Yamaha FG-331

I just reviewed this and have to make a correction. First, when I said Yamahas from that era, I did not mean from the 40s and 50s, I meant the time frame when the more vintage FG Yamahas were built, 1960s through 1980s.

Also, at the end when I mention my 20 guitars, I including my lamainates with the 16 solid top/solid body acoustics. Sorry!

BEST!!!

Al

All laminated ??? Is it good or bad? Good I think! If one can have a guitar that has incredible sound, yet durable ??? Why not! BUILT LIKE A TANK! Also, The best neck contour of any guitar I???ve tried. As far as neck width, it starts out at 1.72 inch actual neck (nut is 1.68), then the neck only gradually widens towards the body. To me, it is the absolute best for everything ??? finger style too. It is much easier to play up the fret board whether picking lead riffs, or barring chords. If you need more room between strings though, all one has to do is buy a pre-cut 1.75 inch nut from First Quality Music, or make your own, then trim a tad off each side of the nut. I tried this and also widened the string spacing at the saddle by filing notches. Then, however, I went back to standard as I feel the original spacing was best for me. The tuners are functional but probably the only thing forcing me to give this guitar less than a 10 for features.

FIXES for some of the issues that plague these old Yamahas as well as other brands that are just getting old:

Tuners ??? They are not really enclosed tuners. They appear to be copies of Grovers but they are really just an open tuner with a top and bottom screw, with a very thin tin cap over them that is held by those tiny screws. What tends to happen is that they strip out easily, and then the stability of the whole tuner goes out of whack. The fix is simply removing the tuners with stripped screw holes, and glue in a toothpick, snip the excess, push a needle in the middle of the tooth pick to start a new entrance hole, and finally screw the tuner back in place.

Action - Many folks believe that a lot of these old Yamahas need a neck reset due to high action. I have personally worked on ten, and observed maybe 7 more with the high action issue. Both shaving the saddle and/or twisting the truss rod fixed most of them. If the action is still high, shave the bridge down 1/16 inch. This will allow lowering the saddle.

- Another fix to avoid a neck reset is shaving the fret board. This is done by removing the first 7 frets, then sanding the bow down. You can make a sanding block by spreading bondo over a wooden block, let it get tacky, place wax paper over the bondo, then press it over your fret board and let it harden. Now you have the exact radius to work with.
- Refretting is not that big a deal either. I???ve done it on three instruments with just a little guidance from Stewmac techs.
- Another thing causing high action is belly bulge. I used a bridge doctor to correct 60 percent of this bulge. It lowered the action a tiny bit, but the best part was how it improved the tone and volume. I highly recommend this. However, there are two versions of this bridge doctor. If you don???t want drill a hole through our bridge, get the one that has string through holes in 6 brass pins.
- No more turns left in the tress rod ??? Put a 1 inch by 2 inch block of wood or plastic at the first fret, and the twelfth fret. Then position a 15-inch bar of aluminum, steel, etc??? over the two blocks. Get a C clamp and put a rag over the lower jaw so you won???t scratch the neck. Then position it between the two blocks, and slowly crank the neck bow out. Once you have straightened the bow, leave the C clamp in that position and turn the tress rod. I was able to get a good 1/2 turn this way. It even lowered the action a tad.

Tress rod cover ??? stripped screw holes: Glue in the toothpicks like mentioned above for this fix too.

Neck heel pulling away from the body ??? Remember this is a 100 to 200 dollar guitar. So, don???t worry about ruining a collector piece. But, what you are really doing here is improving it anyway. What I have done in the past is drilled a clearance hole for 10-32 screw 2 and a half inches long through the neck heel and continuing through the neck block. I then use a 10-32 screw having a conical shaped head and first run it thr

This area is always most important. I???ve owned a lot of small bodied guitars and here are some: Larrivee OM-05, Tacoma mini jumbo, Martin 000-15, and Epiphone EL-00. These were all fine guitars. I owned them because after playing them they spoke to me. That said, this 1982 FG-331 sounds more open, with sweeter highs, more bottom end than the guitars I???ve listed. It also sounds great when strummed. That???s hard to find in an OM. For finger style, this guitar nails the JT sound exactly to my ear. Yet, it also does many styles very well.

I???ve owned 16 solid wood, top name guitars over my 34 years of playing. Once I learned to play half decent, I would only consider solid top or all solid wood guitars. I realize that promoting a laminated guitar is not going to be received well. I couldn???t believe it myself. Infact, when I got my FG-335 (big brother to this FG-331), I didn???t want to believe what I was hearing. I paid 173 dollars for the Yamaha FG-335, and 1900 dollars for my Martin HD28. The FG-335 didn???t just sound a little better, it was way better. Same volume, but better balance, warmth, clarity, and sweeter tone.

