1974 Greco SA-550R Cherry Red w/ Gigbag | Full Hollow, ES-330 Copy, Matsumoku, Japan Vintage

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The 1974 Greco SA-550R is a highly collectible, Japanese-made "lawsuit-era" electric guitar that blends the design elements of classic Gibson semi-hollow and hollow-body instruments.

Built during a transitional period for Greco at the renowned Matsumoku factory, the "R" in the model name signifies its Wine Red or Transparent Red finish. It serves as a unique "missing link" because it features a fully hollow thin-line body pairing—similar to a Gibson ES-330—but comes factory-equipped with dual humbuckers instead of traditional P-90 single-coils.

Key Specifications & Build

• Body Construction: Fully hollow thin-line design utilizing a birch body. It lacks a heavy solid wood center block down the middle, though it includes a small reinforcement block directly under the bridge posts to anchor the hardware.
• Neck & Fingerboard: A comfortable maple neck paired with an ebony fingerboard. The neck typically meets the body at the 19th fret, allowing for better upper-fret access than historical 16th-fret hollow-bodies.
• Pickups: Powered by original Maxon U-1000 humbuckers. These are medium-to-low output PAF-style pickups highly praised for letting the wood's acoustic character bloom cleanly without over-compressing the tone.
• Weight & Hardware: Extremely lightweight (typically around 2.8 kg / 6 lbs) due to its hollow nature. Hardware variations exist from this transitional year; some models lack a serial number completely or carry leftover "Gneco" embossed pickup covers from the early 1970s branding transition.

Tone and Performance Character

• Acoustic Resonance: Because of the hollow birch construction, the SA-550R produces a snappy, acoustic voice with impressive projection even when unplugged.
• Amplified Sound: When plugged into an amplifier, the Maxon pickups deliver a warm, woody jazz or blues tone. It provides the visual aesthetic and hum-canceling power of an ES-335 but acts with the airier, more responsive dynamics of an ES-330.
• Feedback Notice: As with any fully hollow electric guitar, it is highly sensitive and prone to acoustic feedback at high stage volumes or high-gain settings, requiring players to control their proximity to the amplifier.

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This guitar have some wear and tear.

This hollow-body guitar resonates very well.

Even without plugging it into an amp, it can be played like an acoustic guitar.

The sound are great for jazz/rock/blues, from bright & clear tone to soft distortion.
Lightweight : 2.70kg

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24/7 humidity control.

Shipping with gigbag, extra bubble wrap and box from Taiwan.

Local pickup available.

Full setup, clean and maintenance by a professional luthier in Taiwan.

Feel free to make an offer. Sold as-described, no returns.

Thank you for shopping with VINTAGE GUTING.

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Brand : Greco

Model : SA-550R

Color : Cherry Red / Wine Red

Top : Maple

Back & Sides : Maple

Neck : Mahogany

Neck Profile : C

Nut Width : 39.9mm

Scale Length : 24.75"

Action :

12F 6h : 2.25mm 1st : 2.25mm

15F 6th : 2.5mm 1st : 2.5mm

Fingerboard : Ebony (original catalog), Maybe it's rosewood

Fingerboard Inlays : Block

Tuners : Original Greco Blackstar

Bridge : Tune-O-Matic Style

Tailpiece : Trapeze

Pickups : Original Maxon U-1000

Controls : 3-Way Pickup Selector, 2x Tone, 2x Volume

Case/Gigbag : Gigbag