I would pay $150 or $200 more for the same guitar if they used solid rosewood or solid mahogany for the same guitar this guitar is beautifully crafted and I would hope that Yamaha would figure out for a few dollars more make it solid I also have a recording King Rd 318 it's all solid wood Adirondack spruce top and mahogany back and sides it sounds and plays great too 💯
I ordered a FG 800j last evening. I saw this great review on the FG830. I just got off the phone with Kraft Music. The person I talked with when out and pull the 800 off the truck about to leave. We cancellled the 800 and went to a FG830 bundle. Thank you for this great review.
I changed the saddle to bone one and sustain and responce improves a lot. Now I am going for changing pins to ebony to make it more woody due to metal sound of the strings. Actually the original strings were too bright for me and I put phosfor bronze instead. She became deeper and not so junglee.
Thanks for letting me know. I would like to try this at some point but the guitar is so good as it is and when a guitar is satisfying me I usually like to leave it alone.
Hi. This was the only point I had. The bit Jingly sound. Did the Strings really make the needed Difference? Was looking at the FG-820. It's Mahogany and not Rosewood. Seems to sound deeper and warmer. Hasn't got the binding and Shell appointments.
@@mrplitsum Hi, I stopped at 12-53 elexir with bone pins and saddles, tuned half tone down it reduces trebles. Yamaha has its own sound it is a little high tone jungle one no matter which model is))) I get used to it but do not like it 😂. 820 sounds more tiny than 830 in direct comparison.
I swear by phosfor bronze strings. I will only use Elixir medium gauge phosfor bronze strings on all my guitars. I do intend to change my bridge pins to ebony once my local music store gets them in. That does make a subtle difference in sound that is significant.
Just purchased one in Autumn Burst from my local guitar shop. I agree completely that for the sound this is a fantastic deal, and the look in the burst in really stunning. Not only will the instrument open up as its played, it can only get better with nut, saddle and pin upgrades in the future. Thats the fun of "breaking in" a guitar, the more you play it, the more you can ID where you want to push the tone. I think it plays so well as is, with the factory 12s, and a lowered action setup. I really like the neck profile on this compared to my other Yamaha.
I bought a cheap Persian acoustic guitar for $60 to learn some chords and strumming techniques. I recently moved to this guitar and to my surprise, wow for $320 this just makes playing a lot more exciting. The sustain is the first notable thing on this Yamaha! I only noticed one thing that needed some work was a sharp fret. Other than that, flawless guitar!
I had a FS830 that played really well that I gave to my niece. Now that I'm back in the mood to playing acoustic guitar again, I think the FG830 will be my pick. I want a bit more projection this time around. Can't really go wrong with Yamaha instruments, especially at this price point. Thanks for the review..
You can improve the tone greatly by re-shaping your pick. the more pointed the brighter the more round the tamer the guitar. the trick is to blend both together. It will take several picks to get it as you want. as well each guitar is different
I couldn’t agree more. After spending several days at my local music store trying lots of acoustics I bought one. Even though I could have afforded to and was prepared to spend a lot more I didn’t find anything I liked playing as much so it was a real win/win. I would recommend to players at any level who just want to great acoustic guitar.
I recently bought the FS800 and it is awesome as well. If I knew how much I was going to like it I'd probably paid the extra $100 for the 830's nicer adornments. But for $200 the 800 series is equally as impressive. Great video, thanks.
LAMINATED THE BACK AND SIDES WITH 2 PIECES OF ROSEWOOD the LAMINATED WOOD GIVES IN CERTAIN CLIMATES RATHER THAN CRACK LIKE SOLID WOODS...ON A LOT OF MAKES TAYLOR GUITARS ARE LIKE THAT....
I bought a walden D800e all solid and this Yamaha, and I played three chords and returned the walden and kept the Yamaha, the matter of solid or laminated guitars, influences the price more than anything.
Nice review. I bought the FG730s years ago and it's almost the same guitar. I did swap the plastic nut, saddle and bridge pins for bone and noticed a nice boost in clarity and brightness on the high notes. I think you'll like the difference if you decide to do the same. It's a fine guitar and even though I have a more expensive Martin now, I still play my Yamaha regularly. Yamaha may be the best value out there.
Probably the most important issue with a saddle is a tight fit maybe more important than the material. Nothing worse than a loose saddle. You should be able to lift the guitar by gripping the saddle with some pliers if necessary and there should be no gaps between the sides ends or the bottom of the slot. If you know how to do a bit of sanding on a flat glass surface you can shape your own saddle or nut. Gerry Rosa has many videos about that. He uses a power sander but you don't need to do that. You can do it by hand if you go slow, use a square guide and check the fit frequently. It should snap tightly into the slot. If the slot isn't cut properly the bridge needs to be replaced. If it is a new guitar it should go back to the vendor to replace the guitar or get a refund. If it is not a new guitar you are facing a big expense to replace the bridge by an experienced luthier.
To anyone who has an 830, I highly recommend you upgrade to a bone nut and saddle if you can. I had a bone nut and saddle installed on my 830 CE and man what a difference that made to the sound of my guitar. It sounded very good before,eabut now it really sounds great. The sound is louder and a little brighter. Once the new strings I also had put on it break in abit, I’ll be interested to see how the sound changes. My guitar sounds great when I play classic country on it.
Sometimes it can vary by guitar and of course if the replacement saddle is even slightly higher than the original then it can appear to sound louder and have more power. I wouldn’t say it’s an instant upgrade to any guitar but it’s good that you like the change on yours.
All I know, is I really like the sound of my gu Tar. It is so much fun to play. Whatever someone decides, they just need to get an fg 830 for a great gu Tar
This is about the best sounding demo of the FG830 on utube. The mic makes a huge difference and the player of course. The newly designed scalloped bracing says we should use light or medium strings and I’ve found Martin MSP 4050 custom light phosphor bronze sound great.
@@aaronshortmusic How does it play, action-out-of-the-box, is it any slimmer / smaller than the average dreadnought? I'm short and and have small hands, so was considering even a Fender CC60sc concert not for its sound, but it's playability, but I know this yamaha is going to be a lot better sounding, maybe higher quality. Any thoughts from people welcome!
Very tempted as a replacement for my fg800m witch I've loved but now has a huge belly as I live in a hot country with huge humidity...Thanks for sharing good stuff....
I own a Yamaha FG 830 I love how bright and responsive it is I also changed out the nut and the saddle to Bone also I changed the pins which are also bone I am also in the process of changing out the tuning keys to Grover rotomatics because I want the complete package this guitar sounds better than a $1,000 rival guitar hands down best guitar and quality for the money
When I was teaching guitar in the 70's the Yamaha was one of the ones I recommended for entry level guitars. It seems they have continued to produce a great guitar for an affordable price. I know I'm a year late to the party. In my defense, I didn't know you even had a channel until we were discussing the PRS Silver Sky SE in chat on another channel a few days ago. Great review. Please consider doing more Entry - Intermediate Level, and more affordable guitar reviews and recommendations.
I bought FGX830BL over a year a go. Pick up and tuner are great. I changed bridge and nut with bone and restrung with Elixir phosphor bronze 11-52. Now it feels like play a red label FGX5. Compare to my Martin D-13E this Yamaha is louder.
