As we approach the end of the SGs for a while models were still being launched. For the first time not all were made in Japan.
The models on this page are the SG200, the SG450,the SG450T and the SG500T
Here is the usual attempt at the specs we know.
| SG200 | SG450 | SG450T | SG500T | |
| Body | Nato Unbound Bevelled edges | Bound Mahogany | Bound Mahogany | Bound Mahogany |
| Neck | Nato Set | Mahogany Set | Mahogany Set | Mahogany Set |
| Fretboard | Rosewood Dot Inlays | Rosewood Dot Inlays | Rosewood Dot Inlays | Rosewood Dot Inlays |
| Headstock | Single Bound Black Large Thistle Logo Model on TRC | Single Bound Black Large Thistle Logo Model on TRC | Single Bound Black Large Thistle Logo Model on TRC | Single Bound Black Large Thistle Logo Model on TRC |
| Tuners | Yamaha Die cast high ratio | Yamaha Diecast | Yamaha Diecast | Yamaha Diecast |
| Nut | Locking | Locking | ||
| Pickups | 2 Ceramic Humbuckers White with Cream Surrounds | 2 Unspecified Humbuckers Black with Black Surrounds | 2 Unspecified Humbuckers Black with Black Surrounds | 2 Ceramic Humbuckers Black with Black Surrounds |
| Controls | Black Top Hat style 2V 2T no coil split | Black Top Hat style 2V 2T no coil split | Black Top Hat style 1V 1T no coil split | Black Top Hat style 1V 1T push push coil split |
| Bridge | T-O-M and stoptail | T-O-M and stoptail | Locking | RMII |
| Pickguard | None | None | None | Small Black Raised |
| Colours | Brown Sunburst, Black or Pearl White | Brown Sunburst or Pearl White | Black or Pearl White | Black or Pearl White |
This is the lowest SG model but still a pretty good guitar. Launched somewhere around 1984 and still there in the 1988 English Catalogue. Most of these I have seen were Made in Taiwan but I have also seen some Made in Japan. It isn't unusual to see a model made in more than one country particularly during the 1980s. Rather than describe it as low end Yamaha refer to it as having basic simplicity.
As you would expect these are basically the same guitar the differences are the T has a locking trem, a locking nut and different
colour options. These appear in the 1985 catalogue and appear to be a short lived model and are quite rare it is even hard to
find many pictures of them. They were probably all made in Japan certainly the ones I have seen were.
The pickups are described in the catalogue as 2 High Output Yamaha Open Humbucking pickups, but this is how it describes the
whole range except the 3000.
You would expect that this was just a 500 with a tremelo unit but it is different guitar to the 500.
All of the very few I have seen are Made in Taiwan I have seen a 1986 serial number and it appears in the 1984 catalogue
giving us a rough time span. Apparently weighs about 3.7kgs.
