Yamaha FG830 Dreadnought - Natural Reviews

I truly don't understand the reviews that are not a full 5 stars. For the money, or even 3 times the money for that matter IMO, this is the best sounding, easiest playing guitar in my collection. Added an LR Baggs Anthem. Pure joy. Crazy good.

Kicks my ass!

Nice guitar, great sound,exceptional craftsmanship.

I bought a Yamaha FS820 several years ago when I forgot to bring my guitar on a New Mexico vacation. I went into a Santa Fe music store and found this little gem on sale. I was so impressed with the sound and looks of the guitar I paid to have it shipped home to me after my vacation and I've played it a lot ever since. So I decided to try another Yamaha of the same series and see if it might be as good. I've had my FG830 now for several months and it's my go-to livingroom/patio/jam session guitar. It sounds very good, better than I could have hoped. Plays well and really looks sharp. I plan to take it everywhere with me this summer, to old time/bluegrass jam sessions, vacations and picnics. It's a lot of guitar for not much money. Solid and well-built, too. I can't believe Yamaha can make a guitar this good at this price. Kudos.

This is my second guitar and it's just beautiful!
It has a great look and sound! You can't go wrong with this guitar!!! I've only been playing for a few months, I also have
An Epiphone guitar which I purchased first and I love them both! Great guitar!!!

This guitar is very nice and has a very large sound. I'm impressed.

All the reviews for this guitar are right! I have had a lot of guitars in my 60 years but haven't had one for the last few years. I wanted to start playing again but couldn't afford to spend a lot right now. Yamaha produced a beautiful guitar for this price!!!
It's beautiful, perfectly set up out of the box, great projection and tone!!! I really can't believe it! Im so happy! And Nich and Sweetwater are exceptional!!! In our day where customer service, quality, and value are all but gone, they rise above! So cool! Thank you Nich and Sweetwater!!! Im already saving for a Yamaha LL-TA next!!!

It really is the best acoustic guitar under $.or I just got lucky.the Yamaha fg 830 I received is without a doubt . THE REAL DEAL.

First let me say that the folks at Sweetwater did an amazing job inspecting and packing this guitar! It arrived flawless! As for the guitar itself I am blown away by how good it sounds. The level of sustain this instrument has is incredible. Fit and finish are very good for an instrument in a his price range. I could not be happier with my purchase. I will definitely be doing business with Sweetwater and Yamaha again!

This Is My 2ND. 830, HAVING GIVING THE 1ST. ONE TO A HIGH SCHOOL FRIEND,FOR HIS BIRTHDAY. THE FG 830 IS A SUPERB INSTRUMENT,FOR THE PRICE. I,VE PLAYED MARTINS THAT DIDN,T HAVE THE RESPONSE OF THE YAMAHA. IF YOU'RE CONSIDERING ON BUYING ONE, THEY ARE NOT A CHEAP MADE GUITAR.KUDOS TO ALL THE SALES ASSOCIATES AT SWEETWATER. ALWAYS A CLASS ACT. AND PLEASURE TO DO BUSINESS WITH!

I've been playing an acoustic guitar for 56 years. I bought an FG380 yesterday. I think it's the best value in an acoustic I've ever seen. I was hanging out in a small guitar store just looking around when a young man handed me the guitar and said this is what you're looking for. I looked at the price and didn't think much about it. I played the guitar for about 3 or 4 minutes and bought it. I have a couple of high end guitars but I cannot lay the Yamaha FG380 down. It sounds great and is very playable. It's simply FABULOUS.

If you are considering this guitar...just buy it. There is a reason that these are consistently one of the highest-rated guitars out there. Yamaha pulled off some voodoo dark art to get a guitar this good for the price tag. The quality of the build punches massively above its weight. Mine needed some slight tweaking on the action but it now sounds like leather-bound books and rich mahogany. Yeah... it's kind of a big deal.

