Yamaha Guitar: FG-180 Nippon Gakki Mystery

[larryplatz]

Just to keep pounding on what everyone else is saying-keep the guitar and have a new nut made with wider string spacing. My first good acoustic was a 1970 FG140. At that time,I was coming from playing strictly Fender Strats so the narrow string spacing was ideal for me. But once I tried another acoustic with a wider nut, I saw how much easier it was to play. I recently was given a duplicate guitar by my luthier/dealer friend and he had put a wider nut on it. It plays as easily as any of my other guitars which have 1 11/16 or 1 3/4 nut widths. It shouldn't set you back more than $30-40 and you will be able to play it comfortably and have something very special.

[dirkronk]

Originally Posted by Gizmot

I had an FG-180 back in the late 60's and it was a wonderful instrument. Although a Martin D-18 or D-28 were better sounding, the Yamaha held its own pretty well especially since it was 1/5 the price.

Actually, about a fourth of the price, unless you got a REAL good deal. In 1968/69, my freshman year of college, I was saving up for an in-stock 1968 Martin D-28 ($425 MSRP/tag price...$375 street price and my savings goal) but due to switching universities, had to use much of that dough for moving expenses and ended up getting a new 1969 FG-180 ($130 tag price...$100 negotiated out-the-door-with-soft-side-case price). I remember these prices well, since the Martin was still being made with Brazilian and the regrets at not being able to swing the purchase stuck with me for years. Eventually, though, I came to truly love my Yammie...which was a constant companion through early travels and all of life. It hangs on the wall over my desk here at work...I just rehung it up there after about 15 minutes of noodling before jumping onto the computer this morning.



Dirk

[Opa John]

Originally Posted by bhumphries

I cannot play an A Major in that small of a place on one fret. So, I have to sell it.

Thanks, Bob Humphries

There is more than one way to play an "A" major chord. Try this one.

002224 - Play the 2nd, 3rd and 4th strings with the index finger only. Then play the 1st string with your ring finger or pinky.

[kydave]

Back in the day, more than a few of us couldn't afford a second Martin, but needed a backup guitar on stage for the mid song busted strings that seemed to happen more in the pre-pickup days. I had a couple of the FG-180's at different periods of time.

Sam Bush & Curtiss Birch each had one, if memory serves. Sam was telling me the first (or one of the early) New Grass Revival LPs was recording mainly using the Yamaha because it recorded so well.

Keep it!

[Glen.]

Yamaha was formed in 1887 as the Nippon Gakki company, meaning the Japan Musical Instrument Company, so Nippon Gakki is probably paying homage to the origins of the company.

(wikipedia)

[mdutr0]

The Yamaha FG-180 is a great guitar if it's in good condition. It's probably the most famous of the MIJ Yamaha guitars of that era. If the neck angle is still good, I would echo those who have said you ought to consider keeping it.

Otherwise, I can't add much that hasn't been said already. You're doing pretty good to get as much information as you have actually! Yamaha's record keeping and history can be a bit... murky at times and some sure 'nough (read: genuine) mysteries pop up from time to time with regard to their past models.

Enjoy the guitar and/or good luck with the sale!

[Fred]

There are three or four different ways to play the A chord. Don't give up on the guitar.
I think Opa John REALLY meant his A chord to be
002225, not 002224. The fifth fret on the high E string is the A note. (Just a typo, I'll bet.)

[steveyam]

A few points.

The neck, in all ways, is pretty standard when compared to most other acoustic guitars. So if you sell it, and buy a different guitar, the chances are that you will still struggle to play that A chord.

Don't blame the guitar. Try playing the A chord 'rock style' using just the 'greater pad' of your third finger, held at an angle so that it has space to clear the first string. This method also allows you to move to barre chords more quickly based on the A shape. In short, persevere with your technique. Again, don't blame the guitar. You should look at some of the old bluesmen, they had sausages for fingers, but they managed! As your fingers tips harden, so they will not flatten and 'squadge out' so much when holding down a string, and there'll be less tendency to foul adjacent strings. Practise, practise.

Lastly, you may find that although the nut width is quite sufficient, that the string spacing has been cut too close. I am a Yamaha fan/collector and I'm also a guitar technician, and it is not a difficult job for a tech to increase the string spacing. This can be done by fitting a new nut, alternatively filling the existing nut slots up with bone dust/super glue, and then re-cutting as appropriate.

In short, don't sell the guitar, they're nice instruments, it's your own technique and/or the string spacing that needs work on.

Only a couple of weeks ago I fitted a new nut for someone who needed more room between the strings and he is totally happy with the results. For him, it was a case of going from unplayable to playable.

Best of luck.

[geordie]

A maj, - 002220 my way = 00imr0 - really
same fingering as a D' maj - shifted over and all fingers in the 2nd fret
try it
Geo