Guyatone LG-350T Sharp Five Model Solid Body Electric Guitar, c. 1970, made in Japan, blue sparkle finish, hardwood body and neck, rosewood fingerboard, black hard shell case.
Guyatone was one of the original Japanese builders and exporters of electric guitars, making an impact in world market even in the late 1950s. By the later 1960s the company fielded some rather original designs tailored to the home market, where competition was increasingly fierce. Yamaha in particular were raising the bar on quality dramatically, and for a time Guyatone stepped up their game with some flashy pro grade guitars of their own.
The LG-350T was a prime example. Originally released in early 1967 it was immediately adopted as a signature model for Japanese instrumental band the Sharp 5, one of the premier guitar-centric outfits in the country. These LG's were considerably higher quality than earlier Guyatones, a truly professional level guitar in both playability and sound. They rest in the top tier of 1960s Japanese guitars along with the electric Yamahas or higher grade Matsumokus.
This LG-350 appears to date to around 1970; the truss rod adjustment is at the headstock where earlier ones were adjusted through a cavity the back of the body under the neck plate, like period Yamahas. In 1967-68 some had the Sharp 5 logo printed right on the pickguard. The 24 3/4" scale neck is bolted to the body under back plate via three screws with washers. The thin neck has a Mosrite-esq feel, with a small-dot inlaid bound rosewood fretboard. The somewhat wacky oversized headstock is bound as well, with two string trees and a G-shaped Guyatone logo badge.
The body is a wildly sculpted reverse offset affair with a fluidly shaped Mosrite-esque carved ledge all around. The top edge is bound and the finish on this example is a super striking Turquoise blue with a metallic grain, perhaps the ultimate surf guitar livery. The two pickups are unique to this model, fairly close copies of Fender Jaguar units complete with an oddly staggered claw assembly underneath. They are surprisingly powerful with a good sharp tone, distinctly 1960s flavored and sonically superior to many Japanese units from the period.
The bridge is a typical adjustable Japanese unit but built heavier and more finely than most, with roller saddles that actually work well with the vibrato unit. This assembly was obviously based on the Fender offset Jazzmaster/Jaguar but has a longer pivot plate underneath the top plate giving it a more Mosrite-like "feather touch".
This model really does have a surprisingly high quality feel, mixing Mosrite and Fender influences into a distinctly unique Guyatone design. The Mosrite-like neck feel combined with the "fantasy fender" body shape works quite well ergonomically and this is a well made, well designed guitar miles above most Japanese competitors of the period.
Overall length is 42 3/4 in. (108.6 cm.), 12 1/8 in. (30.8 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 1/8 in. (2.9 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 9/16 in. (40 mm.).
This sleek and flashy Guyatone shows some light general wear but remains largely original and quite a good player for a Japanese guitar of this period. The all original blue sparkle metallic lacquer shows some dings and chips scattered around, mostly on the edges but nothing too serious. The very thin upper pointed tip of the pickguard is gone. All hardware remains stock except the trem arm (a later Strat style piece) and possibly the selector switch, which is the correct style but also looks later. The original frets are in excellent shape with minimal wear. This is a more powerful sounding instrument than most period Japanese guitars, and is certainly in the upper playing range for an instrument from this period. It resides in a functional if somewhat oversized 1970s Japanese HSC, intended originally for a bass. Overall Excellent - Condition.