Here is another reason I???ve gone to just old laminated Yamahas. Not only do they always sound great, they always sound the same. Not much influence from humidity or lack of. 34 years ago, as a novice I was told by my music teacher to get a solid top when I could afford it. The salesman said that laminates sound ok even new, but they don???t improve over time. Guess what, NOT TRUE!!!!!. I don???t know how the laminates were built in 1940???s or 50s, but Yamaha and other brands I???ve tried from that era had some great recipe with their bracing, body geometry, and neck mass. If a top has to be solid, then explain a Rainsong to me. Carbon fiber top? I think I will stick with the organic, woody tone laminate top on my Yamaha!! I have had at least 20 solid tops in my 34 years of playing and none I MEAN NONE! Sound as good as these old FGs.

The new Yamahas have much less mass behind the neck than the 1960s through 1980s models. I called Yamaha customer service and talked to a tech about this. He said that the new bracing on the new line was different also. I don???t know why they would change something that was so good. Well, maybe 20 to 30 years from now, the now new FG-720s and 730s will have super tone. I???ll bet you also though that by then, the 50 year old FG-150s, 180s, 140s, 300s, 331s, 335s etc??? will sound crazy good.

Ahh!! Its an old guitar. Neck joint solid, even finish but old and with a nice amber yellowing appearance.

BUILT LIKE A TANK

Called them twice - great support.

OVERALL RATING:

Ok you???ve guessed it, I love these old Yammy???s.

Been playing 34 years. Probably not many reading this will go as far as I did and get rid of their prized solid wood guitars. That???s cool, I???m just drawing attention to these Yamahas more as a play out or campfire box in that case.

For me though, I paid off some bills and no more worrying about dings, humidity, insurance, resale value, imitation vintage vibe etc???.JUST PLAY!!!

Features? It's a basic, no-frills six-string acoustic guitar. No pickup, no cutaway, no decoration. The top is laminated, but I don't think that detracts from it.

It plays well and sounds good. What more features could you want?

If I had to use one word to describe the sound, it would be balanced. It's not particularly loud, or complex. What's nice about it is that it does EVERYTHING at least pretty well. It has enough string-to-string separation to fingerpick well (that's it's greatest strength), but enough body to strum with some authority. It doesn't get compressed and flat-sounding like many nice fingerpickers do when strummed hard. And it definitely isn't muddy, blurry, or dull the way so many dreadnaughts are when fingerpicked. It plays very well through the full dynamic range.

I played mine nearly every day for fifteen years, sometimes as my sole guitar. It still gets played regularly, despite being supplanted by a superb handmade guitar from Running Dog Guitars. I think that speaks a lot for its flexibility and useful tone.

The finish is typical of 1970s/1980s Yamahas. Decoration is minimal. The finish is in good shape despite countless dings... the laquer has faded to a very "old"-looking yellow-orange over the years, but hasn't crazed or failed in any way. The top is ply, but has held up well. Is the mohagany bookmatched? Who cares! Yamaha's budget guitars emphasized sound over looks, and it really shows at this point. That's not to say it's an UGLY guitar... the lines are very graceful, actually an improvement on the OM-style Martins that it copied. But if you really care about binding and bookmatching, look elsewhere.

If one comes your way, I'd recommend a professional setup, but I'd recommend that for ANY guitar. Replacing the original plastic saddle and nut with bone is an inexpensive way to improve the sound a lot. Also, don't expect the machine-built perfection of modern Korean and Chinese budget guitars. This thing was built by hand, albiet in a factory. And it was built well.

These old Yamahas are TANKS! They're as durable as any acoustic I've ever played. Mine actually suffered a structural failure, a cracked X-brace due to many years of medium-gauge strings, hard strumming, and no humidifier. Invest in a humidifier and you'll definitely extend the life and improve the sound.

The tuners are Grovers, or Yamaha copies of Grovers. They still work just fine, despite being close to 30 years old. It stays in tune very well. Mine is semi-retired now, just because I love it so much and I worry about its achy brace. But I wouldn't hesitate to gig with one at all... I'd recommend it, even, as an inexpensive platform for whatever pickup you choose.

Customer support? If I need repairs, I go to a real professional luthier that I can trust. Warranty is long-gone, and factory authorized don't mean jack to me.

