Gretsch Guitars 6 String Acoustic Guitar, Right, 2 Color Sunburst
$169.00
Basswood body with X-bracing 12th fret, 24”-scale nato set neck with synthetic bone nut Vintage-style 18 frets Walnut fingerboard with pearloid dot inlays Top-load walnut bridge with compensated saddle
Item Weight | 3 pounds |
---|---|
Scale Length | 24 |
ASIN | B00BEYDFA8 |
UNSPSC Code | 60131303 (Guitars) |
Item model number | 2704000503 |
Customer Reviews | /* 4.6 out of 5 stars 752 ratings P.when('A', 'cf').execute(function(A) { 4.6 out of 5 stars |
Best Sellers Rank | #7,619 in Musical Instruments (See Top 100 in Musical Instruments) #22 in Steel-String Acoustic Guitars |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
Date First Available | February 12, 2013 |
Back Material | Agathis |
Body Material | Basswood |
Color Name | 2 Color Sunburst |
Fretboard Material | Walnut Wood |
Product Dimensions | 14.96 x 3 x 35.43 inches |
Top Material | Agathis |
String Material | Phosphor Bronze |
Neck Material Type | Nato Wood |
Number of Strings | 6 |
Guitar Bridge System | Fixed |
Size | 2-Color Sunburst |
Voltage | 240 Volts |
Brand | Gretsch Guitars |
Color | 2 Color Sunburst |
Top Material Type | Agathis |
Back Material Type | Agathis |
Fretboard Material Type | Walnut Wood |
String Material Type | Phosphor Bronze |
Hand Orientation | Right |
60 reviews for Gretsch Guitars 6 String Acoustic Guitar, Right, 2 Color Sunburst
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CloseBuying policies Squier by Fender Bullet Stratocaster – Hard Tail – Laurel Fingerboard – Tropical Turquoise
$199.00 Buy nowRated 4.25 out of 5CloseBuying policies Squier by Fender Bullet Stratocaster – Hard Tail – Laurel Fingerboard – Tropical Turquoise
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17 reviews for CloseBuying policies Squier by Fender Bullet Stratocaster – Hard Tail – Laurel Fingerboard – Tropical Turquoise
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Rated 5 out of 5
James –
W purchase
First guitar so I’m not really experienced with this. However I can for sure tell you the color is VERY nice and it feels really nice to play
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Rated 4 out of 5
P. LucasP. Lucas –
Good guitar with some fit and finish issues
I bought this for my daughter for Christmas as her first guitar. She liked it because the color was cool and I liked it because it was a decent starter guitar that wasn’t super expensive. It is a really good guitar and from a distance it looks fantastic but upon close inspection you can see where the cost savings occurred. If you buy this be prepared or at least open to doing a little basic setup and minor finishing to make it the best it can be and also make it more comfortable to play.The neck was nice to the touch, soft satin finish on the back. Not the softest i’ve felt but definitely nice for the price. The Indian laurel fretboard is nice but could use some oil treatment as it looked very dried out. The paint finish on the body was also very nice. My daughter quickly sticker bombed it to her liking.On my unit many of the screws were not flush or screwed in straight. some had quite a bit of gap between the screw head and the pick guard which could be sharp if you brushed your hand against it. Also although the frets and fretboard are nice, there were a few frets with sharp edges. You may want to buy a luthier file and dress the edges of the frets to make them smooth. The frets in general could use a good polish, many were slightly corroded and had a scratchy tone when bending a string. One of my string trees on the headstock was either mounted incorrectly or bent. The “D” string was bent quite a bit lower than the “G” string above the nut.Set up wise the guitar needed quite a bit of attention. The nut was fine, could be a little lower but was ok. The bridge was not set up properly, the “G” string was low. the pickups were not set up at all, they were flat even across the body when generally they should be lower on the 6th string side and generally the bridge pickup would be lower than the middle and the middle lower than the bridge. Intonation was a bit off on most of the strings.If you have time to spend doing some polishing of this guitar’s rough edges and doing a proper setup you can end up with a very nice playing guitar that looks great also for not much money. If you don’t have the time or energy to fix some of the finish issues you might find this one uncomfortable to play.
22 people found this helpful
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Rated 4 out of 5
Dutch –
Ideal for what it offers
This was a great decision. I have owned several guitars of various levels of price and brand. This Squier has a solid spot against the entire collection.Value obviously the best of all. Mine is a really beautiful choice. Plays great, stays in tune and can be a excellent platform to upgrade at reasonable cost. U do not have to upgrade to enjoy playing it. I certainly do not gig but am avid hobbyist and can play daily well enough to afford the habit.I will upgrade with pots/electrics and strings and have already selected Fender brand guard and covers. It stays in tune and I’m not a shredder so tuners not mandatory at this stage. Honestly I like this one and likely will buy another Bullet.I really like the Classic Vibes but for cost comparison the Bullet with even complete upgrade options gets the job done for me.Very pleased even as is out of the box. Fender has it figured out.PS-Specs on Fender site confirm maple neck and it really sustains and resonates. Very nice fit/finish as well. I will be treating fingerboard and trimming down fret edges a bit. No serious fret sprout however. I’ve had expensive brand guitars with same task as well btw.
4 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
SV –
Love it!
Great value, good guitar. I’ve experienced many guitars and I’ve always loved the idea of a hard tailed strat, this delivers!. I’m impressed, even the setup, action, intonation was done right.
2 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Reagan –
Good beginner guitar
I really like this guitar, the color is awesome too. I bought a cheap Fender amp with it and they do the job for a beginner like me. I went ahead and replaced all my strings with Elixir strings since I had a string break after a couple weeks of playing everyday (despite keeping them clean) and that made a big difference as well.
4 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Scrooge McDuck –
Great sound, great feel but measure and setup.
Do a quick check the feelers or the micrometer and you’re off to jam.
3 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Cindi M. Wilson –
Nice guitar
Bought this for my daughter for her 15th birthday and she loved it!
2 people found this helpful
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Rated 1 out of 5
Spencer Worlton –
Comes with an annoying vibration that I can’t fix
When I got it there were some scratches on the white part, and on the back. As soon I opened it and tuned it, the bridge kept making the E string vibrate so it’s constantly hitting the bridge. I don’t wanna have to go through the work of taking the bridge off and trying to fix. If I buy this new I expect it to be put together correctly already.
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Rated 4 out of 5
brandi –
Seller very good. Guitar okay for beginners.
A decent, inexpensive option for a beginner. Seller was great; everything arrived safe and sound and a day earlier than expected.
12 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
AprilApril –
Perfect for beginners
This is a very nice guitar and perfect for beginners!
3 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Everything Music & Guitar Shenanigans –
I can’t believe the amount of guitar you get for the cheap price
I’m a luthier. I was able to make this play like a $1,300 American made Stratocaster. I spent another $50 on parts and I had it completely playing like a real Fender
20 people found this helpful
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Rated 1 out of 5
Jordan Ong –
Stopped working after a month
Do not buy it unless you know how to fix a guitar. Mine stopped working after a month
2 people found this helpful
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Rated 4 out of 5
S. Moe –
Get your new guitar properly setup
I think, in manufacturing, they just turn the bolt for the neck truss untill it’s tight.This guitar was practically unplayable, the action was so low most notes on every string would rattle against the frets. I had to loosen the neck truss 3 full turns before I could see any bend in the neck, I gave it another 1/2 turn for good measure. These cheap maple necks are very stiff. Now it plays like a real Stratocaster.I love it. it looks great . It has that Strat sound, all 3000 of them. Very light and easy to handle. It’s not an high-quality instrument, it works right, but within 10-years it will break, and maybe you will learn how to repair guitars. What this guitar needs now is a eager-to-learn child to spend it’s next 10-years with.
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Rated 5 out of 5
Brian Shackett –
Squier
Delivered quick good price beautiful
One person found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Jay –
WOULD RECOMMEND
it’s amazing! No problems other than needing to replace the strings! Lovely colors! 10/10
One person found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Bruce Garcia –
Precio justo y un buen producto
Por el precio obtienes una guitarra decente para empezar, recomiendo hacer un ajuste de alma y puente para que quede mejor a tu gusto y cambiar las clavijas por unas de mejor calidad y así mejoras mucho la calidad de tu guitarra.En general satisfecho con este modelo aunque sí es necesario ajustar un par de cosas.
One person found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Bob Stone –
Raising the bar
Can’t believe they can sell such a great guitar at such a low price.
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Guitar
Yamaha FS800 T Concert Acoustic Limited Edition Tinted Natural Top
$219.00 Buy nowRated 4.95 out of 5Yamaha FS800 T Concert Acoustic Limited Edition Tinted Natural Top
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Rated 5 out of 5
paul506 –
Yamaha has surprised me!
The most for your money is Yamaha. The FS800t was absolutely perfect and it’s sounds great. I was a sceptic about Yamaha. I love a good deal and I got a great one.
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Rated 4 out of 5
Robert B. –
Great guitar, great sound
Been playing an electric for awhile and wanted to pickup a acoustic to mess around with but didn’t want to break the bank, this is one of the best sub $300 acoustic guitars you can buy very happy with it so far.
3 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Pat Gilliam –
The sound and resonation.
I love the size and comfort of this guitar. I put my preferred strings on and I haven’t put it down. I think my other guitars are getting jealous.
5 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
TLJ –
Great instrument for the price.
