Greco guitars
Encyclopedia
Greco are a brand of electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
s produced by Kanda Shokai 神田商会. Kanda Shokai (Shokai means trading company) is a musical instrument wholesaler mostly known for being part of Fender Japan
Fender Japan
Fender Japan is the Japanese division of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.-History:Fender Japan was officially created in March 1982 and consists of two Japanese Music companies that handle the ordering and distribution. The two companies are Yamano Gakki and Kanda Shokai...
.
History
Kanda Shokai was established in 1948 and the Greco brand name was started in 1960 by Kanda Shokai.See also: It was not until 1966/1967 that electric guitar production was begun in earnest with the introduction of Greco TelecasterFender Telecaster
The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is typically a dual-pickup, solid-body electric guitar made by Fender.Its simple yet effective design and revolutionary sound broke ground and set trends in electric guitar manufacturing and popular music...
like models. Kanda Shokai at first used the Greco brand name for the solid body models and used the Canda brand name for their Acoustic models which was based on the company name Kanda (Canda). Also in the mid/late 1960s, Kanda Shokai produced Greco branded guitars based on Hagström
Hagström
Hagström is a musical instrument manufacturer in Älvdalen, Dalecarlia, Sweden. Their original products were accordions that they initially imported from Germany and then Italy before opening their own facility in 1932. During the sixties, the company started making electric guitars and later...
and EKO
Eko guitars
Eko is an Italian manufacturer of electric guitars, acoustic guitars and similar instruments, catering to professional level and manufacturing largely for export...
designs for Avnet/Goya
Levin (guitar company)
Levin is a Swedish manufacturer of musical instruments founded by Herman Carlson Levin, that was active between 1900 and 1978. The company produced over half a million instruments in the 80 years that it was active, mostly guitars but also mandolines, banjos and lutes, which made Levin into the...
in the USA and these guitars were made by the Matsumoku
Matsumoku
Matsumoku Industrial was established around 1900 as a woodworking manufacturer of various items but is best known as a manufacturer of high quality guitars and bass guitars.- History :...
and FujiGen
FujiGen
FujiGen Gakki フジゲン 楽器 is a musical instrument manufacturer based at Matsumoto in Japan and is named after the famous Mount Fuji. Gen means stringed instruments and Gakki means musical instrument - the name being literally translated as "Fuji Stringed Musical Instruments"...
(and possibly Teisco
Teisco
Teisco was a Japanese manufacturer of affordable musical instruments from 1948 until 1969, and now its brand is owned by Kawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing Co. Ltd. . The company produced guitars as well as keyboard instruments, microphones, amplifiers and even drums...
) guitar factories and were very similar to the late 1960s Ibanez
Ibanez
is a Japanese guitar brand owned by Hoshino Gakki. Based in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, Hoshino Gakki were one of the first Japanese musical instrument companies to gain a significant foothold in import guitar sales in the United States and Europe, as well as the first brand of guitars to mass produce...
guitars based on Hagström and EKO designs.
In the early 1970s Kanda Shokai made Greco Gibson
Gibson Guitar Corporation
The Gibson Guitar Corporation, formerly of Kalamazoo, Michigan and currently of Nashville, Tennessee, manufactures guitars and other instruments which sell under a variety of brand names...
like models with bolt on necks which were very similar to the Ibanez
Ibanez
is a Japanese guitar brand owned by Hoshino Gakki. Based in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, Hoshino Gakki were one of the first Japanese musical instrument companies to gain a significant foothold in import guitar sales in the United States and Europe, as well as the first brand of guitars to mass produce...
Gibson like models at that time and most of these models had a Greco logo that looked more like "Gneco". By the mid/late 1970s most Greco Gibson like models were being made with set necks
Set-in neck
Set-in neck is a method of guitar construction that involves joining guitar neck and body with a tightly fitted mortise-and-tenon or dovetail joint, secured using some sort of adhesive...
and open book Gibson headstock
Headstock
Headstock or peghead is a part of guitar or similar stringed instrument. The main function of a headstock is holding the instrument's strings. Strings go from the bridge past the nut and are usually fixed on machine heads on headstock...
designs. Some other Greco Gibson like models from the 1970s had a different headstock design (more like a Guild
Guild Guitar Company
The Guild Guitar Company is a USA-based guitar manufacturer founded in 1952 by Alfred Dronge, a guitarist and music-store owner, and George Mann, a former executive with the Epiphone Guitar Company...
headstock design) that had a Greco logo with equally sized letters.