Seventeen years ago, a cute young college student brought her never-played guitar to her dorm room to get her boyfriend to come over more often. It worked. I MARRIED her for this guitar. What does that say?

Okay, there were other reasons besides this guitar. But the guitar definitely helped.

I bought my FG331 new in 1971 when I wanted a good durable guitar for jamming but did not have much of a budget to work with.I went through a bunch of them which had just been received at a friend's music store and chose the most comfortable neck and best over all feel. This guitar was built in Taiwan. Has twenty frets, and a solid top which looks like spruce, well matched for the price of the guitar. Sides and back look to be manogany,and appear to be solid and matched. Finish is clear gloss and has proven to be extremely durable, having endured fog, kids, pets, severe cold and extreme summer heat in vehicles. Flat top is showing minor warping from string tension and poor storage, but still well within adjustable limits. The neck, though unbound, is smooth, frets well finished off. Neck has had minor tweaking twice over thirty plus years. Tuning gear covers have lost several screws which I have replaced with slightly oversize replacements. A good, basic, simple instrumment which had done the job for which it was purchased.

The guitar has a good sound leaning towards bright, loud enough for unamplified vocal folk/ western and "downeast" music, but better through a mic. Compared to Gibson and Martin unamplified flat tops of comparable physical size it holds its own well but with a little less voice, still, for the price it makes a fine showing for itself.

Some of the interior joinery is sloppy looking, but assembly is obviously solid and durable. This guitar was built to take abuse and survive. There has always been a tuning anomaly with the G and B strings, tolerable with constant tweaking but irritating to the ear. I finally said enough and cut a compensated bridge insert from a piece of deer antler which has all but eliminated the problem. Finish is as I have said before, tough and has stood much abuse, still looking good. External joinery is excellent, binding endures well.

It has played at many kitchen parties and outdoor events, has never given a problem which is much more than I can say for the player. It sounds better today than it ever did which speaks well for the matched solid top. The finish endures with a tiny bit of wear near the round hole and pick guard which only adds character. Finger board has some divots, but no new frets needed so far. A second strap button would have been nice, but all round for my kind of music it does the job.

I am sure help would have been forthcoming but I never felt I had cause to ask for it. I suppose there might have been a warranty but I never asked, nor do I recall the price paid, but I felt at the time I got a good buy and have certainly proved that.

I have been playing or getting musical enjoyment from a guitar for forty eight years now, and have owned Ovation, Gretsch, Fender, other Yamahas, and numerous other less known gear. Given the chance to buy this guitar again I would do it. What I love about it is its sameness; never badly out of tune, always looks good and stands up to whatever I give it. If there were anything to dislike it would be the slight anomaly in tuning. My favorite feature would be the well shaped, comfortable,accurate neck.I have jammed with Martin, Gibson, Ovation, and played all those and they sound better, but not that much better. I bought it because it had more bang for the buck, felt good and I could afford it. It's like an old favorite pair of jeans or the shoes you wish you had worn to work.

I'd guess this is about a mid-80s model, serial# 01221149. I believe, but I'm not an expert, that it's solid, not laminated mahogany back, sides and neck. Solid spruce top (or is it cedar? it's always had a nice orange tint, like cedar), rosewood fret board and saddle, pinstripe celluloid binding. Small bodied standard dread, 20 fret, chrome Yamaha tuners, all made in Taiwan (a Republic of China). Only one strap button? Plastic bridge and nut. Did I mention China? Came with a nice hardshell case.

This guitar has been played by many, much more accomplished musicians than myself, and they've all complimented the sound and playability. To me, it's got very good overall sound on a diverse musical palet. Fingerpicked, it's sweet and tonal. Strummed lightly, its kind of nasally, but if you get aggressive with it, the bottom end starts talkin. Not the loudest kid on the block, but does pretty well and can hold it own as a solid rhythm insturment. Good luck beating out a blazing lead in a crowd of Martins and Gibsons. But afterall, this is more like a orchestra sized OM, and not really intended for un-amplified blazing lead.

The fit-n-finish is seems pretty good for an el-cheapo. Nothing has come apart, split or broken since I've owned it, and it has not been a nice 18 years for this guitar.Whatever finish they used is tough stuff. It's got many dings and gouges, but the finish refuses to come off, and is still nice and shiny. The action was somewhat high originally, making it tough to play, but some bridge sanding and neck rod adjustment made it MUCH better, and it's action now is better than most off the shelf high end guitars. Warning: Going too low on the bridge will cause the played volume to decrease. There is no binding on the neck, and so the fret wire ends are exposed and slightly protruding and the finish is slightly cracked around some, but doesn't seem to be spreading, and doesn't affect playabilty.

