Officially, Narumo said he knew nothing about the EG-800. The new EG-800 had an ebony fingerboard, a 2-piece maple top and a set neck that would become Greco’s standard. The EG-420 was semi-hollow and pancake body made of 6 pieces of mahogany. The EG-800 had open microphones and the contour on the back of the EG-420 however the wood used was of superior quality. The highlight of this collaboration was the EG-800 which was very much inspired by Narumo’s wishes. Greco and Narumo collaborated on the creation and evolution of several models after the EG-420. His suggestions gave birth to the EG-420, which proved superior to the EG-360. During a visit to the Fujigen factory, Narumo suggested leaving the humbucker pickups of the bridge open and profiling the shape of the back like a Stratocaster. A little reluctant at first, Narumo saw a chance to make the guitars he dreamt of. The brand had therefore asked Narumo to endorse him exclusively. Narumo’s involvement in this project and these live performances have resulted in a huge increase in Greco’s sales. 2 Gibson whose finish was in brown sunburst, but Greco could not check the color on the back of the guitar … They had done a sunburst finish on the back and on the neck.
GRECO STRATOCASTER VINTAGE FRETS FREE
The only thing that Narumo did not really like was that Greco was based on a photo of Paul Kossoff (of the Free rock band), provided by Narumo himself, to replicate the color of the prototype. The Japanese audience was surprised to see that a Japanese guitar was just as good, if not better, than the original. Narumo played in his concerts with the new EG-360 Custom and his Gibson. All Narumo musicians tested a Gibson, a Fender and the new Greco and all agreed that the EG was the best! The guitar was made in a few days and Narumo was very pleasantly surprised by the new EG Custom. Shiino oversaw the manufacture of a guitar prototype for Narumo according to the specifications they had determined. They both advised Greco to make guitars whose quality would be superior to that of the Gibson Les Paul for a more accessible price and with a thiner neck so that it is better adapted to the hands of the Japanese. Narumo began developing and supervising the production of Greco guitars with Shiino. He contacted his old friend Shigeru Narumo (1947-2007) who was then a well-known guitarist and grandson of the founder of Bridgestone Tire in Hatoyama, Mr. He worked as a consultant for ELK, Guyatone, Fernandes and Kasuga among others. In the early 1970s, Greco asked Hidesato Shiino, who was officially working for Yamaha, to develop guitar production and to become a marketing consultant.Īt first, Shiino was leading most guitar makers, not just Greco. The Ibanez and Greco instruments were manufactured by Fujigen and that is why the Japanese consider them as “twin brands”. during the first half of the 70s and Fujigen Gakki which started in 1974-75 until the 90s. These companies were Matsumoku Industrial Co. Even so, the guitars were similar enough to appeal to the Japanese audience and mark the beginning of a new era in the history of Made in Japan guitars.Īs mentioned previously, Kanda Shokai was primarily involved in the marketing and distribution of guitars and basses made by 2 subcontractors.
GRECO STRATOCASTER VINTAGE FRETS SERIES
That’s why Greco, to make a copy of the Gibson Les Paul (Greco EG series), had to rely on pictures of catalogs and artists! The original EG-360 series was quite different from the real Les Paul, both in the dimensions of the neck and in the manufacturing of the body. As a result, young people were encouraged to buy the guitars of their idols and to play Rock’n’Roll and of course, Greco soon realized that the market for musical instruments had to adapt to young people and offer them what they want.īecause of the high prices of Gibson in Japan, only a few jazz musicians could afford one and Greco had no real Gibson available. In 1971, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Grand Funk Railroad and other major bands of the time toured Japan. The young people had to save more than 5 months of salary to buy the guitar of their dreams. The price of a new Stratocaster was 239,000 yen, more than US $ 660.00 (US $).
The exchange rate at the time was around 360 yen for 1 US dollar the initial salary of a young Japanese was therefore 120.00 US dollars (US $).
In 1970, the average salary of a young graduate from a university in Japan was 43,000 yen (JYE). It was at this time that Japanese youth discovered and wanted to acquire Gibson Les Paul Customs, SG’s, Fender Stratocasters, Telecasters and other guitar models. Guitarist Jimmy Page would greatly contribute to the commercial success of the famous Gibson Les Paul Standard with a Sunburst finish. Led Zeppelin launched 2 memorable albums (Led Zeppelin I and II). In 1969, the British band Led Zeppelin initiated a turning point in the production of Greco guitars.
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