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Fender Japan are not the only fine
guitars to come out of Japan - far from it. Some of the makes you may
not have heard of, but Yamaha you will certainly know. This is an
example of the sort of quality that had the major US manufacturers
extremely worried in the early-eighties: Yamaha's SA700 Super Axe - a
clone of the Gibson ES335. Here are the specs:
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Specification |
| Body |
Beech/Birch |
| Neck |
Mahogany |
| Fretboard |
Rosewood |
| Frets |
22, Wide |
| Pickguard |
Black |
| Pickups |
Humbucker x 2 |
| Control&Switch |
2 Vol, 2 Tone, 3 Way Switch |
| Hardware |
Chrome |
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| Condition |
| Yes, I have got hold of
yet another of Yamaha's superb SA series semi-acoustics!
Yamaha recycle serials
so it is impossible to tell exactly when this instrument was made.
However, the SA700 was manufactured only between 1977 and 1983. It was made in Japan (not all SA series
guitars were) and is of superb quality. This guitar may have been
made around 30 years ago, but it doesn't really look it. Yes, there is a
sprinkling of marks and small dings, and buckle rash on the back, but it's all
pretty inconsequential
stuff even for a guitar half this age. Click on the above thumbnails for close-ups
and you'll see what I mean.
From a translation of the Yamaha
website it is unclear to me which bits of the body are made of
which wood! But one thing is clear - it's not cheap plywood... and
there is some particularly nice grain on the back. Of
course, just as with the ES335, there is a hefty lump of wood
inside the body to give extra sustain... hence the weight which,
at around 4kg, is close to the weight of a Strat.
There is a little wear in the
frets but they have years of life left in them and rosewood board
has been treated with lemon oil. Hardware is in good condition
although one tuning cover is missing, and all controls work as intended and without crackle.
Everything appears original. There is
no case with this guitar but it will be packed extremely well.
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Comments |
| One thing you will notice
about these semi- acoustics is
the sustain and the 'feel' of the notes through the body, but they
are really meant to be plugged in. When you do they really come
alive... good sustain, obviously, full and
rounded on the neck pup, and with plenty of top without ever being
harsh on the bridge pup. Drive it and the sound just get heavier
without ever get muddy... the tone remains well-defined. Fabulous
and very versatile.
A new set of 10s has been fitted and
the action is clean and comfortable right up the neck.
Regular visitors will know that I
rave about Yamaha build quality and the SA series in particular. I
must have had over a dozen of them pass through my hands in recent
years. But the Japanese themselves are well aware of how good they
are and prices are going up fast. If you want one -
don't wait!
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Price:
£665.00 |
Contact me on 01992 523138 or by email
Shipping in the UK, £25.00.
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