2009
SG2000
SG3000
SG-3
BB2000
BB3000
RGXA2
Leading the electric guitar
and guitarists into the future
- this is our mission
Th
e fi rst Yamaha electric guitar, the SG3, was introduced back in1966. Its radical body design
and tremolo system captured not only the attention of the day’s youth, but professional guitarists
as well. It was more than looks though that made these guitars great. Frets, bridges, and tuners de-
livered performance that was accurate and stable—a quality inherited from the company’s piano
manufacturing roots. And these early guitars off ered features that were far ahead of their time
- like volume and tone controls with preset settings that could be recalled during performance.
From these fi rst guitars, we felt it our mission to evolve the guitar.
From that point to the present, we have concentrated on refi ning every aspect of our guitars and
have broadened the spectrum of instruments we produce, developing a wide range of electric and
bass models . And as each instrument has undergone evaluation, new ideas and improvements
have been brought into being.
As heavier music styles gained in popularity the need for a thick, powerful tone increased. To
meet this demand, the SG series guitars evolved into instruments with larger bodies, thicker set
necks and humbucking pickups while their tremolo units disappeared from the bridge. Th
is was
the origin of the classic Yamaha SG.
Th
e SG30 and SG35, predecessors to the SG2000, were introduced in 1973. Th
ese instruments
captivated guitarists with their double-cutaway bodies and dual humbucking pickups. Players
longing for a professional level SG were rewarded the next year with the introduction of the
SG175. Yamaha devoted the full breadth of its know-how into the development of this instru-
ment, and the resulting superior quality was exactly what players had been waiting for. Based on
the SG175, development of the SG2000 started in 1976 with a focus on creating and maximising
smooth, rich sustain. Th
e SG2000 created quite a stir among guitarists all over the world with its
original one-piece structure, accomplished design, superior sound, well-designed hardware, and
remains to this day a player’s favourite.
About the same time, our all-original BB series basses made their debut fi lling in the low end of
the sonic spectrum. Its original design and outstanding tone quickly caught on among pro bass-
ists. Th
e BB2000 with its through neck design became especially popular - players were taken
with its superior quality, tone, and playability. Since that time, research and development over the
years has produced a wide variety of instruments such as the Pacifi ca, RGX, AES, RBX, TRB,
and Attitude lines. Our goal has always been to provide new ideas, sounds, functions, and designs
that inspire the musician’s creativity and meet the demands of the time. Our body designs cover
construction types from the most traditional to the ultra-modern and development of instru-
ments such as the Drop 6 and Fretwave equipped AES-FG have opened up new doors to what
instruments and players can do.
Along with instrument design, hardware and pickup design has always been of great importance
and has produced a great number of innovations in bridges, machineheads, nuts and the other
components that make an instrument what it is .
One of our most recent breakthrough technologies is Initial Response Acceleration, a technique
applied to the SG1000, SG2000 and SG3000 guitars. Years of research and development into
instrument construction - not only guitars, but pianos, wind instruments, drums, and electronic
instruments—has resulted in an extensive knowledge and technology base from which we can
draw upon. Initial Response Acceleration, which was fi rst utilized on woodwind instruments
and violins, is just one of the fruits of this wealth of knowledge and technology. Th
e RGXA2
and RBXA2 series represent another recent technological breakthrough. Development of this
series focused on lightening the instrument so as to provide a better connection between the
instrument and player while keeping sound and tone quality high. Th
ese instruments are certain
to bring about changes in playing styles, and may even create a whole new category of users due
to their very light weight. As times call for new sounds, guitar and bass designs require change,
but at the same time there are sounds that are timeless and need no change. Th
rough our unique
ability to combine both tradition and innovation, we can provide guitarists and bassists with in-
struments that off er and improve upon the best of both worlds. We hope that you anticipate with
excitement what the future holds for our guitars and basses.
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