Emperor Guillotine
The Almighty Ruler
I haven't spoken much about this guitar since I initially received it back in October 2022, but here is my vintage Yamaha SG-I.
The Yamaha SG-I was the first signature model for Issei Noro, the mastermind guitarist behind the highly influential Japanese jazz fusion supergroup Casiopea.
Specs:
• Body wood: mahogany
• Top wood: maple
• Body construction: special semi-hollow with "T-Cross Maple" construction
• Body binding: multi-ply cream (side) with pearloid (top)
• Body finish: gloss
• Scale length: 628mm (24.75")
• Neck construction: neck-thru
• Neck wood: 3-piece neck comprised of mahogany (2) and maple (1)
• Neck finish: gloss
• Neck profile: Issei Noro "Original Grip"
• Fretboard wood: ebony
• Fretboard radius: 350mm (13.75")
• Frets: 22
• Fretboard markers: star inlays
• Fretboard binding: multi-ply cream and black
• Side dot markers: black side dots
• Headstock: original shape with ebony laminate
• Headstock binding: multi-ply cream (side) with pearloid (top)
• Pickups: Yamaha SGH-ICB Spinex original covered humbuckers (neck & bridge) and Yamaha SGH-ICB Spinex original bar-type single-coil (middle)
• Controls: 3-way pickup selector toggle switch, neck pickup volume knob, neck pickup tone knob with push-push bi-sound switch, bridge pickup volume knob, bridge pickup tone knob with push-push bi-sound switch, middle pickup volume knob with push-push on/off switch for engaging the middle pickup
• Bridge: Yamaha Rockin' Magic Pro (RM-Pro) tremolo system
• Nut: Yamaha Rockin' Magic Pro (RM-Pro) locking nut
• Tuners: Yamaha sealed tuners
Casiopea was a game-changer for me ever since I first discovered the band. Discovering them was sort of like a musical milestone throughout my journey as a musician. And as a result, Issei Noro has become one of my biggest musical influences as a guitarist.
Being particularly a fan of the first incarnation of Casiopea during the group's "golden years" from around 1979 to 1985 (which is around the time that Issei Noro was going through custom-built Yamaha SG prototypes for what would later become the SG-I model in 1988 through 1992), owning a SG-I became one of my end goals to achieve before I quit playing. It became a "bucket list" guitar that I absolutely had to get my hands on at some point.
SG-I guitars have become extremely rare to find nowadays in Japan (the only country where they were made available); and if you do happen to stumble across one on the secondhand market in Japan, they fetch an enormous price tag and typically come with a lot of the usual wear-and-tear that is expected due to the age of such an instrument. Finish checking/cracking, buckle rash and pick scratches, yellowed plastic components (such as the pickup covers and rings), corroded hardware, fret issues, etc.
I got ridiculously lucky when I happened to find the online listing for this SG-I from a small shop in the Setagaya-ku ward of Tokyo. As you can tell from my photos, the guitar is in absolutely immaculate condition. Near perfect in every possible aspect! The original case that the guitar was sold with from the factory is also in excellent condition. And upon opening the case for the first time, I saw that the guitar even came with the original Japanese paperwork from the factory!
The original Yamaha Spinex-labeled pickups that utilized Yamaha's own proprietary Spinex alloy material and that were used in the upper-tier SG models (such as the Yamaha SG-3000) throughout the 1980s and 1990s have always retained status across the internet as being very well-reputed pickups. And the custom-made SGH-ICB Spinex pickups that were designed to Issei Noro's specifications for this signature model are absolutely no exception to the Spinex reputation.
The SGH-ICB Spinex pickups have this inherent "singing" quality to them that is just so musical; and they are versatile enough to sound as light and airy as a summer breeze, or as sparkling and roaring as an ocean wave.
The special wiring that Yamaha integrated for this model offers the player a vast array of pickup combinations and sounds thanks to the push-push tone pots that function as bi-sound switches (essentially coil-splits) for the humbuckers, plus the push-push volume pot that functions as an on/off switch for adding the middle pickup into the mix. It does take a minute to wrap your head around the control layout at first though.
