My Mystery Yamaha SG
My Mystery Yamaha SG
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I bought a Yamaha SG-esque guitar from a local classifieds listing.
No serial number, no model name.
Can anyone help me identify it?
If you have any ideas, leads, or thoughts, please respond on whatever forum or social media thread brought you here. Thank you!
For the longer version of how I acquired this guitar and my observations of it, you can go to this page instead.
Background
Background
Seller's Statement
"This guitar is a bit of a mystery. It's certainly a prototype or custom piece, as it seems to be a hybrid between an SG and a Revstar and displays characteristics of both. My assumption is that it was made at YGD in California...
"I swapped one of my older Jazzmaster reissues for this with a friend in NYC. My friend was in a pretty big group back then and used to tour a bunch. My best guess is that it is from the late 90s or early 00s. Possibly could be a YASLA project as well.
"Don't know much more regarding its provenance."
Observations
Observations
Body: SG type, but asymmetrical/offset horns like a Revstar but with deeper-angled cuts
Body thickness: measured same as Revstar (1 5/8")
Weight: 8lbs 12 oz
Headstock logo: similar to some 2000's production models (such as RGX520FZ or RGX820)
Serial number: none
Tuners: Gotoh standard non-locking
Neck thickness: very similar to SG1820, which is 20.5mm (1st fret) / 25.0 mm (12th fret).
Frets: Medium jumbo
Fret markers: dot inlays akin to SG1802 (not 1820)
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Pickups: Seymour Duncan '59s (SH-1)
Bridge/Tailpiece: unknown, possibly proprietary
Control knobs: appear to be identical to SG1820's "Speed Knobs"
Hard Case: Yamaha "Made in U.S.A."
My theory is that this guitar was made in the early to mid-2000's and is a custom or prototype that preceded the Yamaha SG1820, which was introduced in 2010, and still in production and sold today (except in the U.S.).
Update: Seymour Duncan verified for me when the pickups were ordered and made - it was for Yamaha USA in 2003.
Final thoughts
Final thoughts
So there you go - despite having a body shape and thickness that is Revstar-like, this guitar feels to me like a predecessor to the SG1820. The overall aesthetic is obviously derived from the classic Yamaha SG look, and it has the exact same pickups, pick guard, and control knobs as the SG1820.
But who was it made for?
Yamaha does make custom guitars to order for artists, but Yamaha also likes to place prototypes into the hands of touring or session musicians for their feedback and thoughts.
I've tried scouring the web to find any artist or musician I can pictured with this guitar, but I've had no luck. Maybe it's just a prototype that leaked out when an employee no longer wanted it for themselves.
I might never find out more about this guitar's origins.
But what I do know is I've added an awesome guitar to my arsenal, and it sounds and plays like a true Yamaha to me!
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