YAMAHA FS800 Small Body Solid Top Acoustic Guitar, Natural, Concert

EDIT: After I have set this guitar up (which involved mostly lowering the nut height, lowering the action overall and polishing the fret surfaces and ends) this guitar won me over. It just became mine. I put Eric Clapton strings on it which are slightly warmer and less bright and this guitar sings! I’m adding not one but two stars making it a perfect five! Original review: I've read a lot about how this guitar is a great value and a surprisingly good instrument at this price so maybe my expectations were too high, but I'm somewhat disappointed. First of all, the guitar arrived poorly set up. The action was extremely high due to, both, a very high nut and very high saddle. While updating the saddle I realize the original one was too thin: it fell out of the slot right away when I removed the strings. This caused it to lean forward in the slot, which affects the sound. It also affects intonation as it shortens the scale just a few micrometers (intonation was pretty good out of the box though but not perfect). After the saddle upgrade the intonation is perfect. I don't understand how it is possible that Yamaha does not care to install a saddle of a correct thickness, it does not cost more to simply install a matching saddle. The nut had a poorly cut slots, there was a lot of strings binding. The fret ends are quite sharp and not properly finished. The middle of the frets are very poorly polished: if you try to bend a note you will feel grinding. Very sloppy! I have no idea what Yamaha is bragging about when they say that the fretboard has "rolled edges" - no such thing. When changing the strings I inserted a small webcam into the sound hole to inspect the interior of the guitar. The bridge plate has lots of splinting and rough edges around the string holes, it's as if a 4-year-old drilled those wholes with a dull drill bit from a toy set (sad thing is that maybe it was ?). Lots of glue squeeze everywhere, bracing not being of correct length - don't look inside if you want to love this guitar! After the upgrades and a basic common sense setup the guitar is very easy to play. Not the most inspiring guitar to play as it does not have what one would call a character, but very playable. The sound is quite decent actually but lacking in bass response for sure. Also, in my sample, the low E string sounds thudy, as if made of rubber. I tried several strings and now have a good quality bone nut and saddle - unfortunately it has more to do with the resonance of the guitar and/or the neck's ability to transfer vibrations. It just sounds thudy with no sustain on anything other that open string. It is not a very nuanced guitar, does not respond to dynamics in playing well. However, somehow, I still like it. It is a very honest guitar. Very sincere. Does not pretend to be anything else that it is - an entry level guitar. It is not flashy, pretentious, fake. I still think that at $200 it is a great buy. Great as an everyday instrument that will not make me too precious about it, instead I will just play it without too much reverence towards it.

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!

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.

I bought it for my boyfriend on his birthday and he really liked it and play almost every day! But there was some damaged on neck and super late delivery on my first order so I had to return again and wait for it so it was kinda long to get it on his hand.

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.

After doing extensive research I bought this guitar in early December of 2018 for a 14 year old grandson and beginner player for Christmas. He wanted one of my vintage guitars, a 1965 Harmony Sovereign H1205 that I bought when I was his age after working all summer and saving to buy for $125 but he'll have to wait till I'm composting. I originally planned to buy something for him in the $400-500 range but his mother thought that was too much in case he wasn't serious. My first impression when unpacking this Yamaha was the fit and finish was better to anything the local music stores had to offer up to my original price point. After giving the guitar a couple days to stabilize to the temperature of our home and monitoring its humidity level I tuned it and said I thought I'd keep it and get another for him, grandma reminded me I didn't need another guitar. The neck was adjusted perfectly and the action was so good I thought it had to have been set up professionally but coming from Amazon I thought there was no way and this was how it came from the factory. I took the guitar to the tech who had set up and worked on all my guitars for a thorough inspection and set it up. He had a bit of a frown when I told him what I had but he smiled when he opened the case and picked it up and confirmed the neck was dead on. When I told him I only paid $200 he thought I got a deal at a pawn shop. He had a bone nut sitting there that was a perfect match and with a couple strokes of a file he said the action was as good the Martin D-28 he had just finished setting up. He believes as I do that I got very lucky with this guitar because at this price they can go either way. He couldn't believe it was a $200 guitar but after he finished it was a $325 guitar. Plus a case, tuner, picks, capo, humidifiers, strap and God knows what else I spent the $500 I promised my daughter that I wouldn't. So unless you're buying a guitar from a high-end music shop where the set up is included in the price, don't forget that every new guitar regardless of price should be set up professionally. It won't turn a $200 guitar into a $3,000 guitar, but it could mean the difference for a beginner becoming a player rather than a quitter.

Let me start by saying I'm a total beginner. My last interaction was 50 years ago, and I don't remember much. In the space of about 2 weeks, I ordered two cheaper guitars on Amazon and sent both of them back. They were cheap looking, hard to tune, didn't hold their pitch, etc, etc. So when I got this Yamaha, I was really impressed. The quality was apparent right away. There are no imperfections. The body is smooth as glass. It's taking me a minute to get used to steel strings, but the callouses are starting to build up. :) Based on a lot of the reviews I read, I did take the guitar to have it professionally set up. One of the things I really appreciate about this Yamaha is how well it holds pitches. I'm finding I may need to tweak a string or 2 every 3rd or 4th day, but overall, it doesn't need to be tuned. The sound is rich. Overall, I am SO happy with this purchase. I've wanted to learn guitar for a long time and this Yamaha keeps me motivated.

This is a very nice little guitar, for a beginner, or if you're looking for something durable and unfussy. I recommend restringing right away with lighter gauge strings (Elixir Extra Lights are my brand, of choice) if you're a beginner, and maybe having the action lowered. Plays pretty well, out of the box, after tuning. Feather light, bright tone. Very satisfied.

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

I have been looking for a knock-around guitar that sounds good, and I finally found it! I've played guitar since I was a teenager and I have several very fine instruments that I just don't want to bring to the park or the seaside, or on a camping trip. This Yamaha is what I've been looking for: decent tone, easy to play, stays in tune, has good intonation on the mid and upper frets. In conclusion, you'll be hard pressed to find a better brand new guitar for $300. This is a good beginner to intermediate guitar, and perfect for the seasoned player who wants to be able to take it outdoors and not worry about damage.

Do I like that , it’s the right size , still sounds great , delivered on time , no damage in transit . The finish is just beautiful . I’d strongly recommend

10/10

I will start off by saying I am new to the instrument. Did a lot of research as I was (as you likely are) in that rather awkward position of unwilling to spend a lot of money not knowing if I would just end up quitting, but also not wanting to purchase a guitar that was so horribly made I would be forced to upgrade within months if I did indeed stick with it. This is a very well made, well set up, respectable acoustic guitar that can be appreciated by long time players. It's the solidly built, dependable Honda Civic (or VW Golf if you're European) of acoustics. There are obviously much better out there (not anywhere close to this price range) but one will not be embarrassed pulling up to the 'traffic lights' with this. Forget about cheap, inferior 'starter' or 'learner' guitar packages. Those are 3/4 size and/or all laminate pieces of junk that sound horrible. They will pretty much ensure you rarely practice because they are so difficult to play. This is a full size guitar, a little thinner than a traditional Dreadnought with a tighter waist, making it more comfortable to manipulate. People that have played for 30 years prefer this Concert size, very versatile. It also has a solid wood top which makes a significant difference with superior tone. Being new to guitar, I did change the strings to 10s (lighter) to make it a little easier on my fretting hand. I believe it ships with 12s which are the standard and require more hand strength. In short, learning guitar is difficult enough without the added burden of a lesser quality instrument. Give yourself a better chance of succeeding with a very decent, reasonably priced tool.