Yamaha SA-60 semi-hollow, sunburst, made in Japan 1974. This is a beautiful guitar, it's really quite something. Yamaha's SA series came out in 1967, borrowing a little from Gibson's ES line but mashing up the aesthetic with influences from surf inspired guitars like Mosrites and Mustangs. By the mid 70s, the quality on Yamaha's electric guitars was really quite remarkable, and they were still doing these wild original shapes. This one has a cool leather embossed tailpiece, four-ply binding, cool teardrop inlays and quirky knobs, all complementing the gorgeous rich bourbon hue of the sunburst finish. Earlier version of the series have wide space single coils, but this one is late enough to have a pair of Yamaha's 'New Powerful' humbuckers, which sound great. It's warm and earthy, with a shorter sustain than a regular 335 style guitar, but a lovely gooey complexity and plenty of body and snap. The neck is comfy, slim and straight and features some nice birdseye detail when examined closely. I'd wager this would be a good investment, as it's not likely to be worth less when it turns fifty in a couple of years. But mostly, it's just a really lovely thing to have in your hands.

Model: Yamaha SA-60
Made: Japan, 1974 (best estimate on serial and catalog, serial 032051)
Finish: sunburst, gloss poly
Body: maple, semi-hollow with center block, thinline
Neck: maple, rosewood fretboard, moderately slim profile
Weight: 3.985kg
Mods: none
Pickups: Yamaha 'New Powerful' humbucker x2
Case: Epiphone 335 hard case, excellent quality good condition

Cosmetic condition notes: minor finish wear. The headstock has some dimpes on the end and some minor stand burn marks on the back. The neck is clean and smooth in the hands, minor dimples and scuffs on the back and some play wear on the low end of the board only. The back has some dimples on both horns and the neck joint, as well as some light scuffs on the elbow area, bottom edge and middle of the body. The sides have minor scuffs around the whole body, most notably on the bottom horn and near the jack, as well as some dimples on the horns and elbow area. The front has some scuffs near the top F hole on the elbow area, dimples near the knobs and tailpiece and some standard play wear on the guard and horns. 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. The frets have some normal wear but are pretty even with no major buzz issues, 7/10 for fret life left. Wearing fresh 11/49 Moonshiners strings.