Post by CTGull on Nov 16, 2021 5:48:23 GMT -5
HIS STORY: He found a website on Red label Yamaha guitars and that resulted in an impulse buy of this guitar. He found it in the For Sale section of the Acoustic Guitar forum. The owner was an avid player and owned this guitar for about 20 years. He only asked if the guitar was in good condition, and was told yes. He had him buy a hard case for it for shipping. He only paid around $400, including the case and shipping.
After getting the guitar he learned a few things about guitars. The saddle was shaved as much as it could be, the frets and fret board needed work and it required a neck reset. He researched luthiers in his area and selected John Wescott to look at the guitar. He confirmed the fret board needed re-surfaced, new frets, and a neck reset. At that time, he didn’t even consider a neck reset. John repaired the fret board, replaced the frets, and installed extra light strings, and warned to always use extra light strings.
His brother became interested in learning to play the guitar. With extra light strings the set up was perfect for a beginner. So he loaned the FG to his brother, who eventually lost interest in guitar and returned it.
Fast forward to today: He decided to order a new Red Label FGX5, manufactured in Japan. That is why he’s having the neck reset on the FG-180 done. He will have a classic Red label FG-180, which sounds amazing and be enjoyable to play, and a new version of the same guitar.
MY STORY: He initially contacted me asking if I knew of a good luthier to do a neck reset on his 1969 FG-180. I replied that I have done 45 vintage Yamaha FG neck resets, including 20 for customers. I told him I only charge $300. He replied in the LA area the it is $600 and up. He also talked to someone in the Seattle area, who’s done a few FG neck resets, but if he has a difficult time removing the neck he converts them to bolt on. I assume that means he fails to get the neck off, then he cuts the neck off, and converts it to a bolt on.
He sent it Monday and FEDEX said I would get it Friday. It made it to NJ Friday and didn’t get to the local distribution center until early Saturday morning. Then it sat there all day! That was actually good for me. It allowed me to get further on 3 guitar projects before starting this one.
It came in the largest guitar box I’ve ever seen!! 23” x 9-1/2” x 57”. Then I find it’s a double box, one fitting closely inside the other! AND, the hard plastic Gator case is set in the Stew Mac shipping pillows! Well packed! The guitar fit snugly inside the case, a little bubble pack around it and some wrapped around the neck and headstock, with the strings slacked.
The guitar is in really nice shape! Especially for being 52 years old. The bridge has been sanded and there’s barely any saddle sticking out. The nut slots look low. The truss rod cover has been removed and put in a bag with the screws. The pickguard is partially off, as expected. The strap button is on the wrong side of the heel. The pick marks on the upper bout are in the wrong direction, like someone played this left handed for a while. As expected, the fretboard has been leveled and the frets replaced. What’s not expected is there is some fret wear and obvious use on much of the fretboard. The nut has been shimmed, it doesn’t look original.
Tuned to "D". The tuners work great! As suspected, the nut action is low, like it was replaced when it had the old lower frets, or it was shimmed after the refret but not enough. The neck relief is a little high, but not too bad. The neck projection is .09” below the top of the bridge with a .01” gap in the middle. The action is 5/64” both E’s. The bridge is .24” thick, with .04” saddle sticking out. The bridge pin holes have been heavily ramped.
It sounds fantastic!! Even with old strings! I don’t want to take them off!
It's in really nice shape!
It looks like the guitar was played left handed for a while.
More left hand pick marks.
The pickguard is loose.
The frets have been replaced, but it sure has been played!
The strap button is on the wrong side.
The body is very clean with very few marks.
The back is also very clean with mostly fine marks.
The tuners look new!!
The saddle is LOW!!
About as close to ZERO break angle as you can get!
It's definitely been played!
It looks like when it was refret he files the ends of the frets and the corner of the fretboard and touched it up. Looks great!
The nut is not original (1.40" string spacing) and has been shimmed.
And the slots are still low.
The bridge has been sanded (.24" thick vs. .31" stock) and the pin holes have been heavily ramped in an attempt to get some break angle.
The G & B should have been ramped more.
The pickguard is loose.
He definitely used the WHOLE fretboard!!
Even up here!!
There's a poorly stamped date code on the endblock.