I've had mine for about 2 years at the time of writing this. And man, I'm just as happy with this guitar as I was when I first got it. If you hate the tinny-ness of cheap beginner steel strings, and want a quality sounding and playing instrument worth at least double the price, look no further. (Don't let Yamaha read this!!) The binding is world CLASS quality, it sounds nice and warm with plenty mids and highs. A classic loud dreadnought sound. Very 3D quality, which is also hard to find at this price. The wood they used on this thing is CHOICE rosewood. Best looking rosewood fretboard I've owned. Warmth is a quality I always look for in an acoustic, and to find one that checks that box for less than $1k has always been a struggle. Stays in tune for months at a time when left in its case. And if it breaks, so what? You're out bucks of a guitar that is widely available to replace. I really don't see the point of upgrading from this guitar unless you're willing to spend $ on something with solid back and sides. This is the single best bang for your buck guitar that I've ever come across. Punches well above it's weight class and will be coveted and sought after in about 50 years.


GET'EM WHILE THEY'RE HOT FELLAS

I have been playing for a few years and am able to find my way around on the instrument. Can play about 100 songs pretty well, and can pick up new songs and fun riffs after a few days of practicing - in other words, a non-exceptional, intermediate campfire/party guitarist.

I have the FG830 and the FG5 Red Label. I put the same strings on both (gauge 11-52 D'Addario Phosphor Bronze EJ26) because I like to be able to do string bends without working too hard. To my ear, these two instruments sound and feel the same. I'm sure an expert could distinguish them, but (given my intermediate level), they both serve me just fine. I like them both equally.

I highly recommend the FG830!

It's difficult to choose an acoustic guitar when there are so many quality options. Relied on Brook, my Sales Engineer for direction. He has a great knowledge of guitars and effectively answered my questions. I like the size, quality, price, playability of the FG830. The solid spruce top and flawless rosewood back and sides are perfect. The action, frets, appearance, and tuning are great. The only thing I will change are the strings, plastic nut and saddle. What I like about Sweetwater are the knowledgeable Sales Engineers. Also, they didn't push additional charges on me. When I purchased my very first guitar at a big name local store they tried to add future set-ups and expensive accessories. Seriously, $12 picks for a beginner? This is my second Sweetwater guitar. Already talking to Brook about my next Sweetwater purchase, an electric guitar.

If you like flatpicking and don't have alot of cash, this is your ticket. I also have an A5M and while that sings with the angels, the 830 sits right in with it. There's just something a bit more brutish here. If the A5M is Johnny Cash, the 830 is James Dean. Crystal clear highs, defined powerful bass, and enough mids to keep everything tied together (if you like more mids, get the mahogany 820). Built like a tank. Ever since Yamaha upgraded the scalloping on the internal bracing, this lineup has really blossomed. Small upgrades to the nut and saddle (think Tusq) and you're in the game.

I bought this guitar, my first, almost two years ago because I am a cheapskate. Yes, I said it, a cheapskate. It was an "Open Box" special, which was the reason that I bought it. After almost two years with this guitar, I am blown away. I feel like a blind squirrel that has found an acorn. I just wanted something to pass time with during this pandemic thing. What I got was an epiphany. I have since bought three more guitars in an effort to "upgrade", but only one of them has proven to be an upgrade and it cost me right at $1,000. My FG-830 has the brown burst top that is fantastic. I highly recommend it. It arrived setup in playable condition, but I did change out the nut, saddle and bridge pins and lowered the action. As I said it was playable, it is a dream to play now. It has excellent projection, stays in tune and intonates perfectly, at least to my ears. No, it doesn't sound like a Martin. It sounds like a Yamaha, and it sounds great! Different isn't necessarily better or worse, it's just different. It does have all of the attributes of a Rosewood guitar. Deep woody bass and clear treble. If you are looking for a dreadnaught size guitar on a budget, you won't go wrong here. This one punches way above it's weight class.

