1981 Greco 'The V' Replica Arrives

Right out of the box it looks to be all original, everything works properly, and it sounds pretty nice

It's a December 1981 serial # so, it should fit in fine with my MSV850, also a December 1981 example
http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=14243
The quality is very comparable but the photo really sucks ..................


The veneer top :evil: has some issues :roll: (surprise, surprise) which I was aware of before purchasing.
Long term goal if she's a keeper is to refinish the top as a gold top 8)
http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=14392

Here's a few crappy shots of the new (to me) V that I did real quick ...... enjoy ..........














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Here's a bit of (web) info about The V so, not sure of it's accuracy.

In 1983 Gibson produced this special series in 3 finishes only : tobacco sunburst, cherry sunburst and a few in antique natural.
The pickups are exposed coils Dirty Fingers.

Although "The V" was only listed in 1983, some instruments were produced as mid 1982 or even reported 1981.

Beautiful!
Gorgeous flamed top.

What about the pickups. PU-2 right?
If another one come to ebay equiped with dry-z I will not let it go. ;p

Juni41 said:

Beautiful!
Gorgeous flamed top.

What about the pickups. PU-2 right?
If another one come to ebay equiped with dry-z I will not let it go. ;p

Click to expand...

odd you should mention the PU-2, as the MSV850 catalog page states that is what it comes with but it has original Dry Zs


EDIT:
'The V' replica does have PU-0 pickups.
I will post pics later today.

Very nice Rich,

How are Vs tonally. I've only recently come around to the belief that the a guitars tone has as much to do with the wood as with the pickups. So are most Vs solid mahogany like an SG? Do they tend to sound more like an SG than an LP? What are they like to play and do they balance OK? Just figured that you've got and had a lot of guitars and as a self confessed lumber man I'd be interested in you opinion.

Dave

DaveWW said:

Very nice Rich,

How are Vs tonally. I've only recently come around to the belief that the a guitars tone has as much to do with the wood as with the pickups. So are most Vs solid mahogany like an SG? Do they tend to sound more like an SG than an LP? What are they like to play and do they balance OK? Just figured that you've got and had a lot of guitars and as a self confessed lumber man I'd be interested in you opinion.

Dave

Click to expand...

Thanks, it is quite nice & it's a bit different than the MSV850 in several respects.

Yes, I believe the lumber is a bigger part of a solid body's sound than the electric components, and have for a very long time.

A good V copy/replica is usually made with solid mahogany, as both of the Grecos here are.

From my experience with Explorers, and with Vs, they do sound much more like a SG than a Lester.
They are just flat slabs of lumber with no carved top = a big tonal difference from a Lester.

SGs, Xs, & Vs seem to play very similar from my experience.
They usually have wider/flatter feeling necks as compared to a Lester.

All three are generally neck heavy, just as a Firebird is, and unbalanced.
Typically on a V I place the peg about seven inches closer to the tail piece and it balances nicely.

Thanks fot that. Interesting. I may add one of those to my collection one day.

In the words of another well know forum member - so many guitars, so little money.


Dave

MIJvintage said:

odd you should mention the PU-2, as the MSV850 catalog page states that is what it comes with but it has original Dry Zs

Click to expand...

Amazing!

more digging around = more pics


PU-0 x 2 (notice dates are different by three days)


PU-0 bridge


PU-0 neck


Neck tenon looks to be pretty tight


~30 year mahogany = old wood


1.5 mm veneer thickness top


Veneer damage (can also be seen in veneer thickness picture above)
IMO this is just another example why veneer tops SUCK eggs :lol: ........................

additional internet details = not sure of the accuracy but it's from a Gibson fan site so ..............

THE V (1983) - V shaped mahogany body, bound curly maple top, mahogany neck, 22 fret ebony fingerboard with

pearl dot inlay, tune-o-matic bridge/stop tailpiece, 3 per side tuners, chrome hardware, 2 humbucker pickups, 2

volume/1 tone controls, 3 position switch. Available in Antique Natural, Antique Sunburst and Vintage Cherry

Sunburst finishes. Mfd. 1983 only.

What is the neck profil ? Between 50's and 60's ?

Nice.... very late era Albert King looking

le juge said:

What is the neck profil ? Between 50's and 60's ?

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When I received the guitar I was a bit disappointed in the smaller nature of the neck profile, as compared to my 1981 MSV850.
http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=104832#104832

Since both have December 1981 serial # codes I assumed the necks would be very comparable.
I was completely wrong on this assumption :evil:

The MSV neck is 1/16? wider at the nut @ 1 5/8? width, and has a thicker profile

The V copy neck width at the nut is 1 9/16? and the thickness profile is 13/16? at the 3rd fret
That is a bit anemic for my preference in neck thickness but I?m getting used to it :-?

I also assumed the fret size would be comparable, which in this case I was correct
I recently used a micrometer to measure the frets on about a dozen of my guitars
Both of the 1981 Greco Vs have some really nice/large frets measuring at .108 x .045 (W x H) 8)

marcusnieman said:

Nice.... very late era Albert King looking

Click to expand...

Thanks but if I have my way, in time, it won't look anything like it does now.

I want to completely change the top layout (pots, switch, jack, stop tail, etc.) and strip 90% plus of the finish.
The only original finish I would want intact is the head stock face, back, and sides.

After all that work I would want to refin the mahogany back, neck, and sides to natural.
The finishing touch would be to do a bronze powder gold refin on the top, ALL refin work would be 100% nitro, of course 8)

It would look something like this, just not exactly like this.

Oh that's sick..... what's the story on those pickups?

Marcus, been wanting a gold top V for a looooong time & I always thought that a gold top V would be the frickin' bombdiggity

the above pic is the only gold top V I have found, tho' I'm sure there are more out there

once I decide on a reconfiguration of the top, I'll get to work on my own gold top V


pickups in the above pic ............ GFS Dream 90 .................

MIJvintage said:

Marcus, been wanting a gold top V for a looooong time & I always thought that a gold top V would be the frickin' bombdiggity

the above pic is the only gold top V I have found, tho' I'm sure there are more out there

once I decide on a reconfiguration of the top, I'll get to work on my own gold top V


pickups in the above pic ............ GFS Dream 90 .................

Click to expand...

That guitar is sublime. Can't find your Greco V anywhere. Closest I got was in this catalog:

http://www.grecoed.com/catalogues%20pdf/Mint%20Collection%20&%20Metaliz.pdf

Another one!
Then this model isn't unique that's great.
But I don't have the money... x)

Juni41 said:

Another one!
Then this model isn't unique that's great.
But I don't have the money... x)

Click to expand...

Nice... that's the more modern Albert King style V

Juni41 said:

Another one!
Then this model isn't unique that's great.
But I don't have the money... x)

Click to expand...

yep, same model, same color ........ check out that 'Price Ends' price 90,000 yen

I'm still looking to turn my 12/81 into a gold top ; probably taking out the PU-0s and putting in a set of Double Tricks from my 6/82 MSV 8)


EDIT: I see the 'Price Ends' price was dropped 10,000 yen, down to 80,000 yen.
I also see it is a January '82 example; mine was made a month earlier, in December '81.

a goldtop V would be sweet...