Yamaha FG820 Solid Top Acoustic Guitar, Natural, Dreadnought

I couldn't be happier with my new FG820 guitar. I'm not an accomplished player-- sort of an intermediate-- but I know my way around acoustic guitars a bit. I'm not wealthy and it would be silly to consider a $2,000 guitar, and besides I'm admittedly not such a serious player. I play for the enjoyment, and in hopes of getting better and better. This guitar is exactly right for someone like me. It just arrived, and I inspected it, wiped it down, tuned it, and played it. There are two very minor blemishes in the finish that aren't at all critical; one is a slight wave in the lacquer finish on the top, the other is a tiny dent. The action right out of the box is excellent. No string buzz or any other troubles with the factory setup, but very easy to apply bar chords to, and a nice light touch with the rather light strings. "But what about the sound?", you ask. Very bright, capable of real loudness, beautiful sustain and projection, very balanced throughout the frequency range-- as everyone has already said. For $300, my goodness! This does not sound like an inexpensive guitar. Being mostly mahogany, the guitar is surprisingly light in weight, but I'm accustomed to heavier woods like rosewood and I know it's no reflection on quality. The mahogany back and sides, though laminate, are just gorgeous, and the neck is a very comfortable size and cross section, finished in a matte treatment for good grip. I love the ivory-colored binding and mother-of-pearl Yamaha emblem on the headstock. If you're like me and aren't a professional musician, but appreciate great value and craftsmanship in a beautiful acoustic guitar, I highly recommend this Yamaha FG820. It would be a great starter guitar or for refining your skills, since its playability is so good. For a bit over $300. Amazing.

As others have said, this is an amazing guitar for the price. I got the FG-820 (mahogany laminate b&s). Its well put together, the QC seems good. I've had it only 2 weeks though. I lowered the action a bit and added a bone saddle. It still sounded great before that, and I haven't tested enough to see if it sound better with the bone or original saddle yet. The tone is very nice, notes are clear, volume is good, great balance for a big-size guitar. One gripe, the guitar came shipped in a small cardboard box wrapped only in a bit of plastic wrap, ie hardly any padding. But I guess it was sufficient because the guitar came in excellent condition. I wanted a beater guitar to take camping, the beach, maybe travel, play it around my mischevious toddler, let her strum/abuse it a little. At $260, its great for that. But now I don't want to abuse it, as it is a nice guitar and doesn't deserve that abuse! I have a Taylor 314ce. Its 4x the price. But the tone of that Taylor is only about 10% better (due to its richness). Also this 820 has somewhat better volume and bass. The Taylor is obviously a higher quality guitar but I'm seriously considering getting rid of it just to make more space for a rosewood body guitar. For my needs the tone of the 820 is "good enough" to replace that particular Taylor. I'm very glad I bought this guitar. Its a good guitar that I can take anywhere and gives me flexibility and convenience because its not a "precious" guitar like Martin, Taylor, etc. Also these Yamaha FG guitars are closer in sound to a Taylor than to a Martin. I did end up returning it though, but because it has a 1-11/16" nut, while I decided I needed 1.75" as my other 2-3 guitars were 1.75" and wanted switching between them to be completely seamless.

Can't go wrong with a Yamaha, and this FS850 is a beautiful edition to the F line. I also have an FG820 I alternate play with (the FG820 is the one I got on Amazon Warehouse with a tiny scratch for $100 less - great deal). I am slightly larger than average, with med-large hands (5 11). I can play either guitar easily. If I'm in my study, I play the FG - its is a bit louder and slightly easier to finger pick, and also has more mid range; its good to play in my office chair. I replaced the bridge and pins on the FG with bone (on AMZ for under $15), and it brightened the sound a bit. I also sanded the bone bridge down a little more to lower the "action" (how far you need to press down on the string to make a note). I liked it so much I picked up the FS850. The FS850 is easier to reach over to strum when on the couch, looks great, and has a warm sound which I would say is smoother and more mellow - it doesn't have the pronounced twang the FG820 can have when doing individual notes; the all mahogany body cuts the edges. I love the finish on the FS850, and must say it FS looks much better than my blue FG. The FG might be easier for a beginner to isolate notes and finger positioning, although smaller hands would like the FS. Both are great and a bargain for the price, but the 820 (or even 800 I imagine) is fine if you are on a budget...

Obviously not the best sounding guitar I have tried, but it was a good backup guitar. It would have been a great beginner guitar. Sound is loud, though the neck was too sticky due to coating for me to move my hands around freely.

I am no way an expert on playing guitar but I have guitars from the past that are not really good, they hurt my fingers, sound awful, always out of tune so I ended not playing. Now that I can afford a better one, I decided to buy a yamaha based on youtube reviews. I believe I got this black version for $190 used like new. Right at the first time of tuning it, I immediately realized how bad my previous guitars were. Then I have a friend one time who came ro our house and played my guitar. He couldn’t believe how much I paid for it that he have look in amazon for himself. I told him I changed the bridge pins to brass and the sadle to a real bone which I also got from amazon. He said it sounds better than his martin.

Excellent guitar! Sounds great and stays in tune.

Just received the FG820 today and blown away. The tone is loud, rich and has great bass. I was using a Rogue and the Yamaha blows it away right out of the box. The first strum of the G chord brought a smile to my face. The guitar is also beautiful looking and very well made. I love the way the neck feels which allows your hand to slide up and down without getting hung up. I also own Yamaha drums which are constructed with the same care and quality. This guitar sounds and looks like a much more expensive instrument. Don't let the price fool you.

I bought this guitar for my husband as a Christmas present after doing A LOT of research. It is FANTASTIC! Great sound!! My hubby is very picky when it comes to his guitars and I didn't want to get something that didn't meet his expectations and needs. I was pleasantly surprised to find this quality in an affordable guitar. When my hubby played it for the first time he was elated! He enjoys it greatly and plays it all the time. It is his go to guitar now. Don't settle for a cheaper version. This guitar is worth the price and plays like a dream!

I just like it . Value for the money is reasonable . beginners or professionals alike will surely like it. Intonation stays long and hopefully stays as it is just as long as it is being taken care of . From action comes playability which any guitar player will enjoy .

I like the sunburst colour, it goes well in my living room

This is a great guitar, especially at this price. I love the bass string especially. If you are in the market for a guitar, don't miss this one.

I received the guitar this morning. I wanted a decent guitar without any electronics and a more natural sound.It is very bright, easy to play, and has a warm and full sound. I owned an FG180 back in the 1980s or so, and I realised this was what I had been missing. The bright and beautiful sound of a Yamaha guitar. I can hear the love in this guitar. I wanted the sunset blue colour, and I am pleased with the look. I have a similarly coloured electric guitar, keeping with the theme. I recommend this guitar to beginners and enthusiasts of all experiences. It does not disappoint, and Yamaha is a great and successful brand for a good reason. I am very pleased with this FG 820.

Impeccable, aucune égratignure , livrée tel quelle