I've been buying MIJ acoustic guitars and electric guitars for the last 5 years. I've learned how to shape nuts and saddles and install modern sealed tuners. I've graduated to removing rosewood bridges and flattering belly bulge. One thing I can recommend. This the easiest tone improvement for any acoustic guitar: Change the bridge pins to Ebony bridge pins. You'll never go back to plastic pins. I guarantee it.
I was able to find an fg75 online probably 10 years ago and it's my go to guitar cleaned it up did a setup on it and it's amazing it projects so well also found a fg140 recently they stay out all the time
Thats Awesome!!! All you have to do is not quit! Also Pro-tip, when you're watching TV/netflix/whatever hold the guitar... even if you dont play it... hold it.... it starts feeling less alien very quickly and believe it or not it REALLY helps.
My sister bought this exact guitar for $75 Canadian in 1972......she has since passed away, and I'm still playing it today!! A beautiful instrument! Nice score!!
Sorry about your sister but so nice you still have and play her guitar. I lost my older brother in 2013 it's not easy Cheers Larry to you and your sister.
My first new guitar was a Yamaha FG 75, Red Label Made in Japan. I got it for Christmas, 1971. I wore the frets down, but I wish I still had that guitar!
I have red tag Fg-75 Nippon Gakki that my dad bought me in 79 or 80. It's been a great guitar and we got it for $50 bucks from a friend of mine. I don't play it much anymore and I put the wear and tear on my Epiphone.
The Red Labels, especially the ones made in Japan, are outstanding. I have a FG-75, FG-110 and FG-150. They are all excellent but the FG-75 is my favorite due to size and shape.
@@JobyP Yes, I did see that. I was unaware that they had a "tribute" or re-release thing going on until yesterday. Still, I would find the old ones. They are usually not expensive, but I swear, once set up and with new strings they sound fantastic!!
i was just given this exact model guitar. frets 1-3 need to be replaced. Is there a specific size fret that i can buy. Ive never played until now. So could use some help.
I have a tan label FG-75, mine's a '74. It got a little soundboard damage and I need to give it some cosmetic tlc but it sounds very good even in its current condition.
There’s something so Japanese about the wood of these necks. I dunno what it is. Maybe the glossy lacquer? I love them. I have an old FG dreadnaught (150?) and just got what appears to be a ‘71 or ‘72 red label Nippon Gakki FG-75 today and I am very much in love.
Thought I had already replied to you but… UA-cam is weird. I’m not even sure they made “Ball or Bullet End” Nylon strings then? I couldn’t find any original literature other than it saying Folk Guitar. Which would not dictate nylon strings. Classical Guitar would… anyway… Weird lol. Either way it’s an awesome guitar. I did sell this and Now I have the same one Elliott Smith played. I love them so much! Cheers to you my friend and thanks for watching and commenting.
@@santiagoona8177 Thank You! I use GHS Bright Bronze strings. Lights on this guitar. I sold it however now I have a Yamaha FG-180 so I don’t remember the scale length. Sorry. Thanks for watching and commenting it’s appreciated.
I had always hauled water for all solid wood guitars regardless of model..Shunned partial Laminated til I bought my first HPL. It was the Martin DX1. Realised HPL can sound good
This guitar is both, a solid top with laminate back and sides. I think a solid top makes the most difference which is why this type of construction is popular in mid-tier instruments. I too have certainly played some great sounding "Ply wood" guitars... They are not to be dismissed. Cheers!
Thanks for posting! I've got an FG 75 with original case. Just re-strung and tuned up. I'm learning how to play. Newbie. What is the song you are playing on your FG? Chords?
Congrats it’s “My Best Girl” by Lucero… I can’t tell you the chords off hand… sitting in a parking lot in Kalamazoo Michigan at the moment lol! Just search for the song name and Tab and you will find it. Great Song!!!
