Yamaha FG-110 '73 Neck Condition

[PurpleYams]

First post here, as I'm primarily a bass player. In need of some acoustic advice however

Recently bought a '73 Yamaha FG-110 online. Seller said neck is straight and action is low, plays like a dream etc. Perfect - my goal was to find a relatively cheap yet nice old Yamaha that would not need a neck reset (realizing now this might not be impossible or is quite rare).

Guitar arrives and is in quite good condition. Action is very low and the neck is pretty "straight." However, this thing has been modified to avoid a neck reset, about as much as possible. The saddle is barely extending above the bridge, and the strings have been quite heavily ramped into the pegs.

With a straight-edge on the neck, held across to the bridge, it's landing about 3/16" below the top surface of the bridge. Maybe not too bad for its age?

This wasn't visible from the sellers images and had been conveniently avoided in the guitars description and in our interactions. I'm wondering if I should just play the guitar and enjoy it or send it back and look for a better specimen (which in reality may not exist or will be very rare). A neck reset would cost more than I paid for it. It does have a pretty sweet, nuanced tone with some warmth and a lot of natural "reverb" or harmonics, if a bit thin and ever so slightly boxy. It's got a nice sonic character to it, and the action is very playable. Is she a keeper? Would a higher saddle improve tone drastically? Would you complain about this to the seller or is it par for the course with cheaper vintage guitars?

[stormin1155]

Welcome to the forum! Those old FGs are cool and sound pretty good for what they are. I have several of them. But for under $300 you can buy a brand new FG/FS800, which is probably a better guitar. My advice is send it back and get a new guitar, but if you're set on a vintage one, read on.

You could probably play yours for several years before the "bandaid" runs out and you will need a reset. Would it sound better with a taller saddle? Yes. How much better, we don't know. A traditional dovetail reset will cost more than the guitar, and more than it's worth.

What I do with cheap guitars like this is a bolt conversion, where I separate the fingerboard overhang using heat like you normally would, and make a cut between the neck heel and body. I take off the sliver of material on the heel to get the right neck angle, then install threaded inserts into the heel and run bolts from the inside. Much quicker (cheaper) than a traditional reset, if you can find someone who will do it for you.

[JLS]

Originally Posted by stormin1155

Welcome to the forum! Those old FGs are cool and sound pretty good for what they are. I have several of them. But for under $300 you can buy a brand new FG/FS800, which is probably a better guitar. My advice is send it back and get a new guitar, but if you're set on a vintage one, read on.

You could probably play yours for several years before the "bandaid" runs out and you will need a reset. Would it sound better with a taller saddle? Yes. How much better, we don't know. A traditional dovetail reset will cost more than the guitar, and more than it's worth.

What I do with cheap guitars like this is a bolt conversion, where I separate the fingerboard overhang using heat like you normally would, and make a cut between the neck heel and body. I take off the sliver of material on the heel to get the right neck angle, then install threaded inserts into the heel and run bolts from the inside. Much quicker (cheaper) than a traditional reset, if you can find someone who will do it for you.

I don't even try to steam them loose anymore, other than the fingerboard tongue. I go right to the saw-off bolt on conversion; I've used both threaded inserts or 1/4-20 hanger bolts.

[PurpleYams]

There's something sweet about the sound of this little guitar that does seem a bit special which has me hesitant to send it back. There's some kind of complexity or nuance or weirdness that I just don't often hear with modern acoustics.

Maybe I'll keep it, see how many more years I can get out of it, and if needed, go with a bolt-on conversion down the road.

[p^h]

Originally Posted by PurpleYams

There's something sweet about the sound of this little guitar that does seem a bit special which has me hesitant to send it back. There's some kind of complexity or nuance or weirdness that I just don't often hear with modern acoustics.

Maybe I'll keep it, see how many more years I can get out of it, and if needed, go with a bolt-on conversion down the road.

I'm feeling the same about my old SJ-180. Lovely little guitar with a unique and pleasant voice. But it'll need a neck reset, and I'm weighing the costs of repair against its value. Meanwhile, it's safely stashed away in its case...