Easy to play, very nice tone for a small guitar, stays in tune. Couldn’t ask for more for the price.
3 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Eric Fallgren –
The Best Entry Level Guitar AND A Perfect Addition To A Pro’s Quiver Of Strong Acoustic Guitars
Out of the box, after resting for 24 hours in my home, I found a well built and without mistakes (excess glue, lifting bridge). It arrived without tuned tension on the strings. Action and intonation out of the box for the first tuning was great. Tone is about 3/4 of a Dreadnaut. Miced with a SM 57, then a Presonus Condenser showed excellent results through ProTools, Studio 3 and Reaper. This is a perfect guitar for recording. Easy to play, finish is beautifle with the tinted vintage style finish. I give this guitar five stars.
8 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
KD –
Great guitar!
Wow, what can I say about this amazing little guitar? Out of the box, it looked really nice, and while the action was still a little high from the factory, it played just fine. After having the action set up properly and premium strings installed, it’s like having a completely different guitar that sounds a lot more expensive than what I paid for it. I think this is absolutely perfect for beginners as well as a more experienced player that wants something inexpensive that they can knock around with. As usual, Yamaha has made another quality instrument that I’m happy to own.
6 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
cspu –
Very nice guitar for the price. Setup recommended
This guitar really impressed me right out of the box. It looks fantastic and sounds great. It is perfectly playable but the action is a little high so a setup would be a good idea to make this outstanding.
3 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Stormy –
Love This Guitar
Love this guitar so much. I have small hands and it’s a perfect fit for me. And it’s so affordable as well. I didn’t make a mistake with this one. 🙂 Nice sound and look.
4 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Richard Wilson –
Great guitar, great experience with shipper
Very pleased with the appearance of the guitar and the sound. Extremely happy with the shipper. Described the way it was packaged to my son’s guitar instructor, including the information that told us to wait 24 hours before we opened the box to let the instrument climatize. His instructor was not only impressed, but used to stop at that store to play the instrument when he was younger. He as well as I am highly recommending this shipper for musical instruments
2 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
P. Brodersen –
Excellent beginner guitar, quality retailer
The guitar is excellent… bought for a new student. Setup out of the box was good, fit and finish very good for a guitar of this price. The Yamaha box was packed in a rectangular box, well marked, and instructions to receiver to all it to normalize temperature before opening – first excellent advice I’ve seen on the box especially for this price of guitar. I would buy both this guitar, and from this retailer, again, and will recommend them to others.
5 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
mmattox –
Great Guitar for a Great Price
I am a beginner and this has been the best Guitar to learn on.Sounds amazing.
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Rated 5 out of 5
Scootampa –
Excellent Guitar that won’t break the bank!
Came packaged beautifully. Sellers were wonderful and included personalized guarantee. Just learning with a few apps but am impressed by the sound already. It literally sings! Some notes/strings are a little “twangy” but I’m sure I’ll learn to adjust them. I bought the concert size and even though I have really big hands it fits me perfectly!
3 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Jason and Michelle Anderson –
Great Value
Perfect beginner guitar.
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Rated 5 out of 5
MichaelMichael –
Super nice, slightly smaller guitar.
I love this guitar. The fit and finish on the T tinted version are excellent. The color is a bit darker and much richer than in the photos. It is a beautiful guitar. The neck feels great. It is smooth and a bit small with the strings a little closer together than on my Telecaster. It took me a few tries to get used to this. That said, the size of the guitar makes it way more comfortable for me than a full sized dreadnought body. It sounds great. Loud but not overpowering in my apartment. Many would consider this a good starter instrument but it’s a nice sounding keeper. There are simpley no drawbacks. I have much more resonant and expensive guitars but for something to carry around when on the road it sounds and plays just fine. at this price point you can’t beat this Yamaha guitar.
2 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Jon –
Very nice, very playable guitar.
It’s no Martin or Taylor but this is a very nice budget guitar. The fit and finish is outstanding on the one I received and I have no complaints other than that it was made in China. So time will tell if you catch my drift.
3 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Stagehand Jim –
Perfect for me.
Nice sound, resonance, action and simple good looks. Came packed in a top notch manner from Chicago Music Exchange. Vintage tinted top looks like my FG110 from the Seventies, without the dings and stains. Yamaha FS800 Concert size guitar: perfect for me to play at home with guests. – Stagehand Jim
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Rated 5 out of 5
daniel l –
Some adjustments required
The guitar arrived in perfect condition but did require a truss rod adjustment which i guess is normal. I changed the strings to what are apparently easier to play as well.Overall i really like this guitar and would recommend it for this price category
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Rated 5 out of 5
Old Crow –
Amazing sound and playability, for the money.
Very low action, perfect for beginners.Sound quality equals guitars 2 and 3 times the price.I would recommend this guitar to intermediate level players.
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Rated 5 out of 5
Lucas MazzeoLucas Mazzeo –
Good guitar with two small issues.
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This is a good guitar for the price. It looks really good and sounds great for a guitar at this price point. However it lost two stars for me for two small issues, but the seller wasn’t very helpful.The first issue is a small blemish in the finish. I understand guitars naturally get scratched up over time and I’ll eventually make a few nicks in it myself, but this is a brand new guitar so for it to already have a cosmetic fault out of the box is bothersome.The second issue is I was noticing some buzzing while I was playing and I realized it was coming from the headstock. Upon closer inspection I realized the washer on the G-String tuning post was loose. It seems the nut wasn’t quite tightened down enough. As a result the washer was rattling against the headstock from the vibration of the strings causing the buzzing. Again, tightening the hardware on a guitar is apart of normal maintenance, but a brand new guitar shouldn’t have come with loose hardware out of the box.When I contacted the seller about these issues I wasn’t offered an apology or any sort of compensation. I was simply given the number of their repair centre, which isn’t even open right now due to the COVID lockdown in Ontario. Granted that’s not their fault but I would have appreciated an offer of a discount, or possibly even a replacement for the guitar. In my email I offered to go to their store which is offering curb side pick up.Again, these aren’t huge issues but they aren’t issues that should come with a new guitar and I wasn’t offered an real assistance. When I pressed about the issues in a reply to the email they sent me with their repair centre info, they did not reply.
One person found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
KarmicYogi –
awesome!
This guitar is awesome! sounds very good for its price. Perfect for small hands, only short coming is I cannot attach the guitar strap to it, because there is no hook for it. I think because it is folk guitar, guitar strap is out of question as it is usually played in lap.
2 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Gary V. Reid –
You get what you pay for – its a starter guitar.
An ok guitar for a beginner. Sounds tinny and sometimes muddy, lacking body next to much more expensive guitars. The action is uneven across the frets. But that’s what you get for a few hundred bucks. Its a guitar that a beginner could use until they decide if they really want to pursue this guitar thing. And if they become serious, then they are going to need something better.
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Guitar
Squier by Fender Bullet Stratocaster Beginner Hard Tail Electric Guitar – HSS – Brown Sunburst
$199.99 Buy nowRated 4.39 out of 5Squier by Fender Bullet Stratocaster Beginner Hard Tail Electric Guitar – HSS – Brown Sunburst
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SKU: B07D5TR3R2 Category: Guitar100% Designed by Fender Single-coil Stratocaster neck and middle pickups, humbucking bridge pickup Thin and lightweight body 6-saddle hardtail bridge Satin finish neck Hand orientation: Right
60 reviews for Squier by Fender Bullet Stratocaster Beginner Hard Tail Electric Guitar – HSS – Brown Sunburst
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Rated 3 out of 5
Robert MellenRobert Mellen –
pick guard damage
Just unpacked this guitar/ Noticed damage between the two sound knobs. Looks like something melted and scratched the surface. Need a replacement pick guard for free! Otherwise looks and sounds as expected tor Fender product/ Also purchased a Fender 20-20 amp and shoulder strap with strap locks. Would appreciate a replacement pick guard.
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Rated 5 out of 5
Dr Despicable –
As Good a Starter Strat As You’ll Find!
This guitar was exactly what I was looking for in a Strat – HSS pickups, hardtail bridge, bargain price, good tone, very comfortable to play, and a sensible headstock that isn’t cartoonishly oversized. What I *wasn’t* expecting was the neck wood! Sure, it’s maple, but… I don’t know if it’s “flamed” maple, or what the term is, but it has these marvelous, slightly darker striations, not just on the back of the neck, but on the headstock, as well, that (to me) give it a little more visual personality. All told, between the basic mechanics, tone, playability, and appearance, I am truly well-satisfied!
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Rated 5 out of 5
Steve-o –
Short scale is easier to play, excellent sustain and loud.
I love this guitar. The short scale is easier for my small hands to play and it has an amazing amount of sustain. The Asian build quality of these low end guitars has really improved. The fit and finish was excellent, the humbucker’s do their job, and the tone switch actually makes a difference. It’s also the loudest guitar I own. what I mean by that is it has a really good sound without even being plugged-in. Not “tinny” at all. For a beginner or someone who needs a decent road or “beater” Guitar, I think this is a great choice. Another thing about these inexpensive electrics is that they are a great way to learn about adjusting electric guitars. They are designed to be assembled quickly and easily and it’s unlikely you’ll break anything. And even if you do, it’s not like you broke a $1500 guitar.
2 people found this helpful
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Rated 3 out of 5
Robert M –
Get ready to upgrade pots and pickups immediately.