Starting in late 1979 the Greco "Super Real Series" were introduced which were high standard replicas of Gibson and Fender models. In 1982 the Greco "Mint Collection" was introduced which continued the high standard of the "Super Real Series". In 1982 Kanda Shokai and Yamano Gakki become part of Fender Japan and Kanda Shokai stopped producing its own Greco Fender replica models. Since the end of the Greco open book headstock Gibson replicas in the early 1990s, Kanda Shokai have produced various models using the Greco brand name such as the "Mirage Series" (similar to the Ibanez Iceman
Ibanez Iceman
The Iceman is an electric guitar model produced by Ibanez. -History:The Iceman is an Ibanez guitar produced by Hoshino Gakki. Hoshino Gakki exported copies of American electric and acoustic guitars in the 1950s, and by the mid 1970s the Ibanez guitars had reached a level of quality comparable to...
), various Gibson copies (not using the open book Gibson headstock design), Violin basses (VB), Zemaitis Guitars
Zemaitis Guitars
Zemaitis Guitars is a British guitar-manufacturing company based in Tokyo, Japan. The company's guitars are based on designs by the Lithuanian luthier Tony Zemaitis. The company is led by his son, Tony Zemaitis, Jr., and produces both electric and acoustic guitars.- History :Tony Zemaitis began...
and various other models as well.
Some notable guitar players that have used Greco guitars include Ace Frehley
Ace Frehley
Paul Daniel "Ace" Frehley is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Kiss. He took on the persona of the "Spaceman" or "Space Ace" when the band adopted costumes and theatrics...
who used Greco Les Paul replicas when Kiss
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
were on tour in Japan and Elliot Easton
Elliot Easton
Elliot Easton plays lead guitar and sings backing vocals for The Cars. His guitar solos are integral part of the band's hit singles. He studied music at the Berklee College of Music...
of The Cars
The Cars
The Cars are an American rock band that emerged from the early New Wave music scene in the late 1970s. The band consisted of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Ric Ocasek, lead singer and bassist Benjamin Orr, guitarist Elliot Easton, keyboardist Greg Hawkes and drummer David Robinson...
.
Electric guitars
Greco has produced a lot of different models over the years and this is a listing of the most common models.Gibson like models
- EGF - Les Paul Flametop models.
- EG - Les Paul models. (Number after EG corresponds to what year the design is based upon, e.g.: 59- A 1959 Les Paul)
- EGC - Les Paul Custom models.
- PC, RR, JS - Les Paul Custom (Phil CollenPhil CollenPhilip Kenneth "Phil" Collen is the co-lead guitarist and one of the backing vocalists for English rock band Def Leppard. He joined the band in 1982 following the departure of Pete Willis.-Early years:...
, Randy RhoadsRandy RhoadsRandall William "Randy" Rhoads was an American heavy metal guitarist who played with Ozzy Osbourne and Quiet Riot. A devoted student of classical guitar, Rhoads often combined his classical music influences with his own heavy metal style. While on tour with Ozzy Osbourne, he would seek out...
, John SykesJohn SykesJohn James Sykes , is an English rock guitarist, who has played with Streetfighter, Tygers of Pan Tang, John Sloman's Badlands, Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake, and Blue Murder, in addition to having a notable solo career....
) models. - EJR - Les Paul Junior models.
- EGS - Les Paul Special models.
- SS - SG models.
- JP - SG (Glenn TiptonGlenn TiptonGlenn Tipton is one of the Grammy Award-winning guitarists for the heavy metal band Judas Priest...
Judas PriestJudas PriestJudas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
) model. - FV - Flying V models.
- MSV - Flying V (Michael Schenker) model.
- TB - Thunderbird Bass models.
- EB - EB-3 Bass models.
