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.

features can be found at:

http://www.yamaha.com/guitars/products/productdetail/0,,CNTID%253D60166%2526CTID%253D600005%2526CNTYP%253DPRODUCT,00.html

I think that, for the price, you wont find a better apportioned guitar. Very well made and of fine materials. (This guitar was supposed to come with a case... havent seen it yet.)

I love the sound of this guitar. I have played it through a Fender CyberDeluxe and a Roland Cube 30. Very versatile sound. I will primarily be using this guitar to play jazz, although i was able to dial in very cool blues, rock and country tones (coil tap). Its a very 'woody' sound that reminds me of John Scofield or Larry Carlton and is similar to most quality 335-type guitars.

The action was awesome, very low and without buzz... it came with 9's or 10's. I changed the gague to 12's, which required an expected adjustment. Again, the action is now very low and buzz free. I love the neck on this guitar. It really reminds me of an Ibanez neck. Its not too wide or fat. Very easy to play. The frets were highly polished and without any rough edges. So far, I havent found anything wrong with this instrument. No buyers remorse here.

This guitar seems quite dependable. I will definitely gig with it and there will be times I wont use a backup. Quality materials and well built.

I havent yet had a chance to deal directly with Yamaha. I am still trying to track down the case that should have come with the guitar from the dealer.

I love this guitar. Because of its great sound and versatility, It has become my main guitar. I really feel like the higher-end Yamaha guitars are underrated. I would definitely replace this guitar is stolen. I also must put in a plug for music123.com... once they send my case.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Year 2000. Model

1. How does it suit your music style?
From jazz/fusion to Norah Jones. Perfect if clean is what you need.
2. What amps and effects are you using it with?
Mesa/Boogie Studio 22+ (sold it because it is not good amp!!!), custom wah, C.Martin analog? delay, chorus and contour & boost.
3. Is it noisy?
No
4. Rich/Full sound?
Rich/Full sound - depense on amp and your knowlege about how to produce it with your guitar.
5. What kind of sounds can the guitar make?
From Scofield to N. Brown or even R. Jordan
6. How much variety?
It can not be strat or L5, but still produce 3 nice sounds.
a)Neck humbucker (vol 5-7 tone 9-10)
b)Neck single (vol 9 tone 8) + bridge humb.(vol 10 tone 4) interesting to play with fingers
c)Bridge humbacker (vol 10 tone 4) play with pick near the bridge
7. Likes and dislikes?
For money - pure 10. I like everything about this guitar.

I gave my guitar to jazz guitar bilder and told him: "make my guitar to be a good jazz instrument".
Why I did this?
1.Because I put 11-49 D'Addario and neck looked like this letter "U"!!!
2. Because of the wrong distance from pickups to strings...
3. Nut was too low...
So, action, fit, finish...I don`t know. Now, pure 10 again, but befeore it was not an instrument, but piece of wood with electronics like almost every guitar. It is hard to find a good instrument. Or it is not, but you have to pay 1,000,000,000 fot it.
Or even better - pianino before, piano now.
There is big difference between something with the shape of guitar, and real guitar.

1. How long have you been playing?
20 years
2. What other gear do you own?
Yamaha classic guitar
3. If it were stolen or....
Yes, yes, yes....
4. Did you compare it to other guitars?
Yes. Ibanez, Gibson, Epi... 335s.
5. Why did you choose this one?
Others are no better than this guitar, just different!!! Everybody should remember this!!! Gibson and Ibanez are no better!!! DIFFERENT!!!!

Too simple and standard to write. I bought it used. Gave my Fender telecaster for it.

I play my own kind of jazz/fusion/funky/blues since I don`t know how to play real jazz/fusion...(think of Scofield/Benson/Metheny/Burrell) This is very cool guitar for my style, BUT, if I had 4000? or more, I would buy much better guitar. This guitar is something like excelent pianino, but there are pianos to play.
YOU MUST KNOW that all guitars are good, even the one that cost 50$, but it is always about what you can do with it. Don`t be under presure of imitating sobody elses sound. You`ll never do it OK. Find your own sound. Let somebody else to copy your sound.
I used this guitar through Mesa Studio 22+, but prefere Fender amps for this guitar.
My efects are Carl Martin DeLayla, Chorus XII, Contoure and Boost and custom Wah. As you see, after 12 years of playing I don`t know how to use OD or Distortion. In fact I hate them.
You can get pretty woody sound out of this guitar which is the most important for me.
Most of the time I use neck pup in humbucker mode with volume from 5-7 and tone 7-10. Then when I put it in single mode, vol at 10 and tone around 7 to kill brightness. If I use bridge pup vol 10, tone 4-5 and play with pick very near to bridge. You get Scofield type of sound.
Everything is very usable on this guitar.
If you are interested in what this guirat can really do, try to find Primoz Grasic jazz CD (man from Slovenia - very cool european player, or listen to Frank Gambale -sometimes he uses this guitar.)

If I think of all guitars in the world, this one would be rated at 6-7. But, if I think of 335 style guitars, this one gets 10 and only 10.

Few things here. Top is NOT bookmatched. It is far more beautiful than in the book. Something like the most beautiful 335 I have ever seen. Maby this is just my luck.
Neck has very, very big problems with .11-.49 D`Addario ss. Since you are all guitar players, you know what it means. I will give it to guitar builder to remove this problems if it is posible, and it must be or it is. With .12 strings, this guitar should be in total problems. We will se.
Everything else is perfect.
My rate here should be perfect 10, but since this neck problems make me mad I`ll put 5 here.

If I correct my neck, this guitar will be perfect. Beckup no needed, often tuning no needed... I can be focused on playing only.

LAST WORDS. If you are thinking about Ibanez/Gibson/Yamaha it is all the same $%^&. Try to find good guitar. Nevermind the brand. This Yamaha SA2200 could be the best guitar that you ever seen.

I?ve bought it (twice) new from a lokal store in Helsinki.
At first i fell in love with the looks and the relatively wide neck.
Sold the rest of my very small guitar/amp "collection" to finance
the one and only guitar i thought to own.
Nice looking semiacoustic guitar made in japan (year?) . Flamed Maple body, Mahogany neck Ebony fretboard, gold hardware. Splitable humbucking pickups.
The finish is the classic sa2200 amber sunburst.
I had a lot of guitars, but actually wanted only one i could trust on.
So i sold my very small guitar/amp "collection" to finance
the one and only guitar i thought i need to own.

