Yamaha FS800 is now my #1

[DrPepper]

I have had guitars costing much,much more than the Yamaha. Bur, they are goe, and the FS is still here.

It sounds great and after polishing the frets, it plays as good as any. Plus, I like the size and weight.

Every time I get an itch, I play the Yamaha with closed eyes and I'm satisfied.

We are definitely in a golden age for acoustic guitars...

It even still wears the plastic nut and saddle, and I see/hear no reason to upgrade...

I'm using Martin Retro strings and they seem to hold up well...

I might get one of the new red label FS's someday, but if it doesn't smoke the 800. it will go back.

 

[dreamingtele]

I have had guitars costing much,much more than the Yamaha. Bur, they are goe, and the FS is still here.

It sounds great and after polishing the frets, it plays as good as any. Plus, I like the size and weight.

Every time I get an itch, I play the Yamaha with closed eyes and I'm satisfied.

We are definitely in a golden age for acoustic guitars...

It even still wears the plastic nut and saddle, and I see/hear no reason to upgrade...

I'm using Martin Retro strings and they seem to hold up well...

I might get one of the new red label FS's someday, but if it doesn't smoke the 800. it will go back.

Not too long ago, I did embark on an acoustic journey.. I wanted a small body and only have a limited budget.. I went back and forth between a Cort L300VF and a Yamaha FS820.. The Yamaha is just an absolute bargain for the tone and quality and construction.. but I found a used Cort L300VF so I went with that one instead..

But I sold that due to focusing on electrics, but I think Im gonna get an FS820 or go straight to an LS16M for an all solid acoustic.. My friend has the LJ16 and its just mind blowing how much guitar it is for less than the price of an entry level Martin..

 

[Deathray]

Not too long ago, I did embark on an acoustic journey.. I wanted a small body and only have a limited budget.. I went back and forth between a Cort L300VF and a Yamaha FS820.. The Yamaha is just an absolute bargain for the tone and quality and construction.. but I found a used Cort L300VF so I went with that one instead..

But I sold that due to focusing on electrics, but I think Im gonna get an FS820 or go straight to an LS16M for an all solid acoustic.. My friend has the LJ16 and its just mind blowing how much guitar it is for less than the price of an entry level Martin..

I have an LJ16 (Billy Corgan signature). The guitar sounds (to my ears) as good as Martins costing three times what this guitar did. Yamaha is not messing around, they build seriously nice guitars. I think you’d like the LS16M

 

[dreamingtele]

I have an LJ16 (Billy Corgan signature). The guitar sounds (to my ears) as good as Martins costing three times what this guitar did. Yamaha is not messing around, they build seriously nice guitars. I think you’d like the LS16M
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While I havent played the best of the best Martins, and only having to A & B between an LS6M and a 000X1E, the LS sounded better, and then I tried the 000-15M which is entirely different being all mahogany, the LS sounded brighter, livelier (maybe being longer scale and woods), while the 000-15 has the advantage of a solid feeling, premium feel acoustic guitar..

I went with the Cort L300VF (not only because I found one used but) because I wanted the 000 Authentic with Adirondack top and mahogany back and sides but I dont have a spare liver to sell for it.. The Cort L300 has Adi top but laminate hog back and sides which is kind of like a poor man's authentic LOL..

But then again, when I bought the cort, I couldnt shake the Yamaha out of my head, and its still in my head right now, so if I ever buy an acoustic, which I probably would very soon, Id go for a Yamaha this time, but I want an all solid LS16M reason being that the LJ16 that my friend owns has been an outstanding instrument for the price, and I'm lucky I'm living in an age that acoustics can be of quality at a price a working man can afford in his lifetime.

 

[raysachs]

I’ve been looking at budget acoustics lately and it’s kind of amazing what Yamaha is doing in that $200-300 price range. Whether a dread (FG) or concert size (FS), the 800, 820, and 830 models of each are all astonishingly nice guitars for basically no money. And Alvarez and Ibanez and probably a few others are right there with them.

