Yamaha Neck Reset FG230 Taiwan

Hello People!
Thanks for joining me for more guitar restoration videos! This Yammy is in for a neck reset, new rosewood bridge and bone saddle. It was made in 1972 Taiwan
Cheers,
Scotty D.,
Harpeth Guitar Restoration, LLC.
Nashville, Tennessee

[@HBSuccess]

Great work. I’ve turned away Yammy neck resets thinking they were glued in w epoxy. Appreciate you showing it’s possible.

[@joesantamaria5874]

I get the fact that people don’t understand investing $ on an old Taiwanese guitar, but you never know. It could have been grandpa’s, might have belonged to an old buddy, or maybe the owner bought it new in ‘72, and just loves the thing. It’s sounds fantastic!

[@richardmorgan1588]

That was so satisfying to watch! Amazing work and that guitar sings now! I think I know why the customer was willing to have this work done. There’s no substitute for your favorite guitar!

[@harpethguitar]

Thank You 🙏

[@BobHolland1949]

I have a FG180 Serial No. dates it as 1971 Red Label Taiwan. Needs a neck reset but I can't justify the cost. I'm old and about poor. Bought it used in 1972. I've owned it twice. Always finds it's way back home.

[@e4tm333]

Sounds Massive, one of the best 12 string sounds I’ve heard

[@garypannone7755]

Old Yamaha's sound so nice.

[@harpethguitar]

I think so too!

[@nicolen.9642]

The neck reset is the most terrifying job on a guitar. Stressful. I admire your remarkable work. 🤩👌

[@harpethguitar]

Thank You 🙏

[@jw9947]

Great job on the reset and the video. I have a made in Taiwan 230 in the queue. Neck reset is looking likely.

[@harpethguitar]

This should help!

[@bldallas]

Great job! That guitar sounds awesome, too! I dig the Zeppelin. Thanks Scotty.

[@harpethguitar]

You bet!

[@martin.ballard]

I have one that must be early '70s. I'm going to restore it. They are magnificent.

[@antoine2333]

Hi Scotty, anything you touch, turns into Gold ! A neck reset is indeed, pretty harsh ! Fortunately, this lovely Yamaha FG230 MIT, has been reset by the Harpeth Luthier, who turns anything to Gold ! Thanks for this nice video !

[@harpethguitar]

Well said!

[@Sammywhat]

All 12 of those strings sounded great!!! 😍Nice job, Mr. Scott!!

[@harpethguitar]

Thank you kindly!

[@b_aleman]

Im considering sending you my FG-140 for a neck reset and a refret. Maybe a bone nut and saddle. Great job buddy

[@carguyjeff1961]

A true talent. Awesome video....

[@harpethguitar]

Thank You 😊

[@HayesTech]

Very nice work. I love those old Yamaha guitars, even the higher end new ones. Again, outstanding work.

[@dcallan1]

Well done! Sounds great. I was thinking it might be a lot of work for a mediocre result. But, that old Yamaha sings.

[@harpethguitar]

Thank You 😊

[@nellayema2455]

Great job. That thing sounds great! I have an FG365S that I bought new in '80 or '81. It's built like a tank, too. The action's getting a little high. I did have the bridge shaved about 15 years ago. It sounds good (was the best sounding guitar in my price range in the store when I bought it), but it really hasn't "opened up" over the years, probably due to it's robust build. I'll never sell it, though.

[@botwinjohn8695]

Good job 👍👍👍, hot hide glue can be dissolved very well with spirit.

[@gsuderman]

Excellent repair! I use the same strings versus 10s in my Seagull 12. Sounds way better. Tune down to D# or D.

[@harpethguitar]

Cool, thanks!

[@rodneykroetsch2924]

Great sounding 12er! ❤

[@harpethguitar]

Thanks for listening

[@vayabroder729]

Wow! That one was a handful but turned out amazing!

[@harpethguitar]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@acbush]

Great video! That neck really didn’t want to come off. Going to check out more of your videos!

[@harpethguitar]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@BobDorfman]

Sounds beautiful!

[@stephenrobinson3440]

I have a FG 441-12. Wonderful guitar. I had a mishap with it a few years ago. The headstock broke when it fell off the stand. J Gravity in St. Louis repaired it. Still plays great.

[@harpethguitar]

Fantastic!

[@stephenrobinson3440]

Actually it’s a FG 441S-12. Solid top. Spruce top, not sure what the S means. Some say one thing, some the other.

[@SopranoPizzaJMFNJ]

Looks & Sounds Great!

[@peterjames2580]

Fine work Sir!!!

[@BarbaraWhipple-q1n]

Very impressive Scott!!

[@harpethguitar]

Thank you kindly!

[@jonahguitarguy]

Great episode. Great work as well.

[@harpethguitar]

Much appreciated!

