GAS for Yamaha SA2200 - Come on guys, enable me.

[dreamingtele]

So i’m hell bent on finding a decent, affordable semi. To pair with my Gibson ES-330. Initially, I wanted a true 335 from the big G, unfortunately, its a bit too much for me to spend just to test the waters.

i bought an Edwards E-SA-138LTS. Its beautiful, but it’s not working for me. I dont want to spend more on it by changing anything. If it doesnt work for me, stock, i wont love it modded.

Untitled by D Y, on Flickr


Next on my list now is the Yamaha SA2200. Everything (specs) point to a really good guitar on paper. Ive seen demoes and they sound good to my ears, and still has that airy tone I’m looking for in a big semi.

unfortunately nothing near me has this in stock so i cannot try it before I buy, and the store I found that has the color I want is in the other end of the country..

Anyway, anyone who has played one, or own one, care to respond and enable me? Lol. It seems that neck profile cannot be nailed down to a specific thickness, ive read conflicting reports. I have read only a few negative reviews on this guitar, more on the flatter radius (13++”).. while I’m not loving the pointy horn, its becoming bearable the more I look on it. Lol.

what say you?

 

[Nick Fanis]

Get a used late 70s,early 80s ,SA1200S (the one with the solid top and ebony fretboard)
BEST ES335 guitar I have ever had and killed any Gibson ES335 that I compared it with (I sold my Gibson 335 when I bought it)

 

[guitar_paul1]

A great guitar. Another one that might be more available with the same feel is a Japanese Fuji made Ibanez AS200. That's what I settled on when a Yamaha was too hard to find. i got mine in 1998.

 

[dreamingtele]

Get a used late 70s,early 80s ,SA1200S (the one with the solid top and ebony fretboard)
BEST ES335 guitar I have ever had and killed any Gibson ES335 that I compared it with (I sold my Gibson 335 when I bought it)

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nice! i’ll keep this in mind!

 

[dreamingtele]

A great guitar. Another one that might be more available with the same feel is a Japanese Fuji made Ibanez AS200. That's what I settled on when a Yamaha was too hard to find. i got mine in 1998.

i see a lot of comparisons between the two! Unfortunately, this one is also a unicorn at my part of the world.

i never see these in stock! I just got lucky with my search with 2 remaining SA2200, 1 of each color.

 

[Mandocaster68]

I always say, if you can responsibly afford to buy another (fill in the blank-fun thing), go for it!

I do not believe I've ever heard anyone really complain about Yamaha guitars at any price point. I bought a student-priced acoustic for my son, and the Martin and Gibson acoustic players in my circle were favorably impressed with it.

 

[dreamingtele]

I always say, if you can responsibly afford to buy another (fill in the blank-fun thing), go for it!

I do not believe I've ever heard anyone really complain about Yamaha guitars at any price point. I bought a student-priced acoustic for my son, and the Martin and Gibson acoustic players in my circle were favorably impressed with it.

hehehe! I know! Go for gold, if I can afford it! Hehe.

honestly, i dont have any major complaints on any Yamaha guitar Ive tried, be it acoustic or electric, however the SA2200 seem to be a unicorn. Ive seen them for sale but Ive never actually saw them personally, let alone tried them.

for their other models, the Revstar is absolutely bonkers good. However my complaint is that they put Jumbo frets which im not a fan of!

 

[Paul45]

The neck on my SA2200 was just too flat and wide for me to live with, so it had to be moved on.
Spectacularly well built though.

 

[ping-ping-clicka]

anybody got yen pox for the Yamaha Anniversary SG 1000

 

[richiek65]

hehehe! I know! Go for gold, if I can afford it! Hehe.

honestly, i dont have any major complaints on any Yamaha guitar Ive tried, be it acoustic or electric, however the SA2200 seem to be a unicorn. Ive seen them for sale but Ive never actually saw them personally, let alone tried them.

for their other models, the Revstar is absolutely bonkers good. However my complaint is that they put Jumbo frets which im not a fan of!

I've yet to play an SA2200, but whenever I've seen one they seem to radiate quality, and most reviews say they are Gibson killers.

I went on a cruise in 2016 and the guitarist in a jazz combo on board had a MIJ Ibanez, I hit him up at the time but I now forget the model number. The tones coming out of it were almost making me weep (no effects, straight into a DRRI or a HotRod Deluxe depending on which area he was in). He also said he'd been on a 335 type search for half his life, and this guitar was it, search over. I'm sure that someone else could pick up the same guitar and be meh about it, but I'd keep my eye out for the higher end Ibbys as well

Yep, those Revstars are VERY nice, in build, in playability, in tone (at least the P90 equipped 502s I've tried, haven't heard the HB or Filtertron equipped models). I don't remember the frets being overly jumbo-ish but I was rather distracted by the sheer majesty of the guitar as a whole.. I almost didn't buy my 335 after playing one, the neck pickup even got very close, and what elements of 335 tone it lacked were replaced by something sonically wonderful and very arresting! And they are amazing value.

Must. Not. Buy. Another. Guitar.

 

[peeweepete]

Have you considered a Washburn HB35 or 36?

 

[brookdalebill]

Great guitars!
I had the sunburst spruce top variant.
Shoulda held onto it.

 

[peeweepete]

I am currently looking for one but they seem hard to find, at least in Europe. Plus prices seem to be climbing...

Might be a while before one surfaces that's in my range. I guess patience is the key here.

 

[Cheap Trills]

Best 335-style I've played

 

[dreamingtele]

Have you considered a Washburn HB35 or 36?

yes. Ive considered a lot. Call me shallow but the shape needs to be close to 335 shape. And I couldnt get on the shape of other copies.. like Eastman, etc etc.

The Heritage models are also nice, but ive found them a bit hit or miss too, and again, call me shallow, but the headstock is horrendous! Thats just me.

at least the SA2200 is uniquely beautiful.

 

[dreamingtele]

I am currently looking for one but they seem hard to find, at least in Europe. Plus prices seem to be climbing...

Might be a while before one surfaces that's in my range. I guess patience is the key here.

one of the dealers I called told me that its just getting very hard to get them in the last 12 months. Maybe due to the pandemic. Man, all the guitars I want are actually non-existent in shops.

Best 335-style I've played

thank you! Im getting excited

 

[frank a]

I have played one and it was really nice! Good luck with your search. I wound up with a heritage 535 and never looked back.

 

[Califiddler]

Here's mine. It's been my #1 electric guitar since I bought it about 15 years ago. You can play just about anything on it. With coil-splitting on each PU it has 8 PU settings, but I usually just play it with HBs. I checked out a bunch of semi-hollows before buying it. It's a terrific guitar.

 

[Alex_C]

And now for something completely different: