Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

The first bass i ever picked up had that bridge. It had an SG shape and one of those toaster - inspired pickups. I never knew what it was - so it must have been a kay. Completely unplayable. You can get cheap Squier P basses that fall apart........but this thing was something else!

Those bridges first appeared on the late 60s Teisco and Audition instruments, there are bass and guitar versions. The funky shape between the A and D strings is a bracket that the "ashtray" cover screws onto, crudely formed by bending up a section of the baseplate. Horrid but functional.

Thanks for the info. Pretty ugly - must look nicer with the cover on.

P Davies,
What do you know about Audition guitars? My first guitar was an Audition. I bought it in 1966 I think, it was a real POS. I played it through a 1950's RCA TV with a 12" speaker, great sound, was kind of heavy to bring to gigs though. I have never heard anyone mention that name since then. I think I paid something like 39.99 for it new or something like that. I don't remember the tail piece. There are a few people here who would probably find that price attractive, I'm not naming any names though.

Had a few of them pass through my hands. They are all from the same factory, Audition, Kay (Jap Kays, not the earlier USA ones), Teisco, Jedson etc. Nasty ply bodied guitars with cheap hardware. They were first made in the mid 60s, but were most common in the 70s, especially in Woolworths (guitar + matching amp 49.95 in 1978!), and through home shopping catalogues in the UK. Not sure about US distribution, but probably similar. Nearly all of them are single pickup, sunburst finish with odd looking wood used on the necks. Most of the basses have the bridge as pictured earlier, the guitars are 50/50 between that bridge, or a cheap sprung trem tailpiece with non compensating saddle. They usually have big bar type string retainers too. There was a fad for the "tulip body" Teisco versions of these a couple of years ago (bass pictured below), I sold a couple for 150+, but the rest of the time, they are a 50.00 guitar at best, and are pretty much useless other than for wallhangers unless you are really lucky and get a good one. Pictured are the "deluxe" version of the guitar, and a "Tulip" bass with plain guard. **** then = **** now. Buy Rickenbackers!

Sounds much like the "Global" I was forced to strum until I got the jack together for a Les Paul. Thanks, Mom!

Thanks,
That guitar looks a lot like my old one, the pickguard is different, and I think the shape is slightly different and I didn't have tremelo (I don't think anyway) but the headstock is exact including the 6 string clamp, and the pickups look like the ones I remember, so does the bridge and neck, deluxe!

Global!

I think I still have my old plywood bodied Global in a closet somewhere! It was my first electric. I bought it at a flea-market.

I still have mine too, it is adorned with stickers and such, I would never do that to a "real" guitar, but this one I had no issue with decorating! It actually somehow got a "Howard the Duck" Sticker under the bridge. How that happened I will never know...

Here's another monstrosity, which I don't expect to be available on ebay for long:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3700398996&category=4713

Black inlays, checker binding, mini humbuckers, a hole fest on the headstock, bolt on neck... someone should grab pics before it's delisted.

Got 'em.

Love the mother-of-electrical-tape inlays!
From the back, the body looks like an old end table I once had.

I can't believe this guy on Ebay. He's trying to pass off a lame 4001 copy as the real thing.



It's item 3704748061.

I'm not sure if it's a fake or terrible photography.

absolutely fake!!!!

I think the amp is fake too ...

You can see the holes where it looks like a Fender logo has been removed ...

You can?