I own 2 Squire 51 guitars that stock have the finest tone anyone could hope for. These HSS Strats however have the worst tone ever. There is no excuse for the trash electronics in this thing. Not acceptable. They went with the cheapest Pots and pickups they could find. My kids toy microphone inside of a tin can sounds better. Now, I like the fit and finish, set up , and intonation. Spot on. Why is everybody immediately ordering wired pickguards to replace in this ? They like the lightweight . Me too . 7 lbs. I ordered a Musiclilly Pro to drop in. I should not have to do this. I was told this guitar is not returnable.
One person found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Chris –
Love it!
I played guitar as a kid with a run of bad teachers so gave up. No, over 20 years later, I bought a used Kona strat at a garage sale on a whim. Had to do a lot of tweaking to get it to sound somewhat near what I wanted. So, based on reviews, purchased this. Wow! No tweaking needed. Got the sound I wanted right out of the box! I am a big Nirvana fan, so paired this with a distortion pedal and was able to play the songs I wanted.
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Rated 4 out of 5
Cliente Amazon –
For beginners
For a beginner it’s perfect. HSS pickups allow you to vary across different styles. The problem is the cheap components, the pickguard for instance has a small gap with the body and the pots don’t satisfy me pretty much. Especially one of the tones’ gives a bad audio feedback. Nothing to complain, instead, on the tuning: it remains stable. The guitar plays well (for its low-end soul) and isn’t too heavy. Perfect guitar for beginners.
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Rated 5 out of 5
Ryan –
Great starter guitar
This is my first guitar, so I don’t have a lot to compare with, but it’s been fantastic so far.I’ve been using the guitar to learn using the tutorials and app over at Justin Guitar (highly recommended beginner guitar resources). I’ve also been using it to play RockSmith and it works great.I’m sure there are better guitars out there, but I have been very happy with this one as my starter.Pros:More affordable than other guitarsEstablished manufacturerSounds greatCons:No whammy bar, so I can’t pretend to be Buckethead yet…
One person found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
musiclover –
Excellent guitar at an unbelievable price !!
The playability and quality of this guitar is excellent at any price – and the fact it is so inexpensive just blows me away! You will have to dress the frets as the ends are sharp, but it is an easy task to do. The neck is more like a Gibson than a Fender in that it is flatter and wider – and that is more to my liking anyway. Very, Very Happy with this guitar. (I am not a beginner – 54 years experience playing guitar) I bought it just to have a ‘kick around’ electric I could take with me to jams and not stress out if it gets banged around – and now find myself playing it all the time – it is my new ‘go to’ guitar! Love it!
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Rated 5 out of 5
Ultra360 –
Excellent Guitar for the Price.
I bought this guitar for $122 as it was an Amazon open box deal. Out of the box its totally worth the price, but, I put about $100 into the guitar; Fender tuners, Alnico pickups and pre-wired pickguard, a bone nut, and an All Parts bridge. So for just over $200 I have a guitar that plays as good as most $1200 guitar and sounds really great as well. The neck is smooth, the frets are even, and the body is nice and lightweight. Once I changed the parts the strings contact, it made a big difference in quality. Eventually, you’ll want to change the pickups, and you can just buy a bridge pickup for $40 to see the difference. There’s plenty of youtube vids on the guitar and how to replace any part on a Strat. This is a great beginners guitar even at retail, and also for the advanced “project” player on a budget.
5 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Randy –
Great Guitar!
The guitar was packed well for shipping. I’ve played guitar for over 25 years and this Strat actually plays better than any classic model Fender Strats I’ve played. Does not feel cheap at all! Smooth frets, good action. Very little setup needed. The Sound is superb as well. Not too bright and not too dull. Great sound for Blues, Country and Rock.I bought the Fender Squier Bullet HSS Hardtail Strat.
One person found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
DangerousDangerous –
This Bullet Brings Bang for the Buck
I’ve been playing guitar for 21 years and though I’ve only had it out of the box for a few hours, I’m pretty amazed… For reference I’ve played in groups doing everything from metal to R&B to pop punk to top 40 to jazz (combo and big band). As far as gear I’ve used, my ‘72 Les Paul Black Beauty reissue set the bar early on & various HH Jacksons, Kramers, LTDs, and Charvels have been about as wide out as I’ve gone. My tone quest has had me pining for the spank of single coils these past few years and was put off at the thought of my minimal experience with S-style axes having narrow necks with high action. I definitely could have spent a lot of time shopping around for used gear or spending more on a nicer Fender, but really just wanted something to wrench on/upgrade while wetting my whistle with single coil sounds.The box showed up dinged & nearly cracked open so I was even more skeptical about how this would feel. Despite minimal packaging the guitar was intact and clean. Immediate feel in hand was very good – .09 gauge strings, action no higher than my Paul, and the frets were dressed better than some signature models of other brands I’ve tried. After tuning it up the neck sighted amazingly well and while there may be a little room to get lower action, I’m not sure this needs it. The other big bonus is the unfinished neck. I’ve played painted necks exclusively and the one thing that always jumped out at me when trying out guitars were the necks where I could feel wood grain. We’ll see if I end up with a coat on Tung oil on it, but am enjoying the break in as is.Sound – definitely the signature warmth of the neck pickup and all the variance to the twang of the bridge. Controls feel solid and the only oddity is that the bridge doesn’t appear to be wired to a tone pot, but that will likely be a little used position anyhow. Chords chocked up nicely for tight stacatto riffs & the dynamics were very wide. My only gripe is how low output these are, but more than acceptable for value priced pickups.For beginners on a budget and even seasoned players like me, this value is unbeatable! I’m looking forward to upgrading this piece by piece too.
22 people found this helpful
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Rated 4 out of 5
RegularJim –
Great guitar, but needs a little work
If you have the desire and know-how to tinker with guitars, I would recommend this guitar. This is where I throw out what a good deal this is for the price. That’s true. Everything works, everything seems solid, but it lacks the finishing touches you expect on a more expensive instrument. Some people have gotten real gems in the Mustangs, right out of the box. Mine was so-so.For those looking for a first electric guitar, it’s very easy to play. It has a shorter scale than most guitars (24″ vs 24.75″ or 25.5″). It’s not a lot shorter, it looks and feels like a full-size adult guitar, because it is. However, that 1″ or so makes a significant difference in string tension, so it’s much easier to play, chord, and bend the strings. The down side to that is that it’s easy to accidentally bend the strings or press too hard on them and make the notes go sharp. Thicker strings will fix that (I recommend a 0.010″ set).For more experienced players, you’ll need to take care of the frets. Mine were a little rough on the edges upon receipt, and the tops had a film or patina on them that made them really scratchy (cue the 0000 steel wool). Also, the tuners were loose so you may have to put some torque on them (10 mm nut driver).Usually the humbuckers on budget guitars are rather dark and muddy, but these are quite bright sounding, which was a pleasant surprise. The neck was pretty smooth, but was kind of “sawdusty”. I used 0000 steel wool and a couple coats of Dunlop 65 cream of carnuba. Feels much nicer now, and has a glossy sheen. The tuners do their job, but are nothing to write home about. The sparkly blue finish is flawless.As far as the electronics go, you can’t coil-tap these humbuckers (only 2 leads). The selector switch is boxed, unlike the open style in Gibsons and Epiphones, and not at all like the blade type switches found in Telecasters and Strats. The pots are Alpha branded minis and work very well. The wiring job was neat and tidy.Sometimes you can find a cheap guitar that blows you away. For me, this wasn’t one of them, but it’s a nice guitar nonetheless.Thanks for reading!
115 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
M2sDad71M2sDad71 –
Beginner player, first ever electric. Perfect for me.
I did a good amount of research before pulling the trigger, and this was consistently rated the best guitar in it’s price range. Honestly don’t have anything to compare it to after 6 days, but it’s perfect for me.Still haven’t replaced the strings as I’m waiting for my brother-in-law to come back from vacation. But it sounds really good to me. No whammy bar but I’m not missing it so far, and there are plenty of videos on how to install one so I’ll go that route when I’m ready.I pulled it out of the box, tuned it, and played. It was perfectly shiny and new, and I had no issues peeling the plastic off the pick guard. I really like the HSS pickups. Played it at least a couple hours a day since it got here, and so far it’s stayed in tune until the next day.Very satisfied.
One person found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Lukas –
My first electric guitar
I love it, it’s amazing my first electric guitar.
One person found this helpful
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Rated 4 out of 5
Phil –
Nice but has some issues staying in tune and string buzz
Great for small hands the shorter scale helps. Now that I have had it some time I have discovered some problems and did some google searches for solutions. The guitar can go out of tune pretty easy and the intonation (how well the guitar stays in tune within itself) causes some problems with open chords and barred chords higher on the neck (not an uncommon thing with guitars). String saddle intonation is set right but guitar just seems off on some chords, cant quite determine the issue. Action can be set low and neck truss rod adjusts easily. However I get quite a bit of string buzz and it seems to be coming from the bridge saddles. String buzz could also be do to short scale length and not enough string tension. If played with a light touch and not a heavy hand it plays quite nice and strings bending is easy. I’m going to shim the angle of the neck and raise the bridge saddles high to see if that helps with buzzing at the bridge. Note: I have quite a few $100 to $200 Squire guitars and no issues with intonation or string buzz. So not being overly critical, just trying to post some some issues one may have with this.
