Product: Teisco I-901
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted
01/18/2007
at
04:15pm
by
JDC
Features
:
7
(Some information from The Carvin Musical Instruments Museum website) -- This model it basically a P-Bass copy and was Made in Japan for only one year in 1965, the Teisco I-901 (some called it a Del Ray Bass) had a MSRP of $119.90 was resold un-badged by various companies including Carvin and likely retail department stores like Sears.
Solid narrow P-style Mahogany body, single-coil passive DeArmond p/u (opinion of a vintage guitar shop guy), neck originally bound mohogany but was cracked when I received it so replaced it with a P-neck.
I refinished it and replaced the pots, jack and the bridge.
Sound
:
10
I was amazed at the tone on this cheap bass. It has quite a full sound. Not too dark, not too bright - like the bass at the beginning of the Foo Fighter's "Hero". At full volume, it has a slightly higher output compared to my Ibanez SR480 with active p/u's.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
No Opinion
Reliability/Durability
:
No Opinion
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
From what I've read, Teisco was bought out by Kawai in the 60's. Beside's the thing's over 40 years old now.
Overall Rating
:
9
Well brought with baby back from the dead. This thing was severly abused. It had a broken neck, the finish was a mess, the pots were totally dirty and was stored in a garage for 3 years. I totally rebuilt and refinished this baby. Therefore, I can't state an opinion... well maybe I can. If you find one of these and are a little handy, it can be a really cool retro bass that plays and sounds not bad! I gig with it and it's solid. I'd be really pissed if it were stolen 'cause it'd be hard to replace. However, I found a totally original one in a vintage shop in Ottawa, Canada for $500.
