List of Yamaha signature instruments
Encyclopedia
This is a list of Yamaha
signature instruments, the signature instruments have been developed by Yamaha together with the artists, some from the ground up while others are based on standard models.
and current Chickenfoot
vocalist Sammy Hagar
. The guitar was designed by Hagar together with Yamaha's custom shop in Hollywood California and based on the AES620 with modifications designed by Hagar. The solid body guitar is fitted with two humbuckers, the neck being a standards Yamaha model and the bridge pickup being a Seymour Duncan
JB model both being controlled by separate volume controls and a single tone control. The rosewood fretboard also features a Cabo Wabo
inlay at the 12th fret. He has recently switched to Gibson guitars, releasing 2 new signature guitars with them.
and Black Light Burns
guitarist Wes Borland
. During his early career with Limp Bizkit Borland was endorsed by Ibanez
but decided to end the collaboration, since Ibanez wanted him to modify one of their current guitars and market as a Wes Borland signature, while Wes himself wanted to be able to design a guitar from the ground up to create his own dream guitar. After leaving, Wes played PRS
for a short time before starting his current collaboration with Yamaha guitars.
The semi-hollow guitar is developed by Borland and Yamaha luthier
John Gadesi, and built using the Japanese method Takumi-Kezuri (translates to "skillful carving"), which means that the back, the sides and the center-block is constructed out of one piece of alder and fitted with a maple top. The design for the body of the guitar is done by Borland several years earlier, but not made into reality until his partnership with Yamaha. Since leaving Limp Bizkit Wes moved more towards vintage and semi-hollow body guitars since he likes their resonance and he claims they feel more alive. The guitar is fitted with a three-piece maple neck with a 24 fret rosewood fretboard without markers. The guitar is equipped with two splitfield humbuckers which are controlled by a three way toggle switch and wired straight to two separate volume controls and without any tone controls. He has recently switched to Jackson guitars
.
, known for his work with Miles Davis
. The PA511MS is based on Sterns own heavily modified Fender Telecaster
and features an ash body and maple neck in similar design to the Telecaster. The guitar is fitted with a fixed bridge and single volume and tone controls for the two Seymour Duncan
pickups.
the former guitarist of A Perfect Circle
and current guitarist and multi-instrumentalist
of Queens of the Stone Age
. The SA503 TVL features a semi-hollow maple body and neck. The guitar is fitted with a Bigsby vibrato tailpiece and three P-90
pickups controlled by two three-way switches. The neck and bridge pickups are controlled by the rear selector, similar to how the switching system of a Gibson Les Paul
. The middle pickup is controlled by the front selctor which switches between off, out of phase and on. The guitar also features individual volume controls and a master tone control.
Besides Van Leeuwen himself other guitarists such as former Nine Inch Nails
guitarist Aaron North
, Velvet Revolver
s Dave Kushner
, fellow Yamaha endorseer Wes Borland
as well as band mate Josh Homme have also been known to play the SA503 TVL.
, known for his work with Talas, Steve Vai
, David Lee Roth
, Mr Big
, and Niacin
. The ATT LTDII features an alder body with a 21 fret maple neck with Hip Shot detuners
. The bass is fitted with two DiMarzio
pickups each with their own outputs. Unlike othe basses in the BB-series Sheenans signature model does not feature a neck through design since he prefers bolt-on necks. However for a more durable joint between the neck and body a special joint with aluminium reinforcements was designed. On the latest edition of the Attitude II, however, the aluminium piece was replaced with a large portion of the neck being added and extended and being bolted on from the front under the neck pick-up.
and current Chickenfoot
bassist Michael Anthony. The BB3000MA is based on Yamahas neck through BB-series with a more streamlined neck and a body with deeper cutaways
. The bass is equipped with one Alnico Split singlecoil, one Alnico V Soapbar single coil pickup and Hip Shot detuners
.
