Yamaha's Electric Guitars and Basses: A Short History
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- Опубліковано 27 тра 2024
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I've long been fascinated by guitars out of the mainstream. See my long standing association with Strandberg. But what you might not know is there was a time when I gigged a little known Yamaha solid body, the "Image Standard" guitar. It was rare enough not to make it into this "short" history even. But I've been very interested in the Revstars and my friend John Cordy has "helped" in this regard. So this one's been on my list for quite a while. I hope your curiosity overlaps with mine and you enjoy it.
Keith
The modern Revstar line, and now the revamped Pacificas, are some of the absolute best guitars available in their price range. Anybody that has played Yamaha knows they’ve always punched well above their weight class
I've always believed that Yamaha and Ibanez punch well above their weight..
I agree that Yamaha is a bigger bang for the buck.
So so true , have three rev stars various config and because the price for what you get is just beyond belief … also my 79 Yamaha acoustic is just an amazing sounding record ready instrument ..
The Revstar is a lovely guitar at an affordable price.
I have one and it's awesome.
Thanks for the shoutout Keith. Great video!
Thanks Chris
I think its also worth mentioning Japanese Guitarists Issei Noro (Casiopea) and his signature Yamaha Models, as well as Masayoshi Takanaka who had a signature SG guitar. Great video as always!
The entirety of Casiopea back in their hay day all played Yamaha instruments
Not to mention Tetsuo Sakurai's use of the BB2000 around the Mint Jams era among other various Yamaha instruments to this day.
@@josephpbrown i love that guy
@@josephpbrown I was going to say that too. Sakurai was a huge reason for Yamaha's bass development in the 80s. He was given many prototypes and custom models to use and give feedback on. His feedback helped develop the BB3000, BB5000, and the TRB6; all iconic and incredible sounding basses!
Two artists that I feel should've been mentioned were Peter Hook of Joy Division and New Order fame who turned the bassist role completly upside down with his high-note melodic playing, using a BB1200S and John McGeogh whose short stint at Siouxie and The Banshees led to some exellent jangly riffs in songs like Arabian Knights and Spellbound. He used an SG1000.
Hook has a signature model called the BBPH, while McGeogh has a tribute model by Eastwood.
Yamaha even made a Peter Hook signature BB a few years ago, with the reverse P pickup configuration. It's a really nice looking instrument, not often do I find myself tempted by an artist signature model but the BBPH is one I'd love to have.
also Bill Nelson and Stuart Adamson
I was expecting a Peter Hook mention too
And Boz Scaggs I seem to recall
its honestly very odd him not being included but, someone like Billy Sheenhan being put in it. It speaks to me as the (totally ok and natural) bias for guitar virtuoso/heros or "guitarists that exist only for guitarists", especially those of gen x, that exists here on the guitar/bass community on youtube
post punk and goth for example has had a giant resurgence in gen z culture, but keith being obviously no where near these places wouldn't know to capitalize on that. No ill will to keith obviously just kind speaks to the tendencies that exist sometimes
a short history of Guild would also be interesting
The true Epiphone since 1950's
I agree with you: Guild definitely needs a short history video.
I agree.
Once upon a time they were made in my state. (RI)
It was sad when they closed up shop.👍🥃🎸
My first Bass was a Guild B302. Damn Pawn shop stole it from me 😢
I’m interested in hearing more about Guild since they rereleased the S100 Polara this year
Am I the only one who finds it quite astonishing how the reputation for quality of Japanese guitar builds soared from the 60s to the 70s?
Incredible video as always, Keith.
Quite possibly you are.
Japan dominated the home theater/hi-fi/audiophile market for quite a long time starting in the 70s.
@@SpicyTrifongo... Yeah, that's why I was talking about the jump between decades, not epochs.
It's not astonishing if you understand the very Philosophy behind Japanese design and craftsmanship and their culture. In Japan it's rare that if someone starts doing poor work they need to be fired, because they just may consider themselves a failure and commit suicide, before the poor work is even detected! To them integrity, performance, and achievement counts way more than fame, fortune, recognition or power.
The reason it wasn't much better before then is because electric guitars weren't even a big thing at all there, and the first ones to have them made there were Americans who didn't have the same standards, and well the Japanese had a hard time living with it!
I would say its because the boomers became of age and were making music. They didn't hold the same grudge against Japan as their parents generation may have because of its actions in WW2. By the 60s and 70s people were more open to buying from Japan including electronics and cars.
