Studio Lords and Lord Players


Yamaha Studio Lord and Lord Player Guitars Specs and more details


Back to Page 1

There were 4 launches or ranges of these guitars so I will split the details that way.
They have some features which are common to all models, similar to Gibson they are 24.752 scale, 22 Frets and 43mm nut width, with 2 Humbuckers but they have a flatter board radius of around 13.75" compared to Gibson's 10" to 12". They all weigh around 4.2 to 4.5kgs

First Release 1976 to 1979

Body Neck Fretboard Headstock Hardware Tuners Pickups Colours
SL380 Agathis Maple Top Bolt on Maple Rosewood Trapezoid Block Inlays Yamaha with Studio Lord written on and SL380 on truss rod cover Chrome Chrome Yamaha diecast L2 Red Sunburst, Brown Sunburst
SL430S Agathis Maple Top Set Maple Rosewood Rectangular Block Inlays Yamaha Bound black lines in binding No model name just double arrowhead logo and SL430 on the truss rod cover Chrome Chrome Yamaha Diecast L2 Black
SL500 Agathis Maple Top Set Maple Rosewood Trapezoid Block Inlays Yamaha with Studio Lord written on and SL500 on truss rod cover Chrome Chrome Yamaha Diecast L2 Red Sunburst or Brown Sunburst
SL550 Agathis Maple Top Set Mahogany Rosewood Trapezoid Block Inlays Yamaha Bound with black lines on the binding no model name just double arrowhead logo and SL550 on truss rod cover Chrome Chrome Yamaha Sealed Diecast L2 Black
SL650 Mahogany Maple Top Set Mahogany Rosewood Rectangular Block Inlays Yamaha Bound black lines in binding No model name just double arrowhead logo and SL650 on the truss rod cover Gold Gold Yamaha Sealed Diecast Split Black
SL700 Mahogany Maple Top Set Mahogany Ebony Trapezoid Block Inlays Yamaha with Studio Lord written on and SL700 on truss rod cover Gold some chrome in 1979 Gold Yamaha Sealed Diecast some chrome in 1979 split Red Sunburst
SL800 Mahogany Maple Top Set Maple Rosewood Trapezoid Block Inlays Yamaha with Studio Lord written on and SL800 on truss rod cover Chrome except in 78 and 79 the Red Sunburst model had gold Chrome Yamaha Sealed Diecast some Gold in 1978 and 1979 split Red Sunburst or Brown Sunburst
SL1000 Mahogany Maple Top Set Mahogany Ebony Rectangular Block Inlays Yamaha Bound black lines in binding No model name just double arrowhead logo and SL1000 on the truss rod cover Gold Gold Yamaha Sealed Diecast L1 split Black
SL1200 Mahogany Maple Top Set Mahogany Ebony Rectangular Block Inlays Yamaha Bound black lines in binding No model name just double arrowhead logo and SL1200 on the truss rod cover Gold Gold Yamaha Sealed Diecast L1 split Red Sunburst

The 380 500 and the 800 for some reason have no inlay on the first fret all the others do

The headstocks

Yamaha Studio Lord The SL Models 1979 to 1981

Body Neck Fretboard Headstock Hardware Tuners Pickups Colours
SL400S Agathis Maple Top Bolt on Mahogany Rosewood Trapezoid Block Inlays Yamaha with Studio Lord written on and Standard SL400S on truss rod cover Chrome Chrome Yamaha diecast L2 Black, Red Sunburst, Brown Sunburst
SL500S Agathis Maple Top Set Mahogany Rosewood Trapezoid Block Inlays Yamaha with Studio Lord written on and Standard SL500S on truss rod cover Chrome Chrome Yamaha Diecast L3 split* Red Sunburst, Brown Sunburst
SL700s Mahogany Maple Top Set Maple Rosewood Trapezoid Block Inlays Yamaha with Studio Lord written on and Standard SL700S on truss rod cover Chrome Chrome Yamaha Diecast L3 split Red Sunburst or Brown Sunburst
SL700C Custom Mahogany solid Set Mahogany Ebony Rectangular Block Inlays Yamaha bound with black lines in binding No model name just double arrowhead logo and SL700C on the truss rod cover Gold Gold Yamaha Sealed Diecast L4 splits Black or Red Sunburst
SL800s Mahogany Maple Top Set Maple Ebony Trapezoid Block Inlays Yamaha with Studio Lord written on and Standard SL800S on truss rod cover Chrome Yamaha Sealed Diecast L5 split Oil Stain or Tobacco Sunburst

Update August 2020
*I now know that not all SL500S guitars were fitted with coil tap. This has arisen following some correspondence with Andy in Australia he has an SL500S all original without the push push switches and without splitable humbuckers. Further investigation has revealed that there are original SL500S guitars with and without coil tap. I suspect the earlier ones didn't have it but the later ones did. I can't prove that though.

