Can anyone tell me about Yamaha electric from the 70s?

[TheGuildedAge]

I went in my store to check out some reverends, and he had a yamaha electric from the 70s. No idea on the model number, but it was kind of SG shaped, with two horns, though not as sharp, and dual humbuckers. He's asking $299. I was in a hurry, and didn't get to even take it off the wall.

Good price, or is something up?

 

[operanonverba]

Yamaha made a solid body series in the 70's and into the 80's and initially called it the SG (solid guitar) model in several grades. I think that it is still advertised for sale in a UK guitar mag I looked at recently. It was constructed like the Les Paul with maple or other wood caps. Sort of like a double cutaway Les Paul. The build quality is outstanding on these guitars. I believe that some of them had a neck through construction. They later had to change the SG to SBG (solid body guitar) to satisfy the obvious complaint from Gibby. I have owned one of these and I thought it was great. I wish I still had it. The pups are usually tapped. If it is a set neck model the price is good if it's in good shape. The resale on these is up and down with most of them going for $500 to $1000 for the top end models from what I have seen. You should be able to find info on the web about them.

 

[Caretaker]

BUY IT. And if you don`t like it, list it here. But give me first shot at it.

 

[AshlandBump]

I saw Santana at a concert in November 1979. Because the uncle of the drummer of our band at the time was Santana's stage manager, we got backstage passes -- we watched the first show from the audience and then went backstage before his second show started (incredible that a guy like Santana was playing two shows a night but maybe that was more common back then).

Carlos' main guitar at the time was a Yamaha with an SG shape, sounds like it was the same model as you describe. Santana's guitar wasn't stock though. I got to play it and it was heavy-as-hell. I asked him about it and he showed me the huge block of solid brass that he had his tech put in on the back of the guitar, underneath the pickups. Sounded great, but I doubt that a stock model would have the same sustain (or weight).

 

[mike barth]

Was it a MIJ late 70s early 80s? SG- 2000? ( sorry I can't figue out how to post a pic) but search for one . If it is,what I think it is, then my friend you have found a fantastic deal. Run back to GC and relieve them of what they don't know they have. Assuming the condition is reasonable, I believe it will only be exceeded in overall quality and playability by the mid level American made PRS or Gibsons that are displayed there. A pickup swap is probably needed however, to make it sing like it is capable of. Good luck

 

[John Phillips]

You MUST find out what model it is before saying something like 'buy it' or that it's a 'fantastic deal'.

Yamaha SGs run from the SG200 - cheap, bolt-on neck, crappy pickups, very little tone - right up to the SG3000 - gold-plated brass hardware, abalone inlays, through-neck construction, weighs a ton, but excellent-sounding if you like 'pure', very controlled tones... and all points in between. There are probably a dozen models. The number indicates where in the range it is, and the good ones start at 1000.

An SG3000 is worth many times $299, an SG200 isn't even worth that, let alone a bargain.

The SG2000 is the original and definitive model that Carlos Santana played BTW. My personal favorites are the 1000, 1200 and 1500 - they're less overbuilt and heavy, and seem to resonate better.

 

[MykeWright]

I went in my store to check out some reverends, and he had a yamaha electric from the 70s. No idea on the model number, but it was kind of SG shaped, with two horns, though not as sharp, and dual humbuckers. He's asking $299. I was in a hurry, and didn't get to even take it off the wall.

Good price, or is something up?

If the horns are symetrical, it's probably one of the SG series, but if they're slightly asymetrical it could be the SF series. Excellent guitars in their own right but slightly below the SG series in price. The body had no separate top like the more expensive SGs and was chamfered around the edge with a flat top (like the Gibbo SG and PRS Mira). I believe there were only 3 SF models in the UK (no idea about elsewhere) which were the SF500, SF700 and SF1000. IIRC all were set-neck and had the same pickups. The 700 had fancy inlays and the 1000 had gold hardware too.

 

[TheGuildedAge]

Just to update, it's a 200 model, says made in taiwan on the back. I played it and put it back on the rack, not for me.