I agree with most of what you are saying here. I am a beginner and bought mine several months ago to learn on. In the past I have played both banjo and mandolin in the bluegrass genre, but haven’t picked up an instrument in 20 years. But, I digress, so back to the FG 830. Firstly, it is NOT solid rosewood back and sides. It is laminate construction. The top IS solid Sitka spruce. You will find out the first time that you change strings that the saddle fits so loosely in the bridge slot that it slops around some and will just fall out. I spent an additional $100 to have a local luthier cut a new saddle and nut from bone and replaced the bridge pins with some new Tusq ones and do a complete set up. It was well worth the money. Yes, it does make a significant difference in both volume and projection of the high end. The bass end doesn’t need any help. It’s just fine the way it is. I left the action just a bit high because it’s pretty easy to overpower the strings when flat picking. You are spot on about the tuners. They tune easily and smoothly and they stay in tune. Very fine adjustment of 1 or 2 cents are easy. Like I said before, I’m a bluegrasser, so I play flatpick style and 12 ga. 80/20 phosphor bronze work best for me with this guitar and set up.
Thanks James! My saddle is tight and I have not yet tried upgrading the nut and saddle. I will definitely try it for research but in all honesty the guitar is just great the way it is. I’d recommend this guitar to any player and not just because it is affordable!
I do have the FG 830 and have been very impressed with it, as well as, the Yamaha line. I did change out the bridge pins, saddle, and nut for bone and Cocabolo and must say it doesn't sound way better but would say it does sound better, to my ears. Another guitar I have is the AMI OOO and for the price, very similar, it sounds absolutely amazing, so you might want to check those out as well. They are a new guitar to the US, but they are out there. I don't work for them, I just have one. I think Yamaha and AMI are the two brands where you get absolutely the most out of your money.
I agree with your assessment 100%! I bought one of these today, and I'm wondering why I waited for so long. I too immediately changed out the strings to Elixirs (12-53) and next I want to lower the action at the 12th fret and the nut, as I always do. I'll most likely play it for a little bit (a few weeks) and then put it away in a gig bag for a few months and allow that wood to adjust to some humidity. I find that guitars always get better with age and a little humidity. A couple other acoustics of mine are several years old (now) and sound so much better than they did when I bought them. One Must take care of his/her wood! Great video!
@@aaronshortmusic I already dropped the strings at the Nut but everything else was spot-on (tighten the truss just 1/8th turn). The feel is so much better. Now - it's just a matter of humidifying it for a little while. Who knows how long, if ever, guitars experience the humidity that they require?!?
Bought the FG800J since I prefer the black binding vs. white and it's made in Indonesia vs. China for the 830. Not to mention $130 cheaper. Sound quality was very comparable when I tried them both in the store.
Just ordered one of these from Thomann, after an Exhaustive search for an Upgrade on my Fender CD140 the Yamaha FG820, is on the way, the Solid Top, Rosewood back and sides, build quality, and finish, swayed the choice serious consideration was given to the Cort Earth200 with Torrefied top, Ebony fretboard/Bridge, but the open Pore silk finish, put me off. I prefer the Polished High Gloss Finish, on the FG820
I've owned an FG830, and thought the new Yamaha FG3 would probably be an upgrade. So I ordered the FG3, but sent it back because the FG830 sounded and played better. Then I purchased an FS830, and its very nice, too. Now I have a set.
Wow that's crazy. So many people will convince themselves that the more expensive models are better. I disagree. The fg800 sounded much better than very expensive Martin's and Gibson's I played. By a long shot. I'm not loyal to brands of price tags. I'm loyal to my ears and soul. I'm getting an FG 830 and treat it like a $3000 guitar because that's how it plays and sounds.
I’m new at this. So, I don’t know if it is me or my FG830. Maybe it is the combination of both. Here is the problem. When I lift my finger off the string that I just played, it rings out another note like an echo! It is so much more obvious and pronounced on the low notes like the E, A, D strings, and still there, but not as much annoying and loud on the high strings. From time to time, we have high humidity in this state, but nothing over the top! My hands are not wet or sweaty! They are dry and clean. When I got this Yamaha FG830, I was told that it was a low action guitar. And I just measured the string height on the high and the low E at the 12th fret. From what I can see, the high “e” is at .090 (2.25 millimeter) and the low “E” is at .120 (3 millimeter). Is the problem I’m having normal? Does it happen to every acoustic guitar and you solve this problem by palm-muting as soon as you lift your finger off the string?
Hello Aaron! Thanks for your video. Unfortunantly I discover it after I purchaise my F830 and it's 450 euros here in Ireland now days. I just wish to say - this is lovely guitar. I'm a beginner player and had few guitars in the past around 150-200 euros such as Epiphone and Fender and to be honest it's hard to compare them with F830. Aaron is 100 right, F830 is wonderful guitar under 500 euro and if you starting to learn guitar and take it sereious, please don't waste your money on low budget guitars and go straight to F830 - you will be enjoyed and love this guitar. Once again thank you Mister for your kind and honest words about this good beginners mucisian instrument.
Excellent comments, I'm a long time guitarist, played almost all the major brands ,an' Yes I couldn't agree more, value for money, Absolutely,right up there 😅
Hey man, I'd love to see a bone/TUSQ upgrade on this specific guitar! I had a FS700, and it lasted a long five years before I cracked the headstock on it on a road trip :( considering getting this model as an upgrade. I'm not a beginner but I love the sound of Yamaha for the price. Really solid deals.
Very good video, a question, the back and sides of the different models being laminate does it really make any difference what the finale layer of laminate is? after all laminate is just laminate, I would have thought apart from looking 'different' it would not really make any difference.
@@aaronshortmusic I think it's all in the mind, if it was solid woods I am sure that there would be a diffence, but like I said laminate is just laminate. I think many people 'hear with their eyes'.
@@ronvonryan I’ve owned both the FG800 (Nato back and sides) and the FG830. And while the difference between laminate woods is much less distinct than solid, I did detect a noticeable difference between the two. The 800 had a drier, more earthy sound to my ears. The 830 seems crisper and rings better. Tone is such a subjective thing, it’s hard to quantify it, but that was my experience. I MUCH prefer the 830.
@@aaronshortmusic The only difference is the back and sides is mahogany, but the tone is more balanced and articulate. it's down to taste. I also have a rosewood back and sides and the sound is more low end, high end and sustain with a bit less in the mids, with the 820, the mids are more "pushed out" and in balance with the lows and highs. Always worth having both in my opinion.
I dont think you can beat this guitar for looks, playability, and cost… get a $75 case if you wanna take it out and about and you are set! I play this more than my high dollar guitars.. love it!
Alan Puah Thanks Alan. The website says “Rich overtones and improved sustain, thanks to the rosewood back and sides, deliver improved sound through greater depth.” - However, if it is laminate then it’s even more impressive that it sounds so good...
@@aaronshortmusic Back and side are laminate but not all laminate are saw dust and glue. Taylor and Seagull do the layered approach. Maybe that is the case with Yamaha as well.
Chris Shawn It May explain why I felt the guitar is a little ‘tight’ but honestly it just sounds so good. This guitar has made me realize that specs do not mean much.
Yeah solid spruce front but laminated rosewood sides and back. At the $300 price range it is to be expected. Yamaha makes solid side and rear guitar but they are closer to $1000
I have the FG-TA (with built-in reverb and chorus), and love it like crazy! Beautiful balance and playability. Its equivalent without electronics is the FG820. That model has mahogany back and sides (laminated). In this model, I prefer the mahogany over the rosewood version you showed. By the way, you stated the back and sides are solid rosewood. I don’t think that’s the case.
@@RobertoCichetti I also like the warmth of the mahogony better. Especially in smaller-bodied guitars or guitars with less resonant back and sides due to veneer over stiffer, cheaper wood, rosewood tends to add to their overall harshness. That’s different on, say, a full-sized, solid-wood Martin D-35 with rosewood. (I know because I have one.) Then it’s all about projection and punch.