We play mostly funkyish music. I like to set up my guitar with Flatwounds 11-12?s playing through actually what ever amp comes around.
But i like to sit in with my echolette m-40 and a 2X12 cabinet.
The sound is quite nice but not as mellow as i hoped. I always keep
the volume on the guitar a bit down to cut of the hights.
The pickups seem to have a very strong output. Even with the neck pickup Flatwounds and amp-treble dimmed the sound is quite bright.
The Big e string sounds dead played open.
This is probably becouse of a neckproblem i realized just a couple of days ago.

Well now to the anoing part. This is actually the second sa2200. The first one i got, when stringing stiffier strings, made the neck twist like a screw, impossible to setup. I brought it back and the salesman
checked it and said i get another. Actually they had only two in the shop. So i took it home. I realized some frets had come out but decided that i take it over the winter and get it fixed by next summer. We had also too much gigs so i could not give it out of my hands. I kept the action high and gave it thinner strings.
One of the push pot?s stoped working at one time so that the brige pickup did only work in siglecoil mode. I fixed it and actually removed one one tone and one volume and suffed the holes with switches for the pickupsplitting. I like it more thatway, to have only one volume and one tone for both pickups. So i recently brought the guitar to get the frets fixed and to my dissapointement the neck has troubles too.When the trussrod is loose the neck has an upbow too much for my eyes it really needs the rod tightened hard too keep it straight without any stringtension. When putting strings it needs further tightening wich we all know is too bad for the tone. When setting the neck the low E side is straight while the high e has some relive.
The thing ithought to be a problem with the frets actually was the neck itself. It does not seem to happen too bad with light strings but butting 12?s it gets really anoying. The repairsman did what he could.
A complete refret and some leveling of the fretboard would brig playability to where it shoud be, but hey its a new guitar no pawnshop
junky.

For a guitar in this pricerange i dont want to see this kinda trouble.
The neck ist the spine of a guitar if its %&#?%?#%?"( it?s only 3.

Gigs and no time to solve out what to do. So i just play it and think of another (not when i play).

Finaly my only guitar i dont like to play.
It seems like good build guitar and i think that i only had bad luck
to get such bad examples. But those two are the onlyones around in the shops in Finland so i cannot compare.

I have not dealt with the company. I should do it through the shop
but it will take a long time to get it solved out because there is no support in Finland.

I play guitar since a long time but studied double bass befor.
I always had an eye on the real archtops and owned a few all where
vintage German makes from the 50?s some where really nice but too
fragile for road use. And playing with a loud band feedback becomes
a nightmare. The yamaha is now the only guitar i use $@??7?. I like the Echolette M-40 (4xel84 tubes) as my main amp.I did add a feedback on/off switch but actually prefer it with the feedback. I build tubeamps so it got a complete recap but elswise no modification, its just too perfect. Recently i played through a really worn out roland jazz chorus 120 just because it was in our practise room and from there it found its way to many gigs. If time is money i will
by an other guitar and think of an H?fner New President thinline Archtop. Even twice the price of the yamaha i think i should had bought the H?fner in first place.

Made in Japan. ES335-style semi-hollowbody. Maple body, Mahogany neck, Ebony finger board. 2 humbuckers, 3 way toggle, two volume controls, and two tone controls with individual coil splitting switches (nifty!). 22 Frets. Gold hardware. Violin Sunburst finish. All the features combined are really a sweet package, very intuitive and easy to get used to.

The SA2200 fits my playing style perfectly. I play classic rock & blues, mostly Stones, Cream, Dire Straits, and some sixties standards through a Roland VGA7 2x12 amp, and a SUNN T50C combo. I occasionally use a Danelectro Daddy-O overdrive for leads. The guitar is super-quiet. The neck humbucker tone is to die for, it's jazzy and well suited for mellow blues tunes. The range of the bridge and neck pickups already covers a lot of ground; these Yamaha HB's are not DiMarzio screamers, but can sound extremely "creamy" with a "wooden" character thrown in for good measure -just what the doctor ordered, and by far the best blues tone I've ever heard. Stinging leads are also possible, especially when you use the coil-split feature on both or just one humbucker -tone variations galore, and always extremely tasteful sounding. The most outstanding feature is that the SA2200 is never muddy, each string is well defined and the sound takes on this unreal "shimmer". A rather flat (and wide) ebony fingerboard is usually not my cup of tea, but this helps to play chords with precision. A little chorus and delay added, and the whole thing is to me the ultimate guitar tone. I could do this for a living, thanks to an instrument that's truly inspiring.

The finish is almost a little too precious for my taste, but it's not overdone: precise cream-colored triple binding, the stunning tiger-striped quilt front and back, abalone inlays, elegant dimensions and moderate weight all scream "Quality". I wish I had bought htis guitar ten years ago, considered that I bought and sold a bunch of nice guitars, only to be somewhat disappointed after a while. I am sold on the simple designs of the Strat and Teles (I've got a few). The older ES335's were always out of my reach, and I've never been impressed with any new Gibson under $2000. Here comes the company that consistently puts out quality instruments (I bought Yamaha drums and their ES8 high-end keyboard) and shows US-makers how to build a phantastic guitar.

I am planning to use this guitar for gigs, but I'll treat the SA-2200 with respect. This is the first "investment" guitar for me -after 40 years of playing, and I'll hand this over to my son one day. The finish looks well done, but the gold-tone hardware will most likely not last forever. Big deal, I hope to get years of enjoyment out of this instrument because of the superior craftsmanship. I still take at least two guitars to gigs, it just makes me feel better.

I've never dealt with Yamaha, but I expect them to honor the factory warranty should anything go wrong. I really can't judge the Yamaha customer support.

I've been playing for 40 years, and have owned many guitars. None was as refined and mature as the SA-2200. I still like Washburn hollow bodies and semi-hollow guitars, own several Strats and a very nice Jap-Tele. After all these trials and tribulations, love affairs and disappointments, I found a guitar that puts an end to my GAS (Gear Aquisition Syndrome). I will probably never find one that's a better value and more profound sounding than this one. You might find it hard to believe, but I have finally arrived. Just don't pull the plug on me now!

Made in Japan. Maple body, Maple/Mahogany Neck with Ebony finger board. 2 humbuckers, 3 way toggle, two volume controls, and two tone controls with coil splitting switch. 22 Frets. Gold hardware. Violin Sunburst finish.

