I remember seeing those guitars in the early 80s. A couple of friends had those guitars but they wanted to play my Japanese Aria Pro II because I had Dimarzio PUPS. It was a great time for LP copies such as Greco, Memphis, and Arias.
I was out walking in Chiba, Japan and saw the headstock of a 78 Greco LP sticking up out of the trash. I grabbed it triumphantly and play it to this day. It was pretty crusty, but responded well to refurbishment. Amazing luck!
Nice to see Grecos getting some attention these days. I absolutely love my 1979 EG600. I have to mention two wrong remarks here though: 1) The letter in the serial does not refer to the Fujigen factory but tells you the month the guitar was made in. So, F is the sixth letter in the alphabet and therefore stands for the sixth month of 1979. 2) EG 600s were NOT routed/chambered at least from 1979 onwards. My January 1979 EG600 only has seperate routings for each pickup and is otherwise rock solid, just like the US originals.
You're correct. The F does correspond to the month. My error, and I wish we'd have corrected it. Most of the examples of EG600s I've seen were routed. Inconsistency is certainly possible/probable given the time period.
I have a 1979 Aria Pro II LC700 Les Paul Custom copy in black. Looks just like the Norlin era Les Paul guitars. The only difference with mine is it has a three screw mount for the truss rod cover and no fret nibs. Mine has the set neck with the volute, open book shovel head headstock and the period correct ABR-1 bridge. Looks just like a 70's Gibson Norlin Les Paul Custom. I put a Dimarzio Super 3 Distortion in the bridge and a Dimarzio PAF in the neck. It is an awesome guitar. I also have a 1975 A5522 Les Paul Custom copy in black. It has the bolt on maple neck, with the open book headstock and a plywood body. The guitar still sounds and plays great.
Great video. My 1st guitar is like that. Columbus sunburst from the 70s with gotoh pickups and hardware. Like maxons the Gotoh pups are unpotted. It's a bolt on neck. I've still got it and use it regularly.
What a beauty! You’re right put something over the name I can hardly tell the difference. Bet it plays great! A must for every Ace Frehley fan. And it’s 50 (!) years old.
I bought a 1980 Yamaha Studio Lord 500 had it shipped to me and it's a really high quality instrument. Mahogany/Maple cap body, Maple neck, Rosewood fretboard, set neck not bolted...it's beautiful, I think of it as a quality guitar that happens to look similar to a Gibson, not identical.
F stands for June - the date / month of production , 79 is the year and the rest is the production #. The set neck had no bearing on the 1977 " Lawsuit " as Ibanez branded guitars mostly had bolt on necks and it was only these and then only the Open Book headstock that was the issue .
Set necks *with the open book* were absolutely an arbiter for the lawsuit definition. Having a bolt-on neck was enough of a design difference so as to not infringe on design patents. The open book headstock continued with *many* companies post-1977. The presented bolt-on LP copy in this video being a prime example.
Kanda Shokai were the owners of the Greco brand and the # system on their guitars was the same as Ibanez and other brands made by Fujigen for other Companies since late 75 when the system was introduced 😎 🎩
Matsumoku factory was another manufacturing place. It burned down. Swap that bridge out for a tune-o-matic ABR. A lot of guitar players prefer not to have a volute. Very nice guitar btw!
I believe the top of the E G series was the 1200 model and the bottom was the 400 ( or 450 ) . Set neck Ibanez Les Paul guitars were made as early as 1973 but not very often , the issue with the open book design was because in America Ibanez branded guitars were a threat to Gibson ( as were other brands ) due to the increased quality of their guitars since changes were made around 1973 and onwards so Norlin Inc sent a Cease and Desist letter to The Elger Co who then owned The Ibanez brand ( Hoshino U S A now ) Fujigen still made Very Gibson like copies for Greco after ceasing production of copies for other brands . 😎 🎩
The Ace Frehley EGs were 6 & 800 (I believe) I haven't seen any other model numbers that meet the same "specs" for an AF. That said, I know they got up to at least 1200, and possibly 1500 with model numbers
Lots of bad info here Yes bolt on necks were lawsuited it was the headstock that was copy righted The F in the Greco serial number is the month A - january B - February so F is June I have a black Yamaki Performer Les Paul custom from this time frame which was also sued by not only Gibson but by Yamaha also. It is a copy of a '58 as it has a long tenon neck joint.
