GUITAR TONE - YAMAHA SG vs GIBSON LES PAUL - Still Got The Blues

The famous Yamaha SG of years past is an extremely well made guitar, but does it sound better than a Gibson Les Paul or the same? WATCH IN HD FOR SOUND QUALITY!
Follow me on: Google+ jAMMAN798 and Twitter: @JAMMAN798
Recorded using an Shure SM57 & SM7B in front of a VOX AC30 C2 amplifier. Reverb on VOX AC30 was at 100%. A boost pedal was used to increase gain during the lead solo.
Song played is: "Still Got The Blues" by Gary Moore.

[@stanvicious5304]

It really fucks me off how yamaha stopped producing such good quality guitars like that tone is amazing

[@mrviciousspiegel4317]

They still produce great instruments... They dont market them , for whatever reason. Best bang for your buck.

[@SajidWaikhom]

It's still in production

[@mrviciousspiegel4317]

@@SajidWaikhom the sg isnt.

[@oopsydaizi3s824]

Mrvicious Spiegel they brought back the model Carlos Santana used

[@marcotello1168]

Yes I could buy a new one if I wanted to send to Japan to get one. I’m in the United States and he’s never really came over here. We missed a good bit. I will probably be picking one up soon

[@markseery3797]

I've played and owned both a Les Paul Std and Yamaha SG for decades. I have to say on balance that the SG wins hands down in almost every department. It can rock out as well as any Gibson but has more tonal variation and the coil taps makes it particularly versatile. It's better constructed, better access to upper frets, the through neck and block make it sustain better and it doesn't get muddy sounding when you roll the pots down. Only thing I truly prefer the Gibson for is it's finish. As working guitars, mine have had their share of knocks and stories to tell over the years. A 30 year old road worn Gibson with nitro looks nicely aged. A 30 year old Yamaha SG with it's poly finish is prone to fogging or looks like a shiny brand new instrument that has been dragged along a warehouse floor some.

[@harrisgmts8688]

As any Gibson??Custom included?

[@waynepayne864]

a lot of the time is it coming down to how is the guitar u play a fashion statement and how much of their marketing hype will you buy into

[@garyhill2740]

I have always wanted one of those green SG1500 Yamaha's. The SG2000 was actually the more upscale model with the maple cap, and slightly more ornate finish. The SG1500 did away with the top, hence you can see the laminated stripes running through the top side. Both are amazing instruments regardless! Thanks for sharing and letting us hear the tone! I find these Yamaha's as well made and beautiful playing as anything similar. Just exceptional guitars!

[@awrwayne]

I have a '79 Yamaha SG2000, tobacco sunburst finish. The guitar is a dream to play (now) but the original pickups were a bit weak for my ear. I put a Seymour Duncan Screamin Demon in the bridge position and a Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates in the neck position. I much prefer the sound now. The original pickups were something like 7.5 k. I also moved the strap button from the back of the guitar to the top horn because the original location caused the guitar body to roll forward when I used strap locks. Moving the button also caused the guitar to shift to the right on my body which makes it much easier to play. Heavy to play for a long set if you use a thin strap.

[@arnoldevertsen9962]

Also put duncans in. Then it is not even comparable to a les paul and just rules

[@greekfreak1980]

Forget Gibson,yes they're iconic guitars with a big name but that's about it.Their modern production models aren't worth the money,instead of improving their notoriously bad quality control,they added a bunch of gagdets like that mechanical tuner,which nobody asked for,on their 2015 line.Not to mention,that they have chambered or ''weight-relieved'' bodies now,which makes them sound thinner. Get yourself a Yamaha SG,put some S.Duncan Custom pickups on it,if you want the Santana tone or other high-end pickups(DiMarzio,Bare Knuckles,EMG),for something different and you will have a guitar that will never let you down.

[@lamunedonein2656]

yeah, i hate 2000's gibson

[@martinskanal]

It was NOT upscale from SG2000, quite the opposite, the SG1500s were cheaper. The models were identical with regards to hardware, electronics an neck through construction, the only difference is that the SG2000 had a maple top. Personally I prefer the looks of the the SG1500s, and especially these racing-greenish ones with the "sports stripe" running along the centre of the body. Gorgeous!