- MM or MG - Melody Maker models.
- SA - ES-335/ES-334/ES-345 models.
- FA - ES-175 models.
- L - L-5 models.
Fender like models
- SE - Stratocaster models.
- TL - Telecaster models.
- JM - Jazzmaster models.
- JG - Jaguar models.
- JB - Jazz Bass models.
- PB - Precision Bass models.
Other Models
- M - Greco Mirage/Ibanez Iceman models. Also other Greco/Ibanez models such as the Korina 58 Flying V and Modern as well.
- EX - Greco/Ibanez Explorer (Destroyer) models as used by Eddie Van HalenEddie Van HalenEdward Lodewijk "Eddie" Van Halen is a Dutch-American guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter and producer, best known as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...
. The Greco Destroyer used U-2000 pickups and the Ibanez Destroyer used Super 70 pickups.
- BM - Brian May-based models.
- RG - Rickenbacker-based models.
- RB - Rickenbacker-based Bass models.
- VB - Violin bass models.
- RJ - Gretsch-based models.
- WF - Gretsch-based models.
- AP - Dan Armstrong (Ampeg)-based guitar models.
- GO - "Neck Through" guitar models. The Greco/Roland G-808 guitar synth is very similar to the GO1000 model.
- MR and MX - Ibanez Artist-based models.
- BG - Boogie Fender-based models.
- N and *S - Gibson ES-175 natural and sunburst models, which were produced in first half of 70-s before FA series.
- GR - Roland Corporation (or Fuji-Roland) partnered with Greco to produce their GR line of 24 pin guitar synthesizer controllers, the G-202, G-303, G-505 and G-808 models, used to control the GR-500, GR-300, GR-100, GR-700 and GM-70 guitar synthesizers. The manufacturer of the G-707 model is less clear.
Timeline
1965–1970: Hershman Musical Instrument / Goya Guitar Company in New York City (later Avnet/Goya, originally US distributor of Levin guitarLevin (guitar company)
Levin is a Swedish manufacturer of musical instruments founded by Herman Carlson Levin, that was active between 1900 and 1978. The company produced over half a million instruments in the 80 years that it was active, mostly guitars but also mandolines, banjos and lutes, which made Levin into the...
) dealt Greco acoustic guitars manufactured at European factories.
1967: Telecaster like Greco models start.
1969: VB (Beatles Violin Bass) models start.
1970: EG Gibson like models start with the EG-360 with mostly set neck models from 1977.
1973: SE Fender like models start and the SE-800 models are produced from 1977 to 1982. The SE models end in 1982 when Kanda Shokai and Yamano Gakki become part of Fender Japan.
1976: EX Explorer (Destroyer) models start. MR models start and MX models start in 1979. They end in 1981/1982.
1978: M Mirage (Ibanez Iceman) models start.
1978: GO and GOB (bass) models start. They end in 1981/1982.
1979: The "Super Real Series" models start in late 1979. They end in 1982.
1979: GOII models start. They end in 1981/1982.
1980: GOIII models start. They end in 1981/1982.
1982: The "Mint Collection Series" with an open O Greco logo start (an O letter with the top part of the O letter removed). Most of the "Mint Collection Series" models with an open O Greco logo end in 1990. In the early 1990s most of the Greco guitars return to a closed O Greco logo but there were some open O Greco logo guitars made in the early 1990s as well.
Early 1990s onwards: Various models are produced with an Ibanez like headstock design.
Characteristics
The Greco Fender replicas from the late 1970s and early 1980s are similar to the early Fender Japan guitars as Kanda Shokai own the Greco brand and are also a part of Fender Japan. The Greco Fender replicas made by MatsumokuMatsumoku
Matsumoku Industrial was established around 1900 as a woodworking manufacturer of various items but is best known as a manufacturer of high quality guitars and bass guitars.- History :...
have Matsumoku stamped on the neckplate and the other Greco Fender replicas were made by Fuji-Gen Gakki. Most of the Greco models included the original selling price in Japanese Yen 円 in the model number (EGF-1800 = 180000 Yen). The "Super Real Series" date from late 1979 to 1982 and the open O Greco logo "Mint Collection Series" date from 1982 to the early 1990s. The "Mint Collection Series" have an open O letter in their Greco logo (an O letter with the top part of the O letter removed) and the "Super Real Series" usually have a closed O letter in their Greco logo.
