Teuffel Guitars Tesla

Alder body with neck thru birdseye maple with truss rod, amazing matte-like green glow in the dark finish. Two custom handwound single coil neck and humbucker in the bridge. Tone and Volume pots and midi function. Headless design and neck junction at the 8th fret. this is a 7 string version. Sleek unique design.

WOW!!! Tone is full and articulate with tone of MOJO. I thought it would be sterile just from the modern out there design, but WOW. It is a great guitar on all measures. Jazz fusion all the way to Rock is the best I have played. Despite the nontraditional design it nails traditional in a big way and goes beyond. I really can't put it down!! the seventh string is focused and full!! If you have thought about a Tesla please play one, you will be rewarded.

Plays excellent, effortless action and nice nice neck feel. The guitar is comfortable and functional. It balances well and on a strap you forget it is there almost. Comes with strap locks, tool for all nuts and killer flight case with wheels!

Again Great guitar for sure. I have no hesitation to say that. If stolen, shock and dismay will lead to another Tesla. Love this guitar. If you are skeptical and a huge vintage guy, play one you will be convinced. Certainly when I take it out it gets serious looks, either strong interest or rolling of the eyes. If you can swing the cash and want a guitar that really meets the big ticket guitar expectations, this is it. I have to admit that before playing one I wouldn't have laid out that type of cash for one. Now more than pleased and after about 9 months love it more.

This guitar has it all. From creamy rich jazz tone to bridge pickup bliss with some of the most lively biting blues tones. The pickups are amazing. I was a big Armstrong, bartolini, and bardens freak, but I am now a teuffel freak!! The guitar sounds so damn good! The short neck must contribute, but it doesnt matter!! as the notes are articulate and huge. Never played a better electric guitar and I have owned many, many. This is my new ticket. Haven't played another in my collection since this arrived, acoustic or electric. I have numerous archtops and several solidbody jazz guitars and this blows them all away in my opinion. It is just a wonderfully designed guitar with tone to die for, out of a tube amp with a few pedals, Ia m all set for days. There is virtually no fatigue playing this guitar and the tone never sounds dead or shrill. It is a tone monster in a tiny package!!

Perfect!!! plays effortlessly and beautiful details. Love way it sits on my knee, balanced and lightweight. Maple neck is great and everything was perfectly set up.

I will not rate this but it feels like a solidly built guitar. The neck through construction is great, the hardwARE is top quality and I certainly will not be jumping around with it.

All done buying guitars. This is my new object of attention. I cannot put it down. The neck joints at the 8th fret, and yet I was comfortable aster about 30 minutes with that and it is hands down my most comfortable guitar to hold and play in the bunch Klein and steinberger included. But really the tone is the breadwinner.. Tone up the butt!! I was intrigued by the design and skeptical of the tone, but I couldn't have been more wrong. I cannot find anything I don;t like about it. It came with a great custom flight case with roller wheels and I bought the display stand which is pretty deco. If you are` looking for the ultimate custom electric, don;t miss out. I wish I could say I am going to buy another, but couldn't afford another and I don;t think I need another guitar now. It has become a natural extension of my body now, so stealing it will have to be while I am in the bathroom or something, I rarely leave it alone. I play Jazz both traditional approaches to standards and also some more aggressive rock laced Jazz and fusion and this Tesla is it for me. I will be selling my other electrics for sure in the near future. Not to buy another or search for a better guitar. I guess in that way it is curing my need to buy any or on any other electric. I will always keep my favorite archtops though. Kudos Teuffel.

This is a review for a 6 string Tesla guitar with a Maple neck and fretboard, charcoal like unique finish. Shell position markers. Headless design and short neck length design. 25.5. scale, nut is a hair un 1.68. Two custom handwound pickyps, one split single coil and one humbucker in the bridge. fixed bridge with smalll tuners like a steinberger but not a tremelo. Buttons for volume cut, hum, and feedback GREAT, Made in Germany handmade, Body is Alder, but you can never figure it out based upon the cool finish. Not tons of features campared say to his BirdFish design, but really all you need with this guitar!

