Greco EG550B Restoration: Part Two

Quick Links: Part One | Part Two | Part Three

In Part One of this series, we examined the external features of this fine instrument. Rust, corrosion, crud and grime was everywhere. Now, in this exciting (hopefully) episode, we'll open this Greco EG550B up and find out what ails her.

To begin with, I'd been warned that the guitar produced no sound when plugged into an amp. After unscrewing the output jack plate, the reason became apparent: the tip spring (hot contact) of the rusty output jack had somehow snapped off. Additionally, the plastic jack plate was severely cracked in a few places and would eventually fall apart. These two would definitely be replaced.

Moving on to the control cavity, everything seemed stock, and intact as well. 500K full-sized volume and tone pots, shielded cable; plus 0.022uF tone caps. Too bad the electronics weren't functioning as they should, even after servicing. As for the three-way box toggle switch, it was encrusted in salt and fared no better than the pots. They'd all be replaced, for sure.

Meanwhile, the frets, though still in good enough shape for many more bluesy bends; were badly tarnished and in need of a thorough clean and polish. The rosewood fretboard was in slightly better shape, but still grimy enough to warrant reconditioning.

The pickups? They were both functioning, thank goodness. Flipping them over revealed that both once had covers, but someone had desoldered them. All screws and springs were pickled through, new ones were definitely needed. The neck pickup ring was broken in two spots, and I knew I'd have to source a replacement. By the way, removing the neck pickup allowed me a clear view of the two hidden bolts securing the "bolt-on tenon joint" and the neat pickup cavity routing. You've got to hand it to the Japanese when it comes to precision work.

The gold hardware was in terrible shape on the whole, which was even more apparent after disassembly. I tried cleaning the bridge and stop tailpiece using electrolysis (VIDEO), but all that succeeded in doing was further disintegrating the already fragile "gold" coating; exposing even more underlying rust and corrosion.

Talking about the bridge, the tune-o-matic style bridge was not only missing its retaining clip; but had also collapsed in the middle. This meant that the middle strings (B, G, D and A) would be much lower than they should be; and it would be impossible to match string height to the 12" fretboard radius. To gauge just how bad the sag was, I used a 6" steel rule as a straight edge and compared this bridge to one taken from a 2014 Gibson LPJ. Gosh ... the difference was as obvious as night and day!

The most practical solution would be to simply replace the bridge; and most probably the tailpiece too. For anyone who's interested, do check out this excellent article by Haze Guitars entitled "Gibson Bridge Collapse." Well, folks, we've reached the end of this post. I hope you've enjoyed reading my humble offering, and do take a peek at the pics below. Thanks for dropping by, and hope to see you again real soon :)

Greco EG550B Restoration: Part One

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Part One | Part Two | Part Three

I've just finished restoring this beautiful Greco EG550B solidbody electric guitar (which strongly resembles a Gibson Les Paul Custom; no doubt). The journey has been long and arduous; but well worth the effort. And, not wanting to leave anything out; I've taken loads of pics. To do justice to this gorgeous Japanese instrument, I'll be spreading this tale over three posts; this being the first.

Right off the bat, the serial number on the back of the headstock (07013) suggests that this guitar was either manufactured in 1980 or 1990. The EG550B is featured in the Greco Guitar Catalog 1974. Nope, I could not glean any specs from that catalog as it was in image format and I can't read Japanese. Then there's this Reverb listing that features a 1990 EG550B in much better condition. You might want to check it out if you're into gold hardware.

By the way, this particular guitar differs slightly from what you see in the catalog or on Reverb. The difference is that while both these guitars feature gold-plated covered humbuckers, this EG550B has open (uncovered) coils. Perhaps a previous owner removed the covers to brighten the tone, who knows?

One very interesting feature of this guitar is the neck joint. The first impression you'd get is that it's a typical set-in neck, such as found on Gibson Les Pauls. But no, it's actually a mortise/tenon joint fortified with three bolts. I guess you could call it a "bolt-on tenon joint," for want of a better term. One of the bolts is clearly visible in the neck heel area. The remaining two are hidden from view in the neck pickup cavity.

As you can see from the pics, time has taken its toll on this fine example of Japanese craftsmanship. The body needs a good clean and polish, that's for certain. All the gold hardware, from the tune-o-matic (TOM) bridge and stopbar tailpiece to the truss rod cover screws; is badly tarnished and/or corroded. And yes, the pickguard is missing.

I think I'll stop here for now. Thanks for dropping by, and do enjoy the pics. Stay safe, and keep on rocking the free world. See you all real soon :)

ESP LTD M-10 Electric Guitar: Part One

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Part One | Part Two | Part Three

If you really have to buy a used guitar, do take the time and trouble to check it out personally. And if you don't know all that much, be sure to bring along a friend who does. If you don't, you might end up with an ESP LTD like this one. It belongs to a close friend's son, so I really feel his pain. Dad told me to "do to it as you would your own guitar." Ok, Dad; I hear you loud and clear.

For starters, it's full of grime and crud; not to mention rust and corrosion. The grime, crud, and corrosion I can probably scrub off. However, parts that are too rusty to be saved will have to be replaced. The electronics barely work, and as they're corroded; I'll be replacing them.

The previous owner had put on some strap locks. The one at the butt end is okay, but the one attached to the upper horn completely tore away; leaving a gaping hole. I'll be plugging that and redrilling, for sure. Other than that, the high E bridge stud of the tune-o-matic clone bridge is completely frozen. 

It's stuck to the bushing, which is so loose that when I turn the stud; the bushing turns too. So I've managed to remove the whole stud/bushing combo. The next step will be to decouple the stud from the bushing, do a cleanup and lube; and find a way to make the bushing fit snugly in its hole.

Last but not least, one of the bridge humbucker ring's screws is so rusty that there's nothing left for a screwdriver to grip. If I tried drilling into the screw head, the heat would damage the ring. Likewise if I tried to saw through it to create a groove of sorts, the ring would still be damaged. So, what the heck, I'm going to cut into the ring, pry it loose; and then remove the stubborn screw with a pair of pliers. Yes, this means that I'm going to have to replace the pickup ring. Ah well, you can't win em' all.

I kinda like this guitar, you know. It's got a reverse headstock, nice black finish; and plays well. One weird thing (for me, at least) though, is that while "ESP" is proudly emblazoned on the pickup coils; they're actually made by Belcat; a Chinese company. So, what gives, ESP? Well, that's all for this post. Thanks for dropping by. Stay home, stay safe; and stay tuned for further updates on this ESP LTD M-10.