Before listing down my recommendations for the 6 best Yamaha Acoustic Guitars, I’d like you to have a look at points that separate Acoustic and Electric Guitar.
Acoustic Guitar against Electric Guitar:
There are four factors that one should consider while debating about Acoustic Guitar against Electric Guitars:
Style preference of Acoustic Guitar against Electric Guitar:
The list of idols for an Acoustic Guitar fan consists of names like Tommy Emmanuel or James Taylor. While the list of idols for an Electric Guitar fan consists of names like Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Listening to these guitarists helps you figure out your taste in music. Listening to them also tells you whether you like listening to acoustic guitar more than electric guitar or vice versa. Thus, genres of music help you choose the side that you are more attracted to.
Cost of Acoustic Guitar against Electric Guitar:
Electric Guitars offer more tones than acoustic guitars. However, the Electric Guitars and their gears cost more than acoustic guitars. A standard gear set for Electric Guitar would include an amplifier, cables for pedals, and effect units. Sometimes it also happens that the cost of the gear set of an electric guitar ends up more than the cost of the guitar itself.
Playability of acoustic Guitar against Electric Guitar:
The better playability means ease of movement of the hands of the Guitarist on the Guitar. The playability of an Electric Guitar has always been better than that of an acoustic Guitar. The strings for electric guitars aren’t usually of steel. While the material used for strings of an acoustic guitar are generally steel. It is not any rule that there cannot be a neon-stringed acoustic guitar in existence. In fact, there are sweet-sounding Acoustic Guitars that have neon strings. Moreover, beginners who start playing with acoustic guitar finds Electric Guitar a lot smoother. And in turn, his playability on an electric guitar will be more than the one who has practiced directly on an electric guitar.
Weight of acoustic Guitar against Electric Guitar:
The weight of any guitar depends on the type of wood that is used to construct its body. Wood species such as Alder, Ash, and Bass tend to be on a lighter side. While wood species such as maple and mahogany are on the heavier side. Electric Guitars usually weigh between 6 to 12 pounds. On the contrary, acoustic guitars weigh under 5 pounds. Apart from wood, there is also the basic difference between both types i.e. the weight of electric components in an electric guitar. An Acoustic Guitar is hollow and so, light-weighted.
After knowing some of the basic points about Acoustic Guitar in comparison with Electric, it’s time to have a little brief about Yamaha. The company in general and its relation with acoustic Guitars. This is also the last step between you and the recommendations.
Yamaha Acoustic Guitars
The founder of Yamaha, Torakusu Yamaha built a reed organ at the end of the 18th century. After producing piano in 1900, Yamaha has been active in the business of manufacturing musical instruments. Currently, Yamaha runs its business internationally. It is a known fact to everyone that Yamaha is a renowned name. Yamaha does active business not only in musical instrument manufacturing business but also in automobiles and semiconductor manufacturing etc.
There are nine series of acoustic Guitars that Yamaha manufactures:
- L Series
- A Series
- FG/FGX Series
- F/FX Series
- APX Series
- CPX Series
- TransAcoustic Guitars
- CSF Series
- JR Series
All of these series are well-known because they possess some or the other type of specialty. But below mentioned are the best acoustic guitars recommendations from the available many.
Yamaha Acoustic Guitars Series FG800:
This is one of the best Yamaha Acoustic Guitars. This instrument has a dreadnaught style body that offers a light-hearted jazz sound. Yamaha FG 800 works best for a beginner Guitarist because of its body style and soothing sound.
Specifications:
- Top Wood: Solid Spruce
- Back and Side Wood: Okume
- Bracing: Scalloped
- Fingerboard Wood: Rosewood
- Scale Length: 25 inches
- Number of Frets: 20
- Neck Wood: Nato
Specialty:
Because of the specific design of the body of this Yamaha acoustic guitar, it produces a comparatively warmer sound. The sound produced has proper control over the one who hears it.
Yamaha FG 800 is popular because of its lightweight. Because it is lighter in weight compared to other guitars, it is easy to travel with it. Moreover, if you are an everyday performer, this Guitar is surely for you to consider.
Reinforced scalloped bracing ensures a sturdy appearance and a long-lasting quality to this guitar.
More To Know
This acoustic guitar was designed by keeping in mind, playability, and tone, and build-in quality. FG series was introduced by Yamaha in the year 1966. The model FG180 was the first one from this particular series. This series’ of Yamaha acoustic guitars are usually popular among seasoned Guitarists such as Joshua Ray Gooch. Over the years, the Yamaha FG series has been a choice of millions of guitarists because of the ease of its playability.
Yamaha FG 740 SFM:
Known for its powerful voice and balance, Yamaha FG 740 SFM is not only a beautiful guitar but also a technically sound one.
Specifications:
- Top Wood: Solid Spruce
- Back and Side Wood: Maple
- Fingerboard Wood: Rosewood
- Scale Length: 25.5 inches
- Number of Frets: 20
- Neck Wood: Nato
Specialty:
- This guitar is an edited version of the Yamaha Acoustic guitars series FG 730 SFM. Because it is an edited version of that guitar, the limitations of the previous ones are taken away by the company in the latter.