One person found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Jaysonnn –
First guitar
Nice guitar sunblast is nice . Used a fender app to adjust the strings . Worked pretty good and now slowly but surely learning . Oh and buy a bag for it Cause to place it anywhere is not that easy or a stand if they sell it
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Rated 5 out of 5
Mr. GoodwillMr. Goodwill –
beautiful guitars
I buys these Squier Bullets to rebuild as it is much cheaper than buying parts separately. These are beautiful guitars as they are as well. Whatever you want to do with them you would not go wrong.
2 people found this helpful
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Rated 4 out of 5
Jim Simmons –
Not bad
This is a decent Strat clone for the money. I would have gone five stars, but there are a couple issues that could have been easily avoided by the manufacturer.1. The thing was packaged in such a way that it was allowed slide around inside the box with nothing more than a thin foam sleeve covering the body and a thin cardboard box covering the headstock. This resulted in minor scuffs all over what would have otherwise been a nice finish.2. The stings that came with it serve no legitimate musical purpose and were completely unusable.
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Rated 5 out of 5
James Myers –
Great Guitar for the Price
This is a great guitar for a beginner. It actually sounds pretty good and is easy to handle. It came set up better than some Gibsons I’ve bought. I had to send the first one I got back because it was damaged in shipping, the exchange was completed easily. The quality is on par with other squire instruments, the only issue is that the frets seem a little sharp on the ends, I might try to dress them when I put new strings on it.
One person found this helpful
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Rated 4 out of 5
SlackerjSlackerj –
Great Guitar For All
Been looking for a guitar with humbuckers to supplement my Telecaster. I saw a lot of guitars in the $800 and up price range. Then I saw some reviews of this guitar and figured what have I got to lose for $200. Right out of the box it played fine after a tune up. After some minor tweaking, this guitar stands up to my Tele. If you are not familiar with setting up a guitar, head over to you tube. This guitar is good for all, be you a beginner or advanced player.
One person found this helpful
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Rated 4 out of 5
Mark C. MirandaMark C. Miranda –
Rock steady beginner instrument
Great for beginners, short scale makes the strings easier to play and encourages students to actually stick with it. You don’t build finger strength as fast as learning on acoustic but you also won’t get frustrated and quit after two days. Good value for the money if you want a guitar to rock out on. Humbuckers will give a different tone than single coils so think about that before you buy, this won’t have as much “twang”
One person found this helpful
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Rated 1 out of 5
Amazon Customer –
Dissapointing QC, You Can Find Better
This was a starter guitar, and it was not badly reviewed but there was an issue with the volume knob. It produced nothing but static, and if you can’t hear the thing you can’t really learn to play it.It was bought due to the reputation of the brand, but this was a very disappointing purchase.
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Rated 5 out of 5
Brian Bennett –
Great Fitst-Time Guitar
I purchased this guitar based on previous ratings and the users didn’t disappoint. This Strat is well-built, keeps it’s tuning well, and arrived well-boxed with no concerns for it being damaged in shipment. I haven’t changed the strings yet, but it looks easy enough. This would be great for any beginner, like me. I wanted a guitar that wasn’t expensive being I never played before and wasn’t sure I could due to a disability. It was a great choice. I would go with a more expensive Squire or Fender as I grow with experience, but this is a good model to get started with.
2 people found this helpful
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Rated 4 out of 5
jones –
Great guitar to learn on
Got it for my twelve year old and it has been good. You get what you pay for…and for someone just learning to love playing it was the perfect investment before you get serious and drop a lot more for something of higher quality.
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Rated 5 out of 5
Dylan –
Great for beginners!
I’m only six months in and I’ve gotten very comfortable with this guitar and I have no problems with it. My first thought when looking at this guitar was that maybe its too expensive but that’s NOT TRUE! Getting a cheap guitar with a billion other attachments and addons is not reliable. Trust me, some of my friends started the wrong way with one of those guitars and they only lasted a couple of months before something went wrong. I have already strongly recommended this guitar to multiple friends and in the end, they’re all happy that they bought it.
One person found this helpful
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Rated 4 out of 5
V. J. HanV. J. Han –
Take care of those rough frets
Nice guitar for beginners. I bought it to practice indoor without annoying neighbors by using acoustic guitar. Only issue was that frets were rough, causing scratches on my left palm. Used 220 gauge sanding sponge to smooth it out.
One person found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Dee dee –
Great
For the money this is a big time score.played perfect out of box but put 10 gauge on tuners are ok, not as bad as everyone says,no fret sprout which I had on a much more expensive fender,so go figure,made in indonesia,better then China. Like the pick ups.i bought this for nirvana stuff,so put a ds1 in front and it’s very cool.squire did a good job. Also have affinity tele,supposed to be better, but pretty much the same. Mustang feels small in my large hands,but it’s great anyway and perfect for small and medium hands. They did a nice job.change strings,no need to waste money modding,but I own over 100 guitars and most very high end,but I dig this little guy
3 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Michele Klein –
My daughter loves her guitar
My Daught is loving her guitar. She is learning pretty on her own and is doing a mazing
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Rated 5 out of 5
Andrew –
Solid Guitar for a reasonable price
I casually play guitar and this is the perfect guitar for me. It’s not too expensive but the quality is great. It sounds great, it feels great, and it’s small enough to store anywhere. I use a headphone amp with this guitar and it works flawlessly. The look and feel of this guitar at this price point will be hard to beat!
One person found this helpful
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Rated 3 out of 5
Jose Lecuna –
Buena guitarra pero con defectos
La guitarra tiene buen sonido y es cómoda para tocar pero trae defectos de fabrica costosos de arreglar. La estoy regresando para comprar una mejor
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Rated 5 out of 5
Malcolm –
Perfect for smaller hands
My daughter is only 8, so I was hoping she’d be able to work with this size fret board. She’s changing chords no problem, and the sound is great. Very happy!
2 people found this helpful
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Rated 4 out of 5
P. Knese –
It has a matt neck,most guitars are glossy. I DONT LIKE MATT.
the description didnt say it has a matt finish on the neck.
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Rated 4 out of 5
Jason S. –
Competent entry level electric guitar.
Squier guitars have come a long way since I started on one as a kid over 20 years ago. Those instruments were pretty much junk at the low end. But not anymore. For under $200 this guitar can last a long time for a beginner, and is pretty easily upgradeable for someone more advanced.Guitars in this price range will be very hit or miss as far as quality goes. The one I received needed serious fret polishing and filing at the ends. A common theme for these instruments. Action and intonation needed only minor adjustments.These models will most certainly need a proper set up, almost all guitars do. At this price range though, I wouldn’t pay for a pro and would rather do it myself. It’s a rewarding experience to learn basic guitar care and maintenance. Youtube can teach you how.
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Rated 2 out of 5
Branden schubert –
Damaged and no help
The guitar came with a huge dent in the body and I’ve tried several times trying to contact fender but no answer or reply. Fender really dropped the ball with customer service.
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Rated 5 out of 5
Justin –
I was very pleased and very surprised at the quality
This was my first guitar. The only other guitars I have played that I can compare it to were both much older guitars and probably needed some nut work and truss rod adjustment. Despite the mixed reviews on this, I was very pleased and very surprised at the quality.One of the complaints I have read on this were the tuners. I haven’t had any issues at all with it staying in tune. I tuned it out of the box and I think twice more since then. I have had it about 2 months, and the last time I tuned it was about 2 weeks after I purchased it. I check it on a regular basis (almost every day). I practice bout 1-2 hours a day with this normally, so it has seen some use.Just for reference the amp I have used is a Vox Mini-5.Out of the box, there were a few spots on it I cleaned off, one on the end of the neck near the fretboard, and one one the bridge pieces. Other than cleaning those (grease?) spots off, it was immaculate.It sounds wonderful to me, again without having much experience with guitars. There is some slight buzzing on the low E string, but nothing that bothers me too much.Overall I believe this was a great purchase for my first guitar, and I am very happy with the finish, performance, and sound quality.
12 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
steve norvell –
Value and a trusted name.
Good value, it needed a very minor setup. Nothing out of the ordinary for a new guitar. The fretboard needed conditioned but again not uncommon for a guitar that was stored in a wear house for a period of time. The pickups are not super expensive but surprisingly don’t sound to bad.
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Rated 5 out of 5
michelle michelle –
Second Ones A Charm
This is my second bullet. The first one i ended up selling . I liked it but there were two issues the turner were horrible. The second being the tremolo. The tremolo was really not super usable.A couple of weeks ago I decided to get another strat bullet. I really like having a Squire. They are fun to play light and have very nice necks.So I bought a fiesta red hardtail Strat. This one is million times better then the first bullet I had.First of all the tuners are really really nice on this fiesta red strat. Fretboard is insanely smooth and always love the natural finish on the necks. Not a single sharp fret!Knobs are smooth, not raspy.One or two little imperfections in the paint. A small white spot on front of body and little bit of sloppy paint around the neck pocket.All very minor issues.Gotta love the fiesta red and the hardtail version is so much better.Pickups are loud ,punchy, sparkling and work really well for surf music. I use it through a Fender Deluxe reverb with an Echobrain echo pedal and it sounds outstanding!Yes I will buy another thinking a black strat bullet .
