My Greco Les Paul sucks :(

[separanets]

Hello,

One day I won for a friend a Greco SG 63 ($230, thin neck). I was so fascinated by its sound that it inspired me to win a Greco Les Paul EG-420 (cause i wanted a lespaul). It cost me $240. When it came and I plugged it, I was so much dissaponited by the sound; it sounded excatly as my Korean Rok Axe. While the SG was bright and with good attack , my Les Paul EG-420 was too dull with no punch at all as if someone put a pillow in front of the speaker. I don't know what to do. My Greco hasn't got an s/n, so now I'm beginning doubting if that was a real Greco EG-420 I won.

Here's a pic:

My friend's SG:
http://img224.imageshack.us/img224/1946/grecsg1ns6.jpg
http://img68.imageshack.us/img68/9131/grecsg2hg2.jpg
http://img61.imageshack.us/img61/758/grecsg3kj0.jpg

My Les Paul:
http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/6682/greclp1be0.jpg
http://img68.imageshack.us/img68/1218/greclp2dr0.jpg
http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/5397/greclp3wc8.jpg

What do you think, should I sell this guitar or replace the pickups? Though my friend didn't need any pu replacement.

Thanks a lot.

[WildeStarr]

I have not seen a bolt on Greco LP before, that was the first thing I noticed. Could be one of the low end models.

[separanets]

Yes, it's an EG-420, they have bolt-on necks. But it didn't expect it would be so bad.

[Kramble]

Looks like low end ones.
If sounds dull unplugged you should try to replace the bridge by a better one.
Sometimes the saddles are made of an horrible "sucking tone" alloy, no brightness no "zing"
As it's very difficult to find saddles with same threading better change bridge itself. Gotoh makes good ones.

[separanets]

Thank you, I've just put it on sale, including all my delivery expences. What's the use in that guitar if I have nearly the same one called Rok Axe, which is cheaper. The only thing I wonder now is if my EG-420 is Korean made or Japanese.

[tonebone]

Your LP's got a 3 screw TRC, thinking it might be Korean.

Your friends SG has an early to mid '80's MIJ TRC.

Try and get a Greco 500 or higher, and you might change your mind 'bout 'em.

[tonebone]

Does your 420 have white back control covers? If so, it's prob for certain Korean.

[Axeman16]

thts a low end early model. this is before they really hit their stride over there.

[doublecut]

The no serial Greco bolt on necks like this one are from the early/mid 1970s and are Japanese and not Korean. From around 1976 the Fujigen made Grecos and Ibanez's started to have serial numbers. You have a very inexpensive Greco model from the early/mid 1970s so it is what it is. You could have changed the pickups and seen how that went but one persons great sound is another persons terrible sound. Some of the early/mid 1970s Grecos and Ibanez's rock. Paul Gilbert sometimes plays a early/mid 1970s cheapo chambered Ibanez LP made by Fujigen who also made the early/mid 1970s Greco LPs.

[toybitz]

buying a guitar without testing will always be a hit or miss. whether its made in Japan, Korean, China, US, etc...

if, after proper set up..somehow..the guitar sounds dead "unplugged", don't waste your money on good PUs.

a beautiful sounding guitar with korean PUs will still sound good...and better if replaced with better PUs.

a bad sounding guitar however, will never sound THAT good. the best PUs will just be super transparent with the bad sounding guitar.