80s Yamaha SBG500s - and first post back

[doomedfuzz]

Well, came back to see what was up, my old userid doesn't work anymore so got a new one - formally I was curseoftruth and posted mainly in the doom room and was 10,000 plus poster, I forget what that level was called.

Since last time, got some new gear - still have most fo the oold stuff but lately have been on a Yamaha kick. Bought a 1986 Yamaha SBG200 for grins becasue it was cheap ($150) and looked cool with the pearl white paint job that changes colors. Planned on making it a mod platform but liked it so much I kept it stock. Liked it so much that I decided to look up the food chain for one of the vintage/classic Yamaha SGs. Well, the SG/SBG 1000, 2000, and especially 3000 were out of my price range at the moment but in my research I discovered the lower end (if you can really call them that) Yamahas from the same era - the 500, 700, and 800 series. Still made in Japan, still made with top notch parts, but just less bling - no mother of pearl binding, no fancy fretboard inserts, no embossed gold plated parts, no neck through (like the 3000 I believe, might be wrong there I forget) and no brass sustain plate (like the 2000). And they used a unqiue pickup starting in 1981 for the 500s that was unique to it.

Right when I was researching, a SBG500 came up on the local CL for a great price (compared to the prices on eBay). Went and looked at it and bought it on the spot. Super nice for a 1981. Got it set up and instantly became my no. 1. Tobacco Sunburst, vintage yellow tinted (naturally) plastic parts and binding, arched top, very heavy, and just an amazing tone from the pickups - clean, very unqiue and beautiful - not something you say about most humbucker pickups. The neck is fast and I'd say similar to a 61 style Gibson neck, but jsut a tad fatter which makes it really comfortable. Cut out in the back of the body for my big belly also.

Loved that one so much, that I decided I needed a backup for gigging. My backups recently have been my 2006 Gibson LPVM, my Flying V, and my Ibanez Artist AR325 with a Bubinga top. In a FB group for SGs, a guy posted a 1982 Cherry/Red SBG500 for sale, so I bought it - was more expensive than the other one I got by $175 but it also had the original hardshell case and had to be shipped halfway across the country. Another beautiful speciman - only flaw is a scratch on the back, so no big deal.

Enough blabbing, here are some pix - and for the record, the rest of the gear: 1980s Peavey Butcher 120 watt head, Orange PPC412 w/ V30s, being pushed by a Black Arts Toneworks Pharaoh Fuzz (first run #34). One the left side facing my drummer is another 1980s Peavey Butcher a top a 1975 Marshall Big M cab with some kind of low end Celestions that sound not to shabby. And my deer skull for good luck.

At my home studio

Video of my band at the Houston Bayou Doom Fest I from 5/11/13 at Fitzgerald's. Our slot time got changed suddenly and I had to end up playing in the clothes I drove down from Fort Worth in - I usually don't wear shorts on stage, my jeans were in the car lol. Posting because it's the Tobacco Burst SBG500 in action. Used my Peavey/Pharoah combination but they had Matamp cab stacks backlined for us (they belong to Sanctus Bellum) - Hot 100 speakers in them. Show included some great bands from all over Texas and even one from Mexico: Funeral Shroud, Project Armageddon, Mothership (Ripple Records), Sanctus Bellum, Orthodox Fuzz (that be we), Venomous Maximus (Napalm Records), Warbeast (Housecore Records), Wo Fat (Small Stone Records), and Maligno. Amazing show! First half of our set....

 

[Malfunction]

Nice guitars and i really enjoyed your music too.

 

 

[newbuilder]

Cool guitars and cool jam!