3 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Poly Nomial –
Recommended Bullet Mustang HH
The Bullet Mustang HH is a great value for the money. Here is why:Pros:The fret ends are smooth on mine.The pickups sound very good. Nice high end response and not muddy at all.The nut is finished and rounded at the edges. Usually only see this on high end guitars.Crazy light guitar, <= 7 lbs?Tuners are better that expected and hold tune.This is an easy guitar to play short scale guitar.The sparkle in the blue paint looks cool!Negatives:The frets are crowned but rough and will need to be polished.The pick guard is a little rough around the jack plate and the pickup opening.The wood on the neck feels a little rough.The negatives can be fixed with minimum skill but will require some time and tools, e.g., micro mesh. All minor issues though and this is still a fun guitar for a few hundred bucks! 5 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Valerie –
Worth the price!spend a little more on some easy upgrades.
Is about what i expected.an entry level guitar with minimal setup from the factory.First thing you want to upgrade will be tuning machines and a thicker set of strings. .46-.10’s minimum..the .42-.09’s that come on it are just too slinky for the scale length.maybe for a beginner with weak hands.but then again.more frustrating because it too easy to bend even on bar chords,etc.I upgraded mine with hipshot open gear locking tuners, tusq nut and string trees.i also put a set of DR pure blues nickel strings .46-.10’s.It is alot of fun to play and i would buy again.for the guitar +$90 in upgrades and a a half hours time max.uts entirely worth it.the pickups arent bad for stock cheap ceramics either.and the cavity had full sheilding paint.that was a big surprise.just grab one and enjoy
One person found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Mike H –
Killer product
This guitar is a beast. I play everything from rock to blues to jazz to straight up unclassified. My previous guitar was a $2500 gretch solid body. The tone was essentially equal in terms of quality and after having it for two years some of the plastic peeled off and it has been in the repair shop for over two months now. I’m not sure if I will ever see it again. But I digress. Let me break this guitar down for the novice (or even profressional player). The tuners are essentially your run of the mill and work which is all I care about. The neck is solid. If you know anything about fenders or squires you know that by paying for a higher priced guitar than this one you get a “smoother” neck with a finish on the back. Let me tell you that I would actually pay more for this neck because the natural wood feels just poppin’ on my hand, I will never go back to finished necks. The body is also solid, great color and it is finished nicely. The pickups were good but I ended up replacing these with higher end pickups and this guitar sounds absolutely phenomenal. If you can’t play balls to the wallz music with this guitar, it’s not the guitar, it’s you. Hope this helps mon freres!!
137 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Mike –
Great inexpensive guitar
I’ve been playing guitar for over 40 years. I have a Les Paul and a Gibson Hummingbird from the 70’s so I already own top end pieces. I wanted something I could play without worrying about dings, plus I wanted to do my own upgrades just for the fun of it.I’ve read several reviews that criticize this guitar for plastic that is over the pick guard and includes a sticker to Fender’s online lessons. This plastic is there to protect the guitar, you just lightly pull it off and underneath you will see a beautiful, shiny new pick guard. It’s easier to get the plastic off with the strings off. You should change the strings on a new guitar anyway so this is a perfect time to take that plastic off.Out of the box, I was amazed at how well it played. All I had to do was tune it. I was expecting to have to adjust intonation but it was darn near spot on so I didn’t need to. But for a 125 dollar guitar the parts are darn good. The bridge is VERY easy to adjust the action and intonation and the changes hold, they don’t slip out of tune when you hammer on it a little. I also changed the strings just because I like Ernie Balls but the strings that came with it were just fine until you need to do the first change. Don’t buy those kits on Amazon that include the amp etc. Everything but the guitar is junk in those packages. The amps are pure garbage, so just buy this guitar for a little over a hundo, I am using it on my own Fender 20 amp and it sounds beautiful!! That amp is around 100 also and well worth it. So for the same price as one of those package deals you will have MUCH better equipment. First thing I did was put Fender locking tuners on it. IMO every guitar should come from the factory with lockers. There are two holes as expected, on the headstock to keep the tuner from spinning and the holes didn’t line up. But Stewmac makes a perfect jig so you can easily drill the new holes. Otherwise the tuners just drop right in once you drill the new holes. Don’t be afraid….it is not hard to do!!!!The pick up’s are very passable. I am going to change the bridge pickup and put in a better humbucker but that’s just me, you don’t have to do this. All the electronics work fine. No buzzes, nothing. I am very happy with this Strat cousin. Eventually I will put in a new bridge but again, this does not need to be done, it is just me wanting to upgrade.But….when I am done upgrading which will include the tuners, a new humbucker, and bridge I will have a tad over 300 dollars in to the upgrade including the purchase price and I will have a guitar that will go up against it’s 2000 dollar Fender Stratocaster cousin with EASE!!!!This guitar plays fantastic and you can’t go wrong at this price point. For someone just beginning, it’s a perfect starter. For someone more experienced, it’s a perfect practice, or knock around guitar and you can really have fun doing a couple upgrades.So don’t be afraid to work on your guitar. I should note that there are locking tuners you can use for this guitar that won’t require any drilling. Hipshot tuners use a universal mounting bracket and it looks great and makes the upgrade much easier.After playing this guitar for several weeks I did bring the action down a little. I didn’t have to adjust the truss rod at all, I just adjusted the strings down from the bridge using the allen wrench that came with the guitar and now I have it right where I like it. This was an adjustment that I made to suit my particular playing style. It’s very easy to do. Any time you are making adjustments to your guitar go slow, take your time.It’s now May 5th and I am back again because I forget that most who are reading this review are new to playing guitar. Experienced players can ignore this part. When looking over your guitar you need to perform regular maintenance. For instance, tighten the screw on the end of your tuners. These get loosened up a tiny bit every time you tune up. A small phillips screwdriver will work fine. I tighten mine once a week. Another step to setting up your guitar is you need to get some 0000 Steel wool to clean and shine up your frets, you should put some lemon oil on the fret board also because the wood gets dried out. If you look on Amazon you can buy inexpensive guitar maintenance kits that will include covers that go over the fret and keep you from scuffing the wood. If you don’t have one of these kits just be careful and stay off the wood as much as you can or you can place a piece of blue painters tape on each side of the frets and that will protect your wood. You really should buy one of these kits though because playing guitar is a lifetime hobby and you need to clean the frets and the fret board every time you change strings. I change strings once a week but I play a lot. For most, once a month, or once every two months will work. You will be surprised how much DNA gets your guitar. Fingering the strings takes quite a bit of skin off your finger tips and it has to go somewhere. You can also get cleaning kits at your local music store. That may the best source for your first time because you can ask the kids in the shop questions. While you are tightening things up every time you change the screens another spot you need to check is the nut on the front of your headstock that holds your tuners in place. These also become loose from constant tuning of the guitar. You will need a 10mm socket or a small adjustable wrench to tighten these nuts. You will be amazed at how much better your guitar stays in tune with all these parts tightened up. It will only take a few minutes to tighten everything and it will really keep your guitar sounding good!!
41 people found this helpful
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Rated 4 out of 5
Nice case. I just got it but looks very well built! Very happy with purchase –
Nice
Very nice guitar for price. Great for starting out
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Rated 4 out of 5
Christopher AaronChristopher Aaron –
Got an awesome deal
It was on sale for $139.99, so I couldn’t refuse that and ordered it. I like it a lot, but it did require a decent amount of work to set up, so I don’t know if it’s the best instrument for beginners. I shimmed the neck to pitch it back slightly and raised the saddles to match the new pitch. That made it much easier to intonate the guitar. I also replaced the tuners with locking tuners. Finally, it will be getting one more mod soon, P90 pickups and a white pearl pickguard with P90 pickups.This guitar is good for casual player or someone like me that uses it as a mod platform.
2 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
DotneckDotneck –
I freaking love this guitar!
My wife bought me one for Christmas and after modding I loved it so much and decided I had to have another.The most comfortable guitars in the world bar none. Too bad Fender doesn’t sculpt the bodies of their high-end Mustangs. No worries. Mine has Yosemite pickups, locking tuners and a Schaller bridge. I may get a third…. ❤️
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Rated 5 out of 5
MANUEL A –
Very good begginers guitar
The quality and sound is excelent for begginer guitar
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Rated 5 out of 5
Crumpet_Guy2 –
DUDE
Ever since I got this guitar I could not put it down. Not to mention the great price. Great for a beginner or intermediate student, but if you consider yourself a professional, for sure check out Fender’s 70’s vibe series. I like the look of their 70’s jazz mustang, but just a great brand if guitars in general. Ty fender!!!!
One person found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Ram9Ram9 –
Great beginner guitar
I bought this guitar with the HSS and rosewood fretboard setup. Ive been playing acoustic for years and finally tried out an electric. I did plenty of research to find out which one to buy, and I was torn between a les paul special 2 and this one. I chose the squier simply due to price. Shipping was pretty fast and very well packaged. It had some sort of adjustable foam packs in the front and rear and pretty lightweight.After close inspection, I was pretty surprised at the quality this guitar packs, I was expecting sharp fret ends or craftsmanship flaws, but I couldnt find any of that.I immediately went to tune it, and I found out the tuning pegs are horrible on this guitar. It was a PITA compared to my acoustic. However, Im well aware that you dont buy a prius and expect it to have lexus performance, so I didnt knock down a star for that. Once they were in tune, it held the tune pretty good. Im sure itll get better once its broken in just like any other new strings. Ill be replacing them for locking tuners once I add new strings.This particular guitar had the action a little too low for my preference, so I adjusted it from the truss rod and the bridge. This is where i give it points over my current acoustic. The action is really easy to set up for your liking. All you need are a 1.5mm and 4mm hex keys. The 4mm adjusts the truss rod, and the 1.5mm adjusts the bridge. I got rid of the excess buzzing in a few minutes without having to file anything down like an acoustic. You can also just have a guitar shop adjust it for you, but theres nothing like learning and doing it yourself. Especially on something so easy.Once plugged in to an amp its kinda hard to review the sound because the amp itself will play a big part, but even with a cheap amp, it sounds pretty decent. The only thing I noticed (and read elsewhere) was that the tone knobs dont really do much when you mess with them. Maybe once you use a good quality amp you can tell the difference, but with mine, I couldnt.Overall, I think this is a great starter guitar if you know what to expect out of it. I have played with my friends expensive electric guitars, and all of them have some sort of flaw or imperfection, so this is no different. Just dont expect perfect tuners or the top of the line pickups, but for something youre just going to mess around the house and learn with, I think this is great. I would highly recommend this to anyone that is starting out or just wanting a cheap guitar to travel with.
