Yamaha PAC012DLX, SLG100S, RBX170, SBG3000, SBG2000 Brochure
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ELECTRIC GUITARS & BASSES
2009 Product Catalog
2009
SG2000
SG3000
SG-3
BB2000
BB3000
RGXA2
Leading the electric guitar
and guitarists into the future
- this is our mission
e rst Yama ha electric guitar, the SG3, was introduced ba ck in1966. Its radical body design
and tremolo system captured not on ly the attention of the day’s youth, but professional g uitarists
as well. It was more tha n looks though that made t hese guitars g reat. Frets, bridges, a nd tuners delivered performance t hat was accurate and stable—a qu ality inherited from t he company’s piano
manufacturi ng roots. And these early guita rs o ered features that were far a head of their time
- like volume and tone controls with preset settings that could be recalled during performance.
From these rst guitars , we felt it our mission to evolve the gu itar.
From that point to the present, we have concentrated on re ning every aspect of our guit ars and
have broadened the spectru m of instruments we produce, developi ng a wide range of electric a nd
bass models . And a s each instrument has undergone e valuation, new ideas and improvements
have been brought into being.
As heavier music st yles gained in popularit y the need for a thick, powerfu l tone increased. To
meet this demand, t he SG series guitars evolved into in struments with larger bodies , thicker set
necks and humbucki ng pickups while their tremolo units d isappeared from the bridge . is was
the origin of the cla ssic Yamaha SG.
e SG30 and SG35, predece ssors to the SG2000, were introduce d in 1973. ese instruments
captivated g uitarists with thei r double-cutaway bodies a nd dual humbucking pick ups. Players
longin g for a professional le vel SG were rewarde d the next year wit h the introduction of t he
SG175. Yamaha devoted the full bre adth of its know-how into the development of this instrument, and the resulting sup erior quality was exact ly what players had been waiting for. Base d on
the SG175, development of the SG2000 sta rted in 1976 with a focus on creati ng and maximisi ng
smooth, rich sustain . e SG20 00 created quite a stir among g uitarists al l over the world with its
original one-piece s tructure, accomplished desig n, superior sound, well-designed ha rdware, and
remains to this day a pl ayer’s favourite.
About the same time, ou r all-original BB s eries basses made their debut lling in the low end of
the sonic spectrum . Its original design a nd outstanding tone quickly ca ught on among pro bassists. e BB2000 with its th rough neck design became esp ecially popular - players were ta ken
with its superior qual ity, tone, and playability. Since t hat time, research and d evelopment over the
years has produced a wide va riety of instruments such as t he Paci ca, RGX, AES, RBX, TRB,
and Attitude lines . Our goal has a lways been to provide new ideas, sou nds, functions, a nd designs
that inspire the musicia n’s creativity and meet the demands of the time . Our body designs cover
construction ty pes from the most traditional to the u ltra-modern and development of instruments such as the Drop 6 and Fretwave equ ipped AES-FG have opened up new doors to what
instruments and players c an do.
Along with instr ument design, hardware and pickup de sign has always been of great i mportance
and has produced a great nu mber of innovations in bridges, machi neheads, nuts and the other
components that make an ins trument what it is .
One of our most recent breakthrou gh technologies is Initi al Response Acceleration, a techn ique
applied to the SG1000, S G2000 and SG300 0 guitars. Years of research and de velopment into
instrument construc tion - not only guitars, but pia nos, wind instruments , drums, and electronic
instruments—ha s resulted in an extensive knowle dge and technology base f rom which we can
draw upon. Init ial Response Acceleration , which was rst util ized on woodwind inst ruments
and violins, i s just one of the fruits of this wealt h of knowledge and technology. e RGXA2
and RBX A2 series represent another recent tec hnological breakthrou gh. Development of this
series foc used on lighteni ng the instrument so a s to provide a better conne ction between the
instrument and player wh ile keeping sound and tone qualit y high. ese instruments a re certain
to bring about change s in playing styles, and may even cre ate a whole new category of users due
to their very light weig ht. As times call for new sou nds, guitar and bass desig ns require change,
but at the same time there are sou nds that are timeless and ne ed no change. rough our unique
ability to combine bot h tradition and innovation, we can prov ide guitarists and ba ssists with instruments that o er a nd improve upon the best of both worlds. We hope that you ant icipate with
excitement what the future holds f or our guitars and ba sses.
