I am looking at getting a Yamaha FG800 or maybe the FS800 this weekend. I haven't picked up a guitar in decades and I was not good when I did play, in fact i sucked,  but I have an urge to play an acoustic but I like very low action. I looked at a local beat up but repaired Yamaha FS700S and I really liked the action but I fear the action was custom improved and the 1 hour drive to see an FS800 will show much higher and not flat action on the new factory guitar.

I have a 1972 Gibson SG standard and Peavey amp, that I have had since new but i have an urge to play acoustic but don't want to spend a lot of money so that is where the FG800 comes in. Does anybody know what the factory action is like on the FS800?

I have a John Walsh long practice Pipes Chanter coming in next week because I want to learn to play the pipes.

It's been a couple of years, but I played one at a store once.  I compared it to much more expensive guitars and it held its own.  I was really impressed with the sound and playability.  I don't remember the action being an issue.  I like a low action as well.

You can always have it adjusted if the action doesn't suit you.

ETA- I was referring to the FS800

I've played a few, they were all pretty solid guitars. I see a lot of Yamahas on craigslist.
I'm always looking for a deal on my next guitar.


https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ram/msg/d/saint-paul-yamaha-fg800-solid-top/7470385490.html

I found what is supposed to be a minty Yamaha FG700S for $120

Taking a look Tomorrow. If it is in nice shape I am getting it.

Also looking at an Yamaha FD01S for $85.

Good deal

My acoustic is a Yamaha FG700S and it's a nice guitar.  From my research, before and after buying, it's pretty much the go-to recommendation for a beginner, as far as value, in regards to cost, playability and sound.  I believe 700 series is discontinued and was replaced by the 800 and I think the only difference is that the 800 series has scalloped bracing, which reduces the weight and improves the sound, although I don't know how much or if that even matters for a beginner.  

I bought mine from a college kid who kept it at his parent's house so he wouldn't have to lug a guitar along every time he came to visit.  He was getting money together to buy a Strat.  

Attached File

Pics required Mach.

I looked at the Yamaha FD01S today that was advertised for $85 which is a good relative price for that guitar.

It had a broken tuning key that was not in the description. Other than that the guitar is mint, looks like it was hardly played.
He said to take off what I think it would cost to fix and I told him I have no idea, got on my phone and quickly realized you can't by OEM replacement tuning keys unless you happen to find one that is being parted out. Having no idea what would be required to fix it in time and money I declined.

The he said, well I'm not going to fix it I don't have time, I can't sell it like that, I already have to many projects. So he said just take it for free and hopefully you can fix it for not more money than it's worth, so I walked away with a minty Yamaha FD01S but with a broken tuning key. Someone may have lowered the action some, at the bridge because it seems pretty good.

having spent several hours researching it, it looks like it would be easier to just by a set of 6 and replace them all instead of trying to find an exact replacement which is what we were both trying to do on our phones at his house. It has a standard 10mm bore. So now I have to decide to spend either $60-$75 on Grover Tuning keys or $15-$25 on chinese Amazon tuning keys. So I have the strings off, they needed to be replaced for sure, and the broken tuning key out for measuring dimensions.  I do like fixing stuff, and this looks like a really easy fix.

what does the hive say go cheap or put decent tuning keys in it, taking into account this is an inexpensive guitar and I have exactly $0 in it except for gas money.

I am leaning toward the Grover, but not sure.

Tomorrow I go look at a Yamaha FG700S, which if in nice shape I will probably buy, listed for $120 which seems to be a good price because I like that guitar.

I will keep the FD01S as a spare.

ETA: I looked at an FG800 today at a  shop and didn't really like it, the action was very high and not even close to being flatish, out of the box, but maybe the neck needed to be adjusted


here is the FD01S

Congrats!

My Yamaha FG700S has stock tuners.  My electric has Grover Rotomatics.  There is a huge difference in feel.  The Yamaha tuners have a lot of slack and it's harder to make fine adjustments.  The Grovers engage immediately and seem to allow for much more minute and precise adjustments.  However, I'm not sure I would spend that much on tuners for a very entry level guitar.  Also, if you find yourself getting serious about guitar, you will probably want an upgrade in the very near future.

You are right about not spending that much money on tuners for an entry level guitar, i would not even consider it except I got it for nothing. I just don't know what the quality would be like with chinese no name $15-25 for a set of 6 tuners. I guess I should just try them.

The free Yamaha FD01S I got yesterday has Jin Ho tuners made in Belarus. I can find a set of six 3x3 of those made in korea, but the price is almost as much as the Grovers. Also I really don't want to drill new holes for the set screws if I can avoid that, and it looks like the Grovers will require new set screw holes as I can't find any with the exact dimensions and I did find a set of amazon chinese with the exact dimensions..

Wilkinson tuners are high quality and they make a knockoff of the Grover 3+3 for $35...

Wilkinson Roto style

Nothing wrong with having a guitar tech lower the action on your acoustic. Pretty common request.

