Post by CTGull on May 20, 2023 17:11:40 GMT -5
His Story: His father bought the guitar in fall of 1968 at a music shop in Philadelphia, PA. In December 1968, his Dad enlisted in the U.S. Army, and the legend has it, the guitar went with him. Two tours with the 101st Airborne Division, one purple heart, and four years later, his father returned state-side and went to work on the subways of Philly, fixing third rails. This would be the first of many occupations his father would hold throughout the years (Taxi Driver, Volunteer Fire Fighter, Lifeguard, Psychologist, to name a few). East coast, West Coast, to London and back again, one constant throughout all his father's travels was that old Yamaha.
Eventually his father would settle down and move back to Portland, Maine and raise a family with a woman he met in New Hampshire. They had four kids, the first of which became infatuated with the instrument from an early age. He would take lessons and become proficient at electric and acoustic guitar as a young teenager. He would teach himself everything from Stairway to Heaven, to John Fahey compositions by ear on that old Yamaha.
Him, his father, and the guitar.
Alas, somewhere along the way that old Yamaha fell to the wayside, and separated from its hard case, began to take some damage. The guitar would endure years more of this unjust treatment until, while cleaning out his father's home, he found it in the corner of a cluttered room just begging to be strung up and played again. A little bit of elbow grease and a new set of strings revealed a guitar with a voice that has many more adventures left to live and songs left to sing. However, more work would need to be done in order to increase the instrument's potential! He hopes that the much needed adjustments will breathe new life into the deserving vessel that is his Dad's old Yamaha guitar.
Observations: Many dings and scratches, lots of pick wear on the top, lots of divots in the fretboard in the first 3 frets, but the guitar looks solid. The original open back tuners have been replaced with closed Grovers. It has been refretted, with very little fret wear, but the frets weren’t polished, only sanded. The pickguard is about 1/3’d off. He said 1 bridge pin is not original and doesn’t sit at the right height. The strings look to be Custom Light 80/20’s. The wound strings windings are laying on the saddle, indicating that ball ends are up in the bridge plate. Tuned to “E”, the neck relief is a little high, the action is a little under 9/64” low E & 1/8” high E, the nut action is good to a little high. The bridge is .24” high (although it looks original. .31” is normal), and the saddle sticks out .07”/.05”. It sounds fantastic! As a vintage Red label FG should.
Looking inside with the lighted mirror, I confirm that all of the ball ends are up into the bridge plate. Removing the strings (had to push the replacement pin out from the inside) I find one pin is badly cracked and 2 others have small cracks. Removed the truss rod cover, putting the screws in a separate bag from the cover. Removed the saddle to find the slot depth to be .09”/.18”.09”, only .06” from the bottom of the bridge. Normally with a low bridge, I assume it has been sanded, and the saddle slot depth has been reduced by the amount sanded off. But this bridge looks original, with a decent slot depth, so the slot will stay as is.
Looking inside, after removing the strings, finds nothing unusual, just confirming the damaged bridge plate.
Looking closer at the frets confirms all the frets are just sanded, not polished, and a few of the frets are loose.
A flat top and a very low bridge & saddle.
Divot preview.
The pickguard is lifting, which is typical.
The divots!
The saddle is out. Decent slot depth.
Loose fret ends.
Loose fret ends.
The ball ends in the bridge plate.
The date code.
The chewed up bridge plate.
Eventually his father would settle down and move back to Portland, Maine and raise a family with a woman he met in New Hampshire. They had four kids, the first of which became infatuated with the instrument from an early age. He would take lessons and become proficient at electric and acoustic guitar as a young teenager. He would teach himself everything from Stairway to Heaven, to John Fahey compositions by ear on that old Yamaha.
Him, his father, and the guitar.
Alas, somewhere along the way that old Yamaha fell to the wayside, and separated from its hard case, began to take some damage. The guitar would endure years more of this unjust treatment until, while cleaning out his father's home, he found it in the corner of a cluttered room just begging to be strung up and played again. A little bit of elbow grease and a new set of strings revealed a guitar with a voice that has many more adventures left to live and songs left to sing. However, more work would need to be done in order to increase the instrument's potential! He hopes that the much needed adjustments will breathe new life into the deserving vessel that is his Dad's old Yamaha guitar.
Observations: Many dings and scratches, lots of pick wear on the top, lots of divots in the fretboard in the first 3 frets, but the guitar looks solid. The original open back tuners have been replaced with closed Grovers. It has been refretted, with very little fret wear, but the frets weren’t polished, only sanded. The pickguard is about 1/3’d off. He said 1 bridge pin is not original and doesn’t sit at the right height. The strings look to be Custom Light 80/20’s. The wound strings windings are laying on the saddle, indicating that ball ends are up in the bridge plate. Tuned to “E”, the neck relief is a little high, the action is a little under 9/64” low E & 1/8” high E, the nut action is good to a little high. The bridge is .24” high (although it looks original. .31” is normal), and the saddle sticks out .07”/.05”. It sounds fantastic! As a vintage Red label FG should.
Looking inside with the lighted mirror, I confirm that all of the ball ends are up into the bridge plate. Removing the strings (had to push the replacement pin out from the inside) I find one pin is badly cracked and 2 others have small cracks. Removed the truss rod cover, putting the screws in a separate bag from the cover. Removed the saddle to find the slot depth to be .09”/.18”.09”, only .06” from the bottom of the bridge. Normally with a low bridge, I assume it has been sanded, and the saddle slot depth has been reduced by the amount sanded off. But this bridge looks original, with a decent slot depth, so the slot will stay as is.
Looking inside, after removing the strings, finds nothing unusual, just confirming the damaged bridge plate.
Looking closer at the frets confirms all the frets are just sanded, not polished, and a few of the frets are loose.
A flat top and a very low bridge & saddle.
Divot preview.
The pickguard is lifting, which is typical.
The divots!
The saddle is out. Decent slot depth.
Loose fret ends.
Loose fret ends.
The ball ends in the bridge plate.
The date code.
The chewed up bridge plate.