[Origins Dating Back to 1965]
In 1965, Yamaha—which had been manufacturing and selling the “Dynamic Guitar,” an original model featuring a classical guitar body shape but equipped with steel strings—began full-scale development of folk guitars.
It is said that the company began developing guitars for export in response to demand from the U.S. market for reasonably priced instruments.
At the time, the Japanese music scene was dominated by electric guitars, as epitomized by The Ventures. The phrase “100 million people going electric” had even come into use.
In contrast, the modern folk movement was taking off in the United States, and it was an era when Japanese-made guitars—both electric and folk—designed for beginners were flying off the shelves.
[The Debut of Two FG Models]
The following year, in October 1966, the first domestically produced folk guitars with original Japanese designs—the “FG-150” and “FG-180”—were finally released.
Production of the first-ever Japanese-made FG series began with the idea of offering two distinct sizes right from the start: the slightly smaller “FG-150” with a folk body and the “FG-180” with a western body.
Apart from size, the specifications were identical: a solid spruce top, a three-piece mahogany laminate for the sides, and a solid mahogany back.
However, just a few months after its release, the specifications were changed so that both the top and back were made of laminate.
A distinctive feature is the scale length. While standard acoustic guitars typically have a scale length of around 650 mm, Yamaha adopted a 634 mm scale.
This suggests the design was tailored to the physique of Japanese people. The bracing is X-bracing, and the label is the “Light Green Label.”
The list price for the “FG-150” was 15,000 yen, and for the “FG-180” it was 18,000 yen—which might seem like a bargain today, but in the 1960s, that was equivalent to an adult’s monthly salary.
Even though they were said to be affordable, these were still masterpieces from an era when guitars were still considered luxury items.
[The Era Catching Up]
In 1967, a full-fledged folk music movement finally arrived in Japan.
Sparked by the massive hit “Kaettekita Yopparaï” by the Folk Crusaders, an unprecedented folk boom took hold.
Whether due to a keen sense of the times or sheer timing, Yamaha began selling the “FG-110”—a budget version of the FG-150—and the 12-string “FG-230” in April.
In 1968, Yamaha made minor changes to keep up with the times. That year, the “Green Label” was discontinued and the “Red Label” debuted, and Yamaha guitars quickly permeated the market.
By 1969, with the FG series firmly established, Yamaha discontinued production of solid-body guitars.
Thanks to the benefits of rapid economic growth, younger consumers also took notice of Yamaha’s FG series. In March, the “FG-140,” a budget version of the FG-180, was released. In May, the “FG-350” and “FG-500” were launched.
Incidentally, the early production runs of the “FG-500” featured rosewood sides and back, making it known even today as an exceptionally rare model that is particularly difficult to obtain.
[The Arrival of a Designer Who Changed the Era]
In 1970, the FG series was selling so well that Yamaha was overwhelmed with production and shipping to the market—to the point where they could barely manage minor updates to existing products, let alone plan new models.
Aiming to expand its business, Yamaha invited a designer in 1971 to help the company meet global standards. That designer was Terumi Nakamoto, known as “Terry Nakamoto,” a legendary guitar designer.
Through a project led by Terry Nakamoto, Yamaha launched a high-end lineup of fully handcrafted guitars: the “FG-1500,” “FG-2000,” and “FG-2500.”
An event occurred that seemed to signal the music scene’s response to this vision of Yamaha’s future. To everyone’s surprise, Bob Dylan—arguably the central figure of the scene—began using the FG-1500!
This marked the beginning of Yamaha acoustic guitars’ rapid ascent to the pinnacle of the global market!
[From the End of the Red Label to the Debut of New Label Colors]
The “Red Label,” with its flared headstock design, was revamped into the “Green Label” in 1972.
Starting with the “Green Label” models, the headstock design also changed to a tapered shape.
From then on, the series underwent a series of minor changes, evolving into the “Black Label” in 1974 and the “Beige Label” in 1980.
During the “Green Label” era, distinctive models that were firsts for the series made their debut.