The Yamaha SG guitars were really popular in the 80s British post punk and new wave era ,
John McGeoch's SG 1000 has a tribute copy made by Eastwood now
A couple notable players missed. John McGeoch from Magazine, Siouxsie and the Banshees & PIL. John Frusciante has also been known to use the Yamaha SG's over the last decade. I'm looking forward to more histories of less appreciated brands! Doing an amazing job Keith!!
I always felt weird buying a musical instrument from the same company that I buy dirt bikes from. I know they make good instruments, and I know it’s all in my head, but it just doesn’t seem right. That said, I love my YZ250. Imagine buying a Fender dirt bike.
I understand what you’re saying. I remember when Hyundai made IBM compatible PC’s, competing with Dell and IBM.
I’ve learned that it’s all about marketing the brand name. So once Yamaha made their name in dirt bikes, they leveraged their name and easily entered the musical instrument market.
That could be a real cool dirt bike. But it’s more likely a scooter. 🛴
Same. I always like to think "be the best in one thing than average in multiple things".
Same roots, two different companies.
@@KarlMmmWhen it comes to their musical instruments, they're never the best in a category but they're never just average. Their instruments are always well regarded from student to pro level. That's incredibly impressive to me. Conn-Selmer is the closest to Yamaha in diversity, but they're still only in the wind instrument world. They also grew via mergers and acquisitions, unlike Yamaha.
I have a Strat and wanted the Les Paul sound, tried many Les Pauls and ended up getting a Japanese Revstar HH, feels and sounds Stellar, I opened the box that came from Japan here in Chile and the guitar was 95% in tune, never looked back!! thanx for the video !!
As a drummer Yamaha has always been a central brand nice to see people coming around to the quality of their guitars.
When my little sister passed away 11 years ago, I was given her bass guitar, the Yamaha RBX800A. It’s the only physical memory I have of her. That plus an old chair. But that bass plays and sounds like a dream. Very comfortable, especially for a guitar player. I will never sell that bass for obvious reasons. ❤
In the early eighties every professional band in the Netherlands had a guitar player with a Yamaha SG2000. They were seen as Les Paul killers. But like Les Pauls they were heavy. Maybe that’s why you don’t see them anymore. I always liked the model though.
Thanks, Keith! 😊❤
Recently, on a whim, I picked up a RBX200F bass. It wasn’t until I got home that I realized that it was a fretless. It needs a lot of TLC, but from what I see, it has potential to be a decent bass. I was surprised at how light it is. I think it’s from around 1989, but if anyone can give me more information I would appreciate it.
Everything that I have owned made by Yamaha has been of the highest quality - from motorcycles (R1) to the engine in my Ford Puma (developed by Yamaha) to the recorders my children played in primary school. All fabulous. Thank you for another entertaining and educational video, Keith.
Oh yes, the R1. A legendary motorcycle when originally launched on the unsuspecting world. Also, I happen to like Fords, and I didn't know that Yamaha had been involved in developing engines for Ford. Which exact engine is this? Is it an ecoboost triple or 4 cylinder ecoboost?
Myself. I even had the yamaha 6 channel PA with the 2 15" speaker boxes. Sounded fantastic for 6 channels but not overly powerful. I think it was 150watt per side built in. Much higher quality than the Peavy stuff at the time which seemed everywhere.
@@richardconway6425 Hi, the engine in question was a four cylinder 1.4cc motor. In the UK it was fitted into a small FWD coupe called the Puma in the late 1990/early 2000s. Not sure if it ever saw the light of day in anything else. 🙂
@@thenovello-pugh yes, I know exactly what you're talking about. They were popular here. A really nice, stylish little coupe/hatchback that was apparently great to drive. When you said puma, I'm afraid I inevitably assumed it was the much newer puma, which is a compact 'crossover', and which is also apparently great to drive (being based on the modern fiesta platform)
I had a Yamaha G I 12 amplifier back in early 80's great Amp
I am so glad that you did this Keith. I am a huge fan of Yamaha guitars, and I think they are very underrated. My first electric guitar was an SG200, which I bought in 1986. It was double cutaway, twin humbucker (uncovered, in cream), deep dark natural wood finish, had a through neck, lovely wide oval satin frets and a nice (relatively) wide, flat rosewood fingerboard. It had a simple and perfectly engineered bridge and string trapping arch, which was all finished in flawless chrome. It was just so well made, beautifully built. The quality of the wood and sculpting of the through neck was just superb. As I recently said of well made ES 335's, it felt like a proper musical instrument.
