Private | |
Industry | Musical instruments |
---|---|
Founded | 1960 |
Headquarters | Japan |
Area served | Global |
Products | Electric guitars |
Owner | Kanda Shokai |
- Tokai Guitar Serial Numbers Identification
- Tokai Guitar Serial Number Search
- Tokai Love Rock Les Paul
- Tokai Guitar Serial Numbers
However, in the late 1980’s and early 90’s Greco had some of their guitars made by Tokai. I recently acquired a Greco SA model that had no serial number but was clearly built to a high level specification as it had fret edge binding and a flamed top and back. Our company, established in 1947, is a manufacturer of electric guitars, basses and acoustics in Japan. Tokai has been a hallmark of quality products for several decades. We hope you enjoy our fine instruments. (Kazo Takada) Tickets are now automatically issued and processed by the new Detection System 7. This system records the license number, color, speed, and time of any vehicle in violation of regulations. While two months is an unusually long delay, the system is overloaded due to the number of traffic violations. Mar 23, 2013 Actual serial numbers were seven digits. On most models the serial number is also stamped on the frame near the front spring support. You can do an internet search for DeSoto FEDCO numbers and serial numbers to get a general idea of how the serial numbers were arranged.
Greco (Japanese: グレコ Gureko) is a brand of electric guitars produced by Kanda Shokai (in Japanese) 神田商会, a musical instrument wholesaler mostly known for being part of Fender Japan.
History[edit]
Kanda Shokai was established in 1948 and the Greco brand name was started in 1960.[1][2][unreliable source?][3][4] It was not until 1966/1967 that Kanda Shokai began marketing Greco Telecaster-like models.[clarification needed] Originally, Kanda Shokai used the 'Greco' brand name for the solid body models and used the 'Canda' brand name for its Acoustic models, basing this on the company name Kanda (Canda). In the mid/late 1960s, Kanda Shokai also exported some Greco-branded guitars based on Hagström and EKO designs for Avnet/Goya in the USA.[citation needed] These guitars were made by the FujiGen and Matsumoku (and possibly Teisco[citation needed]) guitar factories and were very similar to the late 1960s Ibanez guitars based on Hagström and EKO designs. Kanda Shokai also marketed a few original designs in the late 60s including the Greco Semi-hollow 'Shrike' guitars which were imported and marketed first by Goya and later by Kustom. The 'Shrike' model was unusual in that it had a pair of unusual 'L' shaped pickups, with the corner of the 'L' pointing towards the headstock on the neck pickup and towards the bridge on the bridge pickup These 'boomerang' pickups predate the Gibson Flying V2 'Boomerang' shaped pickups by over 10 years.
In the early 1970s Kanda Shokai marketed Greco Gibson-like models, but with bolt-on necks rather than the set necks of genuine Gibson guitars. These were very similar to the Ibanez Gibson-like models available at that time and most of these models had a Greco logo that looked more like 'Gneco'. By the mid/late 1970s most Greco Gibson-like models were being made with set necks and open book Gibson headstock designs. Some other Greco Gibson-like models from the 1970s had a different headstock design, more like a Guild headstock design, that had a Greco logo with equally sized letters.
Starting in 1979, the Greco 'Super Real Series' was introduced which made available high standard replicas of Gibson and Fender models. In 1982 the Greco 'Mint Collection' was introduced, which continued the high standard of the 'Super Real Series'. In 1982 Kanda Shokai and Yamano Gakki become part of Fender Japan and Kanda Shokai stopped producing its own Greco Fender replica models. Since the end of the Greco open book headstock Gibson replicas in the early 1990s, Kanda Shokai have produced various models using the Greco brand name such as the 'Mirage Series' (similar to the Ibanez Iceman), various Gibson copies (not using the open book Gibson headstock design), Violin basses (VB), Zemaitis Guitars and addition to various other models.