I wish they would put a bone or tusq. nut saddle and pins on this guitar in its stock form. To get a bone nut and saddle. I'd have to buy a FG5 Yamaha which is triple the price but not triple the guitar.. Its ridiculous.
My son just ordered one of these. I have 2 Yamahas a Martin D-18, and an Alverez 12 string. One of my Yamahas is the Mahogany version of this (The FG 820). I love it and some of my songs that I do, I actually prefer my little fg820. My other Yamaha is the LL-Ta. So as you can see, It has some serious boxes it must hang out with. It has some limits but that is no fault of guitar. All guitars have some things they do better. Even my d-18 (because of it's shear volume) has some things that don't do as good as the yammie. When I need less volume and a little less separation of single notes....these do the trick! I can't wait till my son visits from Florida and brings his 830 with him so we can do some side by side. Great review on guitar except that back and sides are NOT solid...they are laminated.
@@HasNiHassaan Just depends. I prefer the punch of mahogany. The 820 has a bit more on the treble end than the 830 and it also seems more direct where as the 830 sort of surrounds you
I have an FG830! Here is my honest opinion about it after I had it long enough and recently had a chance to try out some of the Taylor guitars. To me, it doesn't matter how good or awesome the guitar sounds if it is just not "playable" because it's very "stiff" even though it supposedly has a low action. When you own a guitar, you want to have the feeling like "you don't want to put it down" because the guitar has such an amazing playability that it is such a joy and a pleasure to play it. The biggest roadblock that held me back and sabotaged my progress every step of the way was the guitar I was recommended to buy at my local guitar shop. At first, I didn’t understand and know enough about guitars to realize the guitar I bought (Yamaha FG830) was “extremely stiff”. It was so stiff that it would be a better fit for a door stopper than an acoustic guitar! Don't get me wrong! It sounded impressively good when you hit the strings, but that was about it. When I was a bit more experienced, after about a year, I immediately felt the difference when I picked up other guitars like Taylor GS Mini-e Koa Plus or the Taylor American Dream series. I was absolutely blown away how easy and how "playable" and how much pleasure it was to practice with the GS Mini or the American Dream, not to mention that the GS Mini Koa Plus sounded impressively "BIG" for its size. Wow! In every sense, the American Dream fit me like a glove. I didn’t want to put any of them down whereas I couldn't practice with my Yamaha longer than 5 minutes at a time. Yes, Taylor is a lot more expensive than Yamaha, but it's worth the price! If I had to do it all over again, my very first guitar would be a Taylor without a doubt. As for as playability is concerned, it just doesn't get any better than a Taylor. And also, it was a big mistake “for me” to get a big size (dreadnought) guitar as a beginner because it has a longer neck and the frets are a bit more spaced out due to the neck size being longer. And it is just bulky and big to grab it and play wherever I happen to be in the house! For a beginner, the finger dexterity, finger coordination and independence, stretching out fingers apart from one another to hold down a string, jumping over a fret or two are already challenging without the extra challenge the longer neck throws your way. No beginner should be persuaded to buy a dreadnought guitar by his local guitar shop sales pitch-er(!) simply because the dreadnought sounds louder! As a beginner, you're not going to give concerts at Madison Square Garden! You don't need a booming loud guitar! Get yourself something more comfortable (a couch guitar!) where it's both convenient and comfortable to grab it and play wherever you happen to be in the house.
Very real and down to earth honest opinion.....my Yamaha took about 20 yrs to sound ,like more o less hoy I want it.....I replaced the strings to Addario s. File the saddle and Nut. Oil lemon helps a lot. Plus TLC on the wood surface w Polish Cleaner and a Microfiber Cloth. All this for the Love of Yamaha Guitars.
I'm not sure if FS is better for fingerstyle, which also looks a little nicer to me. If that is not the case, then I would just lose what FG provides. Supposedly the neck is too narrow for fingerstyle anyway
@@aaronshortmusic I actually just started learning acoustic guitar, I take private lessons, I just finished learning chords and I am now learning Turn It On Again by Phil Collins (Genesis)
How does it play, action-out-of-the-box, is it any slimmer / smaller than the average dreadnought? I'm short and and have small hands, so was considering even a Fender CC60sc concert not for its sound, but it's playability, but I know this yamaha is going to be a lot better sounding, maybe higher quality. Any thoughts from people welcome!
It plays great out of the box (this can always vary). It’s a regular sized dreadnought with a narrow nut. Yamaha do make smaller body guitars as well in this price range.
I haul lots of water for Yamaha FG series guitars. Can't go wrong with any of them. I've owned 2 FG800's and 1 FG830, (Son still owns his 830,) Used my 830 for trade up equity for a Martin dreadnoght. Otherwise I'd still own it I play in the Bluegrass genre. And both the 800 or 830 hold their own against Martins, Collings etc at BG club jam sessions. What I like about these models is their consistency in tone. Both of the 800's I have owned have owned and the 2 FG830's (mine and my sons) also have similarity and consistency. Even with Martins, you may get an unlike sound between 2 of them.
Thank you for responding, I didn't know how that works. Really appreciate your live streams and reviews of guitars. It helps me to understand the sound variance that each individual guitar has, from carbon to laminate to solid and vintage.
Do you know what specific strings come on these? I've heard they are D'addario's .012-.053 but don't know this for sure plus what specific type. Do you happen to know?
Yes Aaron, Iv'e been playing for a while here in NZ, Yes, value for money, they are simply Awesome, they match up to my Martin ( almost !! ) good instruction on Strings, an' Yes a Bone nut and saddĺe WILL improve it to Fantastic (just a little better) Great Video 😊😂 and I own 1, a Local Luthier says " YAMAHA'S go the distance, these other S/Tops in 5,6 od years don't always do that," Yamaha and Martin go the distance " ...wow, thanks again
I don't know how they're priced for you locally but for any canadian the best would be the seagull S6 (available in spruce or cedar top) They come with some extra goodies(tusq nut/saddle) which is typically only found on more expensive guitars. But the yamaha FG/FS series is a definite #2
Thanks Marc. I just took a look and they are $450 and have a Cedar top (I prefer Sitka for my playing style). I will definitely check them out when I can though. The Yamaha is now my benchmark but I have an open mind!
@@aaronshortmusic the spruce top can be hard to find but easy to order. The cedar top works really well for finger-style/finger-picking and light to medium/hard strumming but does start to compress when strummed really hard. Also note the original S6 model has a wide 1.8" nut which may be difficult to play for beginners but they do offer a slim version. But the string spacing on the 1.8" nut is great for fingerstyle players though. Note: I have 3 yamaha's (FS800/FG800/FS850) love them all and I agree they're hard to beat for the price! The seagull is a more expensive but a really quality instrument, they're slowly gaining attention and i'm sure they'll soon be going up in price! Robert Godin (owner/founder) owns land/sawmill and grows his own Trees up here in Canada which helps significantly reduce the cost. He also makes: Godin, Simon & Patrick, Norman, Seagull, Art & Lutherie, La Patrie. All their instruments are made in Canada/USA, Here's a great video(little history, design, models etc): ua-cam.com/video/tsTBA_yj0SE/v-deo.html
@@aaronshortmusic NP :).... On a side note probably their biggest sleeper guitar is from their sister brand "Simon & Patrick" check out their "woodland pro" series, an all solid wood(spruce) series guitar for only $100 more than the seagull S6.
Hey Aaron! Finally got my hands on one of these today and it's an amazing guitar! My question is, is it worth upgrading to a TUSQ nut for $160, or use that money to get a better acoustic at the combined value of 500$ instead? I tried others but I kept coming back to the stock fg830. All thoughts are appreciated!