And a date code on the side.
And the serial number on the neck block. Oddly, they didn't put finish on the whole neck block.
The top bracing.
The bridge plate is a bit chewed up. Typical, but not the worst I've seen.
A better picture of the date code.
After getting the guitar he learned a few things about guitars. The saddle was shaved as much as it could be, the frets and fret board needed work and it required a neck reset. He researched luthiers in his area and selected John Wescott to look at the guitar. He confirmed the fret board needed re-surfaced, new frets, and a neck reset. At that time, he didn’t even consider a neck reset. John repaired the fret board, replaced the frets, and installed extra light strings, and warned to always use extra light strings.
His brother became interested in learning to play the guitar. With extra light strings the set up was perfect for a beginner. So he loaned the FG to his brother, who eventually lost interest in guitar and returned it.
Fast forward to today: He decided to order a new Red Label FGX5, manufactured in Japan. That is why he’s having the neck reset on the FG-180 done. He will have a classic Red label FG-180, which sounds amazing and be enjoyable to play, and a new version of the same guitar.
MY STORY: He initially contacted me asking if I knew of a good luthier to do a neck reset on his 1969 FG-180. I replied that I have done 45 vintage Yamaha FG neck resets, including 20 for customers. I told him I only charge $300. He replied in the LA area the it is $600 and up. He also talked to someone in the Seattle area, who’s done a few FG neck resets, but if he has a difficult time removing the neck he converts them to bolt on. I assume that means he fails to get the neck off, then he cuts the neck off, and converts it to a bolt on.
He sent it Monday and FEDEX said I would get it Friday. It made it to NJ Friday and didn’t get to the local distribution center until early Saturday morning. Then it sat there all day! That was actually good for me. It allowed me to get further on 3 guitar projects before starting this one.
It came in the largest guitar box I’ve ever seen!! 23” x 9-1/2” x 57”. Then I find it’s a double box, one fitting closely inside the other! AND, the hard plastic Gator case is set in the Stew Mac shipping pillows! Well packed! The guitar fit snugly inside the case, a little bubble pack around it and some wrapped around the neck and headstock, with the strings slacked.
The guitar is in really nice shape! Especially for being 52 years old. The bridge has been sanded and there’s barely any saddle sticking out. The nut slots look low. The truss rod cover has been removed and put in a bag with the screws. The pickguard is partially off, as expected. The strap button is on the wrong side of the heel. The pick marks on the upper bout are in the wrong direction, like someone played this left handed for a while. As expected, the fretboard has been leveled and the frets replaced. What’s not expected is there is some fret wear and obvious use on much of the fretboard. The nut has been shimmed, it doesn’t look original.
Tuned to "D". The tuners work great! As suspected, the nut action is low, like it was replaced when it had the old lower frets, or it was shimmed after the refret but not enough. The neck relief is a little high, but not too bad. The neck projection is .09” below the top of the bridge with a .01” gap in the middle. The action is 5/64” both E’s. The bridge is .24” thick, with .04” saddle sticking out. The bridge pin holes have been heavily ramped.
It sounds fantastic!! Even with old strings! I don’t want to take them off!
It's in really nice shape!
It looks like the guitar was played left handed for a while.
More left hand pick marks.
The pickguard is loose.
The frets have been replaced, but it sure has been played!
The strap button is on the wrong side.
The body is very clean with very few marks.
The back is also very clean with mostly fine marks.
The tuners look new!!
The saddle is LOW!!
About as close to ZERO break angle as you can get!
It's definitely been played!
It looks like when it was refret he files the ends of the frets and the corner of the fretboard and touched it up. Looks great!
The nut is not original (1.40" string spacing) and has been shimmed.
And the slots are still low.
The bridge has been sanded (.24" thick vs. .31" stock) and the pin holes have been heavily ramped in an attempt to get some break angle.
The G & B should have been ramped more.
The pickguard is loose.
He definitely used the WHOLE fretboard!!
Even up here!!
There's a poorly stamped date code on the endblock.
And a date code on the side.
And the serial number on the neck block. Oddly, they didn't put finish on the whole neck block.
The top bracing.
The bridge plate is a bit chewed up. Typical, but not the worst I've seen.
A better picture of the date code.
