Yamaha FG-180

This is a very cheaply made guitar so they have budgeted in most areas but please understand they have budgeted late 60's early 70's style and back then they built all things with quality.

full sound with the ability to strum with conviction but would personally say that it is a finger pickers dream. the makers fluked it with this one!! no factory made guitar should sound this good and be this easy to play. I bet the makers will be highly prized at yamaha for making cheap woods sound like the complex sounds you would expect from high end guitars. I am sure that it took at least 20 years before yamaha or anyone realised what had been achieved

The bridge pin on my guitar was rubbed down alot, I guess to compensate for high action that was caused by the years. Neck is staight as a die on my guitar and the action is now nice a low on the first 7 frets - would like to lower the rest but can not. guess I am just asking for too much. Still playable up to the 12 fret.

A Very dependable guitar. for me buying second hand it is like being reunited with a best friend that I never new I had. tuning pegs on mine are faultless. solid and hold the tune perfectly.

never used and do not think I will ever have to. I am sure yamaha customer services phone for acousic guitars has alot of cobwebs on it with an old guy sitting next to it with his head back, fast asleep.

Bluridge BR183 (FANTASTIC GUITAR)
Eko Ranger 6 (hand me down and love it)
Fender early 70's Telecaster precission BASS - (pure genius)
Fender Strat 83 electric (now sold)

I would buy my FG180 nippon Gakki again and again and again - If you dont have one I hope you find a good one like I did

Made in 1971 "Nippon Gakki" red label FG-180. I dont have to go into details. its an FG-180. I found this at my local music shop and was with all the cheap guitars. It was sold as-is because the previous owner glued a "CD" as a pick guard. This guitar was a work horse, it had a lot of battle scars, it's frets have been leveled or replaced but done professionally. I was fortunate that this guitar came with upgrades, it has bone saddle, bone nut and an under-saddle pick-up.

I was blown away at first strum... even the guy at that store had to triple check the price make sure it was right.
Sounds very similar to a vintage Martin, In fact it sounded so much better than my Alvarez Yairi WY1 that I sold the Alvarez. I also bought a 2004 Martin D-18VE but ended up returning it because when you compared the sound between the FG-180 and D18VE, it wasn't really worth the money for the Martin. I paid $1500 for the D-18VE and $79 for the Yamaha.

I only use Elixirs (nanoweb) and this guitar sings... No JOKE!

I was lucky on this part too. It was already set up w/ low action. I saw a few reviews about neck issues but fortunately this guitar is not affected. The neck is straight with out any issues.

this guitar is 38 years old, this will last another 50 years. its not the prettiest, but can surely sing.

n/a

Man, I tell you, this is one of the best sounding guitars I've owned. For fun I buy and sell guitars and have owned Gibsons, Martins, Taylors, Takamines, Alvarez, ovations, Guilds ranging in prices from $700 to $2400. This Yamaha FG180 is a for sure keeper. and I only paid $80 bucks for it.

This was my first real guitar bought in 1972 me aged sixteen. Before that I had learned on a relative's classical guitar. I was told by the sales person that Yamaha had just started exporting these Japanese made guitars and that these were 'loss leaders' pointing out the ebony fingerboard and various other quality things. Not knowing then the first thing about guitars, I bought it because it looked like the Gibson on the front of the sheet music for 'Streets of London' by Ralph McTell. Typical dreadnought, pale top mahogony sides. I didnt know then about the difference between solid and laminated tops. It just looked right and felt right and sounded better than all the other ones I'd tried. I particlarly liked the flat neck. It came just as it was, the only accessory being a truss rod key. The tuners were pretty useless so I replaced them with Shallers after six months

As the years have gone on the sound has improved greatly. By using med gauge strings it can be strummed very loudly enough to not require amplification in a smallish folk club, much like a D18 in this respect but fit light gauge strings and intricate picking at a more that adequate volume can be achieved. It's the best all round guitar I can think of. One the whole I do more picking than stumming including some high up the neck twiddly stuff and have never had a buzzing string since about 1974 when i used to foolishly muck around with the truss rod. I got someone who knew what they were doing to sort it out and it's not been touched since

I was too young to know how it was set up by the factory, it seemed fine to me, the action was high enough you didn't get any jangle when srtummed hard but low enough to do runs high up the fretboard. I am not anal about guitars, the most maintainance I do is to dust it, so apart from swapping the tuners as mentioned above I have done little to this guitar. I dont know what a properly routed bridge means and the bookmatching looks fine to me so sorry on that one.

