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  #1  
Old 10-12-2009, 08:00 AM
TwoMartinMan TwoMartinMan is offline
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Default Yamaha FG-331 from 1979. Wow.

I managed to pick up...for a ridiculous price...a like-new, 1979 Yamaha FG-331. The dimensions are close to a triple 0 with a one piece soft V shape neck, 1 3/4" nut width, w/b/w/b/w binding around the top and back, full gloss finish, and beautiful D-28 style purfling down the back of the body. I'm assuming the top is laminated since the Yamaha website does not say it is solid. (Very little info on the website.)

This is one beautiful guitar. It has a bass projection better than many solid topped dreadnoughts I've played. It really sings....and that's with the stock plastic nut and saddle. I plan to replace those with bone and some bone pins, too. Sustain and note separation are excellent.
This thing has sat in its case in a closet for 30 years and looks like the day it was bought new. I can't get over how great it sounds and plays.
I'll post some photos ASAP.

When some guys say "They don't make 'em like they used to"...I think this is what they must mean.

Anyone out there have or seen one of these FG-331s?...or know any more about them?
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Last edited by TwoMartinMan; 10-12-2009 at 09:24 AM.
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  #2  
Old 10-12-2009, 10:24 AM
JLS JLS is offline
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I have three that I'm working on right now. I have one as my favorite personal guitar. Remarkable instruments. They respond really well to a good setup, especially a good fitting bone saddle.
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Old 10-12-2009, 11:54 AM
Rickjes Rickjes is offline
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NICE................I've heard some real good sounding all laminate guitars..as a general rule solid tops sound better..but made right...proper bracing and thin tops on some laminates are very good..indeed...ENJOY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Old 10-12-2009, 12:19 PM
Buck62 Buck62 is offline
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Sweet!!!

Old Yammies are awesome.

They're relatively cheap to buy, and are usually under-rated or dismissed by those who prefer to throw around wads of ca$h for some sort of elusive, perfect tone.

I expect Yamaha Junkie to chime in soon, at 5... 4... 3... 2... 1...




.
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Old 10-12-2009, 12:56 PM
BULLSPRIG BULLSPRIG is offline
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I have an FG-335 purchased around 1979 and its a great all-purpose acoustic. Meaning, haul it on vacation or strum it around a campfire. What I can't believe is how well it holds its' tune. The tuners are not bad at all!! Only problem I have is it seems to have a very narrow neck and slender fretboard/nut design. I like narrow up to a point, but this guitar is about as sleek and unforgiving as you can get. If I haven't played it in a while, there's about a 1-hour breaking in period before I can play without clashing notes together.
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Old 10-12-2009, 01:15 PM
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Kitchen Guitars Kitchen Guitars is offline
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Buck was right! Here I am! My favorite is a Yamaha Lam.
I haven't scored a 331 ....yet
Welcome to the family!
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Old 10-12-2009, 08:03 PM
TwoMartinMan TwoMartinMan is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lofapco View Post
.... I think the FG331's are not that easy to find as they were only made for a few years from what I have heard. (1978-1982???)
The Yamaha website says the FG-331 was made from 1977 - 1981.
I was working on the action tonight. Got it down nice and low for fingerstyle playing with no buzz when pick strumming. It can definately use a compensated bone saddle to replace the straight plastic one. Great sound and projection. Photos ASAP.

Someone wrote about a 1 11/16" nut and open back tuners. Mine is definately 1 3/4" nut and closed back tuners.