It was actually quite inexpensive, which made its build quality all the more remarkable. But the way it sounded - oh my - in the hands of a good player, it was absolutely knockout. I was fortunate to know a few other really good players at college, and one in particular had spent years listening to Eric Clapton and live Cream albums. I couldn't wait to hear him play it, and I wasn't disappointed. With an absolute minimum of effects, just a little reverb and gain, all supplied by the amp, it sounded absolutely fantastic. So true to the original Clapton les paul sound. It had a wonderful, natural sustain, and that classic solid body, twin humbucker sound. It didn't sound anything like as 'woody' as Gibson SG's or some Les Pauls. It had a somehow more 'modern' sound, which I really liked, but it was still faithful enough to the original, bonafide sound of those classic gibson instruments to be a no-brainer for anyone who loved blues rock, folk rock, or just pure, melodic rock. It's more 'modern' character also made it a very good fit for more modern forms of rock, like metal, glam-metal, any type of melodic rock really. I specifically say melodic because it had such a nice tone, which really flattered melodic playing.
The only downside to it was weight, and it did feel a bit heavy, but then it was an inexpensive guitar. I don't think there were any hollowed out sections in the body, which is probably why the thing felt like it was hewn from solid rock.
There were absolutely beautiful versions of this guitar, much higher up in Yamaha's range, like the SG 1300T (with tremelo), the SG 2000, and the stunning SG/SBG 3000, which really did cost in the thousand pounds + range. I think Keith showed at least a couple of pictures of this. It had a neck edge bound in ivory and beautiful edge work in mother of pearl around the body. Without a doubt, an exceptionally attractive and desirable guitar. From just an aesthetic and quality of build perspective, it was in my view, as desirable as any of the most desirable guitars in the world, including, of course, any of the special les Paul's. I don't know for sure, but I would imagine that original examples of this guitar would be very sought after and fetch substantial money. Not silly money, but still serious money.
I would love to hear from anyone who owned and played an original SG 2000/3000 back in the 80's and 90's. What was it like? What did it sound like? Do you still own it?
I still have my SG 200. Although I don't play very much these days, I just can't bear the thought of parting with it. It has a special place in my heart, and this video very much reminded me of this.
i have a cream 200 from 83 and a 1500 1976 also a 300 500 600 700 and an 1820a
@@MrGarydry wow! That's quite a little collection you've got there ... but ... which one is your favourite? Which one sounds the best?
I have a 79 Lord Player Black Beauty. Ive played it 4 hours a night for 4 years when i bought it starting the pandemic. I wanted a real BB but the price and condition made me pull the trigger. Oh its calling; "yeah baby?" Oh its diatonic scales time? I brt baby!!
Later boys!! ✊🏿
@@6nosis what is a 'Lord Player Black Beauty' ? I'm sorry, but I have no idea what that is .... perhaps you could explain?
I have an amazing Yamaha BB N4II which I bought at the Bass Cellar on Denmark Street in London back in 1998. My old bass teacher told me if I ever sold it I had to sell it to him, but 26 years later I still have it and I could honestly say I would run into a burning building to save it.
The SA2200 is a 335 type guitar to rival Gibson. It's simply the best guitar I've ever owned. Such a great neck, the versatility of its tones, and sheer quality of fit and finish. I also have a Gibson LP Std, ES175, a Tele and some very good Strats to compare it with .
I missed SA2200 in the video, as well as Superflighter.
The Rich Lasner designed Weddingtons (especially the Weddington Custom) and the upper end Pacificas from the late 80's and early 90's were as good or better than anything at the time. In my personal opinion, they are still amazing guitars. I wish I still owned the '87 Weddington Custom I had back in the day. I still have a Pacifica 1221MS that I will never sell. It's that good and compares favorably to my American made Hamer, Jackson, PRS and Suhr guitars. I can't recommend high end Yamaha guitars enough. Seriously great.
I still have two of Rich Lasners custom shop guitars. A Weddington Classic and a Pacifica 1421 (one of 50 in the world). I also have other Yamaha electrics, Guild S300D, hardtail strat, G&L ASAT Special, Yamaha SLG100 and a new Yamaha FSX5
It's also worth mentioning that the Twelfth Doctor, Peter Capaldi's doctor, played a SGV-800. I assume Peter just wanted to show off that he could play
Top vid Keith. I’ve ALWAYS said that Yammies are the best bang for the buck instruments since the 90s.
My early 70s sa-30t is incredible too. The company has never made a bad product imo
Former Triumph guitarist Rik Emmett played and endorsed Yamaha guitars for some time. His white double neck Yamaha was used on a number of tours as well!
