YAMAKI anyone?

[zenstate]

Anyone heard of Yamaki guitars?

I bought this 1970's Yamaki Les Paul Peformer today and it is such a great guitar....much better than my 1970's gibson was.

It has a great tone and looks almost like a fifties or sixties Les Paul.

I love this axe already....

One of the best guitars I've ever had...easily...

Anyone know about these Yanaki les paul's? Is it a copy of a certain period?

[Artie]

Never heard of one, but it sure looks nice.
Are those Duncans in it?

[Ian]

Hi Zenstate – don’t know anything about Yamaki, but there are several MIJ brands that rival lesser Gibson LP’s. Tokai is the obvious one, but Orville (by Gibson), Burny, Greco, Edwards & others come to mind. Most of these originally intended just for domestic sale in Japan, but all eventually found their way out to the wider world. If you want to get really close to vintage Gibson, try a 1979 Tokai Reborn LS80 (or higher, eg LS100 or 120) – that’s a near identical copy of 1958-59 Les Paul right down to last detail of body construction inc. materials, joints, fittings, & H-stock angle etc. - even the MIJ Gotoh pups are a serious rival for old Gibson PAF. Well, guys, you have to run something through that 18watt lol . Of course, YMMV .

Ian.

[zenstate]

Thanks for the info that's cool....

here's a clip of what the "baby red No 2" sounds like...(is that name too long? )

http://www.topfunctionband.co.uk/rhayad ... nchley.wma

it's a crap CAMEL midi file, I'm afraid with a bit of the les paul all over it.

I really like this guitar......

[Ian]

Ha,… Zenstate, it’s no good posting sound clips for me …. as I just said to Richie, they always crash my PC .

Ian.

[zenstate]

Why is that? I wonder if I can help you. Do you need to reinstall the OS?...or is it a slow system....

Maybe it's time for a reinstall or something...

let me know if you need any help.....

did you try "right click save target as" and then playing it back from the hard drive?

[loverocker]

Hi Zen - really nice widdlage That Yamaki sounds great. Looks like you got a good score - the less well known Japanese brands still suffer the rep that the really bad Satellite/Columbus/etc copies created. Like Ian says, in the 70s and 80s the Japanese were also making lots of great guitars.

By the way, I'm guessing that the amp in that clip wasn't a straight 18Wer? Sounded gainier - maybe a stompbox or different amp?

Ian - dude, it's 2004 If it's an old croaky PC, get yourself up to date so you can listen to clips. PCs are so cheap now, it's crazy.

[zenstate]

Thanks LR, I have to say, I am ashamed to admit (it was very late at night !!!) I used a POD for that clip.

I'm going to record some tones with the 18 watt and they'll be much more smokey..... Watch this space....etc...

I remember the satellites and the columbus's etc. Some of the columbus's weren't too bad and the satellite's were generally awful...to my memory at least. I'm sure there must be people who are happy with them....

This axe is definitely much more like a gibson in feel than any of those. I think it's equal to and better than some Gibsons....

I paid £500 for this axe BTW, which for it's build quality, tone and looks I think it's very good.

[Dude]

I have a Yamaki acoustic that I bought, as my first guitar, in 1970. It's actually a surprisingly nice sounding unit. As others have mentioned, not all the Jap stuff from that era was bogus. Yours is the first Yamaki electric I've seen-- didn't know they made them. I don't believe that the Brand lasted past the seventies- the only ones I've seen have been from the seventies. They show up occasionally at vintage guitar shows.
Rob

[zenstate]

there's dealer one guy who had 200 guitars and reckons his Yamaki Les Paul is in the top 5 of those

http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/D ... rd-01.html

imagine having 200 satellites!!! Only kidding...

[zenstate]

Here are some of my new 18watt 1x12 clips with the Yamaki, rather than POD!!!!

2 clips; one with a rangemaster and then switching to a ts808 clone later in the solo....and one with the 18 watt amp less cranked with a clean opening noodle and then a big muff....

http://www.topfunctionband.co.uk/Yamaki ... %20808.wma

http://www.topfunctionband.co.uk/yamaki ... 20muff.wma



I think the clips show this 18watt's general vibe, it stands up well for a 1x12.

I swapped out the 55hz G12H and put in an old 75Hz G12 H...I think this is better when the amp is cranked....the 55HZ was crapping out a bit on the bass freqs....

cheers people

[pads]

That sounds utterly fabulous. I think I've got to get me a couple of those pedals (I've a tube screamer clone built, just haven't got it in the box yet!)..

Need a les paul too. (or clone!)

[zenstate]

Thanks man

which screamer circuit did you build?.....I don't consider myself a tube screamer man but I'm getting into them slowly......

Not a bad LP for a clone, eh?

[loverocker]

More top noodling, Mr Z (proof that the most important component in an amp's tone is the nut that holds the plectrum )! And nicely recorded, too - except for the cut-off at the end of the first track - wot made me jump and did for me hearing

I think the tubescreamer works really well with it - still a very 'vintage' sounding medium drive that sounds very natural. The Rangemaster sounded cool, too, but I prefer the extra bite of the TS.

But I'm in the camp that thinks the Big Muff can sound awesome - but only on the top 3 strings

BTW, that view of the Yamaki seems to show pickup routing peeking out from under the pickup rings? I guess someone tried enlarging the holes to get other pickups in?

[zenstate]

Thanks LR.

I like the tubescreamer the most too.....I'm quite new to those....

I had a ts9 back ten years or so ago but I'm not sure I knew what it was all about

I don't know what's going on with those cavities...weird eh....I think the replacement pickups are schecter so I was told....
I was wondering if the guitar originally had P90's but when I looked closer the cavities don't seem to look that way....

I've ordered some Grover machines...these Yamaki machine heads are a bit too fast and loose.....not good for keeping tune...


These pickups sound great but they need potting and I'm actually too scared to send them off to the Pickup Wizard for potting....our post is very hit and miss these days...

Is it doable at home???
Or is there a reliable person in London who does it?

thanks again...these toob screamers are cool...

[ThePirate]

It is doable at home. I do believe that they describe how in guitarnuts. http://www.guitarnuts.com/technical/ele ... /index.php
Never tried it m'self, but seems like it should work.

[zenstate]

if I got the tools it should be safe.....
wonder where I can get some wax...

thanks very much....that's a nice resource

[zenstate]

Last clip from me of this axe...an expertly bodged Parisienne walkways tryout....a few nice tones I hope you agree, considering the 18 WATT CLONE amp is not cranked that loud, NORMAL CHANNEL ON AROUND A QUARTER ONLY, RAT PEDAL AND DD5 PEDAL AND THE YAMAKI GUITAR.

Excuse the bad notes, it's a one take and warts and all, and I cannot be asked to learn the song note for note. Just jump in captain!!!!

Have ordered some wax for potting the pickups...thanks very much for the link there.....very useful...I'm going to do it, and use a cooking thermometer I bought today....

As usual my G4 350 Mhz mac running Logic Plat is playing the midifile shockingly out of time!!!!

Anyone got any advice on this problem at all...was there a batch of G4's when they were new that went out of time...I remember someone telling me something about that a few years back....

[zenstate]

Ooops clip is here:

http://www.topfunctionband.co.uk/ROY%20PARIS.wma