Old Tokai LS-80s are a real pleasure to play and photograph. This particular one is an early one from 1978 with mother of pearl fretboard inlays and chrome plated hardware.
It was a sunny winter day here in Tokyo with the sun coming in hard through the windows. The top of the LS really caught flame and revealed the fine figuring of the old maple.
A very clean headstock with the early pearloid tuning pegs.
A more subdued look in the shade.
Not your typical back grain here on the 1-piece mahogany.
When checking email for auction alerts I had a Greco SG notice that was already an hour old.
One click on the link, and right away I am staring at a Greco odd-ball SG, the same one that I remember seeing years ago on the legendary Udonitron's Flickr site (pics below from the talented Udonitron). With a fair purchase price, I remembered enough to read the description before hitting the magic button. "The Greco logo looks similar to a Gibson - don't purchase if that bothers you." stood out but only as something I've never seen before. The pictures look decent enough so click, click, click and off the market it did come.
Someone from the great FB Greco group posted a video link to another example from 1989. There is some good playing here to demo the pickups.
Certainly there was another 3-pickup SG that came out around the same time, also with gold hardware but with P-90s, dot inlays, and metal tuning pegs like on a junior. One one of the auction sites, a proper model name: Greco SS-85S model for Ranmaru from "Street Sliders."
A quick search and we have actual footage of the man himself with the guitar.
I pulled these pictures from an old auction:
So that solves one Greco 3-pu model story, but I couldn't find anything for the SG model with mini-hums. At least there is one more out there. There is one more SG that I had, but as is my bad habit with most of the rare guitars I get, I ended up selling it. Perhaps it was a custom order or a model made for an artist. I'm sure another one will show up someday.
Ace Frehley and Kiss have been big in Japan since the 70s and still make waves today. The current Ace-less KISS incarnation just finished played the Japan shows on their latest farewell tour.
Back in the 70's when Gibson's glory days were behind it and Japanese guitar makers were building on years of experience to produce excellent handmade Gibson models even Ace had to see what all the fuss was about. There are photos of him playing the Mick Ralphs model and a special AK-1400 flying V model during live shows in Japan.
Ace with Greco AK-1400 Flying V model - Key Music Limited
Ace with a 1977 Greco MR-1000
There have been many Greco homages to Ace's famous three-pickup "Budokan" 1974 Gibson Custom over the years starting in the mid 70's with a few Greco models. I just acquired the very clean 1981 EG600PR below from everyone's favorite music store Ishibashi. It is a fairly light one at 4.2 kg and has a nicely matched 3-piece top. The U-1000 pickups are ceramic and work very nicely as open pickups. While the 1980 Super Real catalog has this model listed as having an ebony fretboard ("エボニー") it does not, and I've never seen one that does from the Super Real era and I'm pretty sure that was an unfortunate error in producing the catalog. I'd love to get am EG800PR which has an ebony fretboard and MOP inlays but they are fairly rare.
Here are a few of the ones I have had over the past couple of years. Some great Grecos, Tokas and Bacchus guitars along with a Fernandes and a very cool Aria Pro II Jeff Beck Model.
Tokai ST-80 1980
Tokai ST-50 1980
Aria Pro ST-600 Jeff Beck Model
SE-500 Spacey Sound. One of the best Grecos I have ever played.
The "lowly" SE-450 Spacey Sound with case and original paperwork.
1979 SE-500 Super Sounds, just before the Super Real line came out.
1980 SE-600 Super Sounds.
Late 1981 SE-500J Jeff Beck Model. Mint condition but with a thin neck :-(
A refin project for a 1979 SE-600J Jeff Beck model
Greco's version of "The Strat". Super Sounds SE-600 perhaps?
Tokai Goldstar ST-50.
A well-played 1979 SE-800J Jeff Beck model coming in at 10 lbs
Very nice Bacchus Strat. It has the Vintage-style decal but a modified headstock with the truss rod adjustable from the headstock. All-nitro finish.
Lower-model "Limited Edition" Fernandes.
Minty SE-450 with changed knobs and pickup covers.
Tokai Custom Edition with flame maple veneer and gold hardware.
Here is a recent acquisition: 1979 Greco SE-600J. This was based on a customized strat Jeff Beck used during the 1978 Japan tour "Jeff Beck with Stanley Clarke." Even thoughJeff didn't seem to use this strat exclusively after the tour Greco was soon to issue their own versions along with similar models from Aria Pro II, Fernandes and Navigator. I have had a couple of these including a light mint condition 1981 SE-500J Spacey Sounds model that was about 7 and a half pounds. This one from 1979 looks like to wild older brother compared to that one and has a ton of honest play wear in it. It weighs 9 and a half pounds which is more than a good number of Les Pauls. Check out the fretboard wear at the first few frets. All in all a nice (if a bit heavy) natural relic that sounds and plays great.
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