Yamaha SGV300 Flying Samurai Banana Yellow 2000
Yamaha SGV300, gloss yellow, made in Taiwan 2000. The 'Flying Samurai' line of guitars are somewhat of a cult classic amongst surf players; they've got all sorts of 60s Japanese weirdness going on. This one dates to the slightly ill-timed reissues of the early 2000s; they probably needed to come out earlier to hit the grunge market or later to hit the surf revival, but hey... what a guitar company to do? The look is spectacular: a kind of reverse super offset with a hockey stick headstock and some unique hardware, all wearing a delightfully gaudy banana yellow. The unique controls offer a master volume and tone as well as a 'blend' control that dials in the middle pickup when the switch is in the middle or bridge position, allowing for either a two singles or humbucker type tone... very cool. There's a heap of jangle and spank on offer, this really is perfect for surf and psych styles. Stick this in front of your nastiest fuzz pedal and a rude slapback delay and go bananas... good times!
Model: Yamaha SGV300
Made: 2000, Taiwan (serial QJ14347)
Finish: banana yellow, gloss poly
Body: alder
Neck: maple with rosewood board, 24.75" scale, 12" radius
Mods: none
Weight: 3.610kg
Pickups: Yamaha single coils x3
Case: basic Yamaha gig bag
Cosmetic condition notes: minor finish wear. Headstock and neck are pretty clean, no major marks. The back has a few light scuffs near the neck plate and along the back edge, nothing nasty. The sides have a few dimples near the rear strap pin, a chip in the elbow area and a couple of light scuffs along the top horn. The front has a couple of dimples in the elbow area and some play wear on the guard and top horn. Overall: very good condition (8.5/10).
Playing condition notes: Action is low, neck is straight, intonation is good, truss rod works. All electrics tested and working properly. Frets have some norml wear, there's no major buzz issues and plenty of height but there is some minor pitting, 6/10 for fret life left. Wearing fresh 11-49 Moonshiners strings.