It sounds great both acousticly and electricly. It's jazzy and warm but can handle many other style of music. Coil split is very effective.

I have Gibson hollow but this one is far beyond the original and no longer replica.

Action is little off (was little too high) and had to adjust including truss rod but wasn't really a problem. It's more of personal prefernce thing. Finish is flawless.

Things I don't like:

The pick guard. They can do better there. It looks so boring and cheap.
The case. Delivered separately and was late. Not a great case, it looks and feels cheap.

So far no reliability issue and don't expect any.

Did not call.

This guitar exceeds my expectations big time. If you don't care much about the brand, go for it. It wouldn't disappoint you. It's about $1000 cheaper than Gibson ES335 but obviously the "Gibson" logo on head costs more than $1000.

I am not big fan of solid body Yamaha but highly recommend this one.

Features are all listed below. I think mine is from 2002. Loses one point for the poor quality (dealer issued) case

I play mostly jazz, funk, blues, and soul with this guitar but I've also accompanied folk and 'world music' singer-songwriters with it, and even used it in an experimental techno group. Very versatile. It has a vast array of sounds, all rich and very usable. I generally have it set up with DR 12's, which works better for me in a jazz context, but it responds well with lighter strings, esp. with the humbuckers split. I use it with a Fender DeVille 2-12, an Acoustic Image Clarus (with RE stealth 12) and a Rivera 30-12. Basically, with different strings and amps, you can cover most sonic territory. It has a beautiful, even response across the neck, great clarity and inspiring, rich tones.

I asked the dealer set it up with 12's so I could really try it out. I had been using a Gibson ES-175 for jazz, but I wasn't satisfied with that guitar for a variety of reasons; poor tuning stability, it was awkward to play (especially standing), it just felt dead and not very resonant. I had always wanted a 335-style guitar, and when I tried the SA 2200, I knew it was a vastly superior instrument in every way. The neck is amazingly comfortable and rock solid. The fit and finish was nearly perfect (except for a very slight blemish in the binding that I didn't even see for a year). Eventually I traded the Gibson, believe it or not, in a straight swap for the Yamaha, and I've never once regretted it. It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship!

I've had it for nearly 2 years and It's never failed me. The PUP selector started to crackle and the dealer fixed it for the price of the switch. I changed the buttons to strap locks about 6 months ago, after a close call with an old strap. The edge of the back PUP has worn from my sweaty mitt, but that's to be be expected after approx 200 gigs, numerous rehearsals and hours spent teaching. Amazing durability.

never had to deal with Yamaha. The dealer was great.

I love this guitar. I sometimes wish i could get another one to set it up differently, but I now also own an AD Tele and a CIJ Strat which I set up with 11's and they cover most of the funky, single coil stuff. However, the SA 2200 can really do most things really well, and for Jazz, it can cover traditional sounds (Wes) to modern sounds (Sco or Rosenwinkel) no problems. More importantly, with this great, reliable, inspiring tool, I'm starting to find my own sounds and my own voice.

The SA 2200 is the "Top of the Line"-Model of Yamaha`s Semiacoustics.
Mine is built 2002 in Japan - the most specifications were described
by former reviewers. The electronics are in a conventional manner;
I find the split PU-Mode very useful (which isn't always so ....)
The look of the guitar is very fine, smooth, expensive (for rock'n
rollers a little to much "salon furniture" , maybe ....)with a very
attractive flamed maple top. The colour is violin sunburst with gold
hardware.

With this guitar I try to do some stuff in the R.Ford/ L.Carlton/B.B.
King- style. It's definitely no country (rock-)guitar ! I Play this one over a Groove Tubes (Trio-Preamp/Dual 75)-combination/2x 12"Mesa
Boogie-Box or a KOCH Multitone-Combo with little effects (Rev, Delay,
Wah Wah)and I can achieve really any sound that I need. The sound is
full, rich, transparent and has a good sustain. In the overdrive-mode
you have that creamy, fat, rich overtone-thing, anybody is lookin for!
With some other guitars I thought often about other pick-ups - not with the Yamaha ! What I've not tried, is the dirty, chainsaw-rocksound, because that's not my cup of tea. With the split Pu-mode
you have a very good funky or motown rhythm sound.
The guitar sounds always sensitive, percussive - great !!!

I get the guitar out of the shipment-package, strung some Dean Markley
010-Strings on it and that it was! The factory setup for me was perfect - the overall finish of the guitar is awesome ! Very,very
proper (in the past I saw other things on Gibsons, Gretsches etc...).
The tuners and other mechanical parts work fine - only after seven
months of usage I got problems with the pick-up-selector !

I think the Yamaha SA 2200 is constructed as a professional instrument, I've used it on several live gigs and sessions without
hesitation and hadn`t any problems until now . The tuning stability
is remarkable. Fo longtime- satisfaction with the "overkill-
look" you have to handle it carefully, as I do.
(The "relic-fanatics" among us might throw it on the backyard-floor
and kick around a little, so you get the mostly searched "Rory Gallagher-Appeal" - eek-eek)

The warranty for all instruments in Germany is about 24 months.
I have never dealt with the Yamaha Customer Service.

I play guitar for nearly 30 years (with more or less intensity...)and
owned certainly more than 100 different (ac. and el.) guitars and surely about 50 amps (morbus g.a.s. - I know ...)Actually I'm foolin
around with a Yamaha AEX 1500 (good Jazzbox..),Gibson Les Paul Classic,G+L Legacy, G + L ASAT,MusicMan Silhouette, Framus Jan Akkerman 1974, Acoustics: Albert + Muller S 4,Larrivee D 05 and Lakewood A 32, Amps: Groove Tubes/ KOCH Multitone/ Yamaha G 50/
Schertler Unico-Acoustic amp.
As I mentioned above I used a geat variety of semiacoustics before:
Gibson ES 335, Gretsch Tennessean, Duesenberg, Ibanez AS 200 etc.
and I found the Yamaha SA 2200 among the best of them - great value for the money!! I think the Yamaha Guitars are often underrated cause of their
mass industry-image, but this one is purely a fine instrument that fulfills any wishes you can have in the semi-acoustic-category!
I would defintely buy it again; if it would be lost/ stolen/damaged!
Check it out , if you have the opportunity !!

