| John's 1979 Greco SE450 1970s Fender Stratocaster Replica $10,000.99 |
Well, here it is. This is the guitar that got me launched into buying Japanese replica guitars and got me so excited about the possibility of me having a world
class collection without paying millions of dollars. I found out subsequently that this is the main reason most people started out buying these guitars.
A quick note, a replica is not a copy, but instead an attempt to recreate a masterpiece by a skilled artist.
Here's how it happened for me. One day several years ago I was browsing Ebay and came across this particular Stratocaster. I liked the look and couldn't
believe the price. It was an hour away and only $140.00. So, I watched it and came back a few minutes before the closing. For fun, I put in a $180.00 bid,
and before I knew it I was the proud owner of a $180.00 Japanese Greco Stratocaster.
Boy, did I have buyers remorse, the shipping alone was $120.00 and I felt kind of stupid, but I thought, "Oh well, I've wasted money before, at least it's a good
looking guitar, let's see what happens." About a week later it arrived, when I opened the package I was even more disapointed. On closer inspection it was kind
of ugly. The fretboard was thrashed, the laquer peeling off on all the edges, cracks on the headstock, more laquer peeling there, huge gouges on the lower
bout where it looks like someone smashed it to the floor in anger. Scratches all over the place, lots of fret wear.
After getting over my initial shock from the visuals I plugged it in. Wow. . . I sat there kind of stunned, I'm thinking to myself, "How can this guitar sound so good
and look so bad?" So I played some more, tried a bunch of different pickup selections and tone levels and everywhere I tried it I was blown away. I ran to get
my 65' strat and switched back an forth between the two. I was still blow away, how could this guitar be as good as my pre-CBS 65 sunburst mojo master?
It was as good, and is as good as any Strat I've ever played including every boutique guitar that I've tried. Surprisingly enough, I found myself playing this guitar
more and more and before I knew it, it was my favorite. I decided to bring it in to a good friend of mine, one of the top boutique makers in the World. I wanted
him to check everything out and do one of his setups on my (what I now referred to as my, "little strat"). My new vintage Greco guitar. Why did I refer to it as
my little Strat? You guessed it, because of how little I paid for it.
Here's a subject I've talked about before, but it bears repeating. This guitar blows away all of the "Experts" reasons and theories about why we need to spend
a fortune on guitars. We dont need to, we like to!
A list of no no's on this particular guitar...
First of all, it's a 70's model. Big ugly headstock. Look at the truss rod adjusting nut, actually hanging out on the headstock, can't get much uglier than that.
It doesn't have a nitro finish, not sure what it is, but it's pretty thick. It's three piece body wont win any awards for beauty or matching wood grains. It has a the
three bolt pattern for fastening the neck, (supposedly very weak and unstable). Well, this ugly weak guitar neck has been in place for over 30 years, and it's
perfect.
Japanese pickups, pots, controls, wiring, pickguard. All supposed to be inferior. Japanese Greco tuners, not Klusons so this guitar cannot sound authentic
because without Klusons the Strat just doesn't sound right.
Hmm, all of that is false.... How can that be? The pickups are unbelievable, in fact. . . My good friend the world famous maker who also makes his own pickups,
actually changed the output on his pickups for his ash guitars after listening to and playing this guitar. When his shop went through all the electronics they were
impressed with everything and how well it works. The only thing I changed on the guitar was the 3-way switch, it was worn out and I had my friends put in a
5-way to replace it.
We talked extensively about this guitar and agreed that sometimes all the elements come together perfectly and you get a perfect guitar or close to it. He then
said, "With my guitars, since every one is hand made and we have incredibly high tolerances and inspections, all the guitars we make are very good, but even
with us, once in a while, that magical instrument comes along."
This is one of those guitars, crappy thick finish, multi-piece body, supposedly inferior neck design, supposedly inferior Japanese components and wiring,
supposedly inferior make of tuners etc. . .
One more thing when our great manufacturers Fender & Gibson in particular sold out to CBS & Norlin respectively our once great guitars went down the tubes.
Typical American Corporate greed did it. We literally lost the ability to make good instruments at that point. Ask any collector and they'll ask you, "Who wants
a CBS Fender, or Norlin Gibson?" I don't and never did and neither do they.
At the same time Japanese started making guitars for their own market, they bought and imported original Leo Fenders and pre Norlin Gibsons of all the models
they could find and started making them for their own market.
Hey, the Japanese have a woodworking tradition a couple of thousand years old, ask any great woodworker about the quality of Japanes carpenters or
woodworking and they'll shake their heads in wonder about what incredible woodworking skills the Japanese have.
Another thing to ask yourself, why have all of these small boutique makers sprung up and become so successful here and abroad? It's simple, if you want
quality go to people who are putting themselves wholeheartedly into their passion which is making great guitars. - John
Andrew's note: I just got off the phone with John, and he claims he wouldn't sell this guitar for $10,000... I think he's crazy, I sure as hell would!
class collection without paying millions of dollars. I found out subsequently that this is the main reason most people started out buying these guitars.
