Sometimes you just NEED four pickups to get the job done. I guess that is what Teisco decided when they designed the Spectrum IV ET-440 model that you see here. This one is the early 1969 edition, complete with Original Candy Red finish and Gold Hardware! The early ones also got the cool Teisco badge on the Dark Woodgrain headstock with carved relief that just looks SO cool. This Spectrum IV was produced at the Enshu guitar factory in Hamamatsu, Japan. This guitar is 100% original and in very nice condition. Everything functions and it has been professionally set up so it is ready to go-it needs nothing.
The body features an offset double cutaway shape with a bevel all around the outside edge. There is also a descending ramp-relief which the Vibrato tailpiece resides in. The backside has a nice contour for a comfortable feel. The finish is in very nice condition-vibrant and a nice even hue. Like all true Candy paints, it becomes a darker shade as the viewing angle decreases. It really glows in low light and totally sparkles in the spotlight. It has that really nice vintage lacquer gloss look to it that only vintage guitars have. There is one chip on the top edge-other than that it is in really exceptional shape throughout-see photos. The neck joint is an excellent fitment.
The neck itself is smooth and straight. Truss rod functions. The neck profile is best described as a Vintage medium-C shape with a typical vintage 1950's Gibson width...The neck measures 1.69" wide at the nut. The neck depth measures .907" at the 1st fret and .935" at the 12th fret. The gold-plated tuners show mild patina and function smoothly. The headstock and logo display excellent. The dark and glossy woodgrain headstock is nicely set off by the light colored relief that surrounds it. The red white and blue Teisco logo stands guard like a champ! It's really one of the best looking guitar headstocks ever IMO. The rosewood fingerboard is clean and has a high-contrast grain that is really beautiful. The frets are in good condition and have just been professionally leveled, crowned and polished. The action is set medium low for a fast and easy playing experience. The string height measures .010" at the 1st fret and .057" at the 12th fret. The guitar plays nicely up and down the fingerboard with no dead spots anywhere.
The pickups all have a good signal and balance. They are split pickups with the leads combining the adjacent pickups together- (two bridge/two neck)... The two pickups towards the neck measure 5.29 ohms and the two pickups closer to the bridge measure 5.31 ohms. These pickups have a very mellow tone that responds really well to any effects-especially FUZZ! check out the various videos on the information highway for examples. The wiring harness is in excellent condition-see photos. The 3-way toggle varies the tone from bass to treble and the 4 slider switches combine the pickups' signals in various tone stacks. The potentiometers control the volume and tone. The gold hardware displays a nice patina throughout. The vibrato functions smoothly and the arm turns freely. The original cover is present-which is totally wild, along with the original Mute including the green felt.
The guitar is nice and lightweight so it is really comfortable to play whether it's on a strap or in your lap. The guitar is really fun to play-it's not just a pretty face.
Comes complete with an aftermarket used hard case for safe keeping.
