by sneakypete » Sun Nov 23, 2008 9:46 pm
interesting how the all laminate red labels have acquired such a reputation while the all solid wood Yamaha Dynamics that preceded them get so little attention, apart from myself I mean, I have 29 of the Dynamics now and only one FG, a 170 light green label from the early 70s...nice guitar but not in the same league as the Dynamics. There is a small but growing Dynamic following in Japan with a web site dedicated to them.
How much to pay eh...yeah well the red labels have become really popular now. My Japan Vintage books with extensive articles and photos on old Yamahas say the FG-180 first appeard in October 1966, but that was one of the initial two light green label FGs, the other was the FG-150. If yours is a red label, it must be a later model. The on line Yamaha archive says they were made between 1966-1974. The FG-180J came in 1975. It is possible a red label FG-180 was for export and therefore different from the light green label. I`ve seen red labels go for far less than $100.oo and more than $800.oo on line in Japan.
I see them in shops here all the time but they don`t come close to my Dynamics so I haven`t bought any.