Some notable guitar players who have used Greco guitars include Ace Frehley who used Greco Les Paul replicas when his band Kiss was on tour in Japan, and Elliot Easton of The Cars. The Greco BM line is particularly notable as they’re almost endorsed signature models. Brian May played (or at least mimed) his BM-900 on several television appearances [5][6] and in 1983 remarked:
A Japanese firm called Greco made a Brian May guitar, an exact copy. They called it a BHM 900 or something. They sent me an example. I said, 'Thanks very much for sending it to me. It looks nice, but it doesn't actually sound that nice. Why don't we get together and make it sound good, too? Then you can put my name on it properly'. They never replied. [7]
A Greco Super Real EGF1200
Greco Explorer (EX-800)
Tokai Guitar Serial Numbers Identification
Timeline[edit]
- 1960–1961
- FujiGen, an early manufacturer of Greco, was established in Matsumoto city by Yutaka Mimura and Yuichiro Yokouchi in May 4, 1960, and started to manufacture classical guitars for Kanda Shokai and Kamano Gakki. In 1961, FujiGen's production quality was dramatically improved, and they started to export guitars.[8][9]
- 1962–1968
- FujiGen began to manufacture Greco guitars for Goya Guitars, Inc. in New York City. Their early headstocks were sometimes broken during long transport. These dead stock were sold in Japan by Kanda Shokai, and it was the beginning of Greco guitars dealt by Kanda Shokai.[8][9]
- 1965–1970
- Hershman Musical Instrument / Goya Guitar Company in New York City (later Avnet/Goya, originally US distributor of Levin guitars) dealt Greco-branded acoustic guitars manufactured at European factories.[4] Some electric guitars manufactured in Japan appeared in a Goya catalog ca. 1968.[10]
- 1967
- Fender Telecaster-like Greco models start.[11]
- 1968
- 'Shrike' model with 'Boomerang' shaped pickups. Distributed first by Goya and later by Kustom. (1968 to 1970)
- 1969
- VB (Beatles Violin Bass) models start.
- 1970–1972
- Kustom Electronics of Chanute, Kansas, bought the US distribution rights from Hershman Musical Instrument / Goya Guitar Company
- 1970
- Gibson-like EG models start with the EG-360, wth mostly set-neck styles from 1977.
- 1973
- Fender-like SE models such as the SE-800 are produced from 1976 to 1982. The SE models end in 1982 when Kanda Shokai and Yamano Gakki become part of Fender Japan.
- 1976
- Engraved high-quality 'EXCEL' pickups appear on SE models.
- 1978
- The Mirage (Ibanez Iceman) or 'M'-series and EX Explorer (Destroyer) models start. MR and MX models start in 1979, ending 1981/1982.
- 1978
- GO and GOB (bass) models start. They end in 1981/1982.
- 1979
- The 'Super Real Series' models starts in 1979. They end in 1982.
- 1979
- GOII models start. They end in 1981/1982.
- 1980
- GOIII models start. They end in 1981/1982.
- 1982
- The 'Mint Collection Series' with an 'open O' (with the top part of the letter removed) Greco logo start. Most of these models end in 1990. In the early 1990s, most of the Greco guitars return to a 'closed O' logo but there were some open-O guitars made in the early 1990s.
- Early 1990s onwards
- Various models are produced with an Ibanez-like headstock design.
