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1998 Epiphone by Gibson SG Standard '61 Vintage Reissue Model SG-70 w/ Case, Japan

$1,249.99

+ shipping

Out Of Stock
Up for sale, a 1998 Epiphone Japan SG Standard ‘61 vintage reissue model SG-70 in excellent, 100% original condition and in perfect working order, complete with a hardshell case. A rare and long ago discontinued model produced at the Fujigen factory in Japan, this Epiphone was made exclusively for the Japanese market as part of a partnership between Gibson and their Japanese distributor Yamano Gakki. Not to be confused with lesser iterations, this guitar features the Epiphone Japan-exclusive open book headstock shape.

Tonewoods include a mahogany body and one-piece neck with a long tenon joint, capped with a bound rosewood fretboard. The stock pair of humbuckers are bright and bold with plenty of midrange cut, both metering in the "low wind" PAF range at 7.3k ohms. The neck position is round and full, with a throaty growl, while the bridge pickup has a hot, aggressive bite. Each position on the three-way switch is distinct, and the pickups take gain notably well. Featherweight at just 6lbs 12 oz, this SG has been professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with fresh 10-46 strings, low action and spot-on intonation.

The one-piece mahogany neck has a slender '60s-style C-shaped profile carve with round shoulders in all registers, measuring .800” deep at the 1st fret and .950” at the 12th. The bound rosewood fretboard has a 12" radius with pearloid trapezoid inlays and pristine stock medium jumbo fretwire. This guitar plays cleanly up the 24 3/4” scale with a straight neck and a responsive, optimally-adjusted truss rod. The nut measures a full 1 11/16" in width, and the headstock has an inlaid Epiphone logo and “Gibson”-stamped truss rod cover. The Kluson-style tuners turn smoothly and hold accurate pitch, with lightly yellowed tulip buttons and a dusting of patina on the nickel-plated gear housings. The back of the headstock features the “Made in Japan” text and inked serial.

All the electronics work as intended, with dedicated Volume and Tone knobs for each humbucker. The neck pickup cavity also reveals the long tenon joint, ensuring the best connection between the body and neck for optimal resonance. Plastics comprise the original quartet of reflector-top knobs and the four-ply black pickguard, which displays some light scuffing along the pick path. Cosmetic wear on the gloss Cherry Red finish includes a handful of small finish chips along the lower bout edge and a few faint finish scratches in the gloss on the body as a whole. The smooth gloss finish on the neck profile is clean and fast in the palm.

A Playtech molded hardshell case is included.