I haven’t tried it yet. You know what I just think it’s a great guitar. If you like it then buy it. Of course if you can afford more then go for the Red Label or start looking at other brands as well. You can experiment with the hardware later on.
You're the man. Thank you for being so responsive and I love all your videos. As a newer guitarist you can't imagine the value your videos are providing! Thanks again. I'm pulling the trigger on this one!
Wait. You said upgrade to a TUSQ nut for $160?! That doesn’t seem right. I’m glad my videos are helpful. Let me know if there’s anything you would like me to talk about in the future.
Aaron Short Music Yea, that's what popped up on Sweetwater at checkout, does include a custom setup though. I opted out of the Nut upgrade but did add the $60 custom setup, fixed bridge option. I don't know much about modifying guitars so I figured I'd let the experts help me out. Whether it helps or not will be seen lol. Coming Wednesday, can't wait!
Jim Sin Sweetwater prices are very competitive and they have the best service but I’m not sure the nut is worth it. I would experiment with the saddle and bridge pins first.
Hi Aaron, do you suggest FG800 or FG830 for a beginner? any pros and cons of one over the other model?. Also, I'm able to find a 800 on the official store but could NOT find 830 online, even in the entire world. wondering why, may be too demand or the model is not being sold anymore in 2021??
I’m real tempted to get this guitar. I’m also interested in the Alvarez AD60 which is very similar except the Alvarez has laminated mahogany back and sides. It would be interesting to hear a comparison between the two! They both sell for about $319
@@aaronshortmusic Thanks! I find these guitars so similar I’m surprised nobody on UA-cam has done a comparison video. Knowing myself, I’ll probably end up with both!
Yeah, I played one yesterday at GC.To my surprise, it sounds and plays wonderfully. I own five acoustics. Taylor, Guild, Ovation, Epiphone, and an old Japanese manufactured Dorado dreadnought. I really don't need this guitar, but I would love to own it. It is that good!
@@jalee6587 Everything. They've always been a top notch company. My aunt still has her 1960's Yamaha classical. The damn thing stayed in tune for the 5 years she didn't play it. I have a Yamaha electric piano YDP-223 and it's amazing. I just bought a c40 classical. All I had to do was polish the frets. Again amazing for 150.
for beginner to intermediate player what strings you recommend,I dont like D'addario 12's when I changed them recently .Iam struggling to press the strings.,with high action.Is custom lights better?
Hi Raj! 11’s are a great option. They are much easier to play but still sound good to me. I like Elixir and Martin. Note that the Elixir have slightly more tension than some other strings. 11 gauge Elixir may work great for you!
I start by apologizing for my English (I'm using the translator)😁. I just bought this guitar and I love its sound but I have a hard time playing it, I feel the strings are too hard, I'm a beginner, can you tell me if I need to change the strings to make it softer? if so, which ones? Thanks in advance
Hi Simone, the first thing that I would do is to take the guitar to a good guitar tech and ask them to heck the action of the guitar. If they set it correctly and it is still too hard to play then you can ask them to take the string gauge from 12's to 11's. I hope that helps!
I have not played the Epiphone yet but the FG 830 is one of the most impressive guitars I have played lately. If you need a pickup you could add the Baggs Anthem SL later on...
Please note: the back and side woods are Rosewood laminate and not solid wood. The top is solid wood. Thanks!
I would pay $150 or $200 more for the same guitar if they used solid rosewood or solid mahogany for the same guitar this guitar is beautifully crafted and I would hope that Yamaha would figure out for a few dollars more make it solid I also have a recording King Rd 318 it's all solid wood Adirondack spruce top and mahogany back and sides it sounds and plays great too 💯
@@patrickjordan7547Yamaha have done that. Those models are the FG 3 and FG 5. Quite a bit more than $150 or $200 extra though.
I ordered a FG 800j last evening. I saw this great review on the FG830. I just got off the phone with Kraft Music. The person I talked with when out and pull the 800 off the truck about to leave. We cancellled the 800 and went to a FG830 bundle. Thank you for this great review.
What a great story thank you for sharing and I’m glad I could help!
Hope you’ve got a nice hard shell case for it, and string cleaners for after each session.
Hands down the best value guitar you can buy absolutely the best ! I love mine
I changed the saddle to bone one and sustain and responce improves a lot. Now I am going for changing pins to ebony to make it more woody due to metal sound of the strings. Actually the original strings were too bright for me and I put phosfor bronze instead. She became deeper and not so junglee.
Thanks for letting me know. I would like to try this at some point but the guitar is so good as it is and when a guitar is satisfying me I usually like to leave it alone.
Hi. This was the only point I had. The bit Jingly sound. Did the Strings really make the needed Difference?
Was looking at the FG-820. It's Mahogany and not Rosewood. Seems to sound deeper and warmer. Hasn't got the binding and Shell appointments.
@@mrplitsum Hi, I stopped at 12-53 elexir with bone pins and saddles, tuned half tone down it reduces trebles. Yamaha has its own sound it is a little high tone jungle one no matter which model is))) I get used to it but do not like it 😂. 820 sounds more tiny than 830 in direct comparison.
I swear by phosfor bronze strings. I will only use Elixir medium gauge phosfor bronze strings on all my guitars. I do intend to change my bridge pins to ebony once my local music store gets them in. That does make a subtle difference in sound that is significant.
@@aaronshortmusic I agree! It works as-is!
Glad i saw this because I was set on the Alvarez AD60 but this changed my mind. The reviews online are amazing so I'm sold!!!
Just purchased one in Autumn Burst from my local guitar shop. I agree completely that for the sound this is a fantastic deal, and the look in the burst in really stunning. Not only will the instrument open up as its played, it can only get better with nut, saddle and pin upgrades in the future. Thats the fun of "breaking in" a guitar, the more you play it, the more you can ID where you want to push the tone. I think it plays so well as is, with the factory 12s, and a lowered action setup. I really like the neck profile on this compared to my other Yamaha.
I bought a cheap Persian acoustic guitar for $60 to learn some chords and strumming techniques. I recently moved to this guitar and to my surprise, wow for $320 this just makes playing a lot more exciting. The sustain is the first notable thing on this Yamaha! I only noticed one thing that needed some work was a sharp fret. Other than that, flawless guitar!
I had a FS830 that played really well that I gave to my niece. Now that I'm back in the mood to playing acoustic guitar again, I think the FG830 will be my pick. I want a bit more projection this time around. Can't really go wrong with Yamaha instruments, especially at this price point. Thanks for the review..
You can improve the tone greatly by re-shaping your pick. the more pointed the brighter the more round the tamer the guitar. the trick is to blend both together. It will take several picks to get it as you want. as well each guitar is different
I bought a FG830 last year and I fell in love with Yamaha.
Congrats Yann!
Three years in, my FG830 sounds great. Thought of an LL6 , but I really think I am good for just strumming.
I couldn’t agree more. After spending several days at my local music store trying lots of acoustics I bought one. Even though I could have afforded to and was prepared to spend a lot more I didn’t find anything I liked playing as much so it was a real win/win. I would recommend to players at any level who just want to great acoustic guitar.
I recently bought the FS800 and it is awesome as well. If I knew how much I was going to like it I'd probably paid the extra $100 for the 830's nicer adornments. But for $200 the 800 series is equally as impressive. Great video, thanks.
Congrats!
I really like Yamaha acoustics and have owned many since my first FG180 I bought in 1969. The L-series in particular are truly impressive.
Thanks for a good demonstration, I have been thinking about buying this model and now I'm going to order it locally. 😊
The back and sides are laminate rosewood not solid. Still a great guitar for the price with a solid Sitka spruce top. Good beginner guitar.
