1981Greco SA-900 Oddities / Questions

[gotinkes]

Hello ,

I'm a new member and really glad I found this forum - so much useful info ! Thanks for creating this community.

I would like to ask your opinion on a 1981 Greco SA-900 I was lucky enough to buy recently. It is in a great shape but while being from 1981 (per guitar Serial # and matching PU’s serial #), 2 things looks odd / unknown to me:

1. The square label is definitely different from Super Real one.
2. There is a different than a “crown” headstock inlay .

NOTE: in a bridge cavity , there are black pencil marks reading “ 3/12”

So is it considered to be a Super Real model or was it done outside of Super Real line (and if latter is it common for that era to have several parallel line of the same model) ? On guitarsofjapan site I saw yet another example of 1982 SA-700 with the same type of label : https://www.guitarsofjapan.com/greco-sa-700-1982

I tried to take my own pics, but previous owners I found on reverb made it much better, so just for your reference (including guitar and PU’s serial #'s) :
- https://reverb.com/item/69158497-greco-sa900-super-real-1981-sunburst?bk=
- https://reverb.com/item/53791317-19...c-guitar-sunburst-335-w-maxon-pafs-case-japan

Thanks a lot in advance, would really appreciate your advice .

 

[jimmypringles]

super real's were discontinued in 1982. from the serial, yours is an 83 (the second digit in the serial is the year of manufacture. it could be either 83 or 93, but your model looks like an 83). but if greco had guitars left over from a previous line they would just label them with the name of the new line, so it could possibly be a left over super real. However, their guitars made in 1983 aren't lower quality than super reals, the collectors have just latched on to the super real's for whatever reason. Also, the pickups don't necessarily match the date of the guitar. I have an 83 mint collection with original pickups, one from 81 and the other from 82.

 

[gotinkes]

super real's were discontinued in 1982. from the serial, yours is an 83 (the second digit in the serial is the year of manufacture. it could be either 83 or 93, but your model looks like an 83). but if greco had guitars left over from a previous line they would just label them with the name of the new line, so it could possibly be a left over super real. However, their guitars made in 1983 aren't lower quality than super reals, the collectors have just latched on to the super real's for whatever reason. Also, the pickups don't necessarily match the date of the guitar. I have an 83 mint collection with original pickups, one from 81 and the other from 82.

Thank you jimmypringles, but from what I could gather I see a different identification mentioned on https://vintagejapanguitars.com/greco-models-serial/ - where 1st (not 2nd) digit on guitar serial indicates the year, hence "1 3646 " makes it '81 :


As for the Pickups , per the same https://vintagejapanguitars.com/greco-pickups/ - here the 2nd digit indicates the year, so "210506" has to be Maxon '81 as well :



but still the plain square label (not mentioning Super Real) is confusing. Probably just a part of Greco SA mistery.

 

[Freebird]

I think it is a legit 1981

 

[gotinkes]

I think it is a legit 1981

Thank you Freebird, the question remains tho (at east for me ) - is it Super Real or some "outside" line of SA-900 (and is it common to have 2 parallel lines of guitars of the same model). From what I gathered from other collectors it most probably a Super Real SA-900 with transitioning label of Mint Collection (started, as you know, in '82)

 

[Freebird]

Thank you Freebird, the question remains tho (at east for me ) - is it Super Real or some "outside" line of SA-900 (and is it common to have 2 parallel lines of guitars of the same model). From what I gathered from other collectors it most probably a Super Real SA-900 with transitioning label of Mint Collection (started, as you know, in '82)

1981 was during the super real series era, so make your own determination. Do more research and you will see that the Greco Gibson ES type guitars had various model number formats. For example: SA900, SA90, SA59-70, SA61-50, and so forth. You will also see variations on the style of the Greco script logo, headstock inlays, truss rod covers. Later on, in the early 90s, there were some made by Tokai that had no serial numbers. There are also variations in the shape of the Mickey Mouse horns over the years

 

[guitar hiro]

I agree with @Freebird ........ I believe your example is from 1981

*pickup codes
*Greco logo
*serial number
*truss rod cover

to me, all of that says 1981 .........


Cheers ...........

 

[gotinkes]

I agree with @Freebird ........ I believe your example is from 1981

*pickup codes
*Greco logo
*serial number
*truss rod cover

to me, all of that says 1981 .........


Cheers ...........

Thanks, guitar hiro, but the year of manufacture was not a mystery (see my original post) - it's the oddity of the label / headstock logo . I'm still not 100% if this guitar belongs to Super Real line (since it's clearly from '81) or it was made in some sort of parallel line to it (either special order or just a beginning of Mint Collection transition etc.)

 

[Freebird]

Thanks, guitar hiro, but the year of manufacture was not a mystery (see my original post) - it's the oddity of the label / headstock logo . I'm still not 100% if this guitar belongs to Super Real line (since it's clearly from '81) or it was made in some sort of parallel line to it (either special order or just a beginning of Mint Collection transition etc.

Thanks, guitar hiro, but the year of manufacture was not a mystery (see my original post) - it's the oddity of the label / headstock logo . I'm still not 100% if this guitar belongs to Super Real line (since it's clearly from '81) or it was made in some sort of parallel line to it (either special order or just a beginning of Mint Collection transition etc.)

You are wrapping yourself around the axle. If it was mine, I’d say it’s a 1981 super real series and be done with it. And enjoy the Guitar

 

[gotinkes]

You are wrapping yourself around the axle. If it was mine, I’d say it’s a 1981 super real series and be done with it. And enjoy the Guitar

you're probably right ))) Thank you all for your help !