Very Pretty Hyak Guitar on Reverb

[lbpesq]

Emerald City Guitars in Seattle posted this sweet Hyak guitar.   I don’t believe I’ve seen a Hyak in Quilted Maple before, nor one with LEDs.  The price is arguably optimistic, but I suspect one could negotiate a more reasonable price.  I’ve purchased a few guitars from Emerald City, both on line and at the brick & mortar while visiting Seattle.  Very nice guy and easy to work with.


Bill, tgo


https://reverb.com/item/30448076-1978-hyak-custom

[gtrguy]

I like the LEDs!

[jazzyvee]

I like the guitar.

[StephenR]

Looks like it would be uncomfortable to play sitting due to the high waist, or standing due to the extra long headstock which to me screams neck-dive. Plus the lack of a straight pull between the bridge and tailpiece is odd and the bridge/tailpiece is so far forward that it looks like your right hand position would not be comfortable either. Wood is nice... price is not.

One question, it comes with a DS-5, how to you hook that up to a guitar that appears to have no five-pin connector?

[lbpesq]

In the pic of the back, it looks like the 5-pin jack may be side-mounted, 3-4 inches below the bottom strap button.  The string spread from the bridge to the tailpiece does look a bit wonky, but it might just be the angle of the photo.

Bill, tgo 

[keith_h]

The tailpiece looks centered on the neck but the bridge looks like it is shifted more towards the high side of the neck. It might be that the angled bridge required it to be shifted to keep the strings centered on the neck. Then you have to decide on what looks better aesthetically. Have everything shifted or just the bridge.

[dela217]

That is a lovely guitar!   The only thing that bothers me is that someone changed out the 4-way pickup selector switch.    Hyak guitars came with a pickup selector switch like what is on Alembic Series instruments.   Easily replaceable though.  That extra hole in the bottom horn is kinda nasty too.

I think what you guys are seeing with the bridge has a lot to do with the angle of the picture.   The bridge sits on top of 2 circular brass pieces, one on either side of the bridge.   It is not a 1 piece brass block.   Both the 5-pin and the 1/4 inch jack are on the side of the instrument.   The Alembic power supply will work the Hyak just fine, but the instruments take 4 nine volt batteries.   Yep the original power supplies were twice the voltage of the Alembic power supplies.

I would love to find a bass like that!   I have been looking for one with double cutaways and not the scroll.  A medium or short scale would be the way to go.   Long for me is just too much of a reach.   Yes they are neck heavy.   So if you have one and find it uncomfortable let me know!   A friend of mine locally had one.   I used it many times in his studio.   It was a long scale and it took a certain finesse to play it.

[rv_bass]

Wondering if the alignment is an optical illusion having to do with both the angle of the guitar and camera.  A straight on photo would help. Nice guitar.