Major Yamaha SA2200 GAS

EdGrip

Just sayin'. 

I

 picked up my old Epi Les Paul yesterday, dusted it off after a long period of neglect, and plugged it in to my Princeton Reverb. 

It continues to play well and sound good, which is frustrating, because it was my first ever guitar 14 years ago and frankly I'm a bit bored of it existing and want an excuse to dislike it. 

Obviously I can't get rid of it because a) it's an Epiphone Les Paul Studio from 14 years ago and as such is worth as much as a cold tray of chips and b) it's my first guitar and it would be mean and sort of ungrateful to sell it. 

Anyway, the conflicting facts of it sounding good and me being sick of the sight of it mean I'm gassing for something sort-of-a-bit-the-same-but-different-and-better. I'm sure we've all been there.

And for me, the one that keeps bubbling to the surface is a really good Yamaha semi-hollow guitar, because I haven't got a semi-hollow guitar and therefore it's definitely justifiable. And they still only make one of them, so that's what I'm gassing for. 

And there was me thinking I was GAS-free.

xmrchi

Don't look back look forward part chop it for a newer guitar

Phil_aka_Pip

SA2200 = most worthy GAS
go for it.


although you might consider the Tokai ES-335-alikes

Lewligan

Don't blame you for fancying a SA2200.

To be fair, they piss all over most Gibson 335s.

I'm sure you could get this fella down to £1000 cash ...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/YAMAHA-SA-2200-ELECTRIC-GUITAR-/231557989257?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item35e9ee8389

EdGrip

Thanks for the hot tip, Lew! I think if I did get one, it'd definitely be the black-and-yellow burst one. I've always been a sucker for tobacco-burst.

mike257

Good GAS, my brother has an original SA2000 and it is the most stunningly wonderful guitar I've ever had my hands on. Go for it!

randomhandclaps

Someone was selling a while back an SA2200 (though i could be mistaken) on here in red with a figured top. It was pretty much one of the most beautiful guitars I've ever seen.

jeztone2

Good choice. I think the old Ibanez Artist semi's offer a similar bang per buck too.

57Deluxe

The SA2200 has split coils so you get a wide variety of added tones to pull from.

Top quality craftsmanship from Yamaha too... Every one you pick up will be spot on.

djspecialist

Here's an SA2000 for sale. (No personal affiliation).

I have an SG2000 and it's great - more than once I've thought about getting a semi-hollow to keep it company...

ESBlonde

The Yamaha SA series are beautifully crafted instruments. The neck might seem a little slim or 60's style for some people. Quality is undoubted but for those that want the 'Gibson' sound they don't deliver. The Pickups are very versatile but have their own charm.

Dominic

There's a very strong and consistent opinion that the 1978 - 1985 SA 2000 AND SA2000 S were just about the finest and best built semi s of all time and a very valid critique that they comfortably rival if not superceed the  335 s of the 59 -62 golden era

The 2000 s is distinguished by the fact that it has a solid Spruce top

I very recently played 2 of them alongside a Collings i 35 .....the Collings was lovely but the Yams were in another league IMO altho' the Yams both had Lollar Imperial low winds in them which just elevate them to perfection

The 80s ones are superior to the present SA 2200 ( both have the splitetable humbuckers on a push push toneswitch )

sweepy

The vintage violin burst ir THE colour for SA2200's my old one is still local, one day i might get it back it is very different to a 335 though

Roland

Lewligan said:

Don't blame you for fancying a SA2200.

To be fair, they piss all over most Gibson 335s.

I'm sure you could get this fella down to £1000 cash ...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/YAMAHA-SA-2200-ELECTRIC-GUITAR-/231557989257?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item35e9ee8389

I only paid £750 for mine three years ago

ESBlonde said:

The Yamaha SA series are beautifully crafted instruments. The neck might seem a little slim or 60's style for some people. Quality is undoubted but for those that want the 'Gibson' sound they don't deliver. The Pickups are very versatile but have their own charm.

They do sound a lot brighter than a 335, and it's not something that a tone control can tame.  However the push:push coil taps are very useful as the result of this brightness.

EdGrip

I tend towards the brighter guitar sounds, generally - although I'd be interested to experiment with different cap values to see how near the 335 ballpark you could get with a tone control. (I have never played an SA2200 and have only played a 335 once, briefly.)

Evilmags

Yamaha semis aee every bit as good as Gibbos IMHO. With aftermarket pickups they become stunning.

Cabicular

I put a set of seth lovers in mine

Holy moly it is probably the best sounding guitar I own

I don't take it out much (it visually doesn't suit what I'm doing) but it records like nothing else

Just beautiful (and I have a lot of high end kit....)

57Deluxe

djspecialist said:

Here's an SA2000 for sale. (No personal affiliation).

I have an SG2000 and it's great - more than once I've thought about getting a semi-hollow to keep it company...

to look like this you mean??

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/ed/be/a6/edbea6f5cb04c74238945364e41291fa.jpg

djspecialist

Yes, like that.  Nice looking pair you have there

57Deluxe

/\ no, I only have an SG2k - and a copy of this pic...!

Here is the latest pic of ~my~  SG though...

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee301/snotmale/Things that make you go Ding/SuperChamp_YamahaSG2000s_zpszbu1vins.jpg

Cabicular

nice carpet....