Epic Axes is a musician-driven showroom in Los Angeles. Each guitar is personally selected, inspected, and tested to ensure top performance - only instruments we would play ourselves become part of our collection.

Yamaha SA-700 – Made in Japan 1979 – Persimmon Red – Serial 004383

A beautiful vintage Yamaha SA-700 from Japan, finished in classic Persimmon Red - Yamaha’s signature red finish for this model, often compared visually to Cherry Red. Based on the serial number (004383), this guitar dates to around the late 1970s, most likely 1977–1979, placing it right in the golden era of Japanese guitar manufacturing.

The SA-700 is part of Yamaha’s Super Axe series, known for its exceptional build quality and attention to detail. Instruments from this period are highly regarded and often compared favorably to their American counterparts of the time.

In Persimmon Red, this guitar has a classic ES-335-style look, but with its own unique construction features, including a center block made from spruce and maple, contributing to its distinctive resonance and tonal character.

Overall, the instrument is in excellent cosmetic condition for its age, with only minimal, honest wear. There is some light buckle rash on the back, small surface impressions that do not break the finish. They are very subtle and only really visible under direct studio lighting. Additionally, one corner of the headstock has a very small chip, clearly shown in the photos. It is purely cosmetic and does not affect playability or structural integrity in any way. All other signs of use are visible in the photos.

The frets show normal wear consistent with age, with even play across the board - no dead spots or issues. A few very minor spots were carefully spot-leveled and polished, so the guitar plays clean and smooth.

Technically, the guitar is in excellent condition. All electronics are original and working as they should. It’s equipped with its original Yamaha factory humbuckers (vintage Japanese pickups commonly associated with Maxon production from that era), delivering a warm, articulate tone with great clarity and output.

Tonally, this is exactly what you want from a high-quality semi-hollow: rich, open, and dynamic. It handles clean tones beautifully and takes gain very well for blues, rock, and fusion. Easily holds its own against comparable Gibson or Gretsch models.

No case included.

A fantastic vintage Japanese instrument with real character, great playability, and classic tone - ready for stage or studio!

The following work has been done: full fretboard conditioning with lemon oil, fret polish, pickup height adjustment for balance and clarity, and a fresh set of D’Addario 10-46s installed. String height at the 12th fret on the low E is right at 2.2 mm - set for comfortable playability. 

Body

• Construction: Semi-hollow body with center block
• Top/Back/Sides: Laminated maple
• Center Block: Spruce and maple
• Finish: Persimmon Red (gloss)
• Binding: Single-ply cream binding (body and neck)
• Pickguard: Black
• Weight: approx. 3.6–3.9 kg / 7.9–8.6 lbs
• Contours: Double cutaway ES-style body

Neck

• Material: Mahogany
• Joint: Set-neck
• Profile: Medium C (comfortable vintage feel)
• Fingerboard: Rosewood
• Radius: approx. 12" (305 mm)
• Frets: 22 medium frets
• Fret Condition: Original frets with normal, even wear. No dead spots. Minor areas were spot-leveled and polished for clean playability
• Scale Length: 24.75" (628 mm)
• Nut: Synthetic/bone-style
• Nut Width: approx. 43 mm / 1.69"
• Neck Finish: Gloss

Hardware

• Bridge: Tune-o-matic style
• Tailpiece: Stopbar
• Tuners: Yamaha vintage-style
• Strap Buttons: Standard
• Hardware Finish: Chrome

Electronics

• Pickups: Original Yamaha humbuckers (vintage Japanese, Maxon-era)
• Controls: 2 Volume, 2 Tone, 3-way toggle switch
• Configuration: HH