Before I even watch the video, I wanna say thanks for featuring this iconic brand and having a separate segment specifically about Yamaha guitars. I'm hoping the release of the new Pacifica lines, and Revstar models being back in stock, will give more people a chance to enjoy these excellent guitars. With the wide range of prices they offer various models at, there's really no reason NOT to try one? I play my black heavily modded Revstar Element more than any other guitar I currently own. It would cost nearly $1k to build one exactly like it, but these are the kind of guitars I've become accustomed to playing. I've dubbed it the DEATHSTAR. It's now a one of a kind monster that I'm hoping will continue blowing people's minds for years. Thanx for all the hard work you put into this guitar retrospective series. It's great. Peace.
Sweet! My main bass is a Yamaha. Ridiculously consistent QC considering the scale we’re talking.
Thanks Keith!
My local music gear shop turned me onto the Revstar. I'm a new player (about 1.5 yrs) and I'd only ever played one electric guitar -- an ESP Ltd ps1000 xtone. An excellent guitar, but inspired by videos like yours, I wanted to try other things, see what I was missing. So I went to the local shop and played some es335s, some strats, a couple PRSs, some Les Pauls, a really nice dangelico semi hollow, and a killer tele with two humbuckers.
A guy working at the shop said I should check the Revstar, so I grabbed one with P90s and was instantly in love.
I gave it a few weeks, daydreamed about that guitar, came back and played again to see if I'd overblown the whole thing in my mind, and still found it to fit me perfectly.
I ordered a swift blue loaded with P90s and I couldn't be happier.
Thanks for everything you do, Keith! Your videos inspire me to try new things and expand my musical horizon!
Fantastic video once again! One of my main guitars is a Yamaha Revstar RSP02T, a Pro Series Made in Japan model with P90's. There's just something very special about that guitar.
It just felt like home when I picked it up, it was very clear that they had designed this guitar with input from players. It's insanely balanced, has one of the best upper fret access I've ever came across, stays in tune, intonates and I love the way the pickups sound. Of course, the craftmanship from Yamaha Japan is amazing. Love the satin neck with the stainless frets. The ergonomics are what I really noticed when I first played the guitar: the cutouts, the balance and where the player is in relation to the neck and body just felt.. well perfect to me. No neck dive etc.
I was so taken by the Revstar that I also bought an SG1000 from 2006 as well. It's also a flawless guitar that sings like no tomorrow and the quality on that guitar is also superb.
Hope to try the new Pacifica's out as well, really like what they did with the new models. Timeless, yet fresh, just like the Revstar's.
So cool to see attention given to the SG-SBG Series, played by Takanaka and Santana..
My very first guitar was a 91 RGX112. I got it for Christmas in 91. I learned how to play guitar on that one and played it for decades. Over the years i have boughten a number of big name guitars, but to this day whenever I pick up my RGX112 it still feels like home.
This was an excellent video.
My Yamaha 1966 SG3 is a joy to play.
Yamaha guitars were huge in the U.K. Post Punk era. Great players like Magazine’s John McGeoch, Big Country/The Skids’ Stuart Adamson and a host of others made the Yamaha SG series the “Post Punk guitar of choice”!
Love that you did Yamaha! Super underrated. I only discovered Yamaha (as an instrument company) after 16 years of playing because I started getting into 80s Japanese jazz fusion for no apparent reason.
A ton of people used Yamaha over the years but I found out about them through Phil X. He used a few SBG’s when he joined Bon Jovi and I always thought those guitars looked kickass!
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this particular video series about Yamaha guitars, but Keith… Once again, you have hit it out of the park with a comprehensive overview that was fascinating and informative! Keep delving deep, my friend, because you are mining pure gold!
Back in '91, I was moved from NJ to MD. I had a black Kingston Strat style guitar that I got from the Sears catalog for $130. A buddy I met there had a Yamaha "Superstrat" with a curvy body shape, light blue metallic finish, and H/S/S pickup configuration. I wasn't a very good player, but my buddy could make that Yamaha SCREAM! I became fascinated with Yamahas, but I never hear much good about their newer guitars and basses.
Got a Japanese Revstar, an Indonesian one and an '84 SA1200s. Absolutely love them. Dream guitar is a flying Samurai....it will be mine
Thanks to Yamaha for making such great guitars accessible. I wouldn't have gotten into Bass without my TRBX-174.
I’ve owned and played a Yamaha SA-220 built in about 1972, for decades. It’s a lawsuit-Gibson ES-335, plays like butter, and sounds fantastic, with no fixed neck or headstock issues at all.
Great video. I missed Link Wrays SG-2. The second picture of Troy van Leeuwen is a SA503TVL - his signature guitar from Yamaha.
