Yamaha SG Guitars
Experience the absolute pinnacle of Japanese guitar craftsmanship with the legendary Yamaha SG series. Revered by collectors and professional musicians as the "Les Paul Killer," the Yamaha SG combines timeless double-cutaway elegance with massive sustain, rich resonance, and flawless execution. Handcrafted in extremely limited quantities in Yamaha's custom shop in Japan, these instruments represent the ultimate expression of tone and playability. As a premier authorized dealer for Yamaha SG guitars in the UK, MusicStreet is proud to offer these rare masterpieces.
Because instruments of this caliber demand perfection, every Yamaha SG guitar in our collection undergoes a rigorous professional workshop setup (worth £75) in our Huntingdon showroom to ensure its playability and tone are perfectly optimized before it reaches your hands.
✓ Handcrafted in Japan ✓ Free Fully Insured UK Delivery ✓ Professional Setup Included
Explore Yamaha SG Guitars at MusicStreet
Yamaha SG1802 Black - Premium Electric Guitar
Yamaha SG1820 Vintage White
Yamaha SG1802 Gold Top - Premium Electric Guitar
B-stock Yamaha SG1802 Black - Premium Electric Guitar
*B-stock Yamaha SG1802 Black - Premium Electric Guitar
Yamaha SG1820 Brown Sunburst
Yamaha SG1820 Black
USED Yamaha Sg1820
The Yamaha SG Guide: The History and Legacy of a Japanese Masterpiece
What separates a handcrafted, surgically precise, and tone-packed Japanese masterpiece from a standard double-cutaway electric guitar? While traditional solid-body designs rely on historic American templates, professional touring guitarists, collectors, and tone purists know that the secret to unlocking unmatched sustain, resonance, and playability lies in the legendary Yamaha SG series.
First introduced in the 1970s, the Yamaha SG series was designed with a single goal: to create the ultimate solid-body electric guitar. Developed in collaboration with rock legends like Carlos Santana and Bill Nelson, the Yamaha SG quickly earned a reputation as the "Les Paul Killer" due to its superior upper-fret access, massive sustain, and flawless Japanese build quality.
Investing in a premium Japanese Yamaha SG serves several critical functions:
- Uncompromising Japanese Lutherie: Handcrafted by master luthiers at Yamaha's exclusive Music Craft workshop in Japan, these guitars feature flawless joinery, perfect fretwork, and meticulous attention to detail.
- Massive Sustain & Resonance: The solid mahogany body with a carved maple top, paired with a set-neck construction and heavy-duty hardware, delivers a warm, rich tone with incredible sustain and mid-range punch.
- Initial Response Acceleration (I.R.A.): Yamaha's proprietary wood treatment relieves internal stresses in the wood, delivering a guitar that feels and sounds like a perfectly broken-in vintage instrument straight out of its hardshell case.
Yamaha SG Models Explained: SG1820, SG1802, and SG1820A
To choose the correct Japanese SG for your playing style and collection, you must understand the primary configurations:
1. Yamaha SG1820
The flagship model of the modern lineup. The Yamaha SG1820 features a solid mahogany body with a carved maple top, a mahogany neck, and a rosewood fretboard. Loaded with custom-wound Seymour Duncan '59 humbuckers, it delivers a warm, rich, and balanced vintage tone with sweet highs and a smooth low-end.
2. Yamaha SG1802
The ultimate choice for sweet, gritty, and highly articulate tones. The Yamaha SG1802 features the same premium Japanese construction but is loaded with a pair of Seymour Duncan SP90-1 single-coils. This model delivers a bright, punchy mid-range and a highly articulate attack.
3. Yamaha SG1820A
Designed for high-gain precision. The Yamaha SG1820A features active EMG 81 and 85 humbuckers and black nickel hardware. This model delivers an incredibly clean, high-output signal with maximum clarity and virtually zero noise, making it the ultimate choice for modern metal.
Why Buy Your Yamaha SG from Music Street?
At MusicStreet, we don't believe in "box shifting." A premium, handcrafted instrument like a Japanese Yamaha SG requires professional care and attention. Wood is a natural material that reacts dynamically to temperature and humidity, and every guitar requires a precise setup to perform at its absolute best.
Every single Yamaha SG listed on our site is physically stocked in our Huntingdon showroom. Before it leaves our store, our expert guitar techs perform a rigorous, multi-point inspection and a complete professional setup. We adjust the neck relief, action, intonation, and nut slots to your exact preferences, ensuring your new guitar plays flawlessly straight out of the case.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why is the Yamaha SG called the "Les Paul Killer"? +
In the late 1970s and 1980s, the Yamaha SG series (particularly the SG2000) gained a reputation for outperforming standard single-cutaway guitars in build quality, sustain, and playability. With its double-cutaway design for superior upper-fret access, a heavy brass sustain block under the bridge, and flawless Japanese craftsmanship, it became the preferred choice for many professional players.