If I'm going to a jam session, I'll take this one. Out in the woods in the rain?. In the air conditioned comfort of a home? Wherever. This guitar will take a beating, and doesn't seem to care. It has spent very little of it's life in the case. Most of the time leaning against the wall. Dropped, kicked, banged, tripped over..you name it, mine has been there. And seems always to be in tune, or damn close. This guitar now hangs on the wall by the computer, and gets played daily. I have much finer guitars, but this is the one that always gets played.

Warranty? Support? What?

If you can find one of these for under $200, buy it. Not too long ago, I was doing a comparison between a new Martin D28 and Taylor710. Just for kicks, I then did a back to back of these two cannons against the fg331. With the exeption of the volume difference from the rosewood on the high enders, the differences were very few, and I feel the Yamaha very comparable to the Martin tonally, AND was easier to play! The Taylor was the hands down winner, but was also $2700. The Yamaha will last you a life time, and your kid's too. Sittin' around with some friends on the porch, it sounds just fine with a voice all it's own. Very good tonally at medium volumes, and truly sings when delicatley fingerpicked. Capable of getting funky, folky, bluegrassy to the extreme of rock and punk, and loves the blues. The best $100 I've ever spent. Add a front strap button and throw it over your shoulder when you head out to the music festival. You won't be sorry.

20 frets, rosewood fretboard, & natural finish is all i'm sure about I was looking to see if anyone could tell me about it.

I love the sound personally. In my opinion it has beautiful tonal balence, i also own a Samick (acoustic/electric) and an Epiphone (acoustic) and this is by far my favorite because of it's superior sound. Occasionally, i use a Bill Lawrence sound hole pick-up to amplify it, and as awesome as that pick-up is it still doesn't do that guitar justice. I play a range of styles onit and it's full, rich sound is perfect for them all.

For me begining it was a little tough to keep the strings down but it's not at all bad. The construction is flawless on mine and the natural finish georgeous, the finish made it easier to see any flaws that may have been there but I have yet to find any I didn't put there.

I've put this guitar through hell and back and it still plays the same. The body is solid and the hardware is just as durable, the finish hasn't moved dispite all the dings and scratches i wish weren't there. The only strap button on it (on the bottom) is still going strong, i don't know why Yamaha didn't put another one on it. I wouldn't play it live without a backup because you never know what could happen but i would definately trust it to last through the gig.

I've been playing guitar and bass for 4-5 years steady now. It was my first guitar and still my favorite. I've got two other acoustics, and they're easier to play but are dwarfed in sound quality when held to comparison.

It's a flat top. What more does it need? I would call it a concert style body. The bindings and finish are beautiful. Unlike other comments I've read, close inspection at the sound hole indicates the top is solid spruce, not a laminate. The rosewood sides and back, however, I suspect must be. It also has an elegant inlay along the seam on the back. The machine heads are Yamaha's own but are heavily plated and hold tune well.

I do wish it had a factory installed strap pin at the neck heel. I didn't like the idea of drilling a hole in it.

I also have a Martin D18 and I've always said I like this Yamaha better, especially in the bass where it's much fuller. I'm just a 40 year amature mostly into country and a little finger style. This guitar really pleases my ear. It may be not be best suited for critical professional use if the tonal balance needs to be different, but it's an absolute pleasure to play!

The action is about he same as my Martin. I do use ultra light gauge strings on both, though. The finish is very high gloss over all. It's probably a resin type coat as opposed to hand rubbed laquer, but it looks elegant and has very well tolerated the many bumps along the way. Everything is remarkably smooth. I'm no expert on bracing so I can't comment on that except that what's visable isn't as well refined as the finished parts. The body is a little thinner than a Dreadnought making it also very comfortable.

I originally purchased this for my stepdaughter over 20 years ago. The kid and my ex are long gone but the axe is still here. I might add, only the axe still looks as good as it did then. It's beautifully finished and has stood the test of time. She's never been abused but also has never been properly maintained either. I am talking axe and ex. She couldn't be more rugged and reliable. Now I'm just talking axe. For giging I would have much more confidence in the guitar than me.

I've never needed it.

I've been playing only for my own pleasure for about 45 years. I also have the Martin, an Oscar Schmidt "LP" and an original Danelectro Guitarlin (long horn). The FG331 was purchaced for it's price and quality. If I somehow lost it, unlike my ex, I would miss it. I would probaby look for a new comparable model. Again I'm talking axe, not ex. My conservative ratings are only because these guitars are mass produced and may not be consistant from unit to unit. Mine however, couldn't be more suitable for me. I say that as a Martin owner.

