Best years for Greco and burny

[Mitch Malloy]

I remember reading on here it was 80-84 for Greco and 80-85 for Burny. is that right?

 

[JohnA]

Generally yes, but some of the later 'Mint Collection' Grecos are fantastic guitars too!

 

[20 century boy]

depends what we are talking about. For Les Paul yes ( but as John A says there's a few late high quality mint collection, it's just that they are very rare). But the latest Rickenbacker ( talking about the guitars, the rick bass from the 80 are better than the latter) and Gretsch copies are better than the 80' ones. :wink:

 

[japanstrat]

Yes around those years.

In the late 70s and early 80s, the Fujigen guitar factory made the Grecos with a lot of attention to detail because Fujigen were trying to make a name for themselves so all the Ibanez and Grecos around that time that Fujigen made are mostly very good.

My EG500 Greco Super Real from December 1979 is a low priced Greco but it's got fret edge binding and even a nitro finish which I didn't expect so Fujigen who made my Greco, were putting a lot of effort and time into the low priced Grecos around 1980 but this changes later on.

The main reason why my guitar was sold for the lower 50,000 Yen price (EG500) is because it has a 3 piece top and the body and neck are probably made from more pieces of wood than the higher priced Grecos around that time but the wood piece number is BS IMO because I don't think it has a great (if any) effect on the tone.

The low priced Grecos just have minimum features after 1982 or so (I don't know exactly when).
Fujigen landed the Fender Japan contract around 1982 and I think the Fender Japan contract was a big money earner for Fujigen so they didn't bother too much with making the lower priced Grecos with high end features after this time.

Some of the lower priced Grecos from around the late 70s/early 80s that are EG500 and above with solid bodies are really great guitars IMO.

The high end Grecos are pretty good all the way through the 80s and early 90s but the Super Reals from late 1979-1982 have a very good reputation and are built in a different sort of way to the Mint Collection Grecos that started in 1982 and went to the early 90s but some people favour the Mint Collection Grecos that have the infamous long tenon like the 50s Gibsons.

btw, Some EVH dudes at a EVH forum that are building EVH Frankenstrat guitars have asked about Ed's Frankenstrat weight.
They seem to want to know how heavy the Frankenstrat was so they can decide if it was made from the lighter Swamp Ash or the heavier Northern Ash.
Do you remember how heavy the Frankenstrat was at all?

 

[Mitch Malloy]

NIce info. Thanks. That guitar of Eds.. It was just laying there. I picked it up one day and I played it and I think it was on the heavier side. But I can't be sure. But that should be easy to find out as the guy at Fender did an authorized copy. Just ask someone who played or owns one of those they are supposed to be exact.

 

[japanstrat]

Thanks for the info.

The EVH dudes don't seem to believe Fender or what Ed says.

I think it's on the heavier side as Ed said it was as heavy as a LP in a interview.

 

[Mitch Malloy]

LOL They don't believe him. LOL. That's funny.. Well from what I know of Ed he's pretty serious about his guitars. When I was there 3 guys from Peavey flew in with 20 of his new signature guitars so he could make sure they were all up to his specks. He told me they sent him a few and they were not good so he was upset and they had to make it right. So he's pretty serious about it. At least he was then.