Yamaha FG800 review

Full review

The FG800 is aimed at students who want steel strings without spending much. Its main advantage is a solid spruce top. Solid tops vibrate more freely than laminate ones, so the sound is louder and more detailed, and it tends to improve as the wood ages.

The body is Yamaha's traditional western shape, a dreadnought-style guitar that is deep and wide for big strummed chords. The back and sides are laminated nato or okume, which keeps the cost down and the guitar sturdy. The 43 mm nut and matte-finished neck are comfortable for beginners, and the 650 mm scale is standard.

Yamaha's scalloped bracing design for this series is tuned to strengthen bass and mid tones, and in practice the FG800 sounds bigger than its price suggests. Fretboard and bridge may be rosewood or walnut depending on production batch.

There is no pickup. If you want to plug into an amp, look at the Fender CD-60SCE. If you find a dreadnought too large, Yamaha's FS800 uses the same woods in a smaller concert body.