ETA: I have an FG335 and it appears to be same pattern as the tuners I linked above. I haven't had any issues with slop though, but I'm about to go really light on string gauge so I may find issues there.

Thanks, I was looking at Wilkinson tuners, made in Korea,

Cheap tuners will make you miserable, regardless of what the guitar cost.

pretty sure it already had cheap tuners. I ordered an 18:1 ratio chinese set that have the exact same dimensions as the oem and if I dont like them can be returned, so we will see

Well I got the Yamaha FG700S

action is high for my taste so off to youtube to try to lower it by myself

wish me luck! I have no idea what I am doing,yet

It's a tedious process.  Take your time....Go REALLY slow....or you will become familiar with Stew Mac.  Get your neck right first.

Good looking guitar.  

thanks

I have some inexpensive tools and gauges coming, new strings,  new machine heads.

should be fun as long as I dont screw up the truss bar, but the process looks pretty straight foreword.

waiting for my fingers to get calluses again will  be a pain, literally

If you have an addictive personality those calluses will come easy.

addictive?

no not addictive,

I just keep working at it harder and longer until I get it right, sometimes I will stay up all night because I am not finished doing something. Double down on effort.

Yep, the Korean Wilkinson stuff is great. Anything branded Wilkinson-M Series is Musiclily Chinese crap. Trevor Wilkinson should feel bad about that line.  The Korean Wilkinson stuff like their tuners and Premium series pickups are high quality.

Wow

I really like this guitar Yamaha FD01S
The one that had the broken machine head tuner that was given to me for nothing. I found an exact match tuner replaced it, put some Martin Silk & Steel Custom Light strings on it and damn the action is really nice and it is really mint condition.

It has a fairly bright low E and A but part of that is probably the strings.

I really like this guitar. I have $20 and a set of strings in it.

Wilkies are gtg in my experience.

That’s awesome on the tuner and the free guitar!  My D-28 just got those strings-amazing what good strings will do.

I was going to suggest your free guitar-if nothing else- would make a great room decoration but since it’s GTG Play the frets off it.

The D-28 is a sweet guitar. If I stick with this and get any good at it ( I have always sucked at playing guitar, but I don't have a lot of time to get good, I am rapidly getting old ) I am going to reward myself with a really nice acoustic, ( but probably not as awesome as a D-28 ).

I have a an amazing electric ( Gibson SG Standard Cherry Mahogany , that I got new in 1972 )  that I have not played much at all since college, but I am not a good guitar player. When my son was in high school and was playing the drums, I plugged  it in again and we would jam some Lead Zepplin and some others, but I was never any good at it. I don't expect to ever be any good at it. But I get enjoyment from it. I found what I was naturally good at when I went to pilot training and concentrated on that my entire adult life along with some gun skills and mentality and then I got to do both at the same time for a good while, which I got a lot of satisfaction from

But now my life has changed and I have been knocked out of that for medical reasons, I woke up 2 weeks ago and had this strong desire to learn folk type music on an acoustic. I honestly don't know where that came from, maybe from listening to Dos Gringos. I can focus on playing and learning and it dulls the pain a bit while I am doing it.

Right now I am enjoying playing this free ( and fixed ) Yamaha FD01S and the Yamaha FG700S I bought the next day, they have a different sound, but I don't really need both of them. After I set up both of them, I will decide which one I will keep and probably sell the other.

I adjusted the neck relief on the Yamaha FD01S and it went well. The relief is now 0.005 inches at the 7th fret. Seems to play well. I dont think  I need to adjust anything else , the action is about 0.07 inches at the 12 fret

I adjusted the truss bar on the Yamaha FG700S too but decided to stop and change the strings first since I am putting on much lighter strings. The relief is about .008 so I can probably straighten the neck out a but more.  Going to have to sand the saddle because the action is 0.100 which is too high for my liking

Turns out I enjoy setting  up guitars. I am glad I started into this

I took the strings off the FG700S, polished the frets and oiled the neck , replaced the strings with Martin Custom light 80/20, tuned it, relief came down a bit due to less tension on the neck with thinner strings ( I think, new at this). relief is 0.006.

Action was 0.9, so I sanded the saddle and brought the action down to 0.8. I would like it a bit lower than that, but will play it for a while like this and decide if I want to try to lower it to 0.7. This guitar has stiffer 80/20 strings for a more folky, deeper low note sound and more aggressive strumming so I may just leave the action the way it is.

I have never done any of this before and I must say it isn’t difficult. I took my time, referenced the instructions at each adjustment and vastly improved the sound with good strings and the playability and pleasure by adjusting the truss rods and the action on the FG700S. It looks like the FD01S had already had the action adjusted down since I didn’t have to touch that after adjusting the neck relief and putting on some custom light strings.

All in all I enjoyed working on these guitars and am very happy with how the are set up and it cost me $30 in tools and a few hours of work.

I am using the Chordify  app to get back into playing some songs and  it’s really enjoyable .