1969 Yamaha FG-140 Revived after 30 Years in Closet

[studio1087]

The older Yamaha guitars with the orange/red labels are highly regarded. I post here and on the UMGF (Martin Forum) and there are hundreds of guys on the Martin forum who still have their childhood red label Yamahas.

Having your childhood red label Yammi is like a badge of honor.

Very cool. I have two newer Yamaha acoustic guitars. One lives at my parent's lake home and the other is my camping guitar. I love them. This is the camping Yammi....$85 off craigslist with the SKB case!



The old picture of you is a gem. Thanks for sharing.

John

[BrianF]

Originally Posted by tdowns

Brian,
I somehow didn't respond to your post, and I apologize for that. That FG-230 is a beauty. I'm sure it sounds good too.

I bet being a 12 string, that didn't result in a neck back-bow problem???

HI Terry,,,

I'm sure it had something to do with it. It really needs a neck reset but that would cost way too much and from what I've heard is real difficult on these old Yamahas. It's still neat to have. My son has picked it up recently and is discovering cool things to play on it like "Here Comes the Sun" (no pun intended), Norwegian Wood etc... That guitar can almost play those songs by itself by now

[Van_The_Man]

I've collected older Japanese (1969-1971) FG's for many years. They're called 'Red Labels'. They sound very loud/warm/bright at the same time.

Recently I sold my 1970 FG-180 to my step-father and these days he really enjoys this guitar. About a year ago it's been refretted and it played
like a dream after that. I was really obsessed by the FG-180 (owned two of them), for sound, playability, looks, mojo, history, just everything.

I can remember an old, well played-in 70's Japanese FG-375S (with solid top) I had about 4 years ago that sounded out of this world; extremely sweet and bell like when fingerpicking and it played better than any acoustic I've ever touched. What a jewel that was! Sold it, like every great
old FG. I really regret that!

My favorite Yamaha these days is an FG-340 from 1980 I still have, very loud and punchy. It's great for acoustic rock, especially when strung with Elixir 11's.

[sneakyjapan]

Originally Posted by Van_The_Man

I've collected older Japanese (1969-1971) FG's for many years. They're called 'Red Labels'. They sound very loud/warm/bright at the same time.

Recently I sold my 1970 FG-180 to my step-father and these days he really enjoys this guitar. About a year ago it's been refretted and it played
like a dream after that. I was really obsessed by the FG-180 (owned two of them), for sound, playability, looks, mojo, history, just everything.

I can remember an old, well played-in 70's Japanese FG-375S (with solid top) I had about 4 years ago that sounded out of this world; extremely sweet and bell like when fingerpicking and it played better than any acoustic I've ever touched. What a jewel that was! Sold it, like every great
old FG. I really regret that!

My favorite Yamaha these days is an FG-340 from 1980 I still have, very loud and punchy. It's great for acoustic rock, especially when strung with Elixir 11's.

go back a bit further and get a light green label that came out before the red labels. Go back further yet and get an all solid wood Yamaha for almost nothing...thats what I do. I see red labels all over the place here but honestly the Dynamics are light years ahead...and almost completely unknown outside Japan.

[sneakyjapan]

Originally Posted by Van_The_Man

I've collected older Japanese (1969-1971) FG's for many years. They're called 'Red Labels'. They sound very loud/warm/bright at the same time.

Recently I sold my 1970 FG-180 to my step-father and these days he really enjoys this guitar. About a year ago it's been refretted and it played
like a dream after that. I was really obsessed by the FG-180 (owned two of them), for sound, playability, looks, mojo, history, just everything.

I can remember an old, well played-in 70's Japanese FG-375S (with solid top) I had about 4 years ago that sounded out of this world; extremely sweet and bell like when fingerpicking and it played better than any acoustic I've ever touched. What a jewel that was! Sold it, like every great
old FG. I really regret that!

My favorite Yamaha these days is an FG-340 from 1980 I still have, very loud and punchy. It's great for acoustic rock, especially when strung with Elixir 11's.

go back a bit further and get a first run laminate light green label that came out before the red labels...by the late 60s, Yamaha was building tons of models, some much better than others.
Go back further yet and get an all solid wood Yamaha for almost nothing...thats what I do. I see red labels all over the place here but honestly the Dynamics are light years ahead...and almost completely unknown outside Japan.

[Van_The_Man]

Originally Posted by sneakyjapan

go back a bit further and get a first run laminate light green label that came out before the red labels...by the late 60s, Yamaha was building tons of models, some much better than others.
Go back further yet and get an all solid wood Yamaha for almost nothing...thats what I do. I see red labels all over the place here but honestly the Dynamics are light years ahead...and almost completely unknown outside Japan.

