Yamaha Red Label Guitars

Started by ducktrapper, August 30, 2021, 10:20:52 PM

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Quote from: ducktrapper on November 14, 2021, 12:55:20 PM

I hope that one turns out to be as good in 50 years.   :beer


I won't be around to find out ... or if I am, I won't be able to hear anymore!   :rolleye:
2021 C-03R TE left-handed
Larrivee owner since 1992

Quote from: Mikeymac on November 14, 2021, 04:32:47 PM
I won't be around to find out ... or if I am, I won't be able to hear anymore!   :rolleye:

Maybe and who knows if the original owner of mine is around either? Does it matter to the guitar?  :? 

Quote from: ducktrapper on November 14, 2021, 04:42:18 PM
Maybe and who knows if the original owner of mine is around either? Does it matter to the guitar?  :? 

Yeah, how selfish of me... only thinking of myself and not this lowly budget guitar...  :doh
2021 C-03R TE left-handed
Larrivee owner since 1992

Quote from: Mikeymac on November 16, 2021, 03:25:26 PM
Yeah, how selfish of me... only thinking of myself and not this lowly budget guitar...  :doh

There you go! Glad I could help.   :rolleye:

I like Yamaha guitars and have played several that would be great keepers.  Maybe it's just me, though, but I don't care for the look of their pickguard: how it goes around the front edge of the soundhole, etc.  I don't know why but I just can't get used to that look.  If I owned one, I'd have to remove it or replace with a more traditional PG. 

Quote from: Silence Dogood on November 19, 2021, 09:45:28 AM
I like Yamaha guitars and have played several that would be great keepers.  Maybe it's just me, though, but I don't care for the look of their pickguard: how it goes around the front edge of the soundhole, etc.  I don't know why but I just can't get used to that look.  If I owned one, I'd have to remove it or replace with a more traditional PG.  

Okay. I disagree but, hey, if you own it, you can do what you want with it. I get it though. I have similar distaste for the look of Taylor pg's and a huge fondness for the pgless Larrivee look.  :beer

What I don't understand is Mike's apparent viewpoint that I should perhaps care less for one of my guitars because it's not as expensive as the others.  :?

Quote from: ducktrapper on November 19, 2021, 10:08:28 AM
Okay. I disagree but, hey, if you own it, you can do what you want with it. I get it though. I have similar distaste for the look of Taylor pg's and a huge fondness for the pgless Larrivee look.  :beer

What I don't understand is Mike's apparent viewpoint that I should perhaps care less for one of my guitars because it's not as expensive as the others.  :?
Pickguards (and headstock shapes) and the preferences that go along with them are funny things.  I don't know why but I have always loved the look of the Taylor PG, and if someone changes it to another more traditional one, it somehow throws off the whole look of the guitar to me.   I also don't know why the Yamaha one looks so cheap and off-putting to me.  Like you, I really like the PG-less look of Larrivee.  My own Larrivee once had a clear PG and I ended up peeling it off many years ago.  I think it was lifting in one place and I ended up liking it even better sans ANY pickguard. 

Ok, sorry to hijack with a pickguard question, but if you take the pickguard (tortoise shell on my Larrivee) how long does it take the top color to even out? I assume there would be a a baby bottom new pickguard shaped light spot on my spruce top. 2014 guitar, sits out of case.


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Quote from: Jamolay on November 20, 2021, 08:25:24 PM
Ok, sorry to hijack with a pickguard question, but if you take the pickguard (tortoise shell on my Larrivee) how long does it take the top color to even out? I assume there would be a a baby bottom new pickguard shaped light spot on my spruce top. 2014 guitar, sits out of case.


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If there's a pg shadow, it will always be there barring refinishing the guitar. Just be thankful it's not an old Martin. 


Quote from: ducktrapper on November 20, 2021, 08:57:20 PM
If there's a pg shadow, it will always be there barring refinishing the guitar. Just be thankful it's not an old Martin. 
Yoiks! I think I will stick with the pickguard then.


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Quote from: Jamolay on November 20, 2021, 10:06:37 PM
Yoiks! I think I will stick with the pickguard then.


If the guitar is new and you remove early, there will likely be no shadow, however. If there is, replace the pickguard. Martin used to finish guitars after putting the pg on. I, of course, replaced the pg.  :beer

I've got an old Takamine that was about five years old when I peeled off the PG, which revealed a nice tan line.  I figured I'd leave off the PG and let the tan line disappear.   That was over twenty years ago and the tan line has never changed one bit.  I've never been able to figure out why and how it tanned in the first place, or why it never changed later on.   I eventually put another black PG on it. 

