Post by CTGull on Aug 17, 2021 18:14:48 GMT -5
HIS STORY: The first guitar he ever purchased was a Yamaha FG-160 back in 1973, but he always wanted an FG-180. He recently purchased one from a shop in Illinois, but a luthier in Indianapolis thought that someone has attempted a previous neck reset(and not very well done), and that he did the best that he could to make it playable, at least down the neck, but not so up the neck. He asked if I would be willing to take a look at it. No one in his area was interested in attempting a neck reset on it.
When I picked it up it at FEDEX I noticed the box is squished and soft in the middle, it doesn't feel like there was enough packing. But, when I got it home I opened the box I found an old hard (and heavy) faux alligator case packed with the Stew Mac Guitar Shipping System. Heavy inflated endcaps and a single piece of cardboard to support the middle. The endcaps worked great, but I think they should include a couple of sheets of heavy bubble wrap to cushion the middle. I opened the case to find an inflated cap on the headstock. It’s a good system, but I wouldn’t use it with anything other than a sturdy hard case, and pad the inside of the case well so the guitar can’t move at all.
With some concern about the middle of the box getting crushed, I tapped on the guitar top (looking for loose braces) and heard some rattling, even when I touched the slacked strings. But I found it was only the very loose saddle that was rattling. RELIEF!!!
Lots of pick marks on the top and some dings on the sides, but oddly very little fret wear, the frets look original, at the original height, and only very minor divots in the first position. We’ll see how level they are later. This guitar is in the 2 year window when they used very large and non-standard .030” tang frets (.020” is normal.). The pickguard looks bulged and loose, but it seems solid. It has a Yamaha late 70's wood truss rod cover. A strap button is screwed into the upper bout 2.5" away from the neck. Looking inside, the screw goes into a short piece of wood dowel, which is split in half, and not very solid looking.
I tuned it to "D" (to save the strings). The nut action is good to low. The neck relief is near zero. The neck projection is hard to judge because the bridge has been sanded and rounded at the edges, but it looks like .06" below the top of the bridge. The action is a little over 3/32" low E & a little over 1/16" high E, not too bad. But the bridge is only about .22" thick, with .07"/.06" of saddle sticking out, both extremely low. The strings are only 5/16" from the top, ½” is said to be preferred. My goal is to bring it up to 7/16” When I removed the strings the saddle fell out. The saddle slot is .10" (bass end)/.13" (middle)/.09" (treble end) deep and .119"/.120" wide. I looked around the inside with a lighted mirror and didn’t find any loose or broken braces. The interior markings are very light, I wasn’t able to read the date code.
The top piece of the Stew Mac Guitar Shipping System.
The center cardboard piece.
The bottom piece.
An unusual alligator hard case. Well worn.
Lots of pick marks.
The pickguard looks loose but it seems solid. I could remove and restick it if he wants.
LOW bridge & saddle.
An odd place for a strap button. And not very secure.
The typical dings on the sides.
A late 70's Yamaha truss rod cover.
Pretty clean fretboard.
The tuners work well.
Clean back of the neck.
Yea, the back is pretty clean.
Minimal fret wear.
When I picked it up it at FEDEX I noticed the box is squished and soft in the middle, it doesn't feel like there was enough packing. But, when I got it home I opened the box I found an old hard (and heavy) faux alligator case packed with the Stew Mac Guitar Shipping System. Heavy inflated endcaps and a single piece of cardboard to support the middle. The endcaps worked great, but I think they should include a couple of sheets of heavy bubble wrap to cushion the middle. I opened the case to find an inflated cap on the headstock. It’s a good system, but I wouldn’t use it with anything other than a sturdy hard case, and pad the inside of the case well so the guitar can’t move at all.
With some concern about the middle of the box getting crushed, I tapped on the guitar top (looking for loose braces) and heard some rattling, even when I touched the slacked strings. But I found it was only the very loose saddle that was rattling. RELIEF!!!
Lots of pick marks on the top and some dings on the sides, but oddly very little fret wear, the frets look original, at the original height, and only very minor divots in the first position. We’ll see how level they are later. This guitar is in the 2 year window when they used very large and non-standard .030” tang frets (.020” is normal.). The pickguard looks bulged and loose, but it seems solid. It has a Yamaha late 70's wood truss rod cover. A strap button is screwed into the upper bout 2.5" away from the neck. Looking inside, the screw goes into a short piece of wood dowel, which is split in half, and not very solid looking.
I tuned it to "D" (to save the strings). The nut action is good to low. The neck relief is near zero. The neck projection is hard to judge because the bridge has been sanded and rounded at the edges, but it looks like .06" below the top of the bridge. The action is a little over 3/32" low E & a little over 1/16" high E, not too bad. But the bridge is only about .22" thick, with .07"/.06" of saddle sticking out, both extremely low. The strings are only 5/16" from the top, ½” is said to be preferred. My goal is to bring it up to 7/16” When I removed the strings the saddle fell out. The saddle slot is .10" (bass end)/.13" (middle)/.09" (treble end) deep and .119"/.120" wide. I looked around the inside with a lighted mirror and didn’t find any loose or broken braces. The interior markings are very light, I wasn’t able to read the date code.
The top piece of the Stew Mac Guitar Shipping System.
The center cardboard piece.
The bottom piece.
An unusual alligator hard case. Well worn.
Lots of pick marks.
The pickguard looks loose but it seems solid. I could remove and restick it if he wants.
LOW bridge & saddle.
An odd place for a strap button. And not very secure.
The typical dings on the sides.
A late 70's Yamaha truss rod cover.
Pretty clean fretboard.
The tuners work well.
Clean back of the neck.
Yea, the back is pretty clean.
Minimal fret wear.