Yamaha SA2200

The standard set of features that i would expect from a gutar of this qualitly. Although i was delighted when it arrived in a hiscox lite flite pro 2 hard case.

Who needs features anyway.

I play mainly blues with a touch of progressive rock thrown in as well. At first i was concerned about what the guitar would sound like through my digitech rp 1000 but after plugging it in and playing along to some Pink Floyd backing tracks my concerns vanished.

Although the guitar sounds great through an fx board it's main asset is it's straight through tone. I play with a 1992 fender deville (made in america) with a fender platinum lead. WOW the sound that came from the guitar blew me away. It has a perfectly balenced tone and having the coil taps is a great feature to.

Flawless. I was a little peed off because the guitar came with 9's. But when i ut 10's on it the setup didnt change at all.

Everything about this guitar is rock solid. It feels like it withstand pretty much anything.

Having bought this guitar straight from yamaha i had a few conversations with the rep. He was very helpful and the guitar arrived promptly

There is only one thing that i dislike about this guitar and that is the flamed top. I dont like flamed tops in general but the guitar is so good that i overlooked the top.

Buy one!

22 frets, mahogany neck, tipical 335 shape, 24-3/4 scale. General quality and attention to details and finishing is such that Gibson should be ashamed of.

Sounds equal or even better than a Gibson, very warm and full sounding.

Nice low action without buzzing.

Looks solid and will surely last enough.

Great guitar that costs (new) half as much than a Gibson, or even less if you find a used one.
Simply...if you want the best 335, buy the Yamaha SA2200 !

This is a 2008 Japan made SA2200. I will not go over all the stock features for they have already been stated numerous times and can also be seen on the Yamaha website. My SA2200 is the brown sunburst model. Mine did not come with a case. Also, mine has been fitted with an aluminum Bigsby tremolo arm as a modification. I did this to contrast it to my Ibanez AS103NT with which I will be comparing this SA2200 to as a variation to the usual comparisons to the Gibson ES-335.I will say that for a semi-hollow the features are more than adequate and I like the coil-splitters very much. All the parts seem solid and of high quality. I give it a 9 only because it is a semi and isn't supposed to be stacked with features.

This is where it gets good! I play mainly Jazz, R&B, Blues and Hendrix type rock. I mainly use a JC120 and set my many sounds on a Digitech multi-effects unit as well other stomp boxes, wah-wah etc...Also, I use a Fender Twin for straight-into-the amp stuff. The first time I played the SA2200 was when I was picking up my Ibanez AS103NT from repair. I had just checked the repaired Ibanez out through an amp and had seen the SA2200 on the wall so I asked to try it out just for fun and was totally blown away! The unplugged sound actually did not impress me as much as the AS103, but plugged in....WOW!! The AS103 is a great axe mind you but the SA2200 is totally on another level! Although the strings were .09s, the sound was fat, clear and soulful. The whole guitar felt alive in my hands!! I tried the single coil on the neck PU and it sounded like a cross between a Tele and a Strat. Each note rang like a bell on both PUs and in the middle position with the hummers was the twangiest, funkiest best I had ever heard on a semi-hollow type guitar! I use mostly the neck PU but these PUs are so nice I am using the bridge PU more! The single coils are surprisingly sweet, nicer than the split coils on my Yamaha AES1500, fatter, sweeter and more nuanced. Compared to the AS103, the SA2200 is brighter, punchier and more nuanced. The AS103 seems flat in comparison...the SA2200 totally sings! I actually got the AS103 because I was unsatisfied with a 335 dot-semi that I had, and when I got the AS103 I loved it so much I sold the 335 the following week. However, this Yamaha blows away even the AS103! I went home and tried to forget about it but I couldn't stop thinking about this guitar so I bought it a few weeks later after going back to play it a few more times at the store!...Anyway, since I now had 2 semis I decided to install a Bigsby on the SA2200. I was a little nervous about drilling screws into this beauty and had considered installing onto the AS103 instead but it was the best decision I have ever made on an axe! With the Bigsby, the SA2200 now has a longer sustain, a unique shimmer and a transparancy that may not have existed before. The actual effect of using the tremolo adds a certain surreal quality to even my jazz sounds..... spirit of Hendrix...Anyways, I could go on forever so I'll stop. In a nutshell, without exaggeration, this may be the best sounding guitar I have ever played...and I've played many...

