'Restoring' a Yamaha SG-2 (FINISHED)
- windmill
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 4470
- Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 4:31 am
- Location: South Eastern Australia
Re: 'Restoring' a Yamaha SG-2
looks good
Well done
Well done
- ludobag1
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 2562
- Joined: Sun Nov 23, 2008 4:28 pm
- Location: france
Re: 'Restoring' a Yamaha SG-2
Looks pretty ,i love the dark rosewood
- ThePearDream
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 2120
- Joined: Sun Jun 25, 2017 6:18 am
- Location: Detroit
- Contact:
Re: 'Restoring' a Yamaha SG-2
The neck looks so much better now!
Does it still need a new high e tuner?
Does it still need a new high e tuner?
Doug
@dpcannafax
@dpcannafax
- SuperAxe
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 294
- Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2012 1:46 am
- Contact:
Re: 'Restoring' a Yamaha SG-2
Thank you.ThePearDream wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 8:25 amThe neck looks so much better now!
Does it still need a new high e tuner?
I carefully wedged the tuner bits open with a screwdriver; You can just see it on the photo
Both the high and low E tuners were a little loose so clamped them back a little bit. They are in pretty good condition for 55 years of age.
The guitar's birthday was December 5th !
- SuperAxe
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 294
- Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2012 1:46 am
- Contact:
Re: 'Restoring' a Yamaha SG-2
As previous photos show, I decided to stick with the original chromed brass nut. I took the crappy pins of it though and used a drop of superglue to hold it in place.
Couple of nut shots:
Couple of nut shots:
Last edited by SuperAxe on Tue Apr 16, 2024 10:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- SuperAxe
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 294
- Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2012 1:46 am
- Contact:
Re: 'Restoring' a Yamaha SG-2
Been working on an amplifier which is now finished so back to the SG-2.
Sourced some soft steel bar and have drilled the 2.5 holes for the pole pieces. The six holes on the right have been tapped to 3mm x 0.5 pitch. The only 'suitable' pole pieces I can source in NZ are like the one shown. It has the same head size as the originals. Once all is tapped I will saw the bars to size.
Also been thinking about the vibrato handle for the SG-2 and the SA_50. They are the same so I am hoping to find a replacement solution for both of them.
I think my current approach will work but I am waiting for materials and tools to make them.
Anyways, I bent the handle by hand (3 bends) so I have something that approaches the original and I can use it for testing. The original handle has compound bending (radiused) which I probably wont be able to replicate.
I have the collet for the SA-50 but not for the SG-2 so my solution will not need a collet. I am also hoping to address an issue with the original construction re the handle being too lose in its fitting.
More to come on this...
Sourced some soft steel bar and have drilled the 2.5 holes for the pole pieces. The six holes on the right have been tapped to 3mm x 0.5 pitch. The only 'suitable' pole pieces I can source in NZ are like the one shown. It has the same head size as the originals. Once all is tapped I will saw the bars to size.
Also been thinking about the vibrato handle for the SG-2 and the SA_50. They are the same so I am hoping to find a replacement solution for both of them.
I think my current approach will work but I am waiting for materials and tools to make them.
Anyways, I bent the handle by hand (3 bends) so I have something that approaches the original and I can use it for testing. The original handle has compound bending (radiused) which I probably wont be able to replicate.
I have the collet for the SA-50 but not for the SG-2 so my solution will not need a collet. I am also hoping to address an issue with the original construction re the handle being too lose in its fitting.
More to come on this...
Last edited by SuperAxe on Tue Apr 16, 2024 10:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- ludobag1
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 2562
- Joined: Sun Nov 23, 2008 4:28 pm
- Location: france
Re: 'Restoring' a Yamaha SG-2
For the radius maybe with heat on a form on wood ? Or if you find someone with a tube plier (a plomber for example)
What you miss is thé nut for the collet ,or the collet itself? On pics i see 2 collet and one nut
What you miss is thé nut for the collet ,or the collet itself? On pics i see 2 collet and one nut
- SuperAxe
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 294
- Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2012 1:46 am
- Contact:
Re: 'Restoring' a Yamaha SG-2
Yes, you are right. I miss one of those special nuts which taper on the inside....
