Yamaha Studio Lord SL500S in tasty brown sunburst, made in Japan in 1977. The build quality on these is astounding, especially given the dollars you can claim one for. The less-common brown sunburst finish looks awesome after 40 years and you can see the lacquer seeping into the grain of the maple creating a 'ripple' effect visible from some angles; the plain maple top really pops. It's got plenty of cosmetic wear (see below) but it certainly has the mojo to match. The neck is slim and reassuring, it's awesome in the hand. Tonally, this has a nice balance of warmth, body and bite; it's a very full and responsive and seems to like clean and dirty tones equally. Great vintage Japanese LP.

Manufacturer: Yamaha
Model: Yamaha Studio Lord SL500S
Made: Japan, 1977 (serial 001883)
Finish: brown sunburst over plain maple
Body: solid agathis (Mahogany family, not too heavy)
Neck: maple, 3 pieces
Mods: None
Pickups: Original Yamaha L-III humbuckers
Case: none

Cosmetic condition notes: Moderate finish wear. There's some proper buckle rash on the back, it's quite extensive although not deep.There's some dings and gashes near the input jack on the bottom, as well as some dents etc near the strap pin. The top is pretty clean, just a few dimples here and there. There's a little rust on the input jack but it works fine, a couple of machine heads are missing a cap but also work fine, the bridge and tail piece have some minor pitting but also work fine. Plastics have aged to a very yellow hue, the tip of the switch is missing (switch works fine), the knobs are little chipped and the tone knobs are missing the tops that say 'tone'. There's a little crack in the lacquer near the binding on the top of the neck, it's not in the wood, only the lacquer, near the 2nd and 3rd frets. Lots of cosmetic stuff, nothing that affects the playability! Overall: fair condition (6/10).

Playing condition notes: Neck is straight, action is low, intonation is good, truss rod works. All electrics tested and working properly. Frets have some wear, but there's heaps of life left, 7/10. Very well made playing with ease and mojo!