This is a GREAT GREAT guitar. It drips some of the most ppleasing tones. Super clean but not sterile, no hum, no noise, but full of lively sounds. It is so articulate and clear and the sustain is more than adequate. Bass notes are so tight and true, not boomy or muddy, but crisp and balanced. The using hum option is great for Jazz laced Blues, and the feedback is very cool too. It works equally well with both my solid state jazz amps (AI and Evans) and tube combo s well (Victoria, Bogner). Overdriven, SWEET! this doesn't have tones of tone options but all you need to play everything from Jazz to Rock, not Metal, thank God. Great fusion sound too.

Perfect set up, finish, attention to detail is tops!!!

This is my new best friend!! Pick it up first everyday and can't find a bad tone from it. It is a unique and truly an amazing guitar. Modern designs do not always stack up to expectations and this one exceeded expectations for me. I played a Tesla at Namm and loved it, but love it more now that I have really had time to play one daily. I am not going to compare it to other guitars as this one is in a category of its own. The tone is defintely clean like a strat a bit, but so much more life in it. It is so comfortable to play!!! Very Very happy with this Guitar!!

This is a Teuffel Classic Tesla with green finish and the same coonigurations as the 6 string listed below. Including the malpe neck, allder body, headless design, with the extended body into the neck. Custom wound PUs. Great effects buttons. I didn't think I would use them but I do and the buzzing hum effect is very cool!!!

Nothing short of mind blowing. I have own 2 Kleins one lorenzo made an chambered one original Steve klein with EMGs. Both great guitars and paid lots for them. But this Tesla, shoccked me instantaneously. The tone is much richer, fuller, and with more character than my Kleins which I have sworn by for many years. My first love is the archtop acoustic, but thee ergonomic designs are so great to take out and just pick up and play anytime with low fatigue. The toe of the Teuffel is not as broad in the range compared to the birdfish. I liek that as I am more of a traditionalist tonally. The two pickups are the most articulate Pus I have played, with superior articulation and just pristine character if that decribes it well. Ample low end but certainly not boomy or muddy in any way. I have overdrive it and it responds beautifully, but keeps its pristine clarity!! It is not an 18 inch archtop obviouslyy, and I am not going to say it emulates an archtop acoustic, but what it does do is kick out some of the most character filled Jazz lines, with the tone rolled back. Feedback is basicallly not an issue and I get pleasing tone at high volumes, which is where it really adds another element compared to my archtops. Agaoin love the vintage hum effect, and the tone cut switch. You can not get a bad sound of this guitar, or at least with playing through several different amps, tube and solid state.

Top Flight craftsmanship, ultimate attention to detail. No finish flaws (and this finish is so unique, it is like suede and rests against your body perfectly), perfect set up, hardware is top quality. The neck is beautiful and fast, and a joy to play. Each guiatr is made by one man with shocking precision. Very very happyy in this regard as well

Sure it will withstand live playing. It is not cheap though and don't plan on doing any high flying playing with it. It is a solidbodya nd is very stable. Can't say over time though yet so I will not comment rating wise.

Yes, Mr. Teuffel was a pleasure to interact with. I waited a while for the guitar and was certainly told ahead of time the wait period. The guitar was delivered ahead of schedule and far exceeded my expectations, even after laying out some heavy cash.

I will give it a 9 and not a 10 as I cannot say it is a super value guitar. If it were cheap, first I would buy 10 and then I would say, it is the deal of a lifetime. That said it is a masterpiece guitar, that will turn you off at first in terms of not being conventional in design, but play one! You will also have to have one after that. The playability is so effortless, caompared to my Kleins it is on a similar level of playability even with the longbody into the neck design. That was not a problem for me at all. Sitting the Kleins are a bit more comfortable, but not much difference. the craftsmanship was superior on the Teuffel in terms of finish, and just plain attention to both design and detail. It is amazing quality! Here is the true factor though, the tone exceeds my Kleins in my opinion and is hands down the best electric I have owned. It is my new refernce tone. I still smile when ever I play it. I call it Perma-Smile!!!!! So happy to own one. If i get the cash I will be buying another, with custom effects. I also own a cool solidbody that is comparable form the 80's made by renouned luthier Sam Koontz for me custom. It has an onboard Phaser and flanger that was years ahead of its time. It isn't as modern design wise, but it is also a oone of a kind futuristic guitar at the time. Never part with that one. I love the other Teuffel designs, but not thhat interested in swapping PUs lie with the birdfish, as I said I am generally a traditionalist, but htis tesla has converted me to a modern guitar over to the fullest. Haven't played my Mark lacey archtop since buying this,not that that is not agreat archtop, but this teuffel is so pleasing to play and the tone,, I am still wondering how this guitar sounds so good. My total cost was a hair under 7000 with shipping, flightcase, gigbag custom, special display stand, and a bunch of case candy!!

