Yamaha FG700S Folk Acoustic Guitar  

I really believe you can spend at least twice as much money and still not get the sound and tone you get from the FG 700S

I bought this guitar for Christmas for my son to bring up to college, i played everything in this price range and  let myself be talked in to trying guitars up to over twice this price  and kept coming back to the FG 700S

My son took it up to college and him and his buddys rave about the guitar thought it cost much more.

Well he's home for the summer and i started picking on it and I got news for you it might not make it back up with him this fall, I really love this guitar !

Tone is so even and crisp and clear with a nice warm low end tone,

Nothing fancy but looks real nice.

you will not regreat buying it

Suprisingly Good Sounding, Good tuners, Good Looks and very playable.

Seems to be put together with excelent craftsmanship.  No over glueing and flawless finish.

I can't think of a better guitar you can get for this low price.

Everything else is not even close . I have owned every brand out there and most are disapointing by comparison.

Great Guitar with robust sound.  It chimes the cords and sings the individual notes .

Better than my Taylor big baby and my Alvarez Artist D60.

Sounds as good as my Guild DV52 but plays easyer on the fingers.

First of all let me say that I have never written a review for anything in my life. I am only writing a review for this because the FG700S is so great. I'm a beginner and didn't know anything about guitars or playing guitars about a year ago. I read reviews for hours while deciding what guitar to buy and wow am I glad I chose this one! This guitar sounds amazing. I've played many others guitars since I got this one and none of them sound even close to as nice as mine. It is also a great guitar to learn on. It's very easy to play with a good action, bar chords are easy to learn and play on it. It stays in tune for so long! I almost never have to tune this thing. I've had this guitar for a year now and haven't had any problems with it yet and don't think I will, it seems very sturdy. Moral of the story is, it's a great guitar for a great price. Buy it, you won't regret it.

I am rating this perfect for features, figuring in the context of the price. For true perfection, it would have a solid mahogany or rosewood back and sides, Engelmann spruce top, and maple binding. Hey, such a guitar would cost a bundle.

I bought this Yamaha FG700S for a young woman who coulnd't afford a guitar. It sounded "OK," but not outstanding. I knew I didn't want to pay more for something better. Then I replaced the saddle and bridge pins with Tusq, and the strings with D'Addario EXP 80/20 bronze light gauge. I was really blown away. This thing sounds wonderful now.

   The string height was good from the factory.I think I lowere it very slightly when I fitted the new Tusq saddle.

    Made in Hangchou, China... see the Yamaha factory video on YouTube... awesome quality production, all wood dried two years, etc. The finish is flawless. The wood is OK, but there is a small "swirl" in the top wood in the left upper bout. Another FG700S had the same thing. Straight grain in the top is usually preferred. The Yamaha FG720S had straight grain, but with Martin SP phosphor bronze strings and Tusq saddle & pins, didn't sound as good, in my opinion.(This instrument might sound best with the 80/20 broze strings.)

Hint: I am finding that Yamaha is a top value, but I would buy the very best Yamaha model you can possibly afford. I bought their FG720S-12 12 string guitar, and it was very good, but inferior in sound to their Professional version, the LL16-12.

   Neck Set Angle: OK. All Yamaha guitars I bought are set so the saddle has less clearance above the bridge (2mm clearance for the high E string).

For what you are getting, this is the best bang for the buck. You really have to check out the videos on YouTube to see why. The other models are made in an inferior Chinese factory (check out Ibanez Guitar Factory...), while this is made in a state of the art factory custom built by Yamaha, with workers trained by Japanese.

Again, it is all in the context of the price you are paying, If I had the money, I would buy something like the Yamaha LL16 in the six string version. If you are starting out, this is the model for you. Do replace the saddle with Tusq or bone, and the bridge pins with Tusq.

Not Fancy, but a very clean good looking guitar. It has everything you need.

Looks to be well built for the price, in fact better than I expected. The exterior and interior are very well done.

Buy it. I think it's a bargain

I bought this for my 14 yr old niece, it's her first real guitar. I am really impressed with it and I own a lot of expensive guitars (12 of them, actually). It looks good. The neck feels great. I adjusted the truss rod slightly before I gave it to her. And the sound...REALLY nice. Rich and Articulate with good volume. If she didn't want it, I'd keep it. I honestly think it sounds as good as many guitars you'd find at 3 or 4 times the price.