Crews KTR SG-02, black, made in Japan 2016. The Crews brand is a collaboration between major Japanese music store Musicland Key and the famed Terada factory, the same factory that produces all the high end Gretsch stuff. This model references the early sixties version of the Gibson SG, so it's got the half guard, trap inlays, cupcake knobs and the big open book headstock. What makes these guitars magic is a combination of exceptionally fussy wood selection and extraordinarily precise execution in the build. The body and neck are made from African mahogany, which is lightweight, super hard and tonally focussed. The one piece neck is capped with premium piece of dark Indian rosewood and features a handy compound 12-16" radius and a lovely gentle taper as you move up to the higher register. At a whisker over 3kg, this is extremely light, but unlike many SGs, it's perfectly balanced whgile sitting or standing and doesn't suffer from neck dive. The fret and finish work are absolutely spot on and the body is assertively resonant unplugged, so it really feels like more than the sum of it's parts in the hands. The gloss black nitro finish is all class too, the light hits it a little differently from a standard poly and you can see how luxuriously thin it is in a couple of small dimples on the bottom side... heck, it's a work of art. The tone is also huge. A good SG packs a walloping punch, and this definitely has that going: the attack is percussive and full, with a tightness and thickness through the low end. The KTR Original pickups are a PAF-style offering made just for this series, and they offer a startlingly rich midrange and excellent note separation and clarity. Not many SGs clean up nicely, but this one does: it's warm, gooey and responsive. With a dose of gain, it's a singing, rich crunch that will have you grinning ear to ear. These Crews guitars compete pretty convincingly with those $5-10k Custom Shop offerings, which is pretty outrageous really. What a time!

Model: Crews Maniac Sound KTR SG-02 
Made: 2016, Japan, Terada factory (serial 5D 160181)
Finish: black, gloss nitro topcoat, 4-ply black guard
Body: African mahogany
Neck: 1-piece African mahogany, Indian rosewood board, 12-15.75" compound radius, 24.75" scale
Weight: 3.150kg
Mods: none
Pickup: KTR Original humbucker x2
Case: Crews gig bag

Cosmetic condition notes: minor finish wear. The headstock has some minor dimples on the end and some light scuffs on the front around the posts. The neck is clean and smooth in the hands, minor dimples on the back only. The back has a few minor dimples around the back and bottom edges, as well as widespread light scuffs, mostly on the top horn but also in the elbow area and the middle of the body. The sides have a couple of scuffs on the top horn, some dimples on the elbow area and near the jack and some minor dimples on the bottom horn. The front has soime dimples on the back edge near the rear strap pin, some scuffs in the elbow area and near the knobs and some standard play wear on the guard and horns. Overall: very good condition (8/10).

Playing condition notes: Neck is straight, action is low, intonation is good. Frets have very little wear, 9/10 fore fret life left. All electronics tested and working properly. Wearing fresh 10/52 Moonshiners strings.