1967 Guyatone LG-350T Sharp 5 Blue Sparkle Vintage Electric Guitar, Japan

Up for sale, a 1967 Guyatone LG-350T Sharp 5 in excellent condition and in perfect working order. This rare high-end Japanese guitar is one of the very first examples of this model produced, identifiable by the unique "Sharp 5" graphics on the pickguard. A supreme example of fine craftsmanship mixed with unique surf-inspired design, the Sharp 5 was a signature model for the Japanese instrumental band of the same name.The German Carved elongated Mosrite-influenced body/hardware and Fender Jaguar-style single coil pickups and vibrato system reflect just how deeply the Ventures surf craze reverberated within the Japanese market at the time. Tonally, this Sharp 5 has plenty of snap in the top end, with a chiming resonance and punchy growl. The stock single coils with sawtooth shielding claws have balanced, sweet output and great clarity for strummed passages and sparkling lead lines. This Guyatone weighs 7lbs 15oz, balancing well on a strap and professionally setup here at Mike and Mike’s Guitar Bar for optimal action and playability with 12-52 roundwound strings.The maple neck has a medium C-shaped profile carve with just enough roundness in the shoulders, measuring .840” deep at the 1st fret and .900” at the 12th. The bound dark rosewood fretboard features mini dot inlay and stock slender fretwire that shows virtually no wear.  The guitar plays cleanly in all registers up the 24" scale, while the polished aluminum nut and 1.675” wide zero fret (just shy of 1 11/16") provide comfortable string spacing. The bound headstock retains the original metal Guyatone logo, as well as the set of sealed chrome tuning machines and foil LG-350T model sticker.The truss rod adjustment on the earliest Sharp 5s is unique, located beneath the neck plate. The action is low and easy-playing in every register, and the neck is very straight, yet the truss rod cannot be loosened further, so a lighter string gauge is inadvisable.Electronically everything works as it should, with a three-position pickup selector switch and smooth, chrome-plated Mosrite-style Master Volume and Tone knobs to govern the two single coil pickups. The chrome hardware is bright and clean, and the thick single-ply blueish purple pickguard is incredibly well preserved, retaining the large "Sharp 5" silkscreen graphics. The vibrato bridges the gap between Fender and Mosrite, with aesthetics closer to the latter and the functionality of the former, working in concert with the roller bridge. Functioning like a Jazzmaster, this vibrato has a smooth, taut response for warbles and expressive dives.The distinctive deep German Carve on the top paired with white binding is another not-so-subtle nod to Mosrite, and the Sharp 5 captures a far out '60s zeitgeist like few guitars of the era did. The binding is virtually unaged, and the blue sparkle finish displays tight, subtle metalflake flecks, with the grain of the body wood subtly visible through the thin finish. Cosmetic wear is limited to a few finish chips on the back and a spot of wear through the finish on the outside edge of the treble-side body horn. The gloss finish on the neck profile is flawless.