Used Yamaha FG700S Guitar Review - Is It Still Good?

Every guitarist desires something unique from their instrument. As a result, a simple yet adaptable and reliable guitar is frequently the ideal choice. While low prices are appealing, they frequently mean sacrificing quality. Most of us wish there were more choices between the subpar budget guitars and the expensive higher-end levels. This is the target market for the Yamaha FG700S and its siblings. Consider how the Yamaha FG700S performs.

Features

Yamaha FG700S features

Solid Sitka Spruce on the top
Nato's back and sides
The NATO neck
43mm Nut Width
Plastic Nut & Saddle
Dreadnought body type
No electronic support

The Yamaha FG700S is indeed a dreadnought guitar. Its solid spruce top, which provides a better tone than laminated tops, sets it apart from other guitars in this price range. The rest of the body is made of nato laminate. The neck is made of solid nato and features a rosewood fretboard and die-cast tuners. The neck is slightly narrower than typical, with a fretboard width of 43mm.

While the nut and saddle are made of plastic, the overall quality of the materials is higher than average for this price range. The Yamaha FG700S is made to last, and the sound will improve with time. That is what makes genuine wood so appealing. The Yamaha FG700S sports non-scalloped X-bracing, unlike the subsequent Yamaha FG800 series. The bracing increases the tone's endurance and depth.

Tone

The wonderful full loudness that I could pull from the guitar was my initial impression of the tone. And, for a guitar in this price range, the purity of tone at that volume was extremely astounding.

I thought the FG700S Yamaha possessed even more than the usual dreadnought. But what if you slowed down? It was reduced to a whisper. As a result, it has a strong dynamic range.

Warm or bright?

I'd give the Yamaha a 6.5 to 7 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being quite muddy and 10 being crisp and tinny. SO bright and sharp, yet not to an overwhelming degree.

The Materials

Solid Sitka Spruce for the top (soundboard). It's as basic as it gets. But there's a reason it's conventional. And Sitka Spruce is a big cause for the FG700S Yamaha wide dynamic range. It's also the source of the bright, resonant sound.

Back and sides of Yamaha FG700S Back and sides are made of a laminate called Nato. I'd never seen a guitar with solid wood back and sides for less than $500 before, so I wasn't expecting it here.

Tuners are die-cast chrome. Plastic tuners are sometimes used on guitars in this price range to save money. Thankfully, the FG700S does not.

Nut and Saddle: Plastic nut and saddle. Many inexpensive Yamahas (sometimes even models in the 500-1000 price range) and many guitars under $500 feature plastic nuts and saddles. This isn't a reason to avoid buying a cheap Yamaha because they have a lot of other nice features and upgrading to bone or something like TUSQ isn't too expensive.

Rosewood bridge. The bridge is responsible for transporting sound from the strings to the soundboard, and Rosewood is one of the greatest materials for this. Another tiny key to the sound quality for the money.

Playability

As is usually the case, the action was too fast for me 95% of the time. It will be OK as is if you enjoy a high action, but if you prefer a lesser action, like myself, I would get it configured down. If you can't do it yourself, hiring someone to do it for you is typically affordable.

The Action

As with most guitars, the first thing I would do is decrease the action. Despite the less-than-ideal action, it turned out to be a good game.

My hands were not tired, and actions like sliding, bending, and hammer-ons required no effort. This would become quite quick and smooth with a lower action.

Fretboard (Fingerboard)

All is well because the fretboard is rosewood. And this would have contributed to the enjoyment of the game.

Neck Width

The nut measures 1 and 11/16 inch wide (43mm). This is quite conventional and should satisfy the majority of players.

The FG700S is an extremely popular guitar, as seen by the amount of reviews above! And rightfully so.

Pros and Cons

After all of that information, a quick refresher is inneeded. Let's take a look at the Yamaha FG700S's greatest and worst features.

Pros

Excellent value for money
Sound projection is strong
Simple to play
Very adaptable sound
It's difficult not to like the Yamaha FG700S, given its low price and strong performance. There aren't many budget-friendly guitars that can handle it

Cons

Some people claim to have a lot of string activity
There is no cutaway
Except for the simple design, I can't think of any significant disadvantages. If you want additional features, you'll have to either pay more or forfeit quality

Yamaha FG700S vs Alvarez AD60

Which one is better?

To get a better idea of how the Yamaha FG700S guitar performs, let's compare it to a similar rival. There are two major changes in the construction. The AD60 features a forward-shifted, scalloped bracing arrangement instead of nato. This amplifies the volume. It also contains a bone nut and saddle, as well as strap knobs that are already fitted. They are, nonetheless, fairly similar in general.

The sound is a little louder and janglier, and not quite as smooth. Because the neck is slightly broader, young guitarists may find barre chords more difficult. It costs about the same as the Yamaha FG700S.

Who should play Yamaha FG700S?

First and foremost, as a beginner's guitar, this is an excellent choice. It has a balanced, even tone and is enjoyable to play, which are both crucial features - and it won't break the bank, which is also important for novices who don't want to pay too much.

Get someone to reduce the action on it to make it an even better beginner's guitar. This will make playing easier and more enjoyable. It's a full-size dreadnought, so it's probably not for little children.

It's also an excellent alternative for anybody looking for a second guitar to go to the beach, the campground, or anywhere else while their more costly instrument is left at home.

Despite the fact that this instrument is commonly referred to as a "folk" guitar, it is unlikely to be suitable for folk music. It's a dreadnought with a big sound, and the sitka spruce top, in my opinion, makes it too bright for folk. Pop, rock, country, blues, bluegrass, and more genres, in my opinion, would benefit from this.

In conclusion, we can say Yamaha FG700S is the suitable one for everyone who is just at the very beginning level of playing guitar. Therefore, it would be a bargain for any guitarist!