Yamaha FGX800C Review and Upgrades

[@oaktree1628]

I was at a Guitar Center recently looking for a good traveling guitar and saw this on display and played it, and I have to say, it was the best sounding and best feeling of all guitars on display that I played that day under 800 dollars. For 300 dollars there were no other guitars that even came close.

[@jimhollis41]

N M ...it is a really nice guitar for the money. Thanks so much for watching and commenting.

[@arjunm3435]

wow

[@sircusboy351]

I played j45s, bourgeois, boucher, atkins. Then, my dad handed me this and i refused to play it. I said let me get it in tune for you though. I did not hand it back to him. I couldn’t let it go. I immediately knew this guitar was different. This guitar blew my mind. I saw there was a sand burst and it sounded even better. So i bought it instead. Its a canon and the strings really unite to make a beauty chorus feel. Its incredible even with urea nuts and saddles. I did have to do neck adjustment on both. A cutaway shouldn’t be scaring j45s but it does. And i prefer this guitar of many boutique guitars i played. Its not as pretty but it sounds incredible. Solos in the upper register may be a weakness but it’s not bad. Replacing nut and saddle may help single note sustain in upper registers. Sandburst helps it look so much better. I collect red labels and this is better than those even and those are incredible. I played three examples of this in one day at two different stores and they all impressed so much! Can’t believe the sound and playability at 400 dollars. Still pinching myself. The electronics were amazing on just a spark amp. Can’t wait to try it on stage at church

[@Old-Skull.]

I DID THE SAME TO MINE , i bought it second hand , very good price cause the guy who sell it to me did a mess with some things ; he had the saddle broken , he tries to change pickguard and did an ugly job , it had a couple of small dings ,a little buzzing , all that things easy to repair for me and knowing about the quality of construction and woods of Yamaha guitars i offer to him 150 pounds here in London and get it , fixed all the problems , the only thing i still did not change is the nut , but i put a graphtec tusq compensated saddle made in Canada , lowered the action , adjust the truss rod and level the frets , and man it really became to a totally different guitar , love the sound and this is how i like to have a guitar , make it mine , you know , not just a guitar from factory , bring the best out of that instrument , and Yamaha guitars are perfect for that specially these made in Indonesia , the quality control is really good and btw i even got the same blackstar amp you show there , that is why i decided to write a comment sooo good job man , well done and all the peace and love in the world to everybody out there

[@rapstarr174]

thanks for honest review .everything has some critics but for me this guitar is world class

[@johnraygun9868]

I've owned a few guitars, i am not great at playing, just a lot of tinkering on deployments and so on but i have always been able to hear a song and start figuring out a basic version of it. After my last deployment I wanted something better than the $100 one i had so i went into Guitar Center willing to spend up to $900 and after trying a good number of guitars i kept coming back to this one, just sounded good to me so when i decided on it one of the employees said "that is one of the best sounding guitars even close to that price rage we have" (On sale $250) When the employee told me that I felt a little better about my ear for music lol Kind of motivated me to work at it more to think that with my lack of experience I was able to pick out a good deal by sound and price ❤ it was also a guitar that if i went back to combat it wouldn't break my heart thinking I destroyed a piece of history because every Guitar Center has one of these laying around, my wife and pocketbook wouldn't be happy but i could still sleep well at night lol. Thank you for giving us a little bit of knowledge about it Sir.

[@whateverwithalex9083]

I recently bought one of these in mint condition from a friend of mine for $200, this was a really great video, thanks!

[@Panggor46]

Forget about expensive brands or higher end Yamahas. I've one of this and mine is the FSX800C concert. While performing at a concert, musicians ask me whether my guitar is high end series as they say the sound is awesome. No regrets.

[@Panggor46]

@@ProfJL Sir, I have not.

[@totscastle3772]

Thanks for the review!!. Great video and everything explained with clarity. I just bought a new guitar like this and I love it (It arrived yesterday)!!. Great sound !! But I don´t feel very comfortable with the action (a little high), so I think I will take it to a guitar tech to lower it.

