Yamaha Red Label FGX5 - Natural Reviews

This guitar is a solidly made guitar. But I'm returning it for one reason; I really need the cutaway version of this model guitar and realized it after receiving said guitar, I like too go high on the frets in a lot of what I play and being older with arthritis it's more of a challenge for me. The cutaway A5R will work better for me.
Sweetwater is very accommodating and happy to exchange this guitar. I'm impressed with the policy on returns and the sales department.
Now anyone who doesn't have arthritis Should really consider buying this guitar. It has everything you would expect from a more expensive guitar, and you just can't go wrong with Sweetwater.

I admit that I'm biased because I love Yamaha guitars. I have a couple Martins that I love too. But I've always been partial to Yamahas and this is my favorite that I've owned. The neck is extremely comfortable and the guitar sounds amazing. The plugged in tone is the best I've heard from an acoustic electric instrument. I know that Yamahas often don't get the respect that Martins, Taylors and Gibsons do but I believe this guitar holds it own against any of those. I highly recommend it. I buy and trade in a lot of guitars. This one I'm keeping.

As an aside, I highly recommend Martin Retro strings on this guitar. I know strings come down to personal preferences, but I felt I needed to pass along that recommendation.

I just got my Yamaha Red Label FGX5 from Sweetwater. Got the setup also. I have never played a guitar that was so easy, clean and had such a light touch feel before. I hate to say this, but I would rather play this guitar than my Taylor 914 CE. It is that amazing. Chris was there every step of the way and was tremendously helpful.

Jack Powell

I had pretty high expectations when I purchased this guitar, and I was not disappointed. I've been playing since '90 and this is honestly the best guitar I've ever played. It's also a beauty. I love the tone of the sound and the wood. It just feels different. If you're considering this, just do it.

Just recieved this today. I looked at many reviews of this which were almost all 5's. Sweetwater set it up to my specs and did a great job, 5/64 at 12th fret using martin MA535 custom lights 11- 52 and it plays great, maybe to easy for some, but perfect for my 73yr old hands. The sound is like, just like, my friends d18, or maybe better. Thanks Ryan Clapper at Sweetwater.

After about a month I like the guitar even more. I have lowered the action by a bit from the truss rod and changed the strings to D' addario XT's and it made the sound much better to me.

I've been playing guitar since I was 7 and have had the privilege of playing and owning some very nice guitars over the years. This could absolutely hang with any of those guitars if not surpass 90 percent of them. The sound it produces is so balanced and warm, and even right out of the box it was set up pretty well. I'll still be taking it to my local luthier and having it set up because the action is a tiny bit high straight out of the box. Interestingly it is not an insanely loud guitar. The guitar I play the most is a 2009 Taylor 414ce. I guess I thought that because this was a dreadnought it would be louder than my grand auditorium . However, I was pleasantly surprised to see it was a bit quieter. As a singer songwriter who often performs acoustically, sometimes the Taylor can almost be too loud to sing over if I'm really strumming. The Fgx5 seems to accompany my voice really well. I'm a tenor.

Everything feels very high quality compared on the guitar and it arrived quickly and well packaged. It was even in tune coming out of the box.

This is the finest instrument I have ever played. Hyer and Martin, Taylor, etc. pale in comparison. Rocksolid, beautiful, plays like a dream, and makes me sound better than I am. I bought a Bugera a C 60 from Sweetwater and the two together are absolute bliss.
Plugged in, It sounds like an acoustic guitar not plugged in which is what I've always been looking for my entire life.
This guitar is completely amazing because it has a PA so pick up, a microphone and a sensor sheet under the top to pick up the vibration. It's absolutely outstanding, and I couldn't be happier. Buy one and you'll never regret it. Hand to my heart. I should go to bed now, but I'm gonna play it again.

After a long search and trying out many acoustic guitars, this is the one. Sure, I could spend 2-3 times more and probably find one preferable, but you would be hard pressed to find a better guitar at this price. Almost perfect. My sales engineer Jim is great guy and very helpful. Like an old friend I've known for years. Thanks!

