1979 Greco EG-800 — “Freckles”

This 1979 Greco EG-800 is affectionately nicknamed “Freckles”, for reasons that become obvious the moment you see it.
The top is covered in a striking pattern of speckled figuring, far more prominent than usual—truly a rare sight.
The tuners have been replaced with a set of vintage Grovers from my collection.

The position-marker inlays are made of white mother-of-pearl, a feature standard on models EG-800 and above.
By contrast, models EG-700 and below used pearloid cell inlays—as did the EG-800GS (Gold Top), despite its higher designation.

This guitar is fitted with PU-0 pickups, distinguished by their double-adjustable pole pieces.
It seems that by this period, Greco was aiming for a hotter, more powerful tone.
Out of curiosity, I measured the DC resistance of several pickups from my collection, with the following results:

PickupRange (kΩ)Average (kΩ)Sample Size

U10007.55–7.717.632

U20007.65–7.917.763

U30007.66–8.097.8212

U40007.84–8.137.985

As the model number increases, so does the output—slightly but consistently.
The PU-0s on this guitar measure 8.15 kΩ (neck) and 8.09 kΩ (bridge), even higher than the U4000.
For comparison, the PU-1 pickups installed on the MR-1000 of the same era register over 8.4 kΩ, making them even hotter.
This gradual shift toward higher output seems to have been part of the broader late-’70s trend in guitar design.

The sound of the PU-0s has a noticeably dry character, but it’s by no means unpleasant—tight, articulate, and very usable.

Weight: 4.14 kg (including strings; pickguard removed)
(Updated August 24, 2016)