Yamaha SA-900 Super Axe (ES-335 Style) Black

The Yamaha SA-900 Super Axe is one of those quietly legendary Yamaha models that rewards anyone who digs a little deeper than the usual catalog staples. Styled firmly in the ES-335 tradition but executed with Yamaha’s trademark precision, the SA-900 sat above the SA-700 in the Super Axe lineup—and it shows where it matters most: the pickups.

This particular example is Made in Japan, dating to the mid-1980s, during a period when Yamaha was unusually producing the same model concurrently in both Japan and Taiwan. While the SA-900 appears in the Yamaha Japan Archives, it never surfaced in Western catalogues, strongly suggesting it was intended primarily for the Japanese (and broader Far East) market. In short: rare, under-documented, and very cool.

What Makes the SA-900 Special?

While the SA-900 and SA-700 share core construction DNA, the SA-900 steps things up with Yamaha SHA-SAII Alnico 5 humbuckers—a notable upgrade over the SA-700’s Alnico 3 pickups. The result is a guitar with more output, tighter low end, and greater clarity, especially when pushed into overdrive. Think articulate jazz cleans, authoritative blues crunch, and classic rock sustain without mud.

Condition: Some minor dings and scratches. Nothing that is visible from afar, mostly imperfections you can only see up close.

Playability: Straight neck, no buzzing, some fret wear but no pitting or denting, action is comfortable, no issues with electronics

Model: Yamaha SA900 'Super Axe'

Made: Japan

Finish: Black

Body: Bound Beech and Birch

Neck: One Piece Mahogany, rosewood board, 12" radius, 24.75" scale

Mods: n/a

Pickup: Yamaha SHA-SAII Alnico

Case: Free Hardshell Case