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  #16  
Old 04-09-2014, 08:01 AM
pf400 pf400 is offline
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To answer your question, I only changed the nut.

The quitar sounds more like a classical than not...really nice tone for just about any style whether fingerpicking or using a pick. It took awhile to get used to not having fret markers. Overcome by just concentrating harder on where you are going next in a piece, and by practice. Also between pieces I re-focus on the neck, ensuring my perspective of where certain positions are . For example in Romanza I have to jump from the open position to the 9th fret very quickly. I just visualize the jump before starting the piece and when it comes time to do it it just happens.

Pursuant to an earlier post on AGF about switching over to a neck without markers after years of playing with markers, I ordered and received a set of stickers. Came all the way from Japan, cost 8.00 total and they seem to be decent. Haven't had to install them as I'm making fewer errors now. The web site is inlaystickers.com. They have a wide variety of stickers...inlays, rosettes, etc.
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  #17  
Old 04-09-2014, 09:53 AM
bbrown bbrown is offline
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I put little coloured stickers, from the dollar store, on the top of the neck to mark frets. It was an aid when I was initially learning the fingerboard, but has sort of become habit now. I can see where I am going very quickly from above the guitar and I find that the visual cue helps me jump around the neck faster and more accurately.
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  #18  
Old 04-09-2014, 01:42 PM
KenSargent KenSargent is offline
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The string spacing is easy to change if you replace the nut - and given that both the nut and the saddle are plastic, you may find that you get a little better acoustic tone with bone anyway. I switched both and had the tech bump the string spacing up to 40mm (it's 37.5 stock) - which matches the spacing on my steel string Larrivées which have a 1.75" nut. So there is definitely plenty of room if you decide you want to change it. I would change the saddle to bone regardless, but that's me.

A GREAT guitar - it sounds amazing plugged into my Loudbox Mini.

ken
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  #19  
Old 04-10-2014, 10:27 AM
bbrown bbrown is offline
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Well, I guess I waited too long doing this research. The owner sold the Yamaha! Anybody else want to trade a Cordoba or LaPetrie for my Martin?
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  #20  
Old 04-10-2014, 11:43 AM
Dave T Dave T is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bbrown View Post
A crossover seemed a good idea, as all I know is steel string, and I've been doing solo fingerstyle (and classical pieces) on a dreadnaught! BTW, that also is considered verbotin by many and I've been chastised for that as well.

Thumb wrapping may be unsightly to some but I wonder if it's more an issue of classical players never having learned how to do it.

BTW, John Fahey is more than "some other guitar player"; he's rather a demigod, on the order of Leo Kottke. Just wanted to clarify

Of course I'll be playing the guitar for some time prior to any changes to the nut. I have large hands and it might be just fine for me.
bbrown,

A crossover is probably a good idea. I wasn't saying you shouldn't consider one, just that it isn't really a "classical" guitar.

I suspect the main reason classical players don't thumb wrap is because with 52-54mm nut widths most normal folks simply can't reach around the neck with their thumbs. (smile)

No disrespect to Mister Fahey, but he's far from a demigod in the classical world. Just sayin'!

Dave
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  #21  
Old 04-10-2014, 01:38 PM
Garthman Garthman is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bbrown View Post
One wonders why in the world Yamaha doesn't just make these with a better spacing in the first place, when so many folks seem to be swapping their nut for a wider one.
Indeed - I entirely agree. A lot of their models suffer from the same thing - they do not utilize the width of the fretboard very well - too much distance between the E strings and fretboard edge {I don't know why thingy}.
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  #22  
Old 04-11-2014, 05:48 AM
KenSargent KenSargent is offline
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I did a bit of thinking about this when I was considering changing mine. The original string spacing was 37.5mm with a 48mm nut. That is narrower than my Larrivée steel string which has a narrower (1 3/4") nut. My thinking is that, in keeping with the concept of building a nylon string for steel string players, they spaced the strings in keeping with a typical dreadnaught which usually has a 1 11/16" nut. I don't own a guitar with this particular size nut, so I can't do the measurements - but I think that's it. I suppose they figured that those who wanted a wider spacing had room to open it up with the wider neck.

I have never seen a guitar in this price range that didn't need something changed - in this case, the change is easy, the upgrade to bone is worth doing in its own right, and the other great points about the instrument make it easily worth the charge to make this small change.

ken
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  #23  
Old 04-11-2014, 06:48 AM
bbrown bbrown is offline
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I really regret that the guy I was corresponding with re. making the trade for my Martin just sold his Yamaha. I was disappointed after getting the great feedback here. Anyway, I'm back to square one, hoping to either sell my Martin or find another trade for a crossover or a classical.

The cool thing is that owning a great guitar is a little like currency amongst guitar lovers - there are many options that don't mean having to spend more money. I'm sure something good will come with a bit of time.
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  #24  
Old 07-19-2014, 10:22 PM
kotkot kotkot is offline
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Default Yamaha !