Yes you’re right I misread the specs. Fantastic guitar either way!
LAMINATED THE BACK AND SIDES WITH 2 PIECES OF ROSEWOOD the LAMINATED WOOD GIVES IN CERTAIN CLIMATES RATHER THAN CRACK LIKE SOLID WOODS...ON A LOT OF MAKES TAYLOR GUITARS ARE LIKE THAT....
I bought a walden D800e all solid and this Yamaha, and I played three chords and returned the walden and kept the Yamaha, the matter of solid or laminated guitars, influences the price more than anything.
I bought the Fg830 in tobacco sunburst. Great guitar and I only paid 265 bc it was a demo from sweetwater. Killer deal.
Congrats!
Nice review. I bought the FG730s years ago and it's almost the same guitar. I did swap the plastic nut, saddle and bridge pins for bone and noticed a nice boost in clarity and brightness on the high notes. I think you'll like the difference if you decide to do the same. It's a fine guitar and even though I have a more expensive Martin now, I still play my Yamaha regularly. Yamaha may be the best value out there.
Thanks I agree 100%!
Do you change the nut and saddle by yourself?How i wish i can do it my own.
Where u got the Bone for saddle and nut??????? And how much.
Probably the most important issue with a saddle is a tight fit maybe more important than the material. Nothing worse than a loose saddle. You should be able to lift the guitar by gripping the saddle with some pliers if necessary and there should be no gaps between the sides ends or the bottom of the slot. If you know how to do a bit of sanding on a flat glass surface you can shape your own saddle or nut. Gerry Rosa has many videos about that. He uses a power sander but you don't need to do that. You can do it by hand if you go slow, use a square guide and check the fit frequently. It should snap tightly into the slot. If the slot isn't cut properly the bridge needs to be replaced. If it is a new guitar it should go back to the vendor to replace the guitar or get a refund. If it is not a new guitar you are facing a big expense to replace the bridge by an experienced luthier.
To anyone who has an 830, I highly recommend you upgrade to a bone nut and saddle if you can. I had a bone nut and saddle installed on my 830 CE and man what a difference that made to the sound of my guitar. It sounded very good before,eabut now it really sounds great. The sound is louder and a little brighter. Once the new strings I also had put on it break in abit, I’ll be interested to see how the sound changes. My guitar sounds great when I play classic country on it.
Sometimes it can vary by guitar and of course if the replacement saddle is even slightly higher than the original then it can appear to sound louder and have more power. I wouldn’t say it’s an instant upgrade to any guitar but it’s good that you like the change on yours.
All I know, is I really like the sound of my gu
Tar. It is so much fun to play. Whatever someone decides, they just need to get an fg 830 for a great gu
Tar
@ I agree with that!
This is about the best sounding demo of the FG830 on utube. The mic makes a huge difference and the player of course. The newly designed scalloped bracing says we should use light or medium strings and I’ve found Martin MSP 4050 custom light phosphor bronze sound great.
Thank you. It’s just a great sounding guitar!
It’s a great sound recording, what mic did you use?@@aaronshortmusic
@@allanblack1645 I think that was the KM 184.
Yes it looks like one, good old Neumann, it’s a pity more people don’t use them when recording guitar demos. @@aaronshortmusic
Just waiting for my FG830 to really open up. Have had mine since the end of May
how does it sound now ?
It sounds fantastic.
I have this guitar, it sounds great and is gorgeous.
I agree! Mine has ‘runout’ where each half is a different color. I’m curious to know if yours has this?
@@aaronshortmusic nope, pretty uniform.
@@glorioskiola You got a good one!
@@aaronshortmusic How does it play, action-out-of-the-box, is it any slimmer / smaller than the average dreadnought? I'm short and and have small hands, so was considering even a Fender CC60sc concert not for its sound, but it's playability, but I know this yamaha is going to be a lot better sounding, maybe higher quality.
Any thoughts from people welcome!
Very tempted as a replacement for my fg800m witch I've loved but now has a huge belly as I live in a hot country with huge humidity...Thanks for sharing good stuff....
I agree %100 Odd hardly anyone speaks of tuning your pick? the final and perhaps the most important... Makes this guitar even better.
Detailed review of the instrument...thank you.
I just ordered a used Yamaha FG830. Can't wait to get it in.
Congrats!
I own a Yamaha FG 830 I love how bright and responsive it is I also changed out the nut and the saddle to Bone also I changed the pins which are also bone I am also in the process of changing out the tuning keys to Grover rotomatics because I want the complete package this guitar sounds better than a $1,000 rival guitar hands down best guitar and quality for the money
Great guitars!
When I was teaching guitar in the 70's the Yamaha was one of the ones I recommended for entry level guitars. It seems they have continued to produce a great guitar for an affordable price. I know I'm a year late to the party. In my defense, I didn't know you even had a channel until we were discussing the PRS Silver Sky SE in chat on another channel a few days ago. Great review. Please consider doing more Entry - Intermediate Level, and more affordable guitar reviews and recommendations.
Thank you! Yes I will be doing more. I have two Harley Benton’s on the way!
I bought FGX830BL over a year a go. Pick up and tuner are great. I changed bridge and nut with bone and restrung with Elixir phosphor bronze 11-52. Now it feels like play a red label FGX5. Compare to my Martin D-13E this Yamaha is louder.
I agree with most of what you are saying here. I am a beginner and bought mine several months ago to learn on. In the past I have played both banjo and mandolin in the bluegrass genre, but haven’t picked up an instrument in 20 years. But, I digress, so back to the FG 830. Firstly, it is NOT solid rosewood back and sides. It is laminate construction. The top IS solid Sitka spruce. You will find out the first time that you change strings that the saddle fits so loosely in the bridge slot that it slops around some and will just fall out. I spent an additional $100 to have a local luthier cut a new saddle and nut from bone and replaced the bridge pins with some new Tusq ones and do a complete set up. It was well worth the money. Yes, it does make a significant difference in both volume and projection of the high end. The bass end doesn’t need any help. It’s just fine the way it is. I left the action just a bit high because it’s pretty easy to overpower the strings when flat picking. You are spot on about the tuners. They tune easily and smoothly and they stay in tune. Very fine adjustment of 1 or 2 cents are easy. Like I said before, I’m a bluegrasser, so I play flatpick style and 12 ga. 80/20 phosphor bronze work best for me with this guitar and set up.
Thanks James! My saddle is tight and I have not yet tried upgrading the nut and saddle. I will definitely try it for research but in all honesty the guitar is just great the way it is. I’d recommend this guitar to any player and not just because it is affordable!
I do have the FG 830 and have been very impressed with it, as well as, the Yamaha line. I did change out the bridge pins, saddle, and nut for bone and Cocabolo and must say it doesn't sound way better but would say it does sound better, to my ears. Another guitar I have is the AMI OOO and for the price, very similar, it sounds absolutely amazing, so you might want to check those out as well. They are a new guitar to the US, but they are out there. I don't work for them, I just have one. I think Yamaha and AMI are the two brands where you get absolutely the most out of your money.
Thank you Terry. I agree!
I agree with your assessment 100%! I bought one of these today, and I'm wondering why I waited for so long. I too immediately changed out the strings to Elixirs (12-53) and next I want to lower the action at the 12th fret and the nut, as I always do. I'll most likely play it for a little bit (a few weeks) and then put it away in a gig bag for a few months and allow that wood to adjust to some humidity. I find that guitars always get better with age and a little humidity. A couple other acoustics of mine are several years old (now) and sound so much better than they did when I bought them. One Must take care of his/her wood!
Great video!
Congrats!