Greco Les Paul copies were intended for the Japanese market and the Cease and Desist letter to the owners of the Ibanez brand who at the time were Elger Co ( later Hoshino U S A ) was settled in mid 1977 and by that time Fujigen were not making headstocks for Ibanez with the open book design since about a year before the " Lawsuit ". 😎 🎩
More like 75% for pretty much the same thing haha. I’d probably never buy a real Gibson Custom in my life. I have 4 or so Gibson SG standards and a Burny SG and I like the Burny better than my Gibsons. These old Greco and Burny guitars are made very well and sound and play great. You’re just paying for the name when buying Gibson and they’re ridiculously overpriced. You can get a vintage set neck Greco LP Custom for under $1000. So much more worth it to me
I believe that the lawsuit guitars were made because worldwide distribution was sketchy in the 60-70’s. So they made their own to sell to the domestic market? Although No nitro finish I don’t believe?
wrong wrong Wrong ,,Orville became Gibson Epiphone Japan and that lasted up until the Elitist models that are still to this day some of the best Lp's and SG's ever made all at Fugi gen,,now Epi is Korean China or Indonesia,,but I believe Fugi gen is still making Casino Elitist models.
I strongly think thats MOP inlays,,the bolt on models ,definitely plastic ,but I can tell by the glow that's Pearl ,even my 77 eg700 standard looks like real shell ,acrylic ,you always see segments and they don't have the glow that real pearl has. My Greco is a Norlin also ,pancake body with a 3 stringer maple neck,,I think my standard plays better than real gibson standards built today ,,Epiphone elitist are also built by fugi gen and like the old Greco's from 77 on have better frets than modern jumbo fretted Gibsons,,I can't stand jumbo frets ,feels like train tracks
WOW this is not a law suite guitar Gibson never sued them the only company that got bothered by Gibson is Ibanez guitars so anything other than an Ibanez guitar aka Les Paul copy are not law suite guitars...So because Gibson did not and still does not hold any patent's in Japan the Japanese guitar makers like Greco/Tokai/Burny and others can build guitars just like Gibson and get away with it as long as they do not sell them in the United States they are good so there is some facts for you.....
They were not that great. The lawsuit was because they were coping everything about the Gibson. They had no regard for United States law, and patent/trademarks.They are still cheap in the vintage guitar market. China is doing the same thing now. Try and buy a 1979 Gibson Les Paul for the price of that Greco lol.
At the time, better than Gibson. The Norlins were substandard to the late 70s Greco, Tokai, Edwards, Aria, and Ibanez. And Epiphone didn’t make a Les Paul until 1989. So…not even in the same league. I understand you want to slam the video, but you’re simply incorrect. The Japanese produced superior quality guitars during this time period. Thanks for watching.
You're chatting shite most of these guitars from the late 70s on are spot on Gibson replicas. Navigator made spot on 59 Les Paul Standards in the 80s with Honduran mahogany one piece bodies, one piece mahogany necks, Brazilian rosewood board correct body shape, two piece thick maple cap correct top arching The Navigators are way superior to any Gibson Les Paul Standard reissue from any year at any price.
I remember seeing those guitars in the early 80s. A couple of friends had those guitars but they wanted to play my Japanese Aria Pro II because I had Dimarzio PUPS. It was a great time for LP copies such as Greco, Memphis, and Arias.
I was out walking in Chiba, Japan and saw the headstock of a 78 Greco LP sticking up out of the trash. I grabbed it triumphantly and play it to this day. It was pretty crusty, but responded well to refurbishment. Amazing luck!
Nice to see Grecos getting some attention these days. I absolutely love my 1979 EG600. I have to mention two wrong remarks here though:
1) The letter in the serial does not refer to the Fujigen factory but tells you the month the guitar was made in. So, F is the sixth letter in the alphabet and therefore stands for the sixth month of 1979.
2) EG 600s were NOT routed/chambered at least from 1979 onwards. My January 1979 EG600 only has seperate routings for each pickup and is otherwise rock solid, just like the US originals.
My '78 EG600C is also solid.
You're correct. The F does correspond to the month. My error, and I wish we'd have corrected it. Most of the examples of EG600s I've seen were routed. Inconsistency is certainly possible/probable given the time period.
I have a 1979 Aria Pro II LC700 Les Paul Custom copy in black. Looks just like the Norlin era Les Paul guitars. The only difference with mine is it has a three screw mount for the truss rod cover and no fret nibs. Mine has the set neck with the volute, open book shovel head headstock and the period correct ABR-1 bridge. Looks just like a 70's Gibson Norlin Les Paul Custom. I put a Dimarzio Super 3 Distortion in the bridge and a Dimarzio PAF in the neck. It is an awesome guitar. I also have a 1975 A5522 Les Paul Custom copy in black. It has the bolt on maple neck, with the open book headstock and a plywood body. The guitar still sounds and plays great.
Great video. My 1st guitar is like that. Columbus sunburst from the 70s with gotoh pickups and hardware. Like maxons the Gotoh pups are unpotted. It's a bolt on neck. I've still got it and use it regularly.