This is freshly made 2004 right off the boat from Japan..split flame maple top. Do I detect a slight bit of "filler" where the two sides come together? This is a semi-hollow body, laminated top. Go to Yamaha.com to get all the details.. This one has the maple and mahogany neck, ebony and Block inlay fingerboard, gold tuners, tune-o-matic bridge, came stock with "9's" too light! will have to change these. Was in-tune right out of the shipping box! Neck is thin with great action..

Great variety of sounds.! I play this one through a Fender Blues DeVille 4x10, and a Yamaha (Soldano) T50-C You can get that classic Archtop sound with the switch set to neck pu ,,set tone on 8.. or a Les Paul sound with switch on neck and bridge pu's ,tone on 5. amp with a little extra gain. or... quazi tele/strat sound with switch on bridge, tap the tone knob up to singe pu. set to 7 Great single guitar for gigs where lots of styles required I play jazz, blues, pop, mostly beatles and 50s rock and 60s Motown
you know....( wedding gigs.)

Quality was Excellent, except as I stated earlier, I detected a tiny bit of filler where the two sides of the top come together below the bridge.. I bought this guitar new ,everything else was flawless. the stock strings were "9"s ahh too light.. will change to 11's action and set-up was great right out of the box.. The filler kept me from giving it a 10 This guitar BLOW's away the Gibson's...!!!!

Judging by the way my Yamaha SBG-1200 has been, and the other reviews on this site, I'm sure this guitar will be my work horse for years to come. hate to get the first scratch on it.!
Guess I'll have to get a new strap for it. Dont see needing a back-up for this beauty.

Yamaha is still trying to find the OHSC for mine, they seem to be back ordered????? I dont get this one.. Have to use a gig bag until mine arrives from the land of the rising sun... read others comments on customer service. I have not had any bad experiences...

I have played guitar and bass since High School, nearly 30 years now.. and played a LOT of different guitars, I own All yamaha guitars except for a Alvarez Fusion. I like Yamaha because of the quality of the product, the honesty of the build, and the lack of BS in marketing...(name brand inflation) Ooooo its a Fender!! This recent aquistion of my SA2200 is going to be the crown jewel of my studio...for the money you pay is more than reasonable. you could pay 5xs more and not get a good an axe. I have instrument insurance, and if this one should somehow vanish into the night, I would certainly replace it !! I love just looking at the violin sunburst sitting on the guitar stand.. a work of Art...

The Yamaha SA2200 is a very high quality 335 style semi-acoustic of astonishing craftsmanship. These are superb instruments built by people who must be immensely proud of what they do.
Two splittable Humbuckers. Two volume and tone controls. T-O-M bridge. Stop tailpiece. Non locking, good quality tuners. 22 frets. Made in Japan in 2003
The flame maple top, back and sides are laminated (as you would expect and even desire on a semi-solid guitar).
The neck is one piece mahogany (I read in the reviews that some are maple/mahogany). The fretboard is ebony, very nicely polished, smooth as silk with split block real MOP inlays. Elegant peghead with a pretty inlay (in the style of the celebrated Yamaha SG-2000)
The case was not included.but the guitar came in the original factory large box with plenty of padding and was well protected. Still, it seems to me that a guitar of this quality should be shipped in a fitting case. Fortunately, it is of standard semi-acoustic size so finding a good case should not be a problem.( I just ordered the Yamaha case intended for it).
It has everything I could hope for (optically and sonically) in a thinline semi-acoustic so it gets a "10".

I play mostly jazz but also a bit of other styles for fun. The rich, full sound of this guitar and the fact that it sounds good all over the fretboard suits my style. Neck pick-up with the tone control at 7 is wonderfully mellow. Also it has a nice character when played with a bit of crunch but I don?t play music styles that requires high gain, distorted sounds so I can offer no opinion on how it would sounds on those settings.
Oddly, I needed to make the same adjustment as one of the reviewers (Mal at 10/11/2003), that is: the top three strings were significantly louder than the lower ones. I, too, could fix the problem easily by adjusting the pick-up?s screws but I find it rather unusual to have to do this to get an even volume between strings.

The original pick-ups are excellent in my opinion, more than adequate for me but I can understand that some people may desire particular pick-ups that they wish this guitar had. Sure, there are certainly better pick-ups to have than the stock ones. Let me just say this : Pick-ups are easily changed but finding a guitar that looks and plays as nice as this one (for this price !) is another matter. If you don?t quite like the sound of the original pick-ups, don?t throw the baby with the bath water: Just change the pick-ups!

I play it through a Line6 flextone, not the best amp for this guitar but it?s usable. I own many effects but rarely use them.

I give it a ?9? because of this room for improvement on the PUs side. For its purely acoustic quality, it gets a ?10?.

Incredible neck! I don?t know how Yamaha does this but this is the easiest neck I have ever played. The shape, radius, impeccable frets, smooth fingerboard all combine to create an exceptional feel. Even with a very low action, the notes are alive with no buzz at all. The pick-ups and controls are very quiet.

The flame is beautiful and tight, subtle the way I love it. It is perfectly bookmatched and the top is actually matched to the back. Even the layer in the inside of the guitar is flamed! (Yamaha didn?t cut corners with this guitar!) The violin sunburst is gorgeous and you can see the flame through the dark part of the burst. What a beauty this guitar is!

This is the very first time that I buy a new guitar that is very well set up right out of the box. The neck relief, intonation and, coincidently, the action were perfect. The nut is well cut. There are no flaws whatsoever on this instrument. A 10 + !!!

I don?t gig that often but play a lot with friends, record at home and play at the occasional jam session.
This guitar feels very solid and is built so well. No question in my mind that it is fit for the real musician?s world. Some outstanding musicians have played a similar Yamaha 335 style semi acoustic (Tommy Tedesco, Frank Gambale, and others.) and if they can rely on it so can I.
I always change the strap buttons for strap-locks regardless of the original buttons.
I will offer no opinion because I have not put it through any real road test or abuse myself (and certainly won't) but as I said, I have no doubts that it is rock solid.

Never needed to contact them. Never had problems with Yamaha products. It is guaranteed for two years by Yamaha.