Handmade in Germany in 2006. This is the latest version of the 6 string Tesla Classic. Mine is green with black pickups. Standard configuration of 2 pickups (single coil neck and humbucker bridge made by Teuffel), volume, tone, pickup selector and the 3 famous buttons. Beautiful birdseye maple neck that connects to the body around the 7th fret. The body material is some type of composite. The finish feels like a matte finish...its very strange but in a good way. It almost feels like it pulls the moisture off of your hands when you play. The body style is that famous Tesla shape. Perhaps a cousin to the Klein? My Tesla has a fixed bridge. Its headless so the tuners are at the butt of the instrument. I've found this is a bit of a hassle since they are placed so close to each other. I have yet to change strings so I can't comment on that process. Its got glow in the dark fret markers on the side of the neck - very ghostbusters.

The neck seems to have a standars "c" shape - very comfortable. The interesting part is learning how to adjust for the early connection between the neck and body (about at the 7th fret). The back of the body is carved out a bit for your thumb to rest comfortably. This works and lends itself to a legato style of playing. The hardest thing to do is bend since you don't have the leverage of your thumb completely around the neck. Even then its just a matter of getting used to it and adjusting. After a few short hours I don't have a problem anymore. Ulrich shipped the instrument in a hardshell flight case...awesome. Very nicely crafted. I also purchased the stand. Although the Tesla will sit on any normal guitar stand, Ulrich's version makes this thing look like art. He also included a copy of "Gourmet Guitars" - a DVD about Ulrich and his guitars as well as a pair of strap locks and guitar tools - this is more case candy than any builder I've seen yet. And I'm not complaining.

I purchased the whole deal though Richard Glick of Fine Guitar Consultants. Do a google search on this guy and his business and you'll find a very helpful and honest person who connects people and instruments. There is no upcharge for his service. I suggest you check him out.

The sound is more strat than anything...maybe compare it to an Anderson with a S/H configuration. Very clear and articulate. I think its beautiful. I don't notice any single coil buzz...good stuff. The large amount of material on the bass side of the body does make the notes pop. The sounds out of the two pickups can be adjusted with a volume and tone control.

My only criticism of the sound are those two controls. The volume and tone controls in my model has a rather sharp taper (Like a Danny Gatton tone circuit). I prefer a smooth taper for both controls. I think it makes it easier to find those in between sounds. I think thats important for a guitar with 2 pickups and the only reason this guitar gets a 9 for tone.

The buttons are great. 1) 60 cyle hum 2) volume cut out 3) mic feedback. The 60 cycle hum is a lot lower than I expected. It is the same sound when your output jack has a loose wire...bvvvvvvvv. Very irritating and perfect. The volume cutout works like it should. The mic button is very wierd. You actually hear the room as heard though the mic. If you have hardcore distortion going you can get various forms of feedback. Most sound like that high-pitched horrible mic feedback but sometimes you can get other frequencies. I think the buttons aid in altering looped music as well as adding humor to the performance.

Guitar was set up perfectly. Low action with slight relief in the neck. Pickups were perfect and produce relatively equal volumes. The quality of this instrument is apparant right off the bat. Ulrich's products as close to flawless as possible.

This guitar looks like it will hold up to gigging as well as any other. My only concern would be the buttons, since they must wear a bit over years of use - I'll write an update if they fail, but I've never heard any complaints. Hardware and finish looks like it will last. It might be tough to change strings on the fly at a gig because of the locked strings, but I have yet to deal with that. I might bring a backup guitar for that very reason.

