Yamaha SA500

Indonesian Yamaha 335 clone. Has open coil cream humbuckers. The main quirky elements are the interesting f holes - which I really like, and the way the strings are connected to the body using Yamaha's staggered connectors. Again, i quite like this feature, as it makes the guitar more than just another boring 335 clone.
The guitar has a fairly hefty neck, which again is really nice to play. After playing Fenders this is a bit of a handful, but is really easy to play. The tuners seem to operate very well and I have no problem with them at all.
I bought the guitar used on ebay. To be honest, the build was a little cheaper than I was expecting given the fact it was a Yamaha. Perhaps this was why they discontinued the production? There a fairly noticeable burr/mark on the back of the neck. Some of the body binding had seeped a little, particularly on the horns, and the neck binding around where the neck meets the humbucker was particularly bad, with the edge chipped, and glue marks on the neck. These all look like construction issues rather than any after sales damage. There was also small paint marks around the 'f' holes. Perhaps I was setting my sites too high (for a cheap guitar). Features wise the guitar had everything you would expect from a 335 style guitar.

I typically play blues and rock with minimum effects straight into the amp. I have a Matamp King Street for Marshall EL34 type sounds, and a Marshall JTM30, surprisingly for Fender type sounds (on the clean channel). I was very pleasantly surprised with the sound from this guitar. Others have commented that the pickups were fairly growly, which I think is true - they are definitely more oriented to rock. However they are very good. You can get some very decent sounds. Also the volume and tone controls work very well. Some may find the bridge pickup to be a little trebly, but I quite like this, as it can be easily tamed with the tone knob. I was prepared to keep the stock pickups. However, I didn't like the cheap looking cream pickup surrounds and I really wanted covered humbuckers. So I changed the surrounds, and replaced the neck pickup with a Catswhiskers 59 PAF, and the bridge pickup with a Kent Armstrong PAF-plus. Not only does this look much better, but I think gives a much more rounded set of sounds. However, don't get me wrong. The stock pickups weren't bad - if you are short of money then I see no reason not to leave them in, particularly if you like rockier/harder sounds. Changing the pickups has been a big improvement though, and now this guitar can compete with others costing many times more.

I had to raise the pickups, lower the action, adjust the intonation, etc. None of which was too difficult or beyond what I would do with my other guitars. See above comments on the some of the finish issues. My mark below more represents these finish problems.

Overall the guitar is fairly sturdy. It is much lighter than I was expecting. So if you have back problems could be a good solution.
Since changing the pickups and surrounds I may also change the bridge at some point. I have had a couple of strings break on me and this may be down to the bridge. If this continues then I probably will change it.

Bought second hand.

Been playing 30 years. Have 6 other guitars. Nothing overly expensive (eg. Mexican Fenders, etc). But I think I know quality when I see it. My negative comments might give the impression that I don't like the guitar. However this is not true. There are some minor construction problems, but given how much I paid for this guitar (Ebay) I am really pleased. It sounds brilliant. Plays really well, and all the controls (tuners, volume, tone) work well. Also the funky f holes and bridge make this more interesting. I would definitely buy this guitar again. i think for the price it can't be beaten - much better than the other 335 clones in this price bracket (eg. Epiphone, Washburn, etc). Stock it is still a good guitar. With some minor mods it becomes a very good guitar.

As previous reviews. Mine's 'none more black', made in Indonesia I think. Came with stock humbuckers.

Upgraded the pups to a Seymour Duncan JB (SH4)in the bridge position and a Jazz in the neck. Great improvement. Used straight (no FX)with a Matamp 1224 combo it sounds great. Ideal for rock though feedback was getting to be a problem at high volume. Very creamy sound using the Jazz pup. Excellent. Warning to others about replacing the pickups: Give yourself plenty of time! Re installing the wiring loom and pots takes time and patience and 4 hands! Plan ahead and equip yourself with needle nose pliers, probes, a torch, thread etc.