[@pangloss9]

When I listen via a good audio path, I hear a pretty big difference between these guitars. The Yamaha sounds fuller, livelier and more defined. In direct comparison, the Gibson has a compressed sound, with the tone shifted into a much narrower mid-range band. While both guitars sound good, they sound noticeably different. Also, I commend the maker of the video for choosing a Vox AC30...an excellent amp selection for such a comparison.

[@alarm340]

Yamaha !!! More attack and more sustain, and so beautiful...

[@muktesh_gautam]

hey I want to buy a fender Squirer CV but isn't available her please help me with Yamaha electric guitars thanks

[@giuseppegaribaldi4769]

yamaha sg 500 custom is the best you can find to buy....

[@KL3NCH]

Can't tell much in the way of any difference, certainly not on my "smart" 'phone, but no way would I trade in my 1978 SG2000 for a Lester unless it was a '59er and I could flip it for another Yammy and bank the diff. Is all.

[@KL3NCH]

@mark fenter I still can't hear a great deal of difference. I do think there's a tiny bit more sustain with the SG and for me it has just a little more sparkle. The guy in the video says it has push-push coil tap switches? Nope. They're coil splitters. Well aren't they? Double blind test anyone? No, I thought not...

[@KL3NCH]

@mark fenter Well I just checked and there are no resistors, only capacitors wired to the tone potentiometers. Whoa! gpodness knows what caps they are... However does it manage to sound so great without "Orange Drops" or even P-I-O? Cheers anyway, always good to get the old friend out of her coffin!

[@luisownerbr]

They're both so beautiful, but the Yamaha just melts my heart for being such an underdog. How can a killer guitar like this go unnoticed?

[@groovymoon]

I used to have one in the 80's... Biggest mistake I made was selling it.. One of my "jam buddies" had a brand new Les Paul Standard... I liked the Yamaha much more. Listen to how just beautiful the tone of the Yamaha is..

[@talkychris]

It goes under the radar because so many people are obsessed with Gibson and Fender. I have PRS, Gibson, Fender & Yamaha guitars, all really good instruments. But none are as good as my Mike Lipe guitars for tone. But who talks about Mike Lipe or Gerry Amalfitano who makes the pickups for Mike Lipe guitars? Virtually nobody.

[@groovymoon]

@@talkychris WOW Mike Lipe guitars are GORGEOUS

[@henkdehaan2434]

People are like sheeps in their behaviour to follow brands ....🤔🤔

[@silviopimentel7247]

I have 7 les Paul's and 7 sg's & just got one of these the 2000 what a sleeper. an amazing piece of tone machine & confortability 🙌👏👏👏👌

[@jasonh.6834]

Early Yamaha's are amazing, I own both and love my Yamaha SBG500.

[@davidosler1999]

I have had many Les Pauls over the last 35 years. I also owned an SG2000 in the 1980s, until it got ripped off in a burglary. It was a better hard rocker than any Gibson I have ever played. These days my music has evolved and I am a confirmed Fender/G&L guy. But if I had need of a Gibson type axe, I'd scour eBay for another SG2000. Indeed, if they were available new - I gather they are out of production - I'd buy another without thinking twice.

[@Musicmanzer]

In 1979 I was in guitar center in San Diego deciding on my first guitar. I went in to buy the Les Paul. The sales guy told me they just got in 6 Yamaha SG-2000's. Upon close inspection the attention to detail on the Yamaha was superior. Still was on the fence. Told the guy I needed to "sleep on it" and would be back the next day. Went to see Santana that night, and yup, he was playing the SG 2000. The sustain and tone was amazing ( along with the row of mesa boogie amps lol). Both guitars were the same price at the time. I went with the Yamaha and have had it ever since. The neck through, 3 lb brass sustain block gives it amazing sustain and tone. My only complaint is the weight. Sum Bitch is HEAVY! But oh so sweet. I did eventually buy a Gibson..Explorer and ES 335 Stereo...one day I'll get an LP.

[@jAMMAN798]

Musicmanzer You definitely made a great purchase. Yep, the SG is freakin heavy, but well balanced. To me it's one of those guitars that sums up what a quality guitar should be.