In my opinion, those Revstars have the coolest styling. I love the pointy double-cut aspect, as well as the sharp, clean lines. The headstock is simple, yet classy. I love the tones of the P90 models, and some day it SHALL be mine!
I own a lot of Yamaha gear. Basses, guitars, digital and analog mixers, and keyboards. Made my living the past 30 years mixing on their large format consoles. High quality dependable stuff in my opinion.
I have a 1969 Yamaha SG 5. I played it as a punk buzz guitar (through a H/H solid state combo, now long gone) and it remains my favourite guitar. I got it in 1978, and very soon many British new wave bands discovered the SG2000. Leading the way was John McGeogh of Siouxsie and the Banshees. After that, Yamaha has always been regarded as a brand of renown.
I bought the latest Revstar with P-90s. It’s a truly fantastic guitar!
I have a 1980 Japanese SG-1000 and it is the best playing guitar in my collection. The quality of materials and craftsmanship surpass any of my Fenders and Gibsons. It is the only guitar I would never consider selling.
70's era SA2000, SG1000S, SG2000, early 80's SG1300T , 90's SA2200 and YSG some of the most wonderfully made & sounding instruments I own (comparing very favourably to my Gibsons and Fenders). Massively under rated. Do lack a certain "poseurs" cred and that imo held them back.
Yamaha is a brand revered and adored by everyone else....except by the guitar world. Despite making very good instruments, and endorsements be Michael Lee Firkins, Santana, Nathan East and Michael Anthony and even anps designed by Mike Soldano, they still so underrated. Yet they thrive... May they finally have their place not just in the Rising Sun, but in many pro guitarists households too
Can’t forget the Watermelon Plaid that Blues Saraceno used!
My father has a SG2000 in vintage burst. I love this guitar so much. He traded in his Les Paul back in the days. He was sad about that later, but I am happy he did that. This Yamaha is Wonderful. There are so many Les Pauls, but not so many of these...
It plays soll well, never experienced a guitar like this.
Those Santana tones on that guitar....Epic era for Carlos
My first guitar was a Yamaha FG 335 my parents bought me in 1980. I still have it and the frets are almost nonexistent but it has really sweetened over the years and it sounds glorious. It was around $150 give or take, best bang for buck guitar I’ve ever had by far. I would someday like to get a Revstar assuming I can find one that is 7 pounds or less. Love the weekend videos Keith!
I played a MIM Strat and Pacifica at American Music in Fremont in ‘95 and bought the Pacifica. Still have it, I love it.
This was great. Yamaha hasn't really been on my radar until, oddly enough: In the manga/anime Bocchi the Rock, the main character ends up buying a Yamaha Pacifica with a humbucker and a P90 towards the end of the show, when her dad's Les Paul Custom starts to need some work and she needs a guitar of her own. Then a few months later, I learned that one of my favourite bassists - Tony Kanal from No Doubt - has been using a BB for pretty much his entire career. Taken together, a BB is definitely on my short-list of basses to consider one day.
Thank you, another excellent video on a great musical instrument company. Yamaha has built their reputation through hard work and listening to the people who play their guitars, and this is why they have become so well-known and sought after.
So glad you included the basses because the Space Age ones from the 1960s have always intrigued me. Also interesting to learn how the Indonesian modern versions of their instruments measure up so high. As always, an excellent video that gear heads will refer to for years to come. Rock on!
I just got my first yamaha guitar a couple months ago after 20 years of playing and love it!
Great video Keith, but I'm sad you forgot the GOAT! As a 22 year old jazzer, alt rock, and metal guy, I can say for sure that when I think of the venerable Yamaha electrics lineup, my mind first turns to the guitar giant Masayoshi Takanaka, sporting his blue Yamaha SG. If you haven't taken the time to check out any of his A material, seriously do so, you're missing out on some of the slickest fusion guitar ever recorded.
My early '90s SA2100 (still) plays like a dream, and the build quality is tops. (And yeah, I still have the FG200 flattop I bought when I was kid - use it for teaching!)
The Spiders with their sweet SA-50s! I've got an SA-30T guitar and an SA-70 bass, both from around 1970. Killer instruments.
Ive had a BB-G5a for the last almost 20 years. found it second hand in a music store for super cheap when i was 15 and its still so much fun to play.
I remember the older flattops they made with the orange sticker in the sound hole sounded great. My dad started teaching me on one until the neck warped.