My first acoustic in the early 2000s was a Yamaha. I didn't know what "good quality" was then, but I kept playing guitar, and I attribute that to the Yamaha not being a piece of junk. Well, they've only gotten better. I almost feel nauseous due to the realization of all the money I have spent on higher end guitars over the years, when I could have spent $ and been done with it. I've never had a that sounds this good. I don't know what it is, but it breathes an entrancing tone (I drooled while playing this morning). Deep bass that vibrates the chest nicely, sweet highs that ring and sing, and really impressive articulation between notes, yet not dry. In fact, it's lush and harmonic, with divine overtones that almost sound like reverb in the room. It's such a good balance of FULL sound, that I get lost in it. I've never had that with a D-28. They've been good, but never hair-raising magic. In fact, the only guitar I've ever owned that I would MAYBE pick over this in a blind test, would be an all-original 1956 Gibson J45. If it sounds like I'm exaggerating, I'm not. Somehow, this is that good. Mine was only built 4 months ago, so it will only get better with age and I can't wait. I will NEVER sell it. I'm taking it on the road with me to New York City this weekend and want to get it some sunlight, hopefully get inspired to write.

The fit and finish are impeccable, and it looks better than Taylor's and Martin's over double the price. The gloss is beautiful, and not too thick. The weight is surprisingly light and feels expensive (you know what I mean). The rosewood veneer on the bound headstock just send this over the edge and really alleviate any vanity concerns I had with exclusively playing a Yamaha. I've had a few vintage FG models, and now I'm a full-on Yamaha fanboy. I'm going to collect them. I'm saving now for a Red Label FG5, but I doubt it'll be this good. I'll laugh at every Martin I see from here on out.

The only fault I have found with this guitar (and one I completely understand given the price), is the nut slots were too shallow, making the first fret a tad more difficult to barre, but not terribly so. I don't have the files so I'm waiting to have it setup after the holiday, but I'm almost scared to touch it… I don't want to mess up this sound.

I'm officially a Yamaha lifer.

this guitar exceeded my expectations. The quality is fantastic and the playability a tone are incredible. I compared it to my friends Martin D35 and it is every bit as good. I will definitely recommend this guitar.

Seriously, the only guitar in the shop I was able to really compare this to was the d18/d28... nothing else sounded as good... this thing has HUGE bang for your buck.

I was looking for a mid priced acoustic that would not sound cheep and have good action up the neck. The Yamaha FG830 did not disappoint. Excellent sound, playability, and looks.

Great guitar for the money! I couldn't be happier with this guitar and the excellent purchasing process from the people at Sweetwater. Thanks Sweetwater!

I received my Yamaha FG830 last week. It was shipped very quickly. The looks and sound of this guitar exceeded my expectations. It's an absolutely beautiful guitar. All the YouTube videos of it and all the online photos don't do it justice in terms of either looks or sound. It came well packaged. I did put a bone saddle on it and lowered the action. The action was absolutely playable though when I received it. I just lowered it to my preference. I wish Yamaha would go that extra mile and put bone nuts and saddles on these guitars. They deserve better than plastic. I received a call from one of the sale managers from Sweetwater. I appreciated that. They're a great company and have earned my respect. I couldn't be happier with this guitar and I will probably be ordering from Sweetwater again somewhere down the road. If you're looking for an awesome guitar at an affordable price, you don't need to look any further than the Yamaha FG830.

This guitar is really simple and classy looking. It plays amazing, sound amazing and is very resonant and satisfying. It's very bass heavy with clear high notes. I couldn't find any flaws in the finish or anything that really stood out as undesirable. The fret work is really good. This guitar quickly became my favorite guitar and will most likely stay my main go to guitar.

First off, if you read a bad review its a fluke. This thing is one great guitar! The finish is amazing, the sound immense! I made one small adjustment that made it absolutely perfect. I've read reviews where people say the action is a bit high. Not really but I did what I also did with my Martin DM. I took the .012 strings off and replaced them with .011's. What I thought could get better actually did. I had an interesting purchase experience. I was living in Las Vegas temporarily and left the Martin at home to keep it safe. I was going stir crazy so I went to the local music store to poke around. I found the FG830 had great action but I couldn't hear it because of all the metal heads playing different songs at the same time! I bought it on faith regarding the sound and was absolutely amazed when I started to play at home. One of those rare times when it all comes together on chance and turns out awesome! The price from the place I bought it was a bonus! I could not be happier! If you're in need of a great sounding guitar with great action and dynamite looks DO NOT HESITATE! You will not be sorry!