Some pictures

A comparison of the two types of headstock all models are the same style except for the custom also a picture of the bolt on headstock joint on the 400s it is only featured on this and two of the first range. It was very difficult to set it up for the tuning to be stable but now I have done it it keeps tuning well.

The Yamaha Studio Lords 450S and 550S 1982 to 1983

Body Neck Fretboard Headstock Hardware Tuners Pickups Colours
SL450S Agathis Maple Top Set Maple Rosewood Trapezoid block inlays Yamaha with Studio Lord written on and Standard SL450S on truss rod cover Chrome Chrome Plastic Handles* L2 Black, Red Sunburst, Brown Sunburst
SL550S Agathis Maple Top Set Maple Rosewood Trapezoid Block Inlays Yamaha with Studio Lord written on and Standard SL550S on truss rod cover Chrome Chrome Plastic Handles L3 split Red Sunburst, Oil Stain or Tobacco Sunburst



A 450s at the top a 550s beneath note the pickups

A 450s headstock the 550s will be the same except for the number

The Yamaha Lord Player LP Models 1984 to 1986

Body Neck Fretboard Headstock Hardware Tuners Pickups Colours
LP400 Agathis Maple Top Set Mahogany Rosewood Trapezoid Block Inlays Open Book Lord Player in Gold Standard LP400 on Truss Rod Cover no binding Chrome Chrome Plastic Handles* 2 Alnico Vs Black, Red Sunburst, Brown Sunburst or Tobacco Sunburst
LP500 Mahogany Maple Top Set Mahogany Rosewood Trapezoid Block Inlays Open Book Lord Player in Gold Standard LP500 on Truss Rod Cover no binding Chrome Chrome Plastic Handles 2 Alnico Vs Black, Red Sunburst, Brown Sunburst or Tobacco Sunburst
LP600 Mahogany Set Mahogany Rosewood Trapezoid Block Inlays Open Book Lord Player in Gold Standard LP600 on Truss Rod Cover no binding Chrome Chrome Plastic Handles 2 Alnico Vs Black, Red Sunburst or Brown Sunburst
LP800 Custom Mahogany Maple Top Set Mahogany Ebony Rectangular Block Inlays Plain Bound Open Book No model name just double arrowhead logo and Custom on the truss rod cover Chrome or Gold Chrome or Gold Yamaha Sealed Diecast 2 Spinex coil splits** see note below Black Red Sunburst or Violin Sunburst
LP1000 Standard Mahogany Maple Top Set Mahogany Rosewood Trapezoid Block Inlays Open Book Lord Player in Gold Standard LP1000 on Truss Rod Cover no binding Chrome Yamaha Sealed Diecast 2 Spinex coil splits Brown Sunburst or Red Sunburst
LP 1000 Custom Mahogany Solid Set Mahogany Ebony Rectangular Block Inlays Bound black lines in binding Open Book No model name just double arrowhead logo and Custom on the truss rod cover Gold Gold Yamaha Sealed Diecast 2 HBs with Coil Splits Only seen black

* See earlier page it is known that the LP400 continued into 1986 and the later models had chrome sealed diecast tuners I do not know if any of the other models continued after 1985

Update May 2023
I have now heard of two LP800C guitars that don't have Spinex pickups. The catalogues and archives plainly say that this model does have Spinex. I don't think the guitars in question have been changed but its hard to tell.
**July 2023
I am no longer sure about the LP800C having Spinex pickups at all, all the catalogues I have seen and the Yamaha archives say they do but I have seen pictures of pickups from 2 unmodified LP800Cs which are plainly not Spinex and two other people who own this model have said their's do not have spinex either.

I did not think the LP1000 custom existed until I saw one on the excellent Elite Vintage Guitars pages. At first I thought it might be a miss labelled LP 800 but on speaking to Jay from Elite he tells me (and he would know) that it is a 1000 custom and the neck joins the body differently from the 800 and when you take off the pickups you can see that it is cut from one solid piece of wood. I have since compared the 800 custom and 1000 custom and the bindings are slightly different. Jay gave me permission to use any of his pictures. Thanks Jay
Please note that the LP1000 Custom is from 1979 much earlier than the others.

Stephen Samarjia has sent me a translation of a Japanese specs sheet from a catalogue, here it is thanks Stephen






Headstock LP800 custom on left and 1000 custom on right you can see the slightly different binding. The word custom looking different is due to the picture or to fading. I have called the logo a double arrowhead not sure what it is really called.


LP 400 headstock with the later tuners and LP 500 headstock the design of the other standards is the same.


Back to top