NGD, NGD and NOGD! The one that (almost) got away edition!

Got a couple of new guitars in the last couple of months and didn't post about them here, and we can't that can we?!

First one is a Yamaha SA-500.
Pretty standard kinda ES-335-ish guitar, but not at all as boring looking. Nice big fatty for a neck, and I love the "f-holes". Nice touch for a great playing guitar. Got it because I needed something for a Scofield jam. Mounted the pickup covers myself.


Next one is some homemade random flying v I got on the Danish equivalent of craigslist. Bought it without trying and it really was a dud. Terribly mistreated, dried out fretboard, uneven frets etc. Couldn't even get it in a playing condition. Took it to a good friend who is a tech, did a fret level together, and now it plays just fine. Medium to fat neck on this one. Relocated the strap button as well.


And now for the one that almost got away.

A 1992 Japanese Tokai Love Rock LS-65. This is the greatest Les Paul I've ever tried, and a few years ago I sold it. I've been kicking myself hard ever since. Couple of weeks ago it popped up for sale, but the guy wanted way too much for it. Then as fate would have it, he wound up owing the IRS a bunch of money and sold it to me for almost nothing. My luck. It has a SH-5 with a split in the bridge, and an original PAF in the neck. This guitar is amazing. Love it, and it's never leaving again.

 

The very same. Passed through a bunch of hands before it landed in mine again.

 

I have to agree, that from afar it is a very pretty guitar. Up close though, not so much. The paint job is a ....ty homemade one, nicotine stains and all, and when I got it the condition was terrible. As I said, had to level the frets to even get it playable. The electronics are still shot. It was a vol-tone-tone setup (hate it like the plague), so I turned it into vol-vol-tone, but the neck vol doesn't (and didn't really to begin with) work, so now I've ordered a new pot to be installed soon.

I've already promised the guitar away to my little brother. He's a metal vocalist and wants to learn to play, so I thought it would be fitting to give it to him.

 

I really do as well. I actually think that 335s are pretty boring looking as they usually are, but the strange "f-holes" and that bridge setup really makes it look interesting. Another thing to note is that the saddles are oval shaped with a small indentation for the string, so the bridge is extremely comfortable as well. Easily the surprise of the year for me, such a great player for so little money. Awesome neck on this thing. Real baseball bat.

 

I think you're probably right.