1
2
IRA (Initial Response Acceleration)
If you’ve ever played another g uitarist’s instrument and not bee n able to get the
same sound, it’s proba bly because you a re playing a dif ferent style tha n what
the guitar is used to. Af ter playing the same guitar fo r years, the guitar adapts to
the guitarist’s playi ng style. It takes time for a new guitar to ada pt to your own
way of playing. Stress fou nd between parts like fi nish, woods, body, neck, fi n-
gerboard, nut, bri dge, etc., must be released before all of t he parts can resonate
together as an instr ument. It takes time and a lot of playi ng for this to happen.
Using IR A techno logy, stre sses lik e those be tween th e finis h and wood a re
release by applying specifi c vibrations to the completed guitars. Once this treat-
ment is complete, the guitar responds accurately to the guitarist’s performance,
and produces sou nd more easily. It also shortens t he time needed for the guitar
to adapt to your playing st yle. And it delivers excel lent sustain.
When we designed the SBG2000 over thirty years ago, our goal was to create without
compromise, the best gu itar possible. While its de sign was inspired by the instr uments
existing at the ti me, our design team scr utinized each par t and every function, re thinking and red esigning eac h component to create al l new, original d esigns for al l body
parts, neck, pic kups, bridge, circu itry, even strap pins.
e result was a hig hly re ned design, wh ich delivered a high qualit y sound and rich
sustain that won h igh acclaim from renowned mus icians worldwide, and a popularity with guitarists that it enjoys to this day. While the SBG2000’s design focused on
maximiz ing sustain, the nex t instrument we designed , the SBG1000, focuse d more on
delivering atta ck and a rock oriented tone. A set neck deli vered greater attack mak ing
it highly popula r among rock guita rists.
When we set out to design the top- of-the-line SBG300 0, we drew upon the knowledge
and technolog ies gained from the SBG3 000 and SBG1000 to pu rsue a tone that is
richer, more natural, and woo dier. While the susta in plate was sacri ced in the pursuit
of this tone, we utili zed a through-neck and T-Cross maple design, alon g with some
hidden details, to optimize body vibration. e result i s a ne instrument that delivers
a wealth of rich tone and sus tain as well as top qu ality nish and look s.
All SBG serie s guitars are carefu lly cra ed one at a time by the hig hly skilled master
luthiers at Yamaha Music Cra —an elite work shop dedicated to producing our topof-the-line handcra ed acoustic guitars and custom instruments. SBG series guitars
also undergo Yamaha’s exclusive In itial Response Acceleration—a process t hat is also
applied to our acoustic viol ins that matures the i nstrument quicker producing a
highly responsive i nstrument that sounds a s if it has been played for years .
is is just one conclusion in our pursuit of solid body guitar sound. Please take the
time to experience th is superb, fully mat ured sound.
Advanced technologies and quality designs…
All the guitarist desires
SBG3000
Black Metallic
SBG3000
Wine Red
SBG3000
Gold
SBG3000
Shell Binding
This precision The SBG’s smooth
bod yline s are beau tiful ly acce nted
with Mexican Abalone binding.
Engraved Pickguard
“Professional” engraved in bright gold
acr oss the p ickgua rd deno tes thi s
instrument as one of Yamaha’s fi nest.
Pickup and Escutcheon
Utilizing a ful l cover type pickup cov er
delivers a milder tone by minimizing
high frequencies. Compared to plastic,
the brass escutcheon promotes a
more effi cient fl ow of body vibrations
to the pickup generating substantial
sustain.
