I know, what a picture of my elbow's silhouette: I had to reprimand it most sharply after the shoot: mwhahahahaha!!!

Ohyeahbaybeee. Yamaha SG2000: left the factory in June 1981, stayed in Japan gathering ...er...Japanese Sterff-Fry Sterff...; it then stayed in Chelters just long enough to sniff what a Western Big Dogburger smells like on the 'Igh Street. It was turned around whoppingly overpriced by Aroundaboutsound: the blokey (nice chap as it goes my son) did not even have the temerity to look sheepish at the price. Consequently I have subsequently done all my music purchases elsewhere, taking over the years a couple of grand's worth of trade away from the outlet that I would have happily continued to patronise, had not the Monster Greed slithed its way into the furrow.

But I digress.

Oh yes I do. A lot.

The babby is very heavy; however, it carries the same draw acoustically and voicing-wise as some of the better Gibson Les Paul Customs of pre-2008 and post- 1978 (I'm not counting pre-70).
[In other words an observer other than myself might opine: "Gibson, it in no way represents your current crop of "customs" and your "standards" that died the death after you got your fingers burned in the foreign woodpile").
For example, just last week (true)I played a 2 year old Gibson Les Paul Custom: Lighter, different balance, miles weedier acoustic resonance than an actual older one. I conclude therefore that the guitars Formally Known As Gibson Les Pauls are perhaps long gone.
In fact, I am certain that the CLOSEST thing anyone can play resembling a Gibson Les Paul Custom is a Japanese Yamaha SG from around 1974-1982: that old, warm fruity excellence of craftsmanship: there truly is NO way to get around the fact that only the best materials in the best hands make the best instruments.

Neck is ebony-boarded and straight as die. The pickups are superbly designed and are a summation of everything else on this guitar: I made the STUPID mistake of fitting some BKP pickups to this once: toppy, brittle; I musta been daft: all is now back to the original and Old Skool Old Grey Whistloders. Man, you gotta play some prog on this; gorgeous!