SandBug
Joined: Feb 22, 2016
Posts: 439
California
|
Posted on Mar 14 2020 09:50 PM
Today I snagged this brutally cool, early 2000's Sonic Blue Yamaha SGV300.
It's the nicest used guitar I've ever purchased. The design is beyond cool, and I got really lucky to get one in such exceptionally good condition. It even still has the protective layer of plastic on the back plates! The frets are virtually brand new, no grooves, and very even. Straight neck, low action, just a super comfortable guitar. I had thought it might've had a neck dive balance issue because I have a cheap Yamaha EGV 300 that has that issue, but this EGV 300 is balanced perfectly, maybe due to the heavy duty-ness of the tailpiece assembly.
The finish has yellowed over the years to a beautiful, almost more greenish version of Sonic Blue, somewhere in between Sonic Blue and Surf Green, but still closer to Sonic Blue.
The stock wiring is extra cool, with a blend-able double pickup in the bridge position which enables a nearly unlimited spectrum of surfy tone combinations. This thing is spectacular.
Last edited: Mar 14, 2020 22:10:10
|
edwardsand
Joined: Jun 29, 2018
Posts: 660
|
Posted on Mar 14 2020 11:05 PM
Nice! That's a nice and not very common color. I've got a red one, and I'll say your lucky yours came with the trem arm.
|
SandBug
Joined: Feb 22, 2016
Posts: 439
California
|
Posted on Mar 15 2020 12:57 PM
Gotta say i love all the color options that Yamaha made available on these.
Since i got this one it seems hard to not start collecting them all. These things look like they're pulled right out of an animation cell from The Jetsons cartoon. I totally dig it.
|
novamax
Joined: Jan 23, 2015
Posts: 105
|
Posted on Mar 15 2020 01:48 PM
Beautiful, and rare - color as well as condition. Great find!
Out of curiosity; How much did you pay?
Last edited: Mar 15, 2020 13:57:04
|
montereyjack66
Joined: Jul 23, 2014
Posts: 637
LA -ish
|
Posted on Mar 15 2020 03:01 PM
They are just plain gosh darn fun instruments. The pickups are actually pretty good (although a tad Vanilla on mine. I have an 80s red one with three strat pups which I upgraded to some Cool Rails on a hunch (Yay). And then I came across a white one for a price that would have been criminal to pass up. They be some Surfin' Guitars! Enjoy!
— mj
bent playing for benter results
Do not attempt to adjust your TV set.
https://www.facebook.com/Bass-VI-Explorers-Club-179437279151035/
https://www.facebook.com/Lost-Planet-Shamen-366987463657230/
|
SandBug
Joined: Feb 22, 2016
Posts: 439
California
|
Posted on Mar 15 2020 04:02 PM
Thanks, Novamax.
And enjoy I will, monterayjack66!
First off, I was honored that the seller sold it to me for the price he did, and we became friends over a mutual obsession of cool guitars.
Generally, my guitar addiction costs are a taboo subject for me to discuss, but I'll spill the beans since i know that you, Novamax, were just selling a similar one, and this time I got a nice deal. Were you ever able to sell the one you had for sale? I couldn't find the listing anymore, or maybe i'm getting it confused with another sale.
I found this one on a local Craigslist listing, i live in Orange county CA and it's a great place to live if you're into guitars, i feel spoiled. The seller is a really cool and knowledgeable gentleman, and it turned out that we both have an off-set guitar addiction. He was very gracious and gave me a considerable discount since he saw that i really loved the guitar but couldn't afford the fair, but high asking price. I ended up paying $675. Not cheap, but an excellent price for a guitar in such exceptionally good condition. I'm thankful that the seller, and the owner before him took such good care of the instrument.
Last edited: Mar 15, 2020 19:52:40
|
narciso
Joined: Mar 29, 2010
Posts: 322
Spain
|
Posted on Mar 15 2020 05:14 PM
Congratulations and enjoy that guitar!! I have a yamaha SGV700 (same blue colour), and they are a joy to play!
— https://lospipelines.es/
Find us on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and all other music platforms.
https://www.youtube.com/@LosPipelines
https://www.instagram.com/los_pipelines/?next=%2F
Los Pipelines - Facebook
|
novamax
Joined: Jan 23, 2015
Posts: 105
|
Posted on Mar 15 2020 06:44 PM
Thanks for the friendly chance to look behind the curtain, SandBug!
