(SOLD) Greco TE450 Natural 1974
Greco TE450, natural gloss, made in Japan 1974. This is a really lovely guitar, it sounds fantastic. Greco were hitting their stride in the mid 70s, offering models that borrowed heavily from Fender and Gibson but were executed with consistency and care that USA makers were seldom able to achieve. This beauty references fairly freshly released 1972 Thinline Telecaster, and oh boy, it rules. The neck is a fairly slim, rounded C shape, with a fairly flat radius and vintage style frets; it's not exactly built for speed but it's very comfy and plays nicely up and down the fretboard, especially after our tech blessed it with a new bone nut. The body is wildly resonant, which translates to this expansive, nuanced tone plugged in: there's depth and complexity aplenty, expressive dynamics and this gorgeous gooey warmth holding everything together. The aged natural finish shows off plenty of interesting detail in the ash, and paired with the yellowed pearl guard and the quirky touches like the star tuners and 'Gneco' logo, this has plenty of charm. These generally don't last long around here, so perhaps a quick decision is a good one this time around.
Model: Greco TE450
Made: Japan, 1974 approx (no serial, dated by logo . hardware and catalog)
Finish: natural, gloss poly, white pearl guard
Body: sen ash, chambered
Neck: 1-piece maple w/ skunk stripe, 12" radius, 25.5" scale, vintage C
Weight: 3.495kg
Mods: new bone nut installed
Pickups: Greco PU-103 'Wide Range' style humbucker x2
Case: basic non-original gig bag
Cosmetic condition notes: minor finish wear. The headstock has some minor scuffs on the end and some surface scratches around the string trees. The neck is clean and smooth in the hands, minor dimples and rub wear on the back only. The back has minor dimples and light scuffs around the whole body, most notably in the top horn and elbow area; nothing major. The sides have dimples on the top horn, dimples and scuffs in the elbow area, dimples near the jack and some light scuffs on the bottom horn. The front has dimples in the top horn, around the bridge and in the elbow area, the knobs are missing their chrome and there's standard play wear on the guard and horns. 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 have as bit of normal wear but are recently levelled and polished don't need immediate attention; 6/10 for life left. Wearing fresh 10/46 Moonshiners strings.