VIDEO ... 1977 Greco SG-400T ... Catalogue CUSTOM ORDER … BIGSBY STRING-TROUGH + Maxon U-1000 PAF "Burst" REPLICA / Clone Humbuckers ... Made in Japan Lawsuit Era + GIGBAG

DEMO Video available (it is attached to this Reverb listing and on our YouTube page, please note the video is for a 1976 SG-400T in our store … same model with the same specs such as Maxon pickups, bolt-on construction and bigsby, ... it gives you a great impression of the 1977 available in this listing)

Vanborn Vintage Guitars Presents …

a 1977 Greco SG-400T Catalog Custom Order — a VERY Rare Japanese vintage SG produced for only two years, between 1976 and 1977.

This particular example dates to May 1977 (The “E” prefix in the serial number indicates the fifth month of production, while the “77” places this guitar firmly in 1977)

Which means it was built in Japan during the early lawsuit-era peak, when Japanese manufacturers like Greco — produced at the legendary FujiGen factory — were refining the SG platform into something that combined American-inspired design with their own increasingly confident build philosophy.

These were extremely high-quality instruments that rivaled — and in some cases surpassed — American production standards. They became increasingly respected for their craftsmanship and consistency at a time when U.S. production quality was fluctuating.

In many ways, guitars like this Greco SG-400T offer vintage Gibson-level build quality — without the Gibson price tag... Gibson did not like this ... you can figure out where the name "Lawsuit era" comes from.

The SG-400T is an especially interesting model because it was part of Greco’s Catalog Custom Order range — guitars offering specific configurations and options beyond the standard production models of the time.

This example comes in a beautiful Aged Cherry / Wine Red finish and features one of the standout Catalog Custom options: a STRING-TROUGH Bigsby-style vibrato system. (that's what the "T" stands for in the model name: "Tremelo")

Apart from looking fantastic, the string-through design is extremely practical. Changing strings is significantly easier than with a traditional Bigsby-style setup, while still giving the guitar that unmistakable vintage visual character and expressive vibrato capability.

The guitar is built using a bolt-on neck construction, giving it a different character (it has a lively, immediate response and a slightly more direct attack, making it an extremely fun and versatile vintage player)

From the first moment you pick it up, the guitar immediately shows why these early-70s Japanese SGs have become so sought after. It’s lightweight, resonant, and extremely responsive, with that slightly raw, almost acoustic vibration that great mahogany SG-style guitars are known for.

There’s a natural airiness to it — unplugged it already feels loud.

The Magic of Maxon U-Series Pickups

One of the standout features of this SG is its original Maxon U-1000 humbuckers. (both are stamped with serial number 17419 placing them in 1977)

These pickups were part of Maxon's serious effort to reverse-engineer the legendary late-'50s PAF pickups found in the iconic Gibson Les Paul Standard 1959 "Burst" guitars.

These are not modern-voiced pickups trying to be polite — they are full, dynamic and slightly compressed in a very musical way, reacting directly to picking attack and volume changes.

The neck pickup is where this guitar really opens up:
warm, round, and vocal, with a slightly “liquid” quality when you roll the tone back. It has that classic vintage neck sound that works perfectly for blues lines, clean arpeggios, and slightly overdriven rhythm work where you want warmth without losing definition.

The bridge pickup shifts the entire character. It delivers a more forward midrange bite with a slight natural compression when pushed, giving you that unmistakable SG crunch — perfect for classic rock riffs, early hard rock tones, and slightly aggressive lead playing. It cuts through a mix without becoming harsh or thin, which is exactly what makes these U-1000 sets so respected among Japanese vintage enthusiasts.

In between position of both pickups, you get a surprisingly usable middle position with a slightly hollowed-out character — very “record-ready” and dynamic under clean to edge-of-breakup amps.

The original pickups are complemented by upgraded Greco Super Real Series Kluson-style tuners, featuring the distinctive Greco Deluxe Double Line branding. These are a very nice upgrade and provide a classic vintage appearance while improving the overall usability of the instrument.

This is a true player-grade vintage instrument, and it shows exactly the kind of honest wear you expect from a guitar that has been around for almost 50 years.

There are scratches, finish wear and natural lacquer cracking consistent with age and use. The condition is shown in detail in the pictures.

This is not a museum piece. It is a guitar that has lived a life, been played, and developed the kind of honest vintage character that cannot simply be manufactured.

This 1977 Greco SG-400T sits in that rare category of vintage Japanese instruments that are no longer just “alternatives” to American classics — they are now collectible, respected instruments in their own right, with a growing reputation among players who actually use their guitars rather than just store them.

This one delivers exactly what you want from a great SG:
fast response, strong midrange character, natural compression when pushed, and a slightly wild edge that makes it feel alive under the fingers.

Plug it in, turn it up, and it immediately makes sense.

Included with the guitar is a brand new Thomann Gigbag, with good zipper and shoulder straps — ready to protect your new vintage treasure.

Available for WORLDWIDE shipping with UPS or FEDEX, the shipping cost is calculated automatically in the shopping cart, based on your location. If you're purchasing from inside the EU, your purchase will include VAT.

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Cheers!

Vanborn Vintage Guitars

Belgium’s finest vintage & rare guitar store!

Family owned & operated in Sint-Truiden (Est. 2024)