Very cool!
Nice guitar, I remember seeing some of these in the 70s. Thanks guys.
Pretty nice "Lawsuit" guitar. Looks like it's in great condition, and sounds gnarly.
Beautiful Les Paul Copy
What a beauty! You’re right put something over the name I can hardly tell the difference. Bet it plays great! A must for every Ace Frehley fan. And it’s 50 (!) years old.
Rock on Zimms Happy New Year
Happy New Year
Awesome L.P. Paul. Glad you brought it in for us to enjoy! Happy New Year to everyone at Zimm's. 🎸 ✌
I bought a 1980 Yamaha Studio Lord 500 had it shipped to me and it's a really high quality instrument. Mahogany/Maple cap body, Maple neck, Rosewood fretboard, set neck not bolted...it's beautiful, I think of it as a quality guitar that happens to look similar to a Gibson, not identical.
I've been on the fence about getting an EG800, this video will probably push me over the edge. EDIT: I just pushed the checkout button on one.
Just snapped up a Sekova just like the black one in this video... Great guitar...
Thank you for the history overview. I have a '90 lemon EG 550 & its a great guitar for the money. :)
I have a 1977 Starfield LP Copy that looks exactly like a 1975 Ibanez except the headstock was slightly Modified. Cool Video.
The pickups are lawsuits also. Dimarzio owns the patten for all crème pickups, That’s why Gibson makes Zebra pickups
F stands for June - the date / month of production , 79 is the year and
the rest is the production #. The set neck had no bearing on the 1977
" Lawsuit " as Ibanez branded guitars mostly had bolt on necks and it was only these and then only the Open Book headstock that was the issue .
Set necks *with the open book* were absolutely an arbiter for the lawsuit definition. Having a bolt-on neck was enough of a design difference so as to not infringe on design patents. The open book headstock continued with *many* companies post-1977. The presented bolt-on LP copy in this video being a prime example.
Kanda Shokai were the owners of the Greco brand and the # system on their guitars was the same as Ibanez and other brands made by Fujigen for other Companies since late 75 when the system was introduced 😎 🎩
That was a great lesson from paul, he is super knowledgeable. Thanks for sharing that. Super cool ax!!!
I have one of the early 70s Japanese bolt on les Paul's branded " Bradley" , super nice guitar, black and gold custom
Always love it when paul is on 👍👍👍🤟🎸
I have a 1974 Ibanez set neck. Looks just like this Ace freeley minus the middle pickup.
Seen quite a few Ibanez black les paul custom copies around 1977. Wish I would have bought one.
I loved your work in the😥New York Dollls
Dang I think that’s a abr1 bridge too? Always wanted a Greco.
Matsumoku factory was another manufacturing place. It burned down. Swap that bridge out for a tune-o-matic ABR. A lot of guitar players prefer not to have a volute. Very nice guitar btw!
I want a triple humbucker Les Paul so badly
I believe the top of the E G series was the 1200 model and the bottom was the 400 ( or 450 ) . Set neck Ibanez Les Paul guitars were made as early as 1973 but not very often , the issue with the open book design was because in America Ibanez branded guitars were a threat to Gibson ( as were other brands ) due to the increased quality of their guitars since changes were made around 1973 and onwards so Norlin Inc sent a Cease and Desist letter to The Elger Co who then owned The Ibanez brand ( Hoshino U S A now ) Fujigen still made Very Gibson like copies for Greco after ceasing production of copies for other brands . 😎 🎩
The Ace Frehley EGs were 6 & 800 (I believe) I haven't seen any other model numbers that meet the same "specs" for an AF. That said, I know they got up to at least 1200, and possibly 1500 with model numbers
Good video. Paul knows his Greco's.....
Good info
Nice and interesting video. I am the proud owner of the same guitar model but left handed and made in Oktober 1978 all original ❤
Very cool!
Hey Dane! Cool guitar Paul! I had the Epiphone version I should have kept.
Freakin awesome guitar Gentlemen
Interesting guitar and story. It looks really cool.
God damn that is a badass guitar.
Lots of bad info here
Yes bolt on necks were lawsuited it was the headstock that was copy righted
The F in the Greco serial number is the month A - january B - February so F is June
I have a black Yamaki Performer Les Paul custom from this time frame which was also sued by not only Gibson but by Yamaha also. It is a copy of a '58 as it has a long tenon neck joint.
Thanks for sharing!!!
Very informative!
Glad you liked it
Amazing guitar
I get epiphone lps-80 mij
And it's amazing
you guys get a lot of Grecos in!