My first guitar was a Yamaha FGX800C (great guitar). As I progressed as a player I move to a Taylor 224dlx (another great guitar). I found myself gigging and playing my Yamaha more because of the feel. Well, I decided to use Gear Exchange (the best way to trade your gear in my opinion) and put that credit toward an FGX5 Red Label. I was a little worried if I made the right move until FedEx dropped off this baby. From the first strum I knew I made the right decision. I did have a setup done so I cannot say what it's like out of the box but let me tell you, this is a high end guitar! The neck is so fast and comfortable and the sounds that come from this guitar puts it in a class all its own. Of course people will compare the FGX5 to Martin's D-18 or Gibson's J-45 Think about it, if this is where the conversation gravitates toward what does that say about this guitar? However, I believe this guitar stands on its own. It's not a copy in any way and in some ways, outshines the competition especially in value. Boomy lows, bright where it needs to be, resonant and responsive. If you're reading this trying to decide - Do It! You will not be disappointed!

My first Yamaha acoustic was the FSX5 (the smaller Red Label). I was so impressed with that guitar, I determined I would also get the FGX5. I love the Atmosfeel pickup system and need a pickup so I can use the guitar through a PA system. In case you are considering another Yamaha, I also have the AC5R with the SRT2 pickup system which is also very good, but I much prefer the Atmosfeel system. The FGX5 has amazing tone. You can strum all day or fingerpick - it sounds amazing regardless. The neck is extremely comfortable. I believe the ARE aging process certainly has a positive impact on the sound of the guitar. I paid to have Sweetwater set the guitar up and I would do so again. The setup was perfect. I've purchased several guitars through Sweetwater and Josh Sackett. Impeccable customer service.

Yamaha FGX5 with Atmosfeel electronics. This guitar is incredible. Fit and finish are stellar. The set up out of the box is ideal for me. The tone is throaty and sonorous, but with more focus than my D18. Plenty of volume, but there is a sweetness in the mids and highs that surprised me. The short scale is so helpful for 63 year old arthritic hands. The satin finish is just perfect, and the understated elegance is simply right up my alley. For crying out loud, even the case is awesome. This is my 2nd Yamaha, my first being the FSX3. Once I played that, I knew I'd end up with a Japanese made Yamaha guitar and I am so glad I did. The electronics were just amazing through a church open mic Bose system, and I had several folks ask me about the FGX5. Another gent at the open mic has been a Yamaha fan and owns several of the original red label guitars. He played this one, shook his head and stated " they simply know what they are doing".
Thank you folks! Fine, fine work
Rick Benjamin

I won't attempt to add to the superlatives already heaped upon this deserving classic… it is everything that's already been said, and still surprised me.

More importantly, I'm extremely glad that I made this purchase with Sweetwater. Long story short, I put my Sales Engineer, Jerrod DeMott, through the wringer on this one. Then the shipping carrier had a bit of an issue with my original guitar, the FSX5, (may she rest in peace), but Jerrod and everyone else I dealt with made the exchange for big brother FGX5 absolutely painless. I decided to drive over to Fort Wayne from Ohio the next morning. The team at Sweetwater made that as easy as having one phone conversation… I thought it was too good to be true, but it wasn't. I received a broken guitar on a Tuesday afternoon, and had a beautiful replacement (upgrade?) the next morning no questions asked! And I got a great deal!

Just buy one… but only from Sweetwater!