Model Characteristics[edit]
Early Greco Electrics
1968 Greco Shrike model 975
The Japanese made Greco guitars were initially being distributed in the US through Goya and later by Kustom (known for their amps). Prior to that, Goya sold Electric guitars made by Hagstrom . Among the Electric guitar models that Greco offered during this period, were two thin semi-hollow bodystyle that were equipped with the Patented “Shrike” pickups. These were the 950, and 975 models. A 12 string version for both bodystyles were available as well, and were labeled models 960 and 976 respectively. Those models with the Boomerang “L” shaped split coil pickups were called “Shrike” models. The “Shrike” pickups were advertised as producing that distinctive “Shrike” sound. The Shrikes had a single volume pot and a group of slide switches to control the 4 split coil pickups in the 2 L shaped enclosures. So you could switch between high and low strings on the pickups. The 975 model and its 12 string brother the 976 model were the top of the line imported Grecos in 1968. These were initially available only in the Shrike version, and later a more conventional 2 standard pickup version appeared. The models with standard pickups were not called “Shrike” models. Standard pickup models had the common 2 volume, 2 tone pot controls and toggle switch for the two pickups. These were regarded as attractive and well-made guitars. They had bound semi-hollow bodies and a bound neck, diamond-shaped sound holes, rectangular shaped fretboard inlays and headstock truss adjustment. The tuners were the same as the Teisco Spectrum 5 of that period, and the Neck-plate had the L shaped pickup patent number stamped on it. The zero fret and thin neck is reminiscent of a Mosrite. The 975 model “Shrike” was considered to be of higher build quality than the many entry-level Japanese guitars that had become widely available earlier in the decade, but by 1970 the 975-style models were discontinued, a victim of the decline of the 1960s guitar boom. Soon Greco would move toward copying Fender and Gibson products, becoming a major brand in the so-called 'Lawsuit' copy era, along with Tokai and the Ibanez company, which became the subject of legal action by Gibson.
Lawsuit 'Copy' Era
The Greco Fender replicas from the late 1970s and early 1980s are similar to the early Fender Japan guitars, as Kanda Shokai owns the Greco brand and is also a part of Fender Japan. The Greco Fender replicas made by Matsumoku have Matsumoku stamped on the neckplate and the other Greco Fender replicas were made by Fuji-Gen Gakki. Most of the Greco models included the original selling price in Japanese Yen (in Japanese) 円 in the model number (EGF-1800 = 180000 Yen). The 'Super Real Series' date from late 1979 to 1982 and the open O Greco logo 'Mint Collection Series' date from 1982 to the early 1990s. The 'Mint Collection Series' have an open O letter in their Greco logo (an O letter with the top part of the O letter removed) and the 'Super Real Series' usually have a closed O letter in their Greco logo.
The Fuji-Gen Gakki guitar factory were the main maker of the Greco guitars in the 1970s and 1980s [1]. Fuji-Gen Gakki obtained a CNC router in mid-1981 for making guitar parts and also began to manufacture their own pickups starting in late 1981 [2]. The Fuji-Gen Gakki CNC router and Fuji-Gen Gakki made pickups were used for the 'Super Real' and 'Mint Collection' series starting from 1981 to the early 1990s. Up until 1981/1982, Nisshin Onpa (Maxon) made pickups were used in the Greco guitars including the 'Super Real Series' and the guitars were made in a more luthier style with no CNC machines used. The Cor-Tek and Tokai guitar factories were also used to make some Greco models due to FujiGen not being able to make some lower priced Grecos in the late 1980s. Alyac for windows 10 dell.
There were also some transitional Greco models from 1981/1982 that have a mixture of 'Super Real Series' and 'Mint Collection Series' features such as a 'Super Real' model with an open O letter in the Greco logo instead of a closed O letter. The Super Real EGF (flametop) and EG series higher end models featured nitrocellulose lacquer finishes and fret edge binding and some of the Super Real lower end models also featured fret edge binding. Download gta san andreas rar girlshare.
Medium tenon neck joints with dowel reinforcements were used up until 1981 and standard Gibson style long and medium tenon neck joints were used after 1981. The medium tenon neck joints with dowel reinforcements were very similar to the Gibson long tenon neck joints that were used in the early 1970s before Gibson switched to using a short tenon neck joint. Some Greco models featured chambered (not solid) body designs up to the early 1980s, which weighed less than a regular solid body model and also had a slight semi acoustic quality. Some of the current Gibson models also use chambered bodies, such as the Gibson Les Paul Supreme.
