Greco TE-600 (Order Built)

Here is a real rarity - and definitely a custom order from the "Order Made" section of the Kanda brochures in the mid 1970s. Adding a Rosewood neck to a model was an expensive option, and the double bound beautiful sunburst body would not have been a bargain either. We are matching this to the TE-600 spec due to the star-tuners - only the 600s got these.

The neck feels very expensive - we adore all the TE models from the entry level 280 right up to the premium catalogue models. Several of each have passed through our hands over the last few years. I would put this profile as a Slim C, but not the usual skinny necks that Fujigen evolved to produce. There are a few signs of life on the finish, but it doesn't detract from the lovely grain coming through. It weighs  3.6kg (7lbs 14oz) so a little bit lighter than than most TE-350 and TL-500s. It is a string through construction - not the top loaders we are used to seeing.

The pick-ups are the same units as the SE-600 that recently passed through here, PU101 and PU102 with their howly growly output - the perfect output to just nudge the gain up on the amp. Acoustically the guitar has the lovely snappy resonance that we associate with the really early mahogany bodied teles and a barely visible seam indicates a pancake construction. These models always sing - maybe a little less refinement than the later Sen ash bodies in the late 1970s, but this is the character that makes them hard to put down.

Perhaps the look of this guitar is enough for you to want it in your life - rest assured, there is a fantastic characterful Tele behind it. For purists, it is hard to accept that Greco Teles were anything more than fakes, but actually they have a totally different character and justifiably sit alongside the real ones. And it will be a fraction of the price of that real one next to it in the rack.