- In the list of guitars with similar specifications, Yamaha FG 740 SFM is the most affordable choice.
- Yamaha FG 740 SFM has chrome hardware. The specialty of having chrome hardware in a guitar is that it helps Guitar to survive against aging and natural wear and tear. This also helps in keeping the Guitar in tune for a longer time.
- This guitar is corrosion proof. There is a lifetime warranty for any damage to the top, back, sides, and neck of this Guitar.
Yamaha JR2:
This is a compact version of the guitar in comparison to the acoustic counterparts. Because of its compact nature, Yamaha JR2TS is the kids’ favorite guitar.
Specifications:
- Top Wood: Spruce
- Back and Sides: Mahogany
- Neck Wood: Nato
- Fingerboard: Rosewood
- Scale Length: 21 inches
- Number of Frets: 20
Specialty:
- JR2TBS is the best guitar to gift a kid who has just begun his Guitar learning. Its construction is in such a way that kids get to hear deep vibrations even at the smallest touch.
- This model is the favorite model of beginners. Beginner Guitarists cannot play as long as compared to intermediate or experts. The guitar design suits every beginner guitarist.
- JR model guitars are compact versions of the legendary Yamaha FG series. This makes the JR series a special one because they are made by the same material, by which the FG series is made.
More To Know
Kids always complain about the liberty and freedom the adults enjoy. The company, by introducing this Yamaha Acoustic Guitars JR series has made sure that kids have minimal or nothing to the complaint for. Yamaha FG series guitars which are the most popular and historic ones are made in a compact way to produce the JR series model. This means that the essential characteristics that are given in the Yamaha FG series are also given in the JR series. Therefore no kid can complain or have to wait to be bigger in size to play the FG series. He/she can enjoy the fun that an adult enjoys by playing Yamaha’s FG series Guitars.
Yamaha LL16 12 ARE:
If there is a Guitar that can be awarded the best craftsmanship award, it is this. Yamaha LL16 is designed by some of the best craftsmen of Japan. Let’s take a look at their specifications.
Specifications:
- Top Wood: Engleman Spruce
- Fretboard Wood: Ebony
- Back and Side Wood: Solid Rosewood
- Scale Length: 25.5 inches
- Number of Frets: 20
Specialty:
- This guitar has got a multi-layered reinforced neck which ensures that the reverb is naturally lower and longer
- It includes SRT Zero Impact Passive Pick Up which gives this Guitar a greater noise potential.
- Ebony wood is used in making the bridge, because of which the vibrations that are produced when noise is produced are prolonged and greater which produces more resonance.
- This guitar is a mixture of various woods which makes it control its overall highs and lows like no other Guitar on the list. The result is a balanced voice that is sense arousing for anyone in the audience.
- Yamaha LL16 comes with a lifetime body warranty, so if the body is anyhow damaged you can get it repaired for free.
More To Know
When a guitar player is playing solo, the real craftsmanship of that Guitar comes to light. L series Guitar from Yamaha is to justify the spotlight that is brought to a Guitar when it played solo. Because of this reason, L series Guitars have always been a preference of solo Guitar artists mainly. All the guitars featured in the L series depict the quality of craftsmen that Yamaha has since its inception. On one hand, it makes you wonder about beauty, on the other hand, it makes you think about the level of accuracy. ARE stands for Acoustic Resonance Enhancement. It is a technology that is been adopted by only a handful of companies from the many that manufacture acoustic guitars. Yamaha is one such company.
Yamaha FS 850:
Tone and volume are the two key features that were primarily kept in mind while designing the Yamaha FS850 model.
Specifications:
- Top Wood: Mahogany
- Fretboard Wood: Rosewood
- Neck Wood: Nato
- Scale Length: 25 inches
- Number of Frets: 20
- Bracing: Scalloped X
Specialty:
- Every Guitar model under the FS 800 Series is designed in such a way that the tone and volume of that guitar are uncompromised. The Scalloped X type Bracing pattern ensures a louder volume even at a softer touch without compromising the sweetness of its tone.
- Apart from the volume and the tone, Yamaha FS 850 is known for its excellent reverberation. Warm tones that are otherwise, harder to produce can be easily produced using this guitar.
- Blues, the genre of music which is known to make a person hear warmer tones than other genres can be easily played using this guitar compared to others.
More to Know
The theme behind making this Guitar is to ensure that Yamaha believes in innovating traditions. This is a folk guitar that has been handcrafted by modern craftsmen using modern technology. It has the rules which are involved in making traditions as well as it has modern innovations. It takes only skilled craftsmen to design a guitar that complies with both, traditions and innovations. Yamaha FS850 is a perfect example of how can a guitar be designed for intermediate as well as professionals and if need be, it can also serve beginners.
Yamaha FG TA:
Who says beauty with perfect craftsmanship isn’t possible in a single guitar? If anyone does say so, he/she is yet to encounter Yamaha FG TA.
