69-71' YAMAHA RED LABEL OWNERS CLUB _ Please SIGN IN ;-)

[Don Mare]

FG 45
FG 75
FG 110
FG 180
FG 230 ( 12 String)
FG 160e ( pickups)
FG 300

bought them all from ebay in the last few weeks - some were cherrys! some were sour grapes - but I fixed them all anyways! - and there all good now.

[mudbean]

Yeah, I'm currently in a half-arsed search for one from that era. Still lookin.

mud

[superchicken_VI]

I have a '72 FG75 with a red label. Taiwan origin. Nice piece, stuck truss rod. With a set of Silk and Steels it's a fantastic small-bodied guitar.

[delac027]

I have a friends fg-140 made in japan w/ nippon gakki on the label. I am currently trying to restore it and am having problems with the action. I had sanded the saddle very low but the action is still high. Next would be the truss rod but it seems like it wont budge..then again i dont think i have right tool to adjust it. Other than that, so far it sounds awesome and loud! I will probably take it in to get looked at and set up correctly. Awesome guitar though!

[dqami]

I have a FG-140 and FG-75 red label as well as a football label FG-340II. I think the brown labels and football labels can sound just as good without the higher price of the red labels. What amazes me is how they can do it with a laminate guitar and how they can look similar but sound different.

I'm always searching the swap meets for guitars and I found a FG-150 red label that had the sweetest tone that I had not heard from any of the ones I currently own or ones I had sold (160, 335, 200). I made an offer on it which he didn't accept and when I went to check on it later, someone snatched it up (I guess I'm not the only one looking for them).

[sneakyjapan]

all of mine go back before those dates...can`t join the club.

[Mikey3]

I am, but not sure for how long, got an FG-140, amazing sounding guitar, but its on the selling blocks as we speak. The thing is a canon.

[tuuur]

I'm in!

FG140, bought for about $20 twenty years ago.
It has the most bassy sound I heard from an acoustic (even more than my FG420 12-string).

[tele54]

I have an FG-110, FG-180,and FG-300ars
All are red label made in Japan- Great guit

[delac027]

I dont know if anyone has seen these yet, but here are a couple of old yamaha catalogs..pretty cool! I found them on AGF.

I also just picked up a great condition fg-170 (greenlabel) on my local craigslist. Awesome guitar for dirt cheap!

http://www.t-shiga.com/sub7-5-1-7.htm
http://www.t-shiga.com/sub7-5-1-8.htm
http://www.t-shiga.com/sub7-5-1-9.htm
http://www.t-shiga.com/sub7-5-1-10.htm
http://www.t-shiga.com/sub7-5-1-11.htm
http://www.t-shiga.com/sub7-5-1-61.htm

[rangercaster]

Don, i'm a big Yamaha fan (LS-10 acoustic and more ) ... could you enlighten us on the construction and virtues of these guitars ??? are they from the original Japan factory ???

[casterway]

I wish Yamaha made cameras and cars.

[sneakyjapan]

thought this was about red lables?... I have an early FG-170 too, it`s OK but my Dynamics sound better. Also have an LL33J from about 10 years ago, top of the line at the time...excluding custom shop stuff... and an amazing instrument...but it`s not a red label...it`s a leather label.

[PhatBoy]

OK, what separates a red label f rom the rest?

PB

[mudbean]

ARRGH!!!

I just missed out on a red label Nippon Gakki FG110 in excellent condition on CraigsList!

Dang. Dang. Dang.



mud

[sneakyjapan]

Originally Posted by PhatBoy

OK, what separates a red label f rom the rest?

PB

good question. red labels have become highly collectable outside Japan over the last couple of years, here they just don`t get nearly as much attention...OK, a few models do...like the Brazilian FGs but otherwise not so much. There are pages and pages of used, new or old FGs on line here every day, I see em in shops everytime I go into them but honestly they just don`t sound nearly as good as the Dynamics so I never but any...that would change if I came across an FG-1500, 2000 or 2500...but now those sell for several thousand dollars but I`m in a smaller city and have got lucky before so who knows. For me to get a red label it would have to be better than the Dynamics I have and so far that hasn`t happened...it would be a lateral move instead of a step up. I have an early `70s light green FG-170 that I would have sworn was a solid top in the store and when I got it home and looked through my watchmakers loupe I saw it has a real thin top layer, thicker middle and real thin bottom layer, I knew the back and side were laminate so it turned out to be all laminate...sound OK but nothin` special.
Old Ls and LLs get a lot of bidders on line in Japan but we`re in a totally different league now. I think many believe if it was made in Japan it was good...sellers sure seem to believe that these days...but there was a lot of middle of the road guitars made in Japan too not to mention the low end brands...and evidently there were dozens. Still folks should play what they like en, no business of mine and if I come across a nice FG I`ll buy it but I`m so pleased with my Dynamics, true I`m comparing nylons to steel string FGs however since I got my first Dynamic all my steel strings must be feeling neglected, I`m really digging the nylon sound and fat neck Dynamics.
party on.

