John Frusciante’s 1980 Yamaha SG2000

John began using Yamaha SG2000 guitars around 2010, after leaving the Red Hot Chili Peppers following the Stadium Arcadium era. This guitar is just one of several Yamaha SG models he owns, but it appears to be his favorite. He used it prominently on his PBX and Enclosure albums.

My main guitars are Yamaha SG2000s. My favorite is a purple one from 1980. I have a few others and a few SG1500s. I switched from the Strat to the Yamahas in late 2010. I’ve played the Strat once in the last three years, and only on one little recording.

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I’ve been playing Yamaha SG-2000s mostly, from the late Seventies and early Eighties. They’re my favorite kind of guitar. You can get a lot of tonal variety out of them, and in terms of the wood they’re very heavy guitars, so they have a very fat sound. Much fatter than Strats. (continued) The Yamaha SGs, the guitar is balanced harmonically the same way a piano or an organ is. Whether it’s the lowest note on the instrument or the highest one, it has an equal kind of breadth. And you don’t have as much roundness to the sound, where the note starts thinner and then gets thicker…all that kind of stuff. You get a straight, fat, consistent sound on every fret of every string.

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Why the Yamaha SG Inspired John

John credits the Yamaha SG with helping him better understand the playing styles of other guitarists.

The Yamaha SG2000 was originally produced from the early 1970s until around 1988, when production ceased. Yamaha recently revived the model under their SBG line. John’s guitar features a rare “Deep Purple” finish, making it even more unique among SG2000 models.

I do like them, and I have six or seven. Besides forcing me to play differently, though, they also gave me a lot of insight into how many other guitarists play. With the Yamaha SG, I could play along with guitar players who were playing, say, Les Pauls, and feel like the sound matched what I was hearing on the record. There were all these guitarists whose playing had been a little mysterious to me, and I suddenly found it easier to incorporate aspects of their styles into my style through imitation.

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Notably, John cites influences like Robert Fripp, Mick Ronson, Tony Iommi, and particularly John McGeoch of Siouxsie and the Banshees. McGeoch’s use of a Yamaha SG was the reason John purchased one in the first place.

People like Robert Fripp, Mick Ronson, Tony Iommi, and particularly John McGeoch from Siouxsie and the Banshees, who played a Yamaha SG, which is why I bought one in the first place. It was an approach to the guitar that I’d been blind to my whole life because I had always played Strat-type instruments.

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About the Yamaha SG2000

The Yamaha SG2000 is an iconic guitar often referred to as the “Les Paul killer” because of its amazing sustain, rich tone, and top-notch build quality. It was introduced in the mid-1970s and co-designed with Carlos Santana. The guitar features a solid mahogany body with a carved maple top, a set mahogany neck, dual humbucking pickups, and Yamaha’s “Tri-Sound Switch.”

One of the SG2000’s standout features is the brass sustain block under the bridge, which significantly improves sustain and clarity.

Production of the SG2000 stopped in 1988, but Yamaha brought it back in the 2000s with their SBG line. Even though the newer versions are great, vintage models are still highly sought after by players and collectors for their unique tone and superior craftsmanship.