NGD: 1982 Yamaha SBG1000
- stevejamsecono
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NGD: 1982 Yamaha SBG1000
Bit of a tale with this one.
As many of you know I had an SG1000 a few years ago. It was a very well-made instrument but a few issues (weight, bulk, acoustic deadness, etc) ultimately led me to sell it to fund an amp purchase. I ended up regretting it and started seriously thinking about replacing it a year or so ago. During that time I did a lot of research on them and found myself drawn to the S-series/SBGs from the early 80s due to their thinner bodies and lower weight. Problem was they weren't in the catelogues as long so are a bit harder to track down. Also in the time between purchasing my last one and now, word DEFINITELY got out on the SGs so prices are not what they once were.
Flash forward to a few weeks back. On a whim I checked Facebook Marketplace and to my surprise found one not far from me for the price of a used Epiphone. Problem was it had been up for a few weeks so by the time I messaged, it was long gone. Saddened, I figured that'd be it. It wasn't.
The same guitar popped up on Reverb a few days later for almost quadruple the price. The buyer bought it to flip amd matched it to some of the absurd SG prices up there. Figuring it couldn't hurt to ask, I messaged the buyer inquiring if it was the same guitar, and offered a sum that was, in my opion, more reasonable. No response. I figured I'd watch it for awhile to see if it'd drop down once he realized no one would pay that much for it.
A week later he messages me noting my interest and asked if I still wanted it. I definitely did, but haggled a bit more on the price since he mentioned it needed a refret soon. He accepted, we met up in New Brunswick for the handoff and I paid a sum that was double what he did initially but still very reasonable for one of these. But would it be worth it?
Well as it turns out, yes. Absolutely yes.
For starters this thing can't be more than 8.5 lbs, so that's a full pound and a half less than my old SG and my current SL and that makes an ENORMOUS difference. Also the slimmer body design makes it a much less clunky fit on my lithe frame. Definitely a fan of that.
Compared to both it seems to be a bit more acoustically lively. Still solid and with a nice natural sustain, but a bit more rewarding to strum when not plugged in. The neck is thinnish and fairly comfy, and although the frets ARE low, it plays evenly and nice for now.
The biggest surprise has been the pickups. The pickups on my old SG were fine and had a nice pushed "70s rock" thing going on, but they weren't my favorites. These pickups have a lot of that but due to the lack of covers seem to have a more defined attack which I LOVE. The cleans sound full but sparkly in all positions, full or tapped, and the gainy sounds have a wonderful cut. It's really something special and I've barely been able to put it down.
So long story short -- this totally exceeded my expectations on what I though I was gonna get and I'm thrilled to welcome it to the family. Definitely can't wait to bring it to a band practice. I'm totally smitten.
And of course, photos.
As many of you know I had an SG1000 a few years ago. It was a very well-made instrument but a few issues (weight, bulk, acoustic deadness, etc) ultimately led me to sell it to fund an amp purchase. I ended up regretting it and started seriously thinking about replacing it a year or so ago. During that time I did a lot of research on them and found myself drawn to the S-series/SBGs from the early 80s due to their thinner bodies and lower weight. Problem was they weren't in the catelogues as long so are a bit harder to track down. Also in the time between purchasing my last one and now, word DEFINITELY got out on the SGs so prices are not what they once were.
Flash forward to a few weeks back. On a whim I checked Facebook Marketplace and to my surprise found one not far from me for the price of a used Epiphone. Problem was it had been up for a few weeks so by the time I messaged, it was long gone. Saddened, I figured that'd be it. It wasn't.
The same guitar popped up on Reverb a few days later for almost quadruple the price. The buyer bought it to flip amd matched it to some of the absurd SG prices up there. Figuring it couldn't hurt to ask, I messaged the buyer inquiring if it was the same guitar, and offered a sum that was, in my opion, more reasonable. No response. I figured I'd watch it for awhile to see if it'd drop down once he realized no one would pay that much for it.
A week later he messages me noting my interest and asked if I still wanted it. I definitely did, but haggled a bit more on the price since he mentioned it needed a refret soon. He accepted, we met up in New Brunswick for the handoff and I paid a sum that was double what he did initially but still very reasonable for one of these. But would it be worth it?
