NBD - Buyee/Yahoo Auctions Score: 1977 Greco single-pickup T-Bird Project!

[MisterUbu]

Well after posting about waiting for this to arrive in the 2023 Christmas presents thread, it arrived! Had it in Buyee's storage warehouse for a couple of weeks before getting it the 22nd and opening it right on Christmas!

For context here's the original buyee listing, but this google doc has all the info in case the listing gets taken down

Here's some rough sound clips, this thing sounds great with a pick, AND the tone rolled off!



To summarize:

• Whoever the original owner was must have been a big fan of Yoichi Hirose, who on a google search was well known for playing T-birds in Japan.
• - It got refinished in white (you can see traces of the original brown finish) *
• - somebody spent around $200 CAD to get it fixed up in a playable state
• - it got the electronics replaced*, and a Gibson truss rod cover but it's otherwise all original including the p/u.

It's probably the first-time bidding in a while where I was genuinely nervous to check the current bids, that's for sure!

The good:

• After tuning it, it's in perfectly playable condition, the frets are all even, the neck feels good, the neck is straight and the electronics all work. The action is very comfortable.
• - 9lbs! A good starting point for a t-bird, I was genuinely worried due to the package being around 20lbs.

The bad:

• The tuners are absolutely dodgy and hard to tune with screws missing (currently waiting on a set of Carbon-o-lites to arrive)
• - the D and G slots are too low, there's a noticeable open string buzz/choke that can be heard on recordings.
• the Thunderbird™ ergonomics on a strap (the massive headstock doesn't help) I already have solutions in place for it, in particular I've relocated strap buttons to non-standard places with success on a Goya bass in case anyone's curious)

have not checked the truss rod yet, but outside of the physical wear/finish state (which I'll probably keep but find a way to remove where the serial # is. (it's 777237 from what I can read out)

That's it for now Pics! (the weather up here is awful, but I'll take some proper ones soon! For now the Buyee listing has better quality pics and I'll include the Greco tb900 catalog from the 70s)

 

[Matt O]

Love it. I have a TB900 and it’s an absolute monster bass. Killer deal you got. Enjoy!

 

[TBird1958]

Congratulations!
Greco's are a really good Thunderbird, you can tell it's copied from a '64 Gibson with a few tweaks as well. The pickup will shake the Earth and RAWR very nicely when you string it with a good set of Rounds.

Love mine!

 

[blacktocomm]

I would definitely keep that finish too. That’s super cool.

 

[Engle]

How was the process buying from Japan into Canada? Any unexpected fees?

 

[Nocturnal]

Nice score!! I own a TB900 as well. Great basses!!

 

[5StringBlues]

pimp

 

[Reedt2000]

So cool, nice score

All the issues are easily addressed. I'll tag @JIO who is a T bird fan a MIJ fan, and has done cool things with strap button extensions.

Congrats

 

[TBird1958]

So cool, nice score

All the issues are easily addressed. I'll tag @JIO who is a T bird fan a MIJ fan, and has done cool things with strap button extensions.

Congrats

These are slightly shorter scale, one of the "tweaks", they really don't want to neck dive.

 

[JIO]

So cool, nice score

All the issues are easily addressed. I'll tag @JIO who is a T bird fan a MIJ fan, and has done cool things with strap button extensions.

Congrats

I wouldn't want to add new screw-holes to attach a strap-peg extension - best for bolt-ons. Unless you sling it low, the easiest way to tame imbalance is this- pulls the body into yours and eliminates any tendancy to neck-dive.

 

[MisterUbu]

How was the process buying from Japan into Canada? Any unexpected fees?

well I had to pay around $70 in import taxes upfront when the Canada Post guys delivered it to my place, usually the shipping fees (especially with what's considered "oversized" and needing of Buyee's "special packaging service) are pretty pricey. I'm just happy I didn't have to cover all the costs upfront, only being charged for the inital bid+other service fees, when it was shipped to be stored in their warehouse. The actuall international shipping I waited two weeks to do pay.

This is generally how the Japanese middleman sales service works, I'm glad it was through EMS, I specifically stopped using Buyee a couple years back due to the pandemic restricting shipping to Canada, making DHL and Fedex the only options.

 

[ravelax]

Very cool find! I love the worn respray - tempts me to do the same thing to my Epi VP bird (they stopped selling them in white it seems, before I had the chance to get one).

 

[MisterUbu]

I wouldn't want to add new screw-holes to attach a strap-peg extension - best for bolt-ons. Unless you sling it low, the easiest way to tame imbalance is this- pulls the body into yours and eliminates any tendancy to neck-dive.

View attachment 5297146

in my case, I'm going to switch out the tuners for gotoh Carb-o-lites, rock it that way, and I'll research/take proper measurements into relocating both strap buttons, one from the back closer to the bottom horn, and the other closer to the left side of the body. This is just based on the theory of this amazing thread over on sevenstring, which presents a convincing argument against the "standard" top horn bottom of body strap button placement. Determining guitar balance through simple visualisation

The pictures don't show this, but it looks like for the Tbird there have been already attempts at relocating the strap button to the tip of the longer part at the bottom, and two from the "horn".

 

[Engle]

in my case, I'm going to switch out the tuners for gotoh Carb-o-lites, rock it that way, and I'll research/take proper measurements into relocating both strap buttons, one from the back closer to the bottom horn, and the other closer to the left side of the body. This is just based on the theory of this amazing thread over on sevenstring, which presents a convincing argument against the "standard" top horn bottom of body strap button placement. Determining guitar balance through simple visualisation
View attachment 5297154View attachment 5297162
The pictures don't show this, but it looks like for the Tbird there have been already attempts at relocating the strap button to the tip of the longer part at the bottom, and two from the "horn".

The carbon o lites being 35 grams will make a big difference. I put Hipshot ultralights (55 grams IIRC) on my Orville and they were 1/2 the weight of the stock tuners.

 

[HaphAsSard]

iThe pictures don't show this, but it looks like for the Tbird there have been already attempts at relocating the strap button to the tip of the longer part at the bottom, and two from the "horn".

Relocating the bottom button to the tip of the upper fin would be entirely counterproductive, as the former owner must have quickly realised.
What I'd do is unscrew the topmost stopbar screw some (or, better, find a longer screw, and drill deeper) and have it pull double duty as a strap button.

 

[MisterUbu]

Relocating the bottom button to the tip of the upper fin would be entirely counterproductive, as the former owner must have quickly realised.
What I'd do is unscrew the topmost stopbar screw some (or, better, find a longer screw, and drill deeper) and have it pull double duty as a strap button.

Sounds like a good, low risk idea, I'll try that first before anything drastic. There's going to be a chance I'll have to fill and redrill holes at the back of the headstock for the tuners anyway

 

[Lardass5000]

Way cool. Love those basses

 

[Iridescentone]

Very cool. I'd be torn between a Pelham Blue refin, and leaving it as-is. Winner either way. Nice score.

 

[Iridescentone]

These are slightly shorter scale, one of the "tweaks", they really don't want to neck dive.

That's interesting. In my best Johnny Carson voice..."I did not know that."

 

[5aP]

Even on my phone it sounds great. Congrats!