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Greco guitars
Greco (Japanese: グレコ Gureko) is a Japanese guitar brand owned by the Kanda Shokai Corporation (in Japanese) 神田商会, a musical instrument wholesaler mostly known for being part of Fender Japan. Instruments manufactured with the name "Greco" are electric and acoustic guitars.
Kanda Shokai was established in 1948 and the Greco brand name was started in 1960. It was not until 1966-1967 that Kanda Shokai began marketing Greco Telecaster-like models.[clarification needed] Originally, Kanda Shokai used the Greco brand name for the solid-body models and the Canda brand name for its acoustic models, basing the latter on the company name Kanda. In the mid-late 1960s, Kanda Shokai also exported some Greco-branded guitars based on Hagström and EKO designs for Avnet/Goya in the USA.[citation needed] These guitars were made by the FujiGen and Matsumoku (and possibly Teisco[citation needed]) guitar factories and were very similar to the late 1960s Ibanez guitars based on Hagström and EKO designs. Kanda Shokai also marketed a few original designs in the late '60s including the Greco Semi-hollow "Shrike" guitars, which were imported and marketed first by Goya and later by Kustom. The "Shrike" model had a pair of unusual L-shaped pickups, with the corner of the "L" pointing towards the headstock on the neck pickup and towards the bridge on the bridge pickup; these "boomerang" pickups predate the Gibson Flying V2 boomerang-shaped pickups by over ten years.
In the early 1970s Kanda Shokai marketed Greco Gibson-like models, but with bolt-on necks rather than the set necks of genuine Gibson guitars. These were very similar to the Ibanez Gibson-like models available at that time, and most had a script Greco logo. By the mid–late 1970s most Greco Gibson-like models were being made with set necks and open-book Gibson headstock designs. Some other Greco Gibson-like models from the 1970s had a different headstock design, more like a Guild headstock design, that had a Greco logo with equally sized letters.
Starting in 1979, the Greco "Super Real Series," which made available high standard replicas of Gibson and Fender models, was introduced. Beginning in 1982, the Greco "Mint Collection" continued the high standard of the "Super Real Series." In 1982 Kanda Shokai and Yamano Gakki become part of Fender Japan, and Kanda Shokai stopped producing its own Greco Fender replica models. Since the end of the Greco open-book headstock Gibson replicas in the early 1990s, Kanda Shokai have produced various models using the Greco brand name such as the "Mirage Series" (similar to the Ibanez Iceman), various Gibson copies (not using the open-book Gibson headstock design), and Höfner-styled violin-shaped basses. The company also owns Zemaitis Guitars, now made by Tokai.
Some notable guitar players who have used Greco guitars include Ace Frehley, who used Greco Les Paul replicas when his band, Kiss, was on tour in Japan, Millie Rose Lee of Dead Witch, and Elliot Easton of The Cars. Peter Tork of The Monkees on his 1979–1981 solo tours had two of the Tobacco Sunburst Les Paul models. The Greco BM line is particularly notable as they are semi-endorsed signature models. Brian May played (or at least mimed) his BM-900 on several television appearances and in 1983 remarked:
A Japanese firm called Greco made a Brian May guitar, an exact copy. They called it a BHM 900 or something. They sent me an example. I said, "Thanks very much for sending it to me. It looks nice, but it doesn't actually sound that nice. Why don't we get together and make it sound good, too? Then you can put my name on it properly". They never replied.
The Japanese-made Greco guitars were initially being distributed in the US through Goya and later by Kustom (known for their amps). Prior to that, Goya sold Electric guitars made by Hagstrom. Among the electric guitar models that Greco offered during this period, were two thin semi-hollow body style that were equipped with the patented “Shrike” pickups. These were the 950, and 975 models. A 12-string version for both body styles were available as well, and were labeled models 960 and 976 respectively. Those models with the Boomerang L-shaped split coil pickups were called "Shrike" models. The "Shrike" pickups were advertised as producing that distinctive "shrike" sound. The shrikes had a single volume pot and a group of slide switches to control the four split-coil pickups in the two L-shaped enclosures, letting the player switch between high and low strings on the pickups.
The 975 model and its 12-string brother, the 976 model, were the top-of-the-line imported Grecos in 1968. These were initially available only in the Shrike version, and later a more conventional two standard pickup version appeared. The models with standard pickups were not called Shrike models. Standard pickup models had the common two volume, two tone pot controls and toggle switch for the two pickups. These were regarded as attractive and well-made guitars. They had bound semi-hollow bodies and a bound neck, diamond-shaped sound holes, rectangular shaped fretboard inlays and headstock truss adjustment. The tuners were the same as the Teisco Spectrum 5 of that period, and the neck plate had the L-shaped pickup patent number stamped on it. The zero fret and thin neck is reminiscent of a Mosrite. The 975 model Shrike was considered to be of higher build quality than the many entry-level Japanese guitars that had become widely available earlier in the decade, but by 1970 the 975-style models were discontinued, a victim of the decline of the 1960s guitar boom. Soon Greco would move toward copying Fender and Gibson products, becoming a major brand in the so-called "Lawsuit" copy era, along with Tokai and the Ibanez company, which became the subject of legal action by Gibson.