I only bought it used off eBay to use as a throw about type guitar but it was in such good nick I've been really careful with it! Finish is faultless. Frets are medium to large size. This can lead to slight detuning if you press down too hard on the A and E strings near the nut. Stock tuners work well. When I got it, the action was a bit too high. I've lowered the bridge as low as it can go but ideally I would have liked it a little lower but it's OK as it is. I've also tweaked the truss rod a bit.

Seems very reliable. I would trust it. With a bit of care, it should last years. Would never gig without a backup with any guitar!

N/A

Been playing 30 years now. I've got a small collection of guitars inc Les Paul Std, Tele, Eggle, Rickenbacker, Godin et al, and this Yamaha holds it's own. Value for money wise, it can't be faulted. A lot of guitar for a small outlay. Would I recommend one? Yes. Would I get another? Yes again. If you see one on eBay, snap it up. It may be made in indonesia, but they seem to know how to make a good guitar.

See previous reviews. Mine is the 'vintage sunburst' model.

Well, this guitar cost me ??200. When I was in the shop they had a Gibson ES335 60s reissue that was selling for ??1400.
I spent about an hour comparing the two and can honestly there was minimal difference.
The Yamaha was not set-up well, and clearly had cheaper pickups, but even taking this into account it won hands down in the value for money stakes.
Once bought I set it up properly and removed the very 'rock' sounding alnico V pups and replced them with Bareknuckle alnico II unpotted Stormy Mondays and can honestly say that, after these changes the guitar would beat the ES335 in any contest (except perhaps a 'Most Vintage-Looking Guitar' or 'Most Pose-Factor' contest).
BTW, the new pups almost cost the same as the guitar. Some people will say 'Why put expensive pups into a cheap guitar?' I say 'Because I know this guitar is worth it!' - and it was.
Soundwise just think ES335.

When bought the action was WAY to high, even for a someone like me who likes an action on the high side. There is a small blob of untidy varnish on the side of the fretboard (doesn't affect play) but other than that the quality is superb.

I've gigged with it for about a year now and would have no reservations about doing so for another half-century.

This guitar is used to play jazz/fusion/funk styles in the Grant Green/Larry Carlton/Cornell Dupree school of playing through a 70s Fender Princeton reverb or Vibrolux Reverb.
For ??350 (including pups)I got me a guitar that sounds and plays at least as well as a ??1400 Gibson ES335 (although its appearance is more in the late 70s/early 80s bad-*** jazz-fusion fashion which some people might say is a little cheesy).
I do still sometimes hanker for a real ES335 or possibly a 70s Ibanez/Yamaha semi purely for the vintage vibe, but for now the SA500 is just fantastic and on the basis of playability and sound I am delighted.

maple body, mahogany neck. rosewood fretboard. Like another reviewer said - rediculously good guitar for the money. Yamaha has doscontinued these as well - god knows why. This baby puts the ibanez artcores, and the epi's in the same price range to shame. It's laughable. I'm also laughing because i got it for the closeout price of 279+tax with taxes and a hardshell case - a paltry 426 bucks! ES 335's only have so many features so hence the 7, but this axe is amazing! I love it. it's become my number 1

I'm playing in an origianl band that has a lot of brit rock influences (The Smiths, Cure, Oasis, etc. It's an awesome gutar for this style. I've played single coil equipped guitars for years, but these humbuckers rock. I love the fullness and the authority a semi hollow sound. I may never go back to a solid body. Chords articulate very well even with heavy distortion. I'm playing through vintage overdrive, distortion, echo/delay, chorus through a Fender 65 deluxe reverb reissue. This guitar really pushes this amp. The bridge pu can realy cut but i find I'm using both together most of the time. The neck makes for one sweet jazz axe.

Played very well out of the box, but I wanted heavier strings so i made adjustments accordingly. Very easy to work with. It loves the heavier strings. P/U's respond really well. Put together very well. no loose joints or sloppy fretwork. Top marks. Beautiful ebony finish. Looks like a tux. First class all the way.

