Post by CTGull on Sept 30, 2020 18:30:35 GMT -5
His story: When he was 19/20 (about 1990/91) he visited his father in Chicago, and was interested in getting an acoustic guitar. His father got the FG-360 from a friend Doggy Dave, who sold hot dogs at the marina in Kenosha WI, where his father lived on his boat in the summer. While he was there they helped Doggy Dave tile the kitchen at the marina. And his father got the guitar for $25, plus their labor. Sounds like a good deal!! During the same visit he was looking for a pickup for the guitar, so they stopped in an old guitar shop in Chicago. While they were there a guy walked in with a chainsaw case with a 1973 cherry sunburst Les Paul Custom that the guy had bought at an estate sale. He ended up with the Les Paul and a Roland JC120 from the shop. He still has the Les Paul, but he later sold the amp. While the side trip to the guitar shop has nothing to do with the FG-360, it ties into the sentimental value the FG-360 has to him, a reminder of the adventure he had with his father, that he had few of.
I’ve worked on a few vintage FG’s with similar but different stories. The guitars are reminders of good memories from the past, whether it’s just with the guitar, or a relative.
The FG-360 is a bit of a mystery model (even by Yamaha standards). Yamaha’s guitar archive says it was made between 1972 and 1974, with a spruce top, coral rosewood back & sides, African mahogany neck, and Indian rosewood fretboard and bridge. And that it was never exported to the US. They also list a FG-360N model, made between 1973 and 1975, with a spruce top, Jacaranda back & sides, mahogany neck, and ebony fretboard & bridge, with full body and neck binding. It’s probable the FG-360N was exported to the US, although the “N” isn’t on the label. To add to the confusion, they have either 5 digit or 8 digit serial numbers. Based on the thousands of serial numbers I’ve collected normally the 5 digit numbers were for Japan, and the 8 digit numbers were for export. But in the case of the FG-360’s it seems that was reversed, the 5 digit numbers were exported and the 8 digit number were not. The FG-360 was also made in Japan AND Taiwan. FG-360’s with 5 AND 8 digit serial numbers were made in Japan until July/August 1974, then changed to 8 digit numbers (with the 7 digit serial number on the neck block) and made in Taiwan.
This FG-360 was made in Japan (Tan Nippon Gakki label) in late December 1973, has the ebony fretboard & bridge, a fully bound neck & headstock, and very unusual looking side & back wood. I believe it is the fabled FG-360N, exported to the US. I can’t wait to get it done to compare it to my 1973 FG-360 (made 11 months before his), it also has a Tan Nippon Gakki label, but it has an 8 digit serial number, and rosewood fretboard & bridge, the non-exported version of the FG-360.
The first thing you notice about the guitar is the brass bridge pins. But they aren’t traditional bridge pins, they have a horizontal hole thru the head that the string threads thru. They are part of the brass pin mount version of the JLD Bridge Doctor. 5 of the pins have a nut on the inside, the 6th pin threads into a nylon standoff that is attached to the Bridge Doctor block. The guitar had some belly behind the bridge. He said he checked the Bridge Doctor adjustment screw recently to find it loose, no pressure on the rod, so it wasn’t doing anything. He gave it 1/8 of a turn. I didn’t notice any tipping of the bridge or abnormal belly behind the bridge (1/8” per side is normal). So, he’d like it removed. I’ll check it closely before and after, but I won’t really know until there are strings on the guitar.
The guitar has many small dings all over it, a sign that it has been loved and played for many years. Nothing major. There’s a little bit of drop damage to the lower bout, but it looks stable and not bad. The first 3 frets have some small divots, but nothing requiring fret replacement, maybe a slight fret level, I’ll check closer later to see how level all the frets are. The D tuner is not original. The nut slots are very low, and the saddle has slight grooves worn/cut into it. The neck projects .08” below the top of the bridge, without strings. The bridge and wings look very low, but there’s no sign it was ever sanded. The bridge is .24” high, and the wings are .07” thick. The saddle sticks out .11” low E & .07” high E and is loose in the slot.