Some Greco Les Paul guitars up until 1982 had laminated pancake bodies and were based on the similar Gibson Les Paul laminated guitars from the 1970s. The lowest priced Greco Les Pauls sometimes had different wood combinations from the regular Maple and Mahogany. Up to 1980 the lowest priced Greco Les Pauls, such as the EG450 model, had Birch bodies. The lowest priced Super Real and Super Power Les Pauls, such as the EG450 and EG480 models from late 1979 to 1982, had Sycamore tops.
The EGF-1800 (flametop), EGF-1200 (flametop) and EG-1000C (custom) models from the 1980 and 1981 catalogues (as well as very early 1982 models) featured 'Dry Z' pickups (PAF-like pickups made by Nisshin Onpa (Maxon)). The type of pickups varied depending on the guitars original selling price and the Nisshin Onpa (Maxon) made 'Dry Z' or Fuji-Gen Gakki made 'Dry 82' pickups were reserved for the top end models. The lower end models such as the EG-500 mostly used 3-piece maple tops while the higher end models mostly used 2-piece maple tops. 'Mint Collection' models with a K after the numeric price designation (e.g. PC-98K) came with factory-installed Kahler tremolo (vibrato) bridges.
The 'Mint Collection Series' features varied according to price, with some of the higher-end models, such as the EG58-120, model having most of the features of the 'Super Real' higher-end models. Most of the 'Mint Collection Series' had long-tenon neck joints, but some had medium long tenon neck joints. There were also some Greco 'Super Sound', 'Super Power' and 'Rock Spirits' Gibson replica models made. The 'Super Sound' models were mid-priced models from the 'Super Real' years (1979-1982) and the 'Super Power' models were lower-priced models from the 'Super Real' years (1979-1982). The 'Rock Spirits' models were lower-priced models from between 1979 and the early 1990s
Manufacturers[edit]
Greco guitars have been made by Matsumoku, Fuji-Gen Gakki [3], Dyna Gakki [4] and others as well.
Greco Gibson replicas around 1975 and pre 1975 models had a Greco logo that looked like 'Gneco'.
Most of the Greco open book headstock Gibson replicas were made by FujiGen Gakki. Some Greco open book headstock Gibson replicas starting from around 1988 had no serial numbers. The lower priced no serial number Greco Les Paul and SG models were made by Cor-Tek (Cort) and usually have Cor-Tek (Cort) potentiometers. The Cor-Tek made Greco guitars have square shaped, brick like nuts with no slope and also often have shielding paint in the pickup and control cavities. Other higher priced no serial Greco Les Paul and SG models were made by Tōkai and the Les Paul models have an EG-75 or EGC-75 model number stamped in the pickup cavity and sometimes have fret edge binding. The no serial Greco guitars made by Tokai have square shaped routing holes at the bottom of the pickup cavities whereas the no serial Greco guitars made by Cor-Tek (Cort) have thinner rectangle shaped routing holes at the bottom of the pickup cavities. Kanda Shokai stopped using the open book headstock design on Greco Gibson replica models around the early 1990s and then concentrated on their other model lines and Fender Japan. Atlansia have supplied body and neck parts for Greco models as well. Tokai currently make the Kanda Shokai Zemaitis and Talbo models.
References[edit]
- ^'Greco official site by Kanda Shokai' (in Japanese). Kanda Shokai Corporation.
1960年に誕生したグレコの歴史は、.. (In English: History of the Greco born in 1960, ..)
- ^'A History of GRECO Guitars'. Music-Trade.co.jp, a division of Dai-Show Corporation, Japan. 2007.
- ^Since the early 1990s or before, Kanda Shokai have claimed “Greco (brand was) established in 1960”. However, this claim has not been verified due to lack of evidences (i.e. catalogs, advertisements, trademark registration records, or in-house documents from that time). Possibly the origin of this claim might be found on their early supplier FujiGen (established in 1960; began to export electric guitars in 1963), or Teisco String Instrument, Company in Toyoshina (established in 1961, known as Matsumoto Teisco). Incidentally, another earlier supplier, Matsumoku had begun its string instrument manufacturing in the early-1960s (or possibly mid-1950s), and they supplied wood parts or finished guitars to other guitar brands including: Guyatone, Ibanez, Aria, Vox, Univox, Yamaha, and also FujiGen (probably before 1965 for FujiGen).
