NGD! Early Christmas Surprise!

[blowery]

Completely blown away by my Christmas gift from my beautiful wife and kids. Found this guitar at a pawn shop around thanksgiving and it felt and played great. Probably should have bought it then, but I didn't. Then of course Christmas, expenses etc I thought I would go look again. Well, they surprised me, gave it to me early as we are heading out of town. Put it in a beginner Gibson Acoustic box, I was like oh nice lol until I picked up the box. She has never bought any music gear as I'm way to picky and annoying, but this was very awesome and I'm and blindsided by it actually.

On to the guitar. Yamaha SA1100 from either 90 or 2000, hard to tell with Yamaha serial numbers. Pretty dang clean. Plays great, pots a little dusty and strings are possibly original , maybe not that old. It just needs a quick little setup which I need to read up on for the Semi-hollows. Worlds different tone from my Strat.

Overall, awesome

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• blowery
• Dec 12, 2016

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• blowery
• Dec 12, 2016

 

[Sean French]

Looks wonderful.
Enjoy.

 

[T Dizz]

Lucky Duck!! HNGD

 

[blowery]

Just played it again at lunch and the pickups are WAY hotter than the strat. Like twice the volume of the strat when plugging in back to back. I figure they would be hotter, but I"m going to have to lower them quite a bit.

This is the nicest/biggest Christmas gift I've ever received so it's pretty cool...and it's a "cheap" used Yamaha lol, I love it.

 

[Neon Trotsky]

That thing's flippin' cool looking man. I know I'm probably in the minority here, but I always liked the smaller ears on 335 style guitars, makes it more RnR than jazz (in my twisted mind lol). My 335 has the smaller style ears too.

I'll trade you my Burstbuckers for whatever's in those lol (the BB's are kinda weaker humbuckers).

 

[monty]

Awesome! I hope you and yours have a awesome Christmas!

 

[blowery]

That thing's flippin' cool looking man. I know I'm probably in the minority here, but I always liked the smaller ears on 335 style guitars, makes it more RnR than jazz (in my twisted mind lol). My 335 has the smaller style ears too.

I'll trade you my Burstbuckers for whatever's in those lol (the BB's are kinda weaker humbuckers).

Thanks! It looks pretty good for being 26 years old.

I dropped the pickups and it's much more tame. I think they were just way too high. I was clipping inputs on my pedals.

 

[blowery]

Awesome! I hope you and yours have a awesome Christmas!

Thanks! you have an awesome christmas as well.

 

[73Fender]

Big Congrats...those semi hollow Yamahas are very well regarded. I almost bought an SA1200 once so I read up on them. I like your's with the dot markers better actually. Very cool in black.

 

[Tweedledee]

Love it! Congrats.

 

[blowery]

I gotta say, realize it's the honeymoon, but man what a great playing/sounding guitar. I've been a strat man basically my whole music career (aside from some strange cheapie in the beginning) but this Yamaha is hitting the spot. I have tried Gibson LP's, Gretsch (didn't like them at all) PRS and this one just feels great. I realize a lot is because it's a gift but what a great guitar.

 

[RussB]

Nice guitar along with a great story. Win-win for you, congrats!

 

[Old Chomper]

Better not skimp on the wife's gift this year. Just sayin'. (Or the kids' either.)

 

[blowery]

Better not skimp on the wife's gift this year. Just sayin'. (Or the kids' either.)

We are not a big gift giving family, pretty conservative for sure. My wife has already purchased her gifts lol, but now I have to step something up. As for the kids, they will be good. They are all getting some music gear. Possible bass amp for daughter, new(ish) violin and new snare for my sons kit.
Hopefully a loud christmas!

 

[Brion]

Cool guitar and story. Merry Christmas!

 

[Old Chomper]

We are not a big gift giving family, pretty conservative for sure. My wife has already purchased her gifts lol, but now I have to step something up. As for the kids, they will be good. They are all getting some music gear. Possible bass amp for daughter, new(ish) violin and new snare for my sons kit.
Hopefully a loud christmas!

SVT and 8x10 fridge!!!

 

[fretless]

Awesome story and guitar. I've owned a few Yamaha semi-hollows from that era (the smaller bodied AEX-502 and 520). Both were great (never should have sold them). In fact I bought a used Yamaha fretless bass on GC used last week for a Christmas present to myself. Loud Christmas at my house for sure!

 

[blowery]

Awesome story and guitar. I've owned a few Yamaha semi-hollows from that era (the smaller bodied AEX-502 and 520). Both were great (never should have sold them). In fact I bought a used Yamaha fretless bass on GC used last week for a Christmas present to myself. Loud Christmas at my house for sure!

I have been mainly familiar with Yamaha acoustics, played some really nice ones. It seems now those older yamaha's are getting some credit. I had my eye on a really nice Yamaha SBG1802 with P90's, but it was out of my range. This was an excellent surprise.

What were the main differences in models? 800's 2200s 2200s? Was it trim level? Quality? Just curious.

 

[blowery]

Update:
So just for fun my son and I recorded this with the Yamaha. It's done on an iPhone so the quality is terrible lol. We were just jamming and hit on this so I said lets record that, that was fun. And here is the result.


SA1100>ST300>Source Audio Kingmaker (foldover engine)>Ethos ODS>DIG>Brigadier>Flint>Quite 101 mini effects return>Epi 1x12" cab

He's 7, so his tempo is a bit speedy in some places, but overall a blast. You can hear him in the end talking, he was smashing his cymbal so hard he was turning it sideways. Great loud fun!

 

[Rockinrob86]

Great score! I picked up an '80 SA2000 at a pawnshop for $300 last year and it has become one of my favorite guitars - and I have great gibsons, etc.

Even nicer that it was from the family!