Twanger's Corner.

[Brian Thompson]

My Yamaha 'Pacifica' 112.

Having mentioned the high quality/low cost instruments available nowadays, I thought I'd post this to illustrate my point. I bought it for teaching years ago to save wear and tear on my more valuable guitars, and is easily the best £130 I ever spent on a brand new guitar. I got it at a special 'trade' price as we had Yamaha sponsorship at the time, and bought it sight unseen, just asking the guy over the phone at the warehouse to feel the weight of the box and try and pick me a nice light one as there was slight variation.

When it arrived, all I did was stretch the strings in, clean the protective film of oil off 'em, and tune it, then it was out on a gig the very same night. What a cracking little guitar! Ok, the pick-ups are ceramic 'cheapies', but still more than serviceable with no microphonics, and the only mods I did where the string saver saddles and string tree on the headstock (better tone, tuning and no more broken strings....ever!) and minor set-up tweaks. I wore one neck out and just bolted on a new replacement (four screws and a string change!), which it still has.

This is the guitar that I always have to hand, and probably the one I use the most. Some 'posh' pick-ups would make it truly outstanding, but what it has work just fine through a good valve amp (either my old 1960 Vox AC10, or modern Laney LC30.) Pic two shows it 'in action', playing with the Judgemeadow Community College Orchestra for the Lord Mayor of Leicester and Keith Vaz MP (as he was then, sat right in front of me.....no pressure then!) Note chord....(but what is it?!) and restored Vox AC10, with original rip left in grille cloth, just for old times sake....

A cracking little guitar and a great workhorse - highly recommended!

Brian.

[Brian Thompson]

My 1970 Yamaha FG110 'Red Label' Acoustic.

Hi M,

Aren't they though...! Glad you agree mate.

Here's another for you then, this time my well travelled old 1970 Yamaha 'Red Label' FG110, another little beauty, and my very first 'decent' guitar, bought second hand (one owner) for £20 from an advert in the 'Leicester Mercury' in 1972. These 'Red Label' instruments are the early ones in this series and are quite collectable now. New, it would have cost around £80 at the time, not an insignificant amount back then. It's a near perfect copy of a Martin 0018 (see pic 3.) A mate bought a genuine one when he was in New York once, and then sold it when he played my Yamaha because it was better! Of course, it couldn't be in terms of timber quality etc, but playability and tone wise it was way too close for comfort.....He ended up getting guitar maker Rob Armstrong to build him a one off acoustic to his own spec. instead. As my mate Paul was Australian, Rob made him a beautiful little kangaroo inlay on the headstock and didn't tell him till he handed it over - Paul loved it!

Back to my little Yamaha acoustic, it was a combined twelfth birthday and Christmas present from my dear old mom, who always encouraged me with my music. I'd been playing then for two years on an old nail of a thing that made my fingers bleed, so getting this was pure joy. She took me to see flamenco guitarist Manitas De Platas at DeMontfort Hall in Leicester when I was 10 years old, and told me I'd be playing on that very stage one day. I did it too, years later, but she missed it by a only a few months when I lost her to leukemia....She was up there watching though, I know...I hope I made her proud.

This guitar could sure tell a few stories! It's been around the block a few times, and then some, as well as being a part of my life all these years.....Still plays great too, and it's completely original in every way....and I'll never ever sell it.

Brian.

[johnrunnacles]

A proper guitar

Now, that's more like what I recognise as a guitar, Brian. My favourite was a US-made Harmony Sovereign Jumbo ...........

[Brian Thompson]

Harmony Sovereign Jumbo.

Just looked it up John, a new one on me, and what a fine beast it is too.

I never knew it was also a favourite of Pete Townsend and Jimi Page, so you're in good company there mate!

Brian.

[johnrunnacles]

Thanks Brian. I never knew that, although have to say I do admire their taste!

Sold my old gal some time in the 'sixties to fund my Greeves habit, and have always regretted doing so ......... so much so that I did look for another one later on but could only manage to find one with a broken neck (snapped truss rod) and with about 3/4" of "action". Still have that, patiently awaiting remedial work, if you know of anyone who might help?