That model was my first acoustic guitar back in the mid 70's in high school.. it got pretty beat up with me having to beat off the girls with it :) Ohh the good ole' days..lol
I was wondering, because I may get one of these if I'm lucky for a good price; do you know the nut width? Is the shape of neck chunky, medium, or thin.( I like more thick necks) Thanks 👍 James
How’s the spacing on the last frets? I have a similar range fg 75 but I think the neck needs to be reset as the action is really high or at least compared to my newer acoustic/electric. The saddle and nut are bone but I may have to replace both with wear as this was a church guitar
@@JobyP the saddle on mine is low as well now that I look at it again, might be time for a Kung fu reset as my first attempt as mine is the Taiwan version so may not be worth much.
I clean with Naptha (available at just about any hardware store) lighter fluid like Ronsonal or Zippo fluid is essentially the same thing. After cleaning I use Scott’s Liquid Gold to condition* the wood.
Sure get some lighter fluid “Ronsonal or Zippo” brand and Litterally take it to the entire guitar. Everything. You may wanna get some “0000 Steel Wool” to polish the frets. Then here’s my best tip by some “Scott’s Liquid Gold” and just wipe it on the entire guitar after you’ve polished the frets and cleaned the whole thing with the lighter fluid. Warning this stuff feels really greasy so wipe it on with a paper towel and then wipe it off with another paper towel. I usually end up doing the “dry wipe” a few times so wipe it off… wait like 5 miniutes… wipe it off…. Wait…. Wipe it off this is because the oil will Leach back out of the wood (specifically the fret board) but anyway yeah get it fully dried off before you restring it! It’s a beautiful guitar and they sound amazing. Hope this helps! Cheers thanks for watching/commenting. It’s appreciated!
I’ve got a ‘68 FG-140 Red Label and it really is the best acoustic I’ve ever owned. Looking to add a 75 to my collection. You wanna sell that thing?? Haha.
Unfortunately I did sell it. After about a year it was obvious it was gonna require a neck reset in the not so distant future. It was still playing great but the saddle was LOW so I let it go. And the Japanese Yamahas were amazing guitars and still the best bang for your buck in vintage acoustics.
I nquired from an FG75 seller on EBay if any part of this guitar were solid wood components? He replied that the FG75 was all laminated. Top Sides and Back. His price just South of a hunnert bucks!!! Think I'm gonna pass on buying the 75. I know its cheep. But my drill is all solid wood construction. The FG180 Red Label may or may not be all solid wood tho. Inform me with your comments on that topic please. Happy geetar playing folks.
The following FG guitars are solid top guitars. Most of the rest are plywood, which is different than laminate. 1500, 2000, 2500, 500, 550, 580, 365S, 376S, and many of the 700 and 800 series. From an article on yamahavintagefgdotcom: It’s widely known that Yamaha made great laminated guitars on the 60’s & 70’s. Although that is actually not true. The top, back and sides are 3 ply plywood. But many people still question that they aren’t actually solid wood, because they don’t sound like plywood guitars, especially the earliest models. Plywood is a wooden board consisting of 2 or more layers glued and pressed together with the direction of the grain alternating, typically 90 degrees. Laminate is a wooden board (in the case of guitars) consisting of 2 or more layers glued and pressed together with the direction of the grain in the same direction.
wow, just saw this comment... sorry yeah my Reg Label FG75 was 100% a solid top guitar... The grain patters transfered from face to back and the side profile in the soundhole was solid.
it's hard to say... I've seen them sell for as much as $300 where I live but they can apparently can go for much higher/lower in some places so you have to check your local market.
I do still have it, I was trying to sell it for awhile honestly. Only because I get weird when I get past a certain number of guitars lol. I sold a couple others tho. I do have plans to swap the tuners (The old ones work fine) but I wanted to put on something a little nicer (Grover sta-tite 18:1 nickle) is what I'm thinking. And I want to swap the plastic bridge pins for real ebony. But I (Think) I'd entertain an offer.
Hi Arthur, only the Red and Green (even earlier) had solid wood tops... any FG75 made after that was laminated. I'm not sure about the new ones Yamaha is releasing but I thought I heard they were Japan made with solid tops.
Nope, it’s hard to date some of them precisely but FG red labels ran from 1966-1981 I sold this guitar and I currently have (what I believe to be a 1968 FG130) and it sounds like a million bucks. Cheers 🍻
I think the Nippon Gakki red labels end in ‘72. They moved production to Taiwan and while some labels were still red for a while, they no longer read “Nippon Gakki”.
