This guitar is top-notch. Plain and simple. This review is being written because I want you to be informed prior to buying any other guitar. With this one, you will be getting a good product for a good price. I did a lot of research on this Yamaha acoustic guitar. There were over 80 reviews. More than 70 people gave this guitar a 5 star rating. I don’t know about you, but that speaks volumes to me. So, let’s get started with some important details about the Yamaha FG700S Acoustic Guitar.
The Yamaha FG700S Acoustic Guitar is considered an affordable entry-level six string guitar. It is a light-brown natural wood color, and has a satin finish. The front or top of the guitar is made from solid Sitka (Sheet’ká) Spruce. I didn’t know anything about this wood so I did some research for both of us!
- Sitka Spruce is an evergreen tree.
- It grows approximately 164 to 230 feet tall.
- It has a trunk diameter of that can be over 16 feet.
- The fourth largest conifer in the world. It is surpassed only by the Giant Sequoia, Coast Redwood and Western Red Cedar.
- It is named for a community in the Alaskan Panhandle, called Sitka.
NOTE: FG, L series, APX/CPX700/900 have tops made from solid Sitka Spruce. This is a good thing. According to the manufacturer, the following Yamaha’s have laminate tops, F series, APX/CPX500. Laminate is typically a thin veneer over a cheaper wood or thin layers glued together. You want to steer away from veneer unless price is the only consideration.
It is accented with black and white binding around the edges of the sound hole and has a handsome brown tortoise pickguard.
The neck, sides and back of the guitar are made from Nato wood which comes from a Mora tree. The Mora tree can be found in Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Surinam and Brazil.
- It typically grows between 100 to 120 feet and has a diameter of just less than 2 to 3 feet.
- Reddish brown is the most common color, but it does vary in shades with lighter vein streaks.
- It is a resilient wood used often for heavy construction, industrial flooring, shipbuilding and even railroad ties.
- The smaller pieces are used for acoustic and electric guitars.
The Finger Board and Bridge are made from Rosewood which is a strong and heavy wood, often brown in color consisting of darker veins. The name comes from the original or ‘true’ rosewood best known as Brazilian Rosewood that has a strong sweet smell, like roses.
It has die-cast tuners, which ultimately means they are forged by a machine with precision. The six tuning pegs are used to tighten or loosen your strings as you tune each string of your guitar to the right key.
This guitar weighs in at about 7 ½ pounds. Shipping weight from Amazon is 28.1 pounds. The dimensions are 43 x 6 x 21 inches.
Special Praise from Users
As I was doing my research for this guitar I was surprised with some of the comments left by new customers. So, I have compiled a list so that you could read what buyers have said. This is only from a handful of customers. And, like I mentioned before, this is a 4-5 (overwhelmingly 5) star guitar that could have listed for a lot more, but I think you get the idea. The bottom-line is that this is a quality guitar for a very reasonable price.
Some reviews:
- “I was amazed at the bright highs and resonant lows.”
- “After 10 months it sounds richer than when I first purchased it.”
- “Well made with a good neck. Great action!”
- “I expected something cheaply made. Not the case. This is a REAL guitar. I highly recommend it.”
- “Simply the best guitar I have ever played.”
- “Resonance is unbelievable; clarity is equivalent to the more expensive $500 to $1,000 guitars.”
- “Good quality at an affordable price.”
- “A beautiful instrument with a great sound!”
Issues
I did not find any significant issues with this guitar. I looked a lot. I’m not kidding; I had to read a lot of reviews to find anything, and even then, it wasn’t substantiated by other buyers. Overall, what may have been an ‘issue’ for one person, was not an ‘issue’ for most. In reviewing instruments I will mention an issue if brought up by two or more buyers. If that number rises higher than 5 for the same issue, I consider it a flaw in the product. By this standard, there were no issues or flaws with this guitar. In other words, you’ll be happy that you bought it.
I’ve included a labeled image of the guitar for those of us who are visual learners.
What will this Exceptional Guitar Cost?
I’m glad you asked! I’ve seen them advertised for $249.99 at various online music stores. I’ve read reviews comparing this Yamaha to an $800 guitar. It is a big winner and will only cost you about $200. That’s right! Amazon has it listed for $199.99!
Amazon also offers this same guitar bundled with a hard case, strap, stand, polish, tuner, strings, picks, string winder and dvd all for the low price of $259.99. That is less expensive than most guitars. Yet, for price and quality this one stands alone.
What’s Included?
You get everything that is in the above image. The guitar is pre-strung. It doesn’t come with a case, but you can purchase a nice guitar case with all the money you saved when you bought this guitar. Or, you can buy the package offered with this guitar for the extra $60.00 (well worth it).
Warranty
Yamaha offers a limited lifetime warranty. Keep your proof of purchase from Amazon. Yamaha will only honor the warranty if purchased from an authorized dealer. Amazon is an authorized dealer.
Final Note
Let me just add that I was really taken in by this guitar after doing all the research. There is a reason the Yamaha FG700S is the #1 selling acoustic guitar.
Enjoy the travels on your musical journey!
~Piano Lesson Girl,
Dakota