Greco Les Paul copies were intended for the Japanese market and the Cease and Desist letter to the owners of the Ibanez brand who at the time were Elger Co ( later Hoshino U S A ) was settled in mid 1977 and by that time Fujigen were not making headstocks for Ibanez with the open book design since about a year before the " Lawsuit ". 😎 🎩
Ibanez/Hoshino were definitely the only company *actually served* with the C&D. Given they were the most liquid and valuable company at the time.
@@neanderpaulradio3391 very true Thankyou. 👍
Should have stated issued in mid 77 and not settled - that was in February 78 for the Cease and Desist letter to the owners of the Ibanez brand 😎 🎩
I just saved 15% on my guitar by switching to Greco!
More like 75% for pretty much the same thing haha. I’d probably never buy a real Gibson Custom in my life. I have 4 or so Gibson SG standards and a Burny SG and I like the Burny better than my Gibsons. These old Greco and Burny guitars are made very well and sound and play great. You’re just paying for the name when buying Gibson and they’re ridiculously overpriced. You can get a vintage set neck Greco LP Custom for under $1000. So much more worth it to me
You guys know your shit. I just subbed
I believe that the lawsuit guitars were made because worldwide distribution was sketchy in the 60-70’s. So they made their own to sell to the domestic market? Although No nitro finish I don’t believe?
The Greco gold hardware lasts longer than Gibson hardware.
I like that it's sweet
No, the "F" is the month. So, June 1979, run number 7744.
Correct. We should've edited and corrected.
Neanderpaul 🤘🏽
The F in the serial number indicates the month of the year it was made, NOT the factory it was made
ace frehley looking model
Cool.
Very kool guitar Paul. Is she over 10lbs ? Maxon - Maxoff ...lol. Cheers Dane! Likd 64
wrong wrong Wrong ,,Orville became Gibson Epiphone Japan and that lasted up until the Elitist models that are still to this day some of the best Lp's and SG's ever made all at Fugi gen,,now Epi is Korean China or Indonesia,,but I believe Fugi gen is still making Casino Elitist models.
Since I'm not seeing any finish checking I'm assuming it's a polyurethane finish.
Not sure. But I know the 600 is poly, I’m told the 800 is nitro. I cannot be sure. It no longer smells like vanilla though. :)
"Cheap Japanese Guitars" Yea, they are $1500+ now. And plays better than any Norlin era Gibson. 🤣
I strongly think thats MOP inlays,,the bolt on models ,definitely plastic ,but I can tell by the glow that's Pearl ,even my 77 eg700 standard looks like real shell ,acrylic ,you always see segments and they don't have the glow that real pearl has. My Greco is a Norlin also ,pancake body with a 3 stringer maple neck,,I think my standard plays better than real gibson standards built today ,,Epiphone elitist are also built by fugi gen and like the old Greco's from 77 on have better frets than modern jumbo fretted Gibsons,,I can't stand jumbo frets ,feels like train tracks
Gnar
$450
WOW this is not a law suite guitar Gibson never sued them the only company that got bothered by Gibson is Ibanez guitars so anything other than an Ibanez guitar aka Les Paul copy are not law suite guitars...So because Gibson did not and still does not hold any patent's in Japan the Japanese guitar makers like Greco/Tokai/Burny and others can build guitars just like Gibson and get away with it as long as they do not sell them in the United States they are good so there is some facts for you.....
They were not that great. The lawsuit was because they were coping everything about the Gibson. They had no regard for United States law, and patent/trademarks.They are still cheap in the vintage guitar market. China is doing the same thing now. Try and buy a 1979 Gibson Les Paul for the price of that Greco lol.
GRECO not even close to the real deals Gibson and Epiphone
Some day these RUclipsrs will learn I just laugh at them kind of pathetic entertainment..😂🤣
At the time, better than Gibson. The Norlins were substandard to the late 70s Greco, Tokai, Edwards, Aria, and Ibanez. And Epiphone didn’t make a Les Paul until 1989. So…not even in the same league. I understand you want to slam the video, but you’re simply incorrect. The Japanese produced superior quality guitars during this time period.
Thanks for watching.
My 1978 EG600C puts a LOT of LP's in that era (and many now) to shame.
You're chatting shite most of these guitars from the late 70s on are spot on Gibson replicas. Navigator made spot on 59 Les Paul Standards in the 80s with Honduran mahogany one piece bodies, one piece mahogany necks, Brazilian rosewood board correct body shape, two piece thick maple cap correct top arching The Navigators are way superior to any Gibson Les Paul Standard reissue from any year at any price.
@@colinmcnab6145 Tokai, Greco, and Edwards were crushing Gibson from 77-83
As we speak its a 43 y/o guitar.... not 52. But what the heck.
Nice made copy; probably better than a '70s original.
Correct. *I* was 52 at the time, and 11 when I got my first guitar in 1979 :) My old-man fog