42 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Anthony R –
Great guitar that can’t be beat for the price
The overall finish and look is amazing and way beyond it’s price point. The strings are light and the action reasonably low and easy to play even before a full setup. I would stick with lighter strings as these entry level guitars play best with them. The hardware is solid and it will stay in and tune very easily even out of the box, don’t worry if it takes a few tunings that’s normal with breaking in new strings and guitars about the 3rd or 4th fine tuning you’ll be pretty good and it’ll sound great. It is best nice and clean but you can play distorted if you really wanted to and this guitar will gladly play it. Yes you are getting generic everything electronics and otherwise but for the price of about 60$ more than the cheapest on the site you are getting a much better sound and playability in a rather nice funky body with beautiful sparkle paint. I bought this as a 5th guitar just to have some variation and while it’s not as great as a mid range it blows entry levels out of the water for what you get. I can’t stress that enough.
5 people found this helpful
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Rated 4 out of 5
Daisy catDaisy cat –
Effortless workflow with FL Studio & Guitar Rig
Really solid guitar.. for beginners and those who are more seasoned players. I have played the acoustic guitar on and off for the past 10 years or so, and switching to this one was a mostly smooth transition.The strings feel a little bit on the thinner side, so if you’re used to playing the acoustic, you’ll need to not put so much pressure on the strings of you’ll “bend” them and they will sound out of tune. It’s also good practice to re-tune the guitar every time you’re about to record some loops or play it as it does detune pretty easily. Probably the only negative I can think of. Not a huge deal breaker to me, but something some might want to know ahead of time.I bought the guitar with the main goal of using it with FL Studio and Guitar Rig, and so far it has worked flawlessly. It plugged right into my Scarlett Focusrite 2i2 and was immediately recognized in my DAW. I had the guitar out of the box and was recording loops within minutes.. so if you’re looking to make guitar loops for yourself or others, this is a solid choice.The guitar itself is very light but in all honestly it doesn’t feel or look much smaller than any other guitars I’ve played despite it being considered shortscale.A good rule of thumb is to NEVER spend too much money on your first guitar.. so I’m glad that I went with this one as my first electric guitar as I can see myself playing it for a very long time. The sound quality is for sure there.
3 people found this helpful
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Rated 4 out of 5
Phil WagnerPhil Wagner –
MORE than just a beginner guitar, read the review…
This mustang guitar sounds fantastic. The reason for 4 stars is 1. Head stock (1st headstock picture) the mustang logo is different than my surf green bullet mustang and white bullet mustang (2nd headstock picture). 2. I did have to remove strings polish frets and oil fretboard because it was dry however, I planned on doing this as a setup anyways. This is my 3rd bullet mustang and there all great especially to modify them. I bought pickguard from precision guitar off reverb or ebay and bought the stripes to make my own very custom competition bullet mustang. I already ordered the DP100 Super Distortion Pickup for the bridge to get that Kurt Cobain sound out of the mustang and will update the review once it is done. These bullet mustangs are amazing for the price and they come with Humbuckers!!! Buy as many as you can until there no longer available bc once there gone the price will shoot up and you will be sad you missed out. A guitar for under $200 and just a little work and patience to set it up and you got yourself a work horse guitar!!! Squier is getting so much better every year! I don’t think I would by an actual Fender Guitar because your just paying for the name. Get a Squier and modify it to what you want and it less expensive than a Fender and its custom to your liking!!!!
4 people found this helpful
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Rated 4 out of 5
Jacob –
Pretty happy with it
Buy this if you’d like something to fix. It has buzzing frets and constantly goes out of tune. I bought this knowing it was probably going to be a fixer upper so I’m pretty happy with it.
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Rated 4 out of 5
Daniel Salomon –
No wammy bar or wammy hole
There is no wammy bar on the guitar idk why but it plays fine when i got mine it was dirty as hell with finger prints and stuff. i
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Rated 4 out of 5
DDT –
Good value for money, if you replace the tuners with good ones
Nice guitar for the price, but tuning pegs are horrible and the strings kept going out of tune.The white plastic was a bit scratched (only visible up-close). The wood is mediocre but does the job.I updated the rating from 3 to 4 stars after retrofitting Fender lockable tuners, which required some precision woodwork on the headstock (this will definitely void warranty).
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Rated 5 out of 5
Amazon Customer –
I also like this guitar because it’s a stoptail therefore giving you better tuning
It’s simply a great guitar. Great look. Great sound. Great feel. . I was very surprised on the quality. I’m not a beginner. But this guitar surprisingly brought back in me the excitement of when I first started playing. You can lower the action and you get no buzz. I was playing with it for six hours straight
One person found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Amazon Customer –
Pros cons/ quality
Really good quality for a beginners guitar. Won’t recommend for the professionals but good sound with amp or no amp… needs to be tuned often for the first couple weeks – just until the strings are broken in… highly recommend getting a guitar strap because the guitar is kinda heavy. But for the most part just have fun with it! I sure am!
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Rated 5 out of 5
Jack Perry –
Great deal for a solid guitar.
I love this guitar. It looks great and seems very solid. I’m a beginner, so I’m not aware of all the nuances and can sound only so good, but I think it’s helping me along the journey. It’s a great value for a rookie like me.
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Rated 5 out of 5
shon –
Great guitar for beginner or advanced players.
This is by far the best bang for my buck I have ever gotten in a guitar, just needed to tune it up and it was ready to go right out if the box, the action was even at the height that I like. And it’s just beautiful. Still can’t believe I got it at the price I did, will be a great backup guitar to my Les Paul studio. Delivery was awesome, thanx again Amazon 👍🎸
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Rated 1 out of 5
Debbi –
Absolutely unplayable garbage
Got the guitar, tuned it up first using harmonics, then fine-tuning it with an electronic tuner. So far so good. Played an E major chord — all 3 of the fretted notes were horribly sharp. I double checked the tuning — it was all fine on the open strings. Every open chord I played was completely out of tune. Bar chords higher up the neck were slightly less awful but still out of tune. So I’m not sure if the frets are in slightly the wrong place or maybe the nut is too high, thus stretching the strings too much when they are pressed down, thus sharping them. Either way it’s completely, uselessly unplayable. Ugh. You get what you pay for.
One person found this helpful
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Rated 3 out of 5
K.L –
It is Orange!!!
It is Orange not red, don’t let the pics fool you! They look on my daughters face was heartbreaking…
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Rated 5 out of 5
Alex –
I love it
I’ll start with the bad. I recieved it with a few small scratches on the white part, so I noticed it quite fast, other than that I can’t complain at all. It feels great, the neck is very smooth and beautiful. Also lightweight and absolutely fun to play. It’s exactly what I expected, plus some. I highly recommend it for any beginner looking to play guitar, or any experienced player who wants an extra guitar for a cheap price!
One person found this helpful
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Guitar
Yamaha FS830 Small Body Solid Top Acoustic Guitar, Tobacco Sunburst
$339.00 Buy nowRated 4.71 out of 5Yamaha FS830 Small Body Solid Top Acoustic Guitar, Tobacco Sunburst
$339.00
SKU: B07CZF27BG Category: GuitarSolid Sitka Spruce Top Rosewood Back & Sides Rosewood Fingerboard Rosewood Bridge Diecast Tuners this guitar has an adjustable truss rod
60 reviews for Yamaha FS830 Small Body Solid Top Acoustic Guitar, Tobacco Sunburst
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Rated 5 out of 5
Donna Bowman –
Great guitar-Great price-Great customer service
Sound is exactly want we were looking for in a guitar. Unbelievable for the price. Excellent craftsmanship, beautiful colors. Definitely recommend from beginner to seasoned pickers.
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Rated 5 out of 5
William Rafferty –
Nice guitar
High quality, big sound for a smaller body guitar.
