First,YAMAHAIn creating the original electric guitar, Genichi Kawakami, then president of YAMAHA, told the company to "be original in every way.

That is also the reasonYAMAHA SGThe history of YAMAHA guitars dates back to the production of classical guitars in 1946. Fifteen years later, in 1961, Yamaha began producing dynamic guitars. (A dynamic guitar is a model that allows steel strings to be attached to a classical guitar.) The dynamic guitar was made by incorporating the surface diaphragm resonance theory patented by guitarist and composer Ito Osuke, and although a prototype was completed in 1952, it was not until 1961 that it was ready for mass production. Five years later, in 1966, the FG acoustic guitar went on sale, and coinciding with the folk boom of the late 1960s, the FG was used for many needs from that time.

A year earlier, in 1965, YAMAHA established an electric guitar development team.1965The year 1965 was also the year when the Ventures made their first visit to Japan with full members and the electric guitar boom hit Japan. The team was established in 1965, just one year before the establishment of the team, using the development technology for classical guitars and dynamic guitars that had been produced up to that time.1Only one year later1966year of the founding of the team4In the month ofYAMAHAwas the first electric guitar(S-201/S-302)The first electric guitar (S-201/S-302) is released to the world.

The "Blue Jeans Custom" model, which appeared in the movie "Young Master of Electric Guitars" released in December 1965, made Yamaha's electric guitars well known to the public. Incidentally, the Blue Jeans Custom was created by a specialized team separate from the regular YAMAHA electric guitar production team, which was disbanded when the guitar was completed. The Blue Jeans Custom was constantly popular, and in August 1966, the commercial version of the Blue Jeans Custom, the SG-5/SG-7, was released.

In the 1970s, Led Zeppelin made their first visit to Japan, and the demand for electric guitars in Japan increased. Around this time, Les Paul copy models were also being sold by Greco and other companies, and there was an increasing need for authentic "real" electric guitars rather than originality.

Therefore, YAMAHA decided to fully remodel the SG. The SG-80 and SG-40/SG-60/SG-80 were released in April 1972 with a single-cut body shape like the Les Paul with German curve-like edging.
After Led Zeppelin's visit to Japan in 1972, Japanese electric guitar brands began to focus on copying models.

Despite these circumstances, YAMAHA continued to pursue originality and released the SG-30/SG-35 in November 1973.
These bodies had a symmetrical double-cutaway shape, which is similar to the current SG body shape. About a year later, in November 1974, the SG-175, the origin of the current SG, was released, featuring the SG-175's archtop body and shape, as well as many of the iconic SG specifications such as the arrow position mark. The SG-175 had become the perfection of what users were looking for. However, YAMAHA did not stop there, but pushed forward to achieve even greater heights. The first step was to bring the SG-175 to Carlos Santana and ask his opinion.

Santana told us, "SG is too light, so you can't gain sustain. It needs to be more robust. After that, YAMAHA continued to listen to Santana's opinion sincerely and received an order from him. The result was the Budda SG. The Buddha SG is based on the SG-175, with minor specification changes and a large Buddha inlay on the top of the body. There were several prototypes of the Budda SG, but the final specifications include a T-cross one-piece neck / sustain plate under the bridge / OPG-1 pickups. The above specifications were also used in the SG-2000 to be sold later, showing Carlos Santana's contribution to the history of the YAMAHA SG.

Santana is BuddhaSG-2000in his live performances, he has received many comments from overseas?!and it became a hot topic of conversation,YAMAHAThe first guitar to be sold in response to these requests was the "Santana" guitar, which was released in 1983. In response to these requests, the "Santana" guitar was put on sale.SG-2000SG-2000.

SG-2000was launched in1976year7Month,SGSales of SG1966Since then, we have sold about10After a lapse of about three yearsSGis finally completed.SG-2000is the BuddhaSGspecifications, and the workmanship was able to meet the demands of the users.
SG-2000Six months after the start of sales of theSG-500/SG-700/SG-1000will be put on the market.This3This model has a set-neck structure,SG-2000and are differentiated from the SG-2000. Among themSG-1000is newly equipped with Bi-Sound and Direct Circuit,YAMAHA SGas a representative model ofSG-2000and is comparable to the SG-2000.

In the 1980s, hard rock/heavy metal music began to gain popularity, and as the variety of amps/effectors increased, SGs faced a major problem: feedback.
The SG-3000 was introduced in September 1982 as the flagship model of the SG series. The new arrow position mark and the outer binding made of luxurious Avalon give it a look befitting of a high-end model.

The SG-3000 is equipped with a PU that uses YAMAHA's newly developed Spinex magnet and a nickel-white bass plate, and the PU cover is fully covered instead of open, and paraffin treatment has been applied to reduce the possibility of feedback. The PU cover is fully covered instead of open to prevent feedback.
Various variations of the Yamaha SG were subsequently released, making it a series that cannot be overlooked in the history of Japanese electric guitars.