[@1dotele]

Musicmanzer LP is heavy too

[@RRW276]

Oh gosh, that Yamaha sounds amazing!!

[@Sim0nSezZ]

Great playing!!! Subscribed to your channel!!!

[@jAMMAN798]

Simon van Dalen Thanks brother!

[@tiborrisko7349]

Both are great guitars, I have a 2008 model SG 1000, very powerful alnico V pickups that can be coil split (don't like the coil splitting sound too much, too much of a volume drop, but in humbucker mode it's amazing)

[@Dang...]

Nice demo! Very easy to hear how much more depth the SG has vs the LP (which of course is no slouch). The SG is fatter and more substantial sounding in a good way. Santana's best tones were during his "MoonFlower" album period when he played SG2000 models. A correction is required: the SG2000 was the upscale version of the SG1500, NOT the other way around as is incorrectly stated in this video. There were several SG1500 iterations. The earliest 1500 did NOT have neck through-body construction, it was a set neck like an LP; whereas the SG2000 always had neck through construction. Neck-through is an extremely stable design which provides incredible sustain. This model demoed here DOES have the neck through, which is vastly superior to set neck. The 2000 has 5 piece body binding; 1500 is 3 piece binding. The other BIG difference between 2000 and 1500 is SG2000 has a maple cap, like an LP, whereas the 1500 does not. In fact, you can see the five piece neck-through on this (beautiful) green SG1500: no maple cap. On a SG2000 the neck-through is only visible from the back.

[@wattsupwiththat1463]

I have an SBG-2000, but sadly never play it. I play mostly a Taylor T5Z as it's more my style. There was an SG-3000 as well.

[@Coppertunes]

I've owned a SG2000 and the SG2000s, also owned LP standards as well as a Class 5 Les Paul. i have to say the Yamaha SG are a superior instrument in construction, finish and sound.

[@groovymoon]

I blame most of that on the way the neck is constructed..

[@ghaibboy]

Nice video dude ! Tx 4 sharing

[@jAMMAN798]

ghaibboy Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for the comment!

[@johnhutsenpillerjr1785]

A-# 1 KEEP ROCKIN JAMMAN !! BOTH GOOD BUT THAT YAMAHA. BEAUTIFUL !! THANKS FOR ANOTHER GREAT VIDEO. THANKS.

[@jAMMAN798]

+John Hutsenpiller Thanks for watching & commenting!

[@guillermocalvo7928]

both are fantastic.

[@rogerjudd4228]

The Gibson has slightly warmer sustain but overall the Yamaha sounds better. I have a Yamaha SG1000S which sounds great but is a little lighter than a standard SG.

[@thestratman7903]

The SG would sound Warm like that with chrome covers on the pickups.

[@thebrooniecatcher3667]

Stuart Adamson loved the sg lovely looking guitars into the valley ahoy

[@daniellongmuir8069]

Big Country are the reason I lusted after an SG2000 when I was younger. Was also more affordable than Gibson, better sound, quality etc. Hugely under-appreciated guitars - I own both Yamaha and Gibson guitars (Custom Shop for the Gibsons) and I can categorically state that Yamaha quality, fit and finish is far, far superior.

[@edsthelion]

The Yamaha all day. Great demo and song choice.

[@andrewjmcgee]

very musical and tasteful playing.

[@gino3286]

Hi ! first of all thank you very much indeed for this excellent video on amazing instruments. Then i have a maybe provocative question. How much a EQ effect unit can affect the tone ? I am asking this because i read a lot about the wood, construction, affecting the tone of an electric guitar. But i have the feeling that with a little eq unit (even one intended for hifi with more controls) the tone can be tailored a lot. Kind regards, gino

[@geeterman98]

that's nice for the high end Yamaha,. i actually have a very low end Yamaha SBG200 i assume it was made in the 80's and i love it, its the pearl white version of it its all stock except for the gold hardware i put on it the tone is beyond awesome. the playability is amazing as well. i think i paid like $150 anerican years ago and i have see them on ebay for aroud $250 or so, they are still a bargin nd if you want a great underpriced guitar that will surprise you..pick one up and i swear you wont be disappointed.

