Post by CTGull on Apr 7, 2024 11:10:32 GMT -5
HER STORY: This FG-335 was given to me by my brother and mother for my 18th birthday in the mid-1990s- who knows its story before then? They probably purchased it used in the Hudson Valley or Pittsfield, Mass. My brother is a great guitarist and I had always avoided it, but I was leaving for college and I wouldn't have my staff guitarist to accompany me while I sang anymore- I think that's why they got me the FG-335. I learned some chords and strummed away, and a couple years later started writing songs- first some jokey ballads with my roommate, then some more serious singer-songwritery stuff. My habit of not clipping the nails on my left hand definitely left it's mark on the fretboard, and a friend dented the headstock on one corner during a particularly ridiculous jam session. Otherwise it remained in pretty good condition over the years, even though it spent a few in storage. Eventually I upgraded to a Larivee with pickup, which was great for making some recordings, but I always found myself gravitating back to the FG-335. A couple years ago my brother started playing in a Neil Young cover band and I "loaned" him my Larivee, which was secretly a relief and made it all the more apparent that I would need to get the Yamaha fixed. In the years I've had it, it's lived in New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and New Hampshire. It hasn't been played much at all in the last ten years, as I gravitated to the banjo.
OBSERVATIONS: The guitar is in really good shape for it’s age. A few very minor dings and scratches, the worst being a ding in the front treble corner of the headstock, which is barely noticeable. The main noticeable playing wear are deep divots in the first position area of the fretboard from her nails, and pick scratches on the pickguard. The tuners work well, the pickguard is solid on the top. The treble side of the first three frets look like they have been leveled, with longitudinal filing/sanding scratches. The bridge has some cool dark grain lines, as does the headstock (which isn’t common).
Tuned to “E”, the neck relief is a bit high, the nut action is OK for the E & A, but increases gradually for the higher strings, because of the “fret leveling” that has been previously done. The action is a little under 5/32” low E and a little over 1/8” high E. The bridge is .27” thick. The saddle sticks out .16”/.13” (low E/high E), certainly the original height.
You can read more about it HERE.
OBSERVATIONS: The guitar is in really good shape for it’s age. A few very minor dings and scratches, the worst being a ding in the front treble corner of the headstock, which is barely noticeable. The main noticeable playing wear are deep divots in the first position area of the fretboard from her nails, and pick scratches on the pickguard. The tuners work well, the pickguard is solid on the top. The treble side of the first three frets look like they have been leveled, with longitudinal filing/sanding scratches. The bridge has some cool dark grain lines, as does the headstock (which isn’t common).
Tuned to “E”, the neck relief is a bit high, the nut action is OK for the E & A, but increases gradually for the higher strings, because of the “fret leveling” that has been previously done. The action is a little under 5/32” low E and a little over 1/8” high E. The bridge is .27” thick. The saddle sticks out .16”/.13” (low E/high E), certainly the original height.
You can read more about it HERE.