Specifications:
- Top Wood: Solid Spruce
- Back and Side Wood: Mahogany.
- Fretboard Wood: Rosewood
- Bracing: Scalloped X
- Neck Wood: Nato
- Scale Length: 25.5 inches
- Number of Frets: 20
Specialty:
- Yamaha FG TA is fully acoustic with electronic capabilities. Pop music, folk music, jazz, and plain old music can be efficiently played using this Guitar.
- Whether you are playing with a preamp or without it, because of the mixture of woods, the voice quality charms anyone in the audience.
- When played in a chorus, Yamaha FG TA stands out with excellent reverberation quality.
More To Know
While designing this series, the craftsman had a unique task in their hands. Keeping their quality, on one hand, they had taken up the task of designing the guitar beautifully in the other. The wood, the strings, the sprucing, each and every part of the guitar including the neck and the fretboard is designed keeping both in mind. It is obvious then, that the company which takes such a task in hand is bound to come up with excellent results. So did Yamaha. Yamaha FG TA is a classic example of how a Guitar can be beautiful and technically rich.
After having a sneak peek at the top 6 recommendations of acoustic guitars, below mentioned are some points that you should take care of before buying one for yourself.
Things to be taken care of before buying an Acoustic Guitar:
- Resonance and echo are produced inside the box of the guitar. They are the whole and sole of the guitar. It is from here that you get the rich sounds that melt hearts and brings emotions to a flame. So, listen to the sounds that come out of the guitar you are thinking of buying to see what you feel when you strum a few chords. Your ear will be your best friend in this endeavor. You want the best sound you can get from your guitar as well. For checking these properties all you got to do is to try out some of the guitars and get a feel of them.
- In the case of electric guitars, a wide range of sound altering devices can be used from Fuzz, Vibrato, and the old WA WA pedal of the 60s and 70s. But in acoustic guitars, you don’t have any of those things to help you. So, your choice in the strings can make a major difference in the sound you make while you are playing. Gold, Silver, Brass, and Alloy strings all have different acoustical signatures. You can even use nylon, natural fibers, and steel to get just the right sound you are looking for.
Wait! There is More About Yamaha Acoustic Guitars
- The often overlooked feature of an acoustical guitar that can make or break your musical endeavors is the natural material from which it is made. This critical piece of yours transmits the sound to the inside of the body and from there to the ear of the listener. An all-natural material to make an acoustic guitar. Most good bridges are currently made from Rosewood, Oak, and Ash. But if you want the best go with Mahogany and the very best is Ebony. This wood is dense and transmits sound that is rich and vibrant. Experiment if you like and see which bridge you feel gives you the best results.
- The genre has a great deal of bearing on the type of music you intend to play. A Flamenco guitar is not the same as a Country or Bluegrass guitar. If you want to sing the Blues and do Folk music you need a different acoustic footprint. Again use social networking, magazines, and reviews to find what you need.
The Conclusion
Yamaha’s brand name works its magic all the time. Often, chosen by popular artists, the guitars do have something unique that stands them out. Moreover, it instills the trust value that it has gained and maintained amongst its millions of customers. There aren’t many brands that have such a variety of quality acoustic guitars in their collections. Yamaha is one of the few brands that takes special care of delivering technologically sound piece with every guitar it manufactures. Some of its series is very well-known and played by successful guitarists of the world. Apart from celebrities, there are innumerable beginners, intermediates, and professional level guitarists that prefer Yamaha.
Each series that they manufacture, their craftsman take up a task that hasn’t been taken up in the industry yet. Not only do they take up such tasks, but also do they fulfill them with complete dedication. It doesn’t matter which series of guitars you pick to choose depending on their compatibility with your hands. Yamaha is an amazing choice and it has been producing high-quality musical instruments for years. The company is a front runner and the strongest competitor of the leading market shares. The other thing that has been taken care of by the company very well is “Guitar for all”. No matter you are a kid, or an experienced player, Yamaha Acoustic Guitars can serve you the best way possible. With its introduction of the junior series Guitar, it has become one of the very few brands that manufacture Guitars for kids.
Choose your shape and size of the Guitar, look for natural wood, fretboard compatibility, and tone. Yamaha has enough series and models of Guitar that can assure you that there isn’t any need to go anywhere out of what the company has to offer. Yamaha also offers customization in Guitar making.
Final Words
Finally, it is important to know that good or bad is a tag that you will add after playing the guitar. Do not rely on what others have to say while choosing an acoustic Guitar for yourself because it is you who is going to play it and no one else. Yamaha’s acoustic guitar is both, traditionally and innovatively rich. In fact, it is the only company that even offers a hybrid of tradition and innovation. Whilst it takes care to offer natural wood-rich acoustic guitars, it also takes care to make sure that the cost range is not high. If you compare Yamaha Guitar’s cost range with others that have similar specifications, you’d always find that the price is a little lesser than the one at the top. Hope this information helps you find the correct Yamaha acoustic guitars from the available many.