[@cliftongardner4367]

Great video for someone like me who is pretty experienced and is unafraid to do some diy work on a good cheap guitar. I'm partial to Yamaha, as my dad has an all-laminate FG from the 80s that just oozes mojo. BTW: love the Blackstar ID Core amp for the bench. It's my couch amp and I find myself plugging into it just as often as I plug into my Marshall DSL. Killer little practice amp.

[@charlierussell7887]

Hi Jim, I bought an FGX830C in 2016 (just over 7 years ago, my how time does fly!) Mine has the rosewood laminate back & sides, but otherwise same guitar specs as FGX800C, I believe. I replaced with Tusq the nut, the saddle … and the bridge pins. Sanding down those conical bridge pins did require a bit of work! Guitar now rings like a bell! Thanks for advice on placement of the strap button on the neck.

[@charlierussell7887]

P.s. in case anyone needs it, here are the Tusq part numbers I used: 3” compensated saddle - PQ927600 Slotted nut - PQ611600 Bridge pins, black, white dot - PP212200

[@1970pizza]

That same guitar i just bought today 5th October 2024 in the UK from gear 4 music and it cost me £450 ( $590 ) , I'm a total beginner at 54 yrs old

[@jimhollis41]

Current price on this in the US is right at $360 with free shipping. Good luck on your new guitar journey.

[@1970pizza]

@@jimhollis41 thank you , everyone says i paid over the odds in this guitar but it will be worth it in the long run

[@darrylem6157]

Great vid, great review and excellent knowledge to take away. Thank u and pls ignore the useless critics! I owned a fs800 until it fell and broke... 😢. I ve never heard a low end guitar sound so full. So hence I'm going for the fgx800c and uve just convinced me I'm making the right decision... Tnx again

[@jackbeswick4662]

Just bought this in ruby red. It's a really great guitar, especially for the price - 480,000krw here in South Korea (£300 in the UK). RE: No strap button/tying the strap around the headstock. Use thinner shoelaces! :)

[@MrPequeno1]

Great video, clears out all the doubts I had, really fussy, that helps to get a better idea of the product and at the end as you concluded, it is a really good guitar Regards.

[@ronschuster4377]

I just bought this guitar on line from Amazon. Expect delivery 5/14 to 5/18. Got it in a bundle at a great price. I'd like to know where Jim is, because I would trust him to touch my guitar and fix anything that is needed.

[@jimhollis41]

Ron Schuster...congrats on the purchase. You should be happy with this guitar. I’m actually in central Illinois and I appreciate your kind words. Thanks so much for watching and commenting.

[@ronschuster4377]

@@jimhollis41 I'm over in St Charles County, just west of StL. If you could send contact information, I may like to visit you with this or another guitar. [e-mail]

[@sithu1564]

Thank you very much for the post that I really need to look into the FG, FGX and FSX(800,820and 830) series in order to buy which one would be my range.

[@MarkFromHawaii]

Great video - thanks for doing this. I'm thinking about getting the FSG800C - the concert style version of this guitar. Right off the bat I noticed the urea bridge and saddle - isn't that a by-product of urine? Also notice the lack of the strap button. So at least for the strap button, I think I can do that. Thanks again.

[@chrisvanderwesthuizen9714]

I bought this guitar yesterday, and yes, the action is really a bit hard, I even find it a bit difficult to play open chords on the first two frets. Luckily it sounded as if the shop would be willing to customise the set-up for me in the first week, so I am going to call them as soon as they open tomorrow morning. Even if I have to pay, I think its going to be worth every cent. I estimate (by eye) the 1st string is about 3 to 4 mm at the 12th fret vs. your 4/64th (1.5 mm). I can't pick up any odour on the nut and saddle, do you think it could be any other material than urea? Unfortunately I don't know if the guitar was made this year of if it has been in the shop for some time. I also found the tread ends over the length of the neck are nice and smooth, however over the guitar body it gets very rough. So I think I won't be asking them to replace the nut and saddle, as the sound is really great, just to make the action easier, smooth the fret ends if they can and fit the strap button exactly where you did. Thank you so much for the video!

