Yamaha FS800 Small Body Solid Top Acoustic Guitar, Natural

Built is good. Strings needs to be changed. And setup the string height and you are good to rock.

10/10

Sound is not expected, I think fender FA 135 CE Concert V2 or Orangewood Oliver Mahagony is better with this price range.

Fantastic. This guitar is only a bit smaller than the regular dreadnaughts, but it is just enough to make playing the guitar easier. The quality of the guitar is great. The action on the strings is low without experiencing any buzzing or ringing. The sound quality with the solid top is great. I would buy again though don't expect to need to do so!

The Yamaha FS800 deserves all of its accolades. It's a great guitar. I consider myself on the low end of intermediate and I just love this guitar. I give it a five-star rating, but with the caveat that I needed to take it to my local guitar shop to have it professionally set-up and replaced the factory strings with Elixirs. It was playable, but the action was too high, and the neck needed some modest adjustments. But with those updates it sounds and plays amazing. While this is positioned as an entry-level guitar, it's a great guitar for anyone at any level. Your first guitar, a second guitar for an experienced player, etc. I love the slightly smaller size, the look. It's definitely a worthy investment. Guitar strings and guitar tone preferences are very personal. For me it took a few rounds of trying different strings to get the sound I like. I loved the guitar from the start, but my string choices led the guitar to sound a bit too twangy and boxy for my taste. Part of that is the function of a slightly smaller body. But I still wanted a bit more depth to the sound. After many experiments, I ended up using Martin Retro Monel Light guitar strings. They really make the guitar have a bit more depth to the sound but also lend a nice brightness. While my sound preference is personal and may not apply everyone, I wanted to share my string journey.

I have been looking for a knock-around guitar that sounds good, and I finally found it! I've played guitar since I was a teenager and I have several very fine instruments that I just don't want to bring to the park or the seaside, or on a camping trip. This Yamaha is what I've been looking for: decent tone, easy to play, stays in tune, has good intonation on the mid and upper frets. In conclusion, you'll be hard pressed to find a better brand new guitar for $300. This is a good beginner to intermediate guitar, and perfect for the seasoned player who wants to be able to take it outdoors and not worry about damage.

Thank you, Yamaha and Sam Ash for a great instrument at a reasonable price. I bought this guitar as a bang-around instrument. I own a very nice, twenty-year old 00-17 all mahogany Martin that I don't like taking to gigs or even out of its case on very dry, hot or cold days. At this price point I wasn't expecting much, but was I ever pleasantly surprised! The guitar is practically flawless. When I first unboxed it there was a bit of paste left on the body from the polishing process, but it easily wiped off. The finish around the base of the neck is not quite as smooth as the rest, but the frets are well filed and polished so that none are protuding. The set-up is great. The action is nice and low with no buzzing frets. This guitar projects sound nicely too. The solid spruce top is a HUGE plus, especially at this price. The guitar has a bright and full sound, which I anticipate will continue to improve with time. This guitar definitely is louder and brighter than my moody mahogany Martin. When it lacks the depth and warmth of my well-seasoned more costly guitar, it has it's own beautiful voice. It is perfect for finger picking but also sounds great with percussive playing as well. I love the size too. I'm so glad I found a solid top instrument at a great price that isn't a dreadnought. I'm a five-foot woman, and the concert size works very well for me. My twelve-year old picked it up and was also comfortable playing it. It would be a great beginner instrument, but even seasoned players can appreciate it. I'm certainly looking forward to dragging this little gem around with me!

I'm not a very experienced guitar player, so I can't guarantee you that this guitar will wow someone who is a true connoisseur. However, I did look carefully into the options and found this to be a well regarded instrument. Three days of extensive playing in, I can confirm that it sounds great. What's more, I was able to take it right out the box and play it without any further "set up" than it received at the factory. Sometime down the road I might look into what a luthier could do to make it even sweeter, but for the time being I'm pleased with the action and intonation. The guitar stays in tune, has no buzzing frets, and intones with reasonable accuracy all the way down the fretboard (sometimes plus or minus a few cents). It's affordable (comparatively), good looking, nice sounding, and high quality. I'm happy. Update: After owning the guitar for 8 months and playing it for hours every week, I have nothing but good things to say. It's got a great sound, a really comfortable size, and continues to stay in tune for multiple sessions. After several months of use I replaced the original strings and opted for a lighter gauge. The guitar kept its superb playability and the tone remained excellent (though changed slightly given the lighter strings). I can now add, after developing more experience with acoustic guitars, that the neck is quite comfortable to play. That will, of course, be a matter of taste, but as a newbie I found it very easy to use pretty much right away. No regrets: this is a great guitar.