@@aaronshortmusic I already dropped the strings at the Nut but everything else was spot-on (tighten the truss just 1/8th turn). The feel is so much better. Now - it's just a matter of humidifying it for a little while. Who knows how long, if ever, guitars experience the humidity that they require?!?
Off to PMT in Newcastle tomorrow to demo one and hopefully take it home.
Nice review 👌
Excellent. Let us know if you buy it!
Nice job.Just purchased it.Fg 830.1week to delivery.
Thank you and congrats!
I bought it! Great sound! Really Projects! I honestly believe it projects more loudly that my old Martin D-28.
Congrats!
Bought the FG800J since I prefer the black binding vs. white and it's made in Indonesia vs. China for the 830. Not to mention $130 cheaper. Sound quality was very comparable when I tried them both in the store.
Holy Tommy Shelby! Great review.
gonna get one because of your review..
You won’t regret it!
Thanks for the vid bro I’ll pull the trigger and get this
Just ordered one of these from Thomann, after an Exhaustive search for an Upgrade on my Fender CD140
the Yamaha FG820, is on the way, the Solid Top, Rosewood back and sides, build quality, and finish, swayed the choice
serious consideration was given to the Cort Earth200 with Torrefied top, Ebony fretboard/Bridge, but the open Pore
silk finish, put me off. I prefer the Polished High Gloss Finish, on the FG820
Congrats!
I've owned an FG830, and thought the new Yamaha FG3 would probably be an upgrade. So I ordered the FG3, but sent it back because the FG830 sounded and played better. Then I purchased an FS830, and its very nice, too. Now I have a set.
Wow that's crazy. So many people will convince themselves that the more expensive models are better. I disagree. The fg800 sounded much better than very expensive Martin's and Gibson's I played. By a long shot. I'm not loyal to brands of price tags. I'm loyal to my ears and soul. I'm getting an FG 830 and treat it like a $3000 guitar because that's how it plays and sounds.
Just had a trust rod tweak done and sound and plays fantastic.
Excellent!
Excellent detailed review 👍
Thanks!
I have a Yamaha 735s FG and love it.
I’m new at this. So, I don’t know if it is me or my FG830. Maybe it is the combination of both. Here is the problem.
When I lift my finger off the string that I just played, it rings out another note like an echo! It is so much more obvious and pronounced on the low notes like the E, A, D strings, and still there, but not as much annoying and loud on the high strings.
From time to time, we have high humidity in this state, but nothing over the top! My hands are not wet or sweaty! They are dry and clean. When I got this Yamaha FG830, I was told that it was a low action guitar. And I just measured the string height on the high and the low E at the 12th fret. From what I can see, the high “e” is at .090 (2.25 millimeter) and the low “E” is at .120 (3 millimeter).
Is the problem I’m having normal? Does it happen to every acoustic guitar and you solve this problem by palm-muting as soon as you lift your finger off the string?
It would be easier to diagnose this if you had a video of it but yes strings do ring out and you should use your right hand to help control that.
Sounds really good. Looks great too.
I just bought the blacked out version.......I couldn't be happier! Yamaha kicks ass
Congrats!
They make great guitars!
I have this guitar and and it not only plays well it sounds great and looks good
I agree!
Hello Aaron!
Thanks for your video. Unfortunantly I discover it after I purchaise my F830 and it's 450 euros here in Ireland now days.
I just wish to say - this is lovely guitar. I'm a beginner player and had few guitars in the past around 150-200 euros such as Epiphone and Fender and to be honest it's hard to compare them with F830.
Aaron is 100 right, F830 is wonderful guitar under 500 euro and if you starting to learn guitar and take it sereious, please don't waste your money on low budget guitars and go straight to F830 - you will be enjoyed and love this guitar.
Once again thank you Mister for your kind and honest words about this good beginners mucisian instrument.
Excellent comments, I'm a long time guitarist, played almost all the major brands ,an' Yes I couldn't agree more, value for money, Absolutely,right up there 😅
Not F830, it’s FG830 and not FS830.
I’d love to see an upgrade vid!
Great review, man.
Thanks Nick!
Hey man, I'd love to see a bone/TUSQ upgrade on this specific guitar! I had a FS700, and it lasted a long five years before I cracked the headstock on it on a road trip :( considering getting this model as an upgrade. I'm not a beginner but I love the sound of Yamaha for the price. Really solid deals.
Thanks. I will try a bone saddle and new bridge pins to see if it makes a difference...
@@aaronshortmusic It does already sound fantastic, I'm curious as to what that upgrade would sound like
SlypDisc I’ll add it to my list!
great review.. thanks...
Very good video, a question, the back and sides of the different models being laminate does it really make any difference what the finale layer of laminate is? after all laminate is just laminate, I would have thought apart from looking 'different' it would not really make any difference.
They say that everything makes a difference with an acoustic but I would think it is minimal.
@@aaronshortmusic I think it's all in the mind, if it was solid woods I am sure that there would be a diffence, but like I said laminate is just laminate. I think many people 'hear with their eyes'.
@@ronvonryan I’ve owned both the FG800 (Nato back and sides) and the FG830. And while the difference between laminate woods is much less distinct than solid, I did detect a noticeable difference between the two. The 800 had a drier, more earthy sound to my ears. The 830 seems crisper and rings better. Tone is such a subjective thing, it’s hard to quantify it, but that was my experience. I MUCH prefer the 830.
Beautiful playing on beautiful Guitar...
Thank you!
2:23 are you sure it's solid wood? I thought it was laminated rosewood??
Read the description. Cheers!
@@aaronshortmusic gotcha !
@@aaronshortmusic you should try the 820, you'd love it!
@@catnapgee5357 What is the difference?
@@aaronshortmusic The only difference is the back and sides is mahogany, but the tone is more balanced and articulate. it's down to taste. I also have a rosewood back and sides and the sound is more low end, high end and sustain with a bit less in the mids, with the 820, the mids are more "pushed out" and in balance with the lows and highs. Always worth having both in my opinion.
I dont think you can beat this guitar for looks, playability, and cost… get a $75 case if you wanna take it out and about and you are set! I play this more than my high dollar guitars.. love it!
I agree. It’s REALLY good!
I have this guitar. Great guitar
I love Yamaha acoustic guitars, and I own 2 of them. But I don't think the back and sides for FG830 are solid though...
Alan Puah Thanks Alan. The website says “Rich overtones and improved sustain, thanks to the rosewood back and sides, deliver improved sound through greater depth.” - However, if it is laminate then it’s even more impressive that it sounds so good...
@@aaronshortmusic Back and side are laminate but not all laminate are saw dust and glue. Taylor and Seagull do the layered approach. Maybe that is the case with Yamaha as well.
Chris Shawn It May explain why I felt the guitar is a little ‘tight’ but honestly it just sounds so good. This guitar has made me realize that specs do not mean much.
Yeah solid spruce front but laminated rosewood sides and back. At the $300 price range it is to be expected. Yamaha makes solid side and rear guitar but they are closer to $1000
Ja Lee It sounds amazing anyway but it may have been why I felt it was a little ‘tight sounding’.
What would be a reasonable pickup and DI for gigging with this? I guess spending $2-300 would be reasonable given guitar price.
I would suggest the Anthem SL.
Have one on the way 🙂
Awesome!
Great demo btw
Thank you!
100% agree on this!
I have the FG-TA (with built-in reverb and chorus), and love it like crazy! Beautiful balance and playability. Its equivalent without electronics is the FG820. That model has mahogany back and sides (laminated). In this model, I prefer the mahogany over the rosewood version you showed. By the way, you stated the back and sides are solid rosewood. I don’t think that’s the case.
