A SOLID-BODY ELECTRIC GUITAR, SPECTRUM 5

Mark Knopfler purchased this guitar from Neal’s Guitars in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, in January 2004 ahead of recording sessions at the legendary Shangri-La studios in Malibu, California, for his fourth solo studio album Shangri-La from February to March 2004. Knopfler used the sunburst Spectrum 5, together with a Ramirez classical guitar (lot 28), to record the Latin-inflected 'Postcards From Paraguay'. Keyboardist Guy Fletcher photographed Mark posing with the guitar outside Shangri-La for his 2004 online studio diaries. The guitar can also be spotted behind Mark in the recording studio in the official album documentary. Together with a sunburst Spectrum bass (lot 56), this Spectrum 5 was later seen at British Grove Studios, photographed by Fletcher during week seven of recording sessions for Knopfler’s 2007 album Kill To Get Crimson.

TEISCO
The Japanese guitar and music electronics manufacturer Teisco was founded in 1946 by the musician Atswo Kaneko and electrical engineer Doryu Matsuda. Over a forty-year period the brand name Teisco would be owned by no fewer than six different private corporate names. Excelling in the electric guitar arena, which also included amplifiers, Teisco was able to build a global market footprint owing to the affordable price point and eye-catching design aesthetic of its products. The importation of Teisco guitars into the United States began in about 1960 and by 1964 the US guitars were re-branded as Teisco Del Ray.

Many models were fitted with four pickups and a plethora of switches allowing for a multitude of tonal colours. Though the works copied existing electric guitar design mantras they always possessed a post-modern and mid-century twist. Their visual effect would be put to good use by the likes of Vance Brescia of Herman's Hermits and The Monkees' Micky Dolenz. The recent growth in revisiting analogue recording and the nostalgia of capturing that 60s sound has attracted a new generation of musicians to Teisco electrics.