This guitar has been played on stage, on and off by me and others for thirty six years, it has been in numerous aircraft holds, on camping trips bungeed to the back of a motorbike. It has been generally abused but looking at it now it just looks nicely 'aged'. The strap buttons are still tight and everthing is generally sound. The most damage is where a plectrum has overshot the pick guard and has scored through to the wood in two places. (Not me) I've always found it thoroughly dependable but would never do a gig without a backup no matter what I played

Not applicable

This is the bit I've been dying to come to. For the past ten years the guitar has lived at my shop to idle away slack afternoons. When I sold that business I put some new strings on it and moved it to my wifes shop, it got played there ocasioally for about three months then got put in its case and was effectively forgotten. At home I have a Gibson J50, A Yamaha APX5, an Ovation Balladeer and a Fender Telecaster. I play all these on a regular basis but no longer gig. One day I read on the web that a FG 180 had sold for 1,000 Euros so went and dug mine out and took it home. It had been untouched in its case for nearly three years. After half an hour of playing it in I was just knocked out with the tone of the thing, the ease of playing, the gorgeous honey colour, everything. The point I'm making is that when it was around all the time I never compared it with anything, putting it away for three years and then getting it out made me realise just what an excellent guitar it is. Since it had been put away I'd aquired the Gibson (mainy for the fact I'd always wanted one) Playing them now back to back the Yam beats the J50 in every respect. This bear in mind from a guitar last adjusted in 1974 whereas the Gibson was set up for me by Vintage and Rare of Bath two years ago. If ever it got stolen I would try to get another but they dont seem to be available. Whether or not I had a good one I dont know but I've never heard an all round sound to beat this one. Its a pity about the extra screw holes for the Shallers but seeing as I shalln't be selling it, it doesn't matter

Your basic guitar---open tuners, Laminate back, sides and top. Very small dot position markers on a rosewood fretboard. Rosewood bridge. 1 11/16 nut. Nippon Gakki Red Label Model made in Japan. Open to question what year---some say no later than 1968, others say that the serial #'s first digit says year of manufacture. This one is probably 1971, one of their first export models---that's what the Yamaha timeline says in one of their brochures for their current models. Interesting Laminated spruce bookmatched top---wide grain at the edges and very tight at the center. Gloss finish. Looks very 'vintage' now, yet in surprisingly good shape for it's age.

Has kind of a dry, boxy, deep vintage sound---not too bassy with subdued yet distinct highs. Kind of a midrangy tone, yet pleasing for fingerpicking or even a heavy strum.
Not a boomer like a Gibson might be, but a balanced tone where highs or lows do not dominate over the other.

These older Yamaha Red Label Nippon Gakki's have a sound all there own---yet tone is always judged in the ear of the player. These 180's are more in the line of a Martin D-18,
without the cost of a Martin. Would love to meet the luthier(s) who built this!

This guitar was VERY dirty when I got it---some sticky residue over parts of it that came off nicely with Naptha on a rag and a light rubbing until it dissipated(Don't EVER use Naptha without proper ventilation!). Polished frets with 0000 steel wool. Was missing two strings, one string peg for the bridges that I replaced. Have light gauge strings on it now. Had the nut slots properly filed, saddle break angle adjusted, truss rod adjusted to make the action lower. Some day it will need a reset, but for now it's OK. Bookmatched top very cool---wide grain at the edges and tight in the middle--never seen that on a FG 180. Plays very nicely now. My only complaint is that I wish the nut width was 1 3/4".

This guitar has withstood the years of playing since 1971; what more can I say? Read the stories others have shared below and you will know. For many, this model was their first guitar, and they still have it or wish they had not sold it!

I don't play any guitar in a performance without a backup.

Researching the serial #'s is a crapshoot, but fun nonetheless and part of the mystique of an older instrument.

