Greco EG550B Restoration: Part Three

Quick Links: Part One | Part Two | Part Three

This is the third and final instalment concerning a restoration job carried out on a lovely Greco EG550B. I'm thankful to report that this guitar now plays and sounds as good as it should. Now, let's get down to the nitty-gritty.

I'll start with the electronics, then. Everything was replaced, period. Among the upgrades were Alpha A500K Long Shaft pots, K40Y-9 0.015uf and K73-16 0.022uf tone pots; plus a Neutrik/Rean NYS229 jack socket. Wiring-wise, the original pickup leads were retained, while the rest was replaced with Gavitt Vintage Stranded Core Push-back Wire and Alpha RG174 Coaxial Cable (longer runs).

Next, hardware. Let's see now. The bridge and tailpiece were replaced, as were all pickup screws and springs. I managed to find a suitable replacement neck pickup ring, and added a new Gibson PRPG-020 Les Paul Custom Pickguard. Making the Gibson pickguard fit properly was a real challenge; as there was a lot of filing and sanding involved. Last but not least, the cracked output jack plate was replaced with a shiny new StewMac Plastic Jack Plate for Gibson® Les Paul® (the real deal, folks).

After the fretboard and frets were reconditioned, this Greco EG550B was strung with Ernie Ball Super Slinkys (10-46), tuned, set up; and put through its paces. I first tried it unplugged, and was surprised by the lively acoustic tone. I'd observed similar tones playing Strats unplugged, but this was the first time I'd ever heard a solidbody LP-style sing like this. Anyway, here are three YouTube videos I uploaded in honor of this guitar:

Greco EG550B demo - Unplugged

Greco EG550B Demo - Clean

Greco EG550B demo - Overdrive

Hope you enjoy the videos, as well as the pics I've posted below. Working on this Greco EG550B has been an unforgettable experience, I tell you. There's just this unmistakable build quality you sense with vintage Japanese instruments that's missing from their modern-day counterparts. They sure don't build 'em like they used to! Take care, and do drop by again soon :)

1992 Jackson Professional Series Dinky LT Revisited

The last time I'd seen this rock machine was way back in 2017, when it was sent in for a major overhaul. I remember having to do lots of woodwork, de-rusting, de-griming and de-crudding. The electronics were working as they should, however. You can read about that experience HERE.

This time, however, the electronics were toast. They were totally rusty and beyond redemption. As I've mentioned numerous times in the past, the salty sea air of the East Coast is not to be taken lightly. It corrodes your hardware, strings and electronics in the blink of an eye. Okay, end of sermon.

To compound the issue, the Seymour Duncan bridge humbucker was virtually dead. Opening it up revealed a faulty connection. Thank goodness it wasn't a shorted coil. Yes, I knew I had to fix this. Before proceeding, I took into account the fact that the owner wasn't interested in coil-splitting; and the existing pickup wires (black/red/white/green) had become extremely brittle over time.

The most practical option was to permanently rewire both coils in series, and replace the unreliable four-wire pickup lead with Alpha coaxial cable. Clean and simple: One hot wire, one braided ground/shield; just like the humbuckers of old. And yes, Seymour Duncan did rejoin the land of the living after this mod.

The old electronics were dumped, and in went Alpha A500K pots, a generic PCB 5-way switch, K73-16 0.022uF tone cap; and NYS229 output jack. I also had to replace the existing three knobs as they were for 24-spline CTS pots; and would not fit the new Alpha pots (18-splines). That being done, the 1992 Jackson Professional Series Dinky LT was back in business.

LTD EX-260 Gets Deactivated

This LTD EX-260 was brought in by its owner, MATTRA frontman Waz Ramzah. As received, it was in none too good shape. Sweat, rust, crud and grime had taken their toll on this once beautiful instrument. Right away I made a mental note to replace everything that could not be saved, and give the fretboard a through reconditioning.

As it turned out, Waz was most concerned about the electronics; specifically the pickups. He'd been gigging all this time with just the bridge EMG-81 (active), as the passive ESP neck humbucker could not work with the 25K volume and tone pots. Understandably, he'd had the neck humbucker and toggle switch grounded so as not to cause any electronic interference.

I'd watched him perform live before, and noted that he was doing quite alright with his LTD EX-260 and EHX Metal Muff; given the "heavy" music he favors. However, he'd grown weary of having "just one sound," and felt that having a working neck humbucker would expand his sonic palette.

After some serious discussion, which included cost concerns; it was decided that we swap the EMG-81 for an F-spaced DiMarzio® Crunch Lab™ (DP228FBK). A couple phone calls to my main man Hezlan at Music Bliss sealed the deal. The DP228FBK arrived via PosLaju not long after, and it was time to get to work.

The EMG-81 and its associated electronics were desoldered and packed away carefully. I wired in a new three-way toggle switch, Alpha 500K volume and tone pots, K73-16 0.022uF cap; and Switchcraft #11 mono output jack. And, as the pickup and control cavities were already shielded with conductive paint; I also added a ground lug from the back of the volume pot to the control cavity wall.

The electronics having been taken care of, it was time to address the rust, grime and crud issue. Rusty screws and springs were replaced, and the fretboard reconditioned. Meanwhile, I had to do something about the poor condition of the tune-o-matic bridge and low-E side bridge post (see pic). I decided to do some de-rusting via electrolysis (thank you, Dan Erlewine and StewMac), and was extremely pleased with the results.

Once all the hardware was reinstalled, the LTD EX-260 was strung with Ernie Ball Regular Slinkys (10-46), and set up for maximum playability. I hope to see Waz Ramzah and Mattra in action onstage once the Covid-19 pandemic blows over, and hear for myself how he utilizes his newfound tonal flexibility.

Ibanez GIO HSS Upgrade

This Ibanez HSS strat-style spent most of its life as a "jamming studio" guitar, being used and abused by countless "players." When the studio eventually closed down, the owner passed it on to his younger brother, a talented vocalist, guitarist and bass player in his own right. Rust and grime was this guitar's main ailment, and I had to thoroughly evaluate each component's condition separately. The pickups were all working, but their screws and springs had to be replaced. The electronics were shot, and after gutting the insides, I wired in a new 5-way switch, Alpha A500K pots, K73-16 cap, and Neutrik/Rean NYS229 output jack. Rust had also taken its toll elsewhere, and the pickguard screws, bridge mounting screws, neckplate screws, and strap buttons also had to be replaced.