Greco guitars
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The Greco brand of guitars are a range of guitars manufactured for the Japanese market only and produced by Kanda Shokai.
Kanda Shokai is a musical instrument wholesaler in Japan.
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[edit] History
Greco first started around 1963 and production began in earnest around 1966/1967 with Telecaster like models. Kanda Shokai at first used the Greco brand name for the solid body models and used the Canda brand name for their Acoustic models. In the 1970's they made Gibson like models with chambered (not solid) bodies and bolt on necks which were later made with set necks. Starting around 1980 they introduced the Super Real Series which were very high standard replicas of Gibson and Fender models. In 1981/1982 the Mint Collection was introduced which continued the high standard of the Super Real Series. Also in 1981/1982 Kanda Skokai and Yamano Gakki become part of Fender Japan and Kanda Shokai stopped producing the Greco Fender replica models. Since the end of the Mint Collection in 1989/1990 Kanda Shokai have produced various models using the Greco brand name such as the Mirage Series (which are like Ibanez Iceman's), various Gibson copies (not using Gibsons open book headstock design), Violin basses (VB), Zemaitis models and various other models as well. A lot of Greco models include the original selling price in Japanese Yen in the model number (EGF-1200 = 120,000 Yen). Most of the Greco guitars up until the late 1980's were made at the FujiGen Gakki musical instrument factory. Ace Frehley used Greco Les Paul replicas when KISS (KISS (band)) was on tour in Japan.
[edit] Electric guitars
Greco has produced a lot of different models over the years and this is a listing of some of the most common models.
Gibson like models
EGF Les Paul models.
EG Les Paul models.
EGC Les Paul Custom models.
EJR Les Paul Junior models.
EGS Les Paul Special models.
SS SG models.
FV Flying V models.
EX Explorer models.
TB Thunderbird Bass models.
MM or MG Melody Maker models.
SA ES-335/ES-334 models.
FA ES-175 models.
L L-5 models.
Fender like models
SE Stratocaster models.
TL Telecaster models.
JM Jazzmaster models.
JG Jaguar models.
JB Jazz Bass models.
PB Precision Bass models.
Other Models
M Iceman Ibanez models. Also other Ibanez models such as the Korina 58 Flying V and Modern as well.
BM Brian May models.
RG Rickenbacker models.
RB Rickenbacker Bass models.
VB Violin bass models.
RJ Gretsch models.
WF Gretsch models.
AP Crystal see through guitar models.
GO "Neck Through" guitar models. The Greco/Roland G-808 guitar synth is very similar to the GO1000 model.
MR and MX Ibanez Artist like models.
BG Boogie Fender like models.
A Greco Timeline.
1967: Telecaster like Grecos models start.
1969: VB (Beatles Violin Bass) models start.
1970: EG Gibson like models start with the EG-360 with mostly set neck models from 1977.
1973: SE Fender like models start and the SE-800 models are produced from 1977 to 1981/1982. The SE models end in 1981/1982 when Kanda Skokai and Yamano Gakki become part of Fender Japan.
1976: MR models start and MX models start in 1979. They end in 1981/1982.
1978: M Mirage (Ibanez Iceman) models start.
1978: GO and GOB (bass) models start. They end in 1981/1982.
1979: GOII models start. They end in 1981/1982.
1980: GOIII models start. They end in 1981/1982.
1980: The Super Real Series models start. They end in 1981/1982.
1981/1982: The Mint Collection Series models start. They end in 1989/1990.
1990 onwards: Various models are produced.
[edit] Characteristics
The Greco Fender replicas from the late 1970's and early 1980's are very much like the early Fender Japan models. As Greco have produced countless models over the years this section concentrates just on the Super Real and Mint Collection Gibson replicas. The Mint Collection Series have an open O letter in their Greco logo (an O letter with the top cut off) and the Super Real Series have the usual O letter in their Greco logo. The Super Real EGF Series feature nitrocellulose lacquer finishes, long tenon neck joints, fret edge binding and flametops. The EGF-1200 model features "Dry Z" pickups (Gibson PAF like pickups) which have an excellent reputation among players. Depending on the original selling price (which is in the model number, EGF-1200 = 120,000 Yen) models can feature DiMarzio or Greco PAF pickups. The Mint Collection Series features vary with price with some of the high end models having basically the same features as the Super Real series. Once again depending on the original selling price (which is in the model number, EG58-120 = 120,000 Yen) models can feature DiMarzio, Seymour Duncan or Greco PAF pickups. There are also some Super Sound, Super Power and Rock Spirits Gibson replica models made between 1980 and 1989/1990 as well.
[edit] Serial Numbers
Greco mostly use 2 serial number formats but have used other formats as well.
The first format is M YYPPPP where M = production month (A=January B=February ... K=November L=December) YY = year (79=1979) and PPPP = production number.
The second format is Y PPPP where Y = year (9=1979 0=1980 or 1990) and PPPP = production number.
Some Greco Gibson replicas from the late 1980's had no serial number. In the late 1980's/early 1990's Greco's main guitar manufacturer (FujiGen) was concentrating on making bolt on neck (Fender like) guitars for Fender Japan and Ibanez and avoiding a lot of set neck (Gibson like) guitar production. While Greco still had some guitars made by FujiGen in the late 1980's the supply from FujiGen might not have been enough, so Kanda Shokai would have had to contract other guitar manufacturers to supplement FujiGen's reduced output. This does not necessarily mean that the no serial Greco's were made outside of Japan because in the late 1980's there were quite a few Japanese factories such as Tokai, Iida, Terada, etc that could have built the no serial Greco guitars.
[edit] Sources
Greco Journal. Greco Catalogues.
