Yamaha SGV-300 vintage re-issue

guitarz.blogspot.com:
Bertram already posted about the Yamaha SGV-300 last October. Well, I've got my hands on one and have been playing it for the last week and I can thoroughly understand Bertram's enthusiasm in that post. I'd been turned onto Yamaha guitars having investigated and bought the SG-3, and when I saw this yellow beauty on eBay, I knew I had to have it. It's in lovely condition, apart from some bizarre screw holes on the back where - apparently - it had been mounted on a wall in a bar. Which is total sacrilege for a guitar of this quality! I'm so glad someone had the common sense to take it down, because this guitar is definitely a player.

Below we see both my Yamahas:

I know I've been harping on about these babies, but whenever I pick up one of these Yamahas I'm just astounded at how amazingly good it is. They can go from a deep rock'n'roll twang through to a brittle barbed-wire spikiness. The SGV-300 re-issue is from 2000 and combines vintage styling with a more modern feeling neck (with a Gibson-esque 24 3/4" scale), whilst the sunburst Yamaha SG-3 - one of their first electrics from 1966/67 (it's nearly as old as me) has a more Fender-like 25 1/2" scale. Both have very useable vibratos which do not send the guitar out of tune, and both have the same pickups, although the SG-3 has additional Jazzmaster-style controls for added tonal options.

Seriously, guitarists, if you ever get the chance, you need to try one of these! They are not sustain monsters like a Les Paul, but play one of these and you'll start to question if sustain is the be-all and end-all that it is popularly made out to be.

G L Wilson

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