[@Shiruba.project]

Now they cost from $800 to $2000

[@nicolasmecaj]

still got the blues... fantastic...

[@HigzyTeflon]

Matter of preference but I would say Les Paul for Rhythm sections and the Yamaha for leads / solos. Again, matter of preference, but I like the looks of the Yamaha ahead of the Les Paul as well. Yamaha wins!

[@rayr4320]

Ive had SG1500 for 30+ yr. After some mods never felt need to change. Its finish is nearly kaput like me. Hoping to find it a good home.

[@RonaldKasper]

Cool comparison! I‘ve done two additional ones where I compare a Yamaha Revstar with a Les Paul and in my opinion the Revstar sounds really epic too. For those who wanna hear: Clean: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKOkZ4Opaq2Xj6c Distorted: kzbin.info/www/bejne/roStmqusqrCHrbc

[@BluesLicks101]

I've had some of the best guitar makes and models in the world... this is one of the few that has eluded me - not for lack of trying, have been trying to get one since Santana used to play one.

[@jAMMAN798]

I hear ya. My brother had one when I was a kid. He let me play it and I always remember how smooth it sounded. 40 years later I searched for one and found one in Japan for a reasonable price. Had to get it shipped over. Amazing quality is what these guitars are.

[@hugomejia7810]

Beautiful both guitars great sound great sustain Yamaha a little bit more and Nice color too

[@HipGuitar]

They both sound good to my ears ! (IMHO)

[@12groney]

We're the tone and volume settings the same for both guitars and amp? It's good to know this while listening to a demo.

[@clemz26]

Nice video, as usual! For me, the sound on the les paul is warmer than on the SG. I prefer the Gibson ! But the other one seems to be a good guitar

[@fracrolla]

Yamaha win!!!!

[@charlesmandang]

Damn, that SG sang!

[@terryshrives8322]

Yamaha. One of the sweetest high quality guitars on the market hands down!!

[@whiterat1977]

both sound great

[@Peacely23]

Best sounding solid guitar I touched and played so yet.

[@WigManThe1st]

The yamaha with the les paul pic ups might be the best of both worlds

[@zenpapa663]

I think the difference in the presence or absence of the pickup cover is in the sound. Both are not bad.

[@barxolid]

Yamaha sound better.

[@le_cabezon4284]

Obviusly

[@philippejanssens9066]

yamaha sg is my dream guitar. i hope to get one some day

[@Randystudio217]

Please tell me what is that beautiful sunburst double cut guitar on the far right??

[@peterszamos2723]

this was a big experience, thank you, and this not commonplace !

[@adm59]

I have owned and played these guitars and they are both great. I sold both my Les Pauls but still have the Yamaha. Sound wise, if you want the Gibson then buy the Gibson, you'll not be disappointed, but I prefer the Yamaha.

[@jazzydog]

On the melody part the Gibson sound very thin. In this demo i pick Yamaha. Great demo!.

[@depecheddurand]

Andy taylor from duran duran used Yamaha sg during 1983 tour. The quality is second to none.

[@HankMartin-ll4pi]

I must say that both the Gibson Les Paul and the Yamaha SG are truly fantastic Electric Guitar’s it very hard to say which is the better one for myself because i love the Classic Gary Moore sound it has more of wood sound that i love but i think that comes down to the Gibson 59 sounding pick ups.....🎼🎶🎸👍

[@globusglobus1391]

Yamaha wins.

[@blueshorecreative3146]

Noice. When is the SG from?

[@RickDrift]

Im currently searching every video on Yamaha sg`s cause I want a Japanese made one asap, even though I just dropped 1 g on and ltd mh-1007. any input on those yamahas would be great, but I thought im sold just from watching Masayoshi Takanaka play so many of them.

[@omarcapaso7156]

Just bought a 1980s yamaha sg600 hope it doesn’t disappoint!!!