The Fuji-Gen Gakki guitar factory were the main maker of the Greco guitars in the 1970s and 1980s http://www.aboutus.org/FujiGen.co.jp. Fuji-Gen Gakki obtained a CNC router
CNC wood router
A CNC wood router is a Numerical control tool that creates objects from wood. Parts of a project can be designed in the computer with a CAD/CAM program, and then cut automatically using a router to produce a finished part....
in mid 1981 for making guitar parts and also began to manufacture their own pickups starting in late 1981 http://www.fujigen.co.jp/history. The Fuji-Gen Gakki CNC router and Fuji-Gen Gakki made pickups were used for the "Super Real" and "Mint Collection" series starting from 1981 to the early 1990s. Up until 1981/1982, Nisshin Onpa (Maxon
Maxon
Maxon may denote:* An electronic musical device Maxon Effects Pedals.A surname:* Bonnie Maxon American professional wrestler* William Ralph Maxon American botanist...
) made pickups were used in the Greco guitars including the "Super Real Series" and the guitars were made in a more luthier style with no CNC machines used. The Cor-Tek and Tokai guitar factories were also used to make some Greco models due to FujiGen not being able to make some lower priced Grecos in the late 1980s.
There were also some transitional Greco models from 1981/1982 that have a mixture of "Super Real Series" and "Mint Collection Series" features such as a "Super Real" model with an open O letter in the Greco logo instead of a closed O letter. The Super Real EGF (flametop) and EG series higher end models featured nitrocellulose lacquer finishes and fret edge binding and some of the Super Real lower end models also featured fret edge binding.
Medium tenon neck joints with dowel reinforcements were used up until 1981 and standard Gibson style long and medium tenon neck joints were used after 1981. The medium tenon neck joints with dowel reinforcements were very similar to the Gibson long tenon neck joints that were used in the early 1970s before Gibson switched to using a short tenon neck joint. Some Greco models featured chambered (not solid) body designs up to the early 1980s which weighed less than a regular solid body model and also had a slight semi acoustic quality. Some of the current Gibson models also use chambered bodies such as the Gibson Les Paul Supreme.
Some Greco Les Paul guitars up until 1982 had laminated pancake bodies and were based on the similar Gibson Les Paul laminated guitars from the 1970s. The lowest priced Greco Les Pauls sometimes had different woods to the regular Maple and Mahogany combination. Up to 1980 the lowest priced Greco Les Pauls such as the EG450 model have Birch
Birch
Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...
bodies. The lowest priced Super Real and Super Power Les Pauls such as the EG450 and EG480 models from late 1979 to 1982 have Sycamore
Sycamore
Sycamore is a name which is applied at various times and places to three very different types of trees, but with somewhat similar leaf forms....
tops.
The EGF-1800 (flametop), EGF-1200 (flametop) and EG-1000C (custom) models from the 1980 and 1981 catalogues (as well as very early 1982 models) featured "Dry Z" pickups (PAF
PAF (pickup)
P.A.F. or just PAF is the world's first humbucker guitar pickup, invented by Seth Lover in 1955 as an engineer for Gibson and began use in mass production guitars in 1956 or 1957. However Rickenbacker and Gretsch had developed humbucking pickups also...
like pickups made by Nisshin Onpa (Maxon
Maxon
Maxon may denote:* An electronic musical device Maxon Effects Pedals.A surname:* Bonnie Maxon American professional wrestler* William Ralph Maxon American botanist...
)). The type of pickups vary depending on the guitars original selling price and the Nisshin Onpa (Maxon
Maxon
Maxon may denote:* An electronic musical device Maxon Effects Pedals.A surname:* Bonnie Maxon American professional wrestler* William Ralph Maxon American botanist...