This is the best looking semi I have ever seen and looks even greater with the Bigsby! I got this beauty at a licensed Yamaha dealer and was set up perfectly albeit with 09s. I tried a variety of strings including 10s 11s but strangely enough settled on D'addario 095s!! I usually go for 10s and 11s...but for some reason the 095s work best for me on this axe! The PUs are great! Unless you want a specific kind of sound, these are the best PUs for this particular guitar, and the coil-splitters definitely help in the versatility department. The top is not bookmatched but every single detail on this guitar is flawless....really! Even the wood on the inside of the f-holes are flamed!! The mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard and mother-of-pearl fret markers are simply beautiful and feel like home! Really unbelievably comfortable neck...Can't keep my hands off of it! My only complaint might be the configuration of the body. The body seems shorter than the AS103 and a tad less comfortable when playing on my lap. I actually prefer the neck angle of the AS103 but am getting used to it.
Overall this is probably the best-looking, highest quality guitar I own! (Although the Yamaha AES1500 comes close in terms of quality and the AS103 come pretty close in terms of looks, they both lag far behind in terms of sound!)

This guitar is royalty. It is not meant to be tossed around. My AS103 is more of a workhorse.
However there has not been any indication that it is weak or not durable yet! The gold parts will probably wear and scratches will appear but that is the nature of a luxurious instrument! I have been using the AS103 AND the Yamaha AES1500 together to get the sounds I want....but have recently started using only the SA2200 and am getting rave reviews for the sound, looks, and versatility, so hopefully I will not be needing a back-up! I give it a 9 only because it has not been truely tested yet!

Haven't dealt with the company yet!?

I have been playing professionally for 25 years. Besides the AS103 and AES1500 I have 3 Fender Strats, 3 Fender Teles, a Les Paul and have previously owned an ES-335 as well as a variety of steel/nylon stringed acoustics. If this was stolen or lost I would cry, then hunt down another one! There is nothing to hate and almost everything to love about it I guess.. but the versatility is probably my favorite feature! I had been using an ES-335....sold it for an Ibanez AS103...then got the SA2200, and it has truly been progress. The SA outshines the AS, and the AS (I personally think) outshines the ES-335 in many respects, but that's another story! (I think my 335 may have been a lemon....) I chose the SA2200 because I simply fell in love with it the moment I played it at the dealership, and that's the plain truth.....If you are looking for a semi-acoustic, this is simply the best.

Passive 335ish with coil splitters which allow for additional single coil sounds. Mahogany neck, rose board.

Sounded great, prefer over 335 until it broke.

All was well until it broke

Headstock joint at neck cracked. Common mahogany neck problem. Guitar unplayable and useless.

Real jerks. The guitar has a lifetime warranty and the cracked neck/headstock was a blatant defect. I bought the guitar from a music store that went out of business and lost the receipt. I gave the guitar serial number and the name and address of the out of buziness store (acutally a chain). Yahmaha said it "wasn't in their database - how convenient" - so they refused to honor the warranty and were quire rude. I have had many yamaha products but will never buy again. I am stuck with a $2000 piece of firewood.

Defectiv. Warranty not honored. Yahama warranty people ***es. What more can I say, biggest rip off I've ever had.

The features of this guitar have been covered off very well by all before me, but for my money the most useful of those are...

1. The guitar sounds great plugged or unplugged
2. The guitar looks amazing - I don't know whether to play with it or sleep with it
3. The guitar plays beautifully. Neck is perfect and the fretboard has lovely tone and just adds to the sustain
4. The coil-taps might be a useful feature later down the line. To be honest I am happy with the sound of the 'buckers and have a Strat for single-coil sounds.

I wouldn't say it was over-endowed with features, but it gets a 10 because it has more than you would expect from a 335-type guitar. If you want a guitar with lots of features, get a bloody keyboard!

