Need some advice on few Greco/Tokai Starts on ebay

[Pico]

Helo people!
I have some cash that I was saving for a decent startocaster.
Anyway I found these Greco Strats and Tokai.
Can anyone give me some hints, wich class do guitars belong, wood, electrics, overall quality of the series...
Thanx in advance.
Gerco #1
http://cgi.ebay.com/JAPAN-VINTAGE-GRECO-SUPER-REAL-SE700S-SPACEY-SOUND-1980-/250678519806?pt=Guitar

Tokai #1
http://cgi.ebay.de/Vintage-Tokai-Silver-Star-70s-80s-stratocaster-Japan-/260645240676?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Gitarren&hash=item3cafaabf64

Tokai#2
http://cgi.ebay.com/Old-Tokai-Silver-Star-Made-Japan-/130409096030?pt=Guitar

Tokai#3
http://cgi.ebay.com/Old-Tokai-Silver-Star-Made-Japan-/130409096030?pt=Guitar

Tokai#4
http://cgi.ebay.com/Tokai-SS-38-Silver-Star-Strato-Caster-MOD-/300453333784?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV

Well thats aboth it
Hope you can help me out and give me some guidance.
Thanx!

 

[jacco]

Pico, you have to do some research for specs, they are not hard to find.
The Greco is the highest grade strat of the 3. But then I don't like Greco strat pups.
You should check chingo123 on Ebay for good deals.

 

[muccax]

hi
the greco is not a se 700 ,,,, i have never seen a spacey sound that was a se 700 ,,, it must be a se 450/500 ,,,,, and i think it is a good guitar ,,,
i got 4 greco strats and i like them a lot ...
the tokal are all ss38/40 .... and are the lower models ... i got 3 tokai ss50 and the are good guitars too ,,,,, all mine are from before 82
and i dont think you will make a bad deal if you buy one off them
as far as quality ,,,, the lower models will always have cheaper tuners and pickups and more pieces off wood in the body but that does not mean it is a bad guitar and the tuners and pickups are easy to change for better parts
all the best
otto

 

[Anonymous]

Well 2 & 3 are the same guitar, for a start!

I don't know anything about Grecos, but the 3 Tokais all look fine to me, & you have a good selection of colours to choose from. I don't usually like black guitars, but the black one looks great.

They all seems to be early logo SS38s so the specifications should be the same for all of them. 3 (or maybe 4) piece alder body, unstamped grey bottom alnico pickups, maple neck & a 3 bolt neck join that actually works well. They're nice guitars, as good as any comparable Tokai Springy from the same time, as long as you don't mind the large headstock.

The black one looks as though the middle & bridge pickups might have been replaced as they're black, but the wiring looks the same as the neck pickup, so maybe not? There's some extra wiring on the black one, it looks like a push/pull pot, which won't be original.

All of them look like a fairly safe bet to me - if I was in the market for one (which I'm not) I would consider all of those. It could all come down to which colour you like the best, & price. Do you prefer sunburst, black or white?

Mike

 

[jacco]

hi
the greco is not a se 700 ,,,, i have never seen a spacey sound that was a se 700 ,,, it must be a se 450/500 ,,,,, and i think it is a good guitar ,,,
i got 4 greco strats and i like them a lot ...
the tokal are all ss38/40 .... and are the lower models ... i got 3 tokai ss50 and the are good guitars too ,,,,, all mine are from before 82
and i dont think you will make a bad deal if you buy one off them
as far as quality ,,,, the lower models will always have cheaper tuners and pickups and more pieces off wood in the body but that does not mean it is a bad guitar and the tuners and pickups are easy to change for better parts
all the best
otto

Ah Otto, you're right, it's a SE500, 3 piece ash body

 

[andyp81]

Dont forget to add import tax on the guitars bought outside the European Union. Speaking from experience it soon adds up, in the UK you can add nearly 30% extra on top of the listed price before it arrives at your door.

 

[DaveWW]

+1 The UK prices are also very good for buyers at the moment. Partly because of the market and economics etc but also because of the Holiday season. I'd have a really good look in Europe and particularly the UK before paying shipping and tax/duty.

Depending whay your looking for you'll find some nice ones here.

http://www.goofbay.com/ebay_most_popular_tool.html?mp_query=tokai&mp_site=3&mp_submit.x=0&mp_submit.y=0


Dave

 

[jacco]

Hey guys, Pico comes from Croatia, that IS outside of the EU
I am sure he has to pay import taxes too but most likely not as much as we do..

