But there is no band on this list who exemplifies the ideal of using affordable guitars for artistic endeavor more than Sonic Youth. We’ve also seen Moore play a Silvertone post-Sonic Youth. the company was called Aoi Onpa Kenkyujo (which, roughly translated, means Hollyhock Soundwave or Electricity Laboratories). Nevertheless, for years Teiscos were the. Indeed, through their mid-’60s connection with the Sears and Roebuck company, many a modern guitar player learned his or her first chops on a Silvertone made in Japan by the Teisco company. Rad drive pedals whose eccentricity belies their simple names. Few non-American guitar brands have meant so much to so many American guitar buffs as Teisco guitars. Each page’s surreal artwork is inspired by the wonderful world of guitar effects. The company was acquired by Kawai in 1967, with the Teisco. The company that was to go on to create the Teisco brand was formed by Mr. Teisco puts out charming pedal activity book and contest for a Heritage guitar. In 1956 the name was changed to ‘Nippon Ompa Kogyo Co’. Indeed, through their mid-60s connection with the Sears and Roebuck company. The company was originally called ‘Aoi Onpa Kenkyujo’ (roughly: Hollyhock Soundwave or Electricity Laboratories). have meant so much to so many American guitar buffs as Teisco guitars. Some of the most notable budget-centric guitars that saw action included Lee Ranaldo’s pink Fernandes Strat copy, the East German Musima Eterna that Moore and Gordon both played. Teisco was founded in 1946 by guitarist Atswo Kaneko, and electrical engineer Doryu Matsuda. Of course, as with the vintage Silvertones and pawnshop Harmony holdovers, success inflates the prices and the now ubiquitous presence of the Fender offset is in no small part down to Sonic Youth’s influence on the wider alt-rock culture. That’s partly why Jazzmasters and Mustangs entered the picture they were cheap. That’s why the gear theft of ’99 was so debilitating. Guitars: Fernandes FST Strat copy, Fernandes Native Pro, Hopf Telstar Standard, Musima Eternaīecause of the many alternate tunings they used on a song-to-song basis, Sonic Youth needed guitars and lots of them, so they were not set up to tour without loading some cheaper guitars onto the boat. (Image credit: Jim Steinfeldt/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)