Yamaha has a tradition of building musical instruments for over one hundred years. The first Yamaha solid body electric guitars were introduced to the American market in 1966. While the first series relied on designs based on classic American favorites, the second series developed more original designs. In the mid-1970s, Yamaha was recognized as the first Oriental brand to emerge as a prominent force equal to the big-name US builders.
Production shifted to Taiwan in the early 1980s as Yamaha built its own facility to maintain quality. In 1990, the Yamaha Corporation of America (located in Buena Park, California) opened the Yamaha Guitar Development (YGD) center in North Hollywood, California. The Yamaha Guitar Development center focuses on design, prototyping, and customizing both current and new models. The YGD also custom builds and maintains many of the Yamaha artist's instruments. The center's address on Weddington Street probably was the namesake of the Weddington series instruments of the early 1990s.
The Yamaha company is active in producing a full range of musical instruments, including band instruments, stringed instruments, amplifiers, and P.A. equipment.
Instruments currently produced in U.S., Taiwan, and Indonesia. Distributed in the U.S. by the Yamaha Corporation of America, located in Buena Park, CA. Instruments previously produced in Japan. Yamaha company headquarters is located in Hamamatsu, Japan.

YAMAHA Electric Guitars Models

YAMAHA PACIFICA 821 Image

YAMAHA PACIFICA 821

- offset double cutaway alder body, bolt-on maple neck with total access neck joint, 22-fret rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays, Strat-style headstock six-on-one-side tuners, double locking RM-Std tremolo bridge, white pickguard, two humb...

YAMAHA RGZ-112P Image

YAMAHA RGZ-112P

- offset double cutaway RGX-style alder body, bolt-on maple neck, 22-fret bubinga fingerboard with pearl dot inlays, maple headstock overlay with large Yamaha logo, six-on-one-side tuners, Vintage II vibrato bridge, black pickguard, two sin...

YAMAHA RGZ-121P Image

YAMAHA RGZ-121P

- offset double cutaway RGX-style alder body, bolt-on maple neck, 22-fret bubinga fingerboard with pearl dot inlays, maple headstock overlay with large Yamaha logo, six-on-one-side tuners, Vintage II vibrato bridge, black pickguard, two hum...

YAMAHA PACIFICA 821D Image

YAMAHA PACIFICA 821D

- offset double cutaway alder body, figured maple laminated top, bolt-on maple neck, 24-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlays, matching finish Strat-style headstock, six-on-one-side tuners, double locking licensed Floyd Rose TRS-P...

YAMAHA RGZ-211M Image

YAMAHA RGZ-211M

- offset double cutaway RGX-style alder body, bolt-on maple neck, 24-fret maple fingerboard with black dot inlays, 3D headstock with maple overlay, six-on-one-side tuners, double locking RMX III vibrato bridge, one diagonally mounted single...

YAMAHA Pacifica 821DX Image

YAMAHA Pacifica 821DX

- similar to the Pacifica 821D, except has a quilted maple top and an RM-Pro III tremolo bridge, available in Amber or Magenta Burst finish, mfg. 2000-03.

YAMAHA RGZ-312 Image

YAMAHA RGZ-312

- offset double cutaway RGX-style basswood body, bolt-on maple neck, 24-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlays, 3D headstock with maple overlay, six-on-one-side tuners, double locking RMX standard vibrato bridge, two single coil (n...

YAMAHA PACIFICA 904 Image

YAMAHA PACIFICA 904

- offset double cutaway alder body, light ash top, bolt-on maple Warmoth neck, 22-fret compund radius rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlays, Strat-style headstock, six-on-one-side Sperzel tuners, Vintage Custom tremolo bridge, white pi...

YAMAHA RGZ-321P Image

YAMAHA RGZ-321P

- offset double cutaway RGX-style alder body, bolt-on maple neck, 24-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlays, black headstock overlay with large Yamaha logo, six-on-one-side tuners, double locking RM Standard licensed Floyd Rose vib...

YAMAHA PACIFICA 912 Image

YAMAHA PACIFICA 912

- offset double cutaway swamp ash body with Bi-axial bevel, bolt-on maple neck with total access neck joint, 22-fret compund radius rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays, Strat-style headstock six-on-one-side tuners, Vintage Pro II tremolo b...

YAMAHA RGZ-611M Image

YAMAHA RGZ-611M

- offset double cutaway RGX-style alder body, bolt-on maple neck, 24-fret maple fingerboard with black dot inlays, 3D headstock with maple overlay, six-on-one-side tuners, double locking RM-Pro II vibrato bridge, one diagonally mounted sing...

YAMAHA Pacifica 912J Image

YAMAHA Pacifica 912J

- similar to the Pacifica 912, except has a swamp ash body, available in Black, Crimson Red, Faded Burst, or Trans. Blue finish, mfg. 1992-94.