Where are Yamaha SG guitars made? +
All modern Yamaha SG models (including the Yamaha SG1820, SG1802, and SG1820A) are handcrafted in small batches by master luthiers at Yamaha's exclusive Music Craft workshop in Japan, ensuring the highest level of quality control and craftsmanship.
Do you stock these guitars in your showroom? +
Yes. Every Yamaha SG listed on our site is physically in stock at our independent showroom at 10 Chequers Court, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. You can drop in, test the playability and comfort of the different models, and get honest, expert advice from our team of working musicians.
What is Yamaha's I.R.A. wood treatment? +
Initial Response Acceleration (I.R.A.) is a proprietary wood treatment process used on premium Japanese Yamaha guitars. By applying specific vibrations to the completed instrument, Yamaha relieves the internal stresses between the wood, finish, and hardware, delivering a guitar that feels and sounds like a perfectly broken-in vintage instrument straight out of the case.
The Legend of the Yamaha SG: The "Les Paul Killer"
First introduced in the 1970s, the Yamaha SG series revolutionized the electric guitar market. By combining a thick, carved maple top over a solid mahogany body with a neck-through-body design, Yamaha created an instrument that offered unparalleled sustain, rich midrange warmth, and incredible tuning stability.
When Carlos Santana adopted the Yamaha SG2000 as his primary instrument in the late 1970s, the guitar's place in rock history was cemented. Today, Yamaha continues to handcraft these iconic instruments in Japan, maintaining the same traditional construction methods, premium tonewoods, and meticulous quality control that made the original vintage models legendary.
Explore the Modern Yamaha SG1820 Series
Yamaha SG1820
The classic rock machine. Featuring a carved maple top, a solid mahogany body, and a mahogany neck with a rosewood fingerboard, the Yamaha SG1820 is loaded with premium Seymour Duncan '59 humbuckers. This combination delivers the sweet, warm, and articulate vintage PAF-style tones that defined generations of rock, blues, and jazz.
Yamaha SG1802
The vintage-voiced purist. The Yamaha SG1802 features the same premium Japanese construction but is loaded with dual Seymour Duncan Custom SP90-1 single-coil pickups. This configuration offers a unique, gritty midrange bite, sparkling highs, and a highly dynamic touch response, perfect for expressive blues, indie, and alternative rock.
Yamaha SG1820A
The modern high-gain monster. Designed for modern rock and metal players, the Yamaha SG1820A features active EMG 81 and 85 pickups. This setup delivers incredible clarity, tight low-end response, and aggressive, high-output power under extreme gain, while preserving the massive natural sustain of the mahogany body.
The MusicStreet Difference: Workshop-Prepared Playability
At MusicStreet, we don't believe in "box shifting"—especially when it comes to rare, handcrafted Japanese instruments of this caliber.
Every single Yamaha SG guitar that leaves our Huntingdon showroom undergoes a rigorous, multi-point inspection and a professional workshop setup (worth £75) by our expert guitar techs. We adjust the action, relief, intonation, and fretwork to ensure your new instrument plays flawlessly straight out of the box.
- No Drop-Shipping: Every guitar listed on our site is physically in stock at our Huntingdon store.
- 1-Year Warranty: We back every instrument we sell with a comprehensive 1-year warranty.
- Free UK Shipping: Enjoy free, fully insured UK shipping on all orders over £99, with competitive rates worldwide.
- Flexible Financing: Buy with confidence using Klarna or PayPal split payments.
4. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why is the Yamaha SG often compared to a Gibson Les Paul?
The Yamaha SG shares a similar tonewood formula (carved maple top over a solid mahogany body) and scale length, which gives it a similar rich, warm, and powerful voice. However, the SG features a double-cutaway design for superior upper-fret access, a unique neck-through or set-neck joint, and a slightly different body contour, which many players find offers superior balance and comfort.
Are modern Yamaha SG guitars still made in Japan?
Yes. All Yamaha SG1820, 1802, and 1820A models are handcrafted in extremely limited quantities in Yamaha's premium custom shop facility in Japan. This ensures the absolute highest standards of quality control, wood selection, and craftsmanship.
Does my Yamaha SG guitar come set up?
Yes. Every Yamaha SG guitar purchased from MusicStreet receives a professional, custom setup in our in-house workshop before dispatch. If you have specific preferences for string gauge or tuning, simply let us know when placing your order, and our techs will configure it to your exact specifications.
Can I try these guitars in person?
Absolutely. We welcome you to visit our independent showroom at 10 Chequers Court, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. You can get hands-on with our collection, test them through premium amplifiers, and get honest, expert advice from our team of working musicians.