I have been playing for about 30 years and much of it fingerstyle acoustic guitar. Beside the SA2200, I own a hand made Beneteau acoustic, a Larrivee C-19, a Lag Louisiane (french), a Les Paul, and I have ordered a Yamaha AEX 500 N II (an affordable nylon string thin bodied piezo guitar with a smaller neck for Bossa nova and those fingerstyle jazz tunes. ). I use most often the Lag and the SA 2200 when I play electric.
If lost, I would buy it again the next day. I can not understand how they can keep the price so low. An unbeatable value.
My favourite features? The neck I would say. And the fact that this is not just a gorgeous looking guitar but also, and more importantly, a fantastic musical instrument.
Of course, Gibson originated the thinline semi acoustic but I don?t look at the SA 2200 as being a "copy" of a Gibson ES-335. The Yamaha has a character and refinement quite its own. Gibson ES-335?s are good guitars, of course, but simply don?t compare in term of quality with the Yamaha SA 2200 and the gibsons are outrageously overpriced. This reminds me of the SG2000 which was, according to many, a better guitar than the average Les Paul standard. I sometimes wonder why the high end Yamaha guitars, well recognised and appreciated by many professional musicians, fail to catch on with hobby musicians who, you would think, could use their excellent value. A lot of people love to see the name ?Gibson? on the headstock of their guitar and don?t want (or don?t need) to look at such a good alternative.
Thanks to Clapton, B.B., Page, Green, kossof and many other ?guitar heroes?, gibson has enjoyed commercial success making bad copies of their own extraordinary classic guitars, sometimes with sloppy workmanship, not bothering to set up their guitars at the factory and still demanding high prices for that name on the headstock. Gibson could learn a thing or two from Yamaha when it comes to dedication, quality control, respect for the customer and yes, why not? how to build fine musical instruments!
My hat goes to Yamaha!
In this review, "10" means "fantastic value". It says it prefectly!

It's a sad thing when an American product is imitated at a better quaility than the origianal and at a better price. I have played many Gibson ES 335s and many copies(most are nothing to write home about) But the SA 2200 takes an American idea and unfortunalty applies a higher level of quality(especialy when compared to later Gibsons) at a cheaper price. Gets your hands on one of these and even Gibson loyalist will have to agree that it is great product.

Sound is where the SA 2200 excells. Try one and you will see what I am talking about. Jazz, blues those subtle harmonics and poping notes. Split coil capability realy adds to the versitility. I want to sell my Les Paul because this can acheive the same tones and more. I think I will hold on to my strat because it can't copy the sound in single PU.

Mine is Violin Sunburst. Beautiful and awesome!! Run your fingernail across the binding on many Gibsons and you will hit a snag where the wood meets the ivory, not on the yamaha. I like ebony fingerboards also. Standard with the SA 2200 premium with a Gibson. The neck is so smooth. You can feel the quality if you are an experienced player. This makes you want to play better. Beautifuly flamed, one of the best looking guitars I have ever owned.

I see these on ebay from time to time and they are still in good shape after many years of use. The SA 2000/2100 are still holding up very well also. This thing is solid. Be good to it and it will teat you right for a lifetime.

Never had to call them

Better price, better quaility, perhaps even better tone. I just with Gibson could put out this product for the same price because I like to buy American when possible.

I have a Yamaha SA-2200 that was made in Japan in 2001. It has a laminated flame maple body, a one-piece mahogany neck, ebony fingerboard, beautiful split-block inlays, Gotoh tuners with over sized buttons, 2 volume and 2 tone controls with push/push coil split function, jumbo frets and cream binding. All hardware is gold plated. Color is Yamaha's Violin Sunburst. This is one of the best looking and feeling guitars that I have ever owned.

I started out playing funk, classic rock and blues in the late 60's but now I play mostly jazz and jazz flavored comtemporary stuff and this guitar fits the bill quite nicely. When I first got the guitar home, I plugged it into my Polytome Mini Brute II and was totally blown away by what I heard. As I was playing and enjoying, I looked down at the tone controls and saw that they were in single coil mode so I pushed them in to activate the other coils and was absolutely shocked by what happened. The guitar jumped in volume by about 40% and the notes of the lead lines I was playing actually started to pop! Each individual note had such a woody punch to it, I actually stopped playing and stared at the guitar in amazement. I'm glad no one walked in on me at that moment because I most likely looked like an idiot, staring at the guitar like it was possessed. This guitar sounds good regardless of the pickup configuration chosen. The humbuckers sound rich and full with a sparkling kind of quality to them and the single coils sound nice, clear and funky. I use monster cables all the way around so there was no single coil noise to speak of. My only complaints are that some of the screws were loose and that the case was optional.

The factory set up was perfect. The only reason why I had to set it up again was because I threw a set of .011's on it (it shipped with 010's). Another nice feature of this guitar is that it has 3 adjustment screws so that not only can you raise the pickups up and down, but you can also adjust the angle in relationship to the strings. I tell you, Yamaha didn't pull any punches with this baby. Everything about this guitar screams QUALITY. I'm a Gibson man from way back and I've owned 2 ES-335's and an ES-347 (which also was a killer guitar). The 335's can't touch this guitar. The 347 is close but I still have to give the edge to Yamaha.

I've had this guitar for almost a year and it has not disappointed me once. The stoptail is starting to show signs of wear but all other plating still looks good. The finish is very high quality and shows no signs of wear. I wouldn't hesitate to use this guitar without a backup. The only reason I don't is because I have to make sure my tail is covered in case of the unforseen.

I've never had to deal with them but the store that I ordered the guitar through ALWAYS treats their customers right and if there had been a problem between the time that I received it and now, they would have taken care of it. The guitar is under warranty but I don't remember for how long.

I've been playing for 34 years. My other gear includes a Parker Fly Classic, an Epiphone Emporer from the early 80's, a Guild Starfire II from 1998, a '77 Les Paul Custom, a Polytone Mini Brute II guitar amp as well as a Roland JC-120. If this guitar were lost or stolen, I would definately buy it again. The only thing I wished this guitar had is a stoptail with fine tuners.

Made in 2003, Japan.
22 frets with hollow body, ES335 style, 5 ply top and back with the top and back flame maple finish.
Two volume pots and two tone pots. The tone pots act as coil splitter switches by pushing on them. Comes with 2 humbuckers, gold finish hardware, plush hard case with "YAMAHA" logo. In the case was a neck rod adjusting wrench and a small phillips head screw driver, all in a plastic bag together with a generic Yamaha owners manual.
Mine is the violin sunburst finish.