[@AtacamaHumanoid]

I think the only people who found this video were looking for Yamaha SG videos and that alone explains all the pro-Yamaha comments. I simply came because I watched a Scott Grove video where he was going on and on about how much better the Yamaha's build quality was in every way. I would certainly rather buy a Yamaha and swap the pickups than pay the ridiculous prices Gibson is asking these days. Those Yamaha pickups are muddy, though. In contrast, the Gibson sounds bright, but in reality, the Gibson sounds much more like what you hear on recordings (professional) because it is very clean and balanced, not muddy in the slightest. It is not going to turn into a swamp when you add bass and drums to the mix like that Yamaha will.

[@ptedomino9197]

Atacama Humanoid Sounds about right. The pickups are very muddy on the Yamaha. They distort very easily as well by the sounds of things.

[@YaoEspirito]

+Atacama Humanoid When they made the SG's in the 70's and 80's, they were very affordable. Now that they finally started making them again after many years, they're, I think, $3000 and up.

[@AtacamaHumanoid]

mano a mano I realize that Gibsons are expensive and I know why (simple marketing story, was actually front page news at one time: they called music stores and kept telling them to raise the price until they found the 'sweet spot' that sold the most). People are stupid and paid more because they thought they were getting a better guitar. Gibson did this because their brand was in danger of failing, believe it or not. Les Pauls were only about $800 when they started raising the price, roughly the same as all the other more popular super-strat guitars of the 80s. So, instead of marketing them to young kids, they jacked up the price and hoped older hobbyists who had more money would buy that Les Paul they always dreamed of as a little present to themselves. And it worked. Gibson raised the price as high as they could and continued to raise the price every year or so while adding no value whatsoever. Stupidly, most people still bought Gibsons up until the mid-2000s when the build quality took a dive and they started changing the electronics. People didn't like that and now Gibson is starting to finally suffer. However, overall this marketing strategy served them well for the past 20+ years and brought them BILLIONS of dollars. Fender followed their example and raised their prices, too. At this point, you're better off buying an ESP or D'Angelico guitar if you want a two-humbucker guitar. I definitely would not buy that Yamaha unless you think it's worth the time, effort, and money to buy better pickups and replace the muddy ones it comes with.

[@rayr4320]

Any serious operator of an SG swaps out the pickups. Its a great instrument.

[@50gary]

SG all the way, the most solid guitar I've ever seen. With way more gain if you need it, single coils if you need it. The best violin tone I've ever heard. Great balance when standing using a strap. Our guitar player used his SG2000 (blk) exclusively, best I've ever worked with.

[@shovelest6861]

Yamaha wins but your lead tone is something that i hope to never hear again.

[@jAMMAN798]

+Shovel est Ha, ha... thanks for your honesty. That tone is all amp... I kinda like it. I wasn't impressed with my playing in this vid though (I've had better days)

[@shovelest6861]

your santana thingy is great.

[@jAMMAN798]

Shovel est Thanks man!

[@YaoEspirito]

+jAMMAN798 Yeah, nice on strumming; kind of stiff and un-fluid on the leads.

[@mrlevinielsen]

Shovel est what’s wrong with the tone? The guitar sounds a bit detuned and the technique is debatable but the tone? I like it

[@duesenberger]

Great comparison! I own a Gibson Classic in this color, but I am after such a Yamaha SG in green because to me the Yamaha beats the Gibson and it is the guitar BIG COUNTRY's Stuart Adamson played in the beginning (see f.e. Wonderland video). You don't want to sell the Yamaha at this point in time? ;) And is the 1500 really a upscale version to a 2000? I understand "upscale" as "better version".

[@Dang...]

No the 2000 is the upscale version compared to 1500.

[@meowtrox1234]

Still got the blues for yamaha . i just owned an epiphone , but my guitar hero masayoshi takanaka is an endorser, might be a long shot to get one on my hands

[@SPerras]

You still have that SG ? IIRC you're in Canada not too far from here and ... I'm in the hunt for a green SG !

[@lyeseurogics3029]

Yamaha is super underrated as a guitar maker. That being said, you're comparing a SG type model with a Les Paul from a different era. I think it would be interesting to compare that Yamaha SG with a Gibson SG of the same era.

[@MGBOMAR]

The Yamaha SG is almost identical to a Les Paul...arched top etc, nothing like a Gib SG.