, known for his work with Eric Clapton
, Phil Collins
and Stevie Wonder
. The five stringed BBNE2 is based around a double cutaway maple and alder body designed by East with a 24 fret maple and mahogny neck. The bass is fitted with two stacked Alnico humbuckers and a bridge with individual saddles for better intonation
. The pickups are controlled by several controls including an equalizer
to give the instrument more versatility.
is the first signature model of John Myung
, the bassist of Dream Theater
.
, the bassist of Dream Theater
.
, known for his work with Chick Corea
, B.B. King and many other artists. This 6-string bass features a double cutaway body made out of maple, ash and alder which allows for access of all 26 frets of the maple neck. The neck's ebony fretboard also features custom mother of pearl and abalone inlays and pearl and gold tuners. The TRB JP2 is fitted with two double-coil Alnico V humbucking pickups controlled by a 5-knob control layout including an active 3-band EQ
.
Yamaha
Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...
signature instruments, the signature instruments have been developed by Yamaha together with the artists, some from the ground up while others are based on standard models.
AES620 SH
The Yamaha AES620 SH was the former signature guitar of former Van HalenVan Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
and current Chickenfoot
Chickenfoot
Chickenfoot is an American rock supergroup, consisting of former Van Halen members Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony , solo artist Joe Satriani and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith. The band released their self-titled debut album, Chickenfoot, on June 5, 2009...
vocalist Sammy Hagar
Sammy Hagar
Sam Roy "Sammy" Hagar , also known as The Red Rocker, is an American rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Also sings Country Music....
. The guitar was designed by Hagar together with Yamaha's custom shop in Hollywood California and based on the AES620 with modifications designed by Hagar. The solid body guitar is fitted with two humbuckers, the neck being a standards Yamaha model and the bridge pickup being a Seymour Duncan
Seymour Duncan
Seymour Duncan is a company that is best known for manufacturing of guitar pickups, and currently has a line of effects pedals. The company was founded in 1976 by guitarist and luthier Seymour W. Duncan and his then-wife Cathy Carter Duncan in Goleta, California, USA...
JB model both being controlled by separate volume controls and a single tone control. The rosewood fretboard also features a Cabo Wabo
Cabo Wabo
Cabo Wabo is the name of a chain of nightclubs and restaurants located in Cabo San Lucas, BCS, Mexico, as well as Harvey's Lake Tahoe in Stateline, Nevada and a third location on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada just outside of the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood. It is also a popular brand of...
inlay at the 12th fret. He has recently switched to Gibson guitars, releasing 2 new signature guitars with them.
CV820 WB
The Yamaha CV820 WB was the former signature guitar for current Limp BizkitLimp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 1995, the group's lineup consists of Fred Durst , Wes Borland , Sam Rivers , John Otto and DJ Lethal . The band achieved mainstream success with their second studio album Significant Other, released in 1999...
and Black Light Burns
Black Light Burns
Black Light Burns are a rock band fronted by Wes Borland, of Limp Bizkit. The band's original studio lineup consisted of Borland, Danny Lohner, Josh Eustis and Josh Freese. Their debut album Cruel Melody, was released on June 5, 2007. The band released a covers and b-sides CD/DVD combo package in...
guitarist Wes Borland
Wes Borland
Wesley Louden Borland is an American musician and artist, best known as the guitarist for the band Limp Bizkit. He has been in several other bands as well including: Black Light Burns, The Damning Well, Goatslayer, Big Dumb Face, and Combichrist...
. During his early career with Limp Bizkit Borland was endorsed by Ibanez
Ibanez
is a Japanese guitar brand owned by Hoshino Gakki. Based in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, Hoshino Gakki were one of the first Japanese musical instrument companies to gain a significant foothold in import guitar sales in the United States and Europe, as well as the first brand of guitars to mass produce...
but decided to end the collaboration, since Ibanez wanted him to modify one of their current guitars and market as a Wes Borland signature, while Wes himself wanted to be able to design a guitar from the ground up to create his own dream guitar. After leaving, Wes played PRS
Paul Reed Smith
Paul Reed Smith , is a luthier and the founder and owner of PRS Guitars.Smith is originally from Bowie, Maryland. He made his first guitar while at St. Mary's College of Maryland, and continued to build guitars after he finished college, making them one at a time, one a month...
for a short time before starting his current collaboration with Yamaha guitars.