Those Transacoustic guitars are very cool!
why do you prefer mahogany over rosewood? i have the fg 800 and i think mahogany is warmer
@@RobertoCichetti I also like the warmth of the mahogony better. Especially in smaller-bodied guitars or guitars with less resonant back and sides due to veneer over stiffer, cheaper wood, rosewood tends to add to their overall harshness. That’s different on, say, a full-sized, solid-wood Martin D-35 with rosewood. (I know because I have one.) Then it’s all about projection and punch.
I wish they would put a bone or tusq. nut saddle and pins on this guitar in its stock form. To get a bone nut and saddle. I'd have to buy a FG5 Yamaha which is triple the price but not triple the guitar.. Its ridiculous.
I honestly don’t think it matters all that much. You could buy one from a dealer and ask them to do it before shipping it.
Hi Aaron! Amazing reviews! How does this compares to a Seagull S6?
Thank you! I haven’t tried one yet..
My son just ordered one of these. I have 2 Yamahas a Martin D-18, and an Alverez 12 string. One of my Yamahas is the Mahogany version of this (The FG 820). I love it and some of my songs that I do, I actually prefer my little fg820. My other Yamaha is the LL-Ta. So as you can see, It has some serious boxes it must hang out with. It has some limits but that is no fault of guitar. All guitars have some things they do better. Even my d-18 (because of it's shear volume) has some things that don't do as good as the yammie. When I need less volume and a little less separation of single notes....these do the trick! I can't wait till my son visits from Florida and brings his 830 with him so we can do some side by side. Great review on guitar except that back and sides are NOT solid...they are laminated.
They got me! I learned from making this review that when companies list the back and sides as 'Rosewood' they just leaving out the word 'Solid'!
May I ask between the fg830 and 820 which do you prefer and why?
@@HasNiHassaan Just depends. I prefer the punch of mahogany. The 820 has a bit more on the treble end than the 830 and it also seems more direct where as the 830 sort of surrounds you
both strings sound great!
Strings?
My FG830 really has opened up in 5 months
That’s good to know. Thanks Larry!
18 months in it is even more broken in
Bought mine in 2016. Up until now, I am still happy with my purchase. Would you recommend putting a pickup like lr baggs anthem?
That’s great! I didn’t try a pickup in mine but I would definitely try the Baggs Anthem SL.
I have an FG830! Here is my honest opinion about it after I had it long enough and recently had a chance to try out some of the Taylor guitars.
To me, it doesn't matter how good or awesome the guitar sounds if it is just not "playable" because it's very "stiff" even though it supposedly has a low action. When you own a guitar, you want to have the feeling like "you don't want to put it down" because the guitar has such an amazing playability that it is such a joy and a pleasure to play it.
The biggest roadblock that held me back and sabotaged my progress every step of the way was the guitar I was recommended to buy at my local guitar shop. At first, I didn’t understand and know enough about guitars to realize the guitar I bought (Yamaha FG830) was “extremely stiff”. It was so stiff that it would be a better fit for a door stopper than an acoustic guitar! Don't get me wrong! It sounded impressively good when you hit the strings, but that was about it.
When I was a bit more experienced, after about a year, I immediately felt the difference when I picked up other guitars like Taylor GS Mini-e Koa Plus or the Taylor American Dream series. I was absolutely blown away how easy and how "playable" and how much pleasure it was to practice with the GS Mini or the American Dream, not to mention that the GS Mini Koa Plus sounded impressively "BIG" for its size. Wow! In every sense, the American Dream fit me like a glove. I didn’t want to put any of them down whereas I couldn't practice with my Yamaha longer than 5 minutes at a time. Yes, Taylor is a lot more expensive than Yamaha, but it's worth the price! If I had to do it all over again, my very first guitar would be a Taylor without a doubt. As for as playability is concerned, it just doesn't get any better than a Taylor.
And also, it was a big mistake “for me” to get a big size (dreadnought) guitar as a beginner because it has a longer neck and the frets are a bit more spaced out due to the neck size being longer. And it is just bulky and big to grab it and play wherever I happen to be in the house! For a beginner, the finger dexterity, finger coordination and independence, stretching out fingers apart from one another to hold down a string, jumping over a fret or two are already challenging without the extra challenge the longer neck throws your way. No beginner should be persuaded to buy a dreadnought guitar by his local guitar shop sales pitch-er(!) simply because the dreadnought sounds louder! As a beginner, you're not going to give concerts at Madison Square Garden! You don't need a booming loud guitar! Get yourself something more comfortable (a couch guitar!) where it's both convenient and comfortable to grab it and play wherever you happen to be in the house.
Very real and down to earth honest opinion.....my Yamaha took about 20 yrs to sound ,like more o less hoy I want it.....I replaced the strings to Addario s. File the saddle and Nut. Oil lemon helps a lot. Plus TLC on the wood surface w Polish Cleaner and a Microfiber Cloth. All this for the Love of Yamaha Guitars.
Proud owner of the FG 830 !
Congrats David. What a great guitar!
@@aaronshortmusic yes it sure is! :)
I'm not sure if FS is better for fingerstyle, which also looks a little nicer to me. If that is not the case, then I would just lose what FG provides. Supposedly the neck is too narrow for fingerstyle anyway
FS is smaller and may be more comfortable for some. The nut width doesn’t mean it’s not suitable for fingerstyle. It doesn’t stop John Mayer!
Sounds great
Thanks I agree.
Mine is an
A M A Z I N G guitar.
I like and play it more than my Martin! 🎶🎸
Which Martin do you have?
Thinking of getting this one, my uncle has this same one, but it is brown
Yes they also make a sunburst version.
Yes, actually I was talking about the tobacco sunburst
You kinda look a little bit like Simon Le Bon from Duran Duran.
@ Thanks you just made my day!
@@aaronshortmusic I actually just started learning acoustic guitar, I take private lessons, I just finished learning chords and I am now learning Turn It On Again by Phil Collins (Genesis)
How does it play, action-out-of-the-box, is it any slimmer / smaller than the average dreadnought? I'm short and and have small hands, so was considering even a Fender CC60sc concert not for its sound, but it's playability, but I know this yamaha is going to be a lot better sounding, maybe higher quality.
Any thoughts from people welcome!
It plays great out of the box (this can always vary). It’s a regular sized dreadnought with a narrow nut. Yamaha do make smaller body guitars as well in this price range.
I haul lots of water for Yamaha FG series guitars. Can't go wrong with any of them. I've owned 2 FG800's and 1 FG830, (Son still owns his 830,)
Used my 830 for trade up equity for a Martin dreadnoght. Otherwise I'd still own it I play in the Bluegrass genre. And both the 800 or 830 hold
their own against Martins, Collings etc at BG club jam sessions. What I like about these models is their consistency in tone. Both of the 800's I
have owned have owned and the 2 FG830's (mine and my sons) also have similarity and consistency. Even with Martins, you may get an unlike
sound between 2 of them.
Yes the 830 series is seriously good.
Will you ever do a review on a Mitchell TC 311 acoustic electric guitar
Only if they sponsor it. I’m happy to recommend the Yamahas in that price category for now.
Thank you for responding, I didn't know how that works. Really appreciate your live streams and reviews of guitars. It helps me to understand the sound variance that each individual guitar has, from carbon to laminate to solid and vintage.
Nice job on your video.
Thanks Dave. Hope to see you one of these days!
Hello mate when were can I find one of these for around 280-300£
Hi I’m not sure as I’m in the UK. I would try Andertons.
Do you know what specific strings come on these? I've heard they are D'addario's .012-.053 but don't know this for sure plus what specific type. Do you happen to know?
Hey where is it made ? I have the F335 and it's made in Indonesia.
