1978 EG800PR questions

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imlikeajungle

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First of all: thanks for all of the information I have already gathered thanks to this great forum & the links posted here, and the websites of the forummembers! It made me pull the trigger on an '78 EG800PR & I love it!
I have a few questions as I am a bit confused about the specs.

- if I understand correctly this was a middle-range model?
- the specs from japanstrats post from the 1980 Catalog say the following:

EG800PR (Ace Frehley 3 pickups): Mahogany one layer body, Maple two piece top, Red Sunburst finish, Mahogany one piece neck, Ebony Fingerboard, U-2000 pickups.

Mine has a two-piece body (very well matched though). Is this because it is a '78 or are there more of these discrepancies? Also, did Greco do any weight relief? The guitar feels absolutely massive, just wondering.

- are the pickups original? As the (crappy) picture shows, the cream 'covers' are mounted in a metal 'frame'? The code on the bottom says, I believe, 240408. Nothing else. All three have the same code & look the same too. Does anyone know which pickups these are?

greco1.JPG


- how is the hardware on these models? I don't have much experience swapping hardware but I believe I read somewhere here that the pre-80 models had hardware problems? The tuners for example don't feel too secure but I am holding back to start changing things on a guitar this age.

- does anyone know which woods were used for neck & fingerboard? And which material for the inlays? Is it all the same as in the '80s?

- some extra info:

* no fret binding
* braided wiring
* dowel tenon
* 2 piece top
* 2 piece back
* I believe 3 piece neck
* trussrod cover says 'custom', written vertically in capitals
* very heavy

Lastly, could anyone give me an indication of the European market value of this guitar? Just wondering if I got ripped off or not :)

Thank you very very much!

Kindest regards,

B.
 
I?m not so sure EG-800 being 2 pieces body made but a pancake body,but I could be wrong, my Greco?s long gone.
 
It looks like a two-piece but I'll check again...

EDIT: reading the other topic, would you say this one has a maple neck?
 
Many Greco from the 70's have those metal frames so almost certain it's original. I have one with those frames too. :p
 
My 800PR had fret end binding, are you sure that is not 600 model then?
You can find 1978 catalog scans here somewhere, I think. Pick ups should be U2000s in 800PR and U1000s in 600 if I recall right.
 
There is a sticker on the back saying 800... I'm not sure if that guarantees that it actually is a 800? I have also tried to find '78 scans but can't find them...
 
imlikeajungle said:
There is a sticker on the back saying 800... I'm not sure if that guarantees that it actually is a 800? I have also tried to find '78 scans but can't find them...

You didn't look very far :wink:

I posted a link in the next thread doen to a 79 catalog with a EG800PR in there

http://brochures.yokochou.com/guitar-and-amp/greco/1979/en_index.html
 
I had seen that, but it is '79, not '78 :D
Because of the completely different headstock I didn't think the rest of the specs would be the same?
 
imlikeajungle said:
I had seen that, but it is '79, not '78 :D
Because of the completely different headstock I didn't think the rest of the specs would be the same?

Sorry I thought they would be the same, I cant read the specs anyway :D
 
I am more confused now, then I was before :D
So with it being an 800 the pickups should be U2000s, even though they just have the code written on them, nothing else.

But for the rest... Brr! Any concluding info would be great, especially about the woods used...
 
imlikeajungle said:
I am more confused now, then I was before :D
So with it being an 800 the pickups should be U2000s, even though they just have the code written on them, nothing else.

yes. i think it's normal.
Greco and Ibanez Nisshin Onpa (Maxon) pickup serial number format consisting of 6 numbers from 1977 to 1982.
First number = Nisshin Onpa (Maxon) pickup code (1, 2, etc)
Second number = Year (9=1979)
Third and Fourth number = Month (01=Jan ... 12=Dec)
Fifth and sixth number = Day of Month (01-31)

imlikeajungle said:
Mine has a two-piece body (very well matched though). Is this because it is a '78 or are there more of these discrepancies? Also, did Greco do any weight relief? The guitar feels absolutely massive, just wondering.
in those years they did but the guitars could still be very heavy. :D

main problem on the hardware with Greco guitars is esthetic. Often, the chrome tends to crumble away. But it's a good very functionnal hardware. And it also depens on where the previous owner used to live in Japan ( there's area worse than others) and how it was taken care of.
 
Great, thanks for all that. I'll have a closer look at the body when I get the chance to see if it is pancake or not.

Can I also be semi-sure that the neck is maple?
 
My Greco EG-800PR '78 was aroung 4,7 kg so it was quite heavy, thick maple cap on mahogany. You should be able to find the pics here on the forum.

Here are a couple of links for EG800PR specs, not quite sure how reliable they are:
http://www.nexyzbb.ne.jp/~kt-factory_2007/GUITARS/eg800.html
http://kiya-hen.net/equip/22.html

There used to be a similar page like this, http://www.sf.airnet.ne.jp/~shake/greco/catalogue/1978/1978.html but you were able to click the thumbnails and see the fullsize catalog. :cry:
 
Greco EG-800 hardware is very good,the bridge/tailpiece was superior to Burny one.
 
greco2.jpg


greco3.jpg


greco4.jpg


greco5.jpg


greco6.jpg


greco7.jpg


greco8.jpg


greco9.jpg


Here some more pics!
As some of you pointed out, it is a two piece TWO LAYER back, and from what I read a three piece maple neck.
 
joukov said:
There used to be a similar page like this, http://www.sf.airnet.ne.jp/~shake/greco/catalogue/1978/1978.html but you were able to click the thumbnails and see the fullsize catalog. :cry:

I had been crying about that page too :D

One last question: what would be a good European price? It has some dings & the lacquer has 'bursted' (do you say that?) in a few places but overall condition shows from the pictures I guess.

Thanks two million for all answers, I'm on the lookout for a second one... :eek:
 
Those pickups look different from what I had in my guitar. Could you remove the pickups and take a few photos what's under them?
 

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