I play mainly blues of the SRV, BB King, Clapton, etc. mould, and until recently played a Strat exclusively. I decided upon acquiring GAS that I needed a semi-acoustic and after much research I bought the Yamaha. I play it through a humble Vox Valvetronix 30 Watt - sorry can't remember model number.
Given the amps limitation as far as bass and volume generally, the guitar sounds great. I am still looking for a few sounds, but I am confident I will get there. It has a wide variety of sounds
Effects-wise I have only tried my Tube Screamer, but this sounded great and I'm looking forward to trying again at volume!
Nothing I don't like about it although it takes some getting used to after a Strat - in a good way!

Fit and Finish is flawless. Can't comment on comparison with Gibsons yet as I haven't played on for years, but part of the reason for purchasing was listening to the favourable comparisons.
It needed a set-up as it had done over 3,000 miles to get to me and I thought that was the least it deserved! Once set-up it became my guitar in that it seems to talk to me...eh, don't quite know how to explain that!

I would say that for the amount of gigging I may do, which wouldn't be a lot to be honest, perhaps once a month, it would be fine. I'm sure that there are folks out there who gig with it every day and with pleasure! It is so well put together I can't imagine it letting you down.
I would agree that the gold-plate may tarnish, but then that's the cost of gold-plate.
I bend strings up to 2+ steps and no signs of breakage yet.

N/A

Serious bang for your buck. I paid roughly ??750 for a year old example.
I currently also own...

Fender USA '62 Reissue Strat
Fender USA 1988 Strat Deluxe
Ozark National Resonator Copy
Vox 30 Watt Valvetronix
Ibanez Tube Screamer Analogman
Vox Wah
Other stuff

Been playing 20 years (scary) and have played plenty of other guitars and also worked in guitar shops.
I would definitely replace this guitar - if I could find another one in the UK, as they're not easy to find.
There is nothing not to like about this guitar if you are looking for a 335-type model.

???ES-335??? style semi-hollow made in Japan in 2008, purchased new 6 months ago from a local Yamaha dealer. Laminated flame maple body finished in brown burst, solid center sustain block, 24.75??? scale, set mahogany neck, 13.75??? radius ebony board with split MOP block inlays, 22 jumbo frets, gold plated Yamaha-branded Gotoh tuners, TOM bridge and stoptail. Two Alnico-V humbuckers, three-way toggle, two volume and two tone knobs with push-push coil splitting pots. It came with a sturdy Hiscox case. You could not wish for anything more in a semi unless your playing style requires a Bigsby. The only mod I did was to install straplocks.

The stock pickups are rich and hot, and offer a wide variety of sounds. They can evoke B.B. King, Larry Carlton, John Scofield, Clapton/Cream, Motown, or your very own tone, simply by flicking the toggle, adjusting volume and tone controls, and varying pick attack. The only style it is not suited for is metal.

The neck pickup can be warm and jazzy, or fat and greasy when overdriven -- perfect for blues. The combination of neck/bridge delivers a beautiful, woody ???335??? tone full of harmonics. The bridge pickup loves being pushed and can handle rock or fusion upon demand. Splitting the coils is perfect for R&B rhythm work or P90-like sounds.

The only minor complaint is that chords can sound a little muddy if too much gain is applied to the neck humbucker, but that is not what I normally use it for anyway.

There are no flaws to be found anywhere on this instrument. It was setup and finished to perfection. The nut is well cut, action is low without buzzing, and intonation is right on the money. It came set up with 9s, which I would normally consider too light but it actually suits this guitar well. The neck is responsive and plays effortlessly, thanks to the highly polished frets and ebony board that is smooth as silk. Access to the upper frets is completely unobstructed. There are no dead spots, and notes ring and sing no matter what part of the neck you play on, with sustain that is as long as you want it to be. The vintage brown burst has been beautifully applied and finished. When you look through the f-holes you can see that even the inside of the guitar uses flamed maple!

I do not expect any problems with this guitar as it is very well built using quality components, but being a semi-hollow it needs to be treated with a little more respect than a solid slab of wood. The only wear I foresee is oxidisation of the gold-plated hardware.

