Teisco VN-2

I just bought this Teisco VN-2 probably a 1964 model; it is branded as an ORLANDO (or at least there is a small Orlando sticker on the headstock)but I checked this TeiscoTwangers website and this is definitely a VN-2. It is 100% original but I don't have a case or trem bar - but I wouldn't use a trem on a guitar like this anyway - BTW - I have no experience with Teisco's, my other guitars are an American Fender Tele and a MIJ Strat and a MIJ Mustang RI nd a Turser SurfMaster - but this is a very solid guitar - I'd consider it Pro quality build - has a solid wood body - it is thinner than a strat but fairly heavy. Two Nice Single coil pickups that are heeght adjustable and 3 rocker switches and a pair of rotating pots that look like the ones on a Fender Jaguar. The neck is not thin but it is fine and the headstock is quite large. Tuners are the old open gear type.

It sounds nice. I tracked this guitar down b/c I wanted an electric to set up just for slide work - and this will be perfect for me. It has that nice round smooth 1960's type sound I like for slide - more similar to the tone of a Gretsch or maybe a ES-175 than to a Strat or Tele. If you like the sound of Danelectro lipstick pickups you will probably like this. Body is very resonant and sustains nicely for slide. Please note: I got this for slide so I put on a set of 12's and cranked up the action height BUT this guitar plays fine as a regular axe as well. The neck has a truss rod but I didn't have to touch it - it is straight as an arrow - and the intonation is good even though it has a non-tuneable bridge - just a simple little bar with notches in it. But works fine. They built this guitar well.
I opened it up and the body is solid wood - not plywood - it has a swimming pool route below the pickups and a piece of plastic over that that seems to add to the resonance and gives a nice tone to the clean medium output pickups. I am super happy with this guitar right now.

Like I said above - it is well built. I took it all apart - cleaned it, lubed the tuning gears, cleaned out the electronics and made a few minor adjustments but this guitar is a good solid player. I can't say how it would hold tuning in a live situation if played hard - alot of older guitars have trouble in that area - but for slide it is just great.
BTW - The guy in the BLACK KEYS plays a very similar guitar in one of his videos - it is either a VN-2 or a SS-2L (very similar) and he gets a total garage rock blitz of sound from it.

I won't be trashing this - I treat all my guitars pretty well - but it is solid and should hold up well. Hell, it's lasted 43 years so far and is in great shape - my wife thought it was a ncew guitar when she saw it after I'd cleaned and polished it all up.

Say what?? I think TEISCO went out of business when Nixon was President. But there is plenty of vintage owner support and info on the Web. I recommend checking out TeiscoTwangers if you want to find out about these - that's what I did.

Overall this is more than I could have hoped for. I considered getting a Danelectro but I played several of them at Norman's rare guitars here in Encino and they sound decent but are so light and cheaply made they feel like nothing in your hands. I am glad I got the Teisco instead - it a full size guitar which I like an has everything I need for slide and nothing else - I was very patient and really took my time looking (I went to every Pawn Shop I know of in Los Angeles (there are alot) and I played at least 20 guitars in various music stores - so when I spotted this one for $50 on Craigslist I jumped on it (the seller just listed it as a 1980's Orlando - didn't know what it was) and I think I got a terrific deal - these average between $150 - $250 on eBay. This guitar is a keeper.