Central Coast Music of Morro Bay, California

Howdy!

I miss having small, independent music stores to shop in. In my area of Southern California, they have mostly disappeared as big retailers moved in and the internet slashed profit margins too thin for many of these brick and mortar stores to survive.

Well, there are still independent shops that I run to in my travels, and every time I head up to San Luis Obispo I make it a point to stop in at Central Coast Music in Morro Bay, California. I have bought plenty of stuff there over the years, from strings to guitars, and have always come away happy. There is always something cool to discover there, and it is a great place to do business.

Ed Frawley is the man behind the counter at Central Coast Music, and he has been preparing for this role since he was a kid. His old man ran a pawn shop in Southern California, and Ed learned how to be a salesman and run a business from him. After a stint in the service, Ed moved up to SLO County and went into a sales career. He ended up starting his own guitar shop as a side business in the early 1990s, too. It started small, in a store front attached to his house, but he moved to different locations in Morro bay, before he ended up in his current location, across from the Bay Theatre. Along the way he gave up his day job, and Central Coast Music became his main focus.

Central Coat Music is bigger than most mom and pop stores, and they carry a little bit of everything: guitars and basses, amps, strings, pedals, books, live sound, keyboards and drums. This is not Guitar Center, so there will not be more guitars than you can shake a stick at, but they have plenty of inventory.

They sell new instruments, and are happy to order most anything that you are looking for complete with competitive pricing. But what overjoys me when I go there is their collection of used equipment. They always have plenty of used amplifiers and guitars, and Ed will patiently let you try out the equipment without hovering and hassling you.

The last time I was in the store they had a few custom-made cigar box guitars that were built by a local guy using donor necks and components, and they are really neat instruments, both from a playability and an aesthetic viewpoint. I ended up falling in love with an old Takamine acoustic that just had to go home with me. It is a nice instrument, and Ed had it priced fairly, so it was a no brainer.

If you are in San Luis Obispo or Morro Bay (or if you are visiting Hearst Castle), you have to stop in and check out Central Coast Music. Buy some strings, rap with Ed and play a few guitars. The shop is located at 365 Morro Bay Boulevard in Morro Bay, California. They are open from Tuesday to Friday from 10 to 6, and on Saturday from 10 to 5. Tell him Rex says “hi!”

Mahalo!

Teisco Guitars of Japan

Aloha!

My friends know that I love Japanese guitars but one brand has always eluded me: Teisco. I have hit countless secondhand stores in Japan and have never seen one of these guitars in the flesh. I know they have to be out there somewhere, and I always see them on eBay in the US.

Teisco was a Japanese company that built guitars from 1948 to 1969, and Teisco is an acronym for Tokyo Electric Instrument and Sound Company. They built amplifiers and keyboards and distributed drum sets (made by others), but I am most interested in guitars and basses, so this is what you get. They sold instruments domestically and also distributed gobs of them to the United States and Great Britain. The company was sold to Kawai in 1967, and they discontinued selling guitars under the Teisco brand name in 1969 (for export) and 1977 (for Japan).

The company was the brainchild of a guitarist, Atswo Kaneko, and it went through various company names before Teisco was chosen in 1964. So most of the Teisco badged guitars you see were built between 1964 and 1969, or 1964 and 1977 for Japanese market instruments. These guitars were often sold at department stores (such as Sears), and were also imported under other names including: Arbiter, Audition, Beltone, Duke, Heit Deluxe, Jedson, Kay, Kent, Kimberly, Kingston, Lyle, Norma, Silvertone, Sonatone, Top Twenty, Tulio and World Teisco. But everybody and their brother want s a Teisco Del Rey. By the way Teisco Del Rey was the name found on guitars imported to the US by Chicago’s Jack Westheimer.

From 1948 to 1964 the company built Spanish guitars and played it safe on the electric side by copying guitar and bass designs from Gibson, Fender, Hagstrom and EKO. But in the 1960’s they started building unique instruments with bizarre and modernistic features. We started to see bitchin’ hook-shaped headstocks with distinctive 4+2 tuner layouts (or 3+1 on basses), as well as sexy sculpted body profiles. They experimented with pickguard designs, and a lot of these guitars are pieces of art.