Very solid guitar. This is the first semi hollow that I've played on stage regularily and am currently using without a backup. Total confidence in this. Tough finish. will last for years. strap buttons solid and tight. I had to tighten the input jack screw but I have yet to own a guitar where that adjustment isn't required at some point.

Never had to contact or rely on Yamaha. This company builds their products to last. Yamaha's have for years been one of the best values on the market. I've never played a bad one honestly. I owned a pacifica and it was outstanding. better than most guitars 3 times it's price

I've beena professional musician/educator for over 20 years. I've played them all and honestly, I can't justify sheeling out for a Gibson when guitars this good are available for so much less. I was fully expecting to have to upgrade the p/u's, tuners, pots. almost everything... but the only thing I MAY eventually do is replace the bridge with a Tone Pros for more intonation adjustability if needed down the road. (one of the saddles is moved to the max?

Semi hollow features ala ES-335. The only niggle is that the Yamaha website says that the neck is mahogany but it looks like maple to me. Great feeling fat neck like an old Gibson. See Yamaha site for specs, no surprises here.

Sounds fat, nasty, sweet, cutting and alive. Stupidly good sounding for an inexpensive guitar. I pick this baby up more often than my expensive guitars!

Bought this on ebay as a new "used" factory second. It was listed as having a retouched minor factory blemish. I still haven't found the blemish! Played great out of the box, no parts that need replaced, great as is. Gig and recording ready.

Great quality. Seems pretty tough for a semi! Yamaha is the Rodney Dangerfield of guitars. They get no respect! I've gigged quite a bit with one of their mid line Pacifca tele's and it is a f****** great axe! It's stupid how inexpensive these Yamaha guitars are. I've played many dives that I don't want to bring a vintage guitar to and the Yamaha tele has been totally satisfying. I bought this semi hollow as I love to play one live but rarely would bring nice Gibson or Ibanez AS-200 to a gig in fear that it would have the headstock snapped off by some drunken drummer. This guitar really surpasses my expectations. Perfect semi tone with no worries. Two thumbs up!

Eh? This guitar was a "second" so no warrantee. I've played guitar for 25 years and never needed any warrantee work on any of my newer or vintage guitars. Yamaha has a great rep though.

Twenty five years playing, I have plenty of guitars and have met and collected many along the way. I can't speak for all the Yamaha SA500s out there, only the one I own, but this is the perfect semi for me. I have owned a 81 Ibanez AS-200 and played some nice vintage Gibson ES-335's. I'm not saying that the SA500 is better than those guitars but it's scary how satisfying this guitar is to play. For my tastes, it's great to have a guitar that you can truly enjoy playing and not be encumbered with the feeling that you would be devestated if some thing happened to it. It's not like crashing the Lamborgini! A true working mans axe, a fantastic value.

This is a semi-hollow electric of the es335 style with swanky symetrical f-holes. It comes with a cool individually landed fixed bridge, dual humbuckers, 3-way toggle pickup selector and dual volume/ dual tone controls a la Gibson. The output hole is on the side umlike a Gibson, which is too bad for us recliner chair maestros. Mine is vintage sunburst, high gloss and beautifully finished. Medium-small frets need some playing to smooth out as they are somewhat square at the top. An individually adjustable bridge with round-top saddle bits may be rattling acoustically on the bass strings. I raised the action and reduced most of the buzz (95%) so the culprit may be low action on those strings. The plasticky synthetic nut needed alteration for my guitar to achieve good intonation. The strings were not sitting properly in the slots and there was some binding which caused tuning issues. Using my jacknife, I opened the slots in the back to relieve the binding as the string comes in from the peg. Also, I cut some slots deeper which keeps notes from sharping on the first couple of frets. I had been blaming the sealed machines, but the nut work has helped alot with tuning and intonation. I've done this on a number or guitars with success. Nice straight neck, with beautiful stain pattern on the back.