The semi-hollow guitar is developed by Borland and Yamaha luthier
Luthier
A luthier is someone who makes or repairs lutes and other string instruments. In the United States, the term is used interchangeably with a term for the specialty of each maker, such as violinmaker, guitar maker, lute maker, etc...
John Gadesi, and built using the Japanese method Takumi-Kezuri (translates to "skillful carving"), which means that the back, the sides and the center-block is constructed out of one piece of alder and fitted with a maple top. The design for the body of the guitar is done by Borland several years earlier, but not made into reality until his partnership with Yamaha. Since leaving Limp Bizkit Wes moved more towards vintage and semi-hollow body guitars since he likes their resonance and he claims they feel more alive. The guitar is fitted with a three-piece maple neck with a 24 fret rosewood fretboard without markers. The guitar is equipped with two splitfield humbuckers which are controlled by a three way toggle switch and wired straight to two separate volume controls and without any tone controls. He has recently switched to Jackson guitars
Jackson Guitars
__FORCETOC__Jackson is a renowned brand of electric guitar that bears the name of its founder, Grover Jackson.-Early years:Grover Jackson obtained ownership in Charvel's Guitar Repair of Glendora, California in the 1970s with a promise to bolster Charvel's business...
.
PA511MS
The Yamaha PA511MS is the current signature guitar of American jazz guitarist Mike SternMike Stern
Mike Stern is an American jazz guitarist. After playing for a few years with Blood, Sweat & Tears, he landed a gig with Billy Cobham and then broke through with Miles Davis' comeback band from 1981 to 1983, and again in 1985. Since then, he launched a solo career, releasing more than a dozen albums...
, known for his work with Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
. The PA511MS is based on Sterns own heavily modified Fender Telecaster
Fender Telecaster
The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is typically a dual-pickup, solid-body electric guitar made by Fender.Its simple yet effective design and revolutionary sound broke ground and set trends in electric guitar manufacturing and popular music...
and features an ash body and maple neck in similar design to the Telecaster. The guitar is fitted with a fixed bridge and single volume and tone controls for the two Seymour Duncan
Seymour Duncan
Seymour Duncan is a company that is best known for manufacturing of guitar pickups, and currently has a line of effects pedals. The company was founded in 1976 by guitarist and luthier Seymour W. Duncan and his then-wife Cathy Carter Duncan in Goleta, California, USA...
pickups.
SA503 TVL
The Yamaha SA503 TVL is the signature guitar of Troy Van LeeuwenTroy Van Leeuwen
Troy Dean Van Leeuwen is an American musician and producer. Van Leeuwen began playing music at young age and started playing guitar at age 13. Soon Van Leeuwen was playing in various local bands such as Jester, 60 Cycle and later Failure...
the former guitarist of A Perfect Circle
A Perfect Circle
A Perfect Circle is an American rock supergroup formed in 1999 by guitarist Billy Howerdel and Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan. The original incarnation of the band also included Paz Lenchantin on bass, Troy Van Leeuwen on guitar, and Tim Alexander on drums...
and current guitarist and multi-instrumentalist
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
of Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, United States, formed in 1997. The band's line-up has always included founding member Josh Homme , with the current line-up including longtime members Troy Van Leeuwen and Joey Castillo , alongside Michael Shuman and...
. The SA503 TVL features a semi-hollow maple body and neck. The guitar is fitted with a Bigsby vibrato tailpiece and three P-90
P-90
The P-90 is a single coil electric guitar pickup produced by Gibson since 1946. Having a more complex architecture and larger dimensions than Fender's single coils, it is occasionally mistaken for a humbucker.- History :...
pickups controlled by two three-way switches. The neck and bridge pickups are controlled by the rear selector, similar to how the switching system of a Gibson Les Paul
Gibson Les Paul
The Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...