As long as it Red Label and looks/plays ok then Yes! go for it but it’s a pawn shop so offer them $50 and they will say no... but ask why they would take for it... you’ll get it cheaper for sure!
To be honest I don’t quite remember I know they are GHS phosphor bronze and I’m pretty sure I went with a very light gauge like 12 to 54 I believe I also tried the GHS thin core 13s on it and they worked well too... I would stay light gauge I know they are GHS because I’m endorsed by them so it’s all I use
Thanks for sharing I have one of those guitars with nylon strings I want to change them to steel, does anybody knows what gauge or size is suitable for them to not bend the neck? thanks.
It's possible that it had ball end nylon strings but I would seriously doubt it. thats why I would say it was steel string. I can't find any original adds tho so who knows. Tho the point is it's a rad guitar. Cheers to you my friend.
I’m pretty sure I put GHS Phosphwr Bronze 11-52 on it. I honestly don’t remember and have since sold the guitar. But I’m endorsed by GHS so… it was definitely GHS and at the time I’m pretty sure I had some phosphor bronze laying around.
Don't you love how those frets collect skin-borne deposits? Sometimes I see "project" guitars on Ebay priced at hundreds of dollars, with a lot of skin goop in the frets, and worse yet, concave claw marks on the fret wood. Yuk.
A bit … yeah … it’s got a slimmer lower bout. It’s pretty much shaped like a classical guitar. But a whole lot of Japanese stuff back then was knocked off American designs.
In more than 30 years playing i have never been disappointed with yamaha stuff, what a company
Ditto!!! Yamaha is pretty consistently awesome.
My new acoustic! I love this thing... I may have found a new side-hobby. Collecting super cheap/fantastic sounding vintage Yamahas lol...
I've been buying MIJ acoustic guitars and electric guitars for the last 5 years. I've learned how to shape nuts and saddles and install modern sealed tuners.
I've graduated to removing rosewood bridges and flattering belly bulge.
One thing I can recommend. This the easiest tone improvement for any acoustic guitar:
Change the bridge pins to Ebony bridge pins. You'll never go back to plastic pins.
I guarantee it.
I was able to find an fg75 online probably 10 years ago and it's my go to guitar cleaned it up did a setup on it and it's amazing it projects so well also found a fg140 recently they stay out all the time
Sold my 75 bought a 140 recently sold the 140 out of brokenness kind of already regret it but I did need the money lol great guitars
I have an FG-75. I'm the third owner I know about. It's a wreck and I love it. If you fight it just right it sounds wonderful.
They are amazing little guitars!!! Cheers 🍻
I have the exact same guitar and I am trying to learn to play for the first time at age 57 years young! Wish me luck I might need it!
Thats Awesome!!! All you have to do is not quit! Also Pro-tip, when you're watching TV/netflix/whatever hold the guitar... even if you dont play it... hold it.... it starts feeling less alien very quickly and believe it or not it REALLY helps.
My sister bought this exact guitar for $75 Canadian in 1972......she has since passed away, and I'm still playing it today!! A beautiful instrument! Nice score!!
Sorry about your sister but so nice you still have and play her guitar. I lost my older brother in 2013 it's not easy Cheers Larry to you and your sister.
My first new guitar was a Yamaha FG 75, Red Label Made in Japan. I got it for Christmas, 1971. I wore the frets down, but I wish I still had that guitar!
They are fantastic Bob!!!
I have red tag Fg-75 Nippon Gakki that my dad bought me in 79 or 80. It's been a great guitar and we got it for $50 bucks from a friend of mine. I don't play it much anymore and I put the wear and tear on my Epiphone.
Great job cleaning that thing up. I love Yamaha acoustics, especially older ones. Definitely jealous of that find.
Thanks! It's a fantastic little guitar for sure! My eyes are going to stay peeled for more red labels!
i have this guitar ,i got the hand second after my father
The Red Labels, especially the ones made in Japan, are outstanding. I have a FG-75, FG-110 and FG-150. They are all excellent but the FG-75 is my favorite due to size and shape.
