisco Del Rey

[JIO]

Just scored this super-cool Teisco bass from the 60's. These were new when I first started playing -my 1st bass was a Stadium (also called St George) which is similar. (don't see these come up for sale at all) I saw a cool trio play two nights ago locally and the bass player played one like it. It looked so rad and sounded great through his Fender 100 head/fridge cab that I searched this one out. This is the sellers lead pic and unfortunately I can't download the others. Looks to be in great shape - the neck is a multi-lam that looks almost 80's - really awesome! I think it's a 34" scale, but I just saw a listing for another one (selling for quite a bit more) that states 30". I swear the bass like it I saw the other night looked full scale. Maybe it's an illusion of the HUGE headstock! Either way is cool - I have a 70's hollow-body Conrad ss that is so much fun playing.Will post pics once I get it which may be awhile as it's in NY and local pu only. (a friend is assisting me here) Psyched!

 

[katalyzt13]

I really enjoy old weird-looking instruments, especially those crafted in Japan.

 

[Nedmundo]

Very cool! I like the quirky Jazzmaster vibe. Let us know how it sounds after you've fired it up.

 

[Bobby Bass]

I have one just like it. 1965 looks like. My bridge cover is missing & body is kinda beat up. How much did you pay for it, if you don't mind?

 

[M.R. Ogle]

You guys are KILLIN' me... GAS attack....

(as I open a second browser window to eBay and search "Teisco Bass".
Darn you. Darn you all to Heck.)

 

[JIO]

You guys are KILLIN' me... GAS attack....

(as I open a second browser window to eBay and search "Teisco Bass".
Darn you. Darn you all to Heck.)

That's exactly how I ended up with mine! (hint; Teisco EB-200 Del Rey bass to be exact - EB-100 is the 1 pu model)

 

[JIO]

I have one just like it. 1965 looks like. My bridge cover is missing & body is kinda beat up. How much did you pay for it, if you don't mind? View attachment 898943 View attachment 898944

I paid way less than one I found that sold recently on Gbase, and about the same compared to another (eBay) - so I think I did alright. It was on Reverb, and the owner accepted a lower offer - that's all I'll say. I don't think there is a "going rate" of these 60's basses that were made in Japan - it seems to fluctuate over time. Seems like they sell for whatever someone is willing to pay at a given point in time but in general are affordable in retrospect. Yes, these basses sold for under $100 new (I bought my similar Stadium bass new for $40 - no case in '66, which is probably the same year as this bass) but regardless of being hip or whatever - everything appreciates over time.
I've been doing research and am finding minor differences within this model. (different years) Many have the striped aluminum pg/hs plates common on Teisco's, some have a printed metal "Del Rey" badge on the hs (like yours), different pu shapes - rounded or squared, different tuners (maybe some were swapped by past owners)… but the neck on this one seems somewhat unique, or at least is a very nice example. Like I said - it looks like an 80's striped-lam 3 piece neck. (thick dark-light vertical laminates) Actually my 70's Matsumoku factory Conrad also has a 3-piece neck, but with all the same (maple) colour. This Del Rey has the serial/model #plate on the back top of the huge hs, and a blank neck plate, more or less like a Fender. And it is 30" (ss) but because of the long body and reeeally l-o-n-g hs - it looks like a 34" scale bass. In fact - I found a youtube vid of someone playing a '64 TB64 6-string bass/baritone version of this bass and it looked and sounded awesome!

 

[Bugeyed Earl]

That's totally rad, happy NBD! I wouldn't be surprised if it's a short scale, judging by the bridge location on the body...

Oops, beat to the punch on the scale question ^^

 

[JIO]

That's totally rad, happy NBD! I wouldn't be surprised if it's a short scale, judging by the bridge location on the body...

It is - see above same moment post! Totally Rad is the perfect description - organ toggles rule!

 

[JIO]

This is the uber-cool baritone Del Rey I mentioned above - love love love the design of this beast! Check out the elbow bout cut-away! Cool colour too! This model explains the huge hs!

 

[JimmyM]

That is one hot little bass!

 

[Dynacord]

I always dug those. I remember one over at Subway in Berkeley and we had a couple at Real Guitars in SF (I used to work there in the early '90s). Never saw one with a 34" scale - which does not mean they don't exist - would be great in that configuration. Congrats!

 

[Roxbororob]

Great (no awesome) bass! Absolutely love it.
Im not clear though, do you actually have it or is it on its way?

Love to see more of it and your other cool stuff.

 

[RED J]

That's the Johnny Paycheck bass. (60's country singer ) here he is with George Jones before his solo career.

 

[Ross W. Lovell]

Just scored this super-cool Teisco bass from the 60's. These were new when I first started playing -my 1st bass was a Stadium (also called St George) which is similar. (don't see these come up for sale at all) I saw a cool trio play two nights ago locally and the bass player played one like it. It looked so rad and sounded great through his Fender 100 head/fridge cab that I searched this one out. This is the sellers lead pic and unfortunately I can't download the others. Looks to be in great shape - the neck is a multi-lam that looks almost 80's - really awesome! I think it's a 34" scale, but I just saw a listing for another one (selling for quite a bit more) that states 30". I swear the bass like it I saw the other night looked full scale. Maybe it's an illusion of the HUGE headstock! Either way is cool - I have a 70's hollow-body Conrad ss that is so much fun playing.Will post pics once I get it which may be awhile as it's in NY and local pu only. (a friend is assisting me here) Psyched!

View attachment 898828

My first guitar was a Teisco.

Popsicle stick laminated neck.

Still have the neck mounted in a Strat clone body.

Never saw a bass.

 

[Dluxe]

 

[JIO]

Thanks for posting - a great way to start my Sunday!

 

[JIO]

That's the Johnny Paycheck bass. (60's country singer ) here he is with George Jones before his solo career.


View attachment 899089

Awesome! Love Johnny Paycheck and George Jones - thanks for posting!

 

[JIO]

Great (no awesome) bass! Absolutely love it.
Im not clear though, do you actually have it or is it on its way?

Love to see more of it and your other cool stuff.

It's across the country from me - the good graces of a friend will have it here by the end of the month. Worth waiting for! Will definitely post lots of pics and write a full review once it's here. You can find pics of a number of my basses at the Luthiers Corner section of tb, within the Who Are You thread. (I'll go back and find which page/post #)

update: Who are you? < my intro at Luthiers Corner. (page 8/post #158) It was last updated a while ago, and now I can't update this post further so you'll have to locate other threads on LC including an in-progress EUB. EUB project

Thanks for your interest!

 

[JIO]

I always dug those. I remember one over at Subway in Berkeley and we had a couple at Real Guitars in SF (I used to work there in the early '90s). Never saw one with a 34" scale - which does not mean they don't exist - would be great in that configuration. Congrats!

Very cool - I regularly haunt Real Guitars, first going there possibly when you worked there. Great shop - great peeps. I think the visuals of it led me to mistakenly think it was 34" scale - it's gotta be as long as a T-bird but all in the body and hs! Studying it it's obvious they were riffing off the Jazzmaster/Jaguar and Fender V for this design.