Jon, My sales Mgr.and Friend set me up with the 830. Turned out to be a great playing, and sounding Guitar.
The case I purchased was an excellent choice, I couldn,t be happier. You guys know you businees! Thanks Jon.My over all rating: 100%!_

If you are a beginner and on a budget this is the right guitar for you good quality for the price and the costumer service is beyond the expectations chris was so helpful to me making sure i had the right guitar on my hands i oder monday and was playing by Thursday will definitely recommend sweetwater!!

I am a classical player and wanted to make the jump to steel string. I looked and tested quite a few guitars. From beginning/intermediate Martian/Taylor/Guild and everything in between. I REALLY like the Yamaha Redline and then I was introduced the FG830. It played beautifully for such a modest price. I would easily recommend this guitar to someone who was a beginner or intermediate. My only semi complaint is not really one, it is a Dreadnought size and takes a little getting used to, but I am extremely happy with the nut width. I purchased a demo unit from Sweetwater and it was an extremely good deal, the "dent" is hardly noticeable and I would not even classify it as an error. Would 100% recommend them.

Sounds great and plays easy. As a returning player this guitar fit my needs nicely!

A great deal on a low cost acoustic guitar. Sounds fantastic, and looks like it should cost much more. Very pleased. Clint B from Sweetwater had this guitar in my hands in two days.

I received my FG830 today and I can't be any more pleased with my experience with this transaction. A couple of weeks ago, I bought my son the FG800 from Amazon. I started thinking that I needed a new guitar too using the excuse that I don't have a rosewood one. Son calls and loves his FG800 but also said he was amazed that it wasn't packaged better. Well, back to me now. I noticed the Sweetwater price was exactly the same as the Amazon Prime price - both with free shipping. Well, pricing isn't exactly the same since Amazon (with a distribution center in Texas) has to charge 8.25% sales tax. So now Sweetwater is less.

I called Sweetwater and spoke to a Sales Engineer. He was very nice and I was able to get things I'd never have gotten from Amazon. First, I was able to pick out the exact guitar I wanted from the choice of four. Second, they offered to string it up with my favorite strings as part of the setup. Setup is extra but not available on Amazon. Third, I asked it to be shipped in the case I bought at the same time - No problem. Guitar shows up with no visible damage to the box. Open up the box and sure enough, there's a case inside and the case was also wrapped in it's own protective, albeit cheap, wrapping. Case open and there sits my new guitar - In perfect condition and in perfect tune. It's beautiful and plays like a dream.

I'd have been happy with this guitar even if bought elsewhere but Sweetwater turned it from a purchase to an experience. Thank you,

The Yamaha FG Guitar"s have always been a great value. When my son asked me to bring him a guitar I knew what to look for. This FG830 did not disappoint. Sounds great and plays great. If your looking for a nice guitar at a good price this is it.

Very nice guitar it had become my new Favorite I play it more than my Fender Strat now I just need to buy a case for it

The FG830 is a handsome, well-made, good-sounding, and very playable guitar that's worth far more than they're asking for it.

I bought mine because I wanted a beater to take places where I wouldn't trust my other guitars — Martin, Guild, Ovation — and I got a whole lot more than I expected.

I was hoping to be able to say that it is a great guitar for the price, but I can leave off the end line because it is just a great guitar. Its solid tone wood, nice finish, nice binding even on the neck. Came out of the box nicely set up. Tuned it up and it was ready to play. It sounds really nice and will get better with age. Only thing I may do is upgrade the saddle and nut with bone.
I bought this guitar for my daughter for Christmas and I know it will serve her very well. It sounds on par with my guitars that were way more expensive.
Customer service from Chris was great as usual.

I just started back up again playing guitar, I got cancer and stop playing, I decided to buy a New guitar and was looking at reviews and the Yamaha 830 look really good after awhile I decided to purchase the Yamaha 830 and I'm glad I did, This guitar is Awesome for a budget guitar, I had a 800.00 Ovation and this Yamaha blows it away and I'm not kidding, Thanks to Sweetwater sales people were awesome, Thank you for getting me on my new journey, Love my 830 Yamaha!!!