As I mentioned earlier, I purchased this guitar through Richard Glick of Fine Guitar Consultants. I found his service invaluable and would highly recommend it to others. Richard placed the order and communicated with Ulrich about any concerns I had (such as a last minute address change once it had already been shipped.) I found them both extremely helpful in making sure the instrument arrived as described.

I've been playing over 15 years and I've been through many instruments. I currently own a variety of high end gear (Fender and Gibson customs, American Archtops (Dale Unger), CP Thornton Elite, Anderson 7, etc).

This is a special instrument. Its not for the everyday person and thats why I bought it. When you play this guitar you make a statement. People don't know what to expect and its great - fresh and new.

Hand made in Germany (which makes me very happy, who says we are unable to innovate anymore)
21 Frets
Birdseye maple neck
Single coil, humbucker
Fixed bridge
Headless
Three touch sensitive buttons creating 60 cycle hum, kill switch and feedback
Flight case, tools

I play electronic music. I have not played in a traditional band in a long time and my influences are all over the show from the 60s Jazz of Miles Davis to the electronic clciks and glitches of Autechre. This guitar was perfect for this. It combines an organic sound that is in a way old fashioned with a more futuristic design that takes ergonomics and playability of the guitar into account.

A great Stratty sound, clear attack. Even with a lot of distortion the notes of an arpeggio can be clearly heard. But it's the first guitar I just love to play with a clean sound plugged directly with no amp into my computer's sound card. It sounds great and the true character of the guitar can shine through without the colouration of an amplifier. Let is be noted, however, that playing this guitar through my Rivera, is also magical.

I was always a Les Paul player but I have been drifting away from that sound since I purchased this guitar. It is a truly inspiring instrument.

The set up was perfect. Extra set of strings were included. Everything was ready to go and played. No complaints. The thing is handmade for God's sake!

The Tesla will last for a lifetime.

I briefly spoke with Herr Teuffel and he was a very friendly and helpful person to deal with. Delivery of the instrument went perfectly and the guitar was finished on time. Herr Teuffel even allowed me to delay payment while I sold some other instruments (yes the Les Paul did go) to finance this purchase.

I want to get instruments that give me a unique sound. I do not want to play an instrument that comes with baggage. By that I mean I do not want to play a guitar that my heroes have made into their instruments. Musicians are inextricably linked to their guitar of choice, Jimmy Page and the Les Paul, Jimi Hendrix and the Strat to name the usual suspects. If I play a Les Paul my music whatever that may be will somehow be linked to these people subconsciously, this will influence the audience's perception of my music as well as my desire to push music forwards. I will start playing blues licks or something like that. But when I pick up this instrument all that fades away and I am faced with daunting taks of finding my sound. I thank Herr Teuffel for giving me a blank canvas.

As stated in the first review, this is a strange animal. As opposed to his "Birdfish" which has tons of possibilities sound-wise, the "tesla" only has got two - but that is more than enough - believe me. It has got a single-coil in the neck-position (NOT a humbucker as stated in the first review) and a humbucker in the bridge position (both made bei Ulrich Teuffel). One volume, one tone control and a push/pull pickup switch - these sontrols give you everything you need. What makes the tesla more than unique are the three controls that add feedback or microphonic distortion to your sound. Teuffel wanted to add the charme of the 60s cheapo guitars that had these "mistakes", now you can use them when YOU want. May sound silly to some of you, but you can use the babies very musically and creatively - I love them! The "tesla" comes with 7 strings but you can have it as a 6-string, too. What absolutely fascinates me about this guitar is, that Ulrich Teuffel really has a concept behind it. It's not just another copy of this or that. No, he really thouhgt about this strange thing we call the guitar and invented something really new and the tesla is eternally inspiring and challenging!

I play mainly jazz-based loop-oriented music and the "tesla" fits in like a dream - I've had a lot of guitars but never a better one! IMHO you can produce every sound you want to have with this baby. Sounds very clear and bright - strat-like if I may put it that way and due to the construction - endless sustain. You just can't stop playing it. In fact, I'd like to finish these review quickly because I wanna PLAY!

Just perfect and Ulrich is really nice when it comes to customer comments.

Built like a rock - great looking leather gig bag - in fact everything falls into place with this guitar. This man had a vision and he accomplished it!

VERY nice and super fast!!