[@timmorris5117]

Hi , I have the SG1500 in cherrry but it has dot inlays, I heard this was the American market version, any idea?

[@jAMMAN798]

Tim Morris There was an SG1500 American version which was different than the Japanese version. The guitar in this video is the Japanese version which was never sold in America.

[@brianis1000]

I had 2 yamaha SG,s in the 80,s and sold them when I got my first Les Paul (a 1970 Gold top with mini humbucker on the neck and a Di-marzio on the bridge) ... A 400 and a 1300... both where brighter sounding than the Les Paul but the les paul just sounded better for some reason... It was just a better beefier souund that was more balanced and pleasing to the ears.......

[@1thess523]

There is a person selling an really nice gold mist Yamaha Sg on Craigslist for like 3 G's. I listen to a lot of Japanese Skatepunk bands and thats where i usually see these being played nit so much in the USA.

[@checa160]

Being a Yamaha SG fan since the first 80's, I must say that, in this video, the Les Paul sounds clearer, so it sounds better to me in the rithm section. But during the solos The Yamaha sounds better, more powerful, not as thin as the Gibson. I would like to see a comparison in all pick up selections to have a better opinion about the sound. Both sound great. I like the nitro finish in the gibson more than the poly in the Yamaha, but the woodwork and craftsmanship in the Yamaha is better in my opinion. And in modern units, any SG 1820 or 1802 is way better in quality than any gibson. And that's just the old battle between quality and quantity. Gibson sells a lot more guitars, but they're not taking enough care of their quality control in the last years. They should.

[@NormanButlins]

Good video but the description at the beginning is incorrect. The SG1500 does not have a maple top or a brass sustain block under the bridge which are both features of the SG2000. Rather doubt the SG1500 was considered the upscale model of the SG2000 as stated either since they lacked those additional features and were less expensive.

[@user-mt3yn3db2j]

in Russia in the 90s, the legendary KINO band played on a yamaha sg 200 , now this guitar is a legend and associations are only with this group

[@justinfern6326]

What model Yamaha is that theirs tons of models types.

[@robinbowes]

I'm a big fan of the Yammy SGs - I have a wine red SG3000S Custom - but think the Les Paul sounds better in this vid.

[@Timurnator1990]

3:25 nice bending ! , thanks for the comparison

[@akmalarepex2862]

Great video =D btw..can you make Fender mustang vs Fender Stratocaster..^_^

[@jAMMAN798]

akmal arepex I don't have a Mustang at this time. If one comes my way in the future, I'll make a comparison video.

[@akmalarepex2862]

^_^ thx

[@pmcm-ih1ep]

Come onnn! That was like a different person playing the Yamaha.... who's got a bit of a preference ehhh!?

[@stevenwalsh5343]

hmm hard to pick a winner I love Gibsons but I love Yamaha's to, if I had to buy one or the other I think I'd go towards Gibson but probs put a deposit on the Yamaha to lol

[@gomudhen]

Both good in their own way. What happens when you need a neck re-set on the Yamaha? Is it possible?

[@jAMMAN798]

Same as the Gibson. Unglue and then re-glue it in place.... not something you could do in 15 mins.

[@simonjamesbeer]

I like both. Yamaha sounds thicker if that’s your cup of tea. But that les Paul does seem to sing and sound more delicate (if that’s a thing). Given the choice I would love a Yamaha SG. Two very different but similar guitars.

[@N01NP]

Methinks the LP is a bit more round and mellow with slighter better overall tone, while the SG has more bite and is slighter brighter, but they are very close and I suspect the diff is all in the pups.

[@eldrinpaulgok-ong3450]

I think LP's have the best rhythm sound. its more condensed and whole. while single coil sounds are really bite'y and are my preference on lead.

[@Ronnie631000]

Hello. You need to compare the Yamaha to a R8 Les Paul. I have a 2012` R8 and a 2011` Traditional Gold Top. My R8 is night day better then the Traditional ( I gave the Trad to my Nephew). I did have a 81` SG2000(Stolen in 83`) that I purchased in Jan 82` when I was in the Marine Corp (81` to 84`) at Camp Pendleton,Calf. At the time the Yamaha was way better then a Les Paul Standard. I was set on a new Yamaha SBG1820 this fall, but I just love my R8 to the max. Would like to compare though just for the fun of it. I do have a Epiphone Casino Elitist and a new 2017` Fender Telecaster. Take care and ROCK`ON!

