Greco EGF-850 -specifications - Nitro or Not?

musicalstash

Does know they actual specifications of a 79 Greco EGF-850? 

I'm looking to sell one but there's some conflicting information online some people say  nitro with Brazilian boards but others say not - is there anyway to tell by visually looking at it . 

I know once I put it up for sale I will be asked but don't want to mislead anyone. 

Here's a couple of pictures

https://ibb.co/fp3jRvP

https://ibb.co/B2T1zFH

John_A

Yes, 850s are nitro.  Some are Brazilian some aren’t.   Not an expert but I don’t think yours is

designerseye88

I think only EGF-1000, EGF-1200 & EGF-1800 had Brazilian rosewood. Regarding the finish I have a EGF-1200 and Im pretty sure its poly. Its not cracked or checked at all. It's a thick finish so could be really thick nitro but I personally thinks that's unlikely. I've compared it against vintage nitro, Modern Gibson Nitro but it doesn't feel like any of them. I think @jumping@shadows could chime in as I think he's refinished a couple of Greco super reals from this period so he will probably know what the finish was. 

Danielsguitars

I've had a Greco egf 1000 and that wasn't checked either so I'm not convinced it's nitro, it was nothing like the nitro I use 

musicalstash

Thanks for the information.  The finish has checked in places around the edge and  around 3 way switch but will err on the side of caution and not mention the nitro finish when I put it up for sale.

Thanks again 

brooom

designerseye88 said:

I think only EGF-1000, EGF-1200 & EGF-1800 had Brazilian rosewood. Regarding the finish I have a EGF-1200 and Im pretty sure its poly. Its not cracked or checked at all. It's a thick finish so could be really thick nitro but I personally thinks that's unlikely. I've compared it against vintage nitro, Modern Gibson Nitro but it doesn't feel like any of them. I think @jumping@shadows could chime in as I think he's refinished a couple of Greco super reals from this period so he will probably know what the finish was. 

I've had one EG-850 with brazilian rosewood, it was a really early one (79/80) with dowels in the neck tenon. Not all of them have it though, also not all the EGF-1000, 1200 or 1800 have it either, they would have to be pretty early and even so, no guarantee. Non of EGF-1200s I've owned had it for example.

But then again, Greco has these "features inconsistencies" that make them quite interesting. I've sold recently here on the forum a 1983 EG60-180 (the equivalent to a EGF-1800), which had a Dry Z pickup in the bridge, and a Dry 82 in neck.

John_A

musicalstash said:

Thanks for the information.  The finish has checked in places around the edge and  around 3 way switch but will err on the side of caution and not mention the nitro finish when I put it up for sale.

Thanks again 

I think you are safe mentioning nitro, @broom what do you think?

brooom

It's hard to say, all the supposedly nitro finished Greco LPs I've had, be that Super Real era or Mint Collection era, have always had thick finishes. No doubt there's a difference in finish type between the lower end models and the higher end ones. So they are probably a lacquer of some sort, albeit probably with a high amount of plasticizers?

From the guitars I've had and from what I've read, I do think that EGF-850 have the same type of finish as the higher models, so arguably you could say it's "nitro" whatever that means. So I agree with @John_A, if you think it will help you sell it, mention the nitro (everyone else seems to do so for EGF850s).

Now greco's fender style guitars is a whole different thing. Their SE-500 strats finish is polyurethane applied so thin, that you can fee the wood grain through the finish, really lovely stuff. And their higher models with nitro SE-600 onwards (SE-1200), feel great as well, almost like an old Fender in my opinion.

Does any of it make us better players though? No it doesn't