[@jimjones9593]

You show you use a little mylar template to mark the drill holes for you foam cutter holes. Can you share that in a paper printed version or even the dimensions? I’ve done 5 vintage Yamaha neck resets and “guessed” where to drill each time with about 75% accuracy… I wish I had made one, lol… I have been using the same method, except I’ve not been pulling the 14the fret. I think your method to do that is awesome, because the extra volume of glue that Yamaha used on heel to body face is what makes these come off so hard vs US made guitars (along with the thick filet of finish. I also use a home press against the heel to help load pressure against the joint, similar to the Big name version. BUT the really stuck necks have been suffering some compression to the wood that will to cause a fret board hump after reassembly. I agree with your idea to saw thru that once the neck is off to prevent it! I hope adding the 14th fret holes and heating will further prevent that… The last one I did was so stubborn a fractured heel resulted, and the dowel they used saved the repair visibility mostly. I love your work and your’s & Ted Woodford’s casts are the best out there. My finish skill suck, but have been improving thanks to your casts and willingness to share “tricks”. I also made the mistake of trying a hair dryer thru the sound hole on an FG with laminate sides to aid the heating of the dovetail from the other side (inner) and that is NOT a good idea!!! Luckily it didn’t unglued the sides from the block, BUT it DID turn the sides yellow on the exterior! I think the heat drove the glue in the lamination thru the thin outer veneer. Because I ended up scrapping the finish off, thinking it was what was yellow and it was stained veneer! I’ve spend the last two weeks using your techniques of covering that area with tinted shellac to hide it and a top coat of lacquer…. Keep doing what you are doing with the casts and if you can share the hole template that would be great, but if not that cool. I have 4 more Yamahas waiting neck resets and I’ll get the information off the next one I do. One last tidbit, I used the liquid hide glue in a bottle and it was a big mistake. It takes 2 week to dry…. And I’ve been using maple veneer on roll with adhesive meant for cabinet edge for shims. It stack up nice and with a little heat gun use it stick fast quick an stay put. It’s easy to slice to width and cut to length and sand the overlap a smooth transitions to get a nice shape.

[@DFmusician]

I have an Ibanez 12 string that was made in Japan. Artwood series. Mint condition.

[@jefferp]

Got the old girl singing!

[@grantmartin6094]

Man, that thing sounds great. Nice! I’ve never seen this method, did you cut material out of the dovetail and then reglue it to change the angle? Did you end up having to put in a shim at the fretboard extension?

[@harpethguitar]

No fretboard extension wedge (shim) I trim the heel and shim the dovetail

[@johngeddes7894]

Nice. On Todd Cambio’s page, he shows a Lydia Mendoza 12 String that he either worked on or made a copy of, but there’s a much more recent clip of her playing a Yamaha 12 string, and boy does that thing growl. It sounds diabolical. That’ll teach me to be a guitar snob! She might be a couple steps below A 440.

[@johnstiteler4088]

Nice job, with a couple of things I hadn't seen before. Using the hot knife to score around the heel makes sense. I've never seen the saw cut between the heel and the fretboard extension. Does that just let the fretboard flex a little? Did you end up putting a spacer under the extension? Too bad you didn't have time to show the finish repair on the heel. I always learn something from your refinishing.

[@harpethguitar]

Right on. I didn’t use a spacer and it worked fine. I used a Mohawk marker on the heel (Deep Cordovian) quick and easy, no sweat 😓

[@mikew42906]

These were made needing a neck reset, they got the angle wrong from the beginning. I have an FG170 1974 and a friend has the FG180 both had the neck leaning too far forward from new.

[@drumsmut]

what did you do with the maple in terms of the bridge? @ 20:37 ..didnt catch that or see clearly what you were talking about? is it an underside reinforcement plate? thx great video!!

[@harpethguitar]

@@drumsmut I glued it to to bridge plate (inside) to cover the old worn out pin holes. Thank You 🙏

[@drumsmut]

@@harpethguitar thx! makes sense now.

[@Nobodyp8git]

Ive got a tiwan fg 200...early 70 tan it numbers twice. Block and neck. Needs reset....im gonba tryba

[@scottreeves1226]

Hey! terrific video. Thanks. Question: does the cut between the fingerboard extension and the tenon cut wood from the fingerboard, the tenon, or both? That's a great-sounding guitar!

[@harpethguitar]

Just cutting into the mahogany (tenon)

[@scottreeves1226]

Thanks.@@harpethguitar

[@thefreese1]

Yamahas notoriously suck when it comes to neck resets... some you'll never separate...that piece of PV you had to cut is one example.... there's even some luthiers that had to literally saw the the heel all the way to the truss rod . And make a new one..dowel it ect.. you were lucky sir .. I believe I'd of put it back together with Titebond Original... I case of it needing another reset in the not so long future... with those strings . 😅

[@kelvinnesvog6292]

Have you ever reset the neck on a Morris guitar. I have a beautiful rosewood with spruce top built in 79. It sounds awesome even with 10 year old strings! But it has terrible action. I've taken it to luthiers and they say that it can't be fixed. Your thoughts?

[@harpethguitar]

Not yet!

[@Sci-Que]

Neck reset on a Yamaha = dread. Great job.

[@harpethguitar]

Truth!

[@patrickniedermeyer2112]

Did you use glue boost fill and finish to repair the stress cracks?

[@harpethguitar]

I just went over the cracks with Mohawk Deep Cordovian marker and they kind of vanished. Most of the cracks were on the treble side so they are out of sight!

[@zen234]

Great video,red label rules! Question, how do you take the glue residue of the top where the pick guard goes?

[@harpethguitar]

Good question! For Yamahas?

[@zen234]

@@harpethguitar Thanks,my old Yamahas pick guard fell off during a gig,and now looks a real mess. Any ideas?

[@harpethguitar]

If I recall, acetone will dissolve the Yamaha pickguard adhesive. Good luck!

[@zen234]

@@harpethguitar Thanks shall give it a go. Great channel just subscribed 🎸🏏

[@lenniejosephful]

Where is the serial number located on FGs?

[@harpethguitar]

Sound hole/ Transverse brace on the Taiwan models

[@anidamanns7968]

i'd like to take the time to talk about other peoples money.