Yamaha SG 2000 - Best ever 70's guitar?

Rob Hatschek from My Classic Guitars joins Gareth in the studio along with his impressive collection of late 70's early 80's Yamaha Guitars. The SG 2000 was Carlos Santana's instrument of choice in the decade, sporting a genuine thru body neck, brass sustain plate under the bridge and an ebo fret-board with abalone split wing fret markers.
A truly great sounding instrument.Vinnie Minotto and Gareth Cirket put them to the test with a little help from the BRG Band - Becky Baldwin, Helen and Mike Walker.
Music:
1. "Hocus Pocus" is a 1971 song from the Moving Waves album by Dutch rock group Focus. It was written by guitarist Jan Akkerman and and flautist-keyboardist Thijs van Leer.
2. "Sylvia" is a 1972 song by the Dutch rock band Focus.
3."Black Magic Woman" is a song written by Peter Green. In 1970 it became a hit by Santana.

[@MaikiStarwood]

I'm blessed to have a Yamaha SG2000: 1977, Tobacco Sunburst, original pickups, brass nut, permanently attached leather strap with strap locks, very necessary to prevent this heavy baby from falling off your neck. Beautiful guitar with its very own tone.

[@andrewwhite7188]

Just Love the Focus Medley!

[@BritainsRareGuitars]

We all love a bit of Focus!

[@kevinmcguire1766]

Beat me to it. It's nice to see how some of those chords are fingered.

[@mcbill7352]

Casiopea’s issei noro used to use one of these…

[@pensamientosextranos2487]

You're fake

[@rust2092]

Yeah that's why I even know about these in the first place

[@angularsquare8757]

I've always wanted one of these because of the great John McGeoch.

[@NeilUpfold]

I've just taken delivery of a 1981 SG-2000 Deep Purple edition, apparently they only made 600 for sale exclusively in Japan. It's gorgeous.

[@BritainsRareGuitars]

Wow! Neil, send us a picture!

[@BritainsRareGuitars]

Thanks for the pics Neil, great guitar!

[@markbailey8252]

My first serious guitar, bought when I was 16 in 1986, was a '77 SG2000. Wonderful guitar with a beautifully flamed top. Heavy as many bricks, though, and that was part of the reason I traded it for a Strat Plus in the mid-90s. The only guitar I ever regret getting rid of, wish I could find it again.

[@BritainsRareGuitars]

Thanks for watching Mark. Sadly we all have the one that we regret moving on, and wish we could find it again! Mine is a 1974 telecaster bass.

[@daw162]

There's a simple reason that these fizzled out in the 1980s - the rise of the yen. there were parts of the 70s where the yen touched 300 per dollar, and it stayed there until somewhere around the mid 80s - between low 200s and mid to high 200s. Then over a period of just a couple of years moving into the late 1980s, the yen practically doubled in value vs. the dollar. You could've gotten a tokai LS-120 reborn in 1980 or so for $600 US, and somewhere around there or shortly after, they were selling for huge profit in the us ($1500 each). When the yen strengthened, all of the sudden, they're $1200 in USD and there isn't any room for someone to sham the american public and mark them way up. Aria PE-80 - same time back then, $380 or so (import them into the US, charge $800+ for them, make a huge gain). move forward half a decade and all of the sudden, the price on the street in japan is close to what they sell for here and there's no room to make money. Yamaha was smart enough to recognize that and put their money elsewhere. Look around now for aria, tokai (tokai is still around, but is anyone importing them on the sly for a huge markup? nope). You want top tier all-made-in-japan quality, then ESP's navigator brand is there, but it costs more than gibson in some cases.

[@noecuesta7888]

Excellent cover!

[@gino3286]

fascinating instruments indeed and very nice tapping at 3:37 Thanks a lot

[@alwanrosyidi2772]

A gorgeous guitar.

[@dapunkof1975]

I have an SG2000 from 79. Switched out the pick ups for Seymour Duncan 59 (bridge) and a Seymour Duncan JB (neck) and it sings like an angel. Better than any Les Paul in my opinion. I go from classic rock, pop, Jazz to some sludge prog metal.

[@somebodyelseuk]

Not surprised. I've a 1000S and 2000S, I've had since '84. Got into pickup construction a couple of years back. Recently dug out the Yamahas and measured their pickups. They basically both use the same pickups, apart from the 1000s are open coil and the 2000s are semi-covered. Both cases the bridge pickups measure about 7k, the necks about 7.5, all A5 magnets (SD59s are about 8.5k/A5,). Basically underwound coils with overcharged A5 magnets to make up the output. As a result, loads of top end and low end, no midrange. Considering trying A2, 3 and 4 magnets in the 1000 to try and get a better balance. I've been using a pair of Strat-a-likes since the 90s with the SD59 in the bridge. Outstanding pickup.