[@jAMMAN798]

Excellent! Please send me your R8 LP and I will make a comparison video. If I don't send it back to you it might because I fell in love with it. :-)

[@deandee8082]

so were listening to a tone comparison between 2 guitars why are the drums pushing through?

[@philfyphil]

I bought a metallic black 1983 SG3000S brand new in (you guessed it) 1983, which I sold about eight years ago. The Spinex pickups are not great, and in later years I replaced them with Seymour Duncans which did improve things as you'd expect. The Spinex pickups lacked substance, with a real lack of mid range bark. Coil tapped they sound a bit feeble and untapped full humbucking they sound a bit louder and muddier . They tended to sound a bit characterless. The Les Paul Gold Top (1957 Historic) I purchased as a replacement after I sold the SG by comparison is a much nicer and full bodied guitar, with those lovely woody earthy mid range tones. The other thing I couldn't get on with (it spent a good many years in its case!) is the fact that the neck width was so narrow making simple chord selection quite tricky, interfering with an adjacent string. Also, it was such a heavy guitar. In the end I got fed up with having a lot of guitar hidden away and not playing it so I sold it, complete with Seymours and original Spinex included. I had also purchased some replacement gold hardware to replace the worn gold hardware on the guitar but never fitted it and threw this in. If you reading this and are the person who purchased it, please get in touch and let me know where it is now, as I'm interested to know. In many ways I do regret selling it, but I didn't particularly enjoy playing it. I used to gig with it and it only came out to play Parisian Walkways! For the rest of the gig I used an original Fender (Squire) Strat which was nice and light. For me, it was a hell of a lot of guitar that never quite suited me and never sounded as good as it should have. They are great if you want to sound like Santana and have small hands, but not so great for anything else, apart from maybe jazz.

[@gilwe]

The SG1500 sounds sweet, not quite a Les Paul, but wasn't meant to be as well. I own a 1979 SG800 and I love it.

[@flip3213]

both sound sweet, the paul has that tight high mid crunch, every piece of woods diff anyways ...nice demo....must be hard to find these yamahas havent seen any around im intrigued now

[@jAMMAN798]

Hey flip3213 , the made in Japan pre-1980 Yamaha SG guitars a rare in North America. The early 1980 models are also far and few between as well. If you can find one, they range anywhere in price from $800 to $4000 depending on the condition.

[@vazztheclavion6962]

Como chama essa loja , alguem sabe , gostaria de ver a pagina dessa loja na internet!

[@jimir68]

Sorry to be picky but there are a number of errors in your description of the Yamaha SG1500. First of all it wasn’t the unscaled version of the SG2000. There were two versions of the SG1500, the type in your video is the second type produced between 1981 and 1984. It doesn’t have a maple top ( the version produced between 76-79 does) the body is all mahogany with a maple/mahogany laminate through neck. The push push pots are not coil taps instead they are coil splitters. Yamahasggeek

[@lamunedonein2656]

WHERE CAN U FIND THE YAMAHA SG?? I REALLY WANT ONE NOW BUT NOONE SELL IT

[@jAMMAN798]

You can only find it in locations that sell used classic guitars. Try eBay.

[@lothar34]

Most people say they like the SG sound better. On iPhone the LP sounds clearer and more present to me. I'd rather play the Yamaha any day though. Is that one short scale like the LP?

[@steviesteve750]

I had an SG2000 ith the same pickups, and they were the weakest part of the Yamaha. I repaced with a Duncan Custom in the bridge, and a PG1 in the neck, and it came alive. Backing the volume off to around 6-7 produced a really rich, melodic tone, much closer to a creamy Les Paul signature. The coil taps also were way way more effective, OK, it was no strat, but was a damn site funkier than you might have believed. Where Gibson (ironically) were better with both the SG standard and the Lse Paul studio (Bonamassa sig model with the burstbucker pups) was the factory set up - intonation was perfect from both brand new, and the action on the SG pretty good. The Yamaha needed a fair bit of adjustment to get it right. Overall, much as I loved the whole different vibe and shape of the SG, I preferred the neck of the Gibson, but then that's a personal feel thing.