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Rated 4 out of 5
gary reeb –
A Good Guitar for this price range
I bought this Yamaha FGX 830C from Amazon (through Spotlight Music Store) on 6/1/22. It arrived in perfect condition in a single cardboard box and completely packed in bubble wrap. My first impression was that it is a beautiful guitar. I could see no defects whatsoever in the finish. The neck is arrow straight and the set up was just fine for me right out of the box. It is made in China but I believe the craftsmanship is excellent. I tuned it up with my clip on tuner and then checked the onboard tuner and found it to be very close. Right away I noticed that even though the tone is good–it was not quite to my liking. This is subjective, but it seemed a little tinny and lacking in “punch” or volume for a dreadnaught. After reading many, many reviews I decided to change the saddle to bone and installed new Elixer strings after about one month. The original strings felt rough to me and are noisy when doing slides. As many other reviewers mentioned; Yamaha could have used a bone nut and saddle and better strings for little to no increase in price. I did not change the nut. Seems like too much work for me to attempt, and not worth the effort. I do believe the new bone saddle and strings did improve the overall sound quality and tone. Maybe not as much as some reviewers claim–but, a noticeable difference. I did also change the plastic bridge pins for Rosewood pins. It does sound good plugged in and the neck is very smooth and easy playing. I would like to give it a 5 star rating but just can’t quite get it there because of what it seems to lack in tone and projection. ( Another matter I want to mention is that I am not sure if this model with laminate Rosewood back and sides sounds any better than the other model down which has Mahogany laminate back and sides. The difference is $200. But both use laminates, so is there really that much difference?)
9 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
The Alpha Akita –
Wow
Honestly, Yamaha, I didn’t believe the hype. I didn’t exactly trust every review (hundreds of them I’ve read over the last 4 months while deciding on which guitar to get) which stated how great it sounds out of the box and tuned up.I’m now a believer. I’m in love with this guitar already. I’m having trouble putting it down. It’s a pleasure to use this instrument.The Tobacco Sunburst is just beautiful. The entire guitar is beautiful. The pictures just CAN’T do it justice. I’m amazingly happy to have chosen this color. It’s just a sexy guitar.The action is a little high for a new player, but it’s honestly not that hard.If you’re worried about it being built in China, don’t. The craftsmanship is excellent. It’s obvious that Yamaha keep strict controls on the build quality. A+ for that, Yamaha.My one gripe which isn’t enough to remove stars is that I wish the seller had double boxed it. It arrived fine, no damage, but it’s kind of unnerving seeing it only in a factory box as there was some crushing and holes in the box and the only protection inside of the box was a styrofoam pouch surrounding the guitar. Lucky enough that none went all the way through.
5 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Dave –
Product was as expected
This guitar was exactly as I expected.. Very nice and good value.
One person found this helpful
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Rated 4 out of 5
Daniel Mcgraw –
Outstanding bargain IF you work on it a bit
As shipped, the action at the 12th fret (Low E) was 8/64ths of an inch, not horrible for an acoustic, but higher than it should be. Fortunately, there was plenty of room on the bridge saddle for me to shave about 4/64ths off the bottom and drop the action to my preferred acoustic action of 6/64ths.The frets are nice and level, perfectly crowned, but rough on top where the strings actually make contact. It’s odd. The fret ends are the perfect length and rounded well, but the surface has so many grind marks that it looks like they completely skipped finishing them. If you bend any string at any fret, you’ll hear and feel it scraping along the top of the fret. Again, not good, but easily fixable. I smoothed ’em down with some 1500 grit, then 2000 grit, polished, and they were perfect.Other than those two things, this is one of the nicest acoustics I’ve owned, and I’ve owned dozens. I’ve been working on guitars since the 1970’s. It rings out with a beautiful Martin-ish chiming tone. Single notes sing out loud and clear with just the right amount of bass. Chords sound rich and full, with well-balanced projection from all the strings. It really is a beautiful sounding guitar, nothing muddy about it.The neck is a hair on the thin side of average, a satin finish so there’s no “sticky” finish feel. The neck relief came perfectly set with .012″ at the 7th fret (Capo on the 1st fret, string pressed to the highest fret). The truss rod is accessed at the sound hole like a Martin, not my personal preference, but really not difficult. The right wrench for that is included of course.The tuners are pretty good. Personally, I’ll be replacing them with some Grover locking tuners, but that’s just something I always do because I “Have a thing about tuning”, and like the ease of using locking tuners. The stock tuners are fine really.Cosmetically, it’s very nice, binding on the neck, body, & peghead. Nicely finished to give you a clear view of the grain but has a nice shine to it. Nothing amazing, but an overall pleasing look.All in all, this is an extremely nice guitar for the $300 range, but seriously, you NEED to be willing to adjust that action and smooth those frets. It sounds and plays every bit as nice as my Martins and Gibsons. I bought it as a beater, something to play around the campfire etc., but I’m finding myself using it for most of my recording.IF you know how and don’t mind spending an hour or so working on a couple small, easily fixable issues, I’d say you really can’t go wrong with this one. It’s a great value. I’m extremely happy with this purchase.Oh, I also got the AG1-HC case for it. Very nice case, fits perfectly. Very sturdy. Worth well over the $80 Amazon charges for it.
67 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
jonathan remington –
Good quality as usual from Yamaha
I chose Yamaha because my older brother along with my other siblings bought me my first guitar. Yamaha has never let me down and I still to this day am amazed at both the sound quality and build for the more budget price you get. I would even argue that Yamahas acoustics sound better than some more premium Taylor. Although I might be a bit biased when I say that I don’t like the sound of Taylor’s in general.That being said, this guitar in particular is different from my first none electric acoustic. And it’s not just because they put some electric guts in it. My first one is as the FG800. This one is a step not only by making it electric but also because it has laminated rosewood rather than the laminated foewood. The difference in quality is noticeable. It’s still rich and warm but has a brighter clearer crisp sound especially in the mid to highs. I love because I brought this for the purpose of playing on stage, and having a brighter more crisp sound will it come through the lows and with every other instrument that’s plugged in. The only thing that was unusual that I notice was that the control panel takes AA batteries rather than a typical 9v. It’s not a big deal, personally I prefer 9vs because it’s one less battery I have to worry about. The only thing I wonder about though is if two AAs will last longer then one 9v. Who knows. Other then that. I think this is an excellent guitar. Price wise I would nock it down 4 star than 5. It’s will good for the money but I think it’s worth closer to something like 450.00 or 500.00
One person found this helpful
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Rated 3 out of 5
rafael –
No es el mismo color de la foto
No tiene el color de la foto
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Rated 2 out of 5
TRACKER –
fs830 Yamaha Small Body Guitar
The guitar arrived in a shipping box as flimsy as a cigarette carton and was poorly packaged. After all the reviews on this Chinese made guitar, I was shocked at the overall build quality. The back of the neck was rough to the touch, sharp fret wires not rounded, and was set up to be virtually unplayable unless you bought it to play slide or Dobro style only. The action was so high it was nearly impossible to make even major chords. Have played and owned many fine hi -grade Yamahas in my life long pursuit of the guitar but honestly, this was the worst presentation of a Yamaha I have ever seen . Tuned up to pitch the tone was unbelievably scattered and not as advertised. My first and last experience of ever buying a guitar on line again. This was a complete waste of time…returned it the same day. The finish was nice but it ended right there. This is a $100.00 price line guitar in any guitarist language.
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Rated 5 out of 5
Tom C –
Wow! Yamaha does it again!!!!!! Too good to be true.
Oh boy…where do I start?THE PACKAGING: I received this guitar in its original box with no shipping box to support it. I was lucky Yamaha packed their guitar well.THE CONSTRUCTION: As for the guitar. I was blown over with the beauty and detail. A pearl inlay around the sound hole, a pearl like brown pick guard and even the YAMAHA logo in a pearl like finish was unexpected to see. This dreadnaught size seems slightly larger than my Yamaha F325D I submitted my earlier review on. The sunburst finish is much darker and far more appealing than the sunburst color on the F325D. The sides and back are mahogany and the top is a SOLID spruce. The tuners, bridge, saddle, nut, strings and finish are in line with most Yamaha guitars. The fretboard surprisingly has pearl like inlaid markers on a rosewood background. These markers are MUCH smaller than the standard size ones on my other guitars. I have to say it looks AWESOME and richer. In poor light, however, you may need to squint. This guitar is sooooo beautiful I’m afraid to take it out of my case at times.THE SOUND: Amazing. As advertised, a better sustain, a more room filling sound, and well intonated despite many reviews which state otherwise recommending a luthier. Are you kidding me?? If you’re expecting the intonation of a Gibson, THEN SAVE UP AND BUY A GIBSON. This is absurd. The intonation on this guitar is spot on with the compensated saddle along with the die cast tuners and stunningly beautiful bridge.SUMMARY: This guitar clearly is an upgrade to my cheaper (but still modest priced) Fender and Yamaha guitars. As a proud owner of a Yamaha YDP-163R digital piano, the detail in Yamaha wood selection, extensive sound R/D and it’s reputation on stage and abroad just made me a proud owner of this classic FG series guitar, the oldest and best selling series worldwide. Trust me, YOU WILL FALL IN LOVE WITH THIS CLASSIC GEM OF A PRECISION INSTRUMENT , built with pride by a world-class manufacturer. I may sound like I work for Yamaha but I only wish I did. None of their instruments from pianos to guitars ever disappointed me and shouldn’t dissappoint you.
34 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
GM –
Love Yamaha
Was trying to find a ’70s era Yamaha but couldn’t find one that I liked. Came across this one on Amazon and read the reviews which were all very good so I bought it. In spite of the fact that it’s made in China it’s up to Yamaha quality. The sound is bright and vibrant even with the factory strings. I played it for my wife and the sound was so strong that she thought that it had an internal amplifier. Having read through the reviews I went ahead and ordered a Tusq nut, bridge and a set of pins which I plan on installing as soon as my D’Addario strings come in. I’ll update my review after I do the upgrades. As an afterthought if your new to guitar this is a great beginners instrument for the price but it’s so much more because it’s a great guitar for experienced players, I’ve been playing for 56 years and outside of my Yari classical it’s one of the best guitars I’ve owned which would include Ovation. Well I did the Tusq upgrades and while I’m not overwhelmed it did improve the resonance, I could have very well lived with the original nut,saddle and pins so unless you really think that you’ll notice the difference stick with the original set up. Still one great buy.