R. Wayne Trying to find Red Labels is my new hobby. Did you see they are releasing a new line of red labels?
@@JobyP Yes, I did see that. I was unaware that they had a "tribute" or re-release thing going on until yesterday. Still, I would find the old ones. They are usually not expensive, but I swear, once set up and with new strings they sound fantastic!!
Wow I just got one of these, made in Japan. Needs cleaned and restrung. Looks just like yours. Got it for 20 bucks
Congrats!!! Exactly what I paid for mine! They are Fantastic little guitars! Have fun thanks for watching/commenting it is appreciated cheers 🍻
oh man that is absolutely beautiful. Love the sound.
Thank you and thanks for watching/commenting it is appreciated cheers 🍻
I have this same guitar, it’s the best acoustic I’ve ever layed my hands on
It’s definitely up there for me!!!
i was just given this exact model guitar. frets 1-3 need to be replaced. Is there a specific size fret that i can buy. Ive never played until now. So could use some help.
Whoa! I have my 1970s fg that my Dad bought me when I was 12!!! Stored in a basement!! I want to bring it back!!!!
Ohhh! You REALLY should, they are FANTASTIC little guitars. Get that puppy outta that basement and bring it back to life!
I have a tan label FG-75, mine's a '74. It got a little soundboard damage and I need to give it some cosmetic tlc but it sounds very good even in its current condition.
I just picked up a red label FG-30 the Elliot smith guitar… I love it!
I literally just bought one at Value Village for 19.99 CAN Dollars
I'm ready excited to clean it up
Amazing!!! If you got a red label... you’re probably gonna be happy. I still have this one and play it often. fantastic little guitars!!!
@@JobyP yes, its a red label.
I couldn't believe it when I saw it for 19.99
Im Very happy with this find.
Have a great day
Wow, that fg certainly sounded more than the cost of a breakfast, or lunch or dinner. Congratulations on your find!
If you can find Red Label or Green labels they are amazing, thanks for watching .
There’s something so Japanese about the wood of these necks. I dunno what it is. Maybe the glossy lacquer? I love them. I have an old FG dreadnaught (150?) and just got what appears to be a ‘71 or ‘72 red label Nippon Gakki FG-75 today and I am very much in love.
They are incredible. I sold this one but now I have the FG-130 (the Elliot Smith Guitar)
I also have a FG-75 and I read they came with nylon strings as it was lauded as a folk guitar
Thought I had already replied to you but… UA-cam is weird. I’m not even sure they made “Ball or Bullet End” Nylon strings then? I couldn’t find any original literature other than it saying Folk Guitar. Which would not dictate nylon strings. Classical Guitar would… anyway… Weird lol. Either way it’s an awesome guitar. I did sell this and Now I have the same one Elliott Smith played. I love them so much! Cheers to you my friend and thanks for watching and commenting.
beautiful guitar What strings do you use and what inches for this Yamaha?
@@santiagoona8177 Thank You! I use GHS Bright Bronze strings. Lights on this guitar. I sold it however now I have a Yamaha FG-180 so I don’t remember the scale length. Sorry. Thanks for watching and commenting it’s appreciated.
according to Chris at Alamo Music, Yamaha has "reimagined" the Red Label guitars.
I had always hauled water for all solid wood guitars regardless of model..Shunned partial
Laminated til I bought my first HPL. It was the Martin DX1. Realised HPL can sound good
This guitar is both, a solid top with laminate back and sides. I think a solid top makes the most difference which is why this type of construction is popular in mid-tier instruments. I too have certainly played some great sounding "Ply wood" guitars... They are not to be dismissed. Cheers!
Thanks for posting! I've got an FG 75 with original case. Just re-strung and tuned up. I'm learning how to play. Newbie. What is the song you are playing on your FG? Chords?
Congrats it’s “My Best Girl” by Lucero… I can’t tell you the chords off hand… sitting in a parking lot in Kalamazoo Michigan at the moment lol! Just search for the song name and Tab and you will find it. Great Song!!!
That model was my first acoustic guitar back in the mid 70's in high school.. it got pretty beat up with me having to beat off the girls with it :) Ohh the good ole' days..lol
Yeah… agreed… When I was less fat and had more hair they were certainly a lot more prevalent in my life lol 😂 Here’s to getting old buddy! Cheers 🍻
I was wondering, because I may get one of these if I'm lucky for a good price;
do you know the nut width?