I have Yamaha Ntx 900 ... i dont like the sound of it ... the notes are dead !!
really i dont like it .. the yamaha is a commercial company in guitar production !!
i bought many yamaha guitars .. really disappointed .. some time i feel that my yamaha c70 better than the Ntx900 .. not kidding !

exept one guitar i like it in the yamaha CG171 ..something like this
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  #25  
Old 07-21-2014, 07:48 AM
ewalling ewalling is offline
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The only thing that puts me off the Yamahas is the long 14-fret neck. On a classical/nylon crossover I prefer 12 and a cutaway or, failing that, 12 without one.
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  #26  
Old 10-09-2014, 12:15 PM
BobbyA BobbyA is offline
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Default NTX 1200 R electronics are fantastic

Blabladouble

Last edited by BobbyA; 10-09-2014 at 12:22 PM.
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  #27  
Old 10-09-2014, 12:20 PM
BobbyA BobbyA is offline
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Default NTX 1200 R electronics are fantastic

I've had a NTX1200R for about 2 years. It is a wonderful guitar with great active pickups/electronics... I did a major modification because the neck is so wide, much too wide for its string spacing, which is decently close to a Jumbo Gibson nut (Gibson's E to E is 1 and 7/16ths inch). So the Yamaha NTX plays great as a jazz and fingerstyle guitar, but the dang neck is too wide to comfortably bring your thumb over to make an F or a G on say, Stefan Grossman type Rev. Gary Davis Tunes or Irish fingerstyle tunes.

So, I had a local luthier/tech grab his fret edger and file and we took about 3/16" off from the nut tapered to ~ zero inches at the 5th fret (on the bass side of the neck). It basically eliminated the black plastic fretboard binding and some of the ebony fretboard down by the nut. We also put a little round depression right where the thumb would sit to make a bass G note on the 6th string (3rd fret-low E). It makes a huge difference, although its still much harder to grab those thumb bass notes than on my Taylor 416ce. I did recently put a Tusk Gibson Jumbo nut on the Taylor 416 to mirror that on a Taylor T5 - (E to E is 1 and 7/16ths inch). That is something I highly recommend if you like Gibson 335 string spacing like I do. Anyhow, both the Taylor 416 and the Yamaha are wonderful axes.

Last edited by BobbyA; 10-09-2014 at 02:43 PM.
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  #28  
Old 11-13-2014, 09:19 PM
sbruce sbruce is offline
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I know this is an old thread...but I just got an NTX700 cedar from Sweetwater and really like it....except for the string spacing. I agree with other posts...needs to be wider.

What nut are you guys using to be the appropriate spacing?
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  #29  
Old 11-15-2014, 04:47 PM
Pitar Pitar is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bbrown View Post
I'm currently a steel string fingerstyle solo acoustic player. A lot of my pieces are classical based or straight classical. I am ready for a classical guitar.

So I decided I'd part with my Martin D 16GT and consider a trade or cash for a decent classical guitar. I love the Martin and it was selected for it's wonderful tone, but I have a Collings and a Lowden that cover the same territory.

Anyway, I have an offer for a Yamaha NTX 1200R. I read that there are some issues; a very wide neck, and cramped string spacing. I wrap my thumb over the top a lot (think Fahey) and hear that that can be difficult due to the overly wide neck. I suppose a new bridge and nut could overcome this.

I would like to hear what folks would recommend for a classical in this price range ($900) and what current opinion of the Yamaha NTX 1200R is, versus say a LaPetrie or Cordoba of compable worth (used).

A very general question I know, but I'm just looking for some advice,

Thanks,

--Bill
If folks are saying the neck on the NTX1200R is wide then they must have demure hands. I did find the string spacing needlessly narrow. The neck can easily accommodate wider spacing so I had a new nut cut to do just that and now I'm fine with it. It cost me $35.00 to have a M&P tech do it for me. Strictly a fingerpicker, I'm either on the Yamaha or my one remaining steel string. I can say that the Yamaha is not what I'd call the best sounding unplugged nylon string guitar but I did not buy it for that. I was looking for a decent-playing, non-classical neck nylon string guitar to play plugged. This Yamaha by far excels at that. It's a cross-over. I can play for hours and not reduce my nails to misshapen nubs and still sound pretty decent. I traded a Rick 330-12 for it.
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  #30  
Old 11-15-2014, 04:55 PM
sbruce sbruce is offline
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I'm thinking about returning it and picking up a used Taylor 214. Anyone compared the 2? I really like the sound, neck, etc. of the Yamaha, but the string spacing is a deal-breaker. I don't have a tech near me to cut a new nut, so I hate to keep the guitar past the return time. I can drive a few hours to find a place that would be able to cut a new nut, but I'm not totally sure it would fix the issue.

Anyone know if you can get the spacing to feel like a 1 3/4? That's why I'm looking at the Taylors, I believe they designed the spacing to feel like their standard acoustics, but it ends up being wider to accommodate the strings.
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