I can't really say much about the "Original Grip" neck profile. Nothing stands out about it in terms of thickness, width, shape, or taper/contour. It just feels very comfortable in my hand and easy to play when it comes to either jazzy chord work or zipping around the fretboard for lead work.
The last component to highlight here is the first-generation Yamaha Rockin' Magic Pro (RM-Pro) tremolo system. This tremolo has perhaps the smoothest, most fluid throw of any floating tremolo that I've tried to this date, period.
The RM-Pro utilizes needle bearings at the fulcrum, which I'm sure contribute to the smooth operation and precise pitch return. In addition, the thumbscrew located directly parallel (across) from the tremolo bar is a pitch rise adjustment that you can use to fine-tune or set the maximum amount of pitch bend that you get from the tremolo. (Loosen the thumbscrew and you get a wider range to bend. Tighten the thumbscrew and you get a narrower range to bend.)
Action and intonation are both ever so slightly easier to adjust compared to a similar Floyd Rose floating tremolo. Probably worth mentioning here is that this SG-I actually has the lowest action out of any guitar in my collection right now. Absurdly low, totally clean, and free of any fret buzz.
String changes are quick and easy on the RM-Pro since the strings are fed through the rear of the tremolo (under the fine-tuning screws) as opposed to being fed from underneath the tremolo unit through the tremolo spring cavity. And the little "clamps" (not sure what else to call them) that go over the six individual saddles on the tremolo base are a total "icing on the cake" feature that help facilitate quick string changes by locking down each string at the ball-end. (No need to cut off the ball-ends.) Each little "clamp" prevents the strings from moving or slipping out of the saddles when it comes time to replace an individual string or re-string the guitar entirely.
In my personal opinion, Yamaha has had an overlooked history of making some absolutely awesome, forward-thinking tremolo systems. (Those of you who read my rundown of the Yamaha Finger Clamp tremolo on my CV820WB a few months ago would most likely agree.)
On a personal level, this guitar is such a special instrument to own. It definitely feels like a dream come true for me every time that I pick it up and play it. And now, I can say that it's a privilege to be able to share the details of this Yamaha SG-I Issei Noro signature model with you all here on the Sevenstring forum.
The Yamaha SG-I was the first signature model for Issei Noro, the mastermind guitarist behind the highly influential Japanese jazz fusion supergroup Casiopea.
Specs:
• Body wood: mahogany
• Top wood: maple
• Body construction: special semi-hollow with "T-Cross Maple" construction
• Body binding: multi-ply cream (side) with pearloid (top)
• Body finish: gloss
• Scale length: 628mm (24.75")
• Neck construction: neck-thru
• Neck wood: 3-piece neck comprised of mahogany (2) and maple (1)
• Neck finish: gloss
• Neck profile: Issei Noro "Original Grip"
• Fretboard wood: ebony
• Fretboard radius: 350mm (13.75")
• Frets: 22
• Fretboard markers: star inlays
• Fretboard binding: multi-ply cream and black
• Side dot markers: black side dots
• Headstock: original shape with ebony laminate
• Headstock binding: multi-ply cream (side) with pearloid (top)
• Pickups: Yamaha SGH-ICB Spinex original covered humbuckers (neck & bridge) and Yamaha SGH-ICB Spinex original bar-type single-coil (middle)
• Controls: 3-way pickup selector toggle switch, neck pickup volume knob, neck pickup tone knob with push-push bi-sound switch, bridge pickup volume knob, bridge pickup tone knob with push-push bi-sound switch, middle pickup volume knob with push-push on/off switch for engaging the middle pickup
• Bridge: Yamaha Rockin' Magic Pro (RM-Pro) tremolo system
• Nut: Yamaha Rockin' Magic Pro (RM-Pro) locking nut
• Tuners: Yamaha sealed tuners
Casiopea was a game-changer for me ever since I first discovered the band. Discovering them was sort of like a musical milestone throughout my journey as a musician. And as a result, Issei Noro has become one of my biggest musical influences as a guitarist.