YAMAHA RGZ-612 Image

YAMAHA RGZ-612

- offset double cutaway RGX-style alder body, bolt-on maple neck, 24-fret rosewood fingerboard with no inlays, 3D headstock with maple overlay, six-on-one-side tuners, double locking RM Pro II vibrato bridge, two single coil Live SS-1 (neck...

YAMAHA PACIFICA 921 Image

YAMAHA PACIFICA 921

- offset double cutaway swamp ash body with Bi-axial bevel, bolt-on maple neck with total access neck joint, 22-fret compund radius rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays, Strat-style headstock six-on-one-side tuners, double locking licensed...

YAMAHA RGZ-612P Image

YAMAHA RGZ-612P

- offset double cutaway RGX-style alder body, bolt-on maple neck, 24-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlays, matching finish headstock overlay with large Yamaha logo, six-on-one-side tuners, double locking TRS Pro licensed Floyd Ro...

YAMAHA PACIFICA 1212 Image

YAMAHA PACIFICA 1212

- offset double cutaway basswood body, bolt-on maple neck, 24-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl slash inlay, Strat-style headstock, six-on-one-side tuners, double locking RM-Pro II Floyd Rose licensed tremolo bridge, black pickguard, two...

YAMAHA PACIFICA 1221 Image

YAMAHA PACIFICA 1221

- offset double cutaway basswood body, bolt-on maple neck, 24-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl slash inlay, Strat-style headstock, six-on-one-side tuners, double locking RM-Pro II Floyd Rose licensed tremolo bridge, black pickguard, two...

YAMAHA RGZ-621 Image

YAMAHA RGZ-621

- offset double cutaway RGX-style alder body, bolt-on maple neck, 24-fret rosewood fingerboard with no inlays, 3D headstock with maple overlay, six-on-one-side tuners, double locking RM Pro II vibrato bridge, two exposed humbucker Live GH-2...

YAMAHA Pacifica 1221M Image

YAMAHA Pacifica 1221M

- similar to the Pacifica 1221, except has a maple fingerboard with black slash inlays, available in Black, Dark Metallic Blue, Silver Flake, or Tangerine Flake finish, mfg. 1990-93.

YAMAHA RGZ-621P Image

YAMAHA RGZ-621P

- offset double cutaway RGX-style alder body, bolt-on maple neck, 24-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlays, matching finish headstock overlay with large Yamaha logo, six-on-one-side tuners, double locking TRS Pro licensed Floyd Ro...

YAMAHA PACIFICA 1221MS Image

YAMAHA PACIFICA 1221MS

- offset single cutaway basswood body, bolt-on maple neck, 24-fret maple fingerboard with black slash inlays, Strat-style headstock, six-on-one-side tuners, double locking RM-Pro II Floyd Rose licensed tremolo bridge, black pickguard, two h...

YAMAHA RGZ-621PR Image

YAMAHA RGZ-621PR

- similar to the RGZ-621P, except has a reverse headstock with six-on-the-other-side tuners, available in 3-Color Flake, Black, Dark Red Metallic, or Lightning Blue finish, mfg. 1991-93.

YAMAHA PACIFICA 1230 Image

YAMAHA PACIFICA 1230

- offset double cutaway basswood body, bolt-on maple neck, 24-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl slash inlay, Strat-style headstock, six-on-one-side tuners, double locking RM-Pro II Floyd Rose licensed tremolo bridge, black pickguard, thr...

YAMAHA PACIFICA 1230S Image

YAMAHA PACIFICA 1230S

- offset single cutaway basswood body, bolt-on maple neck, 24-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl slash inlay, Strat-style headstock, six-on-one-side tuners, double locking RM-Pro II Floyd Rose licensed tremolo bridge, black pickguard, thr...

YAMAHA PACIFICA 1412 Image

YAMAHA PACIFICA 1412

- offset double cutaway mahogany body with tone chambers, arched two-piece flame maple top, seven-piece maple/mahogany through body neck with re-contoured heel, 24-fret bound ebony fingerboard with abalone/pearl block design inlays, bound m...

YAMAHA PACIFICA 1421 Image

YAMAHA PACIFICA 1421

- offset double cutaway basswood body, arched maple top, maple NTB with re-contoured heel, 24-fret bound ebony fingerboard with abalone/pearl block design inlays, bound matching finish Strat-style headstock, six-on-one-side tuners, double l...

YAMAHA PACIFICA USA 1 Image

YAMAHA PACIFICA USA 1

- single offset cutaway alder body, figured maple top, single-ply body binding, bolt-on maple neck, 22-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlays, Strat-style headstock, six-on-one-side Sperzel locking tuners, Wilkinson VSV vintage tre...

YAMAHA PACIFICA USA 2 Image

YAMAHA PACIFICA USA 2

- offset double cutaway basswood body, figured maple top, single-ply body binding, bolt-on maple neck, 22-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlays, Strat-style headstock, six-on-one-side Sperzel locking tuners, Wilkinson VS100 floati...