800

The Yamaha FS800 deserves all of its accolades. It's a great guitar. I consider myself on the low end of intermediate and I just love this guitar. I give it a five-star rating, but with the caveat that I needed to take it to my local guitar shop to have it professionally set-up and replaced the factory strings with Elixirs. It was playable, but the action was too high, and the neck needed some modest adjustments. But with those updates it sounds and plays amazing. While this is positioned as an entry-level guitar, it's a great guitar for anyone at any level. Your first guitar, a second guitar for an experienced player, etc. I love the slightly smaller size, the look. It's definitely a worthy investment. Guitar strings and guitar tone preferences are very personal. For me it took a few rounds of trying different strings to get the sound I like. I loved the guitar from the start, but my string choices led the guitar to sound a bit too twangy and boxy for my taste. Part of that is the function of a slightly smaller body. But I still wanted a bit more depth to the sound. After many experiments, I ended up using Martin Retro Monel Light guitar strings. They really make the guitar have a bit more depth to the sound but also lend a nice brightness. While my sound preference is personal and may not apply everyone, I wanted to share my string journey.

Thank you, Yamaha and Sam Ash for a great instrument at a reasonable price. I bought this guitar as a bang-around instrument. I own a very nice, twenty-year old 00-17 all mahogany Martin that I don't like taking to gigs or even out of its case on very dry, hot or cold days. At this price point I wasn't expecting much, but was I ever pleasantly surprised! The guitar is practically flawless. When I first unboxed it there was a bit of paste left on the body from the polishing process, but it easily wiped off. The finish around the base of the neck is not quite as smooth as the rest, but the frets are well filed and polished so that none are protuding. The set-up is great. The action is nice and low with no buzzing frets. This guitar projects sound nicely too. The solid spruce top is a HUGE plus, especially at this price. The guitar has a bright and full sound, which I anticipate will continue to improve with time. This guitar definitely is louder and brighter than my moody mahogany Martin. When it lacks the depth and warmth of my well-seasoned more costly guitar, it has it's own beautiful voice. It is perfect for finger picking but also sounds great with percussive playing as well. I love the size too. I'm so glad I found a solid top instrument at a great price that isn't a dreadnought. I'm a five-foot woman, and the concert size works very well for me. My twelve-year old picked it up and was also comfortable playing it. It would be a great beginner instrument, but even seasoned players can appreciate it. I'm certainly looking forward to dragging this little gem around with me!

I have been playing guitar, mostly acoustic, for 35 years. I have played about every kind of acoustic that one could imagine, from cheap beaters to vintage Martins and Gibsons. My teenage son has taken an interest in developing his guitar skills, so I did a bunch of research on beginner's acoustics, and the FG800 kept getting rave reviews almost everywhere I looked. So I pulled the trigger and ordered him one. We could not be more happy with the guitar. It has a solid spruce top with scalloped bracing, laminated sides and back, and a Rosewood fingerboard, with a gloss finish. It is extremely well-crafted from all aspects, very playable out of the box, and it sounds and feels wonderful. If you are looking for something really decent for a beginner or if you want a sweet second guitar you can take camping or to festivals or wherever, I do not know of any other budget-priced acoustic which comes close to the FG800. It is equally impressive flatpicking, fingerpicking, and strumming, stays in tune well, has a killer tone and voice, and looks. I will likely buy one for myself relatively soon. A great, great value!

I'm not a very experienced guitar player, so I can't guarantee you that this guitar will wow someone who is a true connoisseur. However, I did look carefully into the options and found this to be a well regarded instrument. Three days of extensive playing in, I can confirm that it sounds great. What's more, I was able to take it right out the box and play it without any further "set up" than it received at the factory. Sometime down the road I might look into what a luthier could do to make it even sweeter, but for the time being I'm pleased with the action and intonation. The guitar stays in tune, has no buzzing frets, and intones with reasonable accuracy all the way down the fretboard (sometimes plus or minus a few cents). It's affordable (comparatively), good looking, nice sounding, and high quality. I'm happy. Update: After owning the guitar for 8 months and playing it for hours every week, I have nothing but good things to say. It's got a great sound, a really comfortable size, and continues to stay in tune for multiple sessions. After several months of use I replaced the original strings and opted for a lighter gauge. The guitar kept its superb playability and the tone remained excellent (though changed slightly given the lighter strings). I can now add, after developing more experience with acoustic guitars, that the neck is quite comfortable to play. That will, of course, be a matter of taste, but as a newbie I found it very easy to use pretty much right away. No regrets: this is a great guitar.

Great action ,set up and build materials but be aware of bridge and string spacing at just under 2 inches which makes this guitar crowded for larger hands. The bracing and resonance of the yamaha is impressive. The setups very consistent and finish and build is high in quality. I could not get along withe spacing longterm.

Fantastic. This guitar is only a bit smaller than the regular dreadnaughts, but it is just enough to make playing the guitar easier. The quality of the guitar is great. The action on the strings is low without experiencing any buzzing or ringing. The sound quality with the solid top is great. I would buy again though don't expect to need to do so!

Built is good. Strings needs to be changed. And setup the string height and you are good to rock.

Craftsmanship: Yamaha quality. I've owned a couple Yamaha guitars and this one is consistent with their brand. The FG800 appears to be much higher quality in materials and design than most of its competitors at lower price points. The head, tuning pegs, and fretboard are much nice than Epiphone DR-100. I wasn't sure about the Natural spruce colour for the top when I ordered it, but it looks great. The strings are good quality and setup are very nice. Medium. They remain in tune over long periods. Packaging: Packaged for shipment in a light, but highly-protected corrugated cardboard box with clear labels that it's a guitar. Surprised there was no damage but it arrived in perfect condition. This set does not include any accessories which may be useful for beginners. Great guitar to learn on, I could play this for several hours on end.

Ultimate guitar quality .. I have been playing guitar since last 20 years and this sound really great and sweet . Wood quality is also very good .

It came in time and in good condition