1968 Yamaha SA-30T Alga Green Vintage Hollow Body Tremolo MIJ Nippon Gakki Japan
1968 Yamaha SA-30T Alga Green Vintage Hollow Body Tremolo MIJ Nippon Gakki Japan
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Vintage and used guitars, professionally inspected and shipped worldwide from Tokyo
We are a Tokyo-based guitar shop. Every instrument is hand-picked and individually inspected by our in-house luthier before listing.
All items are sold exclusively through this store. Every photo shows the actual item you will receive — we never use stock or borrowed images.
Shipped directly from Japan with full tracking and insurance. Your instrument is carefully packed to arrive safely at your door.
1968 Yamaha SA-30T "Alga Green" — Vintage Japanese Domestic-Market Hollow Body
A genuinely rare opportunity to own one of Yamaha's most distinctive
vintage hollow bodies, finished in the highly sought-after Alga Green
— the scarcest of the three factory colors offered (alongside Cherry
Red and Sunburst). Built at Yamaha's Nippon Gakki factory in Hamamatsu,
the SA-30T was developed exclusively for the Japanese domestic market
as a high-end instrument, never intended as a budget export.
The SA-series was Yamaha's original semi-hollow design — not a copy of
the ES-335 or any American template. The body is a thin, fully hollow
construction with no center block, with internal baffles beneath the
f-holes to control feedback. The result is a uniquely open, breathy,
acoustic-leaning voice that sits somewhere between a Casino and an
ES-330, but with character entirely its own.
The "T" designation denotes the factory tremolo version, featuring
Yamaha's beautifully engineered roller bridge paired with the
Yamaha-branded "feather touch" vibrato — an in-house design rather
than a Bigsby clone. The dual low-output humbuckers, balancer control,
and zero fret round out a thoughtful mid-1960s design.
== SPECIFICATIONS ==
- Model: SA-30T (Tremolo version)
- Year: c. 1968-1969 [serial 10346]
- Country of Origin: Japan (Nippon Gakki, Hamamatsu)
- Color: Alga Green (Nitrocellulose Lacquer)
- Body: Symmetrical double-cutaway, fully hollow maple body
with internal baffles, ivoroid binding
- Neck: Set-in maple
- Fingerboard: Rosewood with dot inlays, zero fret
- Frets: 22 frets
- Scale: 24.75"
- Pickups: Two Yamaha low-noise humbuckers
- Controls: Volume, Tone, Balancer, 3-way pickup selector
- Bridge: Yamaha adjustable wood-base roller bridge
- Tailpiece: Yamaha "feather touch" vibrato unit
- Tuners: Yamaha vintage open-gear tuners
- Weight: 3.15 kg
== CONDITION ==
Overall: Very Good
- Body: Age-related scratches and playwear; pickguard is missing
- Neck: Straight
- Frets: Approximately 60-70% remaining
- Hardware: Light tarnish on metal parts (vintage patina)
A true player-grade vintage instrument with honest wear consistent
with nearly 60 years of life. Please review all photos carefully for
the exact cosmetic condition.
== INCLUDED ==
- Soft case
== WHY THIS GUITAR ==
Genuine 1960s SA-30T examples in Alga Green are increasingly difficult
to find — most surviving examples are Sunburst, with Cherry Red and
Green commanding meaningful premiums. As a Japanese-domestic-only
high-end model from Yamaha's earliest electric guitar era, this is
exactly the kind of instrument the vintage Japanese collector market
has been quietly bidding up for the last several years. Light,
resonant, and full of mid-1960s design personality.
Please feel free to message with any questions before purchasing.
Every guitar and bass is professionally maintained by our in-house luthier before shipping:
- Body and hardware cleaning
- Neck adjustment
- Fretboard and fret cleaning
- Action (string height) adjustment
- Intonation adjustment
- Tuning machine inspection
- Electronics inspection
Your instrument arrives ready to play.
- Pre-Owned Item: Normal signs of use may be present. All notable issues are clearly described in this listing — please review the photos and description carefully.
- Questions Welcome: If you'd like additional photos, weight measurements, or any other detail, feel free to message us before purchasing.
All guitars ship directly from Japan via FedEx, EMS, or UPS — whichever is the most reliable option for your destination. Tracking and insurance are included for every order.
Each instrument is carefully packed with full padding and protection. Guitars are shipped with strings loosened to relieve neck tension during transit.
The shipping cost shown already includes all US customs duties and import taxes. You will not be charged anything extra upon delivery — no surprise fees, no holds at customs.
You may notice our shipping rate to the US is higher than some other Japanese sellers. This is because we pre-pay your customs duties and taxes on your behalf, so the price you see at checkout is the final price you pay.
Import duties and taxes are not included in the shipping cost and will be collected by your local customs upon delivery. The amount varies by country, so please check your local regulations before purchasing if you'd like to estimate the total cost.
We declare all shipments accurately and honestly. We cannot mark items as "gift" or under-declare value — please understand this protects both buyer and seller.
We typically ship within 2–5 business days after payment is confirmed. A tracking number will be provided as soon as your order is dispatched. If you're in a hurry, feel free to message us.
Returns and refunds are handled in accordance with eBay's standard return policy as set on this listing.
If you have any concerns about your order — shipping damage, missing parts, or anything unexpected — please contact us before opening a case. We respond quickly and will do everything we can to resolve the issue fairly. Most problems are solved much faster through direct communication.
Looking for strings, picks, straps, or a pedal to pair with your new guitar? Our store carries a wide selection of accessories, plus hard-to-find Japan-exclusive items and vintage effects pedals — all carefully sourced and inspected.
Browse our store — we may have exactly what you're looking for.
Questions? We're Here to Help!
Feel free to message us any time before purchasing. We respond within 24 hours and are happy to provide additional photos, weight measurements, demos, or any information you need.
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