These included the “FG-350E,” a model with a built-in pickup, and the “FG-600S,” which featured an adjustable bridge and a sunburst finish.
Furthermore, against the backdrop of a continuing economic boom, many mid-range models—such as the “FG-580,” “FG-630,” “FG-700,” “FG-850,” and “FG-1000”—were introduced to expand the product lineup.
By the “Black Label” era beginning in 1974, the lineup had expanded to a total of 25 models.
Striking a balance between demand from the music scene and Yamaha’s own vision, this period can arguably be considered the most fruitful in the company’s history.
[The Birth of the Innovative L Series]
The L Series marked a new tradition that began with the release of the “L-31” in December 1974. Even the most affordable model in the L Series had a list price of 50,000 yen—hardly what one would call “reasonable.”
Adopting a jumbo body, Yamaha aimed to break into the global market as the pioneer of a new era. While the series garnered a certain level of acclaim among players attuned to the international music scene, it also served as an opportunity to reevaluate the merits of the FG series, which was designed to suit the Japanese physique.
The following year, in 1975, a line of custom acoustic guitars—later known as the “L Four Heavenly Kings”—was introduced.
The four models were the “L-51 Custom,” with its eye-catching asymmetrical design; the “L-52 Custom,” featuring a J-200-style jumbo body; the “L-53 Custom,” characterized by its inlays extending from the headstock to the fingerboard; and the “L-54 Custom,” with a maple body brimming with DOVE-style flair.
The leather labels, of course, bear the handwritten inspection signature of this person. That’s right—it’s Mr. Terry Nakamoto’s.
Also in 1974, the L Series unveiled a full lineup of standard models—the “L-5,” “L-6,” “L-7S,” “L-8,” “L-10,” “L-12S,” “L-12SN,” and “L-15”—all of which remain highly sought-after on the current secondhand market.In addition, 12-string models—the “L-12-5” and “L-12-8”—were also released onto the market.
[The FG and L Series from the Pre-Modern Era]
In March 1986, the FG Series underwent a full model change and was rebranded as the “Ivory Label.” With a “pigeon” design adorning the headstock, the era of the so-called “Pigeon FG” began.
As electric bands became the dominant trend in music, the FG Series—in comparison to the L Series—shifted its role to that of an entry-level model.
Meanwhile, the L Series remained a long-loved and highly regarded model, reigning as Yamaha’s standard model until the LL Series debuted in November 1985.
[The Future of Yamaha Acoustic Guitars]
In the 1990s, vintage FG models began to gain popularity, and in October 1995, limited-edition reissues of the FG-180 and FG-150 were released to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the FG series.
While it may seem commonplace today, this marked the first time a Japanese brand had ever reissued its own acoustic guitars.
Fast forward to November 2000, when Yamaha released the “FG-B1N” and “FGX-B1N”—the world’s first guitars to use “bamboo” as the body material.
Until then, bamboo had been considered impossible to work with for guitars, but driven by environmental considerations and the material’s high supply potential, Yamaha took on this challenge as its mission and succeeded brilliantly.
As an aside, Yamaha later went on to manufacture even drums made of bamboo.
In March 2002, they released “The FG” and simultaneously developed “The FS.”After a brief hiatus, they reissued the “L-51 Custom” in 2010. Then, in 2012, they reissued the “L-53 Custom.”
By simultaneously developing acoustic guitars suited to the modern era and re-examining the classic acoustic guitars of the past, Yamaha may be charting a course toward the coming 2020s.
In recent years, as the very way wood is handled has come under the spotlight, acoustic guitars are still almost invariably found in the hands of those who enjoy music.
While some people play songs on vintage YAMAHA guitars, reminiscing about the past, others are holding New YAMAHA guitars and fingering their very first chords.
It’s been over 50 years since the first FG model debuted. No matter which era or model of Yamaha acoustic guitar you hold in your hands, isn’t it imbued with the history, craftsmanship, and passion that Yamaha has cultivated over the years?
