GRECO SA-450 '339' - 1973 w/OHSC - ***RARE*** JAPAN VINTAGE SEMI-ACOUSTIC - ALL-ORIGINAL

GRECO SA-450 '339' - 1973 w/OHSC ***RARE*** JAPAN VINTAGE SEMI-ACOUSTIC - ALL-ORIGINAL

One of the truly pioneering guitars from Japan's Golden Era.

This lad was decades ahead of its time. Making this model a rare beast indeed.

The model SA-450 is one of Greco's first original semi-acoustic designs - predating their so-called Lawsuit copies and formidable 'replicas'. (Note the Kanda-Shokai 'Gneco' logo font.)

It has a smaller and lighter hollow body design than Greco's later 330/335-based replicas from 1975 onward - hence the 339 reference.

The later SA-500 models from 1975 followed the more familiar larger-body 'replica' formats.

It only appeared in Greco literature in 1973 (as the SA-450) and 1974 (as the SA-500). Japanese model numbers from the period reflected the approximate price. So 45 or 50,000 yen respectively.

It's all-original, in super condition and comes with its original hard case. (And the original 'Gneco' tool bag - though with not much in it).

Condition-wise...

The body has been very well preserved with only a few minor nicks.

The neck is in beautiful condition. Barely a blemish.

The ebony fretboard is gorgeous. Frets are in very good shape with minimal wear.

There are a few touch-ins to the end of the head and one scrape on the heel which cannot be felt in use. (See photos) which is about as bad as it gets anywhere.

All the hardware is original.

Greco 'Star' tuners, controls, tailpiece, pick guard bridge etc.

The pickups are the original 1973 date-stamped Maxon humbuckers.

In Action...
We just had our luthier give this a full set up including fret levelling.

It plays as beautiful as it looks. Great action and spot-on intonation.

Strings are brand new. Electrics are all fine.

These early Maxon humbucker pickups have a creamy, smooth character without a hint of harshness.

In combination with this lighter, hollow body design, they give a lovely warm 'woody' kind of tone. and a really 'spacey' midrange.

In Summary...

A little piece of Golden Era history.

Rarity aside, these smaller body 1973/74 SAs are now highly sought-after - not just for their tone and playability, but because of the moment in design they now represent.

A superbly built and very well-preserved Matsumoku gem and one of Greco's earliest and most stunning semi-acoustics.

It's a joy to play.

Magical.

Specs:

• GRECO 'GNECO' SA-450 '339' - 1973 w/OHSC ***RARE*** JAPAN - ALL-ORIGINAL
• Hollow body (Sycamore / Maple) in original sunburst finish
• Maple neck (3-piece)
• Ebony fretboard w/block inlays
• Nut: 40.3mm
• All-original hardware: Greco 'Star' Tuners; bridge; tailpiece; controls etc
• Original date-stamped Maxon pickups
• Weight: 3.2kg / 7lbs
• Comes complete with its Original Hard Case (pictured)

*** WORLDWIDE SHIPPING AVAILABLE ***

Please contact us for a quote if your location is not listed.

Australia, Germany, Spain & Denmark Buyers:

Unfortunately the post office in these countries now limits package sizes so our regular EMS (Japan Post Office) shipping rates do not apply. (Unless we ship it disassembled). Please contact us for a quote.

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Almost everything for sale here is coming from a 40+years personal collection. As the shop name suggests these are predominantly Vintage, Eclectic or Japanese - so if you are looking for something specific, please get in touch. Maybe we have got something you've been searching for. VEJ

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A Note On Shipping:

We want you to be fully satisfied with everything - from the item itself (naturally!) through the shipping, packaging, communication etc.

Of course there is nothing we can do about customs duty, local taxes etc at your end. But we can keep the overall price as competitive as is decently possible.

The Japan post office service (EMS) is reliable and efficient but shipping costs from Japan to Europe or the states are unavoidably expensive.

For this reason none of the shipping costs we quote reflect the actual price we have to pay. We are more than willing to take a hit on that to make things as attractive for you as possible.

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Vintage Instruments & Equipment

Shipping by air plus climatic changes can affect how a guitar is set up - no matter how well it is packed. Consequently there is no guarantee that an instrument arrives with exactly the same set up as stated. After a period of acclimatisation, you may still need to make any adjustments at your own expense.