This wonderful "Teleish" guitar was introduced by Guyatone in '69 and mixes parts from the Tele and the Jaguar into a beautiful mash of wonder.
At first glance you say it's a Tele but then you realize it has an offset vibrato and bridge, and Jaguar pickups .... What a great idea with so many Teles already in the world.
These were made in the same factories as other '69 Guyatones (during or just post bankruptcy) and used the tailpiece from the LG-127Ts, among others, and the pickups and bridge from the LG-350 giving the slab Tele body a completely different look and feel.
These are a thick laminated slab body the same thickness as the 127 and other slab body Guyatones of the period. They feel substantial to put on but not heavy. The necks are bolt on Asian mahogany with rosewood fretboards.
The other interesting diversion from the Tele is that these have a Gibson scale length making them half way between a Tele a Jaguar. The neck is thick without being uncomfortable but is much thicker than other Guyatones of the period. It of course has the zero fret as was Guyatones choice on most guitars after '68.
These pickups have a surprising amount of output and punch despite measuring in at just under 6K. These pickups being made for the MUCH higher model LG-350 seem to be thicker and wider range than most of the lower end laminated slab body Guyatones from around the same time. They give this "Tele" a real Jaguar growl.
The vibrato is of course pure Fender offset and unlike other offset copies at the time by Guyatone leaves the original half circle plate intact. Apart from not having the locking mechanism it's very much the same as the Fender unit.
The bridge is also off the more upmarket 350 and is a well designed and made six roller saddle bridge with adjustment for height and intonation. While the cheaper end Guyatones tended to use simple non roller bridges or the flat roller type used on the LG-150s, these are a great quality bridge.
The headstock is pure Tele and features the metal "G" badge and the three screw metal trussrod cover with Guya Co. LTD as discussed in previous blogs.
The tuners are the simple open gear six a side and these are original and work well. The controls are also pure Tele being on the chrome metal plate with master volume and tone BUT, these have a three way toggle on the lower horn instead of the blade 3 way like a Tele.
The LG-20T was 20,000 yen in the '69 catalogue which put it between the 127 (12,700) and the 350 (35,000)
While this is aesthetically aimed squarely at a Tele player, the combination of running gear and scale length make it very different in tone and playability and this all works really well and I think, in it's favour for something just different enough while keeping it fairly traditional.
This ones in original condition with some scars and player wear and is heading over to the shop so drop in and check it out.