GUYATONE LG-70 RARE & EARLY MODEL w/HSC *BRILLIANT PICKUPS*

GUYATONE LG-70 - EARLY & RARE MODEL - MIJ 1960s w/HSC *BRILLIANT PICKUPS*

This is a very rare beast.

The LG-70 was first produced in Japan the late 1950s. This one probably hails from around 1962 but it's difficult to be precise.

As the 60s boom exploded, like many other guitars from Japan, these were exported in varying forms - to the U.S., to Australia and to Europe usually under different brand names. 'Custom Kraft' and 'Kingston' are two we have seen.

There are versions of the LG-70 with a set neck and others with a bolt-on; others with or without vibrato and so on. Evidently one incarnation even found its way into the hands of a certain J. Hendrix as his first guitar.

Condition-wise...

Overall the condition is good for the year. The chunky C-profile neck is in great shape, the electrics are very good and it plays extremely well.

Original hardware - open gear tuners, wiring, control knobs and switches, flip-up chrome bridge cover, space age metal guards and best of all, these magnificent pickups.

The Guyatone logo is absent and you can see the numerous bumps and scrapes to the body and headstock in the photos. There's some tarnishing to the tuners plus a couple of them are bent. However they operate fine.

The string retaining bar is not right. Please note it is not fixed and will need modification to do the job it's designed for. (We only placed it in the holes for the photos)

Good news is it's definitely from another Guyatone in the LG series since it fits the holes perfectly. Since it was present when we first acquired the guitar we are including it here.

Playing-wise...

We opted for light strings (9-46) when it was recently set up. It could happily take a heavier gauge if required.

Fantastic low action with good intonation. The original skinny frets have wear but they are all clean and there is no choke or stutter anywhere.

These are floating bridges with no position mark so we marked the intonation line with tape when it was set up. Easily removed.

The LG-70 has a volume control for each pickup. The 3 rocker switches are used to blend tones. The front two relate to the each pickup while the back switch acts as a kind of gain + treble boost. Similar to the 'Solo / Rhythm' switch on some models but with a hefty bright boost.

If you want to hear how these sound the very cool Drowning in Guitars site has demos.

Can't help but think of Buckminster Fuller or Airstreams when you see these 'space age' metal guards and pickups. The latter are the real stand out here.

A better range of authentic vintage noises and seriously gorgeous 60s jangle you would be hard pushed to find. Absolute belters.

Specs:

• Guyatone LG-70 in original sunburst finish - Rare Model - Japan c.1962
• Original nut 42.5mm
• Neck maple
• Rosewood fingerboard - 21 frets
• Scale 630mm / 25"
• Original Volume Controls for each pickup
• 3 Original selector & tone rocker switches
• Original hardware: tuners, guards, adjustable bridge, cover & tailpiece
• 2 x Original Guyatone single coil pickups
• Weight 2.7kg / 5.95 lbs
• Comes with a vintage hard case (not pictured)

WORLDWIDE SHIPPING AVAILABLE

N.B. Spain & Denmark Buyers:
Unfortunately the post office places a size limit on packages from Japan. Consequently, the standard EU shipping rates quoted here do not apply. An alternate courier must be found.

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Almost everything for sale in this Reverb shop is coming from a 40+years personal collection. As the shop name suggests these are predominantly Vintage, Eclectic or Japanese - so if you are looking for something specific, please get in touch. Maybe we have got something you've been searching for.

VEJ

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A Note On Shipping:

We want you to be fully satisfied with everything - from the item itself (naturally!) through the shipping, packaging, communication etc.

Of course there is nothing we can do about customs duty, local taxes etc at your end. But we can keep the overall price as competitive as is decently possible.

The Japan post office service (EMS) is reliable and efficient but shipping costs from Japan to Europe or the states are unavoidably expensive.

For this reason none of the shipping costs we quote reflect the actual price we have to pay. We are more than willing to take a hit on that to make things as attractive for you as possible.

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Vintage Instruments & Equipment

Shipping by air plus climatic changes can affect how a guitar is set up - no matter how well it is packed. Consequently there is no guarantee that an instrument arrives with exactly the same set up as stated. After a period of acclimatisation, you may still need to make any adjustments at your own expense.