- SuperAxe
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 294
- Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2012 1:46 am
- Contact:
Re: 'Restoring' a Yamaha SG-2
After 7 months of doing other things, I am back on this now...
I disassembled the pickguard, cleaned it and then straightened the pickguard as it was very wonky. I also wound a new bridge pickup which hopefully will sound good. Probably being too optimistic for the first attempt
Dirty pickguard:
Ready to be cleaned:
Cleaned:
Straightening the pickguard with heat. Could not find the iron so used the next best thing
Now that the pickguard is nice and flat again, it can be traced to make a template...
And fully re-assembled
Potentiometer date detail - The potentiometer dates shown are both 41.11 from the Showa Emperor period (Hirohito). This corresponds to a Western date of November 1966.
I disassembled the pickguard, cleaned it and then straightened the pickguard as it was very wonky. I also wound a new bridge pickup which hopefully will sound good. Probably being too optimistic for the first attempt
Dirty pickguard:
Ready to be cleaned:
Cleaned:
Straightening the pickguard with heat. Could not find the iron so used the next best thing
Now that the pickguard is nice and flat again, it can be traced to make a template...
And fully re-assembled
Potentiometer date detail - The potentiometer dates shown are both 41.11 from the Showa Emperor period (Hirohito). This corresponds to a Western date of November 1966.
Last edited by SuperAxe on Tue Apr 16, 2024 10:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- SuperAxe
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 294
- Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2012 1:46 am
- Contact:
Re: 'Restoring' a Yamaha SG-2
I noticed I started this thread November 5th 2021... So it took me almost a year to restore it
Accomplished most items I listed in the OP which is a good thing. The two most demanding items were the making of the whammy bar & collet and the making of the bridge pickup from scratch.
I can proudly say that the whammy bar/collet works wonders and the bridge pickup sounds fantastic. No idea how the bridge pickup compares to an original though...
Here some photos showing how it looks now.
First up -
1) hand made bridge pickup to look sort of similar. This is a prototype but I am going to leave it in as it sounds so good.
2) new slotted grub screws on the G & D string saddles to replace the 4 black ones (managed to buy a whole lot from AliExpress)
3) new whammy bar and collet. I have made a video of it and will post that after I have done the editing.
Here closeup of the collet assembly - note the teflon sleeve the bar sits in
Accomplished most items I listed in the OP which is a good thing. The two most demanding items were the making of the whammy bar & collet and the making of the bridge pickup from scratch.
I can proudly say that the whammy bar/collet works wonders and the bridge pickup sounds fantastic. No idea how the bridge pickup compares to an original though...
Here some photos showing how it looks now.
First up -
1) hand made bridge pickup to look sort of similar. This is a prototype but I am going to leave it in as it sounds so good.
2) new slotted grub screws on the G & D string saddles to replace the 4 black ones (managed to buy a whole lot from AliExpress)
3) new whammy bar and collet. I have made a video of it and will post that after I have done the editing.
Here closeup of the collet assembly - note the teflon sleeve the bar sits in
Last edited by SuperAxe on Tue Apr 16, 2024 10:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- windmill
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 4470
- Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 4:31 am
- Location: South Eastern Australia
Re: 'Restoring' a Yamaha SG-2 (FINISHED)
Excellent work
well done
well done
- BoringPostcards
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 7188
- Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2009 8:50 am
- Location: Newfoundland
Re: 'Restoring' a Yamaha SG-2 (FINISHED)
Great job! Looks amazing.
Det er mig der holder traeerne sammen.
- antisymmetric
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 3614
- Joined: Mon Apr 26, 2010 11:32 pm
- Location: New Zealand
Re: 'Restoring' a Yamaha SG-2 (FINISHED)
Beautiful work, looking forward to seeing this one up close.
Watching the corners turn corners
- Amon 7.L
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 743
- Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2011 5:45 am
Re: 'Restoring' a Yamaha SG-2 (FINISHED)
Spectacular restoration, I love it!
- shoegaze_head
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 205
- Joined: Mon Jul 25, 2022 7:45 am
- Location: Midwest (emo) US
Re: 'Restoring' a Yamaha SG-2 (FINISHED)
Awesome job! The refret especially made such a difference in the guitar.