Documenting history as well as my experiences with repairing and restoring vintage guitars.

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Image Credit:  Google Books - 1969 Billboard  Name(s) RECCO INSTRUMENTS, INC. Address Type Gen. Business - For Profit Charter No....

Recco Instruments Company

Image Credit: Google Books - 1969 Billboard

 Name(s) RECCO INSTRUMENTS, INC. Address Type Gen. Business - For Profit Charter No. 00117503
Domesticity Domestic
Registered Agent S. HARVEY LANER
1306 WEST 39TH STREET
KANSAS CITY, MO
Status Inactive - Merged
Date Formed 8/9/1965
Mergers Articles of Merger (Non-survivor) 4/30/1971 4/30/1971
Creation Articles of Incorporation 8/9/1965 8/9/1965 
Image Credit: Newspapers.com - Kansas City Times
Image Credit: Google Books - 1968 Billboard

About

Recco was formed by Kansas City native, Sigmund Harvey Laner in 1965 and lasted until 1971.

In 1968, talks of a merge with Medco Incorporated, which focused on jewelry, were announced via The Kansas City Times [1]. In 1981 Medco was merged with another company, the Misdom-Frank Corporation, and in 1984 all jewelry operations ceased [2]. No further mentions of Recco are found.

I obtained through the State of Missouri documents relating to the merger where Recco purchased a number of small stores around the country. The documents can be found here:
https://www.stlamateurluthier.com/2019/02/recco-instruments-company-merger.html

Products

Recco amplifiers were built by Guyatone (Tokyo Sound Company) in Japan and a key feature is the use of grey "RIVER ELETEC[sic] CORPORATION" resistors and 6BQ5 (EL84) tubes [3]. These amplifiers have printed circuit boards where the tubes attach directly to the board and not the chassis. As of the writing of this article, I own a Recco model 303 amplifier which is identical to the amplifier in the cited post.

Jedistar (a very reputable resource) has a picture of a Recco amp with the text "Rheem Manufacturing Company" and "Made in the USA" [4]. I found the company (incorporated 1963, merged 1975, and based in St Louis) but they focused on plumbing and not cabinet or amplifier construction [5]. 

Recco guitars, like any Japanese import, could be made by a variety of manufacturers depending on who they bought from. Some Ebay listings cite Ibanez models and others just say Teisco so I do not have a definite answer.
Here is a Kawai-built, Recco-branded instrument
I found for sale in Illinois

Sources

[1] https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/56233766/
[2] https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/64500/000095015999000189/0000950159-99-000189.txt
[3] http://www.tdpri.com/threads/recco-guyatone-tube-amp.730793/
[4] http://jedistar.com/recco/
[5] https://www.sos.mo.gov/business/corporations/

2 comments:

  1. Great info! I just picked up a guitar at a KC estate sale much like the Recco solid body you show here, and which I had as a teenager.

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