Been playing for 30+ years; have other Red Label Yamahas, Martin, Gibsons, Taylors.

This is probably one of the best ways to have a vintage instrument with quality sound without breaking your budget. Just make sure the neck isn't so bowed up that you have to get it reset. The 180's definitely have that early 'James Taylor' sound! Find one and play it!

You can check Yamaha's website for a list of features. My only criticisms would be the open tuners, though they still seem to work well for a 37 year old guitar, the lack of multiple bindings, and general "simpleness" of the guitar overall. HOWEVER, I'm used to higher-end instruments (Martin mainly), so I know I'm being too critical. Mine was made in Aug/71, and was inexpensive ($130) when new, so you couldn't expect too much. I swapped out the plastic nut for a TUSQ and widened the string spacing slightly when I did to accomodate my larger fingers.

I bought mine recently in order to have a "brighter" sounding guitar for those songs for which my Martin D35 was just too mellow. I read all the reviews of the "great red label" Yamahas and had to check it out. I stumbled across a one-owner 180 in nearly mint condition. Once I replaced the plastic nut with a TUSQ, lowered the bone saddle and adjusted a slight bow out of the neck, and installed NOS Martin Cryrogenic lights, the sound was so amazing I literally couldn't believe it. I believe that you would need to spend at least $1000-2000 on a Martin, Taylor, Larrivee, etc. in order to get to the sound that this guitar has. I'm embarrassed to say that I don't think my $2000 D35 sounds any better. I don't know if they all sound this good, but I'll never sell mine unless someone wants it so bad that they're willing to trade me a high dollar comparable guitar. This guitar has no right to sound this good for what it originally cost.

The action sucked when I first got it from it's original owner, who had done nothing to it, not even played it much. After some minor work (NO neck reset), the action is as good as my Martin or Gibson. The strings were too close together, but changing the nut corrected this. The original fit & finish is very good, especially considering the age. I plan to care for it lovingly, like I do all my instruments and hope that it holds up for the next 20 years like it has for the previous 37. No complaints here.

A couple of the tuners have a little play in them, but there is no tarnish on any of the metal parts, including the truss rod cover. The strap button is on so solid that I can't get it off to install a strapjack for the LR Baggs I-Beam I want to install. Mine did not see much use for it's first 37 years, but I plan to gig mine. I figure if it survived 37 years without cracking, splitting, or delaminating, then it must have been built pretty darn well.

Never had to use it, but I appreciate Yamaha's website, where a great deal of information can be found.

I've been playing since 1966, and played in a "one-hit wonder" band in the late 60's, playing a Gretsch Chet Atkins Nashville, a wonderful axe. In addition to the 180, I own a 1970 Giannini Hummingbird copy, a 1974 Martin D-35, a 1967 Gibson 12-string, a 60's vintage Goya classical and a 2001 Gretsch Special Edition Electromatic solid body electric. If my 180 suddenly went tango uniform, I would definitely try to replace it, providing I could find one at a reasonable price. There is nothing about my 180 that I really dislike. I grab it as often as I grab my Martin when I practice. If it wouldn't hurt the collectible value, I'd like to trade out the open tuners for Grovers, but I refuse to put any additional holes in this fine guitar.

My FG-180 is from like, 1968. I think. Might be early 70's. The guitar used to be my grandpa's, but then my grandpa passed it down to my dad, who passed it down to me. It's my main acoustic, and I'm madly in love with it. When I got it, it was slightly worn from it's age, but otherwise, it's still excellent.
The dreadnought body's a little big on me, but I can live with it.
My dad gave it to me in a hard case. It's falling apart.. It must have been the original one it came with.

The sound is gorgeous. It's got a great warm, full sound and it's nice and loud on its own! It even sounded great with the strings it came with, and those strings were very, very old.
It puts out great harmonics. That's probably my favorite thing about this guitar.

Everything seems to be in order. I got it used, so it's as good as it can get. My only complaint is the size of the body.

The guitar's been around for around 30 years, and it still sounds awesome. I think it can last quite a bit longer! I wouldn't take it out for live performances though. It's too old, and I'm afraid it'll get hurt.

