Are they CRAZY!!!! Unloved treasures.

michelew
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Mon Oct 06, 2014 12:29 am

Last night, I took some rubbish to the garbage room of my complex. On my way out...I took a double take. Something was TERRIBLY wrong with this picture. I turned around and there on the ground next to the paper recycling bins was a gig bag, a dusty unloved promise of a guitar. I couldn't resist. I lent down and opened it. Sure enough, inside was a yamaha guitar that appeared to be in working order. I was in my way to the dog park, so I left the dirty bag where it was and rescued the guitar by placing it in the boot of my car.

Once home, I inspected it. It was chip in the peg head, there's signs of a shoddy repair on the base of the body where something appears to have come loose, it had rusty strings, the fret board was dry and the body was a bit grubby, the action is too high and it needs a set-up. But, otherwise it looked solid and OK.

I changed the strings, oiled the fretboard, polished it up and it sounds a bit thin by Ok and looks fine. It's a decent guitar for anyone wanting to play. I just CANT believe that someone would want to send it to the landfill rather than find a good home for it.

Image

It's a Yahama F340. It's a dreadnought shape but feels smaller than normal. I used 12s on it and they feel too light. It doesn't have the depth or resonance of my guitars. Looking inside, I can see the bracing is massive, really thick compared to the bracing on either of my acoustics. The soundboard actually looks like it's striped too. I assume the spruce is not the same quality and rigidity as mine. But then, the guitar might just need to be played in and to open up a lot more.

Recommendation
I've just finished reading a book by Allen St James called Clapton's Guitar. It's all about Wayne Henderson and how the author watched him make a pair of guitars (one for Clapton and the other to auction for charity). It's a great read. It's a compelling journey to learn about Henderson the musician, the luthier and the sweet, kookie funny guy that he is. I learned a lot about the guitar making process too. There's a section that talks about how the bracing is a significant part of developing a guitar that really sing; too thick and it's potential to vibrate is lost, too little and the guitar blows itself apart.

So here in my house I now have an example of just how different the bracing can affect the sound of the guitar. It's fascinating really.


What now? Well I plan to find a good home for it. There's a garage sale coming up in our complex. I might just put it up for sale there. I'm asking around otherwise. I'm just looking for someone who will play it and enjoy doing so. I'm looking for some one who will give it a little love. :)



Have any of you come across any equally ridiculous examples of unloved instruments? I'm still shaking my head in disbelief.


benfield113
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Mon Oct 06, 2014 2:51 am

Hi Shel,

I learned guitar on a Yamaha F340. I still use it for different tunings and as a second guitar. It's a great guitar, maybe not as deep and resonant as my Martin HD40 TP, but still up there with the best also-rans (and a tenth of the price!).

I keep Martin extra-light strings on it and it responds well.

Can't believe anyone would dump one, they're not easy to find nowadays and fetch quite good prices on ebay.

Cheers

Andy


willem
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Mon Oct 06, 2014 4:01 am

It looks like a great guitar,, are you not interested to find the person who put it with the garbage?

Garage sale? Maybe ebay and see how much it will bring,, and pay a guitar camp.

Geee

Willem


michelew
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Mon Oct 06, 2014 4:02 am

Thanks Andy. Maybe I need to just play it for a while and let it develop and lower the action. An alternate tuning guitar is handy.

Thanks for the suggestion.

M


michelew
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Mon Oct 06, 2014 4:08 am

willem wrote:
It looks like a great guitar,, are you not interested to find the person who put it with the garbage?

Garage sale? Maybe ebay and see how much it will bring,, and pay a guitar camp.

Geee

Willem
Interested to find them? Well I'm wondering of course whether they are off their tree! But...maybe they couldn't deal with the frustration and decided to chuck it as therapy.

I must admit I wondered whether someone else got mad with the owner and threw it out as revenge. But... The strings were rusty so it hadn't been used for ages.

Pay for camp you reckon. :) well it might bring in 5-10% of the airfare if I'm lucky. :) hmmm... How many salvaged guitars does it take to make it to ICG 2015 I wonder. :)


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neverfoundthetime
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Mon Oct 06, 2014 2:57 pm

The first guitar I bought for myself (in 1983) was a Yamaha Dred. It was decent enough and I had it for around 12 years before I gave it away, or sold it very cheaply, as it had become unloved due to it living in the shadow of my 12 string Takamine. it went to a teen-aged girl in the neighbourhood who's dad sent her back with (more) money but I said no. A bottle of fine wine arrived shortly after. So I figured it was a win-win for the unloved but in-perfect- shape Yamaha.


michelew
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Mon Oct 06, 2014 5:12 pm

Hey Chris.

You're a sweetie gifting your guitar like that.

When I first started at TG you might remember I had a Yamaha dreadnought FG415S. It's a great guitar. It just doesn't suit my playing style as well as my Larrivee and the sound isn't a rich either. I does have a great bottom though. :)

I gave it to my daughter. She's been moving around a fair but the last few years. She's paired down all her belonging, but she still has the Yamaha.

It's bigger than the F340, which seems to have a shorter scale than my Larrivee. That must be why the strings are rattling when I strum with gusto.



Shel


jayswett
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Mon Oct 06, 2014 5:52 pm

Great story. I've often thought that there must be literally millions of guitars stuffed away in closets, long forgotten, that could be put to much better use in schools, homeless shelters, public spaces, needy communities. Many of them are probably not playable at this point, but with a little work, I would think many could be resuscitated and used for constructive and rewarding purposes.


jimbo58
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Tue Oct 07, 2014 1:17 am

Great find Michele, landfill is a sad end to any guitar, so you deserve praise for saving it. Some people do not know the value of guitars and for that reason I check the newspapers regularly for garage sales. someone might be getting rid of a Maton or martin or something like that when they do not want it anymore and don"t appreciate the value of it, no luck yet but it is fun trying! you or someone else can still get a lot of fun from the guitar. I have a Yamaha apx900 and it is my favorite guitar I just love it so I think Yamaha is a good brand.


michelew
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Tue Oct 07, 2014 1:39 am

Hi Jim.

Yes I scour EBay for bargains too. I'm generally looking for hybrid nylons and/or Taylors though. I've been looking for a bargain nylon Taylor like Ness' or better still a cedar/rosewood or mahogany one. Ow! That would be great. No luck so far.

I did spy a Yahama APX nylon that looked really nice, but it's not anyway near me and so impossible to play it.

Good luck finding your dream bargain guitar. It seems the garbage room of the nearest apartment complex might be a better bet. :)

M


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