My cheap guitar from the yard sale *Pic added, its a Kimberly*

[phorsenuf]

So I went out to the yard sales today and in my travels I was keeping my eyes open for a cheapie electric guitar for my DH. He travels often and wants something that can just kick around in his truck. He didn't want anything much because it was just gonna get beat up but he wanted something so he could keep practicing.

So I was heading home and said to myself, alright last one. I had already gone by it but it was down a long driveway and I was hot and tired and wanting to call it quits.
So I pull in and lo and behold, there's a guitar. They only wanted $5.00 for it. Jackpot! Can't go wrong with a $5. guitar.

Well I get it home and it turns out to be a guitar from 1969. We clean it up do some research and its worth a few hundred bucks!!!!!
Needless to say that's going into the collection! Back to the drawing board to find a cheapie guitar.

I love yard sales!

 

[Cindyluwho]

woohoo!! Doesn't that feel good when that happens! And the cool thing is, it sounds like you'll really appreciate the guitar!
Very cool!

 

[phorsenuf]

woohoo!! Doesn't that feel good when that happens! And the cool thing is, it sounds like you'll really appreciate the guitar!
Very cool!

My DH loves guitars! He cleaned it up, replaced the strings and is downstairs playing as we speak.

 

[ashjohnson80]

That is so awesome!!!!

 

[Sheree Bobbins]

Wow!

 

[luv2nascar]

great find

 

[agnes!]

Antiques Roadshow, DIS-style!

agnes!

 

[Big V]

What kind of guitar was it?

 

[LiteBrite]

When my daughter was 8, we stopped at a garage sale we happened to be passing by because we saw a couple of chairs we thought looked interesting. We didn't buy the chairs, but DD found a violin for sale. She had been playing the piano since she was 4, but had spoken to us a few times about wanting a violin. She talked us into buying that one on the spot. We paid $75 for it, which was probably too much (it wasn't a good instrument at all) but on the other hand, she fell in love with the thing, and now at 19 she's a violin performance major in college and doing beautifully, so I guess the $75 investment paid off in another way!

By the way, these days she plays a 250 year old Italian violin, and that one we did get a great deal on, even though we paid 33 times as much as we did for her first violin!

 

[phorsenuf]

What kind of guitar was it?

It is a Kimberly. It was produced by Teisco which was then bought by Kawai. From what we have been able to find it was last produced in 1969. They were actually sold through Sears at the time.

Thats about all we can figure out as there isn't much info out there about them. It is the green sunburst design. It has 4 pickups each with its own on/off switch and volume control. It has 1 tone control. It real pretty with a nice tone. I wish we could find out more about it.

Here's a picture of the guitar. This picture is for one on sale on ebay but ours looks just like it. I'm too lazy to go take a picture. LOL

 

[phorsenuf]

Anybody familiar with these?

 

[FergieTCat]

There's one selling on Ebay right now (auction ending in less than an hour). The bidding is up over $300. The words "Kimberly" and "Teisco" were in the description.

 

[PrincessKitty1]

That is so cool!

DH is always on the lookout for a mandolin when we go yardsaling. I'm always looking for rare books (much more likely than finding a mandolin!).

 

[jipsy]

If it is a Kimberly - it will say Kimberly on the headstock in a script logo and May Queen Teisco on the pickguard. These were manufactured at the same Japanese factory as Teisco in the late 60's, early 70's. In excellent condition, it would be worth between $450-$600.

If it is just a Teisco electric, with the 4 pickups, it was manufactured in Japan between 1966-1969 and is worth $400-$550 in excellent condition.

 

[jipsy]

That is so cool!

DH is always on the lookout for a mandolin when we go yardsaling. I'm always looking for rare books (much more likely than finding a mandolin!).

Don't laugh. A mandolin we bought for $500 helped us buy our house after we sold it for $30K. Although I wish we had held onto it longer - it would sell today for $150K.

 

[phorsenuf]

If it is a Kimberly - it will say Kimberly on the headstock in a script logo and May Queen Teisco on the pickguard. These were manufactured at the same Japanese factory as Teisco in the late 60's, early 70's. In excellent condition, it would be worth between $450-$600.

If it is just a Teisco electric, with the 4 pickups, it was manufactured in Japan between 1966-1969 and is worth $400-$550 in excellent condition.

There is nothing on the pickguard but it does say Kimberly on the neck. We can't find any other marking anywhere unless there is something under the pickguard.
I believe we identified it as a Kimberly Apollo(?)

 

[phorsenuf]

Oh yeah, it also came with the original case!

 

[jipsy]

I'm sorry let me clarify. Kimberly guitars were made by Teisco and will say Kimberly on the headstock. If it is a Kimberly May Queen, it will also say Teisco May Queen on the guard. Either way, it is still worth the same in excellent condition. Excellent condition means it is all original and none of the parts have been changed or messed with. Player wear is to be expected.

 

[phorsenuf]

I'm sorry let me clarify. Kimberly guitars were made by Teisco and will say Kimberly on the headstock. If it is a Kimberly May Queen, it will also say Teisco May Queen on the guard. Either way, it is still worth the same in excellent condition. Excellent condition means it is all original and none of the parts have been changed or messed with. Player wear is to be expected.

So I got my 5 bucks worth? This guitar is in really great shape. All original, but missing the tremolo bar. There's a ding in it too, but thats all.

 

[Deb in IA]

Cool!!


My husband got a Gibson Firebird 1976 Bicentennial for about $600 about 20 years ago, from his guitar teacher, who had a student who skipped out on him and left the guitar.

It is just like this.

It is now worth about $3500.