[@atomicat]

Lol dude i play the same stuff like u also. From jazz, pop, even thrash metal and stoner rock/metal

[@arnoldevertsen]

I also did the same change and you are right those pickups in this guitar are really amazing

[@nicvortec]

great, thank you

[@ronschnater6724]

Is 4:39 minute everything, no futher explaining why these are such great guitars and their differences by Vinnie Minotto and Gareth Cirket? Well, I own a couple of these old Yamaha's now (2000, 2100, 3000 and SA-2000) and sold my Les Paul Custom '79 for example, because it was eating dust since I bought my first old Yamaha. The Yamaha's are more versatile, better made and better to play guitars. I don't understand why people pay lot's of money for an old les paul, buy an old SG! When I sold my Gibson a couple of years ago the bindings on the neck came loose and the tuners had to be replaced. No issues at all with my Yamaha's (build same period). Want to play high notes in a solo, no problem. Every fret is easily accessable because of the double cutaway. The 2100 is my favorite, where it concernes SG's. It's the 2000 including neck-through/the brass-plate and with the spinex pickups of the 3000. In sound I prefer the 3000 over the 2000, but it has too many bling (abalone inlays) for gigs IMO, which the 2100 lacks. You can play every style with these, I play them in a soulband and in a hardrock band, sometimes jazz (but SA-2000 is even better then). I sometimes play my other guitars (MusicMan Sabre II, Fender strat, Tokai strat, Godin LGXT), especially when I have a lots of gigs in a short time. This because of the weight. SG's are heavy, comparable to Les Paul.

[@johnny5805]

It's aesthetically perfect.

[@garethstockwell]

Rey Gonzalez, did you also replace the pots or did you stick with the originals? How would you compare the original pickups against the SDs?

[@atomicat]

So glad i own an SG2500

[@jezzer1969]

Ok The SG1000 is set neck like a Les Paul. The SG2000 is neck thru with the plate under the bridge. There are 2 different 1500’s. One with dot inlays and another that is basically a 2000 without a maple top. The 3000 is a 2000 with different pickups and a smaller profile bridge without the sustain plate. The 1000S, 1200S guitars have a thinner body depth by 7mm. It’s most noticeable at the neck body join. The SG1600 & 2100 are basically the 1000/2000 bit with the spinex pickups from the 3000. Hey maybe I should do a KZbin channel???

[@BritainsRareGuitars]

Hi Jezzer, Maybe you should have your own channel - If you like 70's yamaha SG's take a look at out visit to Elite Guitars in Scotland. Jay has a great collection of them- kzbin.info/www/bejne/gqubXmxqmahonJY

[@tylercarlos4333]

Any thoughts on the earlier model of 74 the Sg90s

[@lightningboltfiresnake4952]

fuck up

[@Jinseng]

Is that motherfucking Hocus Pocus? fuck yeahhhhhh

[@Steven-de4vw]

Nice Focus intro !

[@GothicXlightning]

certainly one of the biggest Beauties of the 70s and i say is a very METAL epic guitar my kind of Vintage Guitar and zooms about perfectly all what i love in a good Guitar but thing is other great Guitars such Gibson SG Black standard/custom and Les paul black beauty custom among many other great japanese beauties already existed so is very hard for me to coose only one as the absolute coolest also i say that my Black Les Paul double cutaway is another underrated beauty oh Goth Doom Metal freak as spoken 🐺 All instruments shown in this video where of Poetic Beauty my kind of beauty

[@BritainsRareGuitars]

All Hail Goth Doom Metal Freak!

[@motrcycleboy]

Stuart Adamson rocked the SG2000. I had a SG1500 back in the 80s but exchanged it at my local guitar shop for a £150 Squier bullet strat . Now they’re worth a grand :(

[@thejakefromstatefarm6768]

The old strat in the attic huh

[@greekfreak1980]

Carlos Santana was playing them,before switching to PRS. Neil Schon from Journey was using them for years and even Phil X was playing them on his first tour with Bon Jovi back in 2013.

[@richieattia]

Also masayoshi takanaka and issei noro of casiopea

[@RAPTRx-xm7zb]

Steve Rothery also used them in Marillion during the early 80s

[@alexkrystaszek5201]

The guitarist of the biggest soviet band in history, Kino, has a beautiful SG200. Цой жив!