All I can say about this guitar is.......WOW! I absolutely love this guitar. Who would ever have thought a Yamaha guitar would become my number 1 guitar. I'll admit, I was hesitant at first. I listened to all the YouTube reviews I could find, and listened, and listened, and then listened some more. I really hesitated buying this unseen and unplayed, but after hours of research, I finally pulled the trigger.......and then immediately was wishing I hadn't, but let things run the course, and I have been smiling ever since. The more I play it, the more I love it. (and I play probably 15-20 hours per week at jams, practice, and country band performances). My 2 Martins (000-RS1 and GPCPA4 Rosewood) are now my backup guitars. At 71 years of age, this is as good as it's ever going to get for me. Are there better sounding guitars out there? Maybe, but at 3-4 times the price, and even then it would be marginal and questionable. And the quality of materials and workmanship? Second to none. (Remember, the 5s are all made in Japan). Spruce, Mahogany, Ebony, Bone, it's all top notch. And I'm loving the Atmosfeel electronics. What you hear coming from the guitar is what you get out of the amp or PA system (and that's what it's all about). If I have any complaint whatsoever (and it is very, very minor), it is that the system uses 2 AA batteries. Therefore, they don't last as long as a 9V. However, you get a blinking red light on the volume knob that warns you when your battery power is getting low, and that red light tells you that you have 2 hours left, so all is good. With inflation still running rampant, and guitar prices going up as well, don't hesitate. Get yours ASAP.

As with so many guitar purchases I have made, the action was way too high when it arrived and had to be adjusted. Other than that small hiccup, this is possibly the best sounding guitar I have ever owned. It performs well beyond its price point, I can assure you.

Few guitars have this instrument's warm, brilliant and universally capable tone. It's truly a guitar that brings the best out of you, and you find yourself working harder to live up to it. I play it with new enthusiasm. Beyond the sound, this guitar is making me a better and more dedicated musician. Seriously, what more can a guitar do. Thank you Yamaha for bringing this level of quality and acoustic guitar sound to the masses.

Ok, so I'm not sure what I can add to this review that others haven't already said. I'm a Martin guy for years, first Martin I ever played was a D-18 but I think the FGX5 blows every other guitar out of the water. I've also played Taylors, Gibson, you name it. The build quality is second to none, I don't care how much you pay for any other guitar, the FGX5 will likely be better. Sounds incredible, plugged in or not, but it is the best acoustic I've ever heard plugged in hands down. Incredible! Then, wait for it..... half the price of my D-18! What?!?! Seriously, no brainer. If this guitar was made in USA, it would be twice or three times the price for sure. I'm considering getting it's little brother the FSX5 but my wife disagrees. Says I have too many guitars and something has to go. I'm gonna miss her, lol.

My review will be short. Hands down the finest acoustic guitar I've ever owned. You can FEEL it vibrate, the entire guitar just crackles with vibration. Sounds unbelievable, plays awesome unplugged or plugged in. Beautifully simple, incredibly engaging. I had Sweetwater set it up to my playing style with my choice of strings. It's like it was built for me. Thanks to my Sweetwater engineer Roq Martin for helping me make the choice of a lifetime. Above 5 stars. Buy one!

Let me start by stating that I have played many more acoustic guitars than I have owned. Those owned by other musicians that i have had the pleasure to play during practice or during a set, of various upper range guitars by Martin, Taylor, RainSong, McPherson, Gibson, (not to mention my own Gibsons, Taylors, Martins, Takamine, or the wide range I have enjoyed at various music shops) you get the idea. This Yamaha is the most balanced and consistently enjoyable acoustic I have ever played, hands down. And I say that while still being very found of the aforementioned guitar makers and the models they produce. The FGX5 is a simple decision, if it is in your price range, Buy one, you wont regret it!

I was looking for a guitar that was around this price range, had built in electronics, came with a case and had a little different name than what I normally play. Tone is everything to me when it comes to guitars, and this needed to fill in for my D18 investment I didn't want anything to happen to. So... after a great deal of research online, and talking with my sales engineer John Tonello, I purchased the FGX5. I have to say, this is one of the finest guitars I have ever played. The quality of the build is excellent, the tone and projection is fantastic. The factory setup is perfect, the neck is comfortable and extremely fast. If you are on the fence about this instrument, don't be. This is an amazing, well made, beautiful sounding instrument. The sustain will ring for days and the intonation is spot on. This is truly a sleeper of a guitar, No, this guitar is not a Martin, Gibson or Taylor... it's a Yamaha Red Label FGX5, and it's worth every penny!!
A special thanks goes out to my sales engineer, John Tonello, I always appreciate your knowledge and feedback!!

