# Little Help with a Yamaha 12 String Acoustic??



## stever67 (Jun 30, 2008)

So the 'price' was right, and I bought it... I didn't do the regular go-over, and didn't notice that the top of the guitar is bulged up just enough to make the action too high to enjoy. As a first-position strummer it's not bad. As you go up the neck it gets too high. I saw that when I picked it up, but figured it was a fairly simple bridge sanding. The neck is flat, so I don't think there's much to be done with the truss rod.

The guitar is a FG411CE-12. I'm wondering if there's any way to flatten the top again... . Anyone have any advice? The guitar sounds great and has a nice neck, so it'd be a shame to banish it to the back corner. The electronics in it are good, as are the tuners. 

Any help would be appreciated!


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## Jocko (May 17, 2010)

Have a look, with a mirror, inside and see if the bracing is still attached to the top. Perhaps this has separated. If so, gluing and clamping is the way to go. I had a Yamaha 12 string and it was crap. The bridge separated from the body on that one. I didn't like the string spacing either. Instead of 6 pairs it felt more like 12 individual strings!


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## stever67 (Jun 30, 2008)

Seems that all of the bracing is in place and attached, as is the bridge. I've taken the strings off to see if the tension being let off will allow it to settle (not sure what I'll do if it does! Kinda need strings on it!).


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## AlterEgo (Jan 12, 2010)

Hi stever67,

I neck reset and corrected the guitar top of a Yamaha FG440-12. Correcting the guitar top is very easy, go with the bridge doctor from Stewmac. Hopefully it is going to be enough to correct the action... if not then... neck reset. It isn't easy but very feasible. Yamaha neck aren't glued with Hide glue (it would have been too easy  ) but with rather strong clue. However the fret board is glued on the guitar top with hide glue... go figure. With a very thin spatula, use a cloth iron with a towel on the fret board, it takes some time, but again slowly you will get through it and the fret board will become loose. Then remove carefully the 15th fret and mark its right/left so you can put it back same way, and drill two very small holes on the fret crack at 1/3 and 2/3 of the fret board width. I used the standard steaming method with a steaming needle in the two holes to soften the clue in the neck dove tail ... and BE PATIENT when steaming. I did wiggle the neck while steaming it as it was becoming loose, and I cracked the heel... yup... One more thing you don't want to care about... Just be patient guitar upside down for the steam to go OUT of the sound hole. When done, clean the neck pocket remove all remaining glue, adjust the heel to give the desired angle, shim so you can string the guitar with 6 string to verify the adjustment, when ok glue back shim included with hide glue (never know when you will have to do it again), put the fret back. Let it cure few days, string back, you may need to reajust the saddle height. and play.

I must warn you, it seems that yamaha are a bit weak and don't tolerate much the high tension associated to 12 strings and even built with the proper brace pattern... I can say that after few month I had to lower again the saddle to readjust the action... However the bludge is gone.... Well well I learnt a lot. and I hope this will help you. 

Here are more details from my initial thread: http://www.guitarscanada.com/electric-guitar/30629-yamaha-fg-440-12-project.html

Cheers!!!

Sylvain


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