Isn't this Teisco Demian Baritone Guitar a delight for the eyes? Like many guitars of its generation - it was produced around 1966 - its origin is lost in the limbos of electric guitar history... Couldn't find any trace of a Demian brand - the name on the headstock - but saw it also labeled Silverstone or Ayar. Anyway the guitar is clearly a Teisco, the pioneering Japanese guitar company that started the endless love/hate relation between guitar makers of East and West.
I like the 4 pickups - I never played a 4-pickup guitar, but it allows plenty of knobs and switches - and all the chrome in front. The sound is supposed to be quite harsh - the magnets of the pickups are so strong that they attract all the metal around - and it suits to the brute in me... I have my share of great guitars, but I still miss a rough one with a harsh garage sound - I hate versatility in guitars!
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The "Demian" brand seems to be a FujiGen's own earliest export brand during 1962-mid 1960s. In 1962, FujiGen exported Demian acoustic models through the St George's music stores, then they also exported electric models under the various brand including Demian.
ReplyDeleteThe whole design of this guitar remind me the Teisco SS-4L (and its origin, Eko 400 and control panel of Hagstrom Deluxe), however, the body shape and finish quality seems completely different than Teisco's models (it's low quality through whole 1960s).
P.S. In my eyes, this guitar seems mixture of Teisco SS-4L's control panel design and the finish quality of Guyatone/Ibanez model in 1960s. FujiGen is known to be collaborated with Teisco in early 1960s, however, the relation with Guyatone is still unknown, and the collaboration with Ibanez wasn't started until late 1960s. The design origin of this guitar is still mysterious for me.
ReplyDeleteI just got one of these today, and man, they don't sound harsh at all, it's actually really lush with a lot of personality. Haven't heard any other baritone sound like it. You gotta get your hands on one!
ReplyDeletehi.Im trying to find a lefty teisco, anbody ever seen one,
ReplyDeletehi, Im trying to find a refty teisco any model,as anybody ever seen one,
ReplyDeleteI've got this one's twin. One of my favorite "babies"
ReplyDelete