1966Year4Month S-201/S-302 (Release1Months laterSG-2andSG-3Model renamed to) Released

1966Year8Converted the "Blue Jeans Custom" model to commercial use in June.SG-5/SG-7for commercial use.

1972Year SG-40/SG-60/SG-80

1973In 1973, a full model change was made,SG30/SG35was launched.

1974Year11In May, the modernYAMAHA SGIt can be said that it is the perfection type ofSG-175is now on sale.

1976Year SG700/SG1000/SG2000 Released

The SG1000 Metallic Blue was produced in November and December 1982 and September 1983 in a limited edition of 460 pieces.
Metalic Blue was the first limited edition color of the SG1000, and at the time of its release, it excited fans of Masayoshi Takanaka.

The SG1000 went on sale in 1976, the same year as the SG2000, and while the SG2000 used a T-cross one-piece neck construction (so-called through neck), the SG1000 uses a set neck construction. Most of the parts are the same as those used on the SG2000, but it does not have a sustain plate, and the wood material is a simple maple 2-piece top and mahogany back.

The SG1000 features a direct circuit and bi-sound. The Direct Circuit is a feature that makes the sound signal completely independent of ground when the Volume and Tone are set to full 10. This prevents high frequency components from being lost to ground, resulting in a brighter sound. The bi-sound has a push/push tone pot that can be used for coil tapping. Both of these features are new to SG1000.

The set neck is also secured with a bolt, which is a new feature for the SG1000.1983This is no longer seen after the middle of 2006.

yamaha sgWhile still following in the lineage of theSG2000and the "set-neckedSGThe model that established the "set-neck SGSG1000is the SG1000.

Sound Impression

Set neck construction,PUAlnicoVtoAWG#42The combination of AWG#42 and AWG#42 gives it a classical tone, but the midrange is similar to that of other Japanese makers of this era.

SGThe balance between the stickiness and crispness when distorted, combined with the tightness characteristic of the SG, is very pleasing.The power is relatively high, so there is no noticeable drop in power when switching to bi-sound, and it is still usable.

[SPEC].
BODY: Maple Top/Mahogany Back
NECK:Maple/Mahogany 3P
FINGERBOARD:Ebony
PICKUP:OPG-I

SG2000 Deep Purple was a limited edition of 600 pieces produced in July and August 1981.
In 1980, to commemorate the 4th anniversary of the SG2000, the first SG limited editions in Black and Blue were sold, so Deep Purple is the third limited edition of the SG2000. Other than the color, the specifications are the same as the other SG2000 models.

The SG2000 will go on sale in 1976.
Carlos Santana was greatly involved in the birth of the SG2000, and Santana, who was using an SG175 at the time, asked YAMAHA to custom order one for him.
The result was the "Budda SG.
The SG2000 incorporates many of the elements used in the Buddha SG, and was developed based on the concept of "an electric guitar that can be used by professionals.
It has many elements not found in previous SGs.
As a typical specification, the T-cross one-piece neck construction is adopted. The T-cross one-piece neck construction eliminates the step in the neck heel, making it easier to approach the high frets, and at the same time, it is designed for long sustain. It is intended for long sustain.

A metal plate called a sustain plate is attached under the bridge.This was developed based on the idea that sustain can be extended by looping the transmission of string vibration as much as possible.

The aboveSG2000The unique characteristics of the "BuddaSGThe unique features of "Budda SG" were already incorporated in "Budda SG", and howSG2000This shows how the SG2000 was intended to be a model that could be used by professionals.

Sound Impression

With the sustain plate, I expected a tighter sound with a metallic feel compared to the SG1000, but the SG2000 has a more classical sound with a more beautiful balance in the overall range. You can feel the wood vibrating firmly from the tone, and there is a slight comped feel, so you can feel the flavor not only in distortion, but also in clean tones.

I myself was introduced to the Yamaha SG by John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers on the cover of the May 2014 issue of Guitar Magazine, who was carrying an SG2000 Deep Purple. So I still remember how incredibly excited I was when I saw the DP for the first time.

[SPEC]
BODY: Maple Top/Mahogany Back
NECK:Mahogany
FINGERBOARD:Ebony
PICKUP:OPG-I

The model on which it is based isSG1000X。

SG1000Xis1984launched in 1949,SG1000It was the first SG1000 model to be equipped with a tremolo unit, and the neck heel was also designed to have a normalSG1000The neck heel is heel-less, unlike the standard SG1000.

VOW WOWCustom-ordered by Kyoji Yamamoto of VOW WOWSG3000and was made in the motif of1985in the year 2000.150and sold in limited quantities.SG2000The first artist model of the SG2000 was Masayoshi Takanaka'sSG2000MTIt was,YAMAHAwas officially sold by YAMAHA with the artist's name on it.SG1000XYmodeled by Tsuyoshi Tojiki.SG1000XUis the first.