It comes with a two-year warranty that I have not had to use this far, and do not anticipate having to. The dealer offered a free setup during the first 12 months of ownership, although I probably will not be taking advantage of it as I do my own. Other than that I have no experience with their customer support.

I have been playing 40 years. I started out on cheap, hard-to-play pawnshop guitars, and eventually worked my way up to Fender, Hamer USA, Gibson, Larrivee, etc. I also have a home studio. The Yamaha SA2200 is the perfect compliment to my solid body guitars. It delivers a superb array of rich, woody tones and is the most versatile guitar I own. Playability and finish are outstanding. What I like most about it is the feel of the neck which has to be played to be believed.

These guitars are not made in large quantities and locating one can be a little difficult, but it is well worth the effort as the quality exceeds that of many 335s made by ???the big boys??? at a considerably lower price point. Highly recommended!

I recently bought a new Yamaha SA2200 in brown burst, this is a 2008 Japanese made guitar. I wont list all the adornments here as these can be found on the Yamaha website, but I will say that the materials used are of a very high standard and easily comparable with a 335 with costs considerably more.
I read that some users are having to buy the case separately, this does not apply in the UK, as it comes supplied with a very sturdy Yamaha/Hiscox case as standard.

I play mainly blues/rock material and I find that this guitar copes with it all, and the added coil tap feature is very useful.The soud and range of tones are incredible as compared with my Gibson Les Paul
or Fender Strat, it is nearly a case of one guitar does all, but not quite.
I use a Marshall AVT 150 combo with no external effects and when used on the clean channel it really shows off the versitility of the coil tap feature.
One thing to remember is that this is an hollow bodied instrument and when used on overdrive setting at high amp output volumes the resonance created within the body can cause some unwanted feedback
but a bit of palm muting gets around what is a minor problem

The setup was very good from the start and I have gigged with it with any alteration at all. I scrutinized this guitar and cannot really criticise any thing, the materials and workmanship are first class.
I have to say that this guitar was not my first preference, being a Gibson devotee (having owned several of their solid bodies) I wanted an es335 but after trying 5 such instruments I found the quality, finish and instore setups to be horrendous on all 5.
I am now glad that I passed on the 335 as the SA2200 is a superior instrument in every and is more the finish and adornments are more like a 345 or 355 but better and at a fraction of the price.

Due to the build quality I expect this guitar to last for a long time
I do expect the harware to tarnish and wear over the years due to it being gold.
The strap buttons are large and solid, use a leather strap and you should have no problems
I feel that the I could totally depend on this instrument without need of a backup

Warranty is 2 years but as yet I not needed to contact them

I have been playing for 35 years and own a 1983 Gibson Les Paul custom (quality was good back then) a Fender deluxe Strat and Yamaha
APX7A electro accoustic.
If this guitar were stolen I would definately buy it again.
The thing Ilove the most is the finish and resulting sound.
Nothing to hate and the favorite feature would have to be the coil tap facility.
The guitar that I compared it to is the industry benchmark for this type of intrument that is the Gison es335. (??600 dearer than an SA2200) which was instantly forgotten once I had tried the SA2200

This is a guitar that I always wanted to try but could never find one in a local store.They are listed on the internet but when you enquire most don`t have them in stock. I wanted to try first as my alternative was a Gibson 355 (twice the price)and I needed to compare. I found a local store (PMT B`ham) who with a deposit ordered one in for me on a no obligation basis.When I saw it & tried it out I`m affraid the Gibson went out of my mind completely! A beautiful looking guitar with quality stamped all over it and the feel of the neck is pure heaven. The workmanship puts many far more expensive guitars to shame.

It suits my style of play perfectly, I tend to play clean/jazzy instrumentals and use it with a Vos AD100VT combo.I also play through a Korg AX3000g board into a pa.It is not noisy and provides warm mellow sounds on the neck pickup to good rocking tones on the bridge. The coil taps add extra variety & at the moment I`m experimenting with different configurations, as results vary depending which amp/pa you are using at the time, what sounds good through an amp may sound different through anything else, this is not a guitar fault but what you play any instrument through is just as important.