. The middle pickup is controlled by the front selctor which switches between off, out of phase and on. The guitar also features individual volume controls and a master tone control.
Besides Van Leeuwen himself other guitarists such as former Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
guitarist Aaron North
Aaron North
Aaron Wright North, born March 22, 1979 is the co-founder and former guitarist of punk band The Icarus Line, the former lead guitarist of the industrial rock group Nine Inch Nails and currently the vocalist and guitarist of the band Jubilee...
, Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver is an American hard rock supergroup consisting of former Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum, alongside Dave Kushner formerly of punk band Wasted Youth. Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland was Velvet Revolver's lead singer from their formation until...
s Dave Kushner
Dave Kushner
David "Dave" Kushner is an American musician perhaps best known as the rhythm guitarist for the hard rock supergroup Velvet Revolver...
, fellow Yamaha endorseer Wes Borland
Wes Borland
Wesley Louden Borland is an American musician and artist, best known as the guitarist for the band Limp Bizkit. He has been in several other bands as well including: Black Light Burns, The Damning Well, Goatslayer, Big Dumb Face, and Combichrist...
as well as band mate Josh Homme have also been known to play the SA503 TVL.
ATT LTDII
The Yamaha ATT LTDII is the current signature bass of Billy SheehanBilly Sheehan
William "Billy" Sheehan is an American bassist known for his work with Talas, Steve Vai, David Lee Roth, Mr. Big, and Niacin. Sheehan has won the "Best Rock Bass Player" readers' poll from Guitar Player Magazine five times for his "lead bass" playing style...
, known for his work with Talas, Steve Vai
Steve Vai
Steven Siro "Steve" Vai is a three time Grammy Award-winning American guitarist, songwriter and producer who has sold over 15 million albums. Steve Vai is widely known as a flamboyant guitar virtuoso....
, David Lee Roth
David Lee Roth
David Lee Roth is an American rock vocalist, songwriter, actor, author, and former radio personality. Roth was ranked nineteenth by Hit Parader on their list of the 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Singers of All Time....
, Mr Big
Mr. Big (band)
Mr. Big is an American rock supergroup, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1988. The band is a quartet composed of Eric Martin , Paul Gilbert , Billy Sheehan , and Pat Torpey ; Mr. Big also included Richie Kotzen, a reputable blues-based guitarist who replaced Gilbert in 1999...
, and Niacin
Niacin (band)
Niacin is a neo-fusion instrumental trio featuring Billy Sheehan, Dennis Chambers and John Novello. Founded in 1996, the band's name comes from the timbral foundation of the Hammond B3 organ; vitamin B3 is also known as niacin....
. The ATT LTDII features an alder body with a 21 fret maple neck with Hip Shot detuners
Detuner
Detuners or "Xtenders" are mechanical devices used to simplify the tuning of a stringed instrument during performance. This allows the musician to quickly and accurately reach notes outside the normal range of their instrument...
. The bass is fitted with two DiMarzio
DiMarzio
DiMarzio, Inc. is an United States manufacturer best known for its revolutionary direct-replacement guitar pickups. The company also produces miscellaneous guitar accessories, such as cables, straps and hardware.DiMarzio became known for its Super Distortion model, which was the first after...
pickups each with their own outputs. Unlike othe basses in the BB-series Sheenans signature model does not feature a neck through design since he prefers bolt-on necks. However for a more durable joint between the neck and body a special joint with aluminium reinforcements was designed. On the latest edition of the Attitude II, however, the aluminium piece was replaced with a large portion of the neck being added and extended and being bolted on from the front under the neck pick-up.