) made "Dry Z" or Fuji-Gen Gakki made "Dry 82" pickups were reserved for the top end models. The lower end models such as the EG-500 mostly used 3 piece maple tops while the higher end models mostly used 2 piece maple tops. "Mint Collection" models with a K after the numeric price designation (e.g. PC-98K) came with factory installed Kahler
Kahler Tremolo System
The Kahler Tremolo System is an electric guitar bridge with a cam operated vibrato arm system. It was invented in 1979 by Gary Kahler and Dave Storey...
tremolo (vibrato) bridges.
The "Mint Collection Series" features vary with price with some of the higher end models such as the EG58-120 model having most of the same features as the "Super Real" higher end models. Most of the "Mint Collection Series" had long tenon neck joints but some had medium long tenon neck joints. There were also some Greco "Super Sound", "Super Power" and "Rock Spirits" Gibson replica models made as well. The "Super Sound" models were mid priced models from the "Super Real" years (late 1979-1982) and the "Super Power" models were lower priced models from the "Super Real" years (late 1979-1982). The "Rock Spirits" models were lower priced models from between 1979 and the early 1990s
Serial Numbers
Greco guitars have been made by MatsumokuMatsumoku
Matsumoku Industrial was established around 1900 as a woodworking manufacturer of various items but is best known as a manufacturer of high quality guitars and bass guitars.- History :...
, Fuji-Gen
FujiGen
FujiGen Gakki フジゲン 楽器 is a musical instrument manufacturer based at Matsumoto in Japan and is named after the famous Mount Fuji. Gen means stringed instruments and Gakki means musical instrument - the name being literally translated as "Fuji Stringed Musical Instruments"...
Gakki http://www.daeschler.com/articles/fujigen/, Dyna Gakki http://www.espguitars.co.jp/gca/employment.html and others as well.
Greco Gibson replicas started using serial numbers around 1975 and pre 1975 models had a Greco logo that looked like "Gneco".
From the mid 1970s to the mid 1990s Greco models have mostly used 2 serial number formats for non Acoustic models.
The first format is MYYPPPP.
- M = production month (A=January B=February ... K=November L=December).
- YY = year (79=1979).
- PPPP = production number.
The second format is YPPPP.
- Y = year (9=1979 0=1980 or 1990).
- PPPP = production number.
Sometimes a month letter is used in an MYPPPP format.
Since the mid 1990s Greco models have used other serial number formats as well.
Most of the Greco open book headstock Gibson replicas were made by FujiGen Gakki. Some Greco open book headstock Gibson replicas starting from around 1988 had no serial numbers. The lower priced no serial number Greco Les Paul and SG models were made by Cor-Tek (Cort)
Cort Guitars
Cort Guitars is a guitar manufacturer centered in South Korea. The company is one of the largest guitar makers in the world, and produces instruments for many other companies.- History :...
and usually have Cor-Tek (Cort) potentiometer
Potentiometer
A potentiometer , informally, a pot, is a three-terminal resistor with a sliding contact that forms an adjustable voltage divider. If only two terminals are used , it acts as a variable resistor or rheostat. Potentiometers are commonly used to control electrical devices such as volume controls on...
s. The Cor-Tek made Greco guitars have square shaped, brick like nuts with no slope and also often have shielding paint in the pickup and control cavities. Other higher priced no serial Greco Les Paul and SG models were made by Tōkai and the Les Paul models have an EG-75 or EGC-75 model number stamped in the pickup cavity and sometimes have fret edge binding. The no serial Greco guitars made by Tokai have square shaped routing holes at the bottom of the pickup cavities whereas the no serial Greco guitars made by Cor-Tek (Cort) have thinner rectangle shaped routing holes at the bottom of the pickup cavities. Kanda Shokai stopped using the open book headstock design on Greco Gibson replica models around the early 1990s and then concentrated on their other model lines and Fender Japan. Atlansia have supplied body and neck parts for Greco models as well. Tokai currently make the Kanda Shokai Zemaitis and Talbo models.
Pickups
1980 Greco Super Real models and pickups made by Nisshin Onpa (MaxonMaxon
Maxon may denote:* An electronic musical device Maxon Effects Pedals.A surname:* Bonnie Maxon American professional wrestler* William Ralph Maxon American botanist...