After extensive research on guitars, I selected the Yamaha FG 830. It had a lower price on eBay than other vendors. When I recieve the item I was amazed it was so nicely packed. This guitar was packaged by Sweetwater Music and shipped by Fed Expr. I'm happy everything went so smoothly. The guitar itself was perfect right out the box. Just minor tuning and that's it. The guitar is loud, crisp and easy to maneuver on the fretboard which is Rosewood (the sides &back are also Rosewood). This makes for good sounding instrument. The new scallop bracing adds dimensions to the sound STYLE. The sound will be better as the wood ages. I don't recommend this to a youth or even anyone who's learning. The fretboard is to difficult to manage.
I absolutely love this guitar and more so, I like SWEETWATER MUSIC who was kind and shipped my PACKAGE via Fed Expr. I was able to track my order which I received in two day. Thanks EBay, Sweetwater Music and Fed Express. Gary Telebar

As an owner for a 47 year old family business, I have come to realize over the years that the only guarantee of sustainability is customer service. Sweetwater gets it! Thanks everyone.

I have a Taylor 310e but this less expensive Yamaha plays just as good and sounds better. I am extremely happy with this guitar.

got the guitar from you all, very please with it. one thing i would surely do is put a bone nut and a bone saddle on it and bone pins also , but over all its a great guitar
m stegall steel guitar player

The FG830 is a really nice guitar. First of all it looks good. Craftsmanship is good and the finish is flawless. Very comfortable neck. The sound is great--good volume, excellent deep tone--sounds good with or without a pick.Couple all of that with Swetwater's excellent service and fast shipping. Guitar was playable right out of the box, only required a minor tuning touch. If you're thinking about this one, do not hesitate. It is a fine instrument.

Bought a Martin D1R in '98 which has been my No.1 guitar ever since, and I own at least a dozen acoustics. I have bought and resold three FG730 guitars and the people love them. I bought the FG830 a few months ago to resell to one of my beginner players, but I only played it 2 or 3 times when I decided this is a KEEPER - it is not for sale. This guitar almost plays by itself - action is great and the sound is WOW. This is now my favorite acoustic - I have played it a lot for 4 months with the original strings and others have asked me if I just put on new strings - it still sounds that good. Now I have to save up for an LR Baggs Lyric pickup for amplified playing.

It's great guitar and sound is amazing smooth and fast playing and beautiful body it right size for me.

Yep 5 stars. Ordered of a Wednesday eve and was playing Saturday morning. For my purposes (at home musician) this guitar is perfect. Arrived tuned and in flawless condition with a very good action(thanks Chandler C. and E.B). Chords ring out with good sustain and there is good single note definition while fingerpicking. I am very pleased with this guitar. This is my first purchase from Sweetwater and I have been impressed with the whole process. Visually select the guitar that appeals to YOU, fast shipping, personalized service (thank you Ryan W.), what's not to like?

This guitar is amazing. I got to borrow a friends 700 series and fell in love with it. Merry Christmas to me I got an 830. My Father has a vintage Gibson that I grew up hearing, and no it doesn't sound like that out of the box but I am sure with more use and maybe some upgraded hardware it would be pretty darn close. The price of it is hard to believe with the way it plays and sounds. I feel quite confident this is an instrument I will be able to pass down to one of my boys eventually if it is cared for properly. Thanks to Sweetwater for continuing the best customer service I've encountered in a long time.

Originally was going to commit to a D-18 or D-28 but with a shaky economy i decided to wait so i picked up an FG830 to hold off for now. Well i must say it lives up to the hype, good build quality, comes close to a D-28 sound wise, key word is close but no cigar only weak point is the machine heads don't stay in tune long, took off half star but don't let that stop you, just change them out and you have a solid acoustic at this price point. Kudos to Sweetwater, always Great Customer, won't buy from anyone else, Special Thanks to Geoff Allen

Really like this guitar. Sounds good, and when setup to fit your style, is easy and fun to play. Feels like it's built to last too. Oh, and it's good looking with it's FG830 appointments.

