Further Greco LP Info

[Stevo]

I have a newly acquired greco, sold as a 79’ egf 1000. So far I think it checks out, but It did not come with the original pickups. It has black shielding paint and neck pocket dowels. The neck also differs from what I’ve read about these guitars. It definitely has more of a 60’s style taper, especially compared to my 58 reissue. Any extra info would be great and thank you!

 

[Stevo]

 

[Homer J. Simpson]

Assistant student to the Greco intern chiming in here. Alas it's not very clear to see on the pics but if that's an ebony fretboard it can only be an EGF1000, right? Here's a thread with the specs translation from the 1980 catalog.

Villager says that the Super Reals have the fattest necks, but in my limited experience and blurry recollection there could be outliers in pretty much any, even factory made guitar series.

Given the exploded prices for both higher grade Super Reals and DryZs, it could be speculated that the guitars and the original pickups were not always separated due to neglect of the original owner but by sellers trying to flip guitars and pickups separately without correcting the price of the guitar appropriately. Something similar seems to happen with JV Fenders and their Fullerton pickups. At any rate, it's a $500+ loss in value (minus whatever the replacement PUs are worth), which is unlucky even if you don't plan on actually using the original PUs.

 

[Stevo]

I understand the pickup situation. It came with a nice set of seymour duncans.
Another question I had was regarding the tops. What models had the flame tops in 79?

The fret board is definitely the darkest of any LP I’ve ever owned and I forgot to mention it appears to have a 1 piece back. I could not find any seams whatsoever. I’ll also include a better shot of the fretboard. Thanks for the reply!

 

[Sigmania]

It does look like ebony. Beautiful.

 

[Homer J. Simpson]

What models had the flame tops in 79?

If I understood that right, the Super Real series popped up late in 1979 so they're only in the 1980 catalog. The F in "EGF" stands for the flame top, so the 850, 1000, 1800.

 

[eborej]

I have a number of Greco Super Real series guitars and have been collecting Greco's from the '80s for many years.

Since the 1979 Greco in question didn't come with a model sticker on the back of the headstock, warranty card or any markings in the PU cavities, you can only speculate that it's an EGF1000. Do the DiMarzio PUs in the guitar look like the ones in the picture below with a 1979 date code?



Also, the F in "EGF" does not stand for flame top. The EG480 & EG450 from the early '80s had a flame top veneer but didn't have an "F" in the model name. Here's an example:

https://reverb.com/item/42791927-gr...d-made-in-japan-mij-vintage-single-cut-guitar
https://reverb.com/ca/item/25870045-greco-eg-450-r-super-power-1980-japan-vintage-electric-guitar
In regards to the body, it is generally accepted that no Greco single cut eg/egf catalog models had 1 piece bodies (pancake or otherwise) even though it might appear that way.

In regards to the fretboard, all EG models from EG700 to EG1500 in the 1979 catalog were listed as having ebony fretboards.

Hope that helps.

 

[Homer J. Simpson]

First off I obviously switched lines in the catalog translation, the fretboard on the EGF1000 should be Brazilian Rosewood, and the PUs should be DiMarzios - the ebony guitars are all LPC-style (of course). That also explains the many EGF-1000s without an ebony fretboard I've seen yesterday. Sorry.

Also, the F in "EGF" does not stand for flame top. The EG480 & EG450 from the early '80s had a flame top veneer but didn't have an "F" in the model name. Here's an example:

Only Super Reals with a flame top are called EGF (why they didn't give the Custom style guitars an EGC prefix then and used the -C suffix instead is one of these noodle scratchers again). This distinction was likely necessary because there are varying models (Plaintops, Customs, Flametops) in the same price tiers.
That guitars of a different series do not use that scheme isn't that surprising, your examples are "Super Power" models and the EG-450 and -480 specs fit right in with that, apart from the black and apparently few examples of the "Red Sunburst" -450s they all have more or less figured sycamore (-maple) tops according to the (1980) specs

In regards to the fretboard, all EG models from EG700 to EG1500 in the 1979 catalog were listed as having ebony fretboards.

That is true (and kind of weird). However, there are no Super Reals in the 1979 catalog.

 

[Stevo]

Very interesting! This guitar is dated to December 79’, so perhaps there may be similarities and differences to greco’s from early 79 through 80.
I do not have the original pickups, but I am currently sourcing era correct pickups to try and get the guitar whole again. What do you think the consensus is on this guitar’s fret board? Ebony, rosewood?

 

[Chris_P]

I found this interesting thread, quite some years old:
https://www.mylespaul.com/threads/greco-1979-1990s-serial-ranges.157307/
Not sure if everything is evident there, but it seems that most of the Super Real's already in 1979 have the 5-digit serial numbers, but, as always with the old Grecos, with exeptions.

To me it seems like they sometimes built guitars and after finishing they decided which sticker (and price-tag) to put on it. This would explain a little the variations within the models.

 

[eborej]

Very interesting! This guitar is dated to December 79’, so perhaps there may be similarities and differences to greco’s from early 79 through 80.
I do not have the original pickups, but I am currently sourcing era correct pickups to try and get the guitar whole again. What do you think the consensus is on this guitar’s fret board? Ebony, rosewood?

Without the original pickups in the guitar or the model sticker then it could just as easily be considered a '79-'80 transitional EGF-850.

I would consider the fretboard to be a dark rosewood based on the pictures you have provided. I can see brown striations that my ebony fretboards don't have which are one solid dark color.

 

[Freebird]

Veneer tops on everything below the EGF-1800. I wouldn’t pay big money for veneer. Had a few veneer tops and played just fine but I won’t do veneer any longer. Call me a snob. Okay.

 

[J.E.M.]

Very interesting! This guitar is dated to December 79’, so perhaps there may be similarities and differences to greco’s from early 79 through 80.
I do not have the original pickups, but I am currently sourcing era correct pickups to try and get the guitar whole again. What do you think the consensus is on this guitar’s fret board? Ebony, rosewood?

Rosewood

 

[guitar hiro]

Many years ago I had a 1980 EGF-1000 in excellent condition that was 100% original and with the original case.
It had DiMarzios and the covers were not even soldered to the bases.
This was a true collectors piece but also a player ........




3 piece back and the neck was an average '59 thickness; not huge at all ....... she was heavy tho'

 

[jimmypringles]

Veneer tops on everything below the EGF-1800. I wouldn’t pay big money for veneer. Had a few veneer tops and played just fine but I won’t do veneer any longer. Call me a snob. Okay.

I'm going the other way. I don't care if it has a veneer as long as it sounds and plays good. I used to be a stat snob but then I realized that those high stats don't tr5anslate into a better guitar.

View attachment 12548

View attachment 12548

I have a newly acquired greco, sold as a 79’ egf 1000. So far I think it checks out, but It did not come with the original pickups. It has black shielding paint and neck pocket dowels. The neck also differs from what I’ve read about these guitars. It definitely has more of a 60’s style taper, especially compared to my 58 reissue. Any extra info would be great and thank you!

can't really ID a guitar with nothing but the front of the headstock and fretboard. from the tuning pegs and shape of the headstock it looks like it was an 78 model with the super real logo. greco would do that if they stopped making one product line and started another, just label older models with the new logo.