[Stratsrgood]

I had a rather abused FG 110, for years, I found it in a junk shop and paid £15 for it.
I played that guitar for years (it could have used a neck reset) and it was truly great, I've never since even seen another one.

[AZMIKE]

'69 FG-150 here. I had wanted one of these red labels since my roommate used to let me play his '69 FG-110 back in 1970-71. He was a pro, mainly a Hammond B-3 player, but I remember guys in his bands (the bass player for one) had Yamahas of this vintage as their home acoustics.

I got mine from eBay in 2001, and the action was way high. The guy had it set up with Martin mediums. I took it to one repairman who told me to hang it on the wall, then I took it to Precision Guitars in Phoenix. Then-owner Thad shaved down the bridge (he said there was a lot of "meat" there) to lower the action, and it has been great ever since. I guess you would call it a "poor person's neck reset", but it looks fine and plays better.

The neck is narrower at the nut than my Guild dread, but the front-to-back is thicker, with almost a soft V shape. The sound is very balanced and loud for its size.

Great little guitar.

Mike

[sel498]

Okay i fianlly found a thread/ forum about these Yamaha Fg-140's. I have had mine for about 12 years, and before that my good friend had it and before him his brother had it. so it has been passed down. when my friend had it it had fell out of a pickup bed and slid on the back of the body. just scarred it pretty good. (Character). Well this will probably make a few of you nausious, but i decide to re finish it about 5 years ago. so i did, I sanded the finish off to the wood on the back, sides, and some of the neck( it seemed a bit too big for me to play efficiently). and then stained lightly to bring the grain out. Pictures are below. My question is Since I have refinished it, In your opinions, is it a bad idea to install a pick-up, eq, and new tuners?. I almost feel since it fell and got scratched and then i refinished it , the value of the guitar is not going to get any higher, and i dont intend on selling it ever. It has the greatest tone, and volume that I have ever seen in an acoustic. Also note. when the finish was removed from the body the volume and tone got even greater. I did decide to leave the front of the body original due to the autographs that are on it. and the pick guard has fallen off and I may or may not re-install due to cosmetics. So, eq,pickup, tuners or not. I only own 2 guitars, this Yammy, and a 70ish model Fernandez Strat, that i refinished as well. I am actually a drummer, but started with guitar and still play it around the house. The reason for the upgrade to the FG is because i want to give it a facelift and let my lead singer play it live. and see if he actually likes it better than his Guild. Any and all comments, suggestions, are greatly appreciated and welcomed thanks. I will give it a good cleaning and take a few better pics this evening and repost to this thread to view it better.

[dqami]

I put in a bone saddle in my FG140 and lowered the action which helped in the tone. The back and sides looks like a totally different guitar. They really cake on the varnish. I can see how the volume would get louder. I may try that if I ever come across a beat up Taiwan model cheap. Doing it to a red label would hurt the value.

[sel498]

Just got of the phone w/Yamaha, the guy said my particular guitar was more than likely built in 1969, since the the serial #'s are somewhat random, so at least i have an idea ballpark of how old it is, I know for a fact it was made between 1969-1972.

[cinZsweet]

Hiya,
I picked up a '71 red label Nippon Gakki FG110 awhile back. Got it from Goodwill, it had a half inch of dust on it. When I cleaned it up I couldn't believe the condition, the lil' beauty is mint! Looks like it was hardly ever played. I had already had a FG75, a FG160, and a FG180. I can honestly say this is my favorite. They all sounded great, with that same "simple elegant" look, but this FG110 has the sweetest tone, well rounded and clear, is amazingly loud for its size, and just feels so nice in my hands. It being in such tremendous shape is really icing on the cake. I tried some different strings, and settled on some silk n steels....they sound great! I fingerpick it, and just really love this guitar.

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/inde...mageID=5440134

[jeffml]

I have 2 FG 150's Nippon Gakki's. I bought one for myself and absolutely love it. I play it more than my Taylor believe it or not. It is just comfortable to play and sounds great. Bought one for my son so he would stop borrowing mine.

