How a Four-Pickup Vintage Teisco Electric Continues to Inspire

Lately, I’ve been thinking about coaches and teachers—you know, the people in your life that have brought out the best in you. My daughter is now off to college, and my son is entering 10th grade, so I’ve been reflecting on our common experiences. My boy is playing sports and currently has a pretty good coach. The guy is supportive and involved, but still has a little 'old-school' in him. When I was a kid, my coach was a “bucket” coach, meaning he brought a five-gallon bucket onto the field and flipped it over so he could sit and criticize everything we did wrong. He’d throw his hat and cuss and generally rule by intimidation! Times have certainly changed, brothers and sisters.In my old age, I’ve come to learn that the best teachers and coaches were the ones who were excellent motivators: the people who could bring out the best in your performance and learning. Often, motivation comes from knowing that you’re seen and valued, even if you aren’t the sharpest knife in the drawer or the best athlete on the team. These types of people can be hard to find, but we all certainly remember them.For me, it was Mr. Bryant in the 12th grade. He was a coach, a musician, and a phenomenal educator. I had just lost my dad before my senior year, and he totally tried to lift me up to keep playing sports and stick with guitar. He was a drummer but still had a fine guitar collection, and he would let me choose any one to play. He’d always ask which guitar “spoke” to me. Was it looks, feel, playability, sound, or something else? It’s like when Harry Potter’s wand found him, I suppose. So I ask you, faithful reader, which guitars speak to you? Which guitar gets you motivated to play, and which one inspires you as soon as you play it? Are you still on the hunt, or has your magic wand found you?My most inspirational guitar is the early ’60s Teisco SS4L. Hailing from the beginnings of Teisco, the SS guitars were among the first to feature the now-famous gold-foil pickups. Of course, the 4L had a quartet of them! This is a guitar where everything is exaggerated to an absurd degree. The electronics feature four switches (pickup on/off) and multiple tone knobs and presets between the rhythm and lead circuits. The body is all out of whack, almost like a goofy-looking potato, and the headstock is elongated to excess. And then the chrome … like an old muscle car! The tremolo on this particular one is a very sophisticated floating unit that’s held together by string tension. Not the easiest to change the strings. These guitars came with one to four pickups and were primarily made from 1962–64. There is every flavor of sound in this guitar, something for every palette. Thin surf, raging blues, spaghetti western … you name it.“There is every flavor of sound in this guitar, something for every palette.”These SS4L guitars always inspire me to play because they offer all kinds of adjustments to the tone and tend to bring out the best in my playing. Normally, I’m a set-it-and-forget-it player. But with these guitars, it’s a chance to get creative, and the pickups add to the stew. The body feels kinda clunky and doesn’t balance very well, but the necks all have a nice, deep, full feel, often with a pronounced V-shape, which I totally dig.I think I currently own four of these guitars, but the one pictured with this column is hanging right by my work bench to offer me a little motivation. I have plenty of nice guitars. Some play better, some feel better, and some sound better. But for whatever reason, I am drawn to this model, and that infatuation has lasted through the years. Oh, and you know what else? The “bucket” coach that I had still comes to watch football practice! He’s not always on a bucket these days, and he’s not yelling at anyone, but he’s still motivated.