Happy New Year 2021!
We originally shared this back in August of 2015.
G.E. Smith Jams on the Guitar That Killed Folk!
Read the entire article in Vintage Guitar magazine here: Michael Bloomfield’s ’63 Telecaster
The Guitar That Killed Folk Music
Orpheus 12-String Electric Guitar
Orpheus – a little known brand of guitars
Over the years, the Orpheus brand is a name has been used on several lines of guitars in different parts of the world: from Bulgaria to the former Soviet Union, to the United States and Japan.
Through research, we found that in the late 1960s through mid-1970s, Coast Wholesale Music Company of California imported a line of electric guitars made in Japan under the Orpheus name. It is suspected, but not proven, that these electric guitars could have been made in the highly respected Matsumoku factory of Japan.
Luckily, we found this Orpheus 12-string hollow body electric back in May 2019 at Centaur Guitar in Portland, Oregon (BTW: The guys at Centaur really know their stuff when it comes to 1970s made in Japan guitars, so give them a call or stop by). Since I already owned a mid-1970’s Univox Coily, I recognized that the build and the pickups were very similar. The body, the neck, the triple edge binding, the cherry burst finish, and the pickups all resembled other guitars we’d seen from Matsumoku.
Built by Matsumoku Industrial of Japan (we think, we’re not sure!) and imported to the U.S. by Coast Wholesale Music Company of California, this 12-string semi-acoustic hollow body electric from the 1970’s is a rare bird.
Ultra-thin cutaway electric guitars from an old Coast Wholesale Music Company catalog.
What do you think? Leave your comments below, thanks!
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Hashtags: #Orpheus #MIJ #Matsumoku #Tesico #Lawsuit #Guitar
Rare 1966 Murph Squire II-T on eBay
The Almost Famous Saga Continues
A rare 1966 Murph electric guitar surprisingly shows up on eBay, but that’s only part of the #AlmostFamous story. Read on…
1966 Murph Squire II-T
From the Listing
“Up for auction is a rare Murph Squire II-T made in 1966. These were produced between mid-1965 and around March or April of 1967 by Murphy Music Industries located at 1817 First Street in San Fernando, California. The company was owned by Patrick Murphy (1920-2009) who was born in Illinois, raised in Detroit, and settled his wife and 5 kids in California following World War II.”
Link to Auction
RARE Vintage 1966 Murph Squire II-T Solidbody Electric Guitar USA
Sold for $1,251.00
The Saga Continues
Continuing the saga of how a WWII Navy fighter pilot-turned-entrepreneur to design and build his own brand of electric guitars in the 1960s. Guitar player and author of the book series Guitar Stories, Michael Wright tells the unique story of Patrick Murphy and Murph Guitars. The story is told here by Michael Wright in Vintage Guitar Magazine.
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1965 Murph 12-String Squire in Candy Apple Red
A very rare sighting of a Murph Squire 12-string electric guitar!
As seen on Ebay, this Squire 12-string is in pretty good shape for its age. The Murph Squire 6 and 12-string guitars were built by Murphy Music Industries – a company started by WWII veteran Patrick Murphy – in the San Fernando, California in the mid-1960s.
More…
Here is the original Ebay listing:
VERY RARE MURPH 12 STRING SQUIER GUITAR.Made in Cal. USA guitar.Candy Apple Red
Here is more about Patrick Murphy and Murph Guitars:
Murph Guitars Website
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Vintage 1965 Murph Squire original condition with single pickup
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1965 Murph Squire
Check out this extremely rare Murph electric guitar being offered on eBay. These guitars were built in Southern California in the mid-1960’s by Patrick Murphy, a World War II Navy vet turned guitar luthier and entrepreneur.
eBay: 1965 MURPH SQUIRE 1 SINGLE PICKUP IN WHITE VINTAGE GUITAR ORIGINAL COND Strat
Tone Gems is not affiliated with eBay, or the seller, and does not endorse this purchase.
More about Patrick Murphy: www.murphguitars.com/history
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1965 Bartell Spyder Spotted on eBay
A very rare 1965 Bartell Spyder electric guitar, labeled and marketed by house brand St. George, was spotted this week selling on eBay. The seller from Aurora, Ohio has listed a ‘Buy It Now’ price of $1585.95.
Here is the original eBay post: 1965 Bartell Spyder Electric guitar CANDY BLUE CALIFORNIA ORIG
Bartell was a family-owned musical instruments company from about 1964 to 1968, making guitars in my hometown of Riverside, California.
Learn more about the Bartell company and their electric guitars and basses at this great website dedicated to Bartell: Bartell Guitars and Bases
Here are some photos of the guitar for sale.
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Bartell Apache Guitar Spotted on eBay
A 1960’s Bartell Apache was recently spotted for sale on eBay. With a ‘Buy It Now’ price of only $350.00, it was scooped up pretty quickly.
Here is the original eBay post: VINTAGE 1960S USA BARTELL APACHE OF CALIFORNIA ELECTRIC GUITAR LUTHIER PROJECT
Bartell was a family owned company located in Riverside, California.
Learn about the Bartell company and their electrics guitars at this great website dedicated to Bartell: Bartell Guitars and Bases
Here are some more photos of the Apache guitar.
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Silvertone 1437 Guitar Electronics Tear Down
Detailed tear down photos of a 1969 Silvertone 1437 electric guitar, pick guard, pickups and electronics.
Keywords: Sears, Silvertone, 1437, Shark Fin, Sharkfin, Teisco, ET-460, K4L, WG-4L
Hashtags: #tonegems #silvertone #silvertone1437 #sharkfin #teisco #teiscoET460 #teiscoK4L #teiscoWG4L
Silvertone 1437 Shark Fin Electric Guitar
Also known as the Teisco ET-460 or K4L “sharkfin” guitar.
Check out the photos of this super cool, vintage 1969, made in Japan, Sears Silvertone 1437. The 1437, more commonly known as the “Sharkfin Guitar,” has a mean-looking hand-carved body, four (4!) pickups, and a machine-striped solid aluminum pick guard. Sold in the U.S. by Sears & Roebuck in the late 1960s and early 70s as Silvertone model number 1437, it’s known in Japan and other markets as the Teisco ET-460 or Teisco 4KL. Could have been sold elsewhere under other names as well?
Made in the now-defunct Teisco factory of Japan.
This particular guitar was recently purchased from eBay seller mwbutler. The excellent photos below are by mwbutler.
1968 Teisco Catalog Page
Keywords: Sears, Silvertone, 1437, Sharkfin, Sharkfin, Teisco, ET-460, K4L, WG-4L
Hashtags: #tonegems #silvertone #silvertone1437 #sharkfin #teisco #teiscoET460 #teiscoK4L #teiscoWG4L
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1960’s Silvertone 1437/Teisco ET-460 K4L Shark Fin Guitar
Check out this great looking late ’60s Silvertone 1437 just popped up on eBay.