Yamaha 461S

musicegbdf · February 2022

OK I have a few electrics (!), but just one acoustic that I bought in the mid 80' s I think.
I sold my Gibson LP ( mistake) as I had small kids , but still wanted a guitar.
I think it sounds really good and much better than my daughters Faith ( she agrees) .
Out of interest I looked to see what it is worth . Seems not worth much. Not a problem as not selling , but surprised .
It has a nice solid spruce top and rosewood ( laminate) side and back. Maybe it is the many hours of playing has helped the sound.
So assume other than the big names acoustics are not so sought after as they age.
I know my daughter has her eyes on it as a keeper.. Her Faith is a gigging work horse but she is not loving it .

artiebear · February 2022

Yamaha's lower end acoustics from the 70's. 80's and 90's are generally solid as can be. Really good value in terms of build stability and playability ( assuming that due care and attention has been paid to a decent set up ). You are right, they don't go for much, but as a reasonable writing, couch, carry around guitar they are great.
As for Yamaha's higher end acoustics, they are something else, easily out performing a few other big money brands ( while not being cheap in themselves ).

oh, and yes, the right acoustic guitar will accrue value as it ages, probably not laminate lower end models though.

Tannin · February 2022

Japanese instruments of that era tend to be over-valued. There were some very good ones which got overlooked for a long time, then people woke up to the quality on offer and bid the prices up. However, nothing with a laminated back is going to sell for big money. (People might ask silly prices for them sometimes, but that's just greed and optimism.)

Yamaha FGs were good, solid instruments in the better part of the bottom end of the market. Most FGs were all laminate, the "S" in the model number of yours stands for "solid". I have a Yamaha FG-512 of similar vintage (but no solid top and the belly is bowed a little now). I have been trying to give it away for some time but no takers. It always had a nice tone.

Mellish · February 2022

I had a Yamaha dread in the mid/late 70s. Can't recall the model (the old memory, you know?) but I wouldn't have paid much for it and it was good enough for gigging. So yeah, not much wrong with Yammies

musicegbdf · February 2022

Thanks. Interesting how we are about instruments. A acoustic with laminate back and sides but with solid spruce top is not worth much.
However , a vintage ES335 is.
For me the top is the most important part of an acoustic. Though I do confess not to be an expert. When I bought the Yamaha I just tried several in my price range and liked the feel and sound.
How many of us ( me included) when first seeing a guitar our eyes go to the headstock logo .
With my damaged hearing and tinnitus not sure I would be good enough to appreciate the difference . Just had a look at the better end of the market and surprised at the high prices. I will lurk on this area and educate myself a bit more.

Tannin · February 2022

It is not just the materials, @musicegbdf it is what the materials say about the instrument. Laminated back and sides in an acoustic says "We (the manufacturers) are sort of trying with this one, but not trying very hard. It's the second bottom category in our range, after all. Near enough is good enough." Now Yamaha take pride in executing even their cheap models well, just the same, it was never a top drawer instrument. If it sounds good and plays well, that's great. My Yamaha FG gave decades of faithful service before the years and the harsh Ballarat climate got to it. No complaints at all. But it is what it is.

(There is no connection with 335s: electrics (even semis) are a different world. The laminated top doesn't make the sound, the pickups do that.)

musicegbdf · February 2022

As I say I have fairly poor knowledge of acoustic guitars , and not sure I would appreciate the difference . I will watch this section and learn.

DavidR · March 2022

Early (1970's) Yamaha FG's well thought of because they were quite good but also much cheaper and more widely available in the UK than the US makers. I had one 1975 to 1979 (no can't remember/ never noticed which one either). They were nice, well made, light instruments with good tone. Mine came from Taiwan. They were laminate tops for the most part and were lightly braced. Over the decades the bridges can bulge out and they can develop poor actions requiring fairly major fix after a few decades of use so always worth checking that when buying.

I know it's what I learnt on but I still have more modern FG5 and an FG830. Love them. FG5 is go-to instrument despite having 'better' acoustics. Have been tempted to buy a 1970's FG - they go for £2-300 - but I think newer models of FG are just as good and that I would probably just be reminiscing.

It's all about love innit?!

Stratavarious · March 2022

I have gigged very reliable solid top Yamahas for years. People do hear with their eyes with some of the brands.

I’ve had my Yamaha classical since doing grades as a youth.

All their gear is pretty great, mixers, synths, sequencers, pianos.

musicegbdf · March 2022

No issues with my FG . The action is fine and no bulges , cracks. It is pretty much as when I bought it. I still like the sound, though I am more an electric player. I think it sounds better than my daughters Faith. She agrees and likes playing other people's acoustics when she can. I only paid £250 for the Faith it was like new.

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