In the 1960s, the world was hungry for electric instruments, and Japanese manufacturers such as Teisco seized on the opportunity to export mass-produced axes to aspiring rock n' rollers. In particular, Tesico's ET460 Sharkfin clearly had rock n' roll in mind—such a cool and whacky guitar shape! Sometimes called a "German carve," this model features two pointy cutaways, the iconic hooked Sharkfin headstock, four single-coil pickups, and a vibrato system.
This Tesico ET460 dates to approximately 1965, but it was recently rebuilt and converted into a rubber bridge by Denver-based luthier Matt McGibney. This Sharkfin still sports all four of its original square-pole single-coils pickups. The original vibey slider switches are still in use and function as they should, but Matt disengaged the wonky Rhythm/Solo switch. From there, volume and tone controls provide some flexibility.
On this Tesico, McGibney's rubber bridge is a slick setup with room for future adjustments. The base is rosewood, and there are two adjustable thumbwheels for the solid wood saddle, which is rubber lined. Relative to other rubber bridge designs, this Teisco has a touch more sustain, so notes decay slower and last subtly longer. It still retains the classic plunky, more percussive sound, but with more tone and sustain. McGibney also refretted the fingerboard with jumbo frets, and he fit a new saddle for it that eliminates the original zero fret design.
This 1965 Teisco ET460 shows various dings, scuffs, and signs of use (see photos). The metal parts are tarnished and show the age of the instrument. But that only amounts to authentic vibe and character, which this Teisco delivers aplenty. Such a cool Sharkfin is a fun and intriguing candidate for the Rubber Bridge conversion. This Teisoc is set up with nice action and .013-gauge flat wound strings. It includes a basic Gator gig bag.