Guyatone LG-130T Sunburst 1965
Guyatone LG-130T, sunburst, made in Japan circa 1965. Guyatone started making guitars as early as 1933, and joined the chorus of electric guitar makers around 1959... early in the game. This model was one of their highest end offerings at the time, although they were a cheaper guitar than a USA Fender or a Yamaha Flying Samurai at the time. It's really quite well put together, in a rudimentary kinda way: the neck is comfy, the frets are in good order after all these years, the tuners and tremolo function well and hold tune pretty nicely... it's nothing flash, but it's surprisingly easy and enjoyable to play. The pickups, as is often the case with Guya stuff, are very good. They're snappy and clear with a lovely musical zing, translating the naturally short sustain and plonky tone of the body with a complementary zeal. The on/off sliders for each pickup, tone wheel and lead/rhythm switch mean you can dial plenty of different tones in, it's all a lot of fun. While this obviously lacks the prestige of a 60s Fender or the perfect precision of a modern shredder, it's got it's own charms and will surely keep you riffing and grinning, which is no small thing.
Model: Guyatone LG-130T
Made: Japan, 1965 approx
Serial: none
Finish: sunburst, gloss urethan
Body: nato, solid construction
Neck: maple, rosewood fretboard, 24" scale, 14" radius, chunky D shape
Weight: 3.440kg
Mods: none
Pickups: Guyatone square pole single coil x2, round pole single coil x1
Accessories: none
Cosmetic condition notes: minor finish wear. The headstock has dimples and a bald patch on the end, dimples and scuffs on the edges and some minor scuffs on the back and front along the bottom edge. The is clean and smooth in the hands, minor scuffs and dimples on the back only; note the burst finish fades to red instead of yellow like the body. The back has scuffs on the horns, surface scratches in the bottom corner, two small chips near the rear strap pin and some dimples in the elbow area. The sides have scuffs on the top horn, dents and scuffs in the elbow area, small chips near the rear strap pin, a small chip and some dents and scuffs near the jack and scuffs on the bottom horn. The front has dimples in the elbow area, around the tailpiece and near the jack, as well as some play wear on the horns.
Overall: very good condition (8/10)
Playing condition notes: Action is low, neck is straight, intonation is good, truss rod works. All electronics tested and working properly. Wearing fresh 11/49 Moonshiners strings.
Fret life: 7/10, minor wear only