Great video as always! Yamaha takes me back to when I started playing. I had a Washburn acoustic, and my buddy who lived behind me had a Yamaha. The Washburn was a darker sounding instrument with very plain looks…no binding, chrome hardware. My friend’s Yamaha had beautiful cream binding and gold hardware. And the tone was so much better…those old Yamaha acoustics (RG series I think) are gems!
I knew we would see Andy Taylor in this one. But Bob Marley?
That was a blessing
The world needs to hear more of him.
Thank you for dropping the knowledge!
Thanks for doing this Keith. I didn’t think you would!
where would guitarists be without yamaha! i rarely fanboy over brands but yamaha really sits close to my heart
Count on me for the Rickenbacker 2x vidéo. Maybe we can discuss in April over a croissant and a café-crème? You just made my Sunday morning coffee a Real delight!
I saw a Revstar in a shop in 2016 or 17 when I was there for something else. I was struck by the elegance and utility of the design, from the simple Tele style controls to the carved neck heel to the fully adjustable wrap tail bridge. It was all so...fit for purpose. Purposeful. I liked it on sight.
New models of Revstar lost the adjustable wrap around bridge, in favor of tune-o-matic ones. That's a feature I dislike in the new models. I did love that wrap around bridge.
I play one of the new line of BB electric basses. In a lot of ways it mimicks a Fender PJ style instrument, but there are a lot of fine details where it improves on Fender's design. 6 bolt neck with the bottom two at a 45° angle to ensure that the neck fits very snugly in the pocket; through-body stringing also at a 45° angle to prevent bass strings from snapping or slipping off the core, battery box on active instruments with an LED indicator to show when the battery is starting to run low, active/passive switch so you can bypass the preamp... even the Indonesian made models are consistently very well put together. While it's accurate to say that they're good instruments for the price you pay, that's underselling the fact that they're good instruments, full stop.
I'd love to get my hands on one of those T style Yamaha guitars...
There is no brand like Yamaha, they produce different things, from motorcycles, boats, audio equipment and much more, but in everything they do, they do it well!. Massive respect!.
Thanks, very informative video!
As a SA-2200 and AE-1200 owner I can confirm the company has kept its high quality standards over the years
Back in school i remember our music class having alot of those entry levels pacificas. I didn't think too much about them at the time but my love for yamaha has grown in the years both guitar and bass. Especially after seeing a pink haired introvert bought a pacifica 611VFM and a drunk bassist play a TRB1004J
bocchi the rock ref? (Hope the guy see this)
As a repairman, I have had many come across my bench, and knew how underrated their guitars were decades ago, and when I ask someone "What make and model" most tell me "It's just a cheap Yamaha", and when they do I always say: "Why would you say that? Those are great guitars"! I know I will not be dealing with warped necks with insufficient truss rods (looking at you Fender) or other major issues, unless they went through some seriously violent event, and the sad part is that most don't have the fret wear one would expect on a well played and loved guitar, to which I always suggest the client start giving it some.
If you come across one, just shut up and buy it! I would rather have a used beat up Yamaha than any modern major brand's "Low cost Alternative" instrument, and even over some of the high cost American offerings from Fender and Gibson where 2/3ds of the price is just a meaningless name of companies that embellish terrible not very good to begin with designs with fancy woods, finishes and circuitry, as if that can fix bad structural integrity!
I always thought they had a good reputation amongst guitarists a lot of people rave about their SA2200 semi which is a fantastic guitar.I think they have made the best guitars ignored by short sighted guitarists and put their rivals to shame for sheer quality ,playability and sound.
I owned one of the 1st gen Revstars in a gorgeous deep green. I sold it a few years ago to fund a new Tele, but I still miss it. Incredible instrument.
Thank you for sharing this story of Yamaha. They need more love!
Had a 1967 Yamaha SG3 for years. Loaded it with Cool Rails, and it just sang. Quite a heavy guitar, but amazing rich tone and sustain. Annoying zero fret. Trem assembly with rollers on the bridge was streets ahead of Fender JM equivalent. A mate had the 12-string version - way cool.
I never took Yamaha seriously until they released the new version of the Revstar Standard with p90s. I've been longing for it since, but it's always out of stock, or im broke when it is shorty in stock. I finally got to buy one and even though its only been with me for 2 days it has become my favorite guitar in my collection. The build quality is phenomenal, it looks gorgeous, and plays and sounds like a dream. Definitely a brand worth checking out and im so glad that i did. Now i want the Pacifica Standard Plus as an upgrade to my G&L Tribute S-500
I still have my 1987 Yamaha SJ550-HR. It's a weird hybrid of a Tele with humbucking pickups. I switched out the original pickups with DiMarzios. Still my favorite guitar after 35 years, and will probably be buried with me.
