Ngd Yamaha FG 180 50th Anniversary

[Riverwolf]

Originally Posted by AtlGator

this is an exceptionally fine instrument at the current street price.

? OK. Just saying that your review would sound much better without the reference to price point.
Like at what price point would it no longer be an exceptionally fine instrument?

Originally Posted by gbaron

well no, that's not what i said, i said this is a guitar that i have never heard in person anything else come close to. it's an incredible guitar for the price, and more.

(are we having a 3-way hug here?)

I am a Yamaha fan. I am not interested in this model simply due to the nut width and the string spacings at both the nut and the saddle.
I have a brand new 10 month old LS6 waiting to see if I can alter these enough to satisfy my playing.
Sorry not trying to rain on your NGD parades.
I would love to see Yamaha rise above the "Bang for the Buck" category.

[AtlGator]

This guitar stands on its own. I have played dozens of guitars at local GCs, nothing sounds like this, and it is one of my favorites at any price.

[buddyholly713]

I tend to agree with gbaron in that I haven't played anything that feels and sounds quite like this FG180-50, among guitars I've both owned and sampled.

I've owned a Martin D-18 (1970), Yamaha FG180 (1972), Guild D-40 (1976), Taylor 714 (1995), Recording King RD06 (2014) and my current guitar, the recently redesigned Martin 000-18 (2015). I don't collect them -- I just keep moving on to the next guitar and selling the old one. Having the FG180-50 as a second guitar right now is unusual for me.

I can still imagine the feel and sound of all the guitars I've left behind. (Isn't that a song -- All the girls I've left behind?) Each was different in some way. None had quite the sound of this FG180-50.

Also, I think the comments about the relevance of price are interesting. My new $80 FG180 in 1970, for instance, would have sounded no different had it gone for $2,000. But for Yamaha to achieve what it did with that original FG180 for that price I think is remarkable. About that same time I had paid $320 for my new Martin D-18. So Martin had a lot more money to play with -- four times as much, to be exact. Doesn't make Martin's achievement any less significant, just different.

For that matter, the $300 Recording King RD-06 I bought in 2014 was an amazing guitar, especially compared with the approximately $2,400 for a D-18 at that time.

When you achieve more with fewer resources, I think that deserves special notice.

[merlin666]

So is the runout of the top that was reported earlier an intentional historical detail of this edition or is it an inconsistent flaw of individual instruments?

[cooper59]

the one post talked about his vintage 2010 yamaha. ????? how is 6 years old vintage. by the way i don't think one person said that the top is a.r.e. i have a ls16 with the are top and its amazing. Thats probably the biggest reason the 180 sounds so good.

[AtlGator]

Originally Posted by cooper59

... by the way i don't think one person said that the top is a.r.e. i have a ls16 with the are top and its amazing. Thats probably the biggest reason the 180 sounds so good.

Precisely, was thinking of this last night. I mean, it's a sitka top, mahogany sides, scalloped bracing - like thousands of other well-made guitars. But I would say that treatment to the top is a big reason why it sounds unlike anything else I've heard. Plus it smells so **** new! The case is sweet, too.

All in all, a great package. There are a few still out there for purchase and trial in the home. Happy playing!

[buddyholly713]

As of a few minutes ago, Guitar Center still has these "In stock and ready to ship." Looks like the originally promised 180 limited production run has become an endless supply.

I finally got around to changing the factory strings, and wow, what a difference! I use a very light weight, flexible string -- Martin FX130 custom silk & phosphor .011-.047 -- and suddenly the guitar is very playable and sweet sounding to me. I know, I know -- this is like trying to make a dreadnought play like a 000. But even when I play a big guitar, I'm pretty easy-going. The factory strings sounded brassy to me. These Martins really bring out the beauty of this guitar, IMO.

[rwmct]

Originally Posted by Riverwolf

? OK. Just saying that your review would sound much better without the reference to price point.

* * *
I would love to see Yamaha rise above the "Bang for the Buck" category.

Never going to happen. Price point is a hugely relevant subject. Most people have a budget range, and go shopping for guitars within that range. That is the comparison most people are going to make. Look at all the threads that start: what is a great guitar for under [$200, $300, etc]. The Yammis always hold their own in guitars in their price range.

People tend to categorize things they want to buy into price ranges. Complaining about that is like complaining that the sun rises in the East rather than the West. Its silly.

[mpaar]

Yamaha sending 180 FG-180 50th Anniversary guitars to each country sounds ok to me. That would be a nice way to market the 50th Anniversary version of the 1966 FG-180. So, how many do they make in total? I guess we find out later in life.

mike

[alvinjismyl]

Sigh, other countries don't necessarily get 180 pieces of this FG180-50 as our one of forum members heard from Yamaha rep. Singapore only has 10 pieces. I got the last one.

[Jarvis]

I just had an owner sent this guitar to me for me for enhancement work.

Firstly it looks like a plain jane but once i took one strum...i was like wow wow wow...too bad its all sold out in Singapore.

well made and its built very lightly. lots of low end and it sound likes its aged ..which could be due to the ARE technology applied on the top and not forgetting the scallop bracing.

They should be making more of this. The neck is way more beefy as compared to the L series which explains as this added the sustain ..

I did a video with my Audio Techica Condenser Mic...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu9i...ature=youtu.be

let me know what do you think about it ...

cheers jarvis

[Orfeas]

It looks beautiful! Congrats!

[fastestlouigie]

Originally Posted by Jarvis

I just had an owner sent this guitar to me for me for enhancement work.

Firstly it looks like a plain jane but once i took one strum...i was like wow wow wow...too bad its all sold out in Singapore.

well made and its built very lightly. lots of low end and it sound likes its aged ..which could be due to the ARE technology applied on the top and not forgetting the scallop bracing.

They should be making more of this. The neck is way more beefy as compared to the L series which explains as this added the sustain ..

I did a video with my Audio Techica Condenser Mic...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu9i...ature=youtu.be

let me know what do you think about it ...

cheers jarvis

Jarvis,you are a legend. 'Glad you like the FG180-50th, I love it.
Keep up the good work with the reviews!

[Bonzo]

Yeah, great review Jarvis

[erivel]

Nice review Jarvis! I'm planning to have a bone but and saddle installed on mine. Not a fan of the plastic bridge pins either, so might swap them for ebony or water buffalo.