Yamaha FG-201 MIJ Ezo Spruce Top

This is a rare find in great condition! I purchased this guitar in Tokyo as this model was never distributed outside of Japan. It has a very rare and desirable Ezo Spruce top! Ezo only grows in Hokkaido, Japan’s northern-most Island. The extreme climate and short growing season produces a wood that is prized for its tight grain and amazing sonic characteristics. It’s available in very limited quantities and produces amazing projection and energy transmission. Yamaha only used this wood on select domestic models so you almost never find it outside of Japan. It’s considered a depleted resource today and is rarely seen on new guitars. Other Yamaha models that use this top wood include the legendary L50, as well as the FG500, FG1500, and FG2000.

The back and sides of this guitar are Queensland Walnut, the neck is Nato and the fingerboard and bridge are Indian Rosewood. It’s has a string length of 636mm. Nut is 44mm.

The guitar is in great condition with a few minor marks in the top that could be cigarette burns based on the discoloration. You can see them in the pictures. Tuners are original and work great. Binding has a nice vintage patina as do the bridge pins. Dates on the inside sidewall put this guitar at 1978.

And now for the best part, the sound! This rare gem sounds amazing! The top jumps to life with even a light strum and just keeps giving more as you dig in. It has a shimmer that reminds me of alpine moon Spruce. You just can’t find a solid top guitar with this quality of grain and 4 decades of aging at this price!

Action at 12F: 3.5mm (6th) / 3.0mm (1st)

I go picking in Japan about 6 times per year and this model is always on the top of my “want” list.