How they can manufacture this guitar and sell if for this price is a mystery to me. Value for the money is definitely five stars, quality is definitely four stars. Super playable, good-looking, big sound. I bought mine to keep from having to bring a valuable Martin or Guild or (vintage) Ovation to a weekly acoustic session, and I'm frankly blown away.

The Good:
- Fantastic feeling neck (love the satin finish).
- Crisp and rich top end.
- Piano-esque low end.
- Clean fretwork fresh from the factory.
- Rather pretty... guitar.
- Reasonable intonation (comes with a compensated saddle and well-cut nut slots).
- No-name tuners hold fast very well under heavy strumming AND bending.

The Bad:
- Not the cleanest transition from the headstock binding to the neck binding.
- Nut ends aren't the cleanest either even though they don't poke out.
- A small amount of finish-pooling on either side of the neck where it meets the body (right in the seems, however it does not effect how the instrument plays).
- Cheap nut/saddle material (I would have happily paid extra up front for factory-installed TUSQ components).
- Slightly lower action from the factory would be merciful.

Overall, a well put together fiddle... that sounds as good or better than my first acoustic (which happened to be a late 80's FG that sounded glorious). It was torture for me to put this guitar down long enough to write this.

A lovely instrument and a simply stunning acoustic guitar for the price. I'm old enough to remember when a decent guitar, electric or acoustic, cost more than many of us could afford. Luckily for us consumers, that is no longer the case. Nowadays, you can purchase a stellar instrument for a fraction of what you would have paid years ago. The Sitka Spruce top is gorgeous, the rosewood sides and back are deep and rich, the rosewood fingerboard is beautiful, the frets are clean (no rough edges), the tuning machines look great and work smoothly and accurately.
The sound is wonderful. Bass notes boom from the sound hole and the high notes are clear and clean. It stays in tune, even after hard strumming. And finger picking elicits a delightful ring.
Many of us can't afford or justify spending 5 figures on a Martin, Taylor, Gibson or other beautifully crafted but expensive guitar. However, many guitar makers, including Yamaha and Epiphone, now construct wonderful instruments at more affordable prices that nonetheless sound amazingly good, regardless of price.
For instance, the FG830 features binding not only around the body's edges and up the neck but around the headstock as well. This is a classy look that enhances the overall appearance of the guitar.
While I'm not a gigging professional musician, I wouldn't hesitate to play this in public and I can guarantee you most people wouldn't know if it were a Yamaha or a Martin. It's that good.
My only complaint, and it's very minor, is that the action seems a little high. But this can be remedied relatively easy. And it still plays beautifully.
I can't recommend this guitar highly enough to people who want a really terrific acoustic guitar at an excellent price. I'm an unabashed fan of Yamaha products (I own one of their motorcycles and one of their electric guitars.) It is a company committed to quality. You simply cannot go wrong buying the FG830 acoustic. I can't imagine being disappointed by it. You'll love it for years to come.

Classic style high quality, non-electric full size acoustic with a range of beautiful tones way beyond what anyone would expect at this price ! I have 4 other acoustics and when amplification is not necessary, this is my favorite already !! Love this axe !!

My man Luke at Sweetwater suggested I buy this guitar. I have two Martins I love, but I needed a guitar at my mother's house in Ohio to play when I visit. I was going with a cheaper guitar, since I will only be playing it when I visit from Arizona. Luke suggested I move up in price - only talking like $100 - to get this Yamaha. I've trusted Luke for years for all of my music equipment, so I said, "Order it, and send it to mom's house."

Guitar was delivered within two days. This week I got to play it for the first time. Love the look of the guitar. Sharp. Since I'm used to set Martins, I thought the action was a bit too high for me. A local guitar shop owner said the neck was perfect, and no truss rod adjustment was needed. He suggested I sandpaper the nut a bit to lower the action. And...even more important...to change the factory medium strings to light Martin 12-54s. I did both, and the playing is so much easier. Normal for a guitar from the factory to have medium strings and action set higher see the buyer can automize it for their own.