[ol man]

Bought this on ebay two weeks ago from a very nice and helpful Japanese gentleman.
Arrived just as described, dings and all.
Payed 185 USD and it is, as they say, a "cannon"
Sorry, no red label but I think this Nippon Gakki FG 130 green label ´73 is of the same quality.
Very loud and even in sound. Might change the original tuners though...
There is just something about the construction and welldried "wood"
that make this guitar sound and feel like an old Martin or Gibson, sort of.
Love it!

[tuberoast]

I found a 69 FG-110 at an estate sale in June, all original, with the original case = $5 !!!
I knew nothing about these Nippon Gakki red's before I came home and googled my find.
After a light cleaning, new strings, a slight tweak of the truss rod along with a light sanding of the saddle. I was truly shocked at the sweetness of the tone, the volume of it, and the sustain.

[spotmandoo]

Hi. New to the club. Old guitar player, relatively new to acoustics though. I bought a Yamaha FG-300 recently and have some questions for the pros.



First; what’s the serial number nomenclature for dating it. The guy I bought it from said it was a 1969, from what I’ve seen on ebay this is probably a good guess.

Second; (and I apologize if this is a stupid question) is this fully adjustable bridge stock? It wasn’t cut in after market, might be a whole different bridge assembly? The only reason it seems the whole bridge assembly might be orginal is because the two pearl/abalone plugs covering the screws on the bridge match the inlays and the logo.



Third; is this pickgaurd stock? It’s definitely old, weather checked and starting to crack but I haven’t been able to find any picture of any pickgaurds this ornate.



Finally; any ideas on where I could find a tuner cover for this era?



Thanks so much for the help, nice to meet yall.

-spot

[sneakyjapan]

from the Yamaha guitar archive...

Year(s) Sold: 1968-1976
Original MSRP(US$): $365.00
Top: Spruce
Back / Sides: Rosewood
Neck: Mahogany
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Bridge: Rosewood
Color(s): Natural
Tuners: Chrome
Notes: Adjustable Bridge

[sneakyjapan]

I believe that pickguard is original because I`ve seen others on line with it. I also own many old Yamahas though only one FG...mine go back before the FGs...and finidng parts is not easy, I`ve bought guitars that were in bad shape to use as donors, sometimes thats the best thing, especially with that bridge...finding parts may be a nightmare, that tuner cover might be easier to find but a donor will give you extras for the future. Dating mine is not precise, evidently record keeping was not a priority, but we can get ballparks for em.

[spotmandoo]

Only real issue with this guitar is the previous owner tried to Superglue the pickguard back down in a couple spots and it reacted poorly with the material causing it to almost crystallize in a few spots. Looks kind of cool actually considering the guard was already checking. Only missing part is the one tuner cover which I can live with for now. I’m just going to have a new nut put on and a thorough set-up and it’s good to go.

Thanks for the info.

[sneakyjapan]

be warned...it`s incomplete, not surprising considering how many models they made...and don`t use a hyphen...just type in "fg300" for example.

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

[Mayo5]

Hey guys, sorry I don't post here much.

I just picked up a red label FG300 off a forum member on TGP, and I stumbled upon this thread through google.



Do y'all have any idea for replacement of the tuners? This one has had two replaced from the original, I'm searching either for the real ones or good replacements.

Secondly, replaced the saddles or bridge pins on this guitars? Just curious, and I'm thinking about doing this.

I do love this guitar's sound, it's amazing to me. Very Deep and balanced. Great for fingerstyle playing.

[PhatBoy]

I've goth FG-140.

PB

[wkcox]

I have a '69 red label Nippon Gakki FG 180 ser# 913206, or at least that is the number inside the body at the base of the neck bracing. I called Yamaha support and they told me it was made in 1969. I traded for it with another student in 1970 while I was going to LSU. It went on the road with me many times to rodeos and is a little beat up but plays and sounds great. It has always played and sounded best with Martin light gage strings.

[Slim]

I have a red label mutt: It's an FG300 with a red label but it doesn't say Nippon Gakki. From what I understand this means most of the guitar's parts were built in Taiwan but the finished guitar was assembled in Japan. Most fully manufactured Taiwanese Yamahas are yellow label. Mine is the only non Nippon Gakki red label I've ever seen, for better or worse. And Spotmandoo's FG300 is all original, bridge and pickguard.