Incredible value for the price. The tone is superb: Boomy, very resonant and warm. Yamaha make killer guitars period.

This instrument is perhaps the finest acoustic guitar that I've ever played, and absolutely the finest that I own. Although I own a number of instruments that I love, this guitar is really all that I would need. Immaculate build quality, beautifully even tone and character, the onboard electronics compliment the instrument perfectly, it's comfortable to play, and perfectly set up from the factory… this guitar is an absolute masterpiece.

I think that it's well worth twice what it's sold for.

I'm older now but from 10 years old till my late 30's I considered myself a professional musician. And while I historically couldn't afford a great acoustic, I've had the opportunity to play some pretty nice Gibsons, Martins, Taylors, and the like on many occasions. Now that I'm no longer a professional musician, I actually had the money to spend on a good guitar. After a lot of research, I settled on buying one of the best Yamahas for about the same money as a low/mid-level guitar from the other top brands (guess I'm still a starving musician at heart). I couldn't be happier. It was love at first note. The sound of this guitar is phenomenal. Rich lows, melodic mids, and sparkling highs. I can feel the resonance when I play. As great as it sounds, the feel of the guitar may actually surpass the sound. The neck is magic and for whatever reason, I love the texture of the ebony pickguard. The Cadillac-like case was just a bonus. If you are looking for a pro-level acoustic, take my advice. Play one of these before you make your decision. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Count me in, great guitar, best that I have played. Tone is rich and engrossing. Brings me joy every day.
Thanks to the earlier reviewer that said "Hey man up and buy the thing", he was so right.

This guitar is unbelievable! Plays so smooth up and down the fretboard. It sounds amazing. I don't really know the words to say that would describe how great it sounds. The case is spectacular! It even comes with a "feedback" sound hole cover with the Yamaha logo. The atmosfeel pickup is the best sounding amplified acoustic sound I've heard. From what I understand there is a microphone inside the guitar, then it has the usual piezoelectric pickup under the saddle (which specifically picks up the lower frequency tones), and a transducer sheet under the top for picking up the higher frequencies. Amazing!

This is a awesome guitar!!! Makes my Taylor 314 CE sound like a beginner's guitar! Not that the Taylor is bad it's just that the Yamaha FGX is that good. The pick up in this guitar is fantastic!! Not to mention paying more for my Taylor. If you are looking for a fantastic acoustic with a pickup buy this one. It's well worth the wait! I waited 6 months for mine and my worship leader in my church when he first Heard the guitar said that guitar is off the hook. He said he could not believe how good it sounds in his in ear monitors. Those guys in Japan make some of the best guitars. You would pay twice that much for a guitar in the USA.

This is my favorite guitar I've ever owned. Yes, over my HD28, 717e, etc. it just gives me the tone I want. Plugged in or unplugged. I love the no frills look and the ebony pickguard. I've played this thing live on solo and duo gigs for about a year now and it's the only guitar I've ever had that I have not thought about trading. One issue. If you strum hard, bring back up strings. Those light gauge guys are definitely not meant to be ripped through all night long. Love it.

I've had this guitar for about 6-7 months now. When I first played it it was hands down the best sounding and playing acoustic instrument I'd ever laid my hands on. The bass is very present but not overwhelming even when struck hard. The percussive overtones are very sweet. The individual strings are very even in volume overall.
It feels like it is settling in now and getting more mojo in the tone.
Just get it.
Thanks to Clint and Rachel.

Every time I find myself playing a more expensive guitar in a store, I think boy did I get lucky, and I would buy it again.