I have had a few Yamahas over the years and played many more and rarely not the answer when someone says "what should I buy?". My current favourite guitar ever is my 2020ish SA-2200 which is exceptional, going from mellow jazz to sparkling tele and heavy rock without any effort at all. It's hard to describe the joy it brings, but it is the one which will be rescued from the burning fire, and the fender, gibson and lowden languish behind.
That 1978 SBG-2000 is from the Reverb store for Guitar Showcase
I played a fretless BB back in the early-90's. I was still mostly a double bassist then but I remember it being a very well-made and fine sounding instrument. Getting back to playing after a decade-long exile, arthritis & nerve damage made double bass nearly impossible for long gigs and what I wanted to do with my playing. I started with Fender Jazz (2016 American Standard, defretted) , then Precision (Tony Franklin) basses - so modified that they could have been custom, before settling on a Godin A4. But if I could've had that Yamaha BB bass back, I'd probably be playing it now. Yamaha is almost a unique company in not only how many products they manufacture - need an E-bike? Or a trumpet? or an ATV? - but they also seem to make everything very well.
Another great video Keith. I currently have a Pacifica 612 HFM (humbucker and P90). Outstanding guitar. Back in my younger days day I saved and bought myself a shiny new red RGX312 with a Floyd. But it got stolen. It was a killer guitar. They actually had a 24 3/4 scale length 24 fret neck. Fun fact: check out the familiar Yamaha guitar that Peter Capaldi's Dr Who played in a few episodes. The tank scene with a pinch of "Eruption" and "Tie Your Mother Down" will bring a smile to Yamaha guitar lover's faces. 😁
Play an RGX to this day as my main. Absolutely love it, the tone, the feel, everything.
Keith, good video. Think a section on the Martin Booth designed MSG models should have been included. Martin is a top luthier making his own guitars and has worked on many of my guitars
I love the video Masayoshi Takanaka and Santana duel wielding their SG's in japan!
My first “Real” guitar was a Yamaha RGX112 in about 1986. The music store owner talked me into buying it because I couldn’t afford a Jackson. I didn’t realize until a friend pointed it out, but it was a full 2 octave 24 fret guitar. I wish I could find it and buy it back.
In the 80's RGX era, they had a strong response to Ibanez's RG shred movement by releasing an amazing line of pro RGX neck-thrus. They were endorsed by Rik Emmett of Triumph, an amazing Canadian guitarist who is known for his wide range of recordings. The passive RGX 1220, 1212, and 1221 are rare finds but well worth the money. I have a RGZ 621P from '91 that is still one of my go-tos. Haven't found anything that can beat it. You could throw it off of a 10 story building and it will still be in tune sounding great. Actually, I think it has been thrown off a building or two.
My first guitar is a Yamaha Pacifica, I love this guitar so much…
Indonesia is killing it lately. All of the Squier Indonesia builds are fantastic.
The second picture of Troy Van Leeuwen has him playing his signature model, the SA-503 TVL. That guitar rips. The middle P-90’s reverse-wound, so when it’s on it’s like two massive humbuckers on.
LOVED the video Keith! I got my first new electric in 1982(ish): an all black Yamaha "SE300H." I saved all year, and by Christmas my dad was going to match what I made, then we'd take a trip to the music store and pick one out. So Christmas morning rolls around and after all the presents were unwrapped, and after lunch, dad says, "what's that behind the chair...?" It was a leather gig bag containing the Yamaha. A very fond memory :)
I had a friend that owned a Yamaha acoustic guitar in the 80's that his parents bought for him for Christmas. They didn't pay more than $150 for it but it had the best tone and playability and easily rivaled some of my other friends that owned Gibson and Taylor acoustics .
I went on to rely on Yamaha PA equipment in my adulthood , the stuff was unbreakable and and great sounding .
I absolutely believe that Yamaha makes solid instruments and should be held in much higher regard .
After many years of looking, I found an SBG 2000 several years ago. It's one of my absolute favourites - other than its weight. It makes a non-chambered Les Paul feel light.
There was also an SG/SBG 3000, which was an even more ornate version of the 2000 and (I believe) uniquely available with a gold top.
Although not cheap when they came out, I've heard it said that Yamaha lost money on every SG/SBG 2000/3000. I can believe it, seeing the insane build quality and attention to detail.
