Yamaha SA1000 in brown, made in Japan 1978. I'll never get bored of extolling the virtues of these vintage Yamaha Super Axe series guitars; they're just so good. The SA1000 is blessed with a silky smooth ebony board; it feels fantastic under the fingers and is a good introduction to the rest of the guitar: in a word, it feels luxurious. The build quality is immaculate; the love and care that went into this is evident as soon as it's in your hands. The neck is a fairly moderate profile; it's an intuitive player that rings truly with each note. The tone on offer is equally impressive: there's a thick, juicy body with a tight low-end, an open, expressive and complex midrange all delivered with a nice edge of sparkle through the top end. Plugged straight into valve amp, you'll surely get the inspiration flowing straight away. Most SA1000s you see around are finished in cherry red; this dark-chocolate beauty is surely an unusual flavoursome delight. Word of warning: make sure you book a week of two of leave once this arrives; you're not going to want to do much else besides play it and you definitely won't have time to work!

Model: Yamaha SA1000 'Super Axe'
Made: Japan, 1978 (best estimate, serial 002175)
Finish: brown stain, gloss (BR)
Body: maple with centre block
Neck: one piece mahogany, rosewood board, 12" radius, 24.75" scale
Weight: 3.955kg
Mods: pickup covered removed
Pickup: Yamaha A-11 humbuckers, covers removed
Case: basic non original gig bag

Cosmetic condition notes: mild finish wear. Headstock has some minor dimples on the end and around the edge of the front. Neck is smooth in the hands and pretty clean; just a handful of very minor dimples. The back has no major marks, just some very light widespread buckle rash scratches and scuffs. The sides are pretty clean, just some very light dimples on the shoulder, near the rear strap pin and around from the knobs; no major marks again. The front is also pretty clean, just a couple of scratches behind the bridge, a couple of dings up from the bridge and between the pickips and some light play wear on the top horn. Overall: very good condition (8/10).

Playing condition notes: Neck is straight, intonation is good, action is low, truss rod works. All electronics tested and working properly. Frets have minor wear, they're in pretty good shape, 7/10 for life left. Setup with fresh 11/49s.