) sample.
Pickup prices.
- DRY 20000 Yen
- PU-2 15000 Yen
- U-2000 12000 Yen
- U-1000 10000 Yen
Models and pickups.
- EGF1800 DRY
- EGF1200 DRY
- EGF1000 PAF
- EG1000C DRY
- EG900 PAF
- EGF850 PU-2
- EG800GS HOT LICK
- EG800C PU-2
- EG800PB U-2000
- EG800PR U-2000
- EG800 PU-2
- EG700 U-2000
- EG600PB U-1000
- EG600PR U-1000
- EG500 U-1000
- EG500C UD
- EF500J U-1000
- EG500GS UD-DX
- EG480 UD
- EG450 UD
1984 Greco Mint Collection models and pickups made by Fuji-Gen Gakki sample.
Pickup prices.
- DRY 1982 20000 Yen
- DOUBLE TRICK 18000 Yen
- THE GROOVE 16000 Yen
- SCREAMIN 14000 Yen
Models and pickups.
- EG58-120 DRY
- EG-59-70 DOUBLE TRICK
- EG-56-60 HOT LICK
- EG-59-50 SCREAMIN
- EG59-45 SCREAMIN
- EJR54-50 HOT LICK
- SS63-70 DOUBLE TRICK
- SS63-50 HOT LICK
- EG59-65 SCREAMIN
- JP-55 SCREAMIN
- EGC95K DRY
- EGC68-50 SCREAMIN
- JS-98K DRY
- JS-65 DRY
- JS-55 SCREAMIN
- RR-95K DRY
- RR-65 DRY
- RR-55 SCREAMIN
- EGC58-100 GROOVE - only first year, after that DRY 1982
- EGC68-80 DOUBLE TRICK
- EGC57-60 SCREAMIN
- PC-98K DRY
Greco and Ibanez Nisshin Onpa (Maxon
Maxon
Maxon may denote:* An electronic musical device Maxon Effects Pedals.A surname:* Bonnie Maxon American professional wrestler* William Ralph Maxon American botanist...
) pickup serial number format consisting of 5 numbers up to and including 1977.
Ibanez Super 70 pickups have the same serial number format.
- First number = Nisshin Onpa (MaxonMaxonMaxon may denote:* An electronic musical device Maxon Effects Pedals.A surname:* Bonnie Maxon American professional wrestler* William Ralph Maxon American botanist...
) pickup code (1, 2, etc.) - Second number = Year (7=1977)
- Third number = Month (0=Jan ... 9=Oct then .=Nov, X=Dec)
- Fourth and Fifth number = Day of Month (01-31)
Greco and Ibanez Nisshin Onpa (Maxon
Maxon
Maxon may denote:* An electronic musical device Maxon Effects Pedals.A surname:* Bonnie Maxon American professional wrestler* William Ralph Maxon American botanist...
) pickup serial number format consisting of 6 numbers from 1977 to 1982.
- First number = Nisshin Onpa (MaxonMaxonMaxon may denote:* An electronic musical device Maxon Effects Pedals.A surname:* Bonnie Maxon American professional wrestler* William Ralph Maxon American botanist...
) pickup code (1, 2, etc, 8) - Second number = Year (9=1979)
- Third and Fourth number = Month (01=Jan ... 12=Dec)
- Fifth and sixth number = Day of Month (01-31)
There are also Nisshin Onpa (Maxon
Maxon
Maxon may denote:* An electronic musical device Maxon Effects Pedals.A surname:* Bonnie Maxon American professional wrestler* William Ralph Maxon American botanist...
) pickups from the early 1980s that have serial numbers that start with a 5 and these serial numbers follow a reverse serial number format.
- First number = Nisshin Onpa (MaxonMaxonMaxon may denote:* An electronic musical device Maxon Effects Pedals.A surname:* Bonnie Maxon American professional wrestler* William Ralph Maxon American botanist...
) pickup code (5) - Second and Third number = Day of Month (01-31)
- Fourth and Fifth number = Month (01=Jan ... 12=Dec)
- Sixth number = Year (1=1981)