Low bridge!
JLD brass bridge pins.
Nut slots low.
The unusual side wood. Jacaranda??
A little drop damage.
The date code. The day isn't visible.
A closeup of the inner wood.
The money shot!!!
The new lights I'm using on the inside. Found them at Lowe's. Swivel, 2 levels of intensity.
His FG-360 on the left, mine on the right. Mine is the non-export version, made 11 months before his. Both Made in Japan.
2 brothers from the same mother!!
I’ve worked on a few vintage FG’s with similar but different stories. The guitars are reminders of good memories from the past, whether it’s just with the guitar, or a relative.
The FG-360 is a bit of a mystery model (even by Yamaha standards). Yamaha’s guitar archive says it was made between 1972 and 1974, with a spruce top, coral rosewood back & sides, African mahogany neck, and Indian rosewood fretboard and bridge. And that it was never exported to the US. They also list a FG-360N model, made between 1973 and 1975, with a spruce top, Jacaranda back & sides, mahogany neck, and ebony fretboard & bridge, with full body and neck binding. It’s probable the FG-360N was exported to the US, although the “N” isn’t on the label. To add to the confusion, they have either 5 digit or 8 digit serial numbers. Based on the thousands of serial numbers I’ve collected normally the 5 digit numbers were for Japan, and the 8 digit numbers were for export. But in the case of the FG-360’s it seems that was reversed, the 5 digit numbers were exported and the 8 digit number were not. The FG-360 was also made in Japan AND Taiwan. FG-360’s with 5 AND 8 digit serial numbers were made in Japan until July/August 1974, then changed to 8 digit numbers (with the 7 digit serial number on the neck block) and made in Taiwan.
This FG-360 was made in Japan (Tan Nippon Gakki label) in late December 1973, has the ebony fretboard & bridge, a fully bound neck & headstock, and very unusual looking side & back wood. I believe it is the fabled FG-360N, exported to the US. I can’t wait to get it done to compare it to my 1973 FG-360 (made 11 months before his), it also has a Tan Nippon Gakki label, but it has an 8 digit serial number, and rosewood fretboard & bridge, the non-exported version of the FG-360.
The first thing you notice about the guitar is the brass bridge pins. But they aren’t traditional bridge pins, they have a horizontal hole thru the head that the string threads thru. They are part of the brass pin mount version of the JLD Bridge Doctor. 5 of the pins have a nut on the inside, the 6th pin threads into a nylon standoff that is attached to the Bridge Doctor block. The guitar had some belly behind the bridge. He said he checked the Bridge Doctor adjustment screw recently to find it loose, no pressure on the rod, so it wasn’t doing anything. He gave it 1/8 of a turn. I didn’t notice any tipping of the bridge or abnormal belly behind the bridge (1/8” per side is normal). So, he’d like it removed. I’ll check it closely before and after, but I won’t really know until there are strings on the guitar.
The guitar has many small dings all over it, a sign that it has been loved and played for many years. Nothing major. There’s a little bit of drop damage to the lower bout, but it looks stable and not bad. The first 3 frets have some small divots, but nothing requiring fret replacement, maybe a slight fret level, I’ll check closer later to see how level all the frets are. The D tuner is not original. The nut slots are very low, and the saddle has slight grooves worn/cut into it. The neck projects .08” below the top of the bridge, without strings. The bridge and wings look very low, but there’s no sign it was ever sanded. The bridge is .24” high, and the wings are .07” thick. The saddle sticks out .11” low E & .07” high E and is loose in the slot.
Low bridge!
JLD brass bridge pins.
Nut slots low.
The unusual side wood. Jacaranda??
A little drop damage.
The date code. The day isn't visible.
A closeup of the inner wood.
The money shot!!!
The new lights I'm using on the inside. Found them at Lowe's. Swivel, 2 levels of intensity.
His FG-360 on the left, mine on the right. Mine is the non-export version, made 11 months before his. Both Made in Japan.
2 brothers from the same mother!!