Is the shape of neck chunky, medium, or thin.( I like more thick necks)
Thanks 👍 James
the neck is not super wide nor is it super slim. It's some what chunky tho!
Because it looks like I have the exact same guitar except I can only see the serial number on the block on the inside
How’s the spacing on the last frets? I have a similar range fg 75 but I think the neck needs to be reset as the action is really high or at least compared to my newer acoustic/electric. The saddle and nut are bone but I may have to replace both with wear as this was a church guitar
Mine will likely need a neck reset in the next ten years or so. The action is very good right now but the saddle is extremely low.
@@JobyP the saddle on mine is low as well now that I look at it again, might be time for a Kung fu reset as my first attempt as mine is the Taiwan version so may not be worth much.
Taiwan = Do the Kung Fu Reset All day!
Besides a cloth what did you use to clean the fretboard?
I clean with Naptha (available at just about any hardware store) lighter fluid like Ronsonal or Zippo fluid is essentially the same thing. After cleaning I use Scott’s Liquid Gold to condition* the wood.
I inherited this same guitar and i don’t know how to clean it properly, any tips?
Sure get some lighter fluid “Ronsonal or Zippo” brand and Litterally take it to the entire guitar. Everything. You may wanna get some “0000 Steel Wool” to polish the frets. Then here’s my best tip by some “Scott’s Liquid Gold” and just wipe it on the entire guitar after you’ve polished the frets and cleaned the whole thing with the lighter fluid. Warning this stuff feels really greasy so wipe it on with a paper towel and then wipe it off with another paper towel. I usually end up doing the “dry wipe” a few times so wipe it off… wait like 5 miniutes… wipe it off…. Wait…. Wipe it off this is because the oil will Leach back out of the wood (specifically the fret board) but anyway yeah get it fully dried off before you restring it! It’s a beautiful guitar and they sound amazing. Hope this helps! Cheers thanks for watching/commenting. It’s appreciated!
One more Tip use fairly light strings on it… 11’s or 12’s at the most. It’s a pretty dainty guitar so it likes lighter strings.
@@JobyP thank you!
I’ve got a ‘68 FG-140 Red Label and it really is the best acoustic I’ve ever owned. Looking to add a 75 to my collection. You wanna sell that thing?? Haha.
Unfortunately I did sell it. After about a year it was obvious it was gonna require a neck reset in the not so distant future. It was still playing great but the saddle was LOW so I let it go. And the Japanese Yamahas were amazing guitars and still the best bang for your buck in vintage acoustics.
Do you still have it? Is it for sale?
I do still have it... not for sale... cheers 🍻
I nquired from an FG75 seller on EBay if any part of this guitar were solid wood components? He replied that the FG75 was all laminated. Top Sides and Back. His price just South of a hunnert bucks!!! Think I'm gonna pass on buying the 75. I know its cheep. But my drill is all solid wood construction. The
FG180 Red Label may or may not be all solid wood tho. Inform me with your comments on that topic please. Happy geetar playing folks.
The following FG guitars are solid top guitars. Most of the rest are plywood, which is different than laminate. 1500, 2000, 2500, 500, 550, 580, 365S, 376S, and many of the 700 and 800 series. From an article on yamahavintagefgdotcom:
It’s widely known that Yamaha made great laminated guitars on the 60’s & 70’s. Although that is actually not true. The top, back and sides are 3 ply plywood. But many people still question that they aren’t actually solid wood, because they don’t sound like plywood guitars, especially the earliest models. Plywood is a wooden board consisting of 2 or more layers glued and pressed together with the direction of the grain alternating, typically 90 degrees. Laminate is a wooden board (in the case of guitars) consisting of 2 or more layers glued and pressed together with the direction of the grain in the same direction.
wow, just saw this comment... sorry yeah my Reg Label FG75 was 100% a solid top guitar... The grain patters transfered from face to back and the side profile in the soundhole was solid.
what are they worth
it's hard to say... I've seen them sell for as much as $300 where I live but they can apparently can go for much higher/lower in some places so you have to check your local market.
i bought one at a flea market for $75. it’s in literally perfect condition. only has ONE scratch. sounds amazing
That’s a great deal!!! Enjoy it!!!