JUST unboxed my new FGX5 and started trying out a few things and I LOVE IT! Quality is OUTSTANDING and it plays like having a handful of melted butter. Haven't done much yet with the Atmosfeel features but will soon through one of my amps. I have 6 other acoustic guitars including a Martin, Taylor and a couple of Gibsons and I think this one may feel the best in my hands (Close second is my Martin SC13E). The sound is spectacular. I really feel that this would be a great guitar at twice the price. Many thanks to my sales engineer Derek for his advice and help in getting this beauty. Another happy purchase from Sweetwater!

I own several electric guitars but wanted a good acoustic guitar. My father-in-law owns a 70's Yamaha FG-180 and recommended I look at the Yamaha Red Label guitars. After playing a showroom full of Taylor and Martin guitars, I decided to give the Yamaha a try and wow, wow, wow! What a guitar! It absolutely sings. I think I found a great acoustic guitar made by a great company. I've got blista's on my fingers because I cannot put it down! A big thanks to James Wroblewski at Sweetwater for all his help and photos.

This Yamaha FGX5 is handsdown awesome. Finish is nearly perfect. It looks really good, it is elegantly understated. The shortened scale neck is very easy to handle. The unplugged sound absolutely is jawdropping. I have played it out through a PA and the electronics are very easy to dial in the sound. I did not use the included feedback hole cover but in other setups it is possibly needed. The low end on this guitar is so resonant, it sounds full and rich. The midst and highs are clear and clean. I feel the sound right into my gut. This is not my first Yamaha nor my only quality acoustic guitar. I do know what feels rightpossible. I did swap string gage to 11s immediately, but that's just me. Check these out if you can. Sweetwater, Ben and Jason will make aquitsition as painless as possible.

A few years ago I saved up and popped for a D18. I love that guitar, but I'm in the process of retiring and moving to Alaska. Last year my wife and I filled a shipping container of furniture to go up at no small costs. Guitars are hard to transport on a plane, so I stuck that D18 and a couple favorite electrics and an amp in the container as it was sort of my one chance to get what I wanted shipped up.
We got the cabin set up last fall and are heading back next spring. Fishing and pickin' and grinin' is the plan!

But I missed that Martin every darn day! I still wanted a good acoustic to have back here in the lower 48. I looked hard at the Tak 340TT, but the description of the giant neck put me off. I discussed this FGX5 with my sales engineer Aaron and he agreed it might fit the bill of getting near D18 tones without D18 dinero.

Well, it's not a D18. Nothing but a D18 IS a D18. But this guitar has got a REALLY sweet tone (yes "sweeter" than the D18 which can be harsh at times) and I know it'll just keep getting better as I play it in.
It does not have the unplugged volume of a D18 but the electronics more than make up for that. Blending the two pickup types really allows for a good variety of tones and you can get about anything out of that you would want.

The guitar feels sturdy and solid and the neck fits my hand better than most guitars I've ever played.

I had to wait on a pre-order about 2 months for this one to come in...but it was worth the wait!

Bottom line, it's a keeper for sure!

I'm mostly an electric player, but I do own a couple of acoustics (Taylors)without electronics. I've wanted an acoustic/electric for sometime now and, after doing a lot of looking and comparing, I ordered this baby a couple of months ago and just received it yesterday. Boy am I impressed!

This instrument has tone & projection that beats both of my Taylors and a couple of my brothers Martins. The finish is flawless and the electronics superb. Just ran it through a Supro 1605R & my oh my!

If you're thinking about an acoustic/electric, order one of these babies! There may be a backlog but the wait is well worth it.

And thanks to Nick Kochanek for getting this to me ASAP (I'm an impatient type)!

