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Average Price: $1,099

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$500

$1201+

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Description

Explore the rich tones and versatile playability of the Yamaha SA-20, a semi-hollowbody electric guitar designed to meet the needs of both professional and aspiring musicians. Perfectly balancing vintage aesthetics with modern functionality, the SA-20 offers a dynamic range of sounds that can adapt to any musical genre, from jazz to rock. Its semi-hollowbody construction provides warm, resonant tones while minimizing feedback, making it an ideal choice for live performances and studio sessions alike.

The SA-20 features a maple top paired with a mahogany back and sides, offering a perfect blend of brightness and warmth. Its set neck ensures comfortable playability, allowing for smooth transitions along the fretboard. Equipped with Yamaha's custom-designed pickups, this guitar delivers clear, articulate tones that capture every nuance of your playing. The dual humbucking pickups offer a powerful output, enhancing the guitar's tonal versatility and making it suitable for both clean and overdriven sounds.

For musicians seeking precision and reliability, the SA-20's hardware includes a tune-o-matic bridge for stable tuning and optimal intonation. Its elegant design is complemented by classic F-holes and a sleek, smooth finish, ensuring that this guitar looks as good as it sounds. Whether you're jamming at home, performing on stage, or recording in the studio, the Yamaha SA-20 is a dependable partner in your musical journey.

Key Features:

  • Semi-hollowbody design for reduced feedback and enhanced resonance
  • Maple top with mahogany back and sides for balanced tone
  • Set neck for smooth playability
  • Dual humbucking pickups for versatile tonal options
  • Tune-o-matic bridge for stable tuning and precise intonation
tiwa thmr

tiwa thmr

YAMAHA SA20

Video thumbnail for YAMAHA SA20 by tiwa thmr

YAMAHA SA20

tiwa thmr

tiwa thmr

Reviews

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Yamaha SA-20.

Build quality

  • Made at the Nippon-Gakki plant in the late 60s-early 70s, indicating a focus on high-quality craftsmanship to compete with US brands.

    Source

Setup and maintenance

  • Common issues include fret wear, requiring a top nut, bridge, and tuner replacement for optimal playability.

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User experience

  • Described as a great guitar if restored properly, with limited permanent damage, highlighting its rarity and potential value.

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Use cases and applications

  • Particularly noted for its appeal as a 12-string guitar, offering a unique sound profile for players interested in vintage tones.

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Artist usage

Add artist
See how Wil Wagner uses Yamaha SA-20

Wil Wagner

Singer, Guitarist

The Smith Street Band

...
Verified via Photo

Wil Wagner is shown with a Yamaha SA-20 in an Instagram post by The Smith Street Band, highlighting it as a prized addition to their guitar collection.

Genre Usage

Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.

1 alternative for Yamaha SA-20, curated by the Equipboard community.

Yamaha SA-30
similar sound

The primary difference between the Yamaha SA-20 and SA-30 is the number of strings. Both are vintage hollow-body models from the late 1960s to early 1970s, but they serve different purposes.

Key Differences Number of Strings (The Main Difference) SA-20: A 12-string guitar. It features a distinctively long headstock to accommodate 12 tuning pegs. SA-30: A standard 6-string guitar.

Bridge and Tailpiece SA-20: Uses a trapeze tailpiece designed to handle the high tension of 12 strings. SA-30: Usually equipped with Yamaha's original "Feather Touch" tremolo unit (vibrato).

Weight and Balance SA-20: To counter the weight of the large 12-string headstock, it often includes internal metal weights in the body. It weighs approximately 3.8 kg. SA-30: Being a 6-string model, the headstock is smaller and the overall guitar is lighter, typically weighing around 3.1–3.2 kg.

Shared Features Both models share Yamaha’s unique engineering from that era: Pickup Balancer: Instead of a simple toggle, they feature a "Balancer" knob that allows you to blend the neck and bridge pickup signals seamlessly. Hollow Construction: They are essentially fully hollow. To fight feedback, Yamaha originally included baffles (plugs) inside the F-holes. Zero Fret: A fret placed right after the nut to ensure the tone of open strings matches that of fretted notes.

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