Teisco also came up with over the top electronics for these guitars too. There were guitars with up to four pickups, with either humbuckers or single coils, and oodles of volume and tone knobs. They also had a penchant for adding switches like they were going out of style, and usually these change the phase of the pickups or turn them ON and OFF.

So these guitars looked cool and had tons of sounds that you could get out of them. They also usually goofy bridges and tailpieces that changed their sound even further. As time went on, these guitars gained a cult-like status with bands that used them as they were a good substitute for a Jaguar or Jazzmaster, and were a lot cheaper too. These guitars were used by Jackson Browne, Hound Dog Taylor, Jesus and the Mary Chain, and the Smashing Pumpkins.

Many of these guitars were beginner model guitars and were not really quality instruments or very well made, but there were higher grades of guitars too, and some of them are really quite valuable now. Some of the more sought after models include:

∙ The Teisco SD-4L with four pickups, six switches and bizarre barrel type volume and tone knobs. and eight switches. These guitars came with a tremolo and I have seen some of them covered in vinyl. This is the model that Hound Dog Taylor used.

∙ The Teisco Del Rey Spectrum 5 with 3 split-coil pickups, colored pickup selector switches and mono / stereo outputs. These were quality guitars with a walnut bodies and lacquer finishes. This is the top of the pyramid for me, and I really want one of these.

∙ The Teisco Del Ray May Queen with simpler electronics that include two pickups, volume and tone knobs and a pickup selector. What makes this guitar desirable is that it is semi-hollow, and it has a goofy oval shape that some interpret as an artist’s palette.

∙ The Teisco TRG-1 with its own onboard amplifier and speaker. These were also sold as "Kay" and "Silvertone" guitars through department stores.

These are all fun and unique guitars and I hope you have the chance to see an play one some time. If you are looking to purchase one, keep in mind that they were not super-expensive guitars to start with, so the hardware is cheap and it may have been broken and replaced with non-standard parts. Also if you find a super minty specimen it might be a re-issue, as Kawai re-issued these for awhile in the early 1990s.

Mahalo!

Inventory Update: Second Quarter of 2012

Hello!

I am sure that this is no surprise, but my collection is quite a bit different than it was on New Year’s Day. Here is what is around today:

1. 1977 Aria Pro II Precise Bass. This Precision Bass copy is in the shop for some fret work.

2. 1980 Aria Pro II SB-1000. The Jack Bruce/John Taylor model.

3. 1982 Fender JV Precision Bass. This early Japanese Fender bass outshines its contemporary US-made brothers.

4. 1983 ESP P-J Bass. Serial number 0008, formerly owned by Masayoshi Yamashita of the Japanese metal band Loudness.

5. 1983 Tokai Love Rock LS-50. Decent pickups and wiring really woke this guitar up.

6. 1986 ESP PPJ-160. Also formerly owned by Masayoshi Yamashita of the Japanese metal band loudness.

7.1980s ESP 400 Series Jazz Bass with EMG pickups. This one is one the chopping block. Drop me a line if you are interested. It is a peach!

8. 1980s ESP Custom P-J bass. Formerly owned by Tom Hamilton of Aerosmith.

9. 1980s ESP J-Four. May be on its way out, but it is a beautiful bass.

10. 1992 Fender Precision Plus. This boner bass is for sale; let me know if you are interested.

11.Kala solid mahogany soprano ukulele. A great travelling companion and a fond souvenir of Hawaii.

12. Kala solid mahogany tenor ukulele. Ditto.

13. Simon & Patrick Songsmith dreadnought. A consistently popular post for this blog.

14. Simon & Patrick Woodland 12-string acoustic. Also up for sale…

15. Orpheus Valley Guitars Rosa Morena. A sweet Bulgarian Spanish guitar.

16. Ernie Ball MusicMan Stingray Classic. Really the only bass I need.

17. Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 with two 12-inch Shuttle cabinets. This one is still hanging in there!