Your assessment and memory are spot-on: I tried to sell mine (not as pristine, metallic green) a few weeks ago, for less than what you paid, but asked for removal of the ad: I am traveling and can currently not respond as promptly as I would expect from myself, and apparently, it was not the right time. Your information on price and context helped me reflect my valuation approach. My sale intention was neither to press a premium out of it nor to "get rid" of it at any cost, so I think I'll keep her for now. I agree the price you paid was a fair deal on the really benevolent side. Congratulations, and enjoy playing it!
|
SandBug
Joined: Feb 22, 2016
Posts: 439
California
|
Posted on Mar 15 2020 08:26 PM
Cool, narciso! Thanks, i definitely am.
Thanks, novamax. I think your asking price was more than fair.
I agree that a lot of it has to do with timing. It takes a rare buyer for these rare instruments, but they're out there, of course. Us odd balls are definitely out there. Your metallic green one is gorgeous, and I was considering purchasing it, but i knew that the shipping costs to California wouldn't be practical for me.
Best wishes, i hope you can keep the guitar, or move it forward to right buyer when the time comes, whichever you prefer.
|
Surfadelphia
Joined: Sep 04, 2017
Posts: 403
|
Posted on Mar 16 2020 08:29 AM
Congrats, that appears to be an exceptionally clean example of a fine guitar in a great color.
I recall back in the 80's seeing a couple hanging in the used section of a local hole in the wall guitar shop (one w/ the three Strat type singles and another configured like Sandbug's) and thinking "Typical oddball Japanese guitars". That same shop also had a bunch of Tokai Les Paul, Strat and Tele copies hanging behind the counter in the new guitar section. Thought they were interesting and was intrigued by the very reasonable prices (LP copies were around 400.00 to 450.00; Start and Tele copies less) but ultimately dismissed them as well. Oh well....hind sight is always 20/20.
Last edited: Mar 16, 2020 08:29:43
|
edwardsand
Joined: Jun 29, 2018
Posts: 660
|
Posted on Mar 16 2020 01:38 PM
I got my red SGV 300 for about $360 a couple of years ago - I was lucky because it's extremely rare to see them priced so low. Came without the whammy bar, but was otherwise in great shape. Got it on ebay and hardly anyone bid on it. But given prices I see on ebay and reverb, I'd say $500-800 is a reasonable price these days.
I just played mine for a while last night - very enjoyable guitar overall and I dig the range of sounds you get from it.
|
SandBug
Joined: Feb 22, 2016
Posts: 439
California
|
Posted on Mar 16 2020 07:47 PM
I read in some comments on youtube that the price of these Yamaha reissues shot up in recent years mostly due to the television character Doctor Who using one.
|
PolloGuitar
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 5080
San Francisco
|
Posted on Mar 17 2020 02:04 PM
SandBug wrote:
I read in some comments on youtube that the price of these Yamaha reissues shot up in recent years mostly due to the television character Doctor Who using one.
Wow, how cool is that!
— Buy Speed of Dark @ Bandcamp
Buy Spin the Bottle @ Bandcamp
My Blog- Euro Tour Blog
Pool Boys on Spotify
INSTAGRAM
Frankie & The Pool Boys on FB
Pollo Del Mar on FB
DJ Frankie Pool Boy on North Sea Surf Radio
|
OzReverb
Joined: Apr 28, 2009
Posts: 460
Victoria
|
Posted on Mar 17 2020 05:59 PM
Apart from a SG-5A from about 1968 that I use on stage, I also have this - an SB2 bass from about the same time. It's a case queen, and until recently was thought to have the original strings on it. I love it.
— https://www.facebook.com/lostremoleros/
Last edited: Mar 17, 2020 18:00:19
|
OzReverb
Joined: Apr 28, 2009
Posts: 460
Victoria
|
Posted on Mar 17 2020 06:08 PM
|
SandBug
Joined: Feb 22, 2016
Posts: 439
California
|
Posted on Mar 17 2020 08:36 PM
Splendid, mate!
Is that a foam mute on the SB2?
|
OzReverb
Joined: Apr 28, 2009
Posts: 460
Victoria
|
Posted on Mar 18 2020 06:13 AM
SandBug wrote:
Splendid, mate!
Is that a foam mute on the SB2?
Sure is!
— https://www.facebook.com/lostremoleros/
|
novamax
Joined: Jan 23, 2015
Posts: 105
|
Posted on Mar 19 2020 01:15 AM
The Doktor Who one looks like a SGV 800 though (different pickups - AFAIK, the pups of the 300 seem to be considered better by many, actually).
|
April Birthdays 