The guitar was setup superb from the box. It had 9`s on it, I usually play with 10`s but actually 9`s on this guitar feel great & add to the feel, I don`t know why but they don`t feel too light and bends are a dream. The frets are perfect, no buzzing, the ebony f/board is real smooth, I think you would have to go a long way to beat this neck. I fitted straplocks and found the balance of the guitar just right.All the the electrics seem good quality/finish and I like the pots with markers on - makes life easier. Having the jack input on the front like Gibsons is great for siiting down playing, when standing watch out for standing on your lead.

Hav`nt played out with it yet but can`t see that as a problem, I would always take a backup anyway. I tend to really look after my instruments and expect it to stay in pristine condition. Because of its quality of build I think you could depend on it. I am not a fan of nitro finish guitars, I think they mark easily and provide very sticky necks so this baby is ideal. It comes with a hard case although Yamaha supply this separately for some reason I don`t know why. I`m still waiting for mine (only had it a week)but the store lent me a good fitted hard case till it comes in so no problem.

I`v only had the guitar a week so no warrany issues. I`ve dealt with PMT B`ham for years and always found them very obliging so I believe I have no worries if any problems arise, one of the benefits of not buying on the internet! Deal face to face with a reputable store not box shifters. Alot of other large chain stores speak the speak but lack intimate knowledge of there products

I`ve been playing on & off for 30YRS and have owned and still own - PRS/FENDER/GRETSCH/EPIPHONE ETC. My comparison was with a Gibson 335 another great guitar but not worth another ??1200/??1500 over the SA2200. I love the neck and feel of a quality instrument and don`t hate anything about it. I always fancied having a try of one but could never find one. It not only looks stunning but is backed up by its quality & performance, mine is the dark sunburst finish. I tend to think that this is one of the `Guitar Industries` best kept secrets as they don`t appear to be widely available. I would replace if lost. If people say " buy a Gibson" take no notice as they probably have never played the sa2200 - this is true from my experience.

This is Yamaha's version of a Gibson ES-355/mono. 22-fret mahogany neck, ebony board with MOP inlays, laminated figured maple semi-hollow body in "violin sunburst" (sort of a brownish burst...nice vintagey color) with gold-plated hardware, including a stop tail. Pickups are Yamaha humbuckers, each wired with coil-splitting capability. The tuners are labeled Yamaha. The neck has a fairly wide and slim feel overall...definitely comfy, though I would ideally opt for a profile with *slightly* thicker shoulders. My guitar's serial number doesn't check out on the Yamaha search utility, UNLESS I replace the two "I"s with "1"s. Then it comes up as made in 2000.

I rate the features as "8" because while it doesn't have every possible feature in the world, it has everything it needs to deliver the goods. The coil splpitting is an extra nice "to have".

The tone of this guitar is remarkable in all pickup configurations. The guitar not only looks like a 355, it also sounds like a GREAT 355. It has a great balanced sustain and beautiful round tone. It gets good bite on the bridge p/u, and not too muddy on the neck. In fact, it nails that deeply satisfying "woody" sound on the neck pickup that Les Pauls are known for. And like any good semi-hollow, it has a subtle nasal quality to the tone that really distinguishes it from both solid and hollow bodies. Very very sweet, and with good intonation to boot. Plus, the coil split sounds are reasonable P90 approximations, and can be blended split/non-split on the middle pickup position. My particularly favorite way to play this guitar has been though a Line6 PODxt with a "Plexi Variac" setting. Wowie, zowie, what a tremendous sound.

I have to give this one a "10" because I wanted the legendary Gibson semi-hollow tone from this guitar, and it's got it. Also, the tone is consistent, plus the coil splitting is useful.

I bought this guitar used, and it was already set up perfectly for me. I am not sure if the strings are 10's or 11's. The only adjustment I've made is to raise the high-E pole piece on the bridge pickup. It was very low for some reason and the high-E was not getting through the mix as well as it should have. The adjustment worked. The knobs don't feel as "tight" as the ones on my Historic LP did, but there are no problems yet. All controls work with no unwanted noise. The frets are all smooth, the finish is wonderful. What's most remarkable is the fact that I can feel no interface between the binding and the adjacent wood anywhere on the guitar. It's all smooth as glass.

