A PRS CE will easily set you back €2200, while a PRS SE often just doesn’t quite hit the mark. If only there were a Japanese alternative to PRS, one that offered Japanese craftsmanship at a fraction of the price of the USA-made models.

For years, this was essentially unthinkable; PRS wasn’t founded until 1985, well after the famous Japanese “lawsuit” era. In my mind, no such Japanese-inspired PRS model existed, until I stumbled upon this one, built in the early 2000s!

It’s a PRS-style guitar from the brand “Greco,” featuring modern appointments like a lightweight body (3.4 kg), a highly reliable tremolo system, an HH pickup configuration, and a stunning “pink” quilted maple top, though it is worth noting that this is a veneer.

This Greco EW-88 was crafted in Japan at the Asahi factory, the very same facility that produces Music Man Axis guitars. They certainly know a thing or two about guitar building!

This model bears the closest resemblance to a PRS CE, PRS’s bolt-on offering, though it uses three hex-head bolts instead of four. The guitar boasts some impressive specifications, including:

Wilkinson/Gotoh VS100 tremolo
Mahogany body and neck
Zebra “Super Screamin’” humbuckers (medium output)
Gotoh locking tuners (not original, but a massive upgrade)
Schaller & CTS electronics (not original, but an upgrade)
24.75-inch scale length, just like a Les Paul!
Pink quilted maple veneer top
42 mm nut width

The guitar is a joy to play; it handles string bends beautifully and features a fast, highly playable neck, helped in part by the shorter scale length. It features medium-output humbuckers that are incredibly versatile and deliver a nice, tight sound. The tremolo is highly stable, and the switch is finally placed in a logical spot!

There is no fret wear, and the guitar has been expertly set up by our luthier. It shows signs of use; this is definitely a “player’s” instrument. There are a few dings around the neck and on the top; I have tried to capture these as clearly as possible in the photos.

If you’re looking for a PRS-style guitar, ideally one built in Japan, at a fraction of the price, you’ve come to the right place!

We are a shop; you are welcome to come and play the guitar by appointment. Shipping is always an option, and we also accept trade-ins (at trade-in values).

All guitars come with a 3-month warranty covering hidden flaws or technical defects (excluding normal wear and tear).