yeah I`m living where they are made but I`m Canadian.
Few pics of my Dynamics and a little of what I`ve learned about them...as early as the 50s Yamaha was building Dynamics for export...the #30, #50 and #70s were made to be sold over seas...the oldest I have is a #30 from the mid 50s as I said before...most of my others are late 50s or early to mid 60s...the labels underwent several changes over the years and changed to the white with red checkered border, the most commonly seen here. They also made a #15 for export early 60s and from what I`ve been able to find out, they started working on laminates as a response to cracked tops that they put down to climate change on exports. After the all solid Dynamics came the S series Dynamics, Yamahas first attempt at laminates...S series Dynamics can be distinguished because they don`t say Dynamic on the headstock, just Yamaha...one thing I forgot, on the first export models they changed the logo to arc across the headstock, domestics say Yamaha Dynamic Guitar in script straight across the top of the headstock, they are slotheads with steel winding posts and some guys here string them with steels, I tried that too but find they really sound great with nylons...saddles were not intonated...usually a straight piece of what appears to be bone, some have a brass rod as a saddle...even got one with a Japanese toothpick as a saddle...Japanese toothpicks are round. My books say the 6 digit serials appeared in 1960, as did the final label change to white/red border. By the time the light green labels appeared, the Dynamics were gone, then came the red lables and after that...many types of labels appeared. Domestic Dynamics came in many models...No. 1, 1-B No. 2, No.4, No.8, No. 10, 10-A, 10-B, No. 15 No. 20, No. 40 and No. 80...some models were called sister models...the No. 2 and 20 for example...very similar but with different rosettes...some models...No. 40`s had MOP around the rosette while the No. 80 had MOP all around the top...and are perhaps the rarest now and sell for several hundreds when they show up and thats not often...the most I paid for a mint No. 20 was about $120.oo...the least was about $10.oo so they are still great bargains. Another thinag about the Dynamics...they have FAT necks...my three No. 40s have the fattest of the bunch and are the heaviest of the Dynamic series I own. These were not cheap at the time, I have a few of Yamahas earliest classicals as well as the Dynamics and the top end amaha classical in 1960 sold for 6 weeks wages...I know because I teach some retired folks who told me their starting salary in 1960 was 10,ooo a month...I can`t even have an evening out with the wife for that any more.
Anyhow...I`m sure I`m forgetting stuff about em but will post as I remember...now...pics...I own 26 Dynamics now and 13 of the classicals but won`t bore youse with pics of all of em...