The sound on this thing blows me away. Just about anything sounds good whether clean or with distortion. I'm not saying this lightly. I own a Gibson Les Paul custom as well as a Fender Strat american deluxe (amongst others), and I must say, the SA2200 just sounds great - straight out of the box - the set up was magic. I normally set up all my guitars to my liking, the SA2200 I'm not touching - it's set. The coil splitting adds an extra dimension to the guitar - no matter what I play on this thing, it just sounds good! and I'm no virtuoso neither. It gets a bit "noisy" in single p/u mode but you gotta be real close to the amp for that to happen. I just plug it in to a Roland cube30 amp and that's it. The sound has all the subtle harmonics, hard to describe. It sounds good.

The set up out of the box was was pretty much it for me. Low action with no buzzes, intonation perfect, and the finish ... let me just say I'm still looking for a flaw. Immaculate. The nut is well cut, the binding is excellent, the sunburst finish is just "to die for".
One thing - the balance between the lower 3 strings and the top 3 was a bit out (to my ears) - the G, B and E strings just seemed to jump out in volume compared to the E, A and D. That was easily fixed by just screwing down a little (one turn) the poles on each p/u under those strings.

Never had a Yamaha before so I can't comment, but I'm not about to play cricket and use the guitar as the bat either. I take care of my gear, so unless this thing has got a hidden defect, I can't see it falling apart on me. It exudes quality.

Never dealt with them but when I was looking to buy one of these I was told by the local shop I was going to have to WAIT 3 to 6 MONTHS for it to arrive.
I contacted Yamaha direct in Melbourne and they looked up their records and put me onto a music store that had just received one after waiting a while. The store was about 70Km from where I live - I got in touch with them and bought it on the phone on the proviso that if I wasn't happy with it (colour, fit, etc.) I would send it back, they have a seven day return policy. They aren't getting this one back.

I've been playing since 1967 and have collected a stack of gear. I also own a GODIN SOLIDAC which also is a great underrated, versatile guitar. I just wish they made instruments like this back when I was younger, but then again I probably would have been just too stupid to buy one. I've owned an ES335TD, which I traded in for the Les Paul (go figure!) years ago, but for the life of me I just can't remember it coming close to the overall quality and sound of this Yamaha. And for the price, you have to wonder...thanks Yamaha. The other thing I like about it is the neck on the guitar, it is simply well cut - it suits my hands. If you have a chance to try one of these guitars, grab it ... only thing is, after you do try it, you're gonna want it.

Features as indicated by the other posters, except for the all mahogany neck wich leads me to believe this guitar is older than the 2 years the seller claimed. I saw a very similar SA2200 from 1992 on a guitar dealer's site. New SA2200's have a maho/maple/maho neck. I got it used, alas there are some small spots on body and neck. The neck is a little flatter than the usual fat Gibson type neck,for sophisticated jazz/fusion types with "proper" technique" no problem, for the blues wailer who is bending strings all the time with his thumb on top of the neck this could take a while to get used to. Fingerboard is real ebony,you feel and hear it immediately,smooth feel and tight sound with good sustain.

After a good setup and polish (believe it or not, this made an audible difference!),the Yamaha came to life. It hasn't been played for a while and such a guitar needs to be played for a few days to "wake up". The SA2200 does the semi-solid thing quite convincing from good mellow jazz sound to a wailing BB King type blues to bluesrock/classic rock. With the coil splits you can even get into a little country or funk,although i wouldn't expect strat/tele sounds. Sustain is good and the stock pickups (Gotoh?) aren't bad at all,though as a Seymour man i think a set of SD's might bring this Yamaha to a(n even) higher level. Amps in my living room are a Peavey Classic 30 for clean and a little Marshall Studio 15 for rock.

I got it used,as i mentioned it has a few spots,of course this has nothing to do with Yamaha's building quality. I put on a set of 010 D`Addario's and did the setup. The frets are still in perfect shape,great fretboard,well dressed. Easy to get a good low action without buzz. Finish is beautiful and seems solid. The top,sides and back are flamed maple,looking good but the flames on the top don't go all the way from the edge of the body to the seam in the middle. Minor point. The gold plating on the hardware is fading a little on the bridge and tailpiece,for a used guitar not bad,i've seen far worse(Did i say Epiphone?).

I just got it,but it has been around,alas a couple of spots show it. It held up quite good IMHO,the switches and pots feel solid,no crackly sounds. The tuners,Gotohs probably,work fine, the guitar stays in tune. I don't play in a regular band anymore,so it hasn't been road tested by me. But someone else already has and it held up good. I would always bring a second guitar in case you break a string, but for blues/jazz/classic rock you could do it all with this guitar.

I have tried to find out its age but i couldn't get through the myriad of Yamaha Corp. web pages. Surfing around i got to know some serious jazz cats play this SA2200: French gipsy jazzer Bireli Lagrene and fusion great Frank Gambale.

I'm an old geezer who has been suffering from G.A.S. for over 20 years. Limiting the field to semi-acoustics i've had a Gibson ES335 Studio,an ugly black guitar with bad fit&finish,it came to life after putting SD's on,good for blues/jazz but plugged into a cranked up Marshall it started to feed back,no good for rock. A little further back in time i had an Ibanez AS200,beautiful Jap guitar with great fit&finish,good for rock/rock'n roll/rockabilly but a little lean for jazz. Always regretted selling that AS200,in a way i have it back now with this SA2200 with the added bonus of a good jazz/blues sound. Long story short this SA2200 is the cheapest and best semi-solid i've ever had and even one of the best electric guitars i've ever had,period. This guitar is the unsung hero of the semi-solids. Even when you buy it new it's worth the price IMHO:?1400 euro with case is still a lot cheaper than a used Gibson ES335 with all its faults in the fit&finish dept. I have too many guitars,should my house ever burn down then i'll buy a Yamaha AS2200 and a good tube amp,enough to make me a happy old geezer :-)

Mine is a 1992 2200... It is the 20th one ever made... I bought it used in absolute mint condition. The features on this guitar are all that one could really hope for... Dual coil splitting... and an amzing finish... Quite possibly the best guitar necks i've ever laid my hands on (rivaled only by the Ibanez AS2000)... Perfect width and the medium frets are perfect (mine has no fret wear)... One of the most solid feeling guitars i've held in terms of quality.

