An old post question about a guitar made by Radio Shack

This topic has 5 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 12 years, 5 months ago by 1bassleft.

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March 3, 2008 at 8:53 pm #24665

Skip
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posted by: skip
From: [email protected]
IP address: 75.13.50.168
Subject: Re: help me identify this guitar
Message:
: I have this same guitar and it’s in perfict condition. I bought mine brand new from Radio Shack when I was around 16 or 17 years old, that was 39 years ago and I have never been able to find out who made this guitar for Radio Shack. No one at R.S. knows anything about it, I tried a guy that delt in old and unusual guitars he had no idea either. So I guess we that own them will just have to enjoy them and always wonder, where the heck is this thing from??? I know this is an old post but I just now ran accross it and I am extactic to find others that have the same axe as mine. AND are just as confused as I am as to what kind of guitar it really is.
The gutar in question is a hollow body electric, duel pickup, adjustable bridge, wawa bar, volume and tone controll for each pickup, made for Radio Shack by ?well, that’s the quetion? cherry red with white pipeing and it says REALISTIC on the head. Oh and the pick guard is adjustable

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- November 14, 2011 at 6:44 am #76739
  
  jerund
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  I had a Realistic back in 1968 I’m guessing. What I remember is the neck was pretty decent and the inside smelled great. It was made in Japan, and I think there were a few models the first year Radio Shack carried them and the ES-335 copy was the top of the line. I also remember going back the next year and being amazed that they were all junk then. I found one picture of it that I’ll try to attach here…
  
  http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x130/Jerrocity/thequest.jpg
- March 23, 2009 at 9:58 pm #76756
  
  plymouthrock51
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  I have this exact guitar. Bought it when I was 16 about 41 years ago for $50.00 in a cardboard box. I could never find out who made it. I still have it but wish I had taken better care of it.
- March 5, 2008 at 7:55 am #76765
  
  1bassleft
  Participant
  
  Realistic is/was a brandname used by Radio Shack for its own-label imports. Lee, if you remember the Tandy stores in the UK (part of the RS group), they stocked Realistic microphones, mixers, leads, showerheads for all I know. You’re right, though. The guitars would have been made in Japan for them and are probably similar to the Teisco, Kawai etc guitars of the day.
  
  Skip, have a look at the webpages of the brands I just mentioned and see if anything looks close to your guitar.
- March 4, 2008 at 5:44 pm #76700
  
  glw
  Participant
  
  Hey, Skip, how about some photos?
- March 4, 2008 at 8:04 am #76690
  
  lee_UK
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  Realistic was probably a Jap import made up name, i bet it has nothing to do with RS.
  Was it made in Japan?
  I bet some big importer just phoned the factory and said stick Realistic on the headstock.
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