The Yamaha FG800 acoustic guitar sports the design of a traditional dreadnought guitar. You can, therefore, use it when you need a perfect blend of classic and modern sounds. In this Yamaha FG800 review, we consider its suitability for beginner guitarists as well professional players.
Body and Neck
One of the things that stand out in this guitar is solid Sitka spruce construction at the top. Guitars with Sitka spruce construction fall on the higher price range, but this guitar is very affordable. Again, Sitka spruce offers a richer sound than so many other materials available on the market. The sound from the guitar is warmer and fuller.
The sides and the back feature laminated nato wood construction to offer sturdiness and further enhance the quality of the sound. The look completes with a rosewood fretboard that not only gives the guitar a classic look and feel, but also makes it easy to play.
An innovative scalloped bracing pattern enhances the strength of the top and improves sound projection and bass frequencies. Granted, you will be able to do live performance with this guitar as sound travels far.
The neck is slim and with a sleek look to enhance playability. This neck has a solid wood construction that strengthens the entire guitar. It has a 43mm nut width, which means you do not have to stretch much to achieve complicated chords. This is a great advantage for young guitarists and women playing guitars.
The Yamaha FG800 sports a sleek natural look with a glossy finish and a dark pickguard to complete the look. Some older models have different finishes such as sunburst.
Hardware
The Yamaha FG800 is acoustic–only with no hardware attached. However, the design of the unit allows it to project sound to a large audience even when you do not have a mic. The tuners on the guitar are easy to use and you can adjust fast as you play – the guitar stays in tune for hours.
This guitar comes with a high string action, making it a little challenging for beginners to play smoothly. Again, you cannot access the truss rod without a special tool. Therefore, you need to let a professional adjust the guitar for you to improve its playability. Whether you need a guitar for simple strumming, or one for advanced fingerstyle, this unit might be ideal for you.
Sound
For its price, the Yamaha FG800 delivers a pretty impressive rich tone. It is an ideal unit for fingerpicking, thanks to the rich sounds facilitated by the Sitka spruce top. The sound is loud and consistent and the tone is thick. The sound is not too bright and neither is it booming. If you need a guitar for a gig, this will deliver only for small audiences.
Conclusion
The Yamaha FG800 is one of the best guitars for fingerstyle if you need an affordable guitar to play alone or in gigs with small audiences. This being an upgrade of a guitar that has been on the market for decades, you can expect fine-tuned quality.