I'm surprised you don't have one of these yet, Yamaha Junkie!!
A "must have" I think.
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Old 10-12-2009, 08:06 PM
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Kitchen Guitars Kitchen Guitars is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lofapco View Post
I figured you would pop in here too.... I think the FG331's are not that easy to find as they were only made for a few years from what I have heard. (1978-1982???)
Oh I have seen them. Just if I scored every model I have spotted I wouldn't have a place to put them.
It was tough I broke up the collecting a bit this summer and got rid of a few I will miss but I am still in the game. Looks like I have a LL35 on the way
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Old 10-13-2009, 09:10 AM
pickoid_1 pickoid_1 is offline
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Does anyone know how the FG-331 relates to the SJ-180? My first "real" guitar was a Yamaha SJ-180 that I got for Christmas when I was in 6th grade. That would have been... 1980. It's a 000-size guitar, all laminate, made in Taiwan. It looks nearly exactly like the FG-331 pictured in this thread, except the truss rod is accessible through the soundhole (no TRC on the headstock) and there is no backstripe and no binding on the neck heel. The tuners have closed backs but are not sealed. I've had it with me for all these years, and it has a ton of wear. Fret wear, fingerboard divots, nut needs to be replaced, etc. Having said all that, it still plays pretty well - no problems with the neck, and the action is great. The sound is very bright, and louder than might be expected. It works pretty well for fingerpicking (if only the neck were wider...). It's my office guitar, and it's right here under my cubicle desk as I type this. Just wondering where it falls in the hierarchy of Yamahas. It was pretty cheap when it was new... maybe $125 or so. I got to pick it out, and I remember that my choices were the Yamaha and some Hohner dread. I insisted on the Yamaha!
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Old 10-13-2009, 10:15 AM
TwoMartinMan TwoMartinMan is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pickoid_1 View Post
Does anyone know how the FG-331 relates to the SJ-180? My first "real" guitar was a Yamaha SJ-180 that I got for Christmas when I was in 6th grade. That would have been... 1980.
Funny you should post this. I was in a pawn shop yesterday and they had an SJ-180. I couldn't help but notice it because I thought it might be another FG-331 until I saw the label. The Yamaha website says the SJ-180 was made between 1981 and 1985, and the site refers to it as a "semi-jumbo".. which seems odd in that it measures out to be in the triple 0 size range.
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Old 10-13-2009, 11:47 AM
pickoid_1 pickoid_1 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TwoMartinMan View Post
Funny you should post this. I was in a pawn shop yesterday and they had an SJ-180. I couldn't help but notice it because I thought it might be another FG-331 until I saw the label. The Yamaha website says the SJ-180 was made between 1981 and 1985, and the site refers to it as a "semi-jumbo".. which seems odd in that it measures out to be in the triple 0 size range.
Yes, it's definitely close to a 000. The date range you quoted made me do a little more thinking. It turns out I had my math wrong. I would have gotten the guitar for Christmas in 1982, not 1980. I'm not quite as old as I thought I was...
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Old 10-13-2009, 03:46 PM
TwoMartinMan TwoMartinMan is offline
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Default Photos of my FG-331

Here's some photos of my FG-331, showing the closed tuners. I measured again, very carefully, and sure enough, the nut width is 1 3/4" on the money. Can you believe this thing is 30 years old?


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Old 10-14-2009, 08:13 AM
1cubilindo 1cubilindo is offline
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Quote:
Sure is a beauty! They do hold up well over the years. Mine looks new too although the guy I got mine from had bought it new as a kid and then started playing bass shortly after. He told me it had been played probably no more than a handful of hours in the last 30 years
Yours is truly a beauty. A few months ago I found an Fg-160 at a flea market that was extremely beat up, but the neck and action were still good after some work. May not be easy on the eyes, but sounds great. Pretty good for a 30 year old guitar with a hard life.

The son of a friend has it on "loan" till he graduates from HS, and then I look forward to getting her gussied up.
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  #14  
Old 06-01-2011, 03:14 PM
BergenCountyNJ BergenCountyNJ is offline
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You got a nice one, there TMM. I bought the same model in Ukiah, CA in 1979 or 80. It has taken a beating, and lost some of the great sound it had years ago. I have a couple for questions for you. I adjusted the neck recently by turning the nut all the way clockwise. It seems to have made a positive difference. I think I'm maxed out in that direction, though, and can only return counter-clockwise. It doesn't sound bad at this point. I put on a set of D'Addario bronze wound mediums on the 331, which might seem a bit heavy, but I'm taking the advice of Cheryl Wheeler, who told me she always uses DR 13's on her small body, handcrafted acoustic. Have you experimented with different strings, and do you have any suggestions as far as adjusting the truss rod is concerned.

Thanks. Great photos.
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Old 06-01-2011, 03:42 PM
bluzboy bluzboy is offline
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That is indeed a beauty in terrific shape. I have a 1980 FG-331 with the closed tuners as well (I'm guessing that the ones without covers were removed at some point). I haven't measured the nut on mine, but now I guess I have to--never even guessed it might be 1.75".

Mine isn't in as good condition as yours (though I also picked it up for a song), but I can vouch for the sound--rich, well-balanced, and surprisingly loud for a concert grand body.

Enjoy it. It's one of the best of the old Yammies.
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