Yamaha AE-18 (Gibson L-5 Style) 1974 Japan - Flagship Vintage Archtop

Up for sale is flagship vintage archtop from Yamaha, model AE-18. Made in Japan, year 1974, according to Yamaha official serial numbers chart. AE series was Yamaha take on Gibson L-5 design, with AE-18 being highest in the line. Retail price was 180,000 yen - very expensive back to the day.

Woods are spruce top paired with maple body, neck is genuine mahogany, fretboard is ebony. Scale is 648 mm, nut width is 42 mm. Electronics are two humbuckers with volume/tone controls and 3-way switch. Top-notch manufacturing quality, which was always the case for high-end Yamaha guitars from that golden era. Everything is original except the potentiometers (were apparently replaced due to age) and the nut (original most likely has cracked at some point).

Exceptional condition for a 50+ years old guitar - there is general feel of use, mild hardware deterioration, few negligible dings/scratches and that's basically it. Neck surface is in nearly perfect condition, frets show no signs of wear. Lacquer finish remained so shiny that it's not easy to believe this guitar comes from early 70s. New D'Addario flatwound 12-52 set is installed, the guitar is setup and ready to play out of the box.

Sounds fantastic - rich, lush, dynamic and balanced. Neck is super comfortable to play. Perfect for jazz, fusion, blues and soul music, but I could easily imagine it used for modern indie pop/folk applications as well. Please ask for a demo and I'll record one for you. Comes with original hardshell case, also in excellent condition.

I'm located in Dresden, International shipping is possible. Thanks!