Love the time devoted to the SG/SBG line. I have an '83 SBG500 and it's an incredible instrument.
ooh, could you please tell me about your SBG 500. Like what colour is it, natural wood finish or painted, pick ups covered or exposed, etc. What kind of music do you like to play on it? I'm assuming various flavours of rock or metal, but which exact flavours?
I ask because I still have my lovely '86 SG 200. I wrote a lot about it on the main comments page.
@@richardconway6425 it's red with cream uncovered humbuckers, chrome hardware. I play mostly rock based guitar but it does anything really well as far as versatile tones go, like you can get really mellow jazzy sounds out of it too. It plays incredibly well and is built like a Mack truck.
@@mitchpattimusic yep, thanks for that mitch, that all sounds perfectly right to me.
Great to see some Yamaha love! I started with a Yamaha bass (BB-G5) more than 25 years ago, and I still have it. The rest of my band also played Yamaha (an RGX 721, an AES 800B, and even Yamaha drums, Stage Custom iirc). The history of BB basses could be a video on its own, they continue to be really popular for a reason. Same for the Pacifica guitars. Also great to see that Yamaha now came up with a distinctive look across many of their models with the love-it-or-hate-it cut-off pickguard which is now also on the new Pacificas after the Revstar and the BB basses. The only issue that I see with Yamaha is that their instruments are always a bit boring, but that's because they're just consistently very good, no matter which price level you choose. You always know what you're getting, no surprises.
Canadian Triumph guitarist, Rik Emmett was a big Yamaha endorser in the 80s & 90s. He also did a "Star Licks" instructional video featuring his custom SBG3000 that I think you would really enjoy ;) (That video is on UA-cam... sans his unique pre-tab note booklet) Cheers!
My brother owned the Bass version of the RGXA2, loved that thing. The Volume and Tone pot had LED lights that turned on when plugged into an Amp. Wish he had never sold it, oh well.
I love my Pacifica. I bought it so I wouldn't wear down my expensive fender. The Yamaha gets all the love these day while the fender sits in the closet. When I bought it I decided to slap stickers on it because I was never a sticker guitar guy and it was cheap enough that it wouldn't matter and it would lower the resale value so I wouldn't sell it in tough times. I'm going to buy another one when I can spring for it, everything about them just fits me perfect. Awesome video, thank you!
I learn something new on this channel with every new episode. And I grew up in the music biz, made my living in it too. 65yrs. young and going strong.
Great item. I love my sg3000!
I bought a used TRB-5 bass because I thought that Nathan East had one (wrong). Later I wanted a fret-less version. I found out that they made a bolt on TRB1005FL and a neck though version. The difference was an additional piezo bridge pickup and the price - DOUBLE!. So I did what any manufacturing engineer would do: I bought the cheaper on and installed piezo bridge pieces. It can do 80s "yew-dee-do" and upright bass mimic. Its the beautiful configured maple top.
The bonus is that my wife has told me I must never sell it!
Last year I picked up a hollow body SA-20 from 1968, a 12-string version of the SA-50 produced in the late 60ies. The craftsmanship is amazing, with many design innovative details (NC single coils p.u., baffled f-holes, headstock shape, aluminium truss rod cover, etc) and a super sound. I recently played a 1971 SA-50 in a shop in Osaka and wasn't disappointed. A great range of vintage guitars with a solid build quality (but a narrow 39 mm nut!)
The greatest guitar I ever played didn’t even appeal to me on sight. It was a Yamaha Lord Player in a music store in Japan. I still felt curious enough to play the guitar and to my surprise, I played better than I had in a long time. The guitar really inspired me. I wasn’t a fan of Japanese guitars at the time, but I tried to buy the Lord Player, but it belonged to a staff member. 😢
This was great to see. Well done for mentioning Rich Lasner who also created the Ibanez RG guitars and the Vox Virage played by Prince. Yamaha is extraordinary in that it's such a huge company but has made some of the highest quality guitars (not even mentioning pianos and brass instruments) since the 1970s. What I think you left out: people would be fascinated that Yamaha got on board with the so-called 'lawsuit' guitars, producing the 'Studio Lord' Les Paul clones in the '70s.
I also think that this marketing is a little misleading. The Mike Stern model was a Pacifica. I have a Pacifica 904 (which you showed) and it matches the new Japanese made Pacificas spec for spec. The original Pacificas were carve top, high end shred monsters. What I'm saying is that Yamaha has produced top end pro guitars for a long time. It's just that they weren't getting the marketing right. That all changed with the Revstar and now they're applying the same marketing approach to the Pacifica. Part of that is convincing people that they've 'finally' produced and aspirational guitar. The truth is that players who know have loved their pro instruments for a long time.