[@jimhollis41]

Chris van der Westhuizen...glad you liked the video. This IS a great guitar for the money even with the stock saddle and nut. All guitars...expensive or not...require some setup to make them play the way you like them to play. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@albertfarraro5523]

I just bought this guitar and I love it. Feels great and sounds nice too. I like it a lot better than my 1968 gibson acoustic wich is worth a lot more.

[@dougross2256]

What a difference in the sound

[@S_C_O_R_C_H]

Yamaha puts high nuts and saddles in their guitar on purpose to ALLOW the buyer the room to make the adjustments for preferred action. I bought one of these an immediately swapped out the saddle for a bone one which I also shaved down a bit to get the action to 1.5mm off the 12th fret. the new saddle definitely improved the tone too.

[@123raggett1]

Did it need that though? As a buyer who won’t be doing all that will I be happy with it the way it is out the shop?

[@koofdome]

First thing I did was remove the pickguard. Kills the tone, very slight but great difference with it removed. Plus if you decide you want one again, they are cheap and easy to slap on.

[@jimhollis41]

koofdome...you’re definitely not the only one who feels that way about pickguards. It’s kind of a necessity with me cause of the way I play. I’d Willie Nelson every guitar I own without a pickguard...lol. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@nitishsingh...6862]

Awesome review...❤

[@msd24200]

So how much would you charge to do all this to another one

[@capichon2011]

What kind of material is the original nut and saddle? Is it plastic...?

[@KevinMillard68]

nothing is perfect you do know this right,, i just boughtt he same guitar yesterday and its fine no propblems ar all the action was nice and low no buzzz any where as for that smell no idea what your talking about new guitars have a smell to them but i doubt this is the saddle or nut and sure did not notice it i gots mine off the rack on the wall the store i never shop online for guitars and amp,, have to agree no strap button sucks ill haev to put one in but thats ok done that hundredes of times easy fix and cheap to ..

[@jimhollis41]

Kevys Rc & Music...yep I’m aware not to expect perfection from a $299 guitar for sure. Since I was doing a review type video I just pointed out everything I happened to notice. I was able to get the action where I like it without any buzz as well even with the frets not being totally level. Still no clue really on what the smell was. It was just very strong when I removed the guitar from the packaging. Thanks for watching and commenting...

[@KevinMillard68]

@@jimhollis41 i dont expect perfection from anything made by man even the most expensive guitars have flaws , new wood has a smell to it for sure and when you mix woods the oders mixa and sometimes its not a great smell either depending on the mix of woods, yamaha tho does make some really awesome gear tho either way i haev a had a number of different yamaha guitars over the years but i do favor taylor guitars these days as my fav for acoustics , i got this one in a righty model to play on from tiem to time iam a lefty and have been my whole life but i can play both ways but when it comes to money on expesive stuff its for my leftys only

[@jingchen7404]

Great video, thanks!

[@jimhollis41]

Glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks for watching and commenting...

[@bfraze1090]

Any idea what you can replace the tuners with without having to drill any holes?

[@JacopoVaglio]

Yamaha FGX800c or Fender CD140sce?

[@123raggett1]

That’s my current question. What did you end up doing?

[@JacopoVaglio]

@@123raggett1 ended up with this one kzbin.info/www/bejne/r5KUo4Z_adt0Y68

[@ethankas11]

How do you take care of the walnut fretboard? Never had a guitar with one and not sure how to clean it and if you can use lemon oil

[@jimhollis41]

I treat all fretboards the same regardless of the type of wood. Clean as needed...typically with just a damp cloth...and then oil 1-2 times per year. I tend to use linseed oil but lemon oil works. Hope this helps.

