1960s Teisco Prestige E-100

In the 1960s, the world was hungry for electric guitars, and Japanese manufacturers such as Teisco, Guyatone, and Matsumoku seized on the opportunity to export mass-produced axes. The market for affordable electric guitars grew so much that in 1966 over 750,000 guitars were exported from Japan. Most of their design elements were price-driven, which ultimately led to quirky but intriguing instruments that resembled American-made classics but captured their own unique vibe. In 1967, Teisco was taken over by the Kawai corporation who moved much of the guitar production to Taiwan, where even more guitars could be produced at an even lower cost. As Kawai forged ahead, the number of Teisco models exploded, and specs became much less consistent. Many guitars produced during this era are blantant copies of American shapes and designs, but they always have interesting pickups and their own unique charm. This single-pickup Teisco E-100 was made in Taiwan during the Kawai era (probably late-'60s