Like many Asian manufacturers, Teisco, Guyatone, and others found a key niche in distributing instruments in bulk to American importers. This explains why Buegeleisen and Jacobsen ended the contract. The Teisco company was sold in 1967, at that time the brand name ended. brand name was changed to Teisco Del Rey. Teisco had already began importing guitars to the United States as early as 1960 under their own brand name, In 1964 the U.S. But we are going to concentrate on Kent Guitars. These brands or badges included Silvertone, Lyle, Encore, Beltone, Winston, Kimberly, Audition, Decco, and more.
The Japanese manufacturer Teisco, which is said to be an acronym for Tokyo Musical Instrument and Sound Company, also imported guitars and basses under a variety of brand names other than Kent. Once these guitars arrived in the United States, the Kent brand name, or another brand, was added to the guitars headstock. market was flooded with cheap foreign guitars, since nearly every adolescent was eager to be a rock star. We know in later years they used a Korean company, best known for building pianos, called Kawai.įrom 1962 to 1967 the U.S. There are no exacting records, but Buegeleisen and Jacobson may have used other Asian musical instrument manufacturing companies.
That same year they contracted with another Japanese firm, called Guyatone, and began importing guitars and began importing and distributing from both manufacturers. This company first turned to Teisco in 1962, and that relationship continued until 1967. This company got their start in business back in 1897 as a wholesale distributor of guitars, and brass instruments for music stores. The distribution and import firm of Buegeleisen and Jacobson was there to fill the demand for cheap electric guitars. That show was unusual, since the first guitar boon occurred in 1956 after Elvis appeared on the Sullivan Show in 1956.
However we can agree that the better models had the Kent logo inlaid in the headstock.Īn incredible guitar boon occurred after the Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in early 1963. Some of the Guyatone models of the same era had a metal "G" badge. However determining the factory of origin is quite confusing, since some of the less expensive Kent models were the same instrument under the Guyatone badge.Įarly Kent branded instruments generally had a glued on badge with a metal "K", which sometimes covered up another brand name. The rule of thumb is that the lower end solid body models were usually built by Teisco, while the more expensive semi-hollow, or hollow body electrics were manufactured by Guyatone. I saw a lot of this model back in the day And those instruments were usually built by two different Japanese companies Teisco, or Guyatone. There was a musical instrument distribution company from New York City named Buegeleisen and Jacobson, that began importing Japanese manufactured electric, and acoustic guitars to the U.S in 1962. Some Silvertone guitars were made in Chicago, by the Kay or Harmony companies, but there was never a Kent factory in the United States, or anywhere in the world for that matter. At that time I figured those brands came from the Silvertone or Kent factory. So most of my friends played Kent or Silvertone guitars. So the cost of most new, domestically produced guitars were beyond the reach of the average worker.
You may not know it, but the Gibson ES-335 was given that designation, because in 1958 when it was created, the guitars price was $335.00. In my high school days, when I started playing guitar, most guys or girls families couldn't afford a Fender or Gibson guitar for their young Beatle-want-to-be. So these import companies came up with their own American, or English sounding brand names, such as Holiday, Decca, Kingston, Lyle, Kent, and so many more. They were afraid no one would buy a guitar with the brand name of Matsumoku, or Hoshino Gakki, or Fujigen Gakki on the peghead. I beg pardon, but back in the 1960's, the companies that were importing Asian manufactured guitars into the United States believed differently. Badges? We don't need no stinkin' badges!
0 kommentar(er)