I like to play a lot of blues and am starting to get into jazz (scofield type stuff)... I normally don't use a pick but will on occasion... This is the only department in which i was disappointed. The stock Yamaha pickups are not very good at all... They are ok for a clean jazzy setting but are certainly lacking something... The single coil option doesn't get anywhere close to a Strat... I usually keep pickups set to Humm... My biggest complaint with the sound though is the ringing of chords (distorted or clean)... Chords sound muddy through most any amp clean or distorted... The guitar sounds great when running through lines and improving... I am thinking of changing the pickups to see get an improvement because i love the neck and body of the instrument so much... I haven't decided on anything yet... Maybe I'll just buy an old Ibanez AS200 and sell this guitar... After all, sound is the MOST important thing...

Unbelievable!!! the main reason i can't part with this guitar... I'd rather put in a couple of hundred $$ for better pickups, because the finish is so good... The neck is the best i've felt... Absolutely perfect!... The balance is great and the shape is great... The cutaways are not as fat as on a 335 so it's easier to maneuver you hands around the top... One of the best I've laid my hands on... The neck was the first thing i noticed right away... It's that good...

It's a very reliable guitar... I'm starting to get a little static with the selector switch, but nothing a little cleaning won't solve...

I don't know...

I've been playing for about 10 years... this guitar is the best I've owned in terms of quality, but sound was disappointing... I've played the Ibanez AS2000 (AS200 remodel) and love the sound on that guitar a lot better... Richer chords... Good tone... Great Balance... This guitars chords just don't ring the way they should... But because there is so much potential with a little electronic tweaking I'm not gonna hold it against this guitar... I can't part with it and will probably put som Seymore Duncan Antiquity pickup on it... I might go with Schaller Super 50 for more of a wailing sound and funk potential, but in the end who knows... This is a great guitar...

2 superb Yamaha humbuckers with coil tap on both. The coil splitting capability makes this one of, if not thee most versitile guitar i have ever played.

WOW!!!!! WHAT A GUITAR!!!!!! I have always trusted Yamaha to make quality instruments and i bought this guitar from a certain music company in a guitar magazine without even playing it first because i knew Yamaha would not let me down! I was looking for a 335 style guitar but was not prepared to pay Gibsons rediculous prices, so when i found this guitar going for #1045 i snatched it! I play a wide range of styles. I have always had a taste for blues and classic rock however i have always enjoyed Noel Gallaghers music in Oasis. This guitar can do it all, you want a sound it's got it in spades. I use it through a Roland Blues Cube along with a Marshall Guvner pedal a Boss CE-20 Chorus pedal and a Boss DD-3 Digital Delay. The sound is truly amazing through the CE-20 and the DD-3 on a clean setting, beautiful is the only word i can think of to describe it. This is simply the best guitar i have ever played!!!!!

The factory set up was perfect! Absolutely flawless!

I've only had it a day but i'm sure this guitar has a few decades ahead of it!

Never had any problems with this particular guitar but have dealt with them before and as you would expect from Yamaha they are experts.

Have played various Gibson 335's and not one of them got close to this. If it were stolen i'd find the guy who took it and beat the hell out of him! I will never sell it, it is by far the best guitar i have played! Buy one if you get the chance!

This particular SA2200 is made in 1999. Yamaha Japan factory made. As of 19 Feb 2002, it is still in production so the specifications can be read off www.yamaha.com.

I play a bit of everything except metal, though I am heavily into bebop currently. This guitar is versatile enough to cover everything from Jazz, blues, R&B, soul, funk, pop, rock to a fair amount of hard rock, especially with coil splitting capabilities. Could very well emulate the sound of muddy Les paul and twangy Fender, though it might sound more convincing with some pedal effects.

I used to switch to neck pick-up with tone level at about 3 to achieve a mellow peusdo fat archtop tone. It is the jazz tone that I yearned to have but it could sound really bassy at the lower register, especially when paired up with a lousy amp at the conservatorium. Lately, I have sticked to leaving the tone level at full that allow more definition and clarity in tone quality, yet still maintain warmth and some mellowness.

I plug it directly to a Yamaha G100-212 Mark 3 or a Carvin MTS-3200, with occasional use of an Arion SCH-1 Stereo Chorus in the effect loop.

The set-up was okay but not immaculate. Factory used 0.009-0.0042 as default, action was pretty decent. Personally, I don't trust anything that is factory set-up, so upon receipt of this guitar, I sent it to my trusted luither for set-up to my requirements. Changed the string gauge to 0.012-0.052. It feels better with a heavier gauge. Sound wise - it is fuller and fatter. The neck was mildly adjusted. Not much else was done.

Even though the top is not properly bookmatched, it is only a comestic flaw. The guitar was specially ordered for me by Music Plaza. Knowing that I am looking for a jazz guitar, the company encouraged me to try the Yamaha AEX-1500. And in the event that I might like the latter better, they are willing to void the special order agreement and sell me the AEX. However, I must say that this particular AEX didn't sound as good as the SA 2200, so I walked out the store with the SA 2200.

This guitar has gone through several live playing and it has delivered as it promised. I have replaced the original strap buttons with Jim Dunlop strap-lok to eliminate the risk of dropping the guitar during performance.

There is some typical wearing off e.g. tarnishing on the bridge due to uncountable hours of playing, but these are minor. The guitar should be able to go through a decade before I start replaing parts here and there.

I have played a lot with this guitar without a back-up, and will continue to do so. This axe is definitelt trustworthy.

This is actually a replacement. The original SA 2200 that I purchased from the store has a factory defect and I sent it back to Music Plaza, Singapore. They gladly took it back and ordered a new piece for me. According to them, SA-2200, AEX-1500 & AES-1500 etc. are made in Japan with specific quanitity and order from its distributor, so I waited for about 3 months to receive my "made to order" SA 2200. While waiting, the staff kept me posted of the progress, as well as offering alternatives such as using the credit I have with the company to purchase a Mike Stern Tele or a G&L Legacy or the AES 1500 or the AEX-1500.

The guitar was never been repaired for any reason (touchwood). It was under a one year warranty for the electronics but the warranty has expired. Anyway, if ever anything happened to my guitar, I will send it to my trusted luither.

I have been playing for 12 years now. In my arsenal, there is a variety of gears including a Ibanez LR-6, a Gibson made Steinberger GM7T, a Melancon Pro-Artist Telecaster. My luither has always pushed me into selling off my SA-2200, citing that there is no need for having many guitars around, let alone having two 335 style. However, I insisted on keeping this because it is more versatile than LR-6 with its coil split capabilities. It is has wider range of tonal possibilities than either my Fender strat or EB/Musicman Silloutte.

