NGD - Yamaha FG375S - 1978

[One Whisker]

Stumbled on a great find this week. A 41 year old FG. $330.
Serial number dates it to Taiwan, June 1978. Pics in link below

https://drive.google.com/drive/folde...dA?usp=sharing

This one's a solid top. One previous owner who has stored it in a loft and never played it for 40 years. He is a retired pro musician who played primarily electric and had a bunch of other guitars.

Honestly the thing looks hardly played. 1978 and looks close to new. Wont be for long though. Plan on playing it heaps and catching up on 40 years in a case.

Yamaha called it their "Jumbo Folk" guitar. Have pictured it next to my Japan made AW70 (which is about the same age and based on a d-18 ) for shape/scale comparison.

Sort of a cross between a 00 and a D size. Body is shallower but lower bout is slightly wider.

Will post opinions/comparison comments soon but I've long been interested in the FGs and stoked to find a good one.

A great affordable guitar.

[sportycliff]

She's a beaut!
Nice steal!

[TBman]

Nice find. It looks amazing.

[AndrewG]

Lovely, and unusual to find one in such great shape. Big Yamaha fan here.

[macoshark]

Fantastic score

[Stomp]

Congtrats on a great score!
I have one just like it bought new in the 70s.
Light as a feather, very resonant and has survived all the ravages of time and relocations in my life.
I'm trying to find the time to make a new nut for it, mine has a few battle scars but is by and large one of the smartest guitar purchases that I made as a young 'un.

[MChild62]

Not "great shape," it looks completely brand new! Did the former owner have a cryonegic storage chamber in his attic?

[rumble]

You’ve done well with the FG375. AND the AW70!!

[Beakybird]

Great find! Tell us how it plays!

[One Whisker]

Originally Posted by MChild62

Not "great shape," it looks completely brand new! Did the former owner have a cryonegic storage chamber in his attic?

Yeah it scrubbed up real well! I was pleasantly surprised. Took a few hours of fret and metal polishing though. Had 40 year old strings on there too! Very light gauge, possibly even electric guitar ones. The third was unwound.

[One Whisker]

Originally Posted by rumble

You’ve done well with the FG375. AND the AW70!!

Thanks, the Ibanez is what got me interested in looking for a Yamaha and made me realise there are some great old guitars out there, and the cost is often not high.

I also dig the mojo/uniqueness/history or however you describe it of an older instrument.

And the colour of aged spruce!

[stormin1155]

Those and the 365s are great guitars, and yours looks to be in great shape! Congratulations!

I have several Yamahas from that era (FG-110, FG-160, FG-170, FG-512, G-50, `and CJ-818). A 365 or 375 is definitely on my bucket list.

[One Whisker]

Originally Posted by stormin1155

Those and the 365s are great guitars, and yours looks to be in great shape! Congratulations!

I have several Yamahas from that era (FG-110, FG-160, FG-170, FG-512, G-50, `and CJ-818). A 365 or 375 is definitely on my bucket list.

That’s a fascinating collection. Have you posted about them anywhere?

[antvas1963]

Nice score!

[One Whisker]

Ok so some observations and details to assist those who may be considering an FG.

Obviously the warnings are out there about old FG's and neck angle. Some are off apparently but the good ones are still out there.

I find the guitar very solidly constructed. i.e. heavily braced inside. The longest two back ladder braces are almost three times as wide as some other guitars I have seen. The top x bracing is straight and substantial not scalloped and the popsicle brace is massive. I'm theorising that these guitars were made solidly to withstand shipping and export and that that this model, being the first solid top introduced to the FG line was thoroughly braced to prevent any cracking problems.

The materials are good quality IMO. The top is immaculately quarter sawn with pretty dramatic cross silking from edge to edge. Wood purfling/rosette is a tasteful choice as there is enough "bling" in the wood itself not to need anything fancy.

The rosewood is ply (2 or 3 piece I understand). But is rosewood nonetheless. As such it looks very good from both sides and actually smells and feels like solid rosewood. I have no idea what tonal implications this mat/may not have but I think the success of the FG's can be attributed somewhat to the quality of this ply.

The plastic nut and saddle are sure to be just generic hardware mass produced and installed. Custom bone replacements are sure to make an improvement, will be doing this asap.

Playability wise I can't see that with the proper set up that this won't play well as any guitar I could hope to have. It plays and intonates great now but I can tell that a fret level and dress and some fine tuning will get it perfect. It is slightly short scale (about 25") and the neck is the beefiest I have played (I'm used to fairly modern "performance" type necks) and totally comfortable if not just a little different to get used to.

Straight edge test for neck angle puts the fret level just a hair lower than the bridge. Saddle height looks not to have been ever lowered.

Sound wise, It is what I would associate more with a 000 than a D. I can't describe sounds but it seems to have a bit of everything that I had hoped an expected for and a just a hint of pleasant strident honkiness that lends it well for singing, jamming and cutting through. Ample headroom too.

I was looking for a daily player to keep out permanently in the living room and this is PERFECT. A quality instrument and is clearly built to be robust and doesn't need babying but still delivers a hugely satisfying sound and a pleasure to play.

I don't think It's really played in and opened up yet.