Let us be transparent: this week's Find of the Week is about as rare as they get. It's a Japanese-made 1990s reissue of a Teisco Spectrum 5 with a clear acrylic finish.
In the 1960s, the Japanese manufacturer Teisco was part of the wave of Asian and European instrument makers that made their way into the American market. Alongside their parent company Kawai, they saturated department stores with the release of several beginner-level guitars under various guises. Their success in this market led them to believe they could compete with industry heavyweights like Gibson and Fender—and thus, the Spectrum 5 was born.
The heavyweight Spectrum 5 came equipped with a colorful self-canceling switching system for endless tonal possibilities, and topped off with a mono/stereo switch, a 22-fret neck, a surface-mount vibrato unit, and a stereo set of output jacks. While its myriad switches may make it difficult for players to remember how to achieve a certain tone, it's still earned its rightful reputation as an offbeat collector's staple.
According to the seller, UK's Gas Station Guitars, this 1990s reissue was only one of 100 made. It comes with its original, red-lined hardshell case. "Don't miss out," they write in the listing, "as years can go by without one of these showing up for sale." On that note, check out the full listing for more information and photos, and see through the sale of this Teisco today.