My First Greco EG-1200 Project Series

The Greco Project Series — to me, as a boy — was like the paintings of Rubens to Nello in A Dog of Flanders: a heavenly vision, something that existed far beyond reach.
Growing up in a rural town in Akita, I couldn’t even dream of touching one, let alone seeing one in person.

This guitar features a hard maple top, a three-piece maple neck, a striped ebony fingerboard, and Grover tuners.
The pickups are U-4000s, and the instrument is finished in a painstaking lacquer process known as the “violin finish.”
After all these years, that finish has aged beautifully, giving the guitar a deep, indescribable patina.

The most distinctive feature of the Project Series lies in this violin finish.
Over time, it fades and transforms into an irresistibly rich hue.
I recall that, when new, the color was much darker and more brown, but now it has mellowed into a warm, honey-burst tone.
The area beneath the pickup rings still preserves the original, darker shade — a quiet reminder of its original appearance.

Inside the front pickup cavity, there is a stamped “カ” inside a circle.
It likely denotes that this body was built for the Project Series, though the reason for the “カ” mark itself remains a mystery.

At 3.68 kg (including strings), it’s surprisingly lightweight — and the tone reflects that same lightness.
After acquiring it, I fitted the pickups with covers.

(Updated August 23, 2016)