Teisco Del Rey ET-312 Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1966), made in Tokyo, Japan, serial # 340511, Lake Placid Blue lacquer finish, hardwood body and neck, rosewood fingerboard, original black chipboard case.
This somewhat higher-grade Teisco Del Rey Model ET-312 (in Japan market nomenclature one of the "K" series) is one of the most stylish and colorful electric guitars to come out of the mid-'60s "Japanese Invasion." From the same line as the celebrated Teisco Spectrum guitars, the ET-312 features a dramatically-styled dressed away "German Curve" body with exaggerated, pointy cutaway horns. It also sports a vibrant Lake Placid Blue finish on body and neck, very close to what Fender was doing at the time!
The neck is fairly chunky with a round-backed profile and includes an adjustable truss rod so is somewhat more reliable than many period Japanese necks. The fingerboard is better wood as well, with dot inlay and a zero fret. The distinctive 4-and-2 headstock has some carved accents and individual openback tuners, topped with the US-market "Teisco Del Rey" metal badge.
The electronics are three surprisingly hot sounding block-pole pickups mounted into the two-tone striped metal pickguard. These are controlled with individual selectors and a rhythm/solo switch, with three volume controls and a master tone knobs. The guitar also features one of Teisco's many vibrato systems with a large flat arm, feeding a roller bridge which elevates in twin cradles screwed to the body. While not the top of the line this is a very nice and extremely flashy example of the better 1960s Japanese guitars, and still looks cool as heck!
Overall length is 39 1/2 in. (100.3 cm.), 13 in. (33 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
This flashy Teisco shows some wear but remains largely original and is an unusually good player. The all original blue metallic lacquer shows some light checking with a collection of dings and chips scattered around, mostly on the edges and on the headstock. All hardware remains stock except the original pickups were wax potted (to control microphonics) and the bridge pickup rewound by Lindy Fralin, done up a little hotter so it balances better with the other two pickups. The original frets have been leveled and polished, and while this will not replace anyone's '66 Strat in terms of playability it sounds cool and is certainly in the upper playing range for a period Teisco. It resides in a functional original chipboard case/ Overall Very Good + Condition.