Again, I go with "10" because there is nothing to improve.

The guitar appears as solid as can be for a semi-hollow. I haven't had it long enough to rate it yet, though.

Haven't dealt with Yamaha.

This SA2200 complements my Fender Strat (with all single-coils). They make a champion electric guitar tag-team. It is the best humbucker guitar I've ever owned (including 5 Gibby LP's, ES-335 CRR, ES-355TDSV, and a cheap Madiera SG). For the price, the SA2200 gives me high-end Gibson quality at a lower price (though not dirt cheap).

The only thing I would hypothetically change is the sunbursting of the neck, back and sides. Even though the sides and back are figured maple, I would like the bursting to be on top only, with a uniform brownish red on sides and back.

I would definitely buy another SA2200 if I lost this one. The final rating of "9" is well-earned, IMO. Almost a ten, really.

Find the features on the seller websites. Flame top, back, sides, INSIDES. Transparent violin burst finish (like mature cherry). Stop tailpiece, TOM bridge (all gold hardware). Tuners appear to be Yamaha-branded Gotoh. The neck is bette rthan sex -- I believe they say it's a 12.75 radius, bound ebony, PERFECTLY dressed frets like glass. Tone controls push to split the pickups to single-coil, and get this -- you can have one pickup on single, one on humbucker. Gotta play with that.

Unplugged, this guitar sounds shockingly fine. First octave open chords are perfectly reproduced in the second octave, except for pitch. Try that with a Gibson or Fender. The whole guitar resonates and the notes sustain and sustain and sustain. There are no dead spots in the ebony fingerboard, no thud, no plunk. Just sweet ringing tone wherever you play. Plugged in, it is sweet on a clean channel, and has b*lls to spare on overdrive. Before I plugged it in, I planned to put Gibson 57 Classics in it. No more. Gibson electronics have nothing on this guitar.

If you've seen a recent ES-335 and thought it was pretty nice, treat yourself to a side-by-side comparison. The Yamaha is the most perfectly constructed mass-produced instrument you will find anywhere. The violin sunburst is closer to a warm cherry sunburst, flawlessly executed, and transparent over the figured maple. The inner laminate of maple is figured! These guys care about their work! The binding is perfect. The ebony fingerboard is smooth and responsive. The real mother-of-pearl inlays shine like flashlights and shift from pink to blue to white. (The Mfg name and headtsock design are MOP -- you wouldn't know it from file photos, but they're nice). The finish is even and glossy -- not lumpy (or missing) like a Gibson. Every fret is polished to a glassy smoothness. The nut perfectly follows the contour of the fingerboard! The heel and joints are flawless, the headstock volute is a nice touch, and even the tuners are smooth and stable. The neck is like first love, only better.

It's made of wood and glue and whatever else -- it will last as long as you care for it. It's more art than donkey-cart, but it feels solid. They didn't build this for thrash, but it's your money -- do what you want! ; )

P.S. It must be pretty durable, because it shipped in a set of styrofoam blocks and a single-ply cardboard carton with no case! Had to order that extra. Not a mark on it.

I emailed Yamaha to find out if it was still made in Japan (like the excellent SA2000 I had years gao and regretted selling) and I never heard from them. Big company I guess. I was afraid it was made in Taiwan, considering the price is $1000 less than a current (2006) Gibson figured-top 335, but sure enough, it is made by the very very VERY fine and devoted craftsmen in Japan. Their work is legendary, and this guitar is one of the reasons why.

To call this a 335 clone would be an insult to the Yamaha. It's better than a 335 by orders of magnitude, in every way. It's what the 335 should have become by now. The Gibson will appreciate, the Yamaha probably won't, but if you want quality now, buy this guitar. It's only a matter of time before it gets outsourced to the Taipei factory (where I'm sure they'll do a great job) or goes up in price. If you must have the Gibson sound, put 57 Classics in it, though I find the Alnico V pickups to be sweet and saucy. Dial it in.