...I will say that this is my first major guitar purchase but I did loads of research and came to the conclusion that this guitar is absolutely worth looking into. ...I was looking at some Taylor 200 series, lower end Martins, Guild, etc. I had the opportunity to make an appt. and play a Taylor 214dlx which was the first guitar I seriously set my eyes on. I'm glad I got to because I learned that Taylor necks are not for me, I have relatively big hands and the profile was too slim. I played a Martin 000 Black Smoke and it was lovely but just above my price range, and had no electronics. So I left with nothing that day but an employee was going to see what he could do to get an FGX5, I was convinced I wasn't going to pull the trigger until I could try this guitar and I cannot express to you what a good decision it was to wait and find out. They hunted one down, I came in immediately, and I knew 5 minutes in this was it. It's beautiful, if you appreciate an understated, classic look, with beautiful appointments, you will be over the moon. The electronics and pickups are next level, but unplugged is the magic. It's hard to describe how powerful and tonal this guitar is at once. Im playing with no set up out of the box and the only thing I'm going to do for now is throw some lighter strings on to replace the elixirs that came on it. The low end is powerful but it blends so well, it sustains incredibly, the overtones are lush. I prefer a heavier guitar, and this has great weight. Yamaha is not the sexy guitar brand and I get that, but you need to set the hubris that comes with guitar buying aside and give this a try if you have the option.

I've had this guitar for about a month after waiting a month on back order. I can't get over how great this guitar sounds and plays and the quality of it's construction and finish. It is everything advertised and then some. After reading descriptions of so many different guitars, all the pretty words don't mean much. This guitar is real top notch quality. A work of art. Paul Pullam

The build quality is superb and it just absolutely sings. It has just the right amount of low end (nice growl, not *boomy*) and rich through the mids and highs. For an instrumentalist, it's perfect. I can hardly put it down! Haven't played it plugged in yet but the reviews I've seen on YouTube suggest that it's as good or better when plugged in.
This is truly a premium guitar - you may find better, and you may find cheaper, but you can't find better for cheaper.

Some guitars you date.....some guitars you go steady with....then that special one comes along...
This guitar is the marrying kind.....quality....perfect built...pure class...take it home to meet the folks..
She will make you look and sound above your pay grade....make forget all the rest....you wont look back...

The first guitar I bought was a Yamaha FG150 back in 1970. It was an excellent instrument and I regretted selling it in 1978. When I heard that Yamaha was bringing out a retro red label series of guitars, I was eager and excited. I had to wait several months for my Sweetwater delivery due to a backlog of orders and the COVID-19 pandemic. I knew that my expectations were high. When I tuned up the FGX5 out of its beautiful hard shell case, I melted. This was a sound so far exceeding my high expectations. I own a Martin and love it. But this was a sound so sublime, so fine, with amplification or without. The sound blew me away. This guitar plays well fingerpicking or strumming. You can pay two or three times the cost of a Yamaha FGX5, but you will not get a better sound.

To Start off I've been trying to get this guitar for a year now with no luck and was finally able to get my hands on one, Yamaha has knocked it out of the park again, fit, finish and aesthetics were flawless on this. Ok so I was skeptical to see if this would sounds better that my Yamaha LL16D which is a phenomenal guitar and I highly recommend( see my review on that guitar on this site ) , the sound characteristic on the FGX5 is astounding, literally one of the best I've ever heard and its sound projection is a loud and even tone whether picking or strumming, intonation was pitch perfect. Just to also add that it came with one of the nicest hardshell cases I've seen come with on acoustic guitar, a nice touch by Yamaha. The atmosfeel pick up system on the FGX5 is also amazing, it's easy to set to get the tone and sound that you desire, nothing to complicated about it, it just flat out works great. Now if your wondering where this falls in to the scheme of acoustic/electric guitars when it comes to sound quality, fit and finish, style, build, and like woods etc.....is the Martin D-18 which cost more than this, so to me the choice was an easy one. This may very well be the last acoustic I ever buy. It's nice when you purchase something that's value and quality greatly exceeds the price tag.

