YAMAHA FGX830C Solid Top Cutaway Guitar

I chose Yamaha because my older brother along with my other siblings bought me my first guitar. Yamaha has never let me down and I still to this day am amazed at both the sound quality and build for the more budget price you get. I would even argue that Yamahas acoustics sound better than some more premium Taylor. Although I might be a bit biased when I say that I don’t like the sound of Taylor’s in general.
That being said, this guitar in particular is different from my first none electric acoustic. And it’s not just because they put some electric guts in it. My first one is as the FG800. This one is a step not only by making it electric but also because it has laminated rosewood rather than the laminated foewood. The difference in quality is noticeable. It’s still rich and warm but has a brighter clearer crisp sound especially in the mid to highs. I love because I brought this for the purpose of playing on stage, and having a brighter more crisp sound will it come through the lows and with every other instrument that’s plugged in. The only thing that was unusual that I notice was that the control panel takes AA batteries rather than a typical 9v. It’s not a big deal, personally I prefer 9vs because it’s one less battery I have to worry about. The only thing I wonder about though is if two AAs will last longer then one 9v. Who knows. Other then that. I think this is an excellent guitar. Price wise I would nock it down 4 star than 5. It’s will good for the money but I think it’s worth closer to something like 450.00 or 500.00

I don’t want to come across as the end all of end alls, because I’m not. I had however been in the business years ago and played many an acoustic from Martins and Guilds with Brazilian Rosewood sides and backs, to Taylors, etc., being lucky enough to own some and use them in recording. I may not be the best guitarist, but do know my way around enough to spot a value when I see one, and this Yamaha definitely fits the billing. Yamaha has always made decent products and I bought this under that premise. I was surprised however, (maybe I just got lucky), that out of the box, this guitar needed no action to be set up. It was pretty much dead on. Something I couldn’t say about the Taylor I owned, or even the D-55 Guild, (in fairness it was owned by someone else, but the folks in N.J. took great pride in making things more than right!). The sound from this Yamaha is more than satisfying. For the money, it holds its own against Martin D-18’s, Guild D-35, (U.S. made), and many others. The highs are crisp, lows, bellowing and mids smooth. For a Guitar in the mid $300 range, you will more than get your money’s worth, even if you have to have it set up. Good luck.

The best guitar I’ve ever owned! Amazing sound. Sounds so beautiful even if you’re just practicing. I am so in love with it, can’t put it away! Got it to get my classical guitar technique back; all the previous guitars that I’ve had can’t even compare to this one.

I started playing October 2023 and am still at it, and I attribute much of that year 1 success to buying the right beginner guitar – this one. After a month I took it to a luthier for a proper setup which is something recommended for all guitars. I also have a Yamaha FG800 and Fannin acoustic, the sound from the FG830 is so rich, deep and pleasing it blows those away. At year 2 I was going to buy something a little more expensive, really don’t know if I’ll do that now. I would recommend the Amazon basic guitar stand and the Yamaha case to go with it (only if traveling). I’m using D’Addario .012-053 Phosphor Bronze strings, I’ve tried smaller gauge strings but prefer the .012 Light Gauge sound. Only other thing you need starting is the lemon oil for the fret board. Just don’t skip the luthier (not Guitar Center). In summary I think this guitar is the best beginner guitar you can get at the price point and that it sounds great.

I went for the much reduced “Used – acceptable,” and the thing was immaculate. There were quite a few scratches on the cellophane protector to the pick guard!
I have a solid wood Yamaha LS 16, also a wonderful deal from Amazon warehouse, but almost 3 times the price. That one was worth every penny but this one is an amazing deal. I had to do even less to make it sound great and play smooth as butter. A slightly shorter scale length makes this easier on the fingers, and the fingerstyle clarity and comfort see me reaching for this sometimes over the Gibson J 45. Great practice and travel guitar, though if you do want a Boomer, I suggest looking at the FG.