BB3000MA
The Yamaha BB3000MA is the signature bass for former Van HalenVan Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
and current Chickenfoot
Chickenfoot
Chickenfoot is an American rock supergroup, consisting of former Van Halen members Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony , solo artist Joe Satriani and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith. The band released their self-titled debut album, Chickenfoot, on June 5, 2009...
bassist Michael Anthony. The BB3000MA is based on Yamahas neck through BB-series with a more streamlined neck and a body with deeper cutaways
Cutaway (guitar)
In guitar construction, a cutaway is an indentation in the body of the instrument adjacent to the neck of the instrument, designed to allow easier access to the upper frets....
. The bass is equipped with one Alnico Split singlecoil, one Alnico V Soapbar single coil pickup and Hip Shot detuners
Detuner
Detuners or "Xtenders" are mechanical devices used to simplify the tuning of a stringed instrument during performance. This allows the musician to quickly and accurately reach notes outside the normal range of their instrument...
.
BBNE2
The Yamaha BBNE2 is the signature bass for jazz, rock and rhythm and blues bassist Nathan EastNathan East
Nathan Harrell East is a jazz, R&B and rock bass player and vocalist. East holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from the University of California, San Diego...
, known for his work with Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
, Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
and Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
. The five stringed BBNE2 is based around a double cutaway maple and alder body designed by East with a 24 fret maple and mahogny neck. The bass is fitted with two stacked Alnico humbuckers and a bridge with individual saddles for better intonation
Intonation (music)
Intonation, in music, is a musician's realization of pitch accuracy, or the pitch accuracy of a musical instrument. Intonation may be flat, sharp, or both, successively or simultaneously.-Interval, melody, and harmony:...
. The pickups are controlled by several controls including an equalizer
Equalization
Equalization, is the process of adjusting the balance between frequency components within an electronic signal. The most well known use of equalization is in sound recording and reproduction but there are many other applications in electronics and telecommunications. The circuit or equipment used...
to give the instrument more versatility.
RBX6JM
The Yamaha RBX6JMYamaha RBX6JM
The Yamaha RBX6JM was the first John Myung-signature six-stringed electric bass.A bolt-on bass with alder body and flame-maple top available in either "Ruby Red" or "Turquoise Blue" with a maple neck, ebony fretboard, gold hardware, 35" scale, and "Infinity" dot inlay on the fretboard, various Red...
is the first signature model of John Myung
John Myung
John Ro Myung is an American bassist, Chapman Stick player and a founding member of the progressive metal group Dream Theater. He is considered a virtuoso player who is widely recognized for his technical proficiency....
, the bassist of Dream Theater
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
.
RBX6JM2
The Yamaha RBX6JM2 is the second signature model of John MyungJohn Myung
John Ro Myung is an American bassist, Chapman Stick player and a founding member of the progressive metal group Dream Theater. He is considered a virtuoso player who is widely recognized for his technical proficiency....
, the bassist of Dream Theater
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
.
TRB JP2
The Yamaha TRB JP2 is the signature bass of John PatitucciJohn Patitucci
John Patitucci is an American Grammy-winning jazz double bass and jazz fusion electric bass player.-Biography:Patitucci is of Italian descent and was born in Brooklyn, New York, where he began playing the electric bass at age ten, composing and performing at age 12, as well as the acoustic bass at...
, known for his work with Chick Corea
Chick Corea
Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, and composer.Many of his compositions are considered jazz standards. As a member of Miles Davis' band in the 1960s, he participated in the birth of the electric jazz fusion movement. In the 1970s he formed Return to Forever...
, B.B. King and many other artists. This 6-string bass features a double cutaway body made out of maple, ash and alder which allows for access of all 26 frets of the maple neck. The neck's ebony fretboard also features custom mother of pearl and abalone inlays and pearl and gold tuners. The TRB JP2 is fitted with two double-coil Alnico V humbucking pickups controlled by a 5-knob control layout including an active 3-band EQ
Equalization
Equalization, is the process of adjusting the balance between frequency components within an electronic signal. The most well known use of equalization is in sound recording and reproduction but there are many other applications in electronics and telecommunications. The circuit or equipment used...
.