1978 Yamaha SA700 Super Axe Vintage Semi-Hollow Guitar Persimmon Red

Up for sale, a 1978 Yamaha SA700 Super Axe in excellent condition and in perfect working order. This Yamaha is a prime example of premium Japanese craftsmanship put to the task of elevating American design, and in this case the venerable Gibson ES-335 is the template.The thinline semi-hollow body has a winning combination of tonewoods, featuring an arched beech/birch top and back, a maple center block, and a one-piece mahogany neck capped with a bound rosewood fretboard. This tonewood complement delivers an airy, sweet and articulate sound attributable to the semi-hollow construction. Both humbuckers have been replaced, delivering a wide range of tones; the bridge humbucker is big and bold, metering at 11.2k ohms, with an ideal combination of bite and heft. The neck pickup is a more traditional wind, metering at 7.9k ohms, with sweet, singing trebles, tight, responsive lows, and a clear midrange. This Super Axe weighs 8lbs 14oz, professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 11-49 strings, low action, and spot-on intonation.The one-piece mahogany neck has a medium C-shaped profile carve at the nut, gaining additional heft and roundness in the upper registers, measuring .840” deep at the 1st fret and 1.005” at the 12th. On the bound rosewood fretboard, the medium jumbo fretwire has good meat, exhibiting wear beneath the strings on the crowns of frets 1-2, with wear growing progressively lighter beneath the plain strings until fret 15a. This guitar plays cleanly up the 24 3/4“ scale with a straight neck and a responsive, optimally-adjusted truss rod, and the bone nut measures 1 11/16” in width. On the headstock, the “Standard” truss rod cover is a replacement, and the original Yamaha-branded tuning machines turn smoothly and hold accurate pitch, with chrome-plated keystone buttons.  The six-digit stamped serial number on the back of the headstock dates to 1978.All of the original electronics function as they should, with a three-way pickup selector toggle and dedicated Volume and Tone knobs for each pickup. Plastics comprise the raised two-ply pickguard, amber switch tip, and a replacement quartet of gold bonnet knobs. The chrome-plated pickup covers, Nashville-style bridge and corresponding stopbar all have plenty of shine, with light pitting on the tailpiece.The gloss Persimmon Red finish is framed by cream body binding, and cosmetic wear is limited to some light scuffing across the strum path, a bit of minor buckle worming on the back, and a handful of minor nicks and faint scratches in the clear coat on the body as a whole. The smooth gloss on the neck profile has a worn-in, fast feel.A gigbag is included.