Need some advice on a '74 Yamaha SG 175 I was given.

texasguitarslinger

Mo Cow Bellologist
My son was culling his guitar collection to make room for baby stuff. He found one of his beater axes and asked if I wanted it. I said sure not even knowing what it was. Turns out it's a '74 Yamaha SG 175 serial number 30850. It's been modified with a single pole in the bridge position and a NOS humbucker in the neck position. A pole switch has been put in the place of one of the volume pots. My question to the forum is: do you think it's worth the time to restore it to original form or should I just let it go as is? It plays very well and has a really fast neck but needs a little fret leveling around the 15th, 16th and 17th frets on the E and A string positions. Any opinions are welcome and thanks in advance.

Yamaha SG.jpg
 
Re: Need some advice on a '74 Yamaha SG 175 I was given.

Nice looking guitar! I swapped a pickup out in a similar Yamaha for a guy a long time ago. I remember liking it a lot. I say play it as is, then make whatever changes necessary to suit you. Somebody has already torn into it, so you can now do it without feeling any guilt :)
 
Re: Need some advice on a '74 Yamaha SG 175 I was given.

The only thing I would do is put a full humbucker back in the bridge. But that's just me.

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Re: Need some advice on a '74 Yamaha SG 175 I was given.

What a son, you trained him well! ;)

I agree with Demanic, I'd be putting a Humbucker back in the bridge too.

Congrats and enjoy!
 
Re: Need some advice on a '74 Yamaha SG 175 I was given.

id do the fret work to get it to play right, do whatever pup swaps you want to get it to sound right, then play the hell out of it. cool guitar
 
Re: Need some advice on a '74 Yamaha SG 175 I was given.

Nice score!! These old Yamahammers are well coveted. Such a demand that Yamaha has reissued them.. Absolutely fix it and rock it. Agree with what been said, Bucker back in the bridge position.
 
Re: Need some advice on a '74 Yamaha SG 175 I was given.

Hey, I'll double your $ on that if you send it my way!
I'll echo everybody else: do a fret job, put a bucker (or a "P94" if you really like the single coil sound) in the bridge spot and rock out.
Is that it's original finish, or has it been stripped? I've seen a few of these with the Abalone binding, but they were black or fancy maple veneer colored. Yours looks cool, I was just wondering.
 
Re: Need some advice on a '74 Yamaha SG 175 I was given.

You were the 1st one I thought of,daan!
:D

Needs some Trans-Blk'ing!!!
 
Re: Need some advice on a '74 Yamaha SG 175 I was given.

Very cool indeed. As others have said, if it were mine I'd go with a fret dress and a nice set of buckers.... Probably WLHs.
 
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