Old Yamahas

[Denis]

it never freakin` ends...another for the quiver...

How many does that make sneaky?

[sneaky]

15...and if I keep finding them for less than $10.oo, I`m gonna add to that number.

[sneaky]

added this one last night. I had originally bid 2222 yen and somebody was trying to catch me but stopped at 2200 yen so I was able to get it for about 15 cents more.


and also got a No. 45 from the classical series on the week-end, I`ll take pics when I get it but these are all solid flame maple in a natural finish...they look great in my books.
Life.....is good.

heres a pic of the back of the guitar...

[Calvin]

Sneaks is trying to corner the market !!!!

15 vintage guitars eh... that's definitely a roomful.

[sneaky]

here she is...

[norseman40]

Interesting thread.  I have a Yamaha L5A.  Dread size with black pickguard.  No interior label.  Yamaha name in block letters on the headstock.  Bought new in 1982 from a music store in Salem, VA.  List price was $495.  Came with a brochure that said the guitar was "handcrafted" of solid woods.  Serial number 10070XX.  Do any of you know anything about this model?  I've had no luck getting info from the Yamaha website.  thanks.

[sneaky]

somebody posted this link at another site...your guitar is there, I looked.

http://www.yamaha.com/apps/guitararchives/guitarchive2.asp

[norseman40]

Sneaky, thanks for the link.  I checked it and you're absolutely right.  I'm very glad to have that information.

[sneaky]

I was glad to get it too...gonna come in handy before bidding on Yahoo Japan... 

[JohnM2001]

Saw this old one at Folkway Music, sold a while back.
Click here, look way down the page

[JohnM2001]

on ebay, supposdly owned by Santana: See It Here






*

[sneaky]

Saw this old one at Folkway Music, sold a while back.
Click here, look way down the page

OK...an S series Dynamic...my books say all laminate and it fits because they produced them due to the split top problems of the first export series Dynamics. I have an S-50 but it`s not my best sounding Dynamic. Wonder how much Elderly sold theirs for. I see they fancied up the logo on the headstock on the expots too. I should save the pic for the authors of the Yamaha books over here.

[JohnM2001]

Ran across this website that has sound clips, supposedly of various models of the old Yamaha Dynamic guitars.  Some sound like steel strings to me, I believe they are beefy enough to take steel strings, is that right?  Sneaky, have you tried steel strings on any of yours?  I'd be afraid to use steel strings, but silk & steel might be cool.

Listen here

I went back to the link above, and clicked on the Japanese link near the bottom, and it took me to the Yamaha Dynamic Guitar Web Museum!  I had no idea that was on there, but there some cool pics, wish I could read Japanese!   See the Pics

Check out the fingerboard on this Dynamic No. 40, this puppy was played a ton, the wear looks like an old Fender maple neck!  There was obviously some type of finish on these fingerboards.  Despite beingplayed nearly to death, when I played this one, it still sounded great, the guy who owns it had played steel strings on it forever, and recently changed to nylon. 

[sneaky]

yeah I agree some models do seem to have a finish on them while others don`t. They  made several models of the Dynamics, as you saw in the museum...and of all the models I own the #40s have the chunkiest necks and weigh more than others from the series. That is some wear on the neck in the pic...been played a lot, which is a good thing to me when I buy used, I want an acoustic thats been loved but not abused and I`m happy to say that though a few of mine have fretboard wear, none as bad as the one pictured here.
I wonder how many of the Dynamics...especially the #15 which was an export model... are hiding in attics and basements in North America...just waiting for a little TLC to bring tham back to life.

[Oliver]

Hello Senor sneaky,
I have been trying to find out some information on Yamaha No. 45 I recently purchased and put the word out on a few forums. I was directed here by a Yamaha_Junkie. I read the discussions that you and others have had here, but have not seen much talk about the 45. I see that you acquired on recently. Is that a maple top on yours? I was wondering if you knew or if your literature mentions the date of manufacture for the 45 with JIS 9202.  Anyway, here are some pics of mine.