This guitar is truly amazing. I'm lost for words on it. I went to local music store to make a decision on a top end acoustics. Price wasn't an option. I just wanted an acoustic that sounded and played excellent. I had my mind made up it was going to be something in the Martin family or equivalent. I went through and played many, many guitars in the shop. 5 hours later I had it narrowed down. I seen this nice case laying closed on the floor. Just being curious I opened it up and to my surprise it was a Yamaha FGX5. I was surprised because I do know that these are hand crafted and hard to come by. I've heard good things about them so I decided to give it a strum. Hit a G chord and it was all over from there. The resonance from this guitar was truly amazing and the best out of all the 100 plus acoustics in the shop. Better than any Martin or Taylor brands that I had my mind made up on. The sounds are the best I have ever heard. It is that good. The feel is just as good. The playability is ridiculous on this thing. Just melts in your hands. First guitar I have ever picked up and I knew instantly I couldn't live without it. I have never bonded instantly with a guitar like this. This guitar is nothing like I've ever played. I had no idea a guitar could ever sound this good. I don't know how they pulled it off. I would of gladly paid more then double for this guitar. I bought it on the spot. I had recently bought a Yamaha A5R from Sweetwater and was a little underwhelmed. The A5R is a great guitar but was lacking something for me. It could of just been the set of phosphors I had them put on. I purchased the A5R because of its reviews and it was one of the few guitars left in stock at Sweetwater. Needless to say the A5R will be going back. People run from Yamaha guitars because of their name. They are the Buicks in the guitar world. Yamaha has been making Class-A guitars for years. People just get stuck on a brand name and don't want to admit a Yamaha can sound just as good or even better than a 3K Martin. If you ever get to chance to buy one of these Yamahas..don't think...just do it. It will be one of the best musical decisions you'll ever make. I promise!

Sounds great plugged in or straight acoustic. I originally bought mine from Sweetwater as a backup stage guitar to my A5R but after playing it in I now sometimes switch and go with the FGX5 as the main guitar.

This Yamaha FGX5 is a must have guitar trust me. Great warm rich tone playability is great. The pickup really does shine when the guitar Is plugged into an amp. The only problem is most of the time this guitar is usually sold out everywhere. Which is well worth the wait I had to wait two months for mine. I have been in love with it every sense I received it on February 5, 2020. This guitar truly does have fine touches and detail that makes it a very special instrument that will be treasured for years to come. So if anybody has been looking at this guitar don't look no longer order it. You will not be disappointed.

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, my Red Label FGX5 proves that Yamaha has learned a thing or two about building dreadnaughts in the past 50 years. In fact, IMO the student has now exceeded the Master.

Before I decided on the FGX5, I was absolutely ready to spend thousands more on a spruce and mahogany dreadnaught. I spent months going back and forth to guitar stores near and far, playing the Martins, the Gibson's, the Collings', the Bourgeous', the Santa Cruz's and so on. Finally, because Chris McKee of Alamo Music liked the new Yamaha Red Label guitars so much, I went to one of my favorite local shops and played the FSX5- the smaller grand concert version- because no one had an FGX5 in stock. It felt and sounded so good that I decided to take a chance and ordered an FGX5 from Sweetwater. I figured if it didn't make the grade that I would just return it. It took several weeks to arrive, but it is now here, and let me tell you it is ALL THAT and a bag of chips.

Yamaha has clearly pulled out all the stops on these Japanese made Red Label guitars. They are making a STATEMENT to the World. Martin and the other guitar brands I mentioned need to take a lesson from Yamaha. The FGX5 is absolutely world class in every way. The fit and finish are perfect. The guitar is very light and well balanced and extremely resonant. The neck carve and fretboard are perfection to play. And the sounds, the wonderful sounds that come out of it, whether strummed or played fingerstyle, are as good or better than anything I've ever played. IMO, the FGX5 is the epitome of what a spruce and mahogany dreadnaught should be. And then you plug it in and play it through an amp. Oh Man! The Atmos electronics are so so good!They are beyond anything I've ever experienced.

So, if you are looking for a dreadnaught, I urge you in the strongest possible way to try one of these before you decide. Forget for a moment that it's a Yamaha and not whatever brand you've always dreamed of owning. By all means, play everything else, but play an FGX5. Make a serious, honest comparison. THEN look at what it costs Vs. the others. You won't regret it.

