Slightly off topic - 1/2 scratch build?

[StuartGold]

My wife has a 80's vintage Yamaha G-240 Nylon string classical with wonderful flamed rosewood sides and back. I was thinking that I just may challenge myself as a project, to rebuild it as a still string, putting a new top and building a new neck on it and just keeping the basic sound box. I thought that I remembered that somewhere someone said that unlike many factory builders, Yamaha might have used Epoxy rather than water based glues for the neck joint. Does anyone have any experience with this? I've reset water based joints but steaming off epoxy might be a tough one. Any ideas? Does anyone know?

[tippie53]

that is what is called a conversion and it is something that can be done . Go for it

[kencierp]

There's nothing about that guitar that will make it suitable as a steel string instrument "needs a truss rod and that re-construction will ruin the neck and finger-board -- I am sure it nice, but the street price is about $120 why not keep it "as is" as family treasure and buy a beat steel string and experiment on it? There's Kays, Harmony's, Stella and Silvertones that can be bought for a few bucks and turned into semi-collectibles $.02

[StuartGold]

Well.......... Obviously, I know that nothing except the sound box can be used as a steel string. I was planning on creating a new top and giving it steel string bracing and building a new neck from scratch with a new truss rod and fretboard. As for the idea of a family "treasure" The guitar is not being played at all (my wife fell in love with my steel string guitars and is totally NOT interested in nylon) so why not turn it into something that will be both a challenge to construct and something that will actually be played. I don't get the feeling that "destroying" a factory made Yamaha is such a horrible thing. The question still is: DOES ANYONE KNOW IF YAMAHA USED STANDARD WATER BASED GLUES THAT I CAN STEAM OFF OR IF THEY MIGHT HAVE USED EPOXY? Anyone??

[Darryl Young]

I've read their necks are epoxied on but can't state that by experience. If you aren't going to reuse the neck, you may be able to just cut it off even with the body. The rest of the tenon will come out along with neck block after you've removed the top. The fretboard extension might be epoxied on.......but if you are replacing the top, you could cut that off as well.

[tippie53]

Often guitars are converted from nylon to steel . You do need new top and bracing to do that . It isn't about anything more than trying to sharpen repair and rebuilding skills . Many a martin 000-28C have been converted to steel .
I agree it isn't a valuable instrument but that in a way can make them the perfect candidate for tearing into it for this .
Also you will have to try and match the scale length to the body some how .

[Ben-Had]

Well.......... Obviously, I know that nothing except the sound box can be used as a steel string. I was planning on creating a new top and giving it steel string bracing and building a new neck from scratch with a new truss rod and fretboard. As for the idea of a family "treasure" The guitar is not being played at all (my wife fell in love with my steel string guitars and is totally NOT interested in nylon) so why not turn it into something that will be both a challenge to construct and something that will actually be played. I don't get the feeling that "destroying" a factory made Yamaha is such a horrible thing. The question still is: DOES ANYONE KNOW IF YAMAHA USED STANDARD WATER BASED GLUES THAT I CAN STEAM OFF OR IF THEY MIGHT HAVE USED EPOXY? Anyone??

Call/email Yamaha tech, they are very helpful. I've had several questions on repair work I was doing on them and emailed to check first. Within a day or so I get a call.

[StuartGold]

Great idea! Thank you!

[StuartGold]

Just to follow-up. I received a call today from the tech guy at Yamaha guitars following up on a phone call that I gave them. The guy was great! Very helpful. turns out that all those circa 80's classical guitars were put together with water soluble glue. It sure does make it much easier. Unfortunately, he confirmed that although the very nicely flamed rosewood was a laminate. too bad. I would have preferred it to be solid but it'll still make a really nice guitar in the end.

[mike789166]

I have a Yamaha G240 classical which I have just put a new Spruce soundboard on. The original cedar was a laminated top and was really rigid in all directions. The neck came off quite easily, it is a dovetail joint. The top and bottom blocks are plywood. Once I got the fretboard off I was surprised to see a trussrod fitted. It is obviously not adjustable from the outside. The back and sides are laminated and the info I can find says that they are Brazilian rosewood. They are a lovely dark figured wood. I will try and find a few photos. It is now called the Pheonix guitar on the label