Yamaha Sessions and SE Guitars

 
Two beautiful guitars courtesy of Jeff Plogger on the left an SE1203a on the right an SE1220 Thanks Jeff Note the difference in the script sizes on the Headstocks

This is a developing project and needs your help to become a real resource for these guitars. Please let me have any corrections additional information and the like via my Email contact any pictures catalogue scans etc are always appreciated. These pages are being completely rewritten January 2019 with many updates. Now close to completion

Introduction to Yamaha SE and Session Guitars

The Sessions or SEs are an important step in the development of Yamaha's range they are the precursors to the Pacifica range first appearing in 1985 and ending at the end of that decade before the first appearance of the Pacificas in 1990. These guitars on launch were priced in the region of 60,000 yen in Japan which is about 350gbp, compare that with the cheapest SA of the time at around 110,000 yen and you can see that these are aimed at the budget market but still have that Yamaha quality. A wider range was launched in the UK with some higher quality models. Although these guitars are shown in the archives as launched in 1985 we know form owners, serial numbers etc that the 700s were available as early as January 1984.
Update January 2022 Owners Manual
A very kind gentleman Patrick Brommer has gone to a great deal of trouble to scan the Yamaha SE and SJ owners manual. It is available to download here
Manual
Thank you Patrick

Yamaha Sessions and SEs The first models

These guitars first appeared in the 1985 catalogues. They appeared in the winter of 1985 newcomers catalogue (Japanese) three models all priced at 60,000 yen. These were the Session 503, 512 and 520. In the English catalogue for 1985 many more models are available these are SE 200, 300, 450,700E, 700M, 700 HE and the 700 HM in the last four models the M is a maple fingerboard and the E an ebony one. The Japanese however never produced a lower range model than the 500 for the domestic market, just the higher range models. There were however many lower range models available in the west.

Session and SE Model Designations

This is Yamaha so rules are guides and exceptions will be found. The model designations of SEs follow the following rules. All start with SE, Session or Session ii these are broadly interchangeable and other than Session ii came after Session indicate nothing although Session tends to be used in Japan and SE in the West. All have 3 or 4 numbers and some will have some letters.
The first of the 3 numbers, or the first 2 of a four number model number indicates the grade the higher the number the better the grade.
The second number indicates the number of humbuckers sometimes, other times where the second number is 5 a letter H will be added to indicate humbucker
The third number indicates the number of single coils, sometimes it is not obvious looking at the guitar whether you are looking at a humbucker or 2 single coils in the same mounting.
The letters are:
E Indicates an Ebony Board
M Indicates a Maple Board
P Usually indicates a non locking trem type
A Indicates active pickups
H Indicates Humbucker(s) only
J No idea anyone help?
This system is similar to the system adopted on Pacificas

A word about woods

Nato also known as Eastern Mahogany and Bubinga (or Buvinga) known as African Rosewood are often used by Yamaha so where Mahogany and Rosewood appear in the specs there is a fair chance it is Nato and Bubinga.

Session and SE models