posted on April 23, 2001 09:49:53 AM new
Hi...
I have been selling on ebay for a few years and for the first time, all my resources and "Experts" are truly stumped!!
I have contacted Yamaha and they are treating it like the secret of the Forbidden Jewels...I have been reading posts for a long time and have found it to be enjoyable as well as very informative, so I am hoping that someone out there can help me out.
I have a Yamaha Classical Guitar with what everyone believes is its orginal Chipboard Case. It has a cedar top and jacaranda back & sides. A Mahognay neck and pegboard. Y-Groove peghead. Inlaid Rosette around the round sound hole. Ebony fret board and bridge. The label on the inside reads G-50 Nippon-Gakki Co. LTD. The back of peghead stamped made in Japan, so this means the model should be prior to 1971 when the company moved to Taiwan. Three different Yamaha dealers have put the guitar at an average of 90% mint. It has no cracks or chips, no warpage. The case has seen its better days, but it to is in very nice shape. Does anyone know anything about this guitar? The books or any print info that I can find even list this guitar, There is no "C" in the model type anywhere??? I am thinking it might have been a demo or an error on the label....Any and all info is really appreciated...Thanks for taking the time to read and express your opinion.
T.
posted on April 23, 2001 10:19:37 AM new
I believe that some Yamahas are still made in Japan to this day. However, many have been made in Taiwan, for years.
Usually with Yamahas, the higher the model number, the better the grade. A 50 would be a low number.
Acoustic guitars:
Check the edge of the soundhole to try to determine if it's a laminated (plywood) top or not. This is very important to help determine "worth". Hopefully, it will be "solid" wood, which will be much more desirable. How you can tell is: look at the grain lines of the cedar (or spruce, if it's a spruce top), where it comes to the edge of the soundhole. If the wood is solid and not laminated, you will see the grain continue unbroken through the entire thickness of the top wood. If it's laminated, the grain lines will stop near the center of the top's thickness, and (you must look very closely), you can usually see a distinct line where the plys come together.
Does this make sense?
When I say "laminated" or "plywood", what I mean is, they put a very thin veneer of high grade wood on the surface layer (that you see from the outside), but the inner layers are cheaper wood, with visual flaws or whatever.
A guitar that has a laminated top will surely be of all laminated body woods (back and sides too), and will forever be considered a student or beginner grade guitar, no matter how pretty and fancy looking.
Some better grade guitars have solid top wood and laminated back and sides. The top is the most important tone producing feature of a guitar, so a solid top is important. However, many good and great guitars have laminated back and sides. Few "good" guitars will have a laminated top. A "solid top" guitar with laminated back and sides could usually be considered an intermediate range guitar. I say usually, but most can be very good.
At the top of the heap are guitars will all solid woods in the body.
[ edited by loosecannon on Apr 23, 2001 10:30 AM ]
posted on April 23, 2001 10:37:01 AM new
Also, your Yamaha will almost certainly be either a student or intermediate grade guitar. But if it's an intermediate grade, and in good shape, it could go for possibly as much as $250.00 used price, but probably some lower figure.
If it's a student grade (laminated top) figure on around $100 or so, used price.
I know this isn't giving you exactly what you asked for about a G-50 model, but I'm giving you the information you need to "grade" the guitar yourself.
[ edited by loosecannon on Apr 23, 2001 11:06 AM ]
posted on April 23, 2001 11:24:13 AM new
tami23,
It is quite possibly a guitar that was never meant for the American market. Guitars made for the Japanse and European markets don't have the same model numbers as those made for the American market. Often US servicemen bought guitars in Japan and brought them home in which case it would be very difficult to find that model number in any catalogs from Yamaha. Loosecannon gave you very good advise on grading your instrument. Very few Yamahas were all solid wood and the only way to find that out is to look for a distinctive mark such as a grain pattern or knot in the wood that goes the whole way thought the wood. Look inside the sound hole to see if the pattern or mark can be seen on both sides of the wood. In general, a chip board case does not accompany a high-grade guitar.
posted on April 23, 2001 11:56:20 AM new
Thanks Loose Cannon & srfnfshn
I do appreciate the information....I did some checking on the actucal guitar and the top is solid cedar, the back & sides are Jacarand Veneered. The neck and peghead are solid mahogany which is the only difference from a GC-50C which according to the Yamaha bluebook values at $3800.00. The GC-50 has the spruce top, and it has the same value as above. Give me your thoughts on that...Thanks so much for all your help!!!
posted on April 23, 2001 02:14:01 PM new
We’ve sold quite a few Yamaha GC-30 guitars. It was Yamaha’s least expensive guitar that was all solid wood. GC-30s list around $1300.00. It would sell new for around $900.00. If this guitar is a GC-50 it would be all solid wood also and could have a list value of $3800.00. You could expect it to sell for about $2700.00 new. If the back and sides are laminate it isn’t a GC-50. There is nothing in Yamaha’s catalog that has a solid top and laminate back and sides that lists for more than $700.00. In fact this year Yamaha came out with an all solid wood guitar that lists under $800.00. There were only a few all solid wood Yamaha guitars made prior to the 1980s.
We’re pretty much with Loosecannon on this one. We’ve never heard of a Yamaha blue book either.
Good luck with it.
posted on April 23, 2001 02:35:15 PM new
Here's a nice story.
I purchased a half stack about 10 years ago. The seller was getting out of the business and was liquidating his personal equiptment. While in his basement checking out the amp, I noticed an old Rickenbacker bass guitar sitting in a stand. I I said "nice guitar" and he replied that it was a Rickenbacker that hadn't been played in years and needs a ton of work. He mentioned that the neck was warped and that he would gladly throw it in with the amp if I decided to make the purchase.
I purchased the amp and received the guitar with the intentions of having it restored someday. It sat in a case in my studio for 10 years until I took it out last year. I evaluated the guitar for condition and then seeked the net for additional information. Boy was I surprised to find out what I had...Low and behold it was a very rare 1963 4001 model. One of only 150 that were produced.
I ended up selling the guitar to a Rickenbacker enthusiast that assisted me in identifying the guitar. He restored it and it is now being cherished by its owner. It felt great to get it into the hands of a person who could repair and appreciate it. It was also nice to get the $4,500.00 check.
I bought myself a vintage Eric Clapton Signature Strat and took my family to Disneyworld...