See also: 'Excerpt of histories from the Japanese guitar brands official sites'. Easy Guitars (in Japanese). - ^ ab'Greco Guitar Catalog in 1965, 1968, 1970'. Hershman Musical Instrument Company, New York. 1965–1970.
- ^'Queen - Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy (Top Of The Pops, 1977)'.
- ^'Queen - San Remo Song Festival 1984'.
- ^Obrecht, Jas (January 1983). 'Brian May Interview'. Guitar Player Magazine.Cite magazine requires
|magazine=
(help) - ^ abYokouchi, Yuichiro (1983), グレコの仲間たち―富士弦楽器物語 [Buddies of Greco — A tale of FujiGen], Matumoto: 電算出版企画, ASINB000J7471CExternal link in
|publisher=
(help) - ^ abYokouchi, Yuichiro (1994), 運を掴む―弱小の会社を世界一にした男の物語 [Get the luck — A story of a man who grown a weak company into the top of the world.], Tokyo: Gakken, ISBN978-4051060671
- ^'Greco acoustic/electric', Goya catalog, c. 1968, Posted on 'Greco 921 (1967)', Pastrana Guitars
- ^'Greco & Arai Diamond electric guitars', catalog, c. 1968
Tokai Guitar Serial Number Search
Sources[edit]
- Paul Specht; Michael Wright; Jim Donahue (2005). Ibanez, The Untold Story. U.S.A.: Hoshino. ISBN0-9764277-0-2.
- (in Japanese)Kanda Shokai
Further reading[edit]
![Tokai Guitar Serial Numbers Tokai Guitar Serial Numbers](/uploads/1/2/5/0/125073749/178673166.jpg)
- 60's Bizarre Guitars. Guitar Magazine mooks / Rittor Music mook (in Japanese). Tokyo: Rittor Music. 1993-03-01. ID:4-69771-02, OCLC269873814, ASINB0064YESZO.
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Greco_guitars&oldid=903053785'
東海楽器製造株式会社 | |
Tōkai Gakki Seizō Kabushiki-gaisha | |
Private | |
Industry | Musical instruments |
---|---|
Founded | 1947 |
Founder | Tadayouki Adachi |
Headquarters | , |
Shohei Adachi (President) | |
Products | Electric guitars, bass guitars, acoustic guitars, autoharps, melodicas and guitar amplifiers |
Number of employees | 65 |
Website | www1.odn.ne.jp/tokaigakki/ |
A Japanese Tokai SG-60
Tokai Gakki Company, Ltd. (東海楽器製造株式会社Tōkai Gakki Seizō Kabushiki-gaisha), often referred to as Tokai Guitars, is a Japanese guitar manufacturer situated in Hamamatsu city, Shizuoka prefecture. Tokai is one of Japan’s leading makers of acoustic guitars, electric guitars, electric basses, autoharps, melodicas and guitar amplifiers. In the past, Tokai also made pianos.
Tokai was founded in 1947 by Tadayouki Adachi and remains family-owned.
- 1History
History[edit]
Tokai began in 1947, as a harmonica and piano manufacturer. It developed its first melodica, the Pianica, in 1961. Tokai began making banjos and harpsichords in 1973 and the electric piano in 1975.
Guitars[edit]
Tokai started making classical guitars in 1965. It made its first electric guitar in 1968 with the Humming Bird, a guitar loosely based on the Mosrite Mark I and II. This was followed in 1970 with the Humming Bird Custom acoustic guitar (not to be confused with the Hummingbird guitar model produced by Gibson).