Just a couple of weeks in with this guitar and I'm absolutely loving it so far. Aside from a little new-string zing, the tone is rich, warm, resonant and even — played with a pick or my fingers. The neck and fretboard are smooth and easily navigable for my hand. The set up out of the box seems really good to me, but there's a caveat here: I tend to play tuned down a full step because it suits my vocal range better, and I tuned down within 24 hours of taking it out of the case. Of course, that takes some tension off the strings. So with that in mind, the action and playability are just about perfect for me. If I do decide to jump back to standard tuning, we'll see how it goes. But the action/playability SEEMED pretty great even in standard tuning. Appearance isn't a HUGE deal to me, but for what it's worth, I think my FGX5 is a beauty. The finish is lovely and I seem to be in a minority of folks who actually like the wood-textured pick guard. I'm still very much in the getting-to-know-you phase with this guitar, and I'm pretty enamored. I do need to see how it sounds recorded and try out the pick-up system as well, but zero regrets for now!

Its a Martin for half the price. The electronics are amazing. It sounds amazing

Very nice guitar for the money. Has great sound quality unplugged and plugged in. Haven't changed strings yet or tried to lower the action which I believe to be a bit high but I'm confident that with these minor changes, it'll just get better! Happy with this purchase!

The guitar is very even high to low, sounds 40 years old but the action was high for my liking and I prefer a smaller nut size. That's not the guitars fault just preference. The finish did have some flaws but my Sweetwater rep said they could take care of it but I plan on playing it not putting it in a case so that's not that big of an issue. The pickups sound great plugged in no issues. Sweetwater service has been amazing. They really put my mind at ease ordering on line. They have earned my business I live near Nashvilles so no shortage of music stores, but Sweetwater customer service can't be rivaled.

I wrote a review when first got it maybe 6 months ago +- and Sweetwater set it up just the way I wanted it. I made the mistake of removing the fake wood pick guard. That was a mistake. It was not installed like most pickguards, this glue was industrial strength black stuff. So if you want to remove it good luck! My guitar needs truss rod adjustments all the time but that may be because I use 11/52s, been playing for years. The pickup is great. I would say it is a middle of the road axe.

As of this review, there were 29 previous that averaged a 5 star rating. Maybe I just rec'd the only lemon that got through Yamaha and SW's inspection. Understandably most new acoustics need set-ups but mine had finish flaws on headstock, subpar binding work on lower side and glue residue where the neck had been set. Those are are 'quality' issues. Those issues killed it for me right out of the box… didn't even consider a set-up after that. The extremely high action probably could have been overcome but by that time interest was lost. It went back two days later. On the positive side, it did sound really good, probably as good as my late 70's Red Label and it did incl. a nice case. I've had a lot of Yamaha musical products over the years, my Revstar is one of my go-to electrics. Unfortunately this guitar didn't live up to the hype. There was no problem with CS taking it back. Hopefully this was the only one that fell through the cracks….

I purchased this guitar and was extremely excited but I was also nervous. I had tried to buy an AR series twice before from another seller, but returned both models due to quality issues once the guitars were in hand. Fast forward 8 years and I tried to give Yamaha another chance…

The guitar played well, sounded superb out of the case, and had a perfect setup. No complaints there at all. The issues were with the finish…

The photos that SweetWater had taken didn't capture the issues that were apparent with the guitar in hand. The lacquer was cloudy on the back, sides, and neck. Again, the photos of the guitar didn't capture these at SweetWater. I'm still not certain how it wasn't noticed but somehow it wasn't during the "55 point inspection". Needless to say, I returned the guitar. There was also an imprint around the bridge, possibly from the jig setting the bridge? Lastly, there was a speck of sawdust that got captured in lacquer on the back. Or maybe it was just a bit that didn't get stained? Not sure…

The sales person was great up until the point that he tried to say, "that's normal for that type of finish". I own multiple guitars with various types of finishes and not a single one has any cloudiness to them. I've never seen a finish on another guitar that was cloudy like this one was…buyer beware.