This guitar is the pinnacle of Yamaha's SG range and possibly of their whole production line guitars. It was released in 1982.
Similar in some ways to the 2000 but with some major differences. Gone was the brass sustain plate and there was now the new
small mass bridge. This bridge was around 57gms instead of 74gms on the 2000, it was narrower (front to back) leaving less room for
intonation adjustments. The wings were solid mahogany the T cross construction remained.
There was a 3000 and a 3000S. The S was also called the custom, in Japan it was called the professional. The designation was
shown on the Truss Rod Cover and on the professional it was also stamped on the pickguard.
Note from Chris Riddels an acknowledged SG Expert
THe SG3000 Custom/Professional is essentially a SG3000 fitted with the standard bridge found on the SG2000 and other models.
Some SG3000 Customs/Professionals featured a unusual bridge with locking saddles.
The suggestion is that the Wine Red was the 3000 and the other two finishes were the S etc. However I have seen a wine red with Custom
on the TRC and a gold with just 3000 on the TRC.
Specifications
Body Bound* Mahogany and Maple with T Cross construction high gloss finish
Neck Laminated Hard Rock Maple and Mahogany through neck
Fretboard Bound 22 frets chevron markers 628mm scale 13.75"
Headstock Black Bound Large thistle motive model on TRC
Tuners Gold high ratio 15-1 Yamaha Diecast
Pickups 2 Spinex Humbuckers
Controls Amber speedial 2V 2T push push coil splits on Tone control
Hardware Gold plated Brass
Bridge New small mass T-O-M with stoptail in gold but see note from Chris above
Pickguard see below
Colours Metallic Black, Metallic Gold or Wine Red
Weight 4.5kgs
The 3000 came with a fitted black pickguard a spare brass one was included.
The 3000S came with no pickguard fitted but a black and a brass one was included if you wished to fit it.
*The binding was very ornate with intricate inlays and Mexican Abalone purlings
Supply to the USA stopped in 1985 to the rest of the western world around 1988. They were available
in Japan until at least 1996. They appear in the 1988 UK catalogue just the 3000 is mentioned in all three colours and it now has
a direct circuit switch as part of the volume controls.
In any event they were available in Custom Built variants from the Japanese Custom Shop.
In 2009 there was a reissue to dealt with separately.
Surprising as it is a correspondent Iacopo Burzio has alerted me to the fact that some SG3000 guitars are Made in Taiwan.
When I investigate I find that Kaohsiung factory in Taiwan did make some of these from what I can find this was around 1987/8.
Several SG3000 models can be found stamped made in Taiwan and there is some info on the Yamaha Musicians forum (all interested in Yamahas
really should join).
Guru1979 on the forum has this info about a poster's SG3000
Yes it's made in Taiwan slightly different from Japan version. The wood that goes through the body is thinner like one on the 2100
If you look the back of your 3000..there are the three piece maple + mahogany from the neck..plus 2 outer piece on which are routed the hole
for tailpiece, then the mahogany wings. On mine there are only the three piece of the neck that goes until the end of guitar mahogany wings
are larger and the tailpiece is anchored on them and the neck became thick as body a little earlier around the A#.
This was exactly the same way the santana's sg175b was made.
Pick ups are spinex and both sound and sustain are great.
Imho sounds a little bigger than Japan version.
The bridge it's the one with allen screw on saddles, they lock the saddles once you've find the correct intonation used by Yamaha in
the second half of 80's
