1968 Guyatone LG-350DX Sharp 5 Vintage Electric Guitar 100% Original w/ Case, Japan

Up for sale, a 1968 Guyatone LG-350DX Custom electric guitar in excellent, 100% original condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original hardshell case. The most feature rich instrument in the Sharp 5 series, this rare high-end guitar was only available for a few short years and is a supreme example of fine Japanese craftsmanship mixed with unique surf-inspired design. The German Carved elongated Mosrite-influenced body and 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 LG-350DX has plenty of chiming treble snap and punchy wound string growl. The ingenious three-way mini toggle on the lower body horn allows for all possible pickup selections between the three single coils. The bridge pickup offers a rubbery snap and upper midrange honk, with a cutting sparkle that sounds great when paired with either of the other coils. The neck pickup has a thick woof, and the middle pickup acts as a useful thickening agent. This Guyatone weighs 8lbs 5oz, professionally setup here at Mike and Mike’s Guitar Bar with 10-46 strings, low action and accurate intonation.The bound one-piece maple neck has a slender C shaped profile that feels fast and effortless, measuring .830” deep at the 1st fret and .960” at the 12th. On the dark rosewood fretboard, the original frets have a modestly slender width yet with decent meat, showing only light wear on the crowns of frets 1-2, playing cleanly in every register. The scale length is a full 24 3/4", and the fretboard width is 1.665” at the zero fret, just forward of the gold-plated aluminum nut. The headstock retains the original Guyatone metal "G" badge, truss rod cover, and small foil "LG-350DX" sticker on the back, with the original set of sealed gold tuning machines.Electronically everything functions as it should, with a three-position pickup selector switch and Master Volume and Tone knobs. The ingenious three-way mini toggle functions as follows:Right - Middle pickup disengagedCenter - Middle pickup engaged in all pickup settingsLeft - Middle pickup only (traditional three-way pickup toggle bypassed)The gold hardware shows notable surface patina, while the thick one-ply deep purple pickguard and white pickup covers show sparingly little wear. The vibrato bridges the gap between Fender and Mosrite, with aesthetics closer to the latter and the functionality of the former. Functioning like a Jazzmaster, this vibrato actuates easily and is very smooth and responsive, working in concert with the roller bridge for warbles and expressive dives.The deep blue gloss finish highlights the prominent German Carve on top, framed by ambered binding. There are some small finish chips on the body parameter and light buckle rash central to the back, along with some scattered minor marks. Wear on the gloss neck profile finish is limited to just a few inconsequential marks.The original brown tolex hardshell case is included, along with a Japanese polish cloth, receipt, photo of the instrument, and Japanese catalog snippet of this guitar as advertised before it sold long ago to its previous owner.