Never had to call. The guitar's just never had any problems!

I've been playing since I was 10, and I only have 2 other guitars. One's my Fender strat (just like everyone else, I know..) and I have some unknown dinky company guitar. That was my very first one that I actually learned on, but I've had my FG-180 way longer.
I'd never sell this guitar. It holds way too much history with my family and I know that it'll keep getting passed down onto my kids. I'm sure it'll last!

1970 Yamaha FG-180 (Nippon Gakki, red label). Serial number: 00906586.

I bought this little dreadnought from a student about a year ago and he told me that the guitar belonged to his grandmother in the past. It had only three strings on it with a dirty fretboard and lots of fret wear, but wonderful enough it didn't need a neck reset. I know that's a bit uncommon for old Yamaha's, so I'm lucky.

All laminated, light-weight woods: spruce top, tigathis back/sides and mahogany neck. Original open tuners, 20 frets.

About 4 years ago I had my first second-handed Yamaha FG-180 (from 69') with a beautiful sound, but I stupidly sold it. I remember the action was quite high on that guitar.

Now this FG-180 has had low/medium action just from the first touch, so that's a good platform. This guitar always has a bright, but full sound and it's made for fingerpicking. It's very touch sensitive because of the light, quality wood construction and age. It's set-up with D'addario 0.011 Silk and Steel strings, because I want to enjoy this guitar for a lot more years and I don't want to mess with too many string tension. Altough I've played/owned many expensive guitars (from Takamine, Taylor, Blueridge to Martin etc.), the FG-180 is my favorite guitar for that sweet, light fingerpicking/fingerstyle, just great.

About a month ago I brought this guitar to a good, professional Luthier and he could conclude it needed a whole new refret and new nut, made of bone. I trusted him on the whole job since I had very good experiences in the past and so he did the whole thing on this old Yamaha FG-180...

The guitar was completely finished yesterday and when I had my hands on it for the first time after the refret and bone nut, it played like magic. Straight, low action, set-up with 'Silk and Steels' and great for fingerstyle/fingerpicking across the whole freatboard! I've never had a guitar in my hands that played like this and it's like a dream comes true. It looks great, it feels great and it sounds absolutely great. When I pick it up it's like having a vintage masterpiece in my hands everytime now.

I can enjoy this guitar for the rest of my life now, especially after the new and fresh professional revise. My luthier confirmed it won't get bad anymore.

After all these years the Yamaha FG-180 has proved its build quality. It didn't even need a neck-reset. Of course it has 'dings and dongs', but there are no cracks or other problems, just light body wear. It's very authentic looking. I love the old headstock that says 'Yamaha'..

I can really depend on it and I use it mainly for light, sweet and modest fingerpicking/fingerstyle. I'm sure it will last virtually forever.

I've never dealt with the company.

I have a special connection with this guitar. Everything just feels right. I've collected older Yamaha's for years, but this FG-180 has always been my favorite, most attractive and sweetest sounding guitar.

It's not comparable with the 70's Yamaha's from Taiwan, because they were clearly heavier in weight and 'stiffer' in build quality. They also don't respond to a light fingerpicking touch like the older red labels absolutely do. These red labels (Nippon Gakki) have very light bracing/quality woods and for that reason they are just more responsive with a open, more brighter/sweeter sound to them for especially fingerpicking.

I love the playabilty, sound and the fact it doesn't even need a neck-reset. Most of the older Yamaha's I collected always had too many issues for making it playable, especially serious neck problems...

If you have the chance to buy an older 'red label' Nippon Gakki FG-180 from Japan, just do it. If it doesn't need a neck-reset, you'll have a vintage masterpiece in your hands. They're becoming very rare now, especially the ones in good playable condition. Even my luthier noticed about the great tone coming out of this FG-180 and he has a lot of knowledge about quality, high-end guitars such as Lowden etc.

This is a real basic dreadnought guitar...which i love. it's a 1969 red label nippon gakki. the bridge is made of wood, and it has a bone saddle.

