Kay Teisco Et 200 Full Page Magazine

From what I have read on the internet, Teisco products stopped being shipped to the US between 1969 and 1973 depending on what site you read.

Among the stores carrying Teisco products were Lowes, Roses, KMart, Belk, Walgreens and Sky City.

Teisco items could also be found in other stores that sold tvs, appliances and hardware.

According to the trademark owned by the WMI Corporation (U.S distributor), the date for the first use anywhere and first use in commerce for the Checkmate name was February 9, 1966.

The name was used on amplifiers and later on guitars and other instruments.

Fifty years ago our Roses department store carried the largest selection of Teisco products in my area.

During the mid to late 1960s a Spectrum 5 guitar could bought off the shelf for 89 or less in stores in my area.

The Spectrum 5s I saw back then in my area had ebony fretboards and either had no badge on the headstock or they had the Teisco crown badge.

The last new one I saw in the early 1970s had a 45 price tag on it.

According the trademark owned by WMI Corp.

U.S. distributor) the Spectrum name was used in the United States for the first time in commerce on July 7, 1966.

Over the past 50 years or so, I have seen andor played through at least 22 different numbered amplifiers offered in the Teisco Check Mate line.

Those are CM- 8,10,12,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22, 23, 25,30,45,50,60,66,88,100 and 480.

My second was a CM-22 purchased used in 1971 for 50 in like new condition.

My third Check Mate amp was a CM-10 I bought new in 1976 for 15 to use as a practice amp.

I am trying to confirm all of the Teisco Check Mate amp numbers ever produced and the different styles and configurations in order to display them on this site.

Here are a few more to add to the amps I have already posted.

In the early 1970s you could still find a new Spectrum 5 in my area.

That was about half of what they sold for (89) in the mid -1960s in our stores.

I regret now that I did not buy one but I already had several guitars and amps at the time.

Kay Teisco Et 200 Full Page Magazine

This is part of a full page magazine ad from my collection.The 1965 magazine also includes a huge ad for Kay electric guitars and amps.

From then until 1976 I saw a lot of CM-66s in stores and played through a few as well.

Over the years not only did the appearance of the amps vary but there were other variations as well.

The department store chains must have bought Teisco equipment by boxcar loads.