Guitar has a great sound. It's a good choice for the price. I would suggest this guitar for a beginner or second guitar to play and take to Bluegrass festivals, as I am a few days from now.

Thank you, Luke, for the referral!

I have owned lesser guitars and much better guitars. The main takeaway here is that you can spend a lot more to get a lot less. Very loud strummer, sweet tones and solid build. Does not sound boxy or sterile. Limited amount of breaking in since its only a solid top (lam sides) but the laminates probably help with projection. You get the sound of rosewood (scooped mids, deep lows and sweet highs) here for sure, which is impressive. Hard to spend your bucks on entry level Martins or Taylors when this is available.
The FG800 should sound like a mahog version of this but it does not. Yamaha says its the same bracing but had to believe. Go for this one or the maple if you want a brighter sound. The lam aspect of this guitar will help it project and prevent some feedback if you put a pickup in it. Lam back/sides have been good enough for high end Takamines for years.

After unpacking and tuning it up I thought it was just okay. Thought it was much too bright. Figured I'd change the strings but that didn't help. Changed the saddle (which just fell out when I first did a string change) to a bone saddle and then put on a set of john pearse strings and wow. totally different guitar. Overall nice guitar for $...

I'm a hardcore Martin guy (have owned MANY, plus various Taylors, Gibsons, others....) and was attracted to this Yamaha because of the solid top with scalloped braces. I bought it to be a guitar I could take to my grand children's house when we visit rather than worrying about my very expensive Martins. This Yamaha is quite amazing, to say the least! Deep, resonant bass end that you can feel through the back, even overtones that you normally don't find in guitars in this price range, nice even mids and crisp, clear treble, plus plenty of volume. The neck needed a bit of tweaking as I like low action but that was easily done. The neck carve is shallow and comfortable although it may be a bit narrow for someone with wide "guy fingers." Overall fit and finish is superb. In short, this guitar has no right to be as nice at this price point!

Great guitar for someone with small hands as myself. Sounds great. I recommend it.

Great guitar for the money. Beautiful sound and projection. Quality is A+.

Sweetwater is a fantastic group of people to do business with, can highly recommend them!

Can't go wrong for a guitar at this price..... Fantastic.. I've had this guitar for about a month now, and after trying a few others some more expensive... I have to say, this is one great guitar. I did change out the saddle and bridge pins to Graph Tech and it improved the sound about 25% so i will say it was worth it to change them out for a total of about $30 dollars. Nice lows, not too boomy, High notes ring out with nice sustain. The action was a little high when i got it but I adjusted it to my liking, it will need a better setup when it is bought. all in all Sweetwater is a great company and I was happy at the condition of my guitar when I received it. So structural problems at all. Yamaha hit it out of the park on the 800 series, a fine quality affordable guitar that sounds great and even better with a few improvements. I am a happy customer.

Im not sure how this guitar has gotten such rave reviews....This guitar is a beginner guitar...its ok...its got cheap tuning pegs ...therefore it goes out of tune constantly..it buzzes on a lot of frets..and sounds fairly cheap not much tone at all..the action is hard and tight....for a new comer to learn on great...where am i coming from...well .ive had at least 15 guitars..played for 32 years.....and i would NOT want this...in fact within one week I got rid of it...want a good guitar...go into your wallet and get out some cash...

Sadly ..I tried the fg 800..I returned it the neck was un playable..I like the fg 830 ..so I tried it the neck had a bit more polish
On it not much but better ..after a week of playing my hand was totally blistered ..the neck was no better than the fg800
After a while.. terrible ! I returned it… the tuners are not good ..very cheesy cheap stuff… the sound is good ..I like the
Tone .. but you can't play it …the workmanship was good no flaws except for the neck and awful tuners.
It's too bad these could be so much better if they fixed these major flaws trying to skimp . The scalloped braces (a gimmick)
To get you to buy add a bit more punch to the sound but at the expense of the neck being left bare and un playable
And untubeable ..all this reviews of how great these are ..phoney baloney don't be taken in …just unplayable untuneable
I have some older Yamahas much much better..this new breed … I'd pass…