[@marycomercial3557]

fsx800c or fender cc 60sce which one do you think is better?

[@jimhollis41]

This is just personal preference but I'm not a fan of Fender acoustic guitars. I love their electric guitars and basses just not the acoustics. That being said, as far as specs and price goes they are pretty similar. I haven't played either guitar but if I had to purchase one, I'd go with the Yamaha.

[@marycomercial3557]

@@jimhollis41 Thank you so much!

[@fernandohose804]

how long is the saddle bridge? i bought FGX830C and try to upgrade to bone saddle but have i problem with the long of saddle. The yamaha's one seems longer than aftermarket saddle

[@rapymeaniesmn]

fgx 800c vs fsx800c?

[@jimhollis41]

I guess it depends on what you're looking for in a guitar. The FGX is a dreadnought body and FSX is a concert body. If you're playing unplugged, the FGX will have more volume. If you're playing plugged in and want a bit of a smaller body then the FSX would work. Construction and electronics are essentially the same.

[@Bigroy1975]

where did you get the nut and bridge at? cant find a nut with right string spacing at

[@jimhollis41]

I typically order bone preslotted nuts and blanks from Amazon. No nut will come ready to just put on the guitar and start playing. They all need to be fit to the instrument. If the nut width is ok but not the spacing then I file down the precut string slots and cut my own. If the preslotted bone nut isn’t wide enough, I make one from a bone blank. Hope this helps.

[@mcrstudio8418]

Or fender cd60sce ?

[@gordo907]

FWIW, I returned a Fender CS60sce and bought one of these Yamahas..much nicer guitar, plays better, sounds WAY better (the fender was totally lifeless), and the overall fit and finish was much better on the Yamaha..

[@jimhollis41]

music pedia...I haven’t played the CS60sce specifically but think I would have to agree with gordo907. Most Fender acoustics I have played don’t sound as good as the Yamaha acoustics I’ve played. I know that’s a huge generalization cause I’ve played some of each that I both do and don’t like. Best thing is to try and play a guitar before buying it and compare the sound of the instruments for yourself. The most important thing is for you to like the sound of the guitar you’re playing. Thanks so much for watching and commenting.

[@noufalnafzz7964]

@@jimhollis41 dear sir what about the string spacing of yamaha is that normal 5 or more

[@noufalnafzz7964]

@@jimhollis41 looking for a solid top cutaway guitar for precussive fingerstyle whats ur suggestion please reply

[@MrWhite-hf4ge]

Nice video. Does this model sound the as good as the FG800 acoustically? Do you have any experience with the FGX800c sound compared to the APX600?

[@jimhollis41]

Mr. White...I'm definitely not a Yamaha expert but I'll try to address what I can. I haven't played an FG800 but according to specs it has a solid spruce top as well. So acoustically, with similar setup, strings, and saddle I'd guess they would sound pretty similar. As far as the APX600 goes I don't have any experience with it at all. I do however, have a friend that owns an APX1000 and I don't like that guitar at all. With the APX being a thinline guitar it's not going to compare acoustically to a solid top dreadnought. The only other Yamaha I can compare it to acoustically is my early 80's FG512II 12 string and the FGX800C definitely compares. I love my Yamaha 12 string and play it at every gig. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@jomama55ful]

@@jimhollis41 I used to own a Yamaha FG312 (72 model). I loved that guitar. I now have a Yamaha FG820-12. It lives up to the FG name. Excellent guitar. Amazing resonance. Also just got the FSX800C. Worth every penny and more.

[@jimhollis41]

@@jomama55ful...happy playing!!

[@neilmartin99]

Do you what type strings come with this from factory. I like this guitar out of the box but didn't have any luck replicating the original sound with new strings. Tried D'Addario EXP 11's so far.