 

[Straydogger]

I was window shopping at the local Guitar Center last spring and made the "mistake" of going into the acoustic section. I played four or five guitars before I picked up an FS800. It played just OK. They had four others and I played them all to compare. The fourth one I played knocked me out. Played great and in tune all the way up the neck. I couldn't believe a $200 guitar could be so nice. I carried it around the store to find my buddy who was there with me and said: "Check this out and tell me what you think." He was as impressed as I was so, needless to say, it came home with me. It's just crazy what they are doing with these "cheap" guitars. I love mine. Oh, I have a $500 Martin that I bought a few years ago and the Yamaha gets played much more than the Martin.

 

[Toast]

I'm a big Yamaha fan, too. I keep it on the down-low though because I want their guitars to remain affordable. Anyway, I read this the other day:

"The acoustic guitar on 'More Than a Feeling' was recorded using a $100 imported Yamaha 12-string guitar, through a relatively low-end dynamic microphone [the Electro-Voice RE15], and the drums were recorded by a few Shure SM57s in a little tiny closet," he told the EE Times in a 1998 interview. The song later peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December of 1976 and spent over four months on the charts. https://reverb.com/news/bedroom-production-present-and-past

If all you need is a $100 guitar to produce an iconic intro, then high priced instruments are not required. Recording equipment is.

 

[Nickfl]

Last Christmas I was tasked with finding an intro level acoustic for my father in law who said he wanted to learn, but everyone in the family knows he won't follow through. So I was given a minimal budget and ended up with a Yamaha FS 730 I found at a pawn shop for $95. When I put new strings on it I was amazed by how well it played and sounded. I sat down with it and my 20 year old USA made Martin and in the end I think I preferred the Yamaha!

My father in law has lived up to everyone's prediction by not following through on learning to play, but he seems to like the way it looks on the wall so i don't think I'm going to inherit it any time soon. I've been watching Craigslist though...

 

[boredguy6060]

I recently acquired a Yamaha FSTA .
I didn’t do a NGD post because Im always complaining that I have too many guitars, so I feel a little stupid buying a new one.
I have several Yamaha’s and each of them are great guitars, so well made, great materials, the name Yamaha says quality.
So I didn’t hesitate a second because of the name and where it’s built.
I have been very curious about the Trans Acoustic technology, being primarily an acoustic player, this breakthrough is fascinating to me.
So when the opportunity came around to get a FSTA I just jumped without a giving it a second thought.
I’ve had it a couple months and my jaw is still on the floor. To say that it sounds wonderful is such an understatement.
It’s amazing and wonderful, and awesome and any other adjective you can think of.
It plays like a dream, from the action to the neck thickness to the neck radius, it’s amazing.
And it’s beautiful and flawless.
I’m so glad I own this guitar, I haven’t touch any of the others since I got it.
Jaw meet floor.

 

[dreamingtele]

I recently acquired a Yamaha FSTA .
I didn’t do a NGD post because Im always complaining that I have too many guitars, so I feel a little stupid buying a new one.
I have several Yamaha’s and each of them are great guitars, so well made, great materials, the name Yamaha says quality.
So I didn’t hesitate a second because of the name and where it’s built.
I have been very curious about the Trans Acoustic technology, being primarily an acoustic player, this breakthrough is fascinating to me.
So when the opportunity came around to get a FSTA I just jumped without a giving it a second thought.
I’ve had it a couple months and my jaw is still on the floor. To say that it sounds wonderful is such an understatement.
It’s amazing and wonderful, and awesome and any other adjective you can think of.
It plays like a dream, from the action to the neck thickness to the neck radius, it’s amazing.
And it’s beautiful and flawless.
I’m so glad I own this guitar, I haven’t touch any of the others since I got it.
Jaw meet floor.

Woudl you say that the Trans Acoustic tech is okay for live gig situations where in you plug directly to a PA?

Im asking because I wanted to buy the LS16M and then buy an LR baggs element or even splurge for an LR baggs anthem pickup so that I can sound good plugged directly to PA without effects/preamp or something.

