Greco 971 Violin Bass Green Sunburst circa 1968 | Vintage Made in Japan

I am offering a Japanese Greco 971 Violin Bass dating from the late 1960s. This model appeared in the 1968 Goya/Greco export catalogue and belongs to the earliest violin-shaped basses offered under the Greco brand.

This example features the characteristic fully hollow violin-shaped body, two f-holes and the rarely seen Green Sunburst finish. The vivid green centre gradually transitions into an almost black shade around the edges, giving the instrument a distinctive appearance typical of Japanese instruments from the second half of the 1960s.

The neck is attached to the body with four bolts. The metal neck plate is stamped “Steel Reinforced Neck”, “Made in Japan” and carries the number 2161151. The construction includes an adjustable truss rod, a rosewood fingerboard, traditional dot position markers and a zero fret.

The sound is produced by two original pickups housed in chrome covers. Their wide spacing provides a warm, deep and soft sound from the neck position, together with a tighter and more defined character from the pickup positioned closer to the bridge.

The catalogue version of the Greco 971 was equipped with:

• Two pickup selector switches
• Rhythm / Solo switch
• Volume control
• Tone control

The control panel was originally fitted with three slider switches. One of these switches is missing from this example, so the control system no longer retains its complete catalogue configuration. The remaining two sliders, control knobs and panel are shown clearly in the photographs.

The bass is fitted with a floating wooden bridge with adjustable saddles, a metal trapeze tailpiece and four vintage-style tuning machines. The instrument retains the characteristic styling of early Japanese instruments, combining inspiration from German violin basses with original Japanese construction details.

Specifications

• Manufacturer: Greco
• Model: 971 Violin Bass
• Approximate year of manufacture: circa 1967–1968
• Country of manufacture: Japan
• Number on neck plate: 2161151
• Body construction: hollow violin-shaped body
• Sound holes: 2 × f-holes
• Neck joint: four-bolt bolt-on construction
• Fingerboard: rosewood
• Position markers: dots
• Zero fret
• Adjustable truss rod
• Pickups: 2 × original Greco pickups
• Controls: Volume and Tone
• Original configuration: 3 slider switches
• Current condition: one slider switch is missing
• Bridge: floating wooden bridge with adjustable saddles
• Tailpiece: metal trapeze tailpiece
• Finish: Green Sunburst
• Made in Japan

Technical and Cosmetic Condition

The bass remains in good, authentic vintage condition. The Green Sunburst finish has retained its vivid colour and attractive transition around the edges of the body.

The instrument displays natural signs of long-term use:

• Scratches and finish wear
• Small dents and localised finish chips
• Local lacquer checking
• Signs of use on the back of the body and neck
• Natural patina and oxidation on the metal hardware
• Wear on the pickups, bridge, tailpiece and tuning machines
• Wear to the screws and control-panel components
• One of the three original slider switches is missing

All signs of wear are clearly presented in the photographs. This is not a modern reproduction, but an authentic late-1960s Japanese instrument retaining the natural patina and character associated with its age.

The Greco 971 is now a rarely encountered model, particularly in the catalogue Green Sunburst finish. It is an interesting instrument both for a bassist looking for an unusual short-scale, resonant sound and for a collector of early Japanese-made guitars.

• 14-day return policy.
• Safe, professionally packed worldwide courier shipping.
• Local pickup available in Łódź, Poland.
• VAT invoice.
• No trades.

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