From 1970 to 1973, Tokai produced the Conn line of acoustic guitars under contract with C.G. Conn (History of Conn Guitars and Conn Acoustic Guitars). In 1972, Tokai entered into a joint-venture with C. F. Martin & Company to supply acoustic guitar parts and also to build Martin's Sigma electric guitars. In 1975, it launched its own Cat's Eyes line of acoustic guitars, which were replicas of C.F. Martin guitars.
Between 1977 and 1978, Tokai began making various Fender and Gibson replica electric guitars and basses. These models are generically known as 'lawsuit guitars'. Tokai's replica of the Gibson Les Paul electric guitar, named the 'Les Paul Reborn' model, started in 1978. By 1980, the name was changed to 'Reborn Old' and later to its current name, 'Love Rock'. The name change was in response to threats from American guitar companies to go to court to protect their copyrights. Tokai also made Fender replicas, the “Springy Sound” (ST series, Fender Stratocaster replica) and the “Breezy Sound” (TE series, Fender Telecaster replica). Stevie Ray Vaughan played a 'Tokai Springy Sound' at one time. This guitar was fitted with lipstick pickups and can be seen on the cover of his second studio album Couldn't Stand the Weather. By the late 1970s, replicas of Fender guitars, such as the '.38 Special' guitar and the 'Hard Puncher' bass (replica of the Fender Precision Bass), began to be sold in Japan and Europe.
In 1983, Tokai introduced an aluminum-body guitar called the Talbo (Tokai Aluminum Body) which the band Devo played at one time.
Tokai has its own instrument making factory and have built guitars for well-known brands under contract (OEM). Tokai and Dyna Gakki produced the Fender Japan solid-body models from 1997 until the end of the Fender Japan joint-venture in 2015.
Characteristics[edit]
The original selling price in Japanese yen is often included in the model number—for example TLS-100 = 100,000 Japanese yen. The higher priced Tokai Gibson replicas have nitrocellulose finishes and long tenon neck joints. Tokai guitars have been made in Japan, Korea and China. Korean production started around the mid-1990s. Tokai guitars made in Korea (MIK) are lower priced guitars, similar to the Korean Epiphone guitars. The MIK (Made in Korea) guitars can be differentiated by the truss rod cover. Japanese guitars have a two-screw truss rod cover whereas the Korean guitars have a three-screw truss rod cover (although some early Korean guitars also have two-screw truss rod covers). The MIK guitars usually have a different Nashville style bridge instead of the usual ABR-1 bridge. Furthermore, MIK Gibson replica guitars usually have a neck made from maple, and the body wood is usually made from either alder, agathis or nato.
Serial numbers[edit]
Tokai Love Rock Les Paul
Tokai uses a seven-digit serial number usually pressed into the back of the headstock for the Gibson model replicas. Love Rocks use the first digit of the serial number for the year, 10XXXXX=1981 and starting in 1989 Love Rocks use the first two digits for the year, 89XXXXX=1989. Reborn models use only the first digit for the year, 800XXXX = 1978.
There is a major exception to this in that some 'Reborn Olds' (very rare) and 'Love Rock' models have inked serial numbers on the reverse of the headstock (often referred to as 'Inkies'). These guitars are, it is generally agreed, from 1980 (00xxxxx and 01xxxxx) and 1981 (11xxxxx) although there are those who would disagree with this.
It also appears that some of the original 1978 'Les Paul Reborns' have inkied serial numbers.
Some MIK Love Rock models have no serial number and simply have 'Made In Korea' inked on the back of the headstock. Sometimes the model number may be located under the bridge pickup. MIK Love Rock models identified in this manner include ALS48 and ALS50Q.
The Tokai Fender replicas have a production number serial number that contains no year information.
References[edit]
- Q&A's with Mr. Shohei Adachi, president of Tokai Gakki (October 30, 2005)—Tokai Guitar Registry
- Tokai catalogues.
External links[edit]
Tokai Guitar Serial Numbers
- Tokai Gakki (official)(in Japanese)
- Tokai Guitar Company Ltd. (official English website)(in English)
- The Guitar Shop (direct sales)(in Japanese)
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