 

[DrPepper]

I was window shopping at the local Guitar Center last spring and made the "mistake" of going into the acoustic section. I played four or five guitars before I picked up an FS800. It played just OK. They had four others and I played them all to compare. The fourth one I played knocked me out. Played great and in tune all the way up the neck. I couldn't believe a $200 guitar could be so nice. I carried it around the store to find my buddy who was there with me and said: "Check this out and tell me what you think." He was as impressed as I was so, needless to say, it came home with me. It's just crazy what they are doing with these "cheap" guitars. I love mine. Oh, I have a $500 Martin that I bought a few years ago and the Yamaha gets played much more than the Martin.

I've played (and had) hundreds of acoustics and this one is a standout as well...I was going to save up and get another Collings 01, but with this one, why waste my money. And the 01 had been the best I had played to date...

 

[boredguy6060]

Woudl you say that the Trans Acoustic tech is okay for live gig situations where in you plug directly to a PA?

Im asking because I wanted to buy the LS16M and then buy an LR baggs element or even splurge for an LR baggs anthem pickup so that I can sound good plugged directly to PA without effects/preamp or something.

The output that you hear is the same as the output that would go to the PA.
Yamaha stresses that fact in their explanation of the TransAcouctic system.

 

[dreamingtele]

The output that you hear is the same as the output that would go to the PA.
Yamaha stresses that fact in their explanation of the TransAcouctic system.

Im super curious and excited to try one!!

 

[Guitarteach]

40 years Yamaha.. all the Gibson’s, Martins, Taylor’s, and a very nice Larivee (I nearly succumbed), tried to win my love.

But why go out for burger when you have steak at home?

 

[oatsoda]

Have had an FS720S in blue burst for a few years, (at least I think it's still downstairs in the pile somewhere). Did sound really good, and yes, Yamaha gives you a lot of guitar for the bread. Also still have the first acoustic I bought for myself, a Yamaha FG460S, had it refretted a couple years ago.

Enjoy your Yami!

 

[boredguy6060]

Im super curious and excited to try one!!

Have you seen or heard of The Tonewood Amp?
It’s a system that works to mechanically use the back of the guitar as a speaker of sorts.
The TransAcoustic system also uses the back of the guitar to project a signal, a signal which gets manipulated to create Reverb and Chorus and Volume. Each of these effects can be controlled individually by knobs built into the side of the guitar body.
To me, the effects in the TransAcoustic system sound very organic, not artificial at all.
Who doesn’t love Reverb in an acoustic guitar?
My Epiphone Hummingbird thru my Fender Acoustisonic 90 sounds glorious with Reverb and a touch of Slap Back.
But the TransAcoustic system lacks Slap Back, but has wonderful Reverb and is totally disconnected from any external device, but can be used with any signal amplification device.
Indeed you should try it for yourself, I’m sure you will find it enlightening.
Good Luck,

 

[boredguy6060]

Have had an FS720S in blue burst for a few years, (at least I think it's still downstairs in the pile somewhere). Did sound really good, and yes, Yamaha gives you a lot of guitar for the bread. Also still have the first acoustic I bought for myself, a Yamaha FG460S, had it refretted a couple years ago.

Enjoy your Yami!

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My first Yamaha is a 255Gs2 classical. Solid Rosewood back and sides Mahogany neck, solid 1/4 sawn Cedar Top. It’s 38 years old and still very beautiful.

 

[howardlo]

I have a number of Yamahas, an FG730 in natural, an FS720 in dusk sun red burst, an FG820-12 in natural (twelve string), an APX 500 A/E in natural and an NTX 600 A/E (nylon string) in sunburst. I have installed Graphtech nuts and saddles on all of them. Makes them even better IMHO. All have nice HSC's. BTW, the dread gets by far the least play time (just not a fan of dreads).

So, guess you could say that I like the Yamahas.

 

[RoyBGood]

I love Yamaha guitars. My favourite is a well-used 1976 SG-45 that'll easily see me out. Am interested in a Revstar - it's the first new design to come along in ages to awake the dreaded GAS.

 

[DrPepper]

I love Yamaha guitars. My favourite is a well-used 1976 SG-45 that'll easily see me out. Am interested in a Revstar - it's the first new design to come along in ages to awake the dreaded GAS.

I am also interested in the Revstar, so many guitars, only so many days...