The Teisco TB-64 Clone
As far as I know, Teisco is now defunct and nobody owns the name.* Or at least nobody is doing anything with it. So until somebody tells me otherwise, I get to unabashedly talk about how I’ve been commissioned to make a clone of one of their cool and rare guitars.
I’d already started making short-scale six-string basses when I heard about somebody who was looking for a custom builder to make a high-quality lookalike of the Teisco TB-64. The TB-64 was Teisco’s version of the Fender Bass VI. You may have seen one in the hands of Blonde Redhead and Jet Harris.
I raised my hand pretty early on as being interested in doing the build. I started out drawing it full-scale and posted the screenshots for the client to see. He liked what I had done, so he sent some funds over for me to get started.
It’s been about a year in the making on this one, but given the level of “custom” that went in to it, I think that’s ok.
*I’ve been recently informed that the brand name Teisco is currently owned by Westheimer Corp.
Bass VI® is a trademark of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.
March 9th, 2010 at 1:12 am
Okay, I know this is way off the subject, but I just have to say: You’re a good blogger!
September 18th, 2010 at 12:07 am
How can I buy you one Teisco TB-64 Clone ?
September 18th, 2010 at 2:25 am
Just send me an email. Everything is made to order.
February 18th, 2011 at 1:34 pm
More pictures please!
July 20th, 2011 at 10:06 pm
I’ve been working with an original TB-64 body along with the original neck, and all original electronics minus the pick-guard and plate to tone and jack. I had already replicated the tone/jack plate out of a die-cast metal the was black. It has been a difficult task finding a similar idonized aluminum sheet to clone the original pickguard. I have purchased a blank sheet of metalic looking pvc to create the pick-guard, but I’m not content with, too thick. What was your approach for the pick-guard?
July 21st, 2011 at 10:15 am
I had all the aluminum pieces laser cut at Ponoko.com. For the output jack plate, I admittedly cheap’d out and just spray painted it black. I’m sure the paint will flake off eventually, but it’s easy to re-spray, if I don’t already have a way to get it anodized then.
July 22nd, 2011 at 7:10 pm
well, by a struck of luck, I came across I guy in Japan with the original guard and plates and pickups. Thanks for your reply and info…
August 24th, 2011 at 7:06 pm
Hey guy, what is the make of those single coil pickups that you used on this TG?
August 24th, 2011 at 9:47 pm
They’re Burns Tri-Sonic clones made by Eastwood.
January 11th, 2012 at 2:04 pm
how much would you charge for one of these? I’m VERY interested!!!
January 11th, 2012 at 2:16 pm
The price can vary quite a bit depending on the specifications of each instrument, but a ballpark figure for one of these (at this time anyway, prices are subject to change) would be about $2500 to $2800. Thanks for your interest!
January 22nd, 2012 at 12:29 am
how much modding did you have to do to the Bigsby to accept the Bass VI strings?
January 22nd, 2012 at 9:51 am
I didn’t mod it at all, which didn’t make it easy to get the strings on there, but I managed to finagle it.