Yamaha FG-1500
The Yamaha FG-1500 is a handcrafted flagship from Yamaha's Japanese custom shop, introduced in 1971 alongside the FG-2000 and FG-2500 as the top tier of the FG line. It features a solid Ezo spruce top, solid jacaranda back and sides, ebony fretboard and bridge, and carries the distinctive Terry Nakamoto leather-stamped label. There was no US distribution, making domestic examples genuinely scarce. Bob Dylan owned one. Label eras for dating purposes run from red (1967–1972) through tan (1972–1975), black (1974–1977), and orange (1974–1985), all Japan only for this model. Serial numbers on early examples were six digits, with the first digit believed to indicate the year, though the remaining digits don't map cleanly to any established dating system — a three-digit serial stamped hot-iron into the heel has been documented on at least one 1972 example. Whether the jacaranda used is true Brazilian rosewood or a close relative remains an open question among collectors. Clean examples sell in the several-thousand-dollar range, with exceptional pieces pushing higher.
- Years produced
- 1971–1995
- Body type
- 6 String Jumbo
- Top
- Spruce,Solid Ezo, Spruce, Solid
- Back & sides
- Jacaranda, Solid
- Neck
- Mahogany, Mahogany, Honduras
- Fingerboard
- Ebony
- Colors
- natural
- Original MSRP
- $685
- Current market
- $6213–$7883.53 (2 listings)
Hand crafted. No US Distribution. Hand crafted. 30th Anniversary Limited Edition.