I've been playing for more than 20 years and have been playing a custom made strat type guitar for 12 years now. I used to use guitar synthesizers a lot but now I'm back into "real" guitar playing. I play the "tesla" into a Rivery Quiana Studio (the 212) and use a lot of delays (BOSS, EHX and an Electrix Repeater) for loops and soundscapes. For more strange things I use a FRAME Works Fretless Nylon guitar which is great, too.

The Teuffel Tesla is a headless 7 string guitar. The design reminds me a little bit to Steve Klein's electric guitar. It has a tear-shaped body with a neck through construction. We actually own two different versions of this guitar. The first Tesla has a one-piece birdseye maple neck with alder body-wings. The backside of the body is laminated with swamp ash. The second Tesla has a birdseye maple neck with ebony fretboard, alder body and a pear laminated back. Both guitars have a Teuffel humbucker in the bridge position and a Teuffel Silent-split coil in the neck position. There is a master volume and master tone pot and a push pull switch to change between the two pick ups. Teuffels idea behind this guitar was - in contradiction to the Birdfish model - to supply the player with only two (great) sounds. BUT - there are three more switches which make this guitar extremly unique! Teuffel tried to implement the (unwanted) sounds of our very first cheap guitar. The typical hum of the guitar chord on the output jack, the squeaking pick up feedbacks if the coils are loose and they are not waxed, and - of course - the little electric drop outs of loose cables in the internal wiring. We have those sounds right at our fingertips and can use them in a musical way in our playing! Way cool!!!!! This is one of the most inspiring guitars we have ever played! The neck has a great shape for a seven string guitar and is oiled and waxed. The Teuffel designed and ABM made tuners are at the end of the body. The strings are locked at the headless tip of the neck. You don't need special strings!

This is the very first seven string guitar we played which really sounded homogenous! Most 7-string guitars have - comparable to 5-string basses - problems with the low B-string. This guitar has - due to its construction - endless sustain!! Unbelievable... We have never heard or felt this kind of vibrations on an electric guitar. It sounds great with loads of overdrive but it really sounds great with clean tones! We just love it with Rectifiers or Bogners. This baby is some mean motherf***er. Very fat but precise sound on the humbucker. And it has the sweetest clean sound with the neck pick up. With a nice Dumble Crunch the neck pick up also gives you the Stevie Ray feeling. We were amazed how versatile a two - pick up switch combination can be...
The "crazy" sound switches are awesome. Once you get into "playing" with them you don't want to miss them any more. It is definetely a modern guitar. It gives you the tools to play and sound like "guitar loops". Congratulations to Teuffel - great concept. The one piece maple neck has a more vintage like (slightly nasal) sound character, the ebony/maple neck is much more punchy and direct. We like the maple guitar for clean, crunch and moderately overdriven sounds and the other one for the most brutal distortion feast you can think of. With a good amp there was NEVER a muddy sound. String seperation is even with ultra-high gain sounds exceptionally good!

Typical for Teuffel, you receive a perfectly set up guitar. We recommend Richard Ryder strings because they just do an awesome job for both clean and distortion sounds. The birdseye maple necks are wonderful, both optically and soundwise.

The guitar is made with German precision. We don't have the slightest doubt that it guarantees years of trouble free use. The Teuffel flightcase is air transport approved, but we really love the nice custom made leather gig bag. What a treat!

Call Teuffel and check it out yourself! We just love this crazy dude from the black forest. His English is amazing! Teuffel does a great job in explaining his guitars and tries to answer every question with LOTS of patience.

Henry Kaiser plays the Tesla. David Torn plays it too. We have our two Teslas for about one year. We don't want to miss them any more. We use them for numerous sounds in modern Pop productions as well as for the crazy stuff! They are extremely reliable, easy to tune. They just sound great. Many clients left their Ibanez guitars in the cases and used the Tesla. What more is there to say... It is the best sounding seven string electric solidbody guitar up to now. We tried the rest and bought two Teslas! The design might not be for everybody - we love it. Very comfortable. Check out Teuffels website or the Gourmet Guitar DVD (www.gourmetguitars.de) about Teuffel. Teuffel also builds a six string version by special request. It might be a great alternative for people who don't want a 7 string but want the bucket full of features!