[@jomama55ful]

I bought one of these as well. They come with D'Addario 12s. I didn't like them as they were muted on the low end without amplification for my taste. I tried 10s, but still not the resonance I wanted. I finally went to Curt Mangan 9-42s. wow, the thing pops now. Go with 9s. You will love the sound. Also as others have said, you will need to lower the action, but when you do it is a joy to play. Likely you will have to readjust (relax) the neck relief, as the tension is lower with the 9s. If you are a heavy strummer, the 9s may be too light, but I'm a fingerstyle player. Perfect for me, and it really shines with the resonance.

[@123raggett1]

@@jomama55ful is the action extraordinarily high out the shop? I can’t change things and won’t so need to know if it’s worth buying when I won’t be changing things.

[@jomama55ful]

@@123raggett1 Your interpretation of an extraordinarily high action is at best subjective. I've only purchased 2 Yamahas built in china, an fg-812, and this FSX-800C. Both actions were high, but my thinking was that they both were pretty consistent in their heights, as if it was intentional from the factory. Both were playable, even without "mature" calluses. However both benefitted from having the actions lowered. Both have great build quality. I'm very happy with my FSX-800C. It gets played every day. Holds tune well. I put Ernie Ball Earthwood Phosphor wound 9s on it and love the sound. The pickup system seems to sound excellent to me, but I'll admit I'm no professional. I use a 10 Watt Donner amp and pipe it to my recording equipment, with great results for recording and use with headphones.

[@minhaoguitar7070]

Made in indo or China ? Sir

[@jimhollis41]

Been a very long time since this guitar was in the shop but I think it’s made in China...

[@minhaoguitar7070]

@@jimhollis41 thaks

[@Fraliupro]

😎👍

[@xx-gp4me]

Urea is literally the same molecule that gives urine its smell/name.

[@onarollwithgringosupremo1283]

First: thanks for the review and tips, but dang it's chock-full of repetition. It could be easily half as long and therefore exponentially more effective with the verbal "fat" trimmed. I could only stay with it until halfway. I say this because I communicate for a living and assume you'd like honest, constructive criticism. If I'm wrong, I apologize. Either way, thanks for taking the time to contribute!

[@jimhollis41]

Thanks for the feedback. I've been considering a channel "reboot" so I'll take this into consideration.

[@driger888]

strings should be replaced with elixir light nanowebs.

[@jimhollis41]

CONNIE HAWKINS...I play Elixir strings on all my guitars. If I’m doing a setup on a new guitar like the one in this video I will give the person the option to have the strings swapped. In this case he chose not to replace the stock strings. I will say that with this guitar being a dreadnought body, you could use the lights, HDs (medium light), or even mediums. I have a jumbo and a dred that I keep medium strings on cause I love the tone they bring to the guitar. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@driger888]

@@jimhollis41 great video. i just purchased that guitar and am awaiting its arrival. i bought a $200 yamaha non electric version a couple years ago, and the elixirs took it too another level. sounds like a more expensive taylor. what height did you lower the string setup too? as i recall the factory string setup is not bad. it played well so i decided not to mess with it.

[@jimhollis41]

CONNIE HAWKINS...I play all my acoustic guitars at 5/64 on the bass side and 4/64 on the treble side...measured at the 12th fret. Most guitars come a bit higher than that but I play 2-3 hour shows and don’t like to work that hard...lol.

[@driger888]

@@jimhollis41 thank you, i'll check out some more of your vids.

[@innervoltage2698]

Urea means urine

[@415TCrider]

My Lord its a chinese import not the Mona Lisa......geez.

[@jimhollis41]

It’s also not the Sistine Chapel so what’s your point? If the video isn’t for you then just go watch something else. Believe it or not there are lots of people out there looking for a good quality, entry level guitar and this is a great choice.

[@byroncjohnston1]

you talk WAY too much. Plus you repeat TOO much.

[@jimhollis41]

Since the key to learning is repetition, yeah I repeated some stuff. If my videos aren't for you, there are plenty of others on KZbin.