Yes Aaron, Iv'e been playing for a while here in NZ, Yes, value for money, they are simply Awesome, they match up to my Martin ( almost !! ) good instruction on Strings, an' Yes a Bone nut and saddĺe WILL improve it to Fantastic (just a little better) Great Video 😊😂 and I own 1, a Local Luthier says " YAMAHA'S go the distance, these other S/Tops in 5,6 od years don't always do that," Yamaha and Martin go the distance " ...wow, thanks again
I don't know how they're priced for you locally but for any canadian the best would be the seagull S6 (available in spruce or cedar top)
They come with some extra goodies(tusq nut/saddle) which is typically only found on more expensive guitars. But the yamaha FG/FS series is a definite #2
Thanks Marc. I just took a look and they are $450 and have a Cedar top (I prefer Sitka for my playing style). I will definitely check them out when I can though. The Yamaha is now my benchmark but I have an open mind!
@@aaronshortmusic the spruce top can be hard to find but easy to order. The cedar top works really well for finger-style/finger-picking and light to medium/hard strumming but does start to compress when strummed really hard. Also note the original S6 model has a wide 1.8" nut which may be difficult to play for beginners but they do offer a slim version. But the string spacing on the 1.8" nut is great for fingerstyle players though.
Note: I have 3 yamaha's (FS800/FG800/FS850) love them all and I agree they're hard to beat for the price! The seagull is a more expensive but a really quality instrument, they're slowly gaining attention and i'm sure they'll soon be going up in price!
Robert Godin (owner/founder) owns land/sawmill and grows his own Trees up here in Canada which helps significantly reduce the cost.
He also makes: Godin, Simon & Patrick, Norman, Seagull, Art & Lutherie, La Patrie.
All their instruments are made in Canada/USA, Here's a great video(little history, design, models etc): ua-cam.com/video/tsTBA_yj0SE/v-deo.html
Marc Gallant Thanks for sharing. I will try to review one at some point!
@@aaronshortmusic NP :).... On a side note probably their biggest sleeper guitar is from their sister brand "Simon & Patrick" check out their "woodland pro" series, an all solid wood(spruce) series guitar for only $100 more than the seagull S6.
I’m thinking to get the FSX830C or the AC3R..
They are also great value guitars.
AC3R just insane guitar! Best I ever tried!
Hey Aaron! Finally got my hands on one of these today and it's an amazing guitar! My question is, is it worth upgrading to a TUSQ nut for $160, or use that money to get a better acoustic at the combined value of 500$ instead? I tried others but I kept coming back to the stock fg830. All thoughts are appreciated!
I haven’t tried it yet. You know what I just think it’s a great guitar. If you like it then buy it. Of course if you can afford more then go for the Red Label or start looking at other brands as well. You can experiment with the hardware later on.
You're the man. Thank you for being so responsive and I love all your videos. As a newer guitarist you can't imagine the value your videos are providing! Thanks again. I'm pulling the trigger on this one!
Wait. You said upgrade to a TUSQ nut for $160?! That doesn’t seem right. I’m glad my videos are helpful. Let me know if there’s anything you would like me to talk about in the future.
Aaron Short Music Yea, that's what popped up on Sweetwater at checkout, does include a custom setup though. I opted out of the Nut upgrade but did add the $60 custom setup, fixed bridge option. I don't know much about modifying guitars so I figured I'd let the experts help me out. Whether it helps or not will be seen lol. Coming Wednesday, can't wait!
Jim Sin Sweetwater prices are very competitive and they have the best service but I’m not sure the nut is worth it. I would experiment with the saddle and bridge pins first.
Hi sir.what size of string gauge for this to reach its max potential .also the brand?What oil can you recommend for fretboard for this guitar?thnk u
Hi Aaron, do you suggest FG800 or FG830 for a beginner? any pros and cons of one over the other model?. Also, I'm able to find a 800 on the official store but could NOT find 830 online, even in the entire world. wondering why, may be too demand or the model is not being sold anymore in 2021??
I’m sure they are both great but I have only played the 830. I’m sure the stock is low right now, maybe reach out to Yamaha to ask what the ETA is.
Full stack go on ebay 253.00$ 12.50 shipping
@@ralphrotten thanks for reply. I bought FG830 Natural 3 months ago. ;)
@@fullstackspiderman Your welcome..
I’m real tempted to get this guitar. I’m also interested in the Alvarez AD60 which is very similar except the Alvarez has laminated mahogany back and sides. It would be interesting to hear a comparison between the two! They both sell for about $319
Hi Liam. I’d be happy to compare them if I had one but I don’t have any hesitation in recommending the Yamaha to you!
@@aaronshortmusic Thanks! I find these guitars so similar I’m surprised nobody on UA-cam has done a comparison video. Knowing myself, I’ll probably end up with both!
@@Amadeus1066 haha that’s always the best solution!!
Ooops 2:24 No solid rosewood.
See the video description.
@@aaronshortmusic Thanks for making my point for me. It makes a difference... The whole point of acoustic is the acoustics.
@@InterestingWorldLove Can we really expect all solid woods for $300? And does it matter if the guitar sounds good?
Whats your action measurement please let me know. Mine is too high and hard to play. Help me to adjust it.
I don’t have it anymore but you just have to sand down the saddle a tiny amount and make sure the truss rod is straight.
Yeah, I played one yesterday at GC.To my surprise, it sounds and plays wonderfully. I own five acoustics. Taylor, Guild, Ovation, Epiphone, and an old Japanese manufactured Dorado dreadnought. I really don't need this guitar, but I would love to own it. It is that good!
Thanks, it really is so impressive.
It doesn't have solid Rosewood back and sides, only a solid Spruce top.
Thank you for letting me know.
I would have never thought of getting a Yamaha, but this isn’t bad, :)
I’m so impressed. Amazing value.
Yamaha makes excellent musical instruments. All musical instruments made by Yamaha you can expect it is typically going to be of awesome quality.
@@jalee6587 Everything. They've always been a top notch company. My aunt still has her 1960's Yamaha classical. The damn thing stayed in tune for the 5 years she didn't play it. I have a Yamaha electric piano YDP-223 and it's amazing. I just bought a c40 classical. All I had to do was polish the frets. Again amazing for 150.
for beginner to intermediate player what strings you recommend,I dont like D'addario 12's when I changed them recently .Iam struggling to press the strings.,with high action.Is custom lights better?
Hi Raj! 11’s are a great option. They are much easier to play but still sound good to me. I like Elixir and Martin. Note that the Elixir have slightly more tension than some other strings. 11 gauge Elixir may work great for you!
I wondered how this guitar compare with the Harley Benton CLD-41?
Great question. I would love to compare more guitars in this price range.
I start by apologizing for my English (I'm using the translator)😁. I just bought this guitar and I love its sound but I have a hard time playing it, I feel the strings are too hard, I'm a beginner, can you tell me if I need to change the strings to make it softer? if so, which ones? Thanks in advance
Hi Simone, the first thing that I would do is to take the guitar to a good guitar tech and ask them to heck the action of the guitar. If they set it correctly and it is still too hard to play then you can ask them to take the string gauge from 12's to 11's. I hope that helps!
What's the tune you're strumming in the outro?
Hi Jason. I’m not sure, I just make chord progressions up for the reviews.
What do you recommend between FG830 and Epiphone Dove pro? In terms of sound and playability.
I have not played the Epiphone yet but the FG 830 is one of the most impressive guitars I have played lately. If you need a pickup you could add the Baggs Anthem SL later on...
@@aaronshortmusic thanks for your reply. i will be going for 830 then. how is the concert size for this guitar?