Yamaha Acoustics

GEAR ROUNDUP
october 2016 81
YAMAHA
FG830
£360
The classic spruce/rosewood dread on a budget…
JUMPING
up very
nearly 150
notes, the FG830’s increased price tag
is certainly reflected in its looks – it’s
a much more classy proposition with
its thinly gloss-finished body, deep
chocolate coloration of the rosewood
laminate back and sides, and satin neck
(though less ‘open pore’ in feel than
the FG800M), all topped off with old-
looking, cream-coloured edge binding.
There’s a little abalone bling in the
soundhole décor and headstock motifs,
too. Like the FG800M it’s near-perfect
in execution – inside and out – and if
asked the retail price, we’d undoubtedly
suggest a substantially higher figure…
and that’s before we play a note.
Perceived thought says that solid
rosewood back and sides, compared to
mahogany, should create a little more
definition sound-wise and although the
laminate construction here will narrow
the differences, we certainly hear some
of that: there’s more sparkle added over
the roomy dreadnought character of
the FG800M. That smoother neck finish
does tell your hand it’s a more upmarket
proposition even though the shaping
is near-identical and again comparing
the FG830 with a much more expensive
USA solid wood spruce/rosewood
dread (a new Taylor 410) we’re hearing
a guitar that on all levels, not least
sound, punches way above its price.
Okay, we don’t get a case or gigbag
in the deal and the cutaway electro ‘X’
versions ramp up the price to £536 but
as a pure acoustic dreadnought this
is one you simply must try whether
you’re just starting out or are a lot more
experienced. With a suggested selling
price of £322 in store it’s dangerously
close to being a real game-changer.
YAMAHA FS850
£398
The FG’s little bro’…
THE
FG monicker apparently,
stands for ‘folk guitar’, but
the FGs are deadnnought-sized, and
if you want an actual ‘folk’-size guitar,
you’ll want this FS – sitting somewhere
between Martin’s 00 and 000 sizes – the
genesis of which seems to date back to
the Yamaha FG1500 of the early 70s.
The FS has a shorter 635mm (25-
inch) scale length, a reduced body width
of 381mm (15-inch) and shallower
depth by about 8mm. It retains the
same width and string-spacing at the
nut as it’s bigger bro’ but – importantly
– reduces the string spacing at the
bridge from 55mm to 50mm. This is
why when you start playing this lil’
chap things feel rather cramped. For
many players a smaller 000-size is the
perfect fingerpicking guitar and many
a more ‘serious’ model has a wider nut
and bridge string spacing. So, here, FS
doesn’t really stand for ‘FingerStyle’: it
more accurately equates to ‘For Student’
or ‘For Small (people)’. Ahem.
But while the new FSs start with the
wallet-friendly FS800 (£268), this one,
along with the FG850 dreadnought,
tops this new range. It’s certainly
classy in style with its solid mahogany
top and wood edge-binding, abalone
soundhole inlay and fine white coach-
line inside its black-bound fingerboard
and headstock; its more compact
dimensions also make for an extremely
comfortable seated player.
Sound-wise the combination of its
reduced size and its hardwood top give
it a slightly narrower sound with a little
less bass oomph and slightly rounded,
almost compressed, highs but it’s not
as ‘bluesy’ or powerful as Martin’s only
slightly smaller-bodied new, all-sapele
Dreadnought Junior.
So while it may well suit younger
players with smaller digits, it’s a very
cool piece for electric players, too: its
more Gibson-like string spacing and
scale feel very familiar – a plectrum
player’s tour de force.
TGR285.gear_round.indd 81 07/09/2016 16:35