Unfortunately there aren't many green labels available on the market. When I bought a FG-375S a few years ago, the seller played a Yamaha Dynamic guitar which sounded nothing but beautiful. He had it strung with steel strings (maybe silk/steel) and it was the most beautiful sounding guitar I've ever heard. Also he played different Blueridge guitars that evening, but they didn't touch the sweet and musical sound of the Yamaha Dynamic. I thought he said that his Dynamic was made in the 50's. He said he'd never sell it, I wouldn't either.

ps: it's exactly the same guitar you've posted, same model.

[sneakyjapan]

yeah Yamaha did make some export Dynamics in the 50s...the #s 30, 50 and 70...as far as i can tell from the ones I`ve seen the only differences are the rosettes and binding...the #70 has MOP things all around the top...bit flashy for me and it just increases the chances of those bits falling out, but I love all my Dynamics...I`ve got 28 now as well as some first run classicals from the early 60s. They also made an early 60s export #15 with the white label with the red dotted edge, by the mid 60s the Dynamics were gone.
believe it or not I`ve paid as little as $5.oo for some Dynamics!
Because of the steel winding posts many guys here string them with steels, I tried a set of electric 8s on one but found they sound so much better with nylons.
I can`t seem to stop buying them.

[kp8]

Originally Posted by Van_The_Man

My favorite Yamaha these days is an FG-340 from 1980 I still have, very loud and punchy. It's great for acoustic rock, especially when strung with Elixir 11's.

I've been searching high and low for a FG-340! I never found it all that easy to play, but like you say, very punchy. I would love to have one again. My best friend had one growing up and we all loved to play that guitar. Let me know if you ever see one for sale. I found one that was just too beat up and another i just missed out on on CL.

[nogin007]

I have a friend who plays a Yamaha, but it has a peghead like a Washburn, sort of tapered in at the top, with a small vee. I don't think I ever looked at the label. When were these made? Thanks!!

[sneakyjapan]

Originally Posted by nogin007

I have a friend who plays a Yamaha, but it has a peghead like a Washburn, sort of tapered in at the top, with a small vee. I don't think I ever looked at the label. When were these made? Thanks!!

need more info.

[sneakyjapan]

Originally Posted by kp8

I've been searching high and low for a FG-340! I never found it all that easy to play, but like you say, very punchy. I would love to have one again. My best friend had one growing up and we all loved to play that guitar. Let me know if you ever see one for sale. I found one that was just too beat up and another i just missed out on on CL.

http://page5.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/e78801520

[kp8]

Originally Posted by sneakyjapan

http://page5.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/e78801520

That is gorgeous. Thanks for the tip. Unfortunately i don't speak a word of Japanese. :( I don't think i could figure out how to bid on that auction.

[kp8]

Originally Posted by sneakyjapan

http://page5.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/e78801520

Additionally, it says:

海外発送はしません。(Seller will not ship internationally.）

[nogin007]

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d6...0/ddf2f7ae.jpg



The headstock on my friends Yamaha looks like the peghead on my Washburn, same shape. The next time I see it, I'll look at the label.

[sneakyjapan]

Originally Posted by kp8

Additionally, it says:

海外発送はしません。(Seller will not ship internationally.）

so you don`t know about Rinkya then? This is a service that places bids for people abroad who are unable to buy on yahoo Japan, they do that for a fee of course. I`ve never used them but plenty of guys have around the web.
You could always do a search and see whats what with them, if the one in the link is out pr price range just keep watching, something is bound to show up...saw an old Yamaha Dynamic #1 for BIN price of $50.oo...I already have two otherwise I`d have bought it myself...anyways...got my eyes on a couple of other auctions ending this week. It never freakin ends does it.

[mudbean]

Originally Posted by tdowns

... This pic is from a 4-H talent show in April of 1971, with me playing that guitar...

Terry! Excellent "game face"!

mud

[tdowns]

Thanks!! I don't any more about what I'm doing now as I did back then.

[sel498]

I have had this guitar for about 10 yrs, and my buddy had it before him and his brother had it before him, The serial number lokking through the soundhole towards the neck is 947185 . and i found another on the inside bottom of the body that is 440324 . Please Help. I have posted a few pics of it below, and yes I have refinished the neck, headstock, and body but left the front original with the exception of the signatures. The first number doesnt make sense, but the second one,(after multiole searches) leads me to believe it was made on March 24th, 1974 or 1984, but i thought they quit making them in 1974-75? Please help

[Billy B.]

I 've had an fg160 since the 80's and I never really looked at the label till now, it says made in Tiawan !? does anybody know when these were made? I really love it and it came with an old DeArmond sound hole pick up when I bought it for 100 bucks.

[sneakyjapan]

http://www.yamaha.com/apps/guitararc...itarchive2.asp