Well as it turns out, yes. Absolutely yes.
For starters this thing can't be more than 8.5 lbs, so that's a full pound and a half less than my old SG and my current SL and that makes an ENORMOUS difference. Also the slimmer body design makes it a much less clunky fit on my lithe frame. Definitely a fan of that.
Compared to both it seems to be a bit more acoustically lively. Still solid and with a nice natural sustain, but a bit more rewarding to strum when not plugged in. The neck is thinnish and fairly comfy, and although the frets ARE low, it plays evenly and nice for now.
The biggest surprise has been the pickups. The pickups on my old SG were fine and had a nice pushed "70s rock" thing going on, but they weren't my favorites. These pickups have a lot of that but due to the lack of covers seem to have a more defined attack which I LOVE. The cleans sound full but sparkly in all positions, full or tapped, and the gainy sounds have a wonderful cut. It's really something special and I've barely been able to put it down.
So long story short -- this totally exceeded my expectations on what I though I was gonna get and I'm thrilled to welcome it to the family. Definitely can't wait to bring it to a band practice. I'm totally smitten.
And of course, photos.
And you find out life isn't like that
It's so hard to understand
Why the world is your oyster but your future's a clam
Resident Yamaha Fanboy
COYS
It's so hard to understand
Why the world is your oyster but your future's a clam
Resident Yamaha Fanboy
COYS
- whitewatersky
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Re: NGD: 1982 Yamaha SBG1000
that's awesome. good outcome !!!
- cestlamort
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Re: NGD: 1982 Yamaha SBG1000
Congratulations!
- stevejamsecono
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Re: NGD: 1982 Yamaha SBG1000
Cheers guys. Now to bust out some McGeoch riffs. Hmmm.
And you find out life isn't like that
It's so hard to understand
Why the world is your oyster but your future's a clam
Resident Yamaha Fanboy
COYS
It's so hard to understand
Why the world is your oyster but your future's a clam
Resident Yamaha Fanboy
COYS
- Jonesie
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Re: NGD: 1982 Yamaha SBG1000
The inlays on those Yamahas are some of the coolest inlays ever.
Also, may our Yamaha club grow and grow.
Also, may our Yamaha club grow and grow.
- stevejamsecono
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Re: NGD: 1982 Yamaha SBG1000
Agreed on both counts. Maybe in time I'll add the matching 'burst one.
And you find out life isn't like that
It's so hard to understand
Why the world is your oyster but your future's a clam
Resident Yamaha Fanboy
COYS
It's so hard to understand
Why the world is your oyster but your future's a clam
Resident Yamaha Fanboy
COYS
- JSett
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Re: NGD: 1982 Yamaha SBG1000
What a sweet looking guitar. Well done for negotiating it into your hands!
I'll never begrudge people snapping up bargains and flipping them for a profit (I do it regularly to fund my personal collection) but I never understand why, if they knew enough to know it was a good deal to begin with, why they would then lose all perspective and try to sell way out of sellable value! It's much easier and quicker a buck to be made if you just check the others listed/sold and price a touch lower so to appear reasonable.
That aside, happy NGD!
I'll never begrudge people snapping up bargains and flipping them for a profit (I do it regularly to fund my personal collection) but I never understand why, if they knew enough to know it was a good deal to begin with, why they would then lose all perspective and try to sell way out of sellable value! It's much easier and quicker a buck to be made if you just check the others listed/sold and price a touch lower so to appear reasonable.
That aside, happy NGD!
Silly Rabbit, don't you know scooped mids are for kids?
- stevejamsecono
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Re: NGD: 1982 Yamaha SBG1000
Quadruple the price was definitely a stretch, but then again SG prices are not what they once were. The 2000s seem to regularly go for over 2 grand now, so the secret's out!johnnysomersett wrote: ↑Tue Jul 06, 2021 12:22 pmWhat a sweet looking guitar. Well done for negotiating it into your hands!
I'll never begrudge people snapping up bargains and flipping them for a profit (I do it regularly to fund my personal collection) but I never understand why, if they knew enough to know it was a good deal to begin with, why they would then lose all perspective and try to sell way out of sellable value! It's much easier and quicker a buck to be made if you just check the others listed/sold and price a touch lower so to appear reasonable.
That aside, happy NGD!