Quote from: Silence Dogood on November 21, 2021, 08:54:14 AM
I've got an old Takamine that was about five years old when I peeled off the PG, which revealed a nice tan line.  I figured I'd leave off the PG and let the tan line disappear.   That was over twenty years ago and the tan line has never changed one bit.  I've never been able to figure out why and how it tanned in the first place, or why it never changed later on.   I eventually put another black PG on it.  

It has to do with light changing the nature of the finish. The finish under the pg has not been affected the same way and can never catch up. You'd have to cover the area originally not covered, leaving the pg area uncovered, for as long as the pg area was covered?  I'm no expert, however.

Quote from: ducktrapper on November 19, 2021, 10:08:28 AM

What I don't understand is Mike's apparent viewpoint that I should perhaps care less for one of my guitars because it's not as expensive as the others.  :?


Did I say that? Or is there another Mike around here?

These guitars are amazing values, when you consider their build quality and solid top... go back to 1970-74 prices, and what would one of these cost? Sixty-five bucks, maybe? A seriously good deal.

Quote from: Silence Dogood on November 20, 2021, 08:06:00 AM

Pickguards (and headstock shapes) and the preferences that go along with them are funny things.  I don't know why but I have always loved the look of the Taylor PG, and if someone changes it to another more traditional one, it somehow throws off the whole look of the guitar to me.   I also don't know why the Yamaha one looks so cheap and off-putting to me.  Like you, I really like the PG-less look of Larrivee.  My own Larrivee once had a clear PG and I ended up peeling it off many years ago.  I think it was lifting in one place and I ended up liking it even better sans ANY pickguard. 


I've grown to like Yamaha's pg - and their different bridge shape (hey, Taylor has their own bridge shape, too). Good for Yamaha, being secure enough to not copy Martin exactly  -  in ANY dimension (body shape, PG, bridge, headstock).

I also prefer Larrivee's w/o pg's ... or with clear ones, unless it's a 40 Series Martin clone. I've owned a couple older Larrivees that had the clear pg, which, when you take them off, also leave a bit of a shadow (I've done this when converting a couple of old right-handed L-bodies to lefty). Like duck said, the only way to get rid of the shadow is to cover up the rest of the top and let the pg area "catch up" sitting in sunlight (for however long it takes).
2021 C-03R TE left-handed
Larrivee owner since 1992

P.S. My all-time favorite electric guitar is this one: a Yamaha SA1000...all original, 1982 made in Japan lefty. It is absolutely PERFECT (tone, playability, quality).

2021 C-03R TE left-handed
Larrivee owner since 1992

"Yeah, how selfish of me... only thinking of myself and not this lowly budget guitar"  :doh

Implied if not accompanied by a wink? No biggie. I've collected guitars over the years based on their playability and affordability. Nothing else much matters to me. Like my children, I love them all regardless.   :beer 

Here's one of Yamaha's early high end guitars; sounds pretty darn good! (Of course Carl Miner makes just about any guitar sound amazing...)

1971 Yamaha FG-2000
2021 C-03R TE left-handed
Larrivee owner since 1992

I'm reviving this (somewhat old) thread. A guitar center near me has a Yamaha FGX3, the Chinese built version, not the Japanese FGX5. It has their torrefied top, and the sound was amazing, especially the deep bass. I also loved the rolled fretboard edges.  Sometimes I wish my Larrivees had rolled fretboard edges because the maple binding has such a sharp right angle. Anyway, these red labels are pretty impressive with the torrefied tops.
Larrivee P-03
Epiphone USA Texan
2023  Larrivee L-09

Quote from: StringPicker6 on August 19, 2023, 07:32:14 AMI'm reviving this (somewhat old) thread. A guitar center near me has a Yamaha FGX3, the Chinese built version, not the Japanese FGX5. It has their torrefied top, and the sound was amazing, especially the deep bass. I also loved the rolled fretboard edges.  Sometimes I wish my Larrivees had rolled fretboard edges because the maple binding has such a sharp right angle. Anyway, these red labels are pretty impressive with the torrefied tops.

These may have a red label but are not the red label guitars people talk about. I'm sure they're fine, however. I love Yamahas.  I thought they were made in the custom shop in Japan.  I would love to try one of the new FG-180s.

The Yamahas with the 5 in their model name are made in the Japan custom luthier shop. The 3's are made in China.
Larrivee P-03
Epiphone USA Texan
2023  Larrivee L-09

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