GEAR REVIEW
YAMAHA SA 2200 SEMI HOLLOWBODY | Michael Hodge
KEY FEATURES
Yamaha has a reputation for making great
instruments
in
every
possible
category.
• Classic Cutaway Semi Hollowbody The SA 2200 is their version of the classic
• Impeccable Workmanship ES 335. Never to be outdone Yamaha
• Alnico V Pickups with Coil Taps
has
added
more
like
touches
a
custom
making
shop
this
guitar
masterpiece.
• Mahogany Neck w/ Ebony Fretboard
• Mother of Pearl Fret Inlays
• Violin Sunburst w/Gold Hardware
OUT OF THE BOX:
The
body
is
Laminated
Figured
Maple
with a Glossy Polyurethane Violin sunburst
finish. A black laminated floating pickguard
complements it. Inside is a soft maple center
block for feedback protection. The set neck
is Mahogany with an Ebony Fretboard, and
Mother of Pearl Rectangular inlays in between
22 medium Jumbo frets. The frets overlap
the neck binding, making the guitar feel very
comfortable. The Headstock has Pearl inlay,
gold Gotoh style tuners, bone nut, and a truss
rod cover. The Pickups are classic looking
custom Alnico V Humbuckers with adjustable
pole pieces on the outer edges. There’s a
typical 3-way pickup selector with Volume and
Tone controls for each pickup. Both Pickups
are coil tapped for additional tonal variations.
Pickup coil Taps are activated by Push/Pull
switches in the Tone knobs. The SA 2200
comes stock with a Gotoh Tun-o-Matic style
bridge and a stop Tailpiece. The whole guitar
has a beautiful striped binding front and back.
IN USE:
The guitar looked amazing at first sight. I have a
cool vintage 335, so I was pumped to see how
they compare. The SA 2200 feels like a high-
end custom shop guitar. Yamaha’s attention
to detail on this one is fantastic. The medium
jumbo frets are perfectly dressed. Intonation
and stability are better than my vintage guitar.
With a 13-3/4” radius, the Yamaha feels and
plays like a modern guitar. Moving on to the
pickups, they are hotter and brighter. I would
say that they have both more highs and lows
than the original Alnicos. I like the Coil taps.
It’s a nice feature, and there are a ton of tonal
90
January 2019
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