Being particularly a fan of the first incarnation of Casiopea during the group's "golden years" from around 1979 to 1985 (which is around the time that Issei Noro was going through custom-built Yamaha SG prototypes for what would later become the SG-I model in 1988 through 1992), owning a SG-I became one of my end goals to achieve before I quit playing. It became a "bucket list" guitar that I absolutely had to get my hands on at some point.
SG-I guitars have become extremely rare to find nowadays in Japan (the only country where they were made available); and if you do happen to stumble across one on the secondhand market in Japan, they fetch an enormous price tag and typically come with a lot of the usual wear-and-tear that is expected due to the age of such an instrument. Finish checking/cracking, buckle rash and pick scratches, yellowed plastic components (such as the pickup covers and rings), corroded hardware, fret issues, etc.
I got ridiculously lucky when I happened to find the online listing for this SG-I from a small shop in the Setagaya-ku ward of Tokyo. As you can tell from my photos, the guitar is in absolutely immaculate condition. Near perfect in every possible aspect! The original case that the guitar was sold with from the factory is also in excellent condition. And upon opening the case for the first time, I saw that the guitar even came with the original Japanese paperwork from the factory!
The original Yamaha Spinex-labeled pickups that utilized Yamaha's own proprietary Spinex alloy material and that were used in the upper-tier SG models (such as the Yamaha SG-3000) throughout the 1980s and 1990s have always retained status across the internet as being very well-reputed pickups. And the custom-made SGH-ICB Spinex pickups that were designed to Issei Noro's specifications for this signature model are absolutely no exception to the Spinex reputation.
The SGH-ICB Spinex pickups have this inherent "singing" quality to them that is just so musical; and they are versatile enough to sound as light and airy as a summer breeze, or as sparkling and roaring as an ocean wave.
The special wiring that Yamaha integrated for this model offers the player a vast array of pickup combinations and sounds thanks to the push-push tone pots that function as bi-sound switches (essentially coil-splits) for the humbuckers, plus the push-push volume pot that functions as an on/off switch for adding the middle pickup into the mix. It does take a minute to wrap your head around the control layout at first though.
I can't really say much about the "Original Grip" neck profile. Nothing stands out about it in terms of thickness, width, shape, or taper/contour. It just feels very comfortable in my hand and easy to play when it comes to either jazzy chord work or zipping around the fretboard for lead work.
The last component to highlight here is the first-generation Yamaha Rockin' Magic Pro (RM-Pro) tremolo system. This tremolo has perhaps the smoothest, most fluid throw of any floating tremolo that I've tried to this date, period.
The RM-Pro utilizes needle bearings at the fulcrum, which I'm sure contribute to the smooth operation and precise pitch return. In addition, the thumbscrew located directly parallel (across) from the tremolo bar is a pitch rise adjustment that you can use to fine-tune or set the maximum amount of pitch bend that you get from the tremolo. (Loosen the thumbscrew and you get a wider range to bend. Tighten the thumbscrew and you get a narrower range to bend.)
Action and intonation are both ever so slightly easier to adjust compared to a similar Floyd Rose floating tremolo. Probably worth mentioning here is that this SG-I actually has the lowest action out of any guitar in my collection right now. Absurdly low, totally clean, and free of any fret buzz.
String changes are quick and easy on the RM-Pro since the strings are fed through the rear of the tremolo (under the fine-tuning screws) as opposed to being fed from underneath the tremolo unit through the tremolo spring cavity. And the little "clamps" (not sure what else to call them) that go over the six individual saddles on the tremolo base are a total "icing on the cake" feature that help facilitate quick string changes by locking down each string at the ball-end. (No need to cut off the ball-ends.) Each little "clamp" prevents the strings from moving or slipping out of the saddles when it comes time to replace an individual string or re-string the guitar entirely.
In my personal opinion, Yamaha has had an overlooked history of making some absolutely awesome, forward-thinking tremolo systems. (Those of you who read my rundown of the Yamaha Finger Clamp tremolo on my CV820WB a few months ago would most likely agree.)
On a personal level, this guitar is such a special instrument to own. It definitely feels like a dream come true for me every time that I pick it up and play it. And now, I can say that it's a privilege to be able to share the details of this Yamaha SG-I Issei Noro signature model with you all here on the Sevenstring forum.
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