Yamaha SG-2000 (1979, Red)

Posted by Elite Vintage Guitars - Gearpage on 24/02/2018
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Here a 1979 1st issue Yamaha SG-2000 in Dark Red finish, in excellent condition. A cool guitar with its translucent finish and a great example of the early Yamaha SG-2000. The history of the SG-2000 is interesting in that it was developed in the 1970s with the input from none less than Carlos Santana. Like it’s predecessor, the SG-175, the guitar plays like a dream, light and fluid, and has been set up with very low action.

The guitar is heavy, with a thru body neck, brass sustain plate under the bridge and an ebony fret-board. It is a very pretty guitar, although there are some water and tear marks. This model does not have the original coil taps as that was a later feature.

 

 

 

Guild BHM-02, Brian May Red Special (1994, Red)

Posted by Elite Vintage Guitars - Gearpage on 30/01/2018
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In addition to the BHM-01 and Signature Pro Guild produced a series of “Humbucker versions” which became known as the BHM-02 and BHM-03, is almost a copy of Brian’s own guitar.  Guild only produced a limited amount of this later edition.

The fingerboard is made out of rosewood with low frets for fast easy action. The neck, like the BHM-01, is wider than most electrics (1 13/16 at the nut) allowing for string bending and easy access to the upper frets. The head of the guitar is flat to position the tuning pegs almost in line with the strings, giving it less bending at the at the nut. The nut positions the strings horizontally, and a ‘zero fret’.

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Yamaha SL-1000 (Black, 1976)

Posted by Elite Vintage Guitars - Gearpage on 28/01/2018
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Here a very rare top of the range Yamaha SL-1000, the 1970stop of the range version of Japanese Yamaha Les Paul model, these guitars were produced during the 1970’s till the early 1980s, along the well known Yamaha SG range.This Yamaha SL-1000 was produced in Yamaha’s Matsumoku’s Custom shops and was deemed the top type of the Yamaha Les Paul model (SL/LP) range. The guitar sports a solid body, fitted with a long tenon set neck, ebony fretboard, gold hardware, dual metal covered Yamaha Humbuckers. The guitar body is decorated with mother of pearl fret markers and cream binding that has beautifully aged to a cream yellow hue. These were much more than Yamaha’s Gibson Les Paul copies, these were solid quality guitars built from quality wood and materials. A quality vintage guitar, killer looks, great tone and sound and oozing of mojo and vintage vibe.

Yamaha SG-3000 (1984, Goldtop)

Posted by Elite Vintage Guitars - Gearpage on 27/01/2018
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How often do you find a really as new Yamaha SG-3000, 1984. The Yamaha SG-3000 custom guitar is by far one top quality build guitar. Sporting killer looks and equipped with a great sound whichever way you set the tone/volume pots. It sports a mahogany body with maple cap, a proper thru body neck, ebony fret board, abalone split-wing fret-board position markers, abalone purfling round the binding. Brass plated hardware, Spinex pups with coil tapping option.The guitar is heavy and has lots and lots of sustain. The guitar is a real beauty with the finish in sparkly gold topped off with elaborate binding in abalone. It once more demonstrates the Yamaha luthiers’ craftsmanship with a great appearance, headstock decoration and triple ply black pick-guard. The Yamaha SG-3000 is the ultimate SG, evolved from the renowned Yamaha SG-175 in 1974 which was made famous by musicians such as Carlos Santana, and the later SG-2000 with by guitaristst like Stuart Adamson, Trevor Horn, Al DiMeola, Phil Manzanera and Bob Marley to name but a few. Despite the weight, the guitar is a joy to play. Weight of guitar approx. 4.3 Kgs, neck width at nut approx. 4.4 cm. One of the best of Yamaha SG range

Fender Stratocaster Plus (Pewter Grey, 1988/9)

Posted by Elite Vintage Guitars - Gearpage on 21/01/2018
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Here we have a 1989/90s Fender Stratocaster Plus transition model in metallic Pewter Burst. This is a rare Fender Strat with a grooved metal nut (instead of the later roller nuts) and Lace Sensors pick ups for reduced hum and guitar feedback. (Lace Sensors are true single-coil pickups; that are different from classic single coils. The main difference is that, like the pickups used on the old Fender Jags, the coil is surrounded by metal barriers which are designed to reduce electro-magnetic interference such as power line hum by way of shielding the coils).

Very versatile instrument and a joy to play. Defo one of the best Strats kicking around. Very responsive guitar and easy to play. Lovely metallic aged coloured finish. Good condition, vintage yellowed scratch plate giving it an old style Strat feel. The guitar lives in its Fender hard-case.

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Yamaha SG-3000 (Aged Cream, 1983/4)

Posted by Elite Vintage Guitars - Gearpage on 13/01/2018
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Here the cream of the crop of my SG collection, a Yamaha SBG-3000 guitar, in cream white, in near pristine condition. The Yamaha SG-3000 is the top of the Yamaha SG ;line up and an upgrade from the SG-2000 model and built from maple and mahogany with a mahogany thru body neck in a so-called “T-cross construction” mode. The fretboard is bound ebony  with mother of pearl/abalone split wing style inlays. Typical weight of these models was around the 4.4 kgs. Hardware was gold plated with a gold stop bar. Unlike the SG-2000, the SG-3000 does not have a brass sustain block under the bridge and the bridge is a narrower type than the SG-2000 models. The sound of this model is strong, coming  from 2 open humbuckers. The electronics are controlled with 2 Amber Speedial 2V/2T Push/Push Coil Tap on tone pots and a 3 way toggler switch.  The guitar stands out with the finish topped off with elaborate binding in abalone. It once more demonstrates the Yamaha luthiers’ craftsmanship. The Yamaha SG-3000 is considered by many to be the ultimate SG.


