Hooligans Sportsbook

Matty imput wanted: bought a 1974 Yamaha FG 160 acoustic guitar

  • Start date •
  • Replies
    22 Replies •
  • Views 3,055 Views
Follow
senco78

senco78

Senior Member
Since
Jan 27, 2010
Messages
8,823
Score
3
Tokens
0
off ebay for $84 +$30 shipping =$114 total
think this one was made in Korea but not sure, seen some made in Japan going for $500+ on some vintage used guitar sites.
so guess this one is a lesser model, IDK shit about this stuff... just an impulse buy cause I been wanting an old acoustic:sov:
maybe it wont be a total POS

heres one that was made in Japan
http://www.jvguitars.com/showproduct.pl?id=1272905762


also got a bid on this one
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Fen...r-/290625620518?pt=Guitar&hash=item43aaa30a26
read some high ranking reviews of this one
 
My name is not Matty

But I've owned a gee-tar or two in my day, Senc

I've found with guitars that there is not necessarily a correlation between what you pay for a guitar and how good the tone is.

I've never purchased a guitar online because I need to hold that shit in my hands and hear what it sounds like.


I have a $200 OK sounding Washburn acoustic. I've wanted one of these for YEARS after I played one in a music store:

http://www.takamine.com/guitars/t_series/ef340sbg


But we're not spending that kind of coin on an acoustic.


Senc, I'm rambling but let us know how she sounds when you get it delivered.

#keeponrockininthefreeworld
 
appreciate the imput.
like I said it was an impulse buy but after reading some reviews I havent read 1 negative review yet
of course it could be a total POS, but in that case I'll return it, but from the pics seemed to be in good condition for as old as it is


many comparing it to a Martin but a fraction of the cost, though not sure I believe all that but we'll see....
http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/reviews/acoustic_guitars/yamaha/fg160/index.html
 
Yeah - as we suspected, the action is high at the 12th fret. At least the guy took a pic of it... most people would've conveniently ignored that.

Probably a fine campfire axe to play open chords on. Once the top warps even more, it'll be time to learn to play slide.
 
senco78
I thought the action looked awful high in the pic.
cant you have that adjusted?
or thats from top being warped = no fix
Click to expand...

You can play around with the truss rod to adjust the neck relief (it's simpler than it sounds - check out the section called "Checking Relief using the strings"), but you can only compensate so much for a warped top. Filing/sanding the bridge will allow you to compensate a bit further - start with a medium-fine grit and finish with micromesh.
 
guitar came today
in good condition, action isnt as high as it looked to me.
however theres some buzzing at the bridge that I dont like...
I put new strings on it and tuned it...
if it wasnt for the buzzing when strumming some chords it would sound great
 
buzzing coming from the B and high E strings the most
noticed a small crack in the bridge at the pins
did some minor adjusting with the truss rod didnt help much.
after some searching online found another possible cause... the nut at those 2 strings looks worn out, the seat is bigger then the strings. so I put some folded paper under the string at the nut and it helped with the buzz but raises the string uncomfortably high

also checked the neck angle with a framing square and its out of wack. from what I read this came be remedied with a proper set up and a neck reset isnt always neccesary nor would it make sense for the money.

guess I'll take it to a shop and get a qoute to have it set up and any minor repairs that would make sense.

checked serial #
built July 24, 1974 in Taiwan

also came with orginal case thats falling apart :lol:
 
Re: the buzzing, the nut is probably cracked at the B and E slots and will need replacing. That's not an expensive job.

You could even try to fix the buzzing by using thicker strings that will be less affected by worn-out/cracked slots. Something like 13-56.

If the action seems decent enough, I'd just have the nut replaced and be happy with it. If it's deemed too high, the tech will probably offer you to file down the bridge too.

Not sure what you checked with the framing square? The neck isn't supposed to be perpendicular to the body, it has a slight arch to it.

neckangle.gif
 
Oh, I see. That's your typical acoustic-guitar problem - string tension pulls the top and bridge up over the correct plane over time. Happens to the best of them. One of many reasons I prefer electrics. They can take beatings/neglect a lot better.
 
took it to the shop
they called me back and said he got the action adjusted as far down as he can. he says it doesnt buzz anymore.
cost $10
the top is warped so he couldnt do anything w/ that and action is still too high according to him.
but he can call a guy that can fix the warp if I want to.
Quoted it at about $30 (not bad at all) considering what he's got to do to it. says he'll use moisture to bring it out then brace it.

gonna pick it up tomorrow and play around with it couple days before I decide to fix the warp
 
You must log in or register to reply here.