30-Year Closet Find (1979 Yamaha FG-335)

Finding a good used guitar on Craigslist is all about knowing what you are looking for and serendipity. Good guitars at attractive prices are often scooped up within hours while overpriced models get re-listed over and over. Short of checking the local listings often enough to respond to the good listings immediately, I wondered if there was an online service that could automate the task with an email alert. And, of course, there is one. Craigslist Checker will run your search hourly and send you an email with links to any listings that pop up for the item you are seeking. Free searches are good for seven days.


Yesterday, a vintage Yamaha acoustic that had been in a closet for thirty years popped up for short money. Within an hour, dozens of prospective buyers popped up as well according to the buyer, but I was upfront with all my contact info and how much I was willing to pay, so I got the call back when the first buyer no-showed. Going in I knew the original chipboard case with its missing handle and other scars was worthless. Nor is a 1979 Yamaha FG-335 anything like a vintage Martin closet find. The guitar was also missing one of its plastic bridge pins. Upon inspection, there were also a few more small dings than advertised. Even with only five 30-year-old strings on it, though, the guitar had decent tone. The white binding had that vintage yellowed appearance and overall the condition of the guitar was excellent. I was able to close the deal for less than $100, 30% below asking.

With a little TLC, some new strings, a replacement set of matching bridge pins salvaged from another guitar, and a hardshell case I had left over from another used purchase, this now makes for a solid traveling guitar for those campfire outings. It even still had the original allen wrench in the old case pocket that I was able to use to tighten the truss rod and bring the really high action down. Note the cool wood truss rod cover (Yamahas went to truss rod access above the heel block shortly after 1979).