[valky guy]

Hi all,
I own a 69/70 FG 300, a red lable FG 180, Not Gakki, and a 1990 FG 470SA. All great guitars.
I am in need of the height adjust screws for the bridge on the FG 300, if anyone has at least one or both, I would be very interested. Maybe some has changed to a fixed saddle and would like to sell me thier old adjustable saddle would be great.
Thanks in advance.
John (valky guy)

[maccool]

I have Red Label Nippon Gakki FG180. I know for sure that it's a '69 because my father gave it to me for my 16th birthday in June '69. He bought it for $40 (iirc) at the Tom Lee Piano Company in Kowloon. For years I had the bill of sale but that's now lost. Am I right in thinking that '69 was the first year they were sold?

This guitar still sounds wonderful; that it's all laminated wood is astonishing.

But it doesn't play so well after all these years. It has never been refretted! And the neck has taken a twist which raises the action on the bass strings.

I think it's time to give the little darling some well-earned attention!

When I say that it "...still sounds wonderful...." you might want to consider that it's stable-mates are a 1980 L'Arrivée L-27, a circa 1997 L'Arrivée OO-10K custom-shop job, a 2001 L'Arrivée Koa Parlor (there seems to be a trend here!), a 2006 Martin OOO-28VS, and a 1996 Standard Telecaster.

Apart from the Tele, which I listed for another reason, I think it fair to say that "still sounds wonderful" is high praise, given such illustrious company.

Just today, this evening in fact, not 2 hours ago, I was talking to a repairman I've used several times before about something else altogether. Just before leaving I thought I'd mention my ideas about refurbishing the FG180. He's confident that he can take care of the twisted neck in situ. Just as well! I think that the neck is epoxied into the end-block, but previous research I've done about that is inconclusive. If anybody has any definite info on that I'd appreciate it.

Sorry! I am rabbiting on.....

What was that about the Tele anyways?

I'll get there.

The fingerboard on the Yamaha is toast! The board is so worn into deep scalloped dents that the only realistic fix is a new fingerboard.

As could be expected, the bridge on the Yammie has tilted a bit; all things tilt a bit after 40 years! As a result, the saddle is just about as low as it can go.

A new fingerboard could be made thick enough to recover some of that height without making the neck too thick overall, and obviating the need for a neck reset. At the 3rd fret or thereabouts, the Yamaha neck is 17mm thick. The Martin OOO-28VS is 20mm.

Yeah yeah, Dave, but what about the Tele?

I'll get there!

One commonly heard criticism of the FG180 is the narrow string spread. In fact, at the nut, the FG180's neck is the same width as my '96 Tele. But the strings on the Yammie are a good 4mm from the edge of the fingerboard; on the Tele it's a skinny 3mm.

The string spread at the bridge is narrower on the Yamaha too, and the scale is about 12mm shorter than the Tele. At the 12th fret the string spread on the Yamaha is about 42mm, on the Tele it's 44.

All this gum-flapping on my part has been leading up to the question.....

What do you think of the idea of making the new fingerboard as similar as possible to that of the Tele? Including the same radius, nut spacing, and fretwire gauge?

If you read this far, thank you! You have great fortitude.

Dave.

[matteo]

hi guys. i came across this forum by chance. im looking for some info on a guitar i brought in sydney a few years ago. its a FG-240 with a white label inside. it says nippon gakki. i cant find any info anywhere on the net but judging by your posts you guys know your stuff!! i found a post on an ebay site about buying yamahas and all it says that if you see a 240 but it because its very rare!

i also have a clean red label 160!

is there a specialist site that has info on value or any info at all? (im in the uk)

any help is appreciated!

[sneakyjapan]

according to the Japan Vintage series of books, the FG-150 and 180 were first introduced in 1966...but they were light green labels, the red labels came later.

[valky guy]

This is for Matteo,
I looked up the FG240 on Yamaha's Archive site, and found this information.
FG240
Years sold-1972-74
Top-Spruce
Back/sides-Mahogany
Neck-Mahogany
Fingerboard-Rosewood
Bridge-Rosewood
Color-Natural
String length 637mm
All laminate guitar No MSRP available/No US distribution
Hope this helps
John (valky guy)

[tiger01036]

Originally Posted by Don Mare

FG 45
FG 75
FG 110
FG 180
FG 230 ( 12 String)
FG 160e ( pickups)
FG 300

bought them all from ebay in the last few weeks - some were cherrys! some were sour grapes - but I fixed them all anyways! - and there all good now.

R u selling the 45?