Position Markers
Thr ee-pi ece po sitio n marke rs on the
neck are designed with Mexican Abalone
mid sections that refl ect the lig ht.
3
4
Certifi ed Quality
A “Yama ha Music Cr aft Cer tificat e”
certify ing that the instru ment has been
assembl ed and adjusted by a ski lled
craftsman, and that Initial Response
Acceleration has been applied to
the in strum ent acco mpanie s every
SBG2000 and SBG1000.
SBG Series Hard Case
This hard case provides both an
excellent fi t and luxurious appea rance.
Inner cushioning envelops and
protects the guitar with care.
*Fits previous models.
SBG2000
Guitarists the worl d over have held the SBG2000 in high regard for over 3 0 years.
Continuous evolution h as kept this legend at the pinnicale of per formance. Improvements to this, the latest version, inc lude the use of advanced technologie s like “Initial
Response Acceler ation” and the highly refi ned skills of our c raftsmen. The resulting
instrument delive rs a fascinatingly mild, deep, and rich tone wi th full, long sustain.
SBG1000
The SBG1000 rock sound starts w ith a maple on mahogany body fi tted
with a set mahogany nec k. The set neck design delivers a c haracteristically bright and co mmanding tone with a powerful attac k, while the bisound system offers a r ich array of tonal variation.
The new SBG1000 takes advantage of Yamaha’s original Initi al Response Accelerati on to deliver a tone with greater resonance.
Model
Construction
Scale Length
Fingerboard
Radius
Frets
Body
Neck
Bridge
Pickups
Pickup Switch
Controls
Colors
SBG2000
Neck Through
24 3/4" (6 28.7mm)
Ebony
13 3/4" (35 0mm)
22
Carved Maple, Mahogany
Maple + Mahogany
Maple + Mahogany 3 piece (Nec k Through)
T-O-M B ridg e
Yamaha Alnico V Humbu cker X 2
3-Position Toggle
Front Volume, Rear Vo lume, Front Tone
Rear Tone with Push- Push Switch
Brown Sunburst , Red Sunburst, B lack
SBG1000
Set Neck
24 3/4" (6 28.7mm)
Ebony
13 3/4" (35 0mm)
22
Carved Maple, Mahogany
Mahogany
Maple + Mahogany 3 piece
T-O-M B ridg e
Yamaha Alnico V Humbu cker X 2
3-Position Toggle
Front Volume, Rear Vo lume, Front Tone
Rear Tone with Push- Push Switch
Brown Sunburst , Red Sunburst, B lack
SBG2000/1000
SBG2000
Black
SBG2000
Brown Sunburst
SBG2000
Red Sunburst
SBG1000
Red Sunburst
SBG1000
Brown Sunburst
SBG1000
Black
SBG1000
SBG2000
Body Neck Construction
Semi Open Humbucking
Pickup
This o rigina l pickup w as develo ped
with an Alnico V a lloy magnet for use
on the SBG. It p roduces a fat soun d
that is swe et and rich. Oth er original
Yamaha desi gns utilized here a re the
semi-open cover, which contributes
both to n oise preve ntion and po wer
output, and tri ple support esc utcheon,
which adjusts p ickup height and a ngle.
T Cross Maple (Neck Through)
Design (SBG2000)
Bod y and nec k are inte grate d into a
single structure that lets string vibration
loop through th e string, neck, and bo dy,
reducing energy loss and delivering long
sustain. The cr oss maple design c reates
a T shape that ble nds the tonal qualiti es
of maple; good for high-range sustain,
and m ahog any; go od for l ow-ra nge
sustain, to produce long sustain that is
well balance d over a wide tonal rang e.
Set Neck Design (SBG1000)
The s et neck d esign j oins th e
maho gany neck wi th the mapl e top
and mahogany b ack to deliver a brig ht
rock sound with a s trong attack.
Die-Cast Bridge
The h ighl y rigid d ie-c ast br idge is
assembled directly to the body.
