Greco TE500, made in Japan 1974 (possibly 1975), natural gloss. These old Greco Thinline Tele style guitars always turn a few heads, and it's easy to see why... it's sure a gorgeous creation. This one has some really pretty grain on show, both the front and back are stunning. The lacquer has seeped into the natural undulations of the grain over the decades; on certain angles you can see the evolving texture of the finish rippling in all it's glory. It's common for these models to need fret-work (largely owing to age), but this one has already had the hard yards done: it was refretted in 2017 so the frets are in brilliant shape. It's got a disarming warmth and harmonic complexity to the tone, each note really drips with sweetness and clean rhythm work is a special delight. The neck is moderately chunky and well played in, again lending itself perfectly to playing big, open rhythm parts. The quality of build and timber on offer here will easily rival a Fender from the same era, and at approximately a quarter of the cost, this is surely a player's vintage glorious score. 

Model: Greco TE500
Made: Japan, Matsumoku plant, 1974-5
Finish: natural gloss, 3-ply white oyster guard
Body: lightweight ash, chambered
Neck: 3-piece maple, maple board, moderate C profile
Weight: 3.635kg
Mods: frets replaced, knobs replaced, volume pot replaced, machine heads replaced, bridge pickup cover (or possibly whole pickup) replaced
Pickups: original Greco humbucker (bridge pickup not 100% sure)
Case: very basic gig bag

Cosmetic condition notes: mild finish wear. Headstock has a number of minor dimples and marks, mostly on the end and bottom edge. The neck has some play wear on the board all the way up and some minor dimples and little scratches on the back all the way up too; none of this is major and it feels smooth in the hands. The back has a number of dimples and little scratches, mostly around the edge, again nothing major. The sides have a number of dimples and marks around the whole guitar, no major nasties. The front has a patch of dimples on the top horn, around the f-hole, above and behind the bridge, near the knobs and on the bottom horn, as well as some play-wear on the guard. Overall: good condition (7/10)

Playing condition notes: Action is low, neck is straight, intonation is good, truss rod works. All electronics tested and working properly. The frets were replaced in 2017, they're looking pretty good, 9/10 for life left.