 

[DaveWW]

.................. but as they're part way through the negotiation process as applicants I thought they had been granted free movement of goods?

Still think UK prices are low at the moment.

 

[Pico]

Guys, politics sucks... :lol:
Anyway thanx a bunch on your sugestions.
I found a guy in USA that makes Start Replicas for a very nice price. All hand made!
Heres one that was on ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250674507427&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:US:1123

Seems very nice!
I contacted him and he seems like a realy nice person...

 

[jacco]

Guys, politics sucks... :lol:
Anyway thanx a bunch on your sugestions.
I found a guy in USA that makes Start Replicas for a very nice price. All hand made!
Heres one that was on ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250674507427&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:US:1123

Seems very nice!
I contacted him and he seems like a realy nice person...

Pico, the guy bought a regular Mexican Fender Strat, relic'd it and changed pots, pups & bridge saddles... nothing handmade about it
You can do it yourself for a lot less money

 

[muccax]

hi
i am not sure what you mean ???? hand made ???? this is a mexico strat
dont understand why any one would pay 700 us for that one
just change a few parts and call it hand made and it only has 2 knobs
a 70 strat did come with 3 knobs
all the best
otto

 

[Anonymous]

Guys, politics sucks... :lol:
Anyway thanx a bunch on your sugestions.
I found a guy in USA that makes Start Replicas for a very nice price. All hand made!
Heres one that was on ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250674507427&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:US:1123

Seems very nice!
I contacted him and he seems like a realy nice person...

It's not a question of politics, it's a question of economics. :roll: If you're in the EU you can buy stuff from other EU countries without paying import duty and other nasty stuff like that. If you're not, you can't. You need to research how much your country will charge you if you import a guitar from another country - it can be an expensive business if you don't do your homework.

And if you're seriously considering getting a Mexican Strat instead of one of those Tokais, you must be mad!

There wasn't much point in us carefully checking each of the guitars for you if you're just going to buy a Mexican Strat, was there? :roll:

 

[Anonymous]

Still think UK prices are low at the moment.

They are - the recession really seems to be biting now. It's a great time for buying second-hand guitars in the UK, & a bad time to be selling them.

 

[Anonymous]

From that Mexican Strat ad:

The pickups and pots are the main upgrade. They are a custom wired set of stacked humbuckers reminiscent of Duncan's Quarter Pounder's wired up to 1 push-pull tone and 1 volume pot. They're fat and juicy as a humbucker, and nail that late 60s, early 70s Hendrix tone.

Erm, really? They look like a cheap set of ceramic pickups to me....

:-?

Hendrix tone? Well didn't he use stock late 60s Fender single coil alnico pickups?

 

[Pico]

@All of you
This is why I love forums :lol:
People always help you out!

p.s. This looks like a nice offer
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/GRECO-SE-700-EARLY-SIXTIES-NITRO-STRATOCASTER-GUITAR-/330457984253?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item4cf0d4acfd

 

[JVsearch]

Yeah! Get that one, SE-700 and it's got a 4 bolt neck. 300 quid is pretty good for that I think.
And anyway, why use 3 bolts when you can use 4?! :lol:

It looks pretty nice - decent tuners, almost a slab board, 1977 right at the start of the better Greco period, although the frets have been levelled (good if done properly) so that possibly means that next time it's a re-fret (except if you're Mike who can cope with frets as thick as cigarette papers!).

The body wood isn't showing much grain which can mean alder body wood.

 

[Anonymous]

although the frets have been levelled (good if done properly) so that possibly means that next time it's a re-fret (except if you're Mike who can cope with frets as thick as cigarette papers!).

Hmmm, the word "levelled" bothers me. Tarmac gets "levelled", guitar frets should be stoned then profiled. They're not supposed to be flat.

And don't talk nonsense JV - frets need to be at least 3 cigarette papers high. :roll:

:lol:

 

[Pico]

SOrry to sak but my english is not best. What is this "levelled" talk?!

 

[Anonymous]

When frets get worn, they need to be stoned or filed to remove the wear, & then re-profiled to get them back to the correct, rounded shape. Some talentless people simply get a fret file and rub it all over the frets leaving each fret with a flat, level top to it. This is often worse than just leaving the frets worn.

I don't know if you can understand this, but I don't know of a simpler way to explain it.