I'm a big fan of the open tuners....i think they work great, and it always stays in tune, even when i'm hitting it hard.

the sounds is unbelievable ...dry vintage & a huge tone....and very bright as well. i've played many $3000-$5000 acoustics, and none could compare to the tone my fg180 has....it really is an amazing instrument.

the action was horrible to begin with...
also....the nut was bad....string spacing was horrible...since i mainly finger pick...this was an issue.

i had it professionally setup......replaced the nut to enable better string spacing, and i also had the bridge sanded down to meet up better w/ the neck. having these two things done, made a world of difference.....this guitar plays better than any other acoustic i've played....action is just flawless.....i can bar chords all over the neck w/ very little effort....even the infamous F chord!

this is my main guitar...also use a 1994 gibson gospel...
the FG is as solid as a rock...

never had to deal w/ them

i think that the red label FG180 is one of the best kept secrets out there. if you can obtain one of these guitars....i certainly would.

Just bought my FG-180 off ebay, darn thing set me back 400.00, very well worth it though.. Mine is a 69 nippon gakki, laminated top, mahogony back and sides, Oh and all the people out there who think theres is a solid top, sorry to be the bara of bad news, but they are all Laminated..You gotta look real close.. Anyway, action kinda high, gotta sand down the bridge and saddle..The fellow I got it from was a smoker, I spent two hours cleaning yellow gunk off the hole ax.. EWWWWWWWWW!! Also changed tunners to grover.. Just a plain gitter here no bells or wistles..

Unreal: tone is SOOOOO vintage sounding, dry crisp, tight musculer tone... You would swear it was a D18 or maybe a j45.. Or better in its own way.. Great for fingerstyle or hard strumming..Bright and resonent sound, records great.. I just cant figure out how on earth they did it, or maybe it was by accident who knows..Fact is that for 400.00 bucks I beleive I just got a guitar that is equel to or better then any gibson guild or martin, hands down..

needs a little work, but I do all that stuff so I am not worried

38 years old, what do you think!

dont no

A very killer instrument, and a very well kept secret too.

I bought my FG180 at Beach Music Center in Huntington Beach in 1970. I worked in the store. We sold Martins, which I couldn't afford, so I "settled" for the FG180. It has been a fine guitar. Many parties, lots of music, and a dependable instrument. I have not been fussy with it as it was cheap, however, I am starting to watch it more now, as it is my favorite. I have never been thrilled about the cheesy tuners, but won't change to Grovers, or Gotohs because I'd just like to keep it original. The guitar has a mahogany body, spruce ply top. I use D'addario mediums as I love the big tone and volume they provide.

The sound is BIG! I believe this guitar can rival some pretty fancy models. I also like that the neck is narrower. I have a Taylor GAMC, and it's a bit of a stretch for me scale-wise. As mentioned before, the original tuners are so-so. They tune okay, but are not as good as Grovers, or Gotohs.

The factory set-up was right on the money. I have not had any work done on this guitar, and I've had it 31 years. Just change strings, and wipe 'er off!

There are two things that drive me crazy about guitars: High action and buzzing frets. This Yamaha has never had either. The action was nice and low without any buzzing.

Sorry if this is a gushing review, but this guitar really kicks a**

The finish has done okay in all these years. Only my refusal to be fanatic about handling the instrument has landed it a few small dings.

I've played this guitar with my pianist Dad, with my brother, who plays guitar and bass, a gazillion parties, and in my room a thousand times. I also play it at Island Bazaar in Huntington Beach, where we have a ukulele jam every week.

I've never had to have any work done on this guitar. It's like the Energizer Bunny.

I've been playing many instruments since I was 12. I am now 58. I own a lot of instruments;

Taylor GAMC guitar, Aria classical guitar, Fender Duo-Sonic electric guitar, Princeton amplifier, Selmer series 9 clarinet. Buffet Super Dynaction alto saxophone, Deering Maple Blossom plectrum banjo, a couple of fine violins, and others.

I always regret not buying myself a beautiful cherry finish Gibson SG electric guitar when I had a music store. There was one I was drooling over, but talked so much about it, a customer wanted it, so I sold it to him. I kept a Stratocaster, but donated it to the Huntington Beach Surf Museum/HB Playhouse. Les Pauls are way too heavy, although they sound great.