Only ever used the Harmony for Skiffle, so never had cause to explore the nether regions of the fingerboard. My present exploratory work has been in relation to my 5-string banjo, purchased in about 1975 but only recently found its way out of its case ............... thanks to another GRA member who suggested we try to learn a bit of bluegrass style playing together!

Thanks for the great photo; just as I remember her; one for the album, to drool over in the care home, and a pattern for repair of the broken one ......... one day?

jonah

[johnrunnacles]

It's not that obvious, M, except by virtue of the high action. The truss rod that runs the length of the neck is snapped off at the peg-head end, under the little cover ............. I am assuming this is the root of the problem (?) I know that the action should be much lower by virtue of the experience of my original Sovereign. 3/4" was an exaggeration, by the way, it's more like a 1/4".

[johnrunnacles]

Neck is level and straight for the most part, M, but I reckon you're right about it having taken on a permanent set, possibly at the heel attachment ............. ?

[johnrunnacles]

Thanks Marcelle. None such is apparent. If anything, it has "sprung" from behind the bridge (?) jonah

[aa will]

cheers brian no way i will ever sell this wonderful old guitar,it has an amazing history only one previous owner,a now sadly gone session guitarist,
it featured on the same hit record twice once in 1938 and again in the early seventies,the song 'those were the days'i cannot remember who sang on the original but a young welsh girl called mary hopkin sang on the later one ,great to know the same guy played on both sessions with my guitar ,next year i will have some spare monies so i will buy myself a greeves road bike and have the guitar brought back to its former glory .i an so crap at working this old computer ,sending pictures is beyond my limited experience, i have a few other guitars to play around with and a cheap epiphone is easier to play , after six years of trying i am finally getting my rebuilt left arm moving enough to actually hold down a chord i never thought i would ever play again but i will give it another few years before i give up , gheers .. will

[Brian Thompson]

Great stuff Will!

Good for you will. Great stories mate, and I'm old enough to remember Mary Hopkin's version too, and what a lovely provenance with your 'old faithful'.

Did you know Les Paul had to have his elbow fused in 'the playing positon'...? You're in good company there mate, and don't stop twanging whatever you do! Respect.

Brian.

[Brian Thompson]

The Doctor is in.....!

A perfect bit of diagnosis there M, I can't think of anything more to add re Jonah's squeeze.

So many old acoustics 's' along the 'table' for the reasons you describe, especially if you use clutch cables for strings.... Tone is all, of course, but I always try to get owners to fit '10' gauge strings to old boxes to give 'em an easier time, and set 'em up to suit etc.

Keep up the good work!

Brian.

[johnrunnacles]

Yep, a 50-years old mystery is solved thanks to you, Marcelle, and the provision of this thread (thanks again, Brian). So pleased that I joined the Greeves Riders Association!!

To summarise, I reckon now what happened was that the belly sprang and, in a misguided attempt to correct the new action, a previous owner cranked the coordinating so hard as to snap it off, thereby effectively breaking the old gal's neck (?) So, we have a slightly obese Jumbo with a broken neck!

Surprised your graphics department haven't seized on this "opportunity", already, Brian?

Now, does anyone have a dentists' mirror I could borrow to check out the state of the internal ribbing, or would that be a step too far for the GRA Forum?

jonah

[Brian Thompson]

Mirror mirror....

Here you go Jonah.....but I want it back.....along with the lawnmower (sit-on), hedge trimmer, contour gauge, nut files and fret cawl......I think keeping them in your garage for me for the last six years is long enough....don't you.....??!!

(Note;....'Internal Ribbing' is not the correct term mate......they are called 'Caption Competitions' (or 'cap comps' for short).....!!)

Brian.

[Dick F]

Twangers corner

http://www.greeves-riders.org.uk/for...leyes.gifBrian, i put on a thread about the Red Tape trial yesterday , but do not see it anywhere//

[Brian Thompson]

No worries bud.

http://www.greeves-riders.org.uk/for...leyes.gifBrian, i put on a thread about the Red Tape trial yesterday , but do not see it anywhere//

Hiya Dicky,

Don't worry me 'hearty, it's there in the 'Events' section A/OK! Well done mate.

Click on this link and you'll see your thread.

http://www.greeves-riders.org.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=4702

Brian.