Greco SA??

Tokai Forum

Help Support Tokai Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

ozgrecofanatic

Well-known member
Joined
May 19, 2010
Messages
73
Reaction score
0
Location
Newcastle, Australia
Hi everyone.

The GAS syndrome has bitten again and I've won this Greco SA model on Rinkya.

http://www.rinkya.com/new/en/auction-r89913351

The seller was a bit "vague" about the vintage, saying only that it was a Mint Collection vintage between 1982 and 1990. I already have an SA64-70 from 1987 but on inspection of the photos there are some slight differences with this model. Firstly the Crown Inlay is the "Gibson" type NOT the type on my '87 SA. There is significant "Birdseye" in the top, leading me to believe it should be a higher model. Finally it appears to have "fret binding" (hard to see in photos, I had to enhance).

I know there are many helpful and experienced Greco people on here and I was hoping there would be some way to roughly know what it is. I'm thinking from the points I've already made it is EARLY mint collection (say 1982-83) because the crown inlay was changed in the SA series later models. The colour is interesting too. Not a Tobacco Burst like my Current SA64, but significant Red and yellow hues. I've only seen a few in that colour and they were SA900 models.

Hope you guys can help me out. I'm happy with the price I paid anyway but am curious as always. Thanks to all in advance!

Dave
 
I was watching that one and think it may be an 82-83 as you speculate. I am not sure if the Greco inlay is golden as it was on the higher end LPs of the time. In any case, with that nice top I think you made the right choice.
 
To my eyes the greco logo is the white open o mint collection.
I have seen greco gold logo on 82' transitional 1200, 1000 and 850 and so.
But I'm not sure the golden logo was only used on high end model.
I think the seller made a correct production year estimation.
 
Koubayashi said:
900 is the highest model of SA with blocks I've seen.

I've got my fingers crossed Koubayashi....I value your experience and opinion. Thanks for helping and thanks to Wulfman too! I'll get it in around 2 weeks. Can't wait!
 
Alright folks....the SA?? is here..

This guitar holds the dubious honour of being the DIRTIEST guitar I've ever received from Japan. It took a full 3 hours to strip it, clean it and set it up. A layer of grime coated EVERY surface. How someone can treat a beautiful instrument like this with such utter neglect is beyond me!

The top is unbelievable birdseye map[le with a 3D thing happening. Lovely. It has flamed maple sides and a maple back with both flame and birdseye showing. I pulled both pickups off to look. No markings. Written in pencil under the neck pickup is the number "9". No paper I.D label inside the guitar and NO serial number on the headstock. The "G" tuner is badly bent but holds tune o.k at this stage. The neck angle is the Gibson correct 18degree not my SA 64-70's 14 degree...hmmm.

I'll attempt to post a variety of pics in the next few days. I'm wondering if it was a special build. The pickups sound pretty good but they seem lower output than the '57 classics I have in my other SA.

Keep ya all posted!


Dave
 
http://s962.photobucket.com/albums/ae102/newieboy/?action=view&current=IMG_6322.jpg

Pics include front and rear pickups and cavities, headstock and what appears to indicate a solid maple top.


Thoughts?
 
ozgrecofanatic said:
This guitar holds the dubious honour of being the DIRTIEST guitar I've ever received from Japan. It took a full 3 hours to strip it, clean it and set it up. A layer of grime coated EVERY surface. How someone can treat a beautiful instrument like this with such utter neglect is beyond me!

I have the same experience of buying "junk" guitars from Japan. When the listing has that word the guitar you get is not one that has been played and cared for. I think they might store them on the patio of an apartment or in the garden shed or something like that. Where there is lots of dust and dirt. It can affect the wiring and the screws get rusted out.

Buying from Japan is not always great!
 
Yes, I was thinking alike the Greco LPs that a no serial model + square tab routing = Tokai made 1989.
 
ozgrecofanatic said:
Koubayashi said:
900 is the highest model of SA with blocks I've seen.

I've got my fingers crossed Koubayashi....I value your experience and opinion. Thanks for helping and thanks to Wulfman too! I'll get it in around 2 weeks. Can't wait!

Let me correct myself: 64-90 is the highest I have seen.
Which of course doesn't mean that there are no higher.
 
Koubayashi said:
ozgrecofanatic said:
Koubayashi said:
900 is the highest model of SA with blocks I've seen.

I've got my fingers crossed Koubayashi....I value your experience and opinion. Thanks for helping and thanks to Wulfman too! I'll get it in around 2 weeks. Can't wait!

Let me correct myself: 64-90 is the highest I have seen.
Which of course doesn't mean that there are no higher.

Okay, that begs the question..... what is the difference between say, an SA64-70 and and SA700? Pretty much identical guitars.
 
marcusnieman said:
Koubayashi said:
ozgrecofanatic said:
Koubayashi said:
900 is the highest model of SA with blocks I've seen.

I've got my fingers crossed Koubayashi....I value your experience and opinion. Thanks for helping and thanks to Wulfman too! I'll get it in around 2 weeks. Can't wait!

Let me correct myself: 64-90 is the highest I have seen.
Which of course doesn't mean that there are no higher.

Okay, that begs the question..... what is the difference between say, an SA64-70 and and SA700? Pretty much identical guitars.

The 64-70 has some kind of split function on the buckers.
It has an extra switch below the pickguard for the split function.

I can't remember if the 64-90 I saw had a split as well.

64-70 is equivalent to SA700 more or less.
From what I can remember they changed the model numbers in 82 after Super Real. Then, for some reason, around 85-86 the old model system appears again (I might be wrong on the years here but as far as I remember it is around 85-86).

Edit: I just looked at the pics. It doesn't have the split switch so then I have no idea what it separates it from the other models.
Does it have FEB?
I think it is a Tokai made Greco.
Does it lack the label in the F-hole?
Are the tuners changed? The 64-70's I had were all equipped with proper waffle back tuners.
 
Thanks Koub for the explanation. My SA64-90 does not have FEB and it has The Groove pickups in it (all this time I thought they were Screamin). The SA700 also does not have FEB.
 
marcusnieman said:
Thanks Koub for the explanation. My SA64-90 does not have FEB and it has The Groove pickups in it (all this time I thought they were Screamin). The SA700 also does not have FEB.

The early 54-70 has FEB. At least those from -82.
never had any newer than that.

Did you check the finish? Nitro or poly?
 
Koubayashi said:
marcusnieman said:
Thanks Koub for the explanation. My SA64-90 does not have FEB and it has The Groove pickups in it (all this time I thought they were Screamin). The SA700 also does not have FEB.

The early 54-70 has FEB. At least those from -82.
never had any newer than that.

Did you check the finish? Nitro or poly?

The '91 SA64-90 is nitro. I haven't checked the '89 SA700 yet.
 
Thanks for the thoughts everyone! I'll get a Nitro check done on this one as soon as I can. I'll also post some decent shots of the top/neck etc too. I also noted that the shape of the new SA is different to my 64-70. It has the more rounded "Mickey Mouse" horn shape with a noticeable "carve" or mould at the ends. It's a lot lighter than my 64-70 as well. Tuners are the Greco "Kluson" plastic copies. Will probably change them out as one is badly bent and the others are not holding tune that well.

Question: will the standard Gibson type Klusons fit?
 
Sorry it's taken me so long to get photos up. The weather here has been diabolical so I was waiting for some sun to bring out the beauty of this lovely instrument.

http://s962.photobucket.com/albums/ae102/newieboy/?action=view&current=SDC11791.jpg

Just click on that one and see the rest of the snaps on the menu. It really is a lovely guitar.



Dave
 
Back
Top