[@wiwat5150]

Yamaha SG 2000 is my most favorite guitar

[@mikeberry9311]

Love 'em too.

[@MrHapo77]

What are the pickups of the sg2000?

[@colinpadley1897]

Nailed the Santana tone, are you using a boogie, nice playing.

[@BritainsRareGuitars]

It was an old Music Man amp in the studio, Vintage AKG 414 into the recording studio desk and treated.

[@jimir68]

Actually to be honest the green SG1500 in the background isn’t from the 70’s it’s from the 80’s. There where two versions of the SG1500 the one produced between 76-79 had a maple top, dot position markers, set neck and came in Cherry Burst or Black while the 80’s version, 81-84, didn’t have a maple top just a mahogany body, through neck , split triangular style position markers and came in Jade Green, Oil Stain and Persimmon Red.

[@garethturner6021]

Indeed - I have 1976 SG1500 with dot markers on. Awesome beast!

[@rubenrojo700]

Does the 1500 have the sustain plate that the 2000 has?

[@BritainsRareGuitars]

yes both the SG1500 and SG 2000 have the sustain plate - yamahaguitars.nl/facts-figures/the-sg1500-confusion/

[@jacktoddy9783]

I thought that Carlos swapped-out his SG2000 pickups for Gibson Classic 57's. I did with mine and the guitar sounds much grunchier.

[@TheBrightSounds]

GOTTTTT DAYYYYYYUMMMMMM

[@waskozoids]

Focus

[@emelle1283]

What about SF1000?

[@mikeberry9311]

Great all rounder from the late 70's

[@davidluraghi776]

Yamaha Sg, or Grestch G5232T?

[@BritainsRareGuitars]

They do look very similar!

[@joeprine1543]

The ones I played were very heavy

[@icanhearyoufull]

Xwow focus."" With jan ackermann......

[@BritainsRareGuitars]

Love focus!

[@icanhearyoufull]

By the way....i have the sg2000 from 1976/77 in tobacco with the serial around 1600.....they startet the numbering not with number zero they started the first with 1000...,,means it is the600 produced ever.....

[@JohnViguerie]

Right in. Mine is 001928 black/gold 77

[@ougigaming8710]

Theyre great. Now u need a 3000

[@joedeal8802]

Fuck the guitar. I want the bassist!!

[@aidansmyth6480]

I had one back around 1981/2 - I have a touch of GAS and had a much too large collection back in the day so, rather foolishly I now know, I sold it to my buddy who disabused it and let it go to heck. The only guitar I ever regretted selling. Superb machine and the best guitar I ever held in my hands.

[@gb5uq]

It was good enough for Santana.

[@christianboddum8783]

No mention of the weight ;-) !!

[@napomania]

Was it so weighty?

[@christianboddum8783]

@@napomania OH YES!!

[@SorianoSarrias]

Hot Bassplayer!!

[@USTTRM]

Gotta co-sign on that....

[@TedTheTree]

Jake Burns from Stiff Little Fingers played one for years so good for punk too, ha ha;

[@BritainsRareGuitars]

You are right and Stuart Adamson of Big Country!

[@gingerbeer914]

0:57-1:25 This SG2000 sounds rather thin. I heard better ones. Maybe it's the pickup setting. Btw, Jan Akkerman played this on a black Gibson Les Paul Custom, and I KNOW that an SG2000 should be able to beat the Gibson. You must be doing something wrong.

[@wesmanshaw]

Great video! I'm writing a webpage about the SG 2000, and I'm going to use your video on it. Hopefully I'll send you some views, and you'll be making my webpage better than just my writing.

[@riffwizardsupreme]

they cut the cover before the yodeling part. 0/10

[@user-dn2od3sn1q]

Dr d ex😅 4:00

[@guymadgesam24]

Ironic I was listening to that focus song just before

[@BritainsRareGuitars]

Great Song! thanks for watching

[@guymadgesam24]

@@BritainsRareGuitars You're welcome, also great guitars and playing! Got yourselves another sub!

[@iehen]

please, what's the name of that song?

[@guymadgesam24]

@@iehen Hocus Pocus

[@iehen]

@@guymadgesam24 right.. I just discovered the description below the video ;D Anyway, it was Sylvia I was looking for, nice tone for a "Les Paul" guitar

[@marchatesyou1]

really annoying when a band tunes down a bass player to the point of non existence

[@mihazolotih]

Shitty sound, but beautiful wood craftmentship