Greco "Super Real" Mint Collection EG60-150

Greco "Super Real" Mint Collection EG60-150

A rare guitar made right at the beginning of the Mint Collection line in early 1982.It has serial number 2 0376. It is the second to highest model in the 1982 Mint Collection Catalog with the only difference between this and the top EG60-180 model being a higher quality flame maple top. This one has a pretty interesting top in that the flame is very even but is not always that strong or noticeable depending on the viewing angle.
The back is made of two pieces center-matched.

The guitar is very light at 3.8 kg and has a thin 60's profile neck. It plays and sounds as well as the other Grecos I have had. The top carve as seen below is fairly steep up to the pickups.  

No black paint in the cavities here

Two-hole bobbin zebra DRY1982 pickups

The pickups are uncovered DRY1982 pickups with zebra bobbins.  These have to be among the earliest DRY1982 pickups as they only have 2 holes in the bobbins like the DRY-Z pickups and do not have the 3-hole bobbins that appeared with the Mint Collection series to more accurately replicate the original Gibson PAF pickup bobbins. What does that mean? I think it probably means that they are essentially DRY-Zs that were ordered with no stamp or covers for production of this guitar. There are examples of DRY-Z pickups produced in 1982 and these would have been made during the same period. To my ears they sound very close to the DRY-Zs 

The headstock has the "Super Real Model" script which only lasted for the initial period of the Mint Collection series. It was pictured on all the LPs in the 1982 Mint Collection catalog so it appears that there was originally an intention to continue using it but for some reason it was dropped on later models.

Beauty of the Japanese Burst ;-)

It came with the original Super Real hard case and all the original tags. You can see the Greco version of the original Gibson tag on the left, the blue"Mint Collection" tag with the model number, the Greco Handbook and a button from what was apparently a sales promotion at the time. 

Super Real hard case with case candy

Long tenon. "ラ" is for lacquer (ラカー)

  

Demo of Tokai Love Rock LS-150 (1981)

New look for an old Tokai.

1981 Tokai LS-150
Here is a short sample of Aoyama Oyaji's playing. Hopefully the Tokai LS-150 will make you overlook a few of the bum notes. The Dimarzio Super Distortion in the bridge and the PAF in the neck were not great for this guitar but that is all up to personal taste. There is now a pair of hot W. Boggs PAF-type pickups installed (thanks Denny!!). Readings are mid-8k for the neck and mid-9k for the bridge and I have figured out that resistance readings don't mean too much when listening to the voicing of a pickup.  You can have different pickups with the same resistance that will be louder/quieter and have completely different response. I understand the winder ended up having some business trouble but he sure knew how to wind a pickup.

Nice inlay work. Jacaranda? No idea.

Burst View

Tokai LS-150 (1981)