An awesome gift (Tiesco Zenon bits)

[binkydognose]

One of my favorite jam buds had this staged in my workspace before I arrived for my last day of work Friday. I'm moving on after 32 years. He bought it when he was 15 from a kid walking by his house ( for $2). It's in rough shape and I'm going to turn it into a hound dog slide beast. I just about cried I was so touched.

[Teiscoman]

That's just . . . so . . . beautiful!

[john kleeman]

That is happenin'.

[mistermullens]

Awesome

[JackStraw]

Beautiful!

[Strat62]

My very first electric was a Teisco "Audition" that looked very much like that; sunburst with 3 pups but the same body, switching, pickguard and neck from what I can see. Those goldfoils sound fantastic. I still have two of them, but the guitar got thrown away long ago. That'll make you an awesome slide! Mine was pretty much unplayable. Here's a pic of one just like it with Elvis Costello-

[PMF1954]

That made me go look up the Tiesco Del Rey. They used to sell them at a little department store in my town. I'd go take it off the wall every time I'd go in there. Wish I had one now.

[lucalm]

OMG!!! beautiful!! I think that calls for a restoration, but electronically only, leave that finish alone... congratss!!

[binkydognose]

It was sunburst originally. When I get some more time I'll disassemble and ohm out the pickups. He said they worked when it was last all together. It's the lightest guitar I've ever held, plywood body with lots of damage, but most of the hardware, knobs and such are in a box with it. The fretboard radius is flat! I might just put it together and set it up as is, as a tribute to my friend and his history with it, but I'm tempted to go further. He wants me to get creative with it, could become an art guitar. Thanks for the replies!

[Andy R]

My first was just like it as well- mine was a "Knox" I've often dreamed about doing a JM with a pickguard like that!

[jipp]

i like the switches they used. big, and easy to access with out any real thought.
chris.

[Ken Wilson]

binkydognose, I own your guitar's little brother. This is my first guitar, bought new in 65.

http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/p...N/IMGP0465.jpg

[tele salivas]

That is very cool, and very touching! What a pal. Teisco Del Rey, man. I have a Spectrum ET220. Took me a bit, but now that sucker palys and sounds good. Very strange pups. They have something to them when you put a fuzz on there, or play them through a bright amp all the way up. I like 'em a lot.

[paratus]

What a great story and a great friend!

I remember selling my Gibsons to pay for schooling, and buying new or used Teisco Del Rays and modding the hell out them (in part so they would not be recognizable as such!). I wish I had some of them back.

[jkingma]

That's a really, REALLY, cool looking guitar.

Enjoy the refurb.

[echale iii]

Oh man!!!! My first guitar was a Zenon!!!!!! Same 2-pickup model with the big switches and silver scratchplate, but it was a 'burst (ellow in the middle and almost black at the edges) and it had a Fender Jaguar style tremolo.

I traded a tiny little minibike that ran off a lawn mower engine for the guitar and a tiny little tube amp. I wailed away learning KISS, Zep, Deep Purple, Hendrix, etc., etc., on that thing.... I abused the **** out of that guitar, I "bowed" the strings with aluminum arrows, knocked some of the finish off, put paper shims under the neck joint trying to get the action set a little better, took off the pickup covers, played with the magnet orientation, everything a 13 y.o. kid would do to a guitar like that.

By the time I got rid of it, the neck was pretty much shaped like a banana even though it always had Ernie Ball Super Slinkies on it, and I had to tape the cord to the guitar to keep it from ripping the input jack clean off after I broke the scratch plate when I dropped it.

[syrynx]

Please, please, please let us hear it when you've set it up!