Gibson Les Paul Custom (Red, 2007)

Posted by Elite Vintage Guitars - Gearpage on 07/01/2018
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This Gibson Les Paul Custom is a bit of a rare beast with a fine solid body mahogany  body with carved top is a bit of a classic, and indeed it is. It is one of the finest guitars in the collection and has the standard  neck of a Les Paul Custom profile. Therefore we have here a gorgeous 2007 Gibson Les Paul Custom with a spec featuring that desirable easy accessible neck coupled with a heavy solid body guitar harking back to the Customs of the 1970 era with a bit of rock mojo. This guitar an old school design of beauty with its understated simple and classy top. The instrument has a fantastic feel and killer look to it, sound wise it is awesome too as it is kitted out with great stock pickups. The fretboard is proper quality ebony and plays light and fluid. Guitar lives in its hard-case.

Gibson Les Paul, Classic ‘60 (Cherry Sunburst, 2002)

Posted by Elite Vintage Guitars - Gearpage on 07/01/2018
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This Gibson Les Paul Classic, 2002 with a fine Cherry Sunburst top is indeed classic. It is one of the nicest guitars in the collection and has the typical classic slim 60s neck profile.  This guitar an old school design of beauty with its understated simple and classy top. The instrument has a fantastic feel and killer look to it, sound wise it is awesome too as it is kitted out with great stock ceramic  pickups. Guitar is a great player and lives in its hard-case.

 

Yamaha SX-900B (1977, Natural Wood)

Posted by Elite Vintage Guitars - Gearpage on 30/12/2017
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Here we have a well preserved Yamaha SX-900B – “The Devils Head” , 1976, in natural wood finish. This guitar belongs to the now discontinued Yamaha SX series, also known as the “Devil Heads” series, due to its distinct angular features. These guitars are quite rare, and although they were made primarily for the domestic market, even in Japan they are rare. Initial production started in 1974 alongside the Yamaha SG range; The Yamaha SX-900B is the top of the range of the series and like its sibling the SX-800B, sports 3 independent single coil, high output pick ups that can be engaged with a 3-way pick up selector switch. The construction materials varied between the A and B versions. The B version was made out of Maple and Japanese Ash (Sen) for the body and the neck was built from ash with an ebony board.

Gibson Les Paul DC (Translucent Green, 1998)

Posted by Elite Vintage Guitars - Gearpage on 24/12/2017
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Here a cool looking Les Paul DC Standard in a green flame finish, a standout in the Gibson Les Paul DC Standard series, made in the USA in 1998. It boasts a gloss green finish over a figured maple top, complementing a double-cutaway mahogany body. The guitar features a slim-profile mahogany neck set into the body, with a 24-fret rosewood bound fingerboard. The sound and tone is rich and full through a pair of humbuckers, operated by a 3-way switch along with master volume and tone knobs. The gold hardware, including Grover tuners, are in clean condition. The guitar is in great overall shape, free of modifications, breaks, or repairs, with some minor playwear. It resides in a plush-lined hard case.

Gibson Marauder (1975, Natural Wood)

Posted by Elite Vintage Guitars - Gearpage on 17/12/2017
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Here another Gibson Marauder, a product of Gibson innovation with Bill Lawrence. The Marauder line was launched in 1974 and remained in production until 1979; being replaced by the Gibson Sonex series around 1980. This Gibson type guitar was initially produced at the Kalamazoo plant, but gradually production was transferred to the newer Nashville plant. The Marauder, along with the Gibson Grabber Bass were Gibson’s mid-seventies budget guitar models; still a Gibson, and not cheap, but certainly not their lowest price electric; though there was a more up-market version, the Marauder Custom,

The guitar sports a body shape rather like a Les Paul, but has a bolt-on neck. The body and neck are made from poplar wood and hard maple and the instrument is finished in clear satin lacquer, allowing to see the underlying wood grain.  There are three distinct tone settings on the Marauder’s selector switch. The pick ups are a classic Bill Lawrence design with the front pickup is similar to the Super Humbucker with small additional magnets reinforcing and directing the field, while the bridge pickup has a single, iron-cored coil, with a magnet below and iron strips from the lower magnet pole. The fast, easy-action neck is made from Canadian maple. The fingerboard is made from rosewood with dot inlays and the distinctive peghead headstock is of “Flying V-series” design.

 

Gibson Johnny A Model (2000s, Flametop Tobacco)

Posted by Elite Vintage Guitars - Gearpage on 11/12/2017
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Gibson Johnny A, signature model, flame-top. This guitar appears to be a cross between a Solid Body and a hollow-body guitar and looks similar to a symmetrical but sharper pointed Gibson Midtown. Sporting a smaller body than a 335 or 339, we have a luscious looking semi acoustic guitar that plays more like a solid body guitar. The guitar has looks and plays phenomenally well. Kitted out with a factory Bigsby and powerful pickups make for a very versatile and good looking instrument. The Johnny A signature model is only issued in small numbers and a sought after Guitar henceforth. Issued as a custom shop model it lives in a plush custom shop case with purple lining.