I originally purchased the guitar because it was really cheap and was going to practice refretting and setups. When the factory (Yamaha) claimed it was built in 1961, I thought I had better learn a little about it before I messed it up. Any info would be greatly appreciated.
thanks,
chris

[sneaky]

certainly early 60s, the No. 45s are supposedly the first classical types built by Yamaha but mine has more of a Dynamic neck than my other early Yamaha classicals of the same time period. If you notice the rosette is all individual pieces of wood inlaid into the top...it`s not a decal...by no means a low end model. They are all solid wood and I`ve seen some with amazing flamed maple backs and sides...I`ve no idea why these don`t sell for hunderds of dollars but I`m glad they don`t. I was under the impression that the JIS symbol appeared in 1963...so unless Yamaha made another run of No. 45s it is possible my books have some bad info as you say yours is from 1961...how many digits in the serial number on the bridge block inside the guitar? Also...No. 45s are pictured with individual tuners ...3 per side, not like the ones on strips on yours... or mine...but those are easily changed and could be they were swapped by previous owners because tuners seem to be the weak point on the old Yamahas though I have some that look like new while others were pretty rusted by the time I got them. I had to put some new classical ones on a No. 150 I got but the spacing can be odd...the No. 100s and 150s can take modern classical tuners but not sure about the No. 45...the Dynamics are I think 42 mm and are not carried by most shops in this city though they can be easily ordered.
Nice guitar and I` recommend another to hone your skills on...play the No.45 for a while and give it a chance to prove itself I bet you will be pleased and they are fairly rare even over here. When they were introduced in Dec.1961 they sold for 8000 yen...3 weeks wages for the average office worker at the time according to retired students I teach...maybe the person you spoke to meant 1961 was the first year for that model, it`s the first guitar pictured in my Japan Vintage vol. 1 acoustic book so they go back a ways. Plastic posts mean it was not supposed to be used with steel strings...my Dynamics have steel posts and were designed to take either steels or nylons.

[Oliver]

sneaky,

Thank you for the information. I have played it just a little. It has a wonderful voice even with the old strings. I plan to clean it up, suck the dust bunnies out and give it a full inspection and new strings some time this week. I'll let you know then what other markings I find inside. For now, I did get some numbers off of the neck block:  340603.  The zeros could be 8's or 9's. The stamp did not transfer very well.

thanks again,
chris

[JohnM2001]

Check out this Dynamic, in red sunburst, only one I've ecer seen like that.  Its up to $350.00 already, with seven days to go! 
  http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=300102384871&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=020

[sneaky]

My No. 45 does not have the JIS on the headstock. Serial # is 274569, it`s the lowest serial I have on the classical types but by no means the lowest of the Dynamics, that would be # 6659 and I`ve been told it`s from the 50s. These little guitars have deep voices, surprising for small guitars I think.
So...it seems the No. 45s were introduced fitsr in 1961 but your serial and the JIS points to the fact that as of 1963 they were still being made...still early 60s. We do know that construction of all solid production models ended once the light green labels went on sale mid 60s, Yamaha comtinues tp produce custom order acoustics but try getting one of those for a couple of hundred dollars now.
As for the redish one linked, I have a #10 Dynamic that is similar but it`s hard to tell `cause cameras are always precise in reproducing colors...mine is certainly not as red around the edges but the golden color of the body is very close.

[didymus21]

I've got a nice 1977 Yamaha FG-512.  It's a 12-string with a slotted headstock and as clean as one could be!


Shot with FE230/X790 at 2007-08-06


Shot with FE230/X790 at 2007-08-06


Shot with FE230/X790 at 2007-08-06


Shot with FE230/X790 at 2007-08-06


Shot with FE230/X790 at 2007-08-06


Shot with FE230/X790 at 2007-08-06


Pictures lightened it, but the back is darker and richer looking.