My savant is showing Played a Greco super real yesterday was thinking birthday gift for my son 19.
Last edited Mon Nov 11, 2024, 11:36 AM - Edit history (2)
My dear wife would refer to me at times as guitarted or a savant on made in Japan guitars. I discovered them as G.I. stationed in West Germany purchased my first a Tokai les Paul reborn if i remember it was maybe $250 price in 85 the dude selling it needed cash.
Then I bought off same dude a Greco S.E. 700 early sixties all ash body.
So in this dyslexic bad punctuation of a post having coffee and thinking on this amazing find of instrument a work of art a piece of history showing fine craftsmanship.
Friend of mine who owns guitar store well a music store he called me last week as I was coming home from California as this gentleman knows i am into certain M.I.J.guitars not all Japan guitars just few select models.
And in talking on phone he told me he has not looked at the guitar only talked to sellers on phone and on headstock Greco he was told asking price $900.
And he said I’ll call the seller and give them your number and they contacted me and i stopped around to check it out yesterday.
They were basing asking price for the guitar looking at Grecos online. I showed up opened the case and on headstock showing Greco super real whoa I knew seeing the super real strummed it unplugged sweet tone then plugged it in.
The history on guitar it was her fathers he purchased it in Japan he was career Air Force.
I told the mother and daughter you’re looking at easily four to six thousand in price as you have a super real mint collection.
And in explaining to them how in that just because it has Greco on headstock is not an exact in how too decide on a sale price.
So many different models actually in a lot of M.I.J. Guitars even thought a lot of them were produced in same factories tokai to Burny Greco Aria leopards Orville’s Edward’s just examples.
I’ll only buy Burny super grades manufactured by Dyna -Gaki long neck tenon is why and very few of Burny Dyna -Gaki are Nitro in finish.
I explained to them that your husband and father probably knew what he was buying as these super reals were only manufactured between 1980-1981. The wife remembers her husband buying guitar in Japan music store used and said it was not that much back then.
I declined on purchase seriously I love 19 yet I could for that price five six grand actual Gibson Custom shop used and come out saving cash.
I took photos a lot of photos with daughters phone then emailed them to a friend who deals in rare guitars and explained to them in that to sale it is a very select market yet there is always a collector looking.
And I will help you out in dealing with my friend who deals in rare guitars.
So where I’m going with this ramble is today look the Eastmans SB 59 they are handcrafted perfection or at some of the Chinese Lester’s a lot of junk just like the early years of Japan clones . Yet one brand of Chinese Les Paul’s Bad Cat is brand only played one yet this Chinese Bad cat manufacturer is stepping up and producing fine guitars.
And our Vietnamese brothers and sisters luthiers are putting out Ivy brand and PRS SE the Korean and now PRS Indonesian guitars are stellar.
And look at Epiphone Les Paul custom shop the 59’s or the Peter Green models $1200 to $1500 new compared to Gibby custom shop $5000. Sure perhaps you can hear slight tone difference but to save $3500 I’m going with the Epis if I was in market.
Today so many awesome quality choices for us home players at reasonable prices and it is awesome this competition and the choices we have.
Yet yesterday i was able to play a piece of history and in doing so it made me feel good.
= new reply since forum marked as read
their treasure. 
Is your true talent and calling. You have a great gift that you freely share for the good of others, you lead them to their own talents. And that is a wonderful gift to have. And then there's the musician part.
Back in the early 80s, I was teaching piano & guitar at the little local music store on Saturday mornings & Tuesday nights.
This farmer from several miles out of town brings in an old Martin (late 50s, but exact year escapes me.)
Said he finally broke a string, so needed new but said "I don't want to spend too much on it."
I told him strings were $3 and I'd put them on for him.
So, between lessons I changed the strings, stretched them a but, tuned it, let it sit, after next lesson, tuned it again.
He comes back about 45 minutes later and he thanked me profusely.
Then, he says "I've got an old electric, and I haven't played it in years. Can we put strings on that, too?". I told him sure & I'd see him Saturday morning.
He shoes up with a Fender case. I open it. 4 strings on it, plenty of dust, but............
It was a BROADCASTER! Near mint. And get this; the neck was straight. Didn't even need a rod adjustment. Serial number 132.
He says, "I probably should sell it. I haven't played it in 25 years." He asks if I'm interested and says he'd take a couple hundred bucks.
I tell him, let me keep it fir a week. I took Polaroids, and the store owner sent them to Gruhn in Nashville.
They called a few days later, we got a call. Gruhn said they already got an offer of $15,000!
We called the guy & he said "Send it to them."
About 2 weeks later, he comes and picks up a check for 15 grand.
The next Saturday, he walks in with 2 checks. One for me, one for the store owner. $2,000 for me, a grand for the owner.
He said he knew I could have given him $200 and pocketed $14,800. For our honesty, he wanted us to share in his good fortune. Honesty was, indeed, a good policy.
Now, I see these things going for $60,000-90,000.
He died 10 or 15 years later, and his son got hold of me asking if I wanted first shot at the Martin. But, they now knew enough to have called Gruhn and knew what it was worth. I passed but wished them well in selling it. I didn't want to spend that much on a guitar. I had synthesizers to buy! 