I bought this guitar because it sounded great through the tube amp in the store. I play mostly through a Fender '65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue and the sound does not dissapoint. The sa500 has a full rich tone. I have a Tele, so I'm not looking for the cluck or twang that some might find lacking. What I get is a big clangy clean sound that I can use on classic covers. The Yammie will distort nicely and gradually, although pretty early in the volume sweep. It also likes the Rt. 66 overdrive pedal which will drive these humbuckers way more than on the Tele. The Pro-co Rat that is perfect for the Fender seems over the top. A little goes a long way.
It does a subdued jazzy tone with the neck pickup, too. I really like to combine the two pickups where the tone can be creamy in the mid range with enough treble to define the notes well.

The guitar I played first at the store was a black one with a decent setup. Mine was terrible, I almost wished I had bought the other. After the previously mentioned nut detailing, new strings, and bridge adjusting it plays pretty well.
The wood quality (maple) and finish are top notch in my book. My bandmates loved the look. All the electrics and controls are fine.

This is a solid item. I've banged it around almost hoping for a dent or scratch to "make it mine". No way. Very sturdy. I bring spares to gigs, nothing personal, Yamaha.

I have a preamp that broke and Yamaha fixed it and sent it back at no charge. That goes a long way with me!

I've been playing for over 40 yrs. Have 10 guitars. This one may become indispensible in time but not yet. My Tele is home base, black'ndecker, do it all guitar.
I expected a better setup from Yamaha, a company that has a rep for details. It's too bad to see companies save a few bucks on something like componentry-(how much is a properly set and cut nut?), and intonation detail.
I chose this one for the BIG humbucker sound I crave for certain songs that need rounder, cleaner notes. The sa500 can do this.

I gave this a 9 because this guitar practically has everything I want from a guitar:
"Finegr Style" tailpiece, Pearl Dot inlays, Stock Alnico humbuckers, cool knobs, switch in the right place, output in the right place (side of the body), alternative f-hole design, creme binding.

The only thing I didn't like is the pickguard, it's a bit too round, I like it a bit more pointy.

The stock bridge pickup sounds pretty good. Twangy and crisp.
The neck pickup sounds too dark/muddy to use with distortion, but it's nice for some clean stuff, it's really fat.

I only wanted that they'd put in a P90 in the neck instead of a humm.
Allthough the bridge pickup doesn't sound bad, I might replace it with a similar model that is also splitable into single coil.

The overal sound of this guitar with distortion is "Growly", it sounds more acoustic and warm with a nice roar.

With too much distortion it starts feedbacking a bit, more than a solid body guitar, but not too serious, once you're used too it, it's pretty pleasing.

Factory setup was terrible, really bad strings and the action way too high. It sounded a bit weak with the standard strings.
After about a half houre I put on a fresh set of 0.11 D'Addario's.
What a world of difference, waaay more puchy and tight sounding.
The pickups were fine, but I can't resist tweaking so ...

Some flaws I found: A little blob of paint over by the 14th fret, but it's really small and you don't really feel it. Also a little bit of excess glue at the nut.

The neck plays really good, not thin and not a log, fits my hands really well. The fretwire is medium-thick, just right for me. No sharp edges.

A semi-hollow is allways a bit more fragile than a solid body, but this one feels pretty sturdy. It's a sexy guitar that needs to be treated well.

The hardware seems pretty solid, allthough I might swap out the bridge because is buzzes a bit when playing acoustic.

It's a bit neck heavy so you have to upright it a bit and don't let it dive, but a good strap solves this pretty easy, it's not over the top neck heavy.

Never dealth with the Yamaha company before so I don't know.

Overal I really like this guitar.
I fell in love with it's looks and alternative f-holes and tailpiece.

The sound is really what I bought this semi-hollow for, growly and twangy.
Some little adjustments here and there would make this a superb guitar which is not that expensive.

I'm overall pretty pleased!