Do you still have that guitar? And if you do, do you want to sell it?
I do still have it, I was trying to sell it for awhile honestly. Only because I get weird when I get past a certain number of guitars lol. I sold a couple others tho. I do have plans to swap the tuners (The old ones work fine) but I wanted to put on something a little nicer (Grover sta-tite 18:1 nickle) is what I'm thinking. And I want to swap the plastic bridge pins for real ebony. But I (Think) I'd entertain an offer.
Assuming "reimagined" means market ploy to sell FG180's at a higher price. Using all solid woods of course.
Hi Arthur, only the Red and Green (even earlier) had solid wood tops... any FG75 made after that was laminated. I'm not sure about the new ones Yamaha is releasing but I thought I heard they were Japan made with solid tops.
Where can I buy a saddle for a fg-75
Just the saddle or the whole bridge? You can get bone blanks from Stew Mac but you will have to cut/shape it yourself or take it to a shop.
Did you ever find out what Year it is ?
Nope, it’s hard to date some of them precisely but FG red labels ran from 1966-1981 I sold this guitar and I currently have (what I believe to be a 1968 FG130) and it sounds like a million bucks. Cheers 🍻
I think the Nippon Gakki red labels end in ‘72. They moved production to Taiwan and while some labels were still red for a while, they no longer read “Nippon Gakki”.
What gauge strings?
12-54
There’s one at a pawn shop here for $100. Is that too much?
As long as it Red Label and looks/plays ok then Yes! go for it but it’s a pawn shop so offer them $50 and they will say no... but ask why they would take for it... you’ll get it cheaper for sure!
Joby Thanks!!
No problem!
What strings did you put on this guitar?
I don’t remember what was on it in this video.but now it has GHS thin core 13-56 the thin core string make 13’s feel like 11’s
Anyone know the scale length between the mold??? 😃
0.00025 Thousandths I think… lol 😂
I love that guitar.
Me tooooooo! Cheers 🍻
I have the exact same guitar I still play it on my channel
peeldumpz I love mine... I did swap the tuners for Grover 18:1 sta-tite’s and now I’d put it up against any small body acoustic out there! Cheers 🍻
Joby yeah I was thinking about switching out the old tuners because they are yellowing a lot. So I might do the same
What strings on this?
To be honest I don’t quite remember I know they are GHS phosphor bronze and I’m pretty sure I went with a very light gauge like 12 to 54 I believe I also tried the GHS thin core 13s on it and they worked well too... I would stay light gauge I know they are GHS because I’m endorsed by them so it’s all I use
Thanks for sharing I have one of those guitars with nylon strings I want to change them to steel, does anybody knows what gauge or size is suitable for them to not bend the neck? thanks.
I put 12-54’s on mine and I’m having Zero problems
Thanks for the help :)
I understand the FG-75 came with nylon strings as it was a "folk guitar"
I can't seem to find out whatever gauge strings, so I'll fake it
It's possible that it had ball end nylon strings but I would seriously doubt it. thats why I would say it was steel string. I can't find any original adds tho so who knows. Tho the point is it's a rad guitar. Cheers to you my friend.
Yo tengo una Yamaha fg 75 nippon gakki alguien la anda buscando
Precio??
can i get string model??
I’m pretty sure I put GHS Phosphwr Bronze 11-52 on it. I honestly don’t remember and have since sold the guitar. But I’m endorsed by GHS so… it was definitely GHS and at the time I’m pretty sure I had some phosphor bronze laying around.
Don't you love how those frets collect skin-borne deposits? Sometimes I see "project" guitars on Ebay priced at hundreds of dollars, with a lot of skin goop in the frets, and worse yet, concave claw marks on the fret wood. Yuk.
It’s vile… to the core… lol 😂 cheers my friend 🍻
This looks like a knock off Gibson LG!
A bit … yeah … it’s got a slimmer lower bout. It’s pretty much shaped like a classical guitar. But a whole lot of Japanese stuff back then was knocked off American designs.