(SOLD) Yamaha SG2000 Red Sunburst 1982
Yamaha SG2000, red sunburst, made in Japan 1982. This is truly an exceptional instrument. It's hard to describe how good it is in prose, but in the hands, you'll feel it straight away. The SG series started making serious waves in the late 70s, popping up in the hands of luminaries like Carlos Santana and being heralded as the natural evolution of the Les Paul style design. The SG2000 is a different beast to the more basic models in the series, mostly owing to the neck: it's a three ply mahogany/maple/mahogany, with a neck-through construction extending from the headstock right down to the rear strap pin. That build style adds a whole lot of natural sustain and resonance, so the thing rings like a bell and is super loud unplugged. There's a brass block under the bridge too, the idea being to translate more of the string vibration through to the body, adding high end clarity and sparkle. That adds up to a guitar that feels extremely alive in the hands. Plug it in, and that natural sustain, clarity and balance makes for a mile-wide midrange, expansive harmonics, tuneful rounded lows and a delicate, articulate top end. It will handle whatever you throw at it: dense jazz chords on the neck pickup, busy lead runs, open chords on a dirty amp on the bridge pickup, metal chuggs and snarls, sweet plucky surf cleans... it does it all with swagger and personality. This one recently had a full re-fret from our distinguished local pro luthier, so the frets will be in great order for the next few decades. Truly the thinking player's LP.
Model: Yamaha SG2000
Made: 1982, Japan
Serial: 061975
Finish: red sunburst, gloss poly
Body: mahogany, maple top
Neck: 3-piece mahogany/maple, ebony fretboard, 24.75" scale, 12" radius, neck-through construction
Weight: 4.710kg
Mods: re-fretted with stainless steel frets, pots replaced with standard 500k pots (no push/pull split coil options)
Pickups: Yamaha High Output humbucking x2
Accessories: original case
Cosmetic condition notes: minor finish wear. The headstock has dimples on both edges, some small chips and scuffs on the end, dimples around the volute on the back and some scuffs around the posts on the front. The neck is clean and smooth in the hands, minor dimples and scuffs on the back only. The back has some dimples all around the edges of the body, a couple of chips in the elbow area and bottom corner below the electronics cavity and some scuffs in the middle of the body and on the horns. The sides have dimples around the whole body, as well as some clouding and scuffs in the elbow area and some chips near the jack. The front has minor dimples around the knobs, along the back edge and in the elbow area, as well as some dimples and play wear on the horns and guard. Overall: good condition (7/10)
Playing condition notes: action is low, neck is straight, intonation is good, truss rod works. All electronics tested and working properly. Wearing fresh 10/52 Moonshiners strings.
Fret Life: 9.5/10, recent re-fret with stainless steel vintage medium frets