18. Ampeg SVT-CL and SVT-810. Thunder of the gods.

19. Cave Passive Pedals. These are the still the only products on my pedalboard besides my trusty Boss tuner.

20. Fender Blues Junior III amplifier. The best small tube combo for the money.

Thankfully I only do this once a quarter…

Mahalo!

Inventory Update: First Quarter of 2012

Hi there, and Happy New Year!

Looking through my stuff, there are a few changes to my collection, and a few more changes to come. Here is what is around today:

1. 1978 Fender Precision Bass. Incredible condition and Antigua. Mmmm.

2. 1982 Fender JV Precision Bass. The earliest Japanese Fender bass I have ever seen. Loaded with Jamerson flats, and everything a P Bass should be..

3. 1983 ESP P-J Bass. Serial number 0008, and formerly owned by Masayoshi Yamashita of the Japanese metal band Loudness. You have to have a PJ bass around.

4. 1983 Tokai Love Rock LS-50. The best sounding and playing Les Paul I have ever owned, and that is saying a lot.

5. 1986 ESP PPJ-160. The flat-out coolest bass I own. I will be writing about this one later on this month.

6. 2008 Fender Custom Shop 59 Re-issue Precision Bass. This one is one the chopping block. Drop me a line if you are interested. It is a peach!

7. 2009 Fender Mustang Bass. Candy Apple Red, competition stripes, and fresh out of Japan. Sweet!

8. Kala Tenor Ukulele. Also on its way out, as I have a sweeter one coming in.

9. Kala solid mahogany soprano ukulele. A great travelling companion, and a fond souvenir of Hawaii.

10. Cordoba 25TKCE Ukulele. On loan to a friend, but I will be selling this one too.

11. Simon & Patrick Songsmith dreadnought. This solid acoustic is still hanging in there; it is still a super-popular post for this blog.

12. Simon & Patrick Woodland 12-string acoustic. I will need to write this one up this month too.

13. Martin D-18V. I should play this more often, so I do not forget how much I like it.

14. Orpheus Valley Guitars Rosa Morena. A sweet Bulgarian Spanish guitar.

15. Sterling by MusicMan AX20. Perhaps the ugliest guitar I own, and also up for sale.

16. Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 with two 12-inch Shuttle cabinets. How is it that I still have this set-up? Probably because it is so awesome!

17. Genz Benz Shuttle 3.0-8T. A powerhouse for its size, and a nice value on the used market.

18. Cave Passive Pedals. These are the still the only products on my pedalboard besides my trusty Boss tuner.

19. Fender Blues Junior III amplifier. A great amplifier for the money.

20.Fender Vibro Champ XD. I have been having a miserable time trying to sell this. I might have to trade it in at Guitar Center for a new set of strings or something.

Good thing I only do this once a quarter. It seems like I could do it once a week.

Mahalo!

Inventory Update: Fourth Quarter of 2011

Hi there!

As no surprise to anyone, my inventory is a lot different than it was 3 months ago. Here is a snapshot of what is around today:

1. 1982 Fender JV Precision Bass. A natural relic with Jamerson flats.

2. 1983 ESP P-J Bass. The earliest ESP bass (serial number 0008) I’ve ever seen and a great player.

3. 1983 Tokai Love Rock LS-50. I breathed some new life into this one with Burstbuckers and decent pots. It is a transformed rock monster.

4. 2005 Fender Custom Shop Nocaster. This is really cool, but will not be sticking around long. Drop me a line if you are interested.

5. 2008 Fender Custom Shop 59 Re-issue Precision Bass. I need to write this one up. It is a peach!

6. Kala Tenor Ukulele. On loan to a friend right now.

7. Kala solid mahogany soprano ukulele. A great travelling companion.

8. Cordoba 25TKCE Ukulele. You have not lived until you have played an electric ukulele.

9. Simon & Patrick Songsmith dreadnought. This solid acoustic is still hanging in there; I think I may have had this longer than any guitar in my collection.