[@davidconnelly1793]

Sound wise, I don't think there's a significant difference...but my oh my, that green Yamaha is one of the best looking guitars I've ever seen.

[@timsrednavnaj]

The Gibson sounds like a Gibson, a compressed, firm, vintage mid-sound. Flute-like tones on the neck pu. The Yamaha sounds like a Yamaha, with a wider spectrum of tones, especially more treble tones. Nothing wrong with both, but I prefer the Gibson.

[@Jkaterchannel]

Nice idea even if it doesn't tell the whole Story. Well, if this is really a top end yamaha SG from the 80's then the traditionnal LP could not hold a candle to it. But he said it has a rosewood board so it can't be that high of a model (2000's have an ebony board. Maybe he just mispoke). Japanese Yamahas back then and today are consistently flawless in construction and you'd need a historic LP to compare fairly to them. Not kidding.

[@BoyAditya]

Yamaha's pickups seems hotter than Les Paul

[@ESD2814GLC]

The Yamaha sounds more mature. I'd be interested to hear a comparison between a Yamaha SG and a Les Paul of a similar vintage. I have a feeling that Les Paul will develop a more expansive bottom end as it ages.

[@jAMMAN798]

Emile Dalkey Thanks for the comment. The highlight of the SG is in the build quality and sustain department. I have come across some old Les Pauls, but none of similar vintage so far. I do have another vid where the Yamaha is compared to a Gibson SG. It should be posted this week.

[@christophejames4634]

Love the SG. I mean the Yamaha one. The opportunity to get one was given to me 32 years ago, by a special friend named F... R...One of the coolest cat i’ve never met. I had the pleasure to play with him, and to record the Yamaha SG 2000 S on a studio. I’ve owned more than 20 guitars In my entire life : none of them was a Gibson. Never. I love guitars : i’ll wait to get one of the real special Gibson model . It will never be a Les Paul : these are craps. Fender, Gretsch, Rickenbacker, and of couse Yamaha are still on the edge. LP sucks.

[@emelle1283]

How about Yamaha SF1000?

[@theolajide]

is that an ibanez double cutaway hanging on the wall ?

[@jAMMAN798]

+theolajide It's an Ibanez AR300. You can check out my review of it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iafCnWOCiNJ5a5Y

[@LaZanzaraReturn]

I've the SG1000 - Very good tone rich of harmonics and a good number of tone change possibilities. Using a Fet based electronic circuit made by me, I can change the pre-equalization and obtain a large variety of tones. With the LP isn't possible make the same thing.

[@jAMMAN798]

***** The stock SG1000 sold in North America back in the 80s, is very similar to the Japan only SG1500. The Japan SG1500 has a bit different woodwork, and all the hardware features of the SG2000. The SG1000, 1500, 2000, all great guitars… although a bit heavy.

[@prosnake2005]

Hey, dude, hi. I think you should do a video about your circuit in that guitar and how these tones sound.... just saying!

[@LaZanzaraReturn]

prosnake2005 Well....I think you are right. I'm an electronic technician and I wrote about electronic and guitar for ten years on AXE, an italian guitar magazine (www.axemagazine.it) - I've just opened again my website (www.vjsound.it) and you will find lots of circuits for free made by me. Best regards, VJ

[@k.h.1587]

You mentioned the brass sustain plate that is clearly not there. The 2000 had the plate

[@luizalbertokoehler4904]

The two have a very similar sound, largely due to the similarity of the woods used and the type of construction and humbucker pickups. I would say that two different Gibson LPs can sound as different or more different than these two guitars.

[@Patrick33194]

coil tab? are you sure you don't mean coil split? gibson used to make this mistake, but they corrected it a couple of years ago

[@joshuaengel5972]

I have both a 77 SG2000 & a 00's Les Paul Classic chambered. The SG wins for tone, sustain, the feel of the ebony fretboard. The Les Paul wins for not weighing as much as a telephone pole. I can't play the SG all night gigging out and I'm just now 40.