NGD: Yamaha SG1820

grayn

2 months ago, I got myself a Japanese Tokai Love Rock.
And have remained really chuffed with it.
It was the first guitar I have bought that was so good, I didn't miss it's lack of a trem.
I've had US PRS's, Gibsons, Musicmans, Fenders etc. but this LP (or LR) somehow felt more mine.
?But how to continue with my ongoing GAS.
I thought of another Love Rock or possibly a Tokai semi.
Or even trying to find a Gibbo, that equalled or bettered, this Japanese wonder.

Fortunately, in the North West, we are blessed with some splendid, independant guitar shops.
One of which is Frets, in Cleveleys.
Their website showed a number of very cool guitars.
So on a cold but sunny day, I headed over to the Fylde coast.

1st guitar I picked up was a pre-owned, Tokai Love Rock, with a beautiful dark oak quilted top.
What a beauty and a nice player, too.
It was pretty close to my LR but was way too similar.
Next I played a Gibson Les Paul Traditional, Ice Tea Sunburst, from 2012.
A very nice LP, with a chunky, rounded neck.
Just how I've come to like 'em.
The Burst Bucker PAF pickups were pretty sweet, too.
The overall finishing wasn't that good.
But still a contender.

Well it was, until I picked up a Yamaha SG1820.
They had 3, in the shop,
All brand spanking new and going for a very, very good price.
I chose the sunburst model and was awed by the quality as soon as I got my hands on it.
Weighty and really solid, it oozed quality.
Wonderful finishing and a beautifully carved top.
It has a similar neck profile to my Tokai but with a flatter radius on the fretboard.
Took all of 5 seconds to get used to and I was away.
The USA, Seymour Duncan ‘59 Covered pickups, combined with the mahogany/maple body,
give a great clarity and focus of tone.
Keeping warm and characterful.

I was a little concerned by the position of the front strap button.
Like a Gibbo SG, it's at the neck joint.
But when strapped up, it hangs perfectly, with no hint of neck dive.
This SG1820 is a good as it gets, in my book.
If you love a weighty(ish), humbucker equipped, LP type guitar, this could be for you.
 

When I got it home and through my own gear, I was even more pleased.
Different enough from my Tokai, yet similar enough that I didn't have to reset all the controls.
It pushes distortion very musically and with some great definition.
And playing clean, that extra clarity and focus really shines through.

I'm old enough to remember the rather un PC term "Jap Crap".
I don't know how true it was then but if it was, then things have really turned on their heads.
In my view, the Japanese are at the top of the tree, now.

SPECIFICATIONS:
Model| SG1820
Construction| Set Neck
Scale Length| 24 3/4" (628.6mm)
Fingerboard| Rosewood
Radius| 13 3/4" (350mm)
Frets| 22
Body| Curved Maple, Mahogany
Neck| Mahogany, mid rounded profile
Bridge/Tailpiece| Tonepros AVRII/Tonepros T1Z
Pickups| USA Seymour Duncan ‘59 Covered
Tuners| Grover Locking Tuner
Pickup Switch| 3-Position Toggle(Switchcraft)
Controls| Neck Volume, Bridge Volume, Neck Tone, Bridge Tone
Color| Brown Sunburst
Case| Deluxe fitted hard shell

grayn

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TTony

Congratulations.

  

JerkMoans

THAT is coooooooool.  Makes me wanna dig out my SG 2000.  They used to call these Yammies Les Paul killers... Reckon you're in for a ton of fun.

richardhomer

I love Yamaha SGs - never owned one but may need to put that right at some point.

Lovely looking guitar!

TonyR

Gotta say, I’m not keen on the pickguard, somehow it does suit the Yam SG

Adam_MD

Wow looks excellent I genuinely didn’t know they still made these.  

JerkMoans

And, astonishingly, there's a vintage one for sale in the classifieds!

Telejester

intrigued by the lack of neck dive, the sg2000 i owned years ago nearly went through the floor if i let go of the neck, shame as it was a nice guitar

HarrySeven

Very nice.

Moominpapa

The SG1820 is great, but the really amazing thing about this post is to learn that there is a good guitar shop in Cleveleys! (I lived in Poulton-le-Fylde for many years and the whole area was something of a musical wasteland). 

mikem8634

Played a fair few of these over the years. Just. Universally. Good.

grayn

Telejester said:

intrigued by the lack of neck dive, the sg2000 i owned years ago nearly went through the floor if i let go of the neck, shame as it was a nice guitar

I hadn't tried the guitar with a strap, in the shop.  Doh!!
But as I said, it is perfectly balanced, with a strap.
With it's flatter fretboard radius and locking tuners, this SG has been modernised, I guess.

grayn

Moominpapa said:

The SG1820 is great, but the really amazing thing about this post is to learn that there is a good guitar shop in Cleveleys! (I lived in Poulton-le-Fylde for many years and the whole area was something of a musical wasteland). 

Frets has been there nigh on 30 years.
I've been going there on and off, for 15.
Great stock and really nice guy.

Moominpapa

grayn said:

Moominpapa said:

The SG1820 is great, but the really amazing thing about this post is to learn that there is a good guitar shop in Cleveleys! (I lived in Poulton-le-Fylde for many years and the whole area was something of a musical wasteland). 

Frets has been there nigh on 30 years.
I've been going there on and off, for 15.
Great stock and really nice guy.

Ah - it's been longer than that since I lived there. Typical that somewhere good would open up once I left.

57Deluxe

the only thing against Yamaha SGxxxx/2000 series is that Spandeau Balleteters pranced around with them in the 80s...

JerkMoans

57Deluxe said:

the only thing against Yamaha SGxxxx/2000 series is that Spandeau Balleteters pranced around with them in the 80s...

True.