If it were stolen, I will probably buy it again. Considering the differnt made of 335 style copy around e.g., Ibanez AS 220 (I think), Washburn, Equiphone Sheraton, I will definitely stick to a Yamaha SA 2200 for its workmanship and quality etc.

In term of quality, I think it sounds better than any non-custom Gibson made ES-335. I have the privilege of trying my SA-2200 against a brand new Gibson ES-335. Sound-wise, the Yamaha is much brilliant than the Gibson, and the former's workmanship is more superior than the latter.

More features? I like it just the way it is. There is nothing more that I would ask for from this guitar

The SA2200 is a thinline double cutaway semi-acoustic, similiar in style to a Gibson 335. Two Yamaha humbucker pickups, three way selector, coil-tap on both pickups, passive electronics. Fingerboard is ebony with 22 frets and generous split-parallelogram inlays. Bridge is Tune-O-Matic. Tuning heads, pickups and bridge are finished in gold - no corrosion problems so far.

Overall, nothing desparately innovative in the form factor. It's a classy interpretation of of a familiar theme rather than a groundbreaking concept.

This one is the "brown" sunburst finish on a maple top. To my eye it's an attractive gold rather than brown with a subtle figuring that shows clearly through the finish.

Overall, the guitar looks sophisticated rather than dramatic. The inlays, figured top, sunburst and gold fittings work well together. Overall build quality and finish appears excellent. It definitely looks the business for Jazz and Blues.

This instrument sounds so good I find it hard to put down. To my ear, the sound is warmer and somehow more authoritative than the Gibson equivalent. Even on a clean amp setting, there's plenty of bite with a good top end response - for some jazz styles, you may want to roll a couple of notches off the tone control. The pickups deliver plenty of volume and no noticeable hum.

The coil-tap is a nice bonus and provides a useful and very different sound that works well for funky chord work. If anything, the character of the coil-tap reminds me somewhat of a Telecaster. As you'd expect, you do get less volume and some hum with the coil-tap on.

I generally put it through an old Laney Pro-Tube on the clean channel with just a touch of reverb. It has sufficient character that effects just seem unnecessary.

The sound is characteristically jazzy. Fat, complex chords sound rich, satisfying and clearly articulated. Linear picked passages are precise and warm. It also works well for blues with a surpising sassy edge to the sound.

Construction and setup is generally excellent.

However, the pickup selector gives the bridge pickup only in the middle position. Also, the jack socket is a little picky about leads. It's fine with a Venom lead but other cheaper leads don't make good contact.

Both minor problems but disappointing on a guitar this well made.

It feels as solid and durable as a semi-acoustic can get. No sign of chips or scratches on the finish or any corrosion on the gold fittings. I'd depend on it but take a backup anyway - you can't be too well prepared!

I've bought a range of stuff from Yamaha over the years - sound cards, guitars etc - it's all been a good investment.

Never had to contact them.

This dinosaur's been playing for 30 years or so, recording and occasionally gigging. I like jazz, blues, and roots music. I also use a battered 78 Gibson SG Custom and a Pacifica (surprisingly capable) through a Laney pro-tube and a Cakewalk based PC recording setup.

If it was stolen, I'd definitely look to replace it.

I love the look of the thing and the warm, jazzy sound. I chose it to get the classic jazz tones that a solid just can't deliver - I've not been disappointed.

I've given it a nine because of it's good looks, character, and playability. It's expensive for a Yamaha but good value for a guitar that's definitely in the same league as a Gibson.

This is a Gibson 335 copy. (wide / medium thin hollow body, with a central sustain block running the length of the body) Ebony fingerboard with block mother of pearl inlays, mahogany neck, flamed maple laminated top and back, black pickguard, gold hardware. Stop tailpiece. two PAF style humbuckers with separate tone and volume controls and push-pull coil splitters. Large, accurate, non-locking tuners (yamaha). Brown Yamaha hardshell case included with cable and allen wrench. 1997? Japanese made. 3 way selector switch. The only addition I might make are locking tuners.

Tone is generally excellent with a fairly wide range. It covers B.B., and Clapton Cream very well, and works great with a wide variety of Jazz tones. The coil splitters yeild a very nice approximation of P90s. Sound is quite sensitive to string type. To get anything near a tele-like twang, you need the brightest strings you can find - but I did not expect Tele sounds from a semi-hollow body. I generally run through a Yamaha T100 combo or a little champ practice amp, but for me the sound comes alive with a clean, twin such as a Fender Dual Professional. I am considering such a purchase. I have had no problems with feedback. Full cords on high distortion settings with the humbuckers can yeild a mushy sound (power cords kill), but this is not a style I favor in general so I have not worked on dialing something in. I had previously considered Pauls, SGs, 175s, 295s, as well as a "real" 335, but now I have no need for them. I may buy a Tele or another Strat to round out my rock/surf/country abilities, but for Jazz, Classic Rock, Electric Folk, etc., this is all I will ever need. I reserve the 10 catagory for the fablulous guitar I have never played.

Generally the Guitar is gorgeous with excellent materials and workmanship. However, the dots along the binding strip on the top side of the neck are all smudged. No will see this who is not playing the guitar, but I think that this is a grotesque oversight on an otherwise superb instrument. Except for that, the quality of fit and finish blows away all the Gibsons I have tried. I had my dealer adjust the setup to my liking. The quality of wood and construction make adjustments easy. Action is great all over the board. I am wearing off the gold on the top of the bridge nut because my geasy paw sits there all the time, but I don't think solid gold would be structurally sound - do you? Would have been a 10 but for those dots.

Totally solid. Who would go to an important gig with only one guitar? But seriously, I would only bring a accoustic or solid body for variety, not for backup. Reeks of quality - except for those dots.

I allways go to the shop or my guitar tech.

I've been playing on and off since '64. I also have an old Charvette, Cheap Squire Strat; have owned various Gibson solids, other electics, flat tops and classicals. I use pedals from Fulltone and Danelectro - occationally an ART effects unit. I have Yamaha and Fender amps and am planning to buy a good clean twin. The only reason I might not buy another SA2200 if this were lost, is I love change. I love the warm, sweet tones, the great action, and the rich look. It's the best 335 type out there for the money and one of the most versitile guitars available. I plan to keep this one. Locking tuners, quick release strap locks, and nice clean dots would make it perfect.