And you find out life isn't like that
It's so hard to understand
Why the world is your oyster but your future's a clam
Resident Yamaha Fanboy
COYS
It's so hard to understand
Why the world is your oyster but your future's a clam
Resident Yamaha Fanboy
COYS
- JSett
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- Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2009 1:33 pm
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Re: NGD: 1982 Yamaha SBG1000
2 grand?? Jeeeeez. I remember passing one up for about £500 what seems like not that long ago (truth be told it was likely we'll over a decade ago). Damn.stevejamsecono wrote: ↑Wed Jul 07, 2021 3:07 amQuadruple the price was definitely a stretch, but then again SG prices are not what they once were. The 2000s seem to regularly go for over 2 grand now, so the secret's out!johnnysomersett wrote: ↑Tue Jul 06, 2021 12:22 pmWhat a sweet looking guitar. Well done for negotiating it into your hands!
I'll never begrudge people snapping up bargains and flipping them for a profit (I do it regularly to fund my personal collection) but I never understand why, if they knew enough to know it was a good deal to begin with, why they would then lose all perspective and try to sell way out of sellable value! It's much easier and quicker a buck to be made if you just check the others listed/sold and price a touch lower so to appear reasonable.
That aside, happy NGD!
I do, however, think that a nice 2000 is probably worth about that really. They're built beautifully and sound great. I could think of a lot of worse guitars at that price point.
Last edited by JSett on Wed Jul 07, 2021 3:45 am, edited 1 time in total.
Silly Rabbit, don't you know scooped mids are for kids?
- wproffitt
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Re: NGD: 1982 Yamaha SBG1000
Congratulations on this! Just this morning, I was searching. eBay for a Yamaha SA-20 and those don’t come cheap, either. I say it’s worth it if it plays nice and sounds the way you want. Older Yamahas are quirky, but so well made! I’m sure you’ll get many years of fun out of this 1000.
- stevejamsecono
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Re: NGD: 1982 Yamaha SBG1000
I definitely agree. You get your money's worth and I've yet to play a bad one. I just wish I'd gotten on the train earlier when they were going for much less than that...johnnysomersett wrote: ↑Wed Jul 07, 2021 3:22 am2 grand?? Jeeeeez. I remember passing one up for about £500 what seems like not that long ago (truth be told it was likely we'll over a decade ago). Damn.stevejamsecono wrote: ↑Wed Jul 07, 2021 3:07 amQuadruple the price was definitely a stretch, but then again SG prices are not what they once were. The 2000s seem to regularly go for over 2 grand now, so the secret's out!johnnysomersett wrote: ↑Tue Jul 06, 2021 12:22 pmWhat a sweet looking guitar. Well done for negotiating it into your hands!
I'll never begrudge people snapping up bargains and flipping them for a profit (I do it regularly to fund my personal collection) but I never understand why, if they knew enough to know it was a good deal to begin with, why they would then lose all perspective and try to sell way out of sellable value! It's much easier and quicker a buck to be made if you just check the others listed/sold and price a touch lower so to appear reasonable.
That aside, happy NGD!
I do, however, think that a nice 2000 is probably worth about that really. They're built beautifully and sound great. I could think of a lot of worse guitars at that price point.
Thank you! I truly hope so. This one is certainly easier on my back than the last one.wproffitt wrote: ↑Wed Jul 07, 2021 3:42 amCongratulations on this! Just this morning, I was searching. eBay for a Yamaha SA-20 and those don’t come cheap, either. I say it’s worth it if it plays nice and sounds the way you want. Older Yamahas are quirky, but so well made! I’m sure you’ll get many years of fun out of this 1000.
And you find out life isn't like that
It's so hard to understand
Why the world is your oyster but your future's a clam
Resident Yamaha Fanboy
COYS
It's so hard to understand
Why the world is your oyster but your future's a clam
Resident Yamaha Fanboy
COYS
- Strango
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Re: NGD: 1982 Yamaha SBG1000
Nice, a shame you couldn't get the screaming deal but glad it worked out -- and that this one's better than the one you remembered, haha. Sometimes a successful negotiation makes a guitar sound that much sweeter.
- MC5tooge
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Re: NGD: 1982 Yamaha SBG1000
Welcome back!