Its w ell tho ught de sign of fers a
wider adjustment range that allows
accurate string height and octave
pit ch adj ustme nt. A sus tain p late
placed underneath the bridge on the
SBG2000 produces richer sustain.
SBG3000
Neck Through
24 3/4" (6 28.7mm)
Ebony
13 3/4" (35 0mm)
22
Carved Maple, Mahogany
Maple + Mahogany
Maple + Mahogany 3 piece (Nec k Through)
T-O-M B ridg e
Yamaha Alnico V Cove red Humbucker X 2
3-Position Toggle
Front Volume, Rear Vo lume, Front Tone
Rear Tone with Push- Push Switch
Black Metallic, G old, Wine Red
Over Binding Frets
This precision design extends the
fre t all th e way to th e edge of t he
fi ngerbo ard, ending at a point a bove
the binding. It prevents string drops
when bending or vibrating the strings,
and offers dy namic perform ance.
Bi-Sound System
A qui ck push of th e tone con trol kno b
switches between Humbucker and
singl e coil tone. Th e push-push s ystem
makes ope ration easier w hile playing by
eliminating t he need to pull up on th e knob
when switc hing back and forth b etween
the humbucker a nd single coil soun d.
Direct Circuit
The dir ect circuit s ystem sends s ignals
from the p ickup directl y to the amplifie r
when the guita r’s tone control is set to 10
(max). This produces enormously clear
and st raight hi gh range a nd delive rs a
bright sound w ith quick respon se.
5
6
12 3 4
56 7 8
A. I. R. (Al ternative Internal Reso nance) Design
Using Yamaha’s original Alternative Internal Resonance technology the RGXA2 and RBX4A2 offer players
excellent lightweight characteristics without sacrifi cing sound quality.
The body consists of a lightweight core sandwiched between hard woods on top and back. (1)
Three metal tubes (sound tubes) installed under the bridge plate transmit string vibration to the
body, and return body vibration to the bridge. (2)
The top board quickly responds to string vibration passing through the bridge. Special sound
tubes passing through the body produce rich resonance in the core material. The backboard resonates,
exciting the entire body structure and creating a full, powerful, and resonant tone with distinctive presence and body that are truly unique. (3) (8)
(The story be hind the development of the RGXA2 a nd RBX4A2)
Design of the RGX A2 centered on develop ing a lightweight in strument that would brin g the guitar
and player closer togeth er. The focus was on providing the pl ayer with greater freed om, much like
an air guitar, breaking down the b oundaries between what is in the player’s head and wh at comes
out of the amp.
In creating a lighter guita r, one absolute condition set down was th at sound quality c ould not
be sacrifi ced. For this reason, a great deal of tim e and effort went i nto the creation of numerous
prototypes. The A2 pro ject had to combine thre e crucial factors—great sound, li ght weight, and
suffi cient strength to withstand th e huge forces gen erated by strings un der tension. Intens ive
research and develo pment led to the creation of A.I.R. (Alternative
Internal Resonance) technology. Although it uses a solid body design, the incredible reso nance created by the unique construction
method produces a big, ope n sound that resonates throug hout
the guit ar’s entire b ody. To match and com plime nt this in strument’s unique characteristics, original bridge and pickup systems
were developed—the resulting tone and re sponse shatterin g the
widely ac cepted co ncept that “ lightwe ight mea ns light so und”.
The RGXA2 br ings a revolutionary approach to guit ar design.
The quest for the per fect design natura lly took the route of trying to bui ld the lightest possibl e
guitar, but early prototype s, while incredibl y light, didn’t deliver the s ound or playing expe rience
that was essential. The fi na l weight for the RGXA2 was set at around 2.5kg, a perfe ct balance—
around 30% lighter than a regul ar solid body guita r but with all the feel and s ound that players
were looking for. This is light weight design taken to the extreme.
The Guitar and the Player... Becoming One
Original Headstock
Yama ha has m oved fr om tra ditio n
with strong design features including
two-tone 3-D sculpting, cylindrical
aluminum machine heads (RGXA2),
and p erfe ct we ight b ala nce, al l
wrapped up in sl eek, fresh line s.
