Help ID'ing a Yamaha SA???

[The Kirbster]

I own a Yamaha semi hollow body, split block neck inlays, ornate headstock inlay, natural finish body, push/pull tone pots to split the coils on the 2 humbuckers. Looks a lot like a 335 Gibson, plays and sounds as good as any 335 I've ever played. Other than "Yamaha" on the headstock, there is no identification I can find. Even though it's super straight, I suspect it's one of the older ones due to the corrosion on the tailpiece and the condition of the case. I love the guitar, but it's hard to brag it up if I don't know what it is!

[Flogger59]

If it's a maple top, SA2000, spruce would be SA2200.

[touji]

Doesn't say in the F-Hole?

[Yamaha 1421]

Hi. Just for your clarification the Yamaha SA2000 has the laminate maple top as do all the others.The only SA series that have the solid spruce top are the very rare Japan/Euro market issued Yamaha SA1200S ["S" = Solid Spruce Top] and the flagship Yamaha SA2000S.The SA2000S is the same guitar as the 1200S except it has gold hardware and different inlays and more binding. I have owned quite afew of the high end SA series and all of them are great guitars. I currently have my Yamaha SA1200S[look at the top you can plainly see how different it looks from a maple top SA] for trade on TGP. BTW does yours have coil taps on the tone pots?,most of the early SA guitars do not have them. No serial # between the tuners on the back of the headstock?................ thats where it would be if it has one.

[The Kirbster]

Yamaha 1421, you've given me some food for thought. Mine does not have a serial number on the back of the headstock that I've ever seen, but I will look again, with magnification. I've seen Gibsons where it was VERY faint. The way my top is figured, I thought it was just some extra tight grained Maple, but I guess it could be spruce. I'll look at the F-holes again, determine if it's laminate or solid. Mine does have all gold hardware-except where it's worn off on the ornate stop tailpiece. Mine does have a lot of binding-body front & back, neck & headstock, but not around the F-holes. No tags inside, no stamps, nothing I can see with a flashlight. Maybe I'll try a mirror. So, I'm thinking SA2000, but with the gold hardware & so much binding, I have to wonder (wishfully) about a SA2000S. It does have coil taps on both tone pots, so it may not be as old as I thought. I'll go look at your SA1200S & compare tops. Can you describe the "different inlays" on the SA2000S?

It doesn't matter much to me which it is, `cause I ain't selling it. But I am getting old enough & in poor enough health that I'm starting to make a list of what I have & what it's currently worth so my wife won't get robbed when it comes time for HER to sell it. I guess it'd make a down payment on a pine box???