A quick note, a replica is not a copy, but instead an attempt to recreate a masterpiece by a skilled artist.
Here's how it happened for me. One day several years ago I was browsing Ebay and came across this particular Stratocaster. I liked the look and couldn't
believe the price. It was an hour away and only $140.00. So, I watched it and came back a few minutes before the closing. For fun, I put in a $180.00 bid,
and before I knew it I was the proud owner of a $180.00 Japanese Greco Stratocaster.
Boy, did I have buyers remorse, the shipping alone was $120.00 and I felt kind of stupid, but I thought, "Oh well, I've wasted money before, at least it's a good
looking guitar, let's see what happens." About a week later it arrived, when I opened the package I was even more disapointed. On closer inspection it was kind
of ugly. The fretboard was thrashed, the laquer peeling off on all the edges, cracks on the headstock, more laquer peeling there, huge gouges on the lower
bout where it looks like someone smashed it to the floor in anger. Scratches all over the place, lots of fret wear.
After getting over my initial shock from the visuals I plugged it in. Wow. . . I sat there kind of stunned, I'm thinking to myself, "How can this guitar sound so good
and look so bad?" So I played some more, tried a bunch of different pickup selections and tone levels and everywhere I tried it I was blown away. I ran to get
my 65' strat and switched back an forth between the two. I was still blow away, how could this guitar be as good as my pre-CBS 65 sunburst mojo master?
It was as good, and is as good as any Strat I've ever played including every boutique guitar that I've tried. Surprisingly enough, I found myself playing this guitar
more and more and before I knew it, it was my favorite. I decided to bring it in to a good friend of mine, one of the top boutique makers in the World. I wanted
him to check everything out and do one of his setups on my (what I now referred to as my, "little strat"). My new vintage Greco guitar. Why did I refer to it as
my little Strat? You guessed it, because of how little I paid for it.
Here's a subject I've talked about before, but it bears repeating. This guitar blows away all of the "Experts" reasons and theories about why we need to spend
a fortune on guitars. We dont need to, we like to!
A list of no no's on this particular guitar...
First of all, it's a 70's model. Big ugly headstock. Look at the truss rod adjusting nut, actually hanging out on the headstock, can't get much uglier than that.
It doesn't have a nitro finish, not sure what it is, but it's pretty thick. It's three piece body wont win any awards for beauty or matching wood grains. It has a the
three bolt pattern for fastening the neck, (supposedly very weak and unstable). Well, this ugly weak guitar neck has been in place for over 30 years, and it's
perfect.
Japanese pickups, pots, controls, wiring, pickguard. All supposed to be inferior. Japanese Greco tuners, not Klusons so this guitar cannot sound authentic
because without Klusons the Strat just doesn't sound right.
Hmm, all of that is false.... How can that be? The pickups are unbelievable, in fact. . . My good friend the world famous maker who also makes his own pickups,
actually changed the output on his pickups for his ash guitars after listening to and playing this guitar. When his shop went through all the electronics they were
impressed with everything and how well it works. The only thing I changed on the guitar was the 3-way switch, it was worn out and I had my friends put in a
5-way to replace it.
We talked extensively about this guitar and agreed that sometimes all the elements come together perfectly and you get a perfect guitar or close to it. He then
said, "With my guitars, since every one is hand made and we have incredibly high tolerances and inspections, all the guitars we make are very good, but even
with us, once in a while, that magical instrument comes along."
This is one of those guitars, crappy thick finish, multi-piece body, supposedly inferior neck design, supposedly inferior Japanese components and wiring,
supposedly inferior make of tuners etc. . .
One more thing when our great manufacturers Fender & Gibson in particular sold out to CBS & Norlin respectively our once great guitars went down the tubes.
Typical American Corporate greed did it. We literally lost the ability to make good instruments at that point. Ask any collector and they'll ask you, "Who wants
a CBS Fender, or Norlin Gibson?" I don't and never did and neither do they.
At the same time Japanese started making guitars for their own market, they bought and imported original Leo Fenders and pre Norlin Gibsons of all the models
they could find and started making them for their own market.
Hey, the Japanese have a woodworking tradition a couple of thousand years old, ask any great woodworker about the quality of Japanes carpenters or
woodworking and they'll shake their heads in wonder about what incredible woodworking skills the Japanese have.
Another thing to ask yourself, why have all of these small boutique makers sprung up and become so successful here and abroad? It's simple, if you want
quality go to people who are putting themselves wholeheartedly into their passion which is making great guitars. - John
Andrew's note: I just got off the phone with John, and he claims he wouldn't sell this guitar for $10,000... I think he's crazy, I sure as hell would!
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