(SOLD) Greco TV-500 LP Junior Style Wine Red 1975
Greco TV-500, made in Japan 1975. This is Greco's take on Gibson's classic double cut Les Paul Junior. This is a pretty rare model: they were only made in 1975; they don't feature in either the 74 or 76 catalogs, and one of only two we've ever come across. It's such a fun guitar, there's a lot to love. Firstly, it's really light; at a nudge over 3kg, it's an absolute breeze on the shoulders and resonates with great vigour at the lightest touch. The neck is a slim, round profile that's very easy to get along with and move around on...often this type of guitar requires a little 'wrestling' to play, but this is smooth as they come, and the frets are in terrific shape to boot. The tone from the dog-ear style pickup is exceptional: airy, open, smooth, articulate and responsive when clean; warm, rich and immediate when crunchy... this sounds amazing. There's some classy touches on offer: a dark chocolate vintage rosewood board, legit mother-of-pearl inlays and logo, Gotoh-made iconic 'star' tuners, dark tort single ply guard... it really walks the line between dapper and dangerous perfectly. The finish would've been classic cherry red once, but it's aged to a rich black-coffee hue. It'd take a whole lot of dollars to find a Gibson that'd come anywhere near this for build quality, playability and tone. Didn't anyone ever tell you that you'd look great with a TV on your lap?
Model: Greco TV-500
Made: Japan, 1975
Serial: none (serials mostly kick off 1976 for Greco)
Finish: wine red, faded to a brown, gloss urethane
Body: mahogany, pancake style join
Neck: mahogany, rosewood fretboard, 12" radius, 24.75" scale, slim '60s profile
Weight: 3.220kg
Mods: truss rod cover replaced, frets likely replaced
Pickups: Greco dog-ear soapbar single coil
Accessories: basic vintage hard case
Cosmetic condition notes: minor finish wear. The headstock has some chips on the top corners, scuffs on all the edges, rub wear on the front around the posts and some dimples on the back near the nut. The neck is clean and smooth in the hands, minor dimples on the back and a small dent behind the third fret approx. The back has dimples and scuffs on both horns the elbow area, back edge and around the cavity, as well as circular scuffs around the front strap pin and some surface scratches in the middle of the body. The sides have dimples and scuffs around the whole body, but no major marks. The front has dimples around the bridge, near the knobs and in the bottom corner near the jack, as well as some play wear on the guard and horns. The guard is lifting slightly in the middle, approx 1mm, but the edges are basically flush.
Overall: very good condition (7.5/10)
Playing condition notes: action is low, neck is straight, intonation is good, truss rod works. All electronics tested and working properly. Wearing fresh 10/52 Moonshiners strings.
Fret Life: 9/10, minor wear only, likely had a re-fret at some point