10. Martin D-18V. Must keep this one. Must keep this one. Must keep this one.

11. Sterling by MusicMan AX20. Bedazzled with the Rockstar Energy Drink logo, I bought this cheap off of a 7-Eleven owner. Really.

12. Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 with 2 12-inch Shuttle cabinets. I am not tempted by Genz’s newer offerings, probably because I have never tried them. Ignorance is bliss.

13. Cave Passive Pedals. These are the still the only products on my pedalboard besides my trusty Boss tuner.

13. Fender Blues Junior III amplifier. An upgrade from my old Vibro Champ XD.

Just wait until the December 1st update. Who knows what I will have by then?

Mahalo!

Inventory Update: Third Quarter of 2011

Hi there!

What is in Rex’s newly remodeled garage/studio today? Inquiring minds want to know, and the second quarter ukulele frenzy has changed up the mix a bit. Here is a snapshot of what is around today:

1. 1982 Fender JV Precision Bass. The oldest Japanese Fender I have ever seen. I recently had this one strung with D’Addario tapewounds. This thing is sexier than Face’s Corvette.

2. 1982 Fender JV Precision Bass. Ditto the above, but with Jamerson flats.

3. 1984 Fender JV 62 RI Jazz Bass. This bass is on its way out because I hate the neck on it. Maybe I am not a Jazz Bass guy anymore.

4. 1999 Fender 75 RI Jazz Bass. Ditto the above, although it is dead sexy.

5. 1997 Fender 52 RI Telecaster. A heavy thing, but the best Tele I’ve ever owned, and that says a lot.

6. Kala Tenor Ukulele. Cheap, but a very good ukulele.

7. Kala solid mahogany soprano ukulele. I am in love again, and this one make the other ukes hide in dark corners (and Chris’ house).

8. Simon & Patrick Songsmith dreadnought. Still a very popular subject on my music blog.

9. 2008 Martin D-18V. It is good to have a really nice acoustic back in the fold. Hopefully I will not be so hasty to off such things in the future.

10. Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 with 2 12-inch Shuttle cabinets. The ironmen of my collection.

11. Cave Passive Pedals. These are the only products on my pedalboard besides my trusty Boss tuner.

12. Fender Vibro Champ XD. Cheap, but it has a 5-year warranty.

On August 1st things will look completely different. Trust me.

Mahalo!

Inventory Update:Second Quarter of 2011

Hi there!

What does Rex have in stock right now? I am sure everybody is dying to know, and a surprising number of guitars from my first quarter update are still here. Here we go:

1. Art and Lutherie Ami parlour guitar. This is not getting as much use as I thought it would, but I have some travel coming up and it might come along.

2. 1982 Fender JV Precision Bass. The oldest Japanese Fender I have ever seen. I recently had this one strung with Jamerson flats. My god, Magnum.

3. 1983 Fender JV Precision Bass. This one is still hanging in there. I have D’Addario flats on it, if I remember correctly.

4. 1984 Fender JV 62 RI Jazz Bass. This bass was really hard to find. It seems like there 20 JV P basses for every JV Jazz Bass that comes along.

5. 1997 Fender 52 RI Telecaster. I recently had this set-up with Ernie Ball 0.010’s, and this is the best-sounding Telecaster I have ever had. And the heaviest.

6. 1999 Fender 75 RI Jazz Bass. This is the only bass I have ever found in Japan that had flatwound strings on it. I left them on, and I think they are Ernie Ball Group III’s.

7. Kala Tenor Ukulele. Code named “Operation Bad Idea”. I need to put some more time into learning how to play this thing.

8. Simon & Patrick Songsmith dreadnought. I get a lot of comments about these guitars on my blog. People love these things.

9. 1983 Tokai Love Rock. This may be going on sale soon. Stay tuned.

10. Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 with 2 12-inch Shuttle cabinets. I have somehow withstood the temptations of the Genz 9.0 and the new Genz Streamliner. The 6.0 is sticking around for now.