The tremolo unit is1983developed in 1949.2The tremolo unit is equipped with a locking type unit with a 3-point support.A locking mechanism that can be attached on the nut is also attached on the head side.By Kyoji YamamotoSG3000is a locking nut itself, so there is a difference in the nut itself.SGis also2The SG is equipped with a tremolo unit that is supported at one point.

The biggest attraction is probably the finger plate.It is basedSG1000Xuses regular arrow inlays for the fingerboard inlays,SG1000XYhowever, SG1000XYSG3000The Arrow Inlay is placed upside down, just like his SG3000.

Avalon is placed between the arrow inlays.1982which was released in 1949.SG3000Most of the high-end models, such as the SG3000, are embedded with it in the upside-down orientation, such asSG1000XYis the only model that has them embedded in the upside-down orientation.

by Kyoji Yamamoto.SG3000as well as24The fretboard is fretted and the fingerboard is extended so that the frontPUposition is closer to the bridge side than usual. As a result, the front PU is positioned closer to the bridge than usual.SG1000The result is that the frontPUand rearPUis narrower between the rear PU and the
The normal line for this period is the spinnexPUis equipped with a Spinex PU,SG1000XYandSG1000XUAlnicoVmagnets.PUis equipped with a magnetic PU.

The controls are2Vol 1toneThis is also calledSG1000XYand also features bi-sound.

Sound Impression

The tremolo unit is equipped with a tremolo unit, which is the same as on the otherSGhas a completely different approach from other SGsSG1000XYis,introduced in this issue.4It is the most powerful and hard sounding of the three.The power is strong and the tremolo unit is installed, which gives it a single-coil feel when the bi-sound is used.

When distorted, it has a tightness, of course, but the high midrange comes forward, so it produces a tone that does not sting the ear too much.

[SPEC]
BODY: Agatis
NECK:Mahogany
FINGERBOARD:Rosewood
PICKUP:Alnico V Pickup

The base of this pickup is, of course, SG2000.
It retains the characteristic structure of the SG2000, such as the T-cross one-piece neck and the bass plate under the bridge.

This model is a reissued reproduction of the Takanaka Blue SG2000 that Masayoshi Takanaka had used since 1979.The SG2000MT, the first SG2000 to be issued as an artist model, was sold in 1998 in a limited edition of 220 pieces.It was made to the measurements of the original Takanaka Blue SG2000 that Mr. Takanaka actually owned.
The truss rod cover has a special cover with "TAKANAKA" in blue letters.

YAMAHA SGhas continued to evolve and evolve until then,[newness]The newness of the new is the result of the evolution of the old, but the new is the result of the new,SG2000MTto launch the SG2000MT.[reissue]The model was created from the opposite point of view of the previous models.Therefore, it is not only an artist's model,[reissue]in the sense that it isYAMAHAs efforts in terms ofSG2000MTis one of the charms of the SG2000MT.

The pegs are the same as on the original Takanaka BlueOMG-I The pegs have been modified to be as close as possible to the OMG-I pegs on the original Takanaka Blue.TM-57Gand not (in the context of "TM-57G")R Typeis installed.

1990The control pot fixing holes, which were discontinued in the mid-1950s, have been restored.

PUisSG2000MTmade for the SG2000MTPUThe double white bobbin is one of the features of this model, but it is also one of the features of the other PUs of the same period.SGThe same Western white base plate as the Spinex pickups of the same period is used, but the magnets are made with aOPG-IAlnicoVThe use of the2The twoPUThe structure is a good combination of the two PUs.

AlsoSG2000MTis equipped with a high-pass capacitor.This isSG2000MTand is one of the features not found in other models.

The above isSG2000MTand laterSG2000The following SG2000 and later models will also adopt the same specifications,SG2000MTisYAMAHA SGis one of the models that changed the index of the

Postscript

When we talk about limited models or limited colors, we tend to focus on the appearance,YAMAHA SGI was able to learn once again that the "Mere Old Man" is taking a sound approach with the actual players of the instruments in mind.

And they do this while following their corporate philosophy of "being original in everything we do,YAMAHAI felt that this was something only YAMAHA could do. In additionSG1000I also felt that the SG1000 was a pioneer in the field of Japanese high-end music, such as the Bi-Sound and the SG1000's built-in sound. Various artistsYAMAHA SGI think the fact that various artists are using Yamaha SG is proof of this.

In writing this article, Shigeru Terada has written a book titledYAMAHA SG graffitiwritten by Shigeru Terada.YAMAHA SGThis is a publication that cannot be missed if you want to know about the instrument called "YAMAHA SG". As stated on the cover of the book, it is truly a book that should be preserved for posterity as a permanent edition.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you.