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Greco guitars
Greco (Japanese: グレコ Gureko) is a Japanese guitar brand owned by the Kanda Shokai Corporation (in Japanese) 神田商会, a musical instrument wholesaler mostly known for being part of Fender Japan. Instruments manufactured with the name "Greco" are electric and acoustic guitars.
Kanda Shokai was established in 1948 and the Greco brand name was started in 1960. It was not until 1966-1967 that Kanda Shokai began marketing Greco Telecaster-like models.[clarification needed] Originally, Kanda Shokai used the Greco brand name for the solid-body models and the Canda brand name for its acoustic models, basing the latter on the company name Kanda. In the mid-late 1960s, Kanda Shokai also exported some Greco-branded guitars based on Hagström and EKO designs for Avnet/Goya in the USA.[citation needed] These guitars were made by the FujiGen and Matsumoku (and possibly Teisco[citation needed]) guitar factories and were very similar to the late 1960s Ibanez guitars based on Hagström and EKO designs. Kanda Shokai also marketed a few original designs in the late '60s including the Greco Semi-hollow "Shrike" guitars, which were imported and marketed first by Goya and later by Kustom. The "Shrike" model had a pair of unusual L-shaped pickups, with the corner of the "L" pointing towards the headstock on the neck pickup and towards the bridge on the bridge pickup; these "boomerang" pickups predate the Gibson Flying V2 boomerang-shaped pickups by over ten years.
In the early 1970s Kanda Shokai marketed Greco Gibson-like models, but with bolt-on necks rather than the set necks of genuine Gibson guitars. These were very similar to the Ibanez Gibson-like models available at that time, and most had a script Greco logo. By the mid–late 1970s most Greco Gibson-like models were being made with set necks and open-book Gibson headstock designs. Some other Greco Gibson-like models from the 1970s had a different headstock design, more like a Guild headstock design, that had a Greco logo with equally sized letters.
Starting in 1979, the Greco "Super Real Series," which made available high standard replicas of Gibson and Fender models, was introduced. Beginning in 1982, the Greco "Mint Collection" continued the high standard of the "Super Real Series." In 1982 Kanda Shokai and Yamano Gakki become part of Fender Japan, and Kanda Shokai stopped producing its own Greco Fender replica models. Since the end of the Greco open-book headstock Gibson replicas in the early 1990s, Kanda Shokai have produced various models using the Greco brand name such as the "Mirage Series" (similar to the Ibanez Iceman), various Gibson copies (not using the open-book Gibson headstock design), and Höfner-styled violin-shaped basses. The company also owns Zemaitis Guitars, now made by Tokai.
Some notable guitar players who have used Greco guitars include Ace Frehley, who used Greco Les Paul replicas when his band, Kiss, was on tour in Japan, Millie Rose Lee of Dead Witch, and Elliot Easton of The Cars. Peter Tork of The Monkees on his 1979–1981 solo tours had two of the Tobacco Sunburst Les Paul models. The Greco BM line is particularly notable as they are semi-endorsed signature models. Brian May played (or at least mimed) his BM-900 on several television appearances and in 1983 remarked:
A Japanese firm called Greco made a Brian May guitar, an exact copy. They called it a BHM 900 or something. They sent me an example. I said, "Thanks very much for sending it to me. It looks nice, but it doesn't actually sound that nice. Why don't we get together and make it sound good, too? Then you can put my name on it properly". They never replied.
The Japanese-made Greco guitars were initially being distributed in the US through Goya and later by Kustom (known for their amps). Prior to that, Goya sold Electric guitars made by Hagstrom. Among the electric guitar models that Greco offered during this period, were two thin semi-hollow body style that were equipped with the patented “Shrike” pickups. These were the 950, and 975 models. A 12-string version for both body styles were available as well, and were labeled models 960 and 976 respectively. Those models with the Boomerang L-shaped split coil pickups were called "Shrike" models. The "Shrike" pickups were advertised as producing that distinctive "shrike" sound. The shrikes had a single volume pot and a group of slide switches to control the four split-coil pickups in the two L-shaped enclosures, letting the player switch between high and low strings on the pickups.
The 975 model and its 12-string brother, the 976 model, were the top-of-the-line imported Grecos in 1968. These were initially available only in the Shrike version, and later a more conventional two standard pickup version appeared. The models with standard pickups were not called Shrike models. Standard pickup models had the common two volume, two tone pot controls and toggle switch for the two pickups. These were regarded as attractive and well-made guitars. They had bound semi-hollow bodies and a bound neck, diamond-shaped sound holes, rectangular shaped fretboard inlays and headstock truss adjustment. The tuners were the same as the Teisco Spectrum 5 of that period, and the neck plate had the L-shaped pickup patent number stamped on it. The zero fret and thin neck is reminiscent of a Mosrite. The 975 model Shrike was considered to be of higher build quality than the many entry-level Japanese guitars that had become widely available earlier in the decade, but by 1970 the 975-style models were discontinued, a victim of the decline of the 1960s guitar boom. Soon Greco would move toward copying Fender and Gibson products, becoming a major brand in the so-called "Lawsuit" copy era, along with Tokai and the Ibanez company, which became the subject of legal action by Gibson.