11. Cave Passive Pedals. These are the only products on my pedalboard besides my trusty Boss tuner.

12. Fender Vibro Champ XD. This amp has not been getting a lot of use lately, but it is not in my way either. I will be keeping it for awhile.

Check back on June 1st. You never know what the future will bring.

Mahalo!

Inventory Update: 1st Quarter of 2011

Happy New Year!

I figured I would kick off the new year with a new feature: What does Rex have in stock right now? My friends know this is a moving target, but I figure I can draw a line in the sand at this moment in time and let you all in on my secret stash of goodness. I will try to update this once a quarter, so that everybody knows what is going on.

1. Art and Lutherie Ami parlour guitar. You will see me writing about this one soon. It is pure fun.

2. EBMM Stingray Classic 4 string. This is living in Chicago right now, but will probably find its way home to me.

3. 1983 Fender JV Precision Bass. The holy grail of Japanese P basses, and is the instrument that has lived in my stable the longest. Strung with flats, for the Motown thump.

4. 1994 Fender 62 RI Jazz Bass. Strung with rounds, this bass is sharp, and has had plenty of road wear and mojo applied.

5. 1997 Fender 52 RI Telecaster. I cannot believe that I have a Telecaster that is heavier than my Les Paul, but Fender figured out a way to make it happen for me. Bravo!

6. 1999 Fender 62 RI Stratocaster. Does this complete my collection of the major models from Fender?

7. Simon & Patrick Songsmith dreadnaught. The instrument I use the most, and a super-popular subject for readers of this blog. Go figure.

8. 1983 Tokai Love Rock. I love to use my Love Rock for rock.

9. Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 with 2 12-inch Shuttle cabinets. No drama to report with this set-up. I am still in love with it.

10. Cave Passive Pedals. These are the only products on my pedalboard besides my trusty Boss tuner.

11. Fender Vibro Champ XD. A super-cheap guitar amp that is working out pretty well. I will be putting together a report on this one, too. Soon. Real soon.

Check back on April 1st. I am sure my selection will look completely different. There are already a few changes in the works.

Mahalo!

Osu Kannon Market, Nagoya Japan

There is a market tucked away in the middle of Nagoya Japan that is heaven for anyone that is into electronics or anything funky. It is a sprawling outdoor mall and neighborhood built behind the Osu Kannon temple.

The temple is a 20th century reconstruction of the original temple that was moved to this site in 1612. It is usually full of tourists and pigeons, and there is an endless supply of gravel in the yard to get stuck in your shoes. Meh.

The shopping area to the east is huge, with hundreds of shops that sell everything from souvenirs to toys, to vintage clothing to high-end electronics. There are also shops where you can buy second-hand high-end consumer goods, including brands such as Louis Vuitton and Rolex. Sadly, Uncle Meat has moved out of the mall. That is the best shop name. Ever.

But, I go there for the guitar shops and the vintage stereo equipment stores. This is a great place to find used Japanese guitars in shops like Komehyo and Big Boss, as well as a few smaller dealers that are tucked away in dark corners of the arcade. The stereo shops have early hi-fi equipment at truly breathtaking prices. Who ever thought that stuff would be valuable some day?

If you get hungry, there are plenty of eateries, including traditional Japanese noodle huts and octopus ball places, as well as a few Brazilian cafes that are outstanding. There are even a few of the hard to find beer vending machines. Such a shame that those are going away…

Twice a month (the 18th and 28th) there is a flea market where locals bring piles of crap that you can poke through. Communication can be a little tough, but they usually have a calculator that they can use to communicate prices. Negotiation is Japanese style, which means that you do not hardball them and try to talk them down by pointing out every little flaw in the item. They will shut you down and negotiations end right there. It is better to praise the item, and just tell them that it is priced a little too high for what you can pay, and they will usually come down a bit on the price.

You can reach Osu Kannon by taking the Tsurumai subway line to the Osu Kannon Station.

Sugoi!