Original Pickups
Developed with the custom shop at
Yamaha Artist Services, Hollywood, the
A2 pic kups perfe ctly compli ment the
tonal characte ristics of the A.I.R. body.
Designed with the input of some of the
world’s greatest guitar players, the A2’s
powerful ton e belies its light w eight.
Original Bridge
In rethinking bridge design, Yamaha
has succe eded at creating a comp act,
lightweight bridge that delivers
outstanding function. Removing
protruding screws leaves a simple design
that delivers extended performance
when playing c lose to the bridge. S pecial
sound tube s installed unde r the bridge
pass through the body tran smitting
string vibrat ion directly to the b ody.
LED Pickup Indicator
The s ingle v olume c ontro l and a 3
position rotary pickup selector are
joined by LEDs surrounding the
volume control, providing bright visual
indication of the pickup in use.
RGXA2 Ne ck
Fin gerb oard w idth is t he sam e as
guitars in the RGX series, like the
RGX 220DZ , but wit h a mediu m
thickness. This design makes chords
easier to hold and offers greater stability
for th e left han d. Greater n eck mass
also contribu tes to a richer soun d.
7
8
* Left-handed
RGX121Z/121ZL*
Bolt-on
25 1/2" (647.7mm)
Rosewood
13 3/4" (35 0mm)
22
Alder, Agathis or Nat o
Maple
Diecast
Vintage Sty le Tremolo
Humbucker x 2, Singl e X 1
5-position Lever
Master Volume, Master Tone
Black*, Flat Silver *, Red Metallic
*Left-hand ed model availabl e.
Model
Construction
Scale Length
Fingerboard
Radius
Frets
Body
Neck
Tuner s
Bridge
Pickups
Pickup Switch
Controls
Colors
RGX220DZ
Bolt-on
25 1/2" (647.7mm)
Rosewood
13 3/4" (35 0mm)
24
Alder
Maple
Diecast
Double Locking Trem olo
Humbucker X 2
3-position Lever
Master Volume, Master Tone
Metallic Black , Red Metallic, Me tallic Blue,
Dark Metallic Gray
RGXA2
Bolt-on
25 1/2" (647.7mm)
Rosewood
13 3/4" (35 0mm)
22
A.I.R. Body
Maple
Diecast with Cylindrical knob
A.I.R. Moun ting System Bri dge
Alnico V humbucker X 2
3-position Rotary with Pickup Indicator
Master Volume
White & Aircraf t Gray, Jet Black
RGX121Z
Flat Silver
RGX220DZ
Red Metallic
RGX220DZ
Dark Metallic Gray
RGXA2
Weighing in at 2.5 kg, the RGXA2 is in th e super lightweight class.
Yamaha’s revolutionary A.I.R. technology de livers a guitar so light that it fuses
seamlessly with th e player, delivering unprecedented comfor t, amazing tone, and
superior performance.
The RGXA2, the gui tar that lets you play the way you want to play.
* Actual weight ma y vary slightly s ince the RGXA 2 is made of wood mate rial.
RGXA2
White & Aircraf t Gray
RGXA2
Jet Black
RGXA2 RGX220DZ/121Z/121ZL
Ceramic Open Humbucker
Pickups (RGX220DZ)
Cera mic magn ets are us ed for the ir
wider range a nd power. These pickups
produce a clea rer distortio n tone.
Thin Neck (RGX220DZ)
Thin and wide neck is fast and easy to
play mak ing them a great cho ice for
technical pl ayers.
Double Locking System
(RGX220DZ)
Double lock ing system used on the nu t
and tremol o unit deliver tuni ng that is
stable even und er heavy tremolo u se.
q
w
e
Controls
(RGX220DZ/121Z/121ZL)
q
3P Pickup Se lector (RGX220 DZ)
5P Pickup Sele ctor (RGX121Z)
w
Master Volume
e
Master Tone
9
10
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