Yamaha is impressive: FGX5 Red Label

[martingitdave]

I hope to get some help from my buddy Cuki79 in posting the recordings of this guitar. I have many talents. Recording is not one of them. But, I think I set it up correctly and sent the Logic file to him.

Preface

Last year I toyed around with a used FGX5 that was built sometime during the pandemic. It had some problems with the setup and the electronics. So, I moved it on. I could tell it was a "good" guitar, but I had neither the time or inclination to sort it out. I think the buyer was able to make lemonade.

Review

On Thursday I became a full of G.A.S. and decided that it was time to retry the Yamaha FGX5. I had not heard any recent chatter to pique my interest, but I did have some frustration and disappointment with a recent Taylor 417e I purchased locally. I decided to order the Yamaha from Sweetwater (based on Aaron's satisfaction with them) and picked one that was a fair bit lighter than the others. Considering it has a lot of electronics inside, it's actually very light for a big spruce/mahogany dreadnought.

The Yamaha arrived overnight setup perfectly out of the box. The feel of this guitar is unique. It has a satin polished feel that I haven't experienced on other guitars. It's a very intimate feeling in the hands, as best as I can describe. I don't play 80/20 or lights, but I'd be tempted to switch because of the way this guitar sounds to me.

The tone is excellent. It's not a Martin D-18 exactly, or a Bourgeois Country Boy, or a Collings D1, although I would say it's closer to the D-18. Chords melt together with resonance. Single notes ring. Fingers or pick. It's the kinds of guitar sound that guitar people get excited about.

The pickup is super versatile. There's no digital trickery here. Just 3 sensors into an onboard analog preamp located in the shoulder of the guitar. The controls are smart and give you the most flexibility on stage. It's doesn't seem to feedback.

Conclusion

It's a bit crazy that Yamaha can produce a guitar of this quality by hand in Japan for the price of $1600US. The R&D into the pickup alone justifies a much higher price. The quality of the torrefied tops and bracing usually commands more money on the market. I think if they raised the price to $3,000 they would sell more of them because people wouldn't turn their noses up at a "cheap" guitar.

To be honest, I can't imagine a working artist wanting much more from their acoustic guitar on stage. Or an amatuer wanting more guitar for their money. They sell a smaller version (FSX5) which is evidently well liked.

But guitar people are a fickle bunch and few famous people play Yamahas. I guess that's good because I can still afford one. No, you can't have mine. That is until I get GAS for something else. But I will regret selling this one, if I ever do.

[Joseph Hanna]

My endless mantra and drum beat. It defines conventional norms that Yamaha is building guitars on this level of craftsmanship and really, never mind the price of entry. Which also defies logic. I’ll never get tired of saying my LS-36 is the single finest acoustic guitar I’ve ever heard, played or held.

[davidd]

You are preaching to the choir. I have a FSX5 that is my go to. If I can get a deal on the basic FG5 I'm all in. Congrats!

[martingitdave]

Originally Posted by Joseph Hanna

My endless mantra and drum beat. It defines conventional norms that Yamaha is building guitars on this level of craftsmanship and really, never mind the price of entry. Which also defies logic. I’ll never get tired of saying my LS-36 is the single finest acoustic guitar I’ve ever heard, played or held.

A LL26 that had some shop wear was one of the better guitars I’ve played. I was on a road trip and had no business guitar shopping otherwise I would have bought it.

Looking around my house I should not be surprised. My girls’ digital piano, my favorite compact amplifier, my past favorite electric guitar, and all the guitars from my youth were made by Yamaha.

[thestubbyone]

3 days ago I was out doing errands and passing by the Guitar Center near where I live. I decided to stop in and test the guitars they have on the wall in the sound room. (Over the years I have learned to stay away because I wind up buying something) As luck would have it there was a used Martin D 18 on the wall and also a Yamaha FG5x. Sooooo, I had the clerk take them down so I could try them out in comparison. This is just my opinion but I own 3 taylors a Martin and a Hy vibe. I found that yamaha in sound, playability and even appearance won on all accounts! I felt a slight fever coming on with the onset of that disease, "i got to have that guitar!"

[Cuki79]

Here you are

Rode NT1 recording


Atmosfeel Pickup recording

[martingitdave]

Originally Posted by Cuki79

Here you are

Rode NT1 recording


Atmosfeel Pickup recording

Thank you so much! Now, I'm going to have to bug you later to figure out how to process the files correctly!

[columbia]

A really nice-looking and sounding guitar.

[SpruceTop]

Dave, the Yamaha FGX5 is a good-sounding guitar (I've also got one), both acoustically and amplified, and for about USD 1500, it's an acoustic performer's dream! Is there something else acoustic players really need to search for in a gig-ready guitar and champion it over the Yamaha FGX5 that justifies the prospective guitar's likely more expensive cost, and if so, what guitar is it? A player could leave their expensive Martin at home and gig a Yamaha FGX5 and feel ready to deliver the musical goods.

[People Land]

I have and gig with my FG5(with a K&K pu) for about a year now, love it, It took a 2ft fall recently, busted up a corner binding, still rocks, its a lifer.

[doctone]

This video of the development of the new "Red Label" series tells a lot about Yamaha's design philosophy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYf7sCdxuG4
Hundreds of prototypes, computer simulation, input from YGD... by the way, I think you could not overestimate the impact of their A.R.E. technology.
You wrote something that is exactly what I feel about my FS5: probably the best guitar I can afford. And my hands agree: it is such a joy to grab and play it.

[martingitdave]

Well there are a number of satisfied customers here! I didn’t think this thread would get much action because this model is not popular or expensive, or new for that matter. But folks seem to be interested.

Ken echoed my comments. If something like this had been available, with this kind of tech and price, 10 or 20 years ago, I may have avoided the kind of buying and selling I’ve done. It’s pretty hard to convince yourself you need more.

[Cuki79]

The video is great. I embedded it.



Not only Taylor can do good marketing.

[Railroad Bum]

Funnily enough, a guy I met over on Reddit just picked up a brand-new LL-36 for around 4K, and that is hand-made on a single bench at the custom shop in Japan. It's one of the nicest acoustic guitars in the world, IMO.

Anyway, he posted a thread about it, and all these people were trying (and failing to) put this guitar down as second-rate. It was stuff like, Oh, that neck looks thin. It's not thin. Oh, two of the tuners are black instead of gold--how cheap! Uh, that's shadow in the picture. It's way too blingey for my taste, lol. If there is one line of guitars that is absolutely not overly adorned, it's the L series from Yamaha. Here's a stock pic of the LL-36: https://www.yamaha.com/en/about/expe...n/detail/3064/

I just thought the whole thing was pretty funny and exemplifies the general ignorance about Yamaha in general.

[DownUpDave]

Dave congratulations on your new beauty. I've been fortunate to play a number of them and the FS5 as well and was always impressed. I have to say the pick up sound is fantastic, some of the nicest I've heard. If I didn't know it was plugged in I would have thought it was straight up acoustic. That's the best compliment anyone could pay.