All around nice guitar.

Better than most guitars costing hundreds more.

Action is unmatched for a guitar at this price. Sounds best when covered with floorwax.

I bought mine in '79 in Boulder,CO. Like a lot of the other reports, it is the perfect, "pick it up from behind the couch and play" kind of guitar. Over the years I've looked at a lot of others but for the money I've never found one that had a better sound or feel...especially if you put some nice strings on it. (I prefer extra-lights). This guitar is so tough that about 20 years ago I was in the Navy and Tom Johnston of the Doobies and Kansas were on the boat for about 3 weeks giving concerts as part of a USO tour. After the first guitar lesson of my life from T.J. I had them all sign it including Steve Morse, and the one-eyed guy from Kansas (Rich Williams) who I had press a little harder too kind of engrave it...dumb move so now I have the first part of a "K" etched in the front of my guitar. To save it for posterity, I shellac'd over the entire front of it, except the shellac I used was "Navy Issue", i.e. the cheapest stuff ever made, so the blasted finish orangepeel'd on me. Acting quickly, I peeled the stuff off like Saran Wrap and spent the rest of the cruise refinishing it thanks to some ultrafine steel wool and some Formica Floorshine which holds its perfect glossy finish to this day. With the exception of the mark from the "K", no one even knows.

This guitar is pretty awesome though...anything from blues to speed metal this guitar has the action and range to keep anybody company for years on end. A lot more durable than most. Shoot, any guitar that you can totally trash and then make look almost brand new with floor wax ain't too shabby. Mellow'd the sound a bit too.

N/A

I have had this guitar(new)since about 1978. Christmas present - first guitar. Made in Taiwan. I am not sure of what it is made from, but I assume it is laminate plywood materials - but I really don't care what it's made from anymore. I changed the tuners years ago to Grover, so I can't comment on the original, except that be it the guitar or the tuners, this thing can be beat to death and still hold tune.

Years ago, when putting it against other folks high line guitars, I would have given this guitar a 3. How little I knew. Now that I am better, and have better guitars, (Larrivee, Gibson, Fender, Taylor) I give it a 8. It has grown it's own individual voice. When I am in a mood for hard pushing blues or some folksy kind of sound, this is the guitar. Overall, it is just an nice guitar for all around "pick it up from beside the chair and pick guitar"

Of course the action was terrible. Crank the neck a bit, work it down a little (sand paper and caution is all that was needed) and the action is great. For the target customer this guitar was made for, the action you can work it to is a 10. Overall, against the expensive guitars, I give it an 8. It is probably capable of better.

I have played this guitar to death. I have yet to wear through any area of the finish. It has been beat, exposed to high humidity, low humidity, smoke, drugs, cats, dogs, mad girlfriends, and any countless other reasons to have been tossed in the garbage years ago. It survives and looks good. Of course, the fretboard is getting some divots, but they fit my fingers. Lots of ding, dang and damn its, but strong as an ox. This thing is solid and will be played by my grandchildren. Total tank. I wish it looked older and more worn so when I show it people would better understand the troubles we've seen.

I have no idea.

I have been playing for about 20 years. You don't even want to know what all gear I have collected over the years. If this guitar was stolen or lost, I would have lost something I consider irreplaceable. Overall I give this guitar a 9. It has been through early day lessons with multiple brothers, high school variety shows, too many years at college to feel comfortable admitting, years on display, countless hours played and abused, and it sounds better than 90% of the guitars I sample when I get the urge for something new. Not your best all application guitar, but this baby has its own place, its own sound, and I wouldn't let it go for anything.

I picked up the Yamaha FG-331 in college. Mine must have been put away for a long time cause it is in amazing shape and has very nice wood. A spruce top, mahogany back and sides, and a rosewood fingerboard.

I love the sound on this guitar, it has a folk sound that really resonates. Like I read in the other review the strings sit very high off of the fingerboard and it takes some practice and finger strength to play.

Its a fun guitar, if you can get one for around $150 nowadays you're getting a good deal. The guitars only cost around $180 back when they were made late 70's early 80's? I dunno, but with inflation you'd be hard pressed to find a used steel string guitar in good dhape for this price.

A good value, a fun guitar.

Folk style sound, definitely has it's own character.

My Fg-331 is in excellent shape and has a very pretty finish, especially the back and sides.

Sounds good and has held up very well.

It's too old to get support.

Fun guitar, good sound, worth the price in enjoyment.