4 people found this helpful
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Rated 4 out of 5
jerry vigil –
Well constructed
Have played yamaha guitars since the seventys, very satisfied with their products…
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Rated 5 out of 5
Happy Shopper –
Perfect choice for my needs.
I’m a beginner and was looking for my first guitar to learn on and have for many years to come. I wanted quality and value for my money and something easy and to play so I could get enjoy the learning process. I’ve now had this for a little more than a month and am confident I made the perfect purchase decision to meet those goals and then some. The FG830 is also a beautiful sounding and looking guitar. I got the tobacco finish and am glad I waited for it to come back in stock after the holidays. While I’m going out through the normal issues of a beginner, I’m understanding the benefits of this guitar to the learning process as compared to other options in this price range. Really an enjoyable guitar to play.Update 7/9/22: It’s now been over a year since buying this guitar. I’ve learned a lot since my last comments and am still very happy with this purchase. Had it set up in 7/2021 which made a great improvement in ease of play. I highly recommend a good set up and a nice set of string. Just put my 3rd set of strings on and it sounds great. Almost ready to add an electric as my next step and start jamming with friends. Highly recommend this guitar for the money.
One person found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Mark Moceri –
For the money an outstanding value
I don’t want to come across as the end all of end alls, because I’m not. I had however been in the business years ago and played many an acoustic from Martins and Guilds with Brazilian Rosewood sides and backs, to Taylors, etc., being lucky enough to own some and use them in recording. I may not be the best guitarist, but do know my way around enough to spot a value when I see one, and this Yamaha definitely fits the billing. Yamaha has always made decent products and I bought this under that premise. I was surprised however, (maybe I just got lucky), that out of the box, this guitar needed no action to be set up. It was pretty much dead on. Something I couldn’t say about the Taylor I owned, or even the D-55 Guild, (in fairness it was owned by someone else, but the folks in N.J. took great pride in making things more than right!). The sound from this Yamaha is more than satisfying. For the money, it holds its own against Martin D-18’s, Guild D-35, (U.S. made), and many others. The highs are crisp, lows, bellowing and mids smooth. For a Guitar in the mid $300 range, you will more than get your money’s worth, even if you have to have it set up. Good luck.
2 people found this helpful
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Rated 4 out of 5
Roy D. Donaldson –
One of the best in this price range, but I did expect better sound.
Great quality, flawless finish, looks great, and easy to play. However, I did expect it to have a better sound considering it is a solid top, and it is not as booming as I hoped. Don’t get me wrong, it still sounds good and is neither too bassy or too much treble, but not as powerful or booming as a dreadnought should be and sustain isn’t the best. Still a great upgrade from a first acoustic, and even better if this is your first.
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Rated 5 out of 5
BurbDaddy –
I love this guitar
Oh my gosh. I love this guitar. I bought it used from Amazon Warehouse and it was listed as “Good” condition. Since this is the third tier of rating, I was concerned about the condition. Came wrapped and boxed VERY well. It took me a while to find why it was only rated in Good condition. I finally found a few scuff marks on the back if you look in the light the right way. Saved $100 at the price of $219 vs $319.The guitar itself plays beautifully. Low action, beautiful tone, and resonates crazy awesome. I had done my fair share of research on best values in guitars. I set on the Yamaha FG series after reading/watching scores of reviews. Then I drilled own the 830 because of the rosewood back and sides, to give it a full rich sound. I did not make a mistake. This guitars tone and playibility are wonderful.
2 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Mike –
Outstanding tone, great aesthetics
This guitar is simply outstanding, right out of the box. I’ve been playing guitar for over 20 years, and I am fully impressed with the FG830. It looks great and sounds amazing. It has really nice low-end tone to give a full sound (probably mostly due to the solid spruce top). The fit and finish is also excellent. It looks even better in person than in the pictures. Some might think down in the fact that it’s “made in China”, but this is really irrelevant – it is a wonderfully made instrument from a very well-respected company. You will not be disappointed by this guitar, whether you’re a beginner or intermediate guitarist. HIGHLY recommended.
One person found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
M. Kitteridge –
YAMAHA FS830 GUITAR
I ordered this after researching and trying guitars. I love the comfort the size this provides for me as someone who has small hands and is petite in height. The package arrived on time-securely shipped in two boxes Since the weather was well below freezing-I brought it inside the house and left it to warm up for 24 hours before opening the box. The set up was perfect and it has a wonderful sound. Would highly recommend this seller and this Yamaha FS830 is beautiful.
One person found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Cesar Morales –
An amazing guitar for beginners. One of the best guitars for the money!
I bought a Yamaha F335 for $150 US to learn how to play guitar. It sounded just fine to me at the beginning since I did not have a trained ear. I struggled to practice and make chords due to the action of that guitar (distance between the neck and the string). I practiced for two months daily until I decided to upgrade my guitar without expanding too much money. I was between this guitar FG830 and the Seagull S6. I decided to buy the Yamaha one due to the fact I saved $100 dollars and I like the looks of this terrific guitar. When I played it for the first time, I realized that the F335 sounds like crap compared with the pretty tone that the rosewood produces. The sound quality and sustain are incredible! Also, I have felt it is easier to play because I think this one has lower action (still, be sure to set up a new guitar to have a lower section in a guitar shop), better sound to distinguish among chords/notes, and a little more separation between strings (I have big hands). Lastly, I notice how more beautiful the aesthetics of this instrument is compared to the cheaper versions. It is really well crafted in comparison with my last guitar. I am more motivated to keep practicing and learning due to this musical instrument.
5 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Kurt –
Value
There was price drop, and I had lots of Amazon points, so my final price was about $200. Not bad.I am a “hobbyist”, was looking for a decent guitar to leave at work and take to lessons, as well as to unwind with at lunch. Didn’t like hauling my good guitar around. Action was extremely high when the instrument arrived. Sound was ok. Checked with the only shop within a couple hundred miles of me, asked what they would charge to replace to bridge, saddle, and strings. $150 to $200 is what they told me. Not happening.Took the plunge and replaced the bridge and saddle with bone myself. Also installed Ernie Ball light strings. Thank you, YouTube. Total cost was about $14 plus several hours of sanding, trial, and error. Sounds like a different guitar now. I would easily put it above the low end Taylors that the local shop pushes.Classy looking guitar. I’m thinking it is probably a Martin clone. Sounds sweet, and sustain is as good as any I have tried. Just be ready to put some work into it if you want to bring out its potential.
15 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Nachosgrande –
Worth four times what you pay.
I seriously expected to have to do major setup work when received the guitar because of the price, but all it needed was a little height taken off the saddle. The nut slot heights were perfect to a 1/10 of a mm, the fretwork was spectacular, and the materials were top notch. I really don’t know how they can manufacture these for the price. The sound really opened up after about a week and compared to my Taylor 314 and Martin it’s 90% of the way there in terms of sound and 100% of the way there in terms of playability. I’m used to Grover tuners so these feel a little loose while turning, and don’t hold tune quite as long as I’m used to, but they do work. Really amazing for the money. Oh, and the best part, I don’t worry about dinging it, so as far as peace of mind goes, it’s way better than the Taylor or Martin.
One person found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Jeri –
Sounds great
The guitar sounds great, arrived with dirt and water stains on it but a damp cloth got all that off. A few scratches on the pick guard but idc. The packaging could be better cause it was just some paper in a cardboard box but came with free strings. Recommend the guitar for sure
One person found this helpful
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Rated 4 out of 5
Danisoid –
Great instrument for the price
Beautiful, very well priced instrument. Great high and mid tones, with good sustain. This is your typical training wheels or composition tool…won’t let you down. Right size body and terrific neck.That said, action is terrible out-of-the-box, and your first intervention is to get it lower. So crank the Allen key to the right several times to get to where it is to be. I have not changed the saddle yet but may do to lower it more.Overall, great buy even if it does not come with anything, not even a cheap gig bag, hence only 4 stars.—Updated— I changed the saddle to a bone one and lower it. Wood pegs and Daddario strings and voila ! even better with great sustain, and clear tones.
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Rated 4 out of 5
David K. –
Possibly defective
I thought it was a great looking guitar,but a little more Orange than I thought. It may be the strings, but it sounds a bit more treble,bright,and strings vibrate more than I like. The second time I played it the G string snapped. I am concerned it could be a defect of the guitar. I don’t know if I should buy different strings or return the guitar.
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Rated 5 out of 5
R. Wang –
Love it
I am a beginner. I went to Guitar Center first. I waited for 30 minutes and no one came to help as they promised. A nice boy who was playing there offered to play different guitars for me to hear the sound quality. FS800 stood out among the others within same price range. I came home ordered FS830 on Amazon. The sound quality is even better. I love it as a beginner.
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Rated 5 out of 5
Louie Louie –
It’s Amazing
When the package was delivered, I found there was a few small dents on the box. I opened it immediately and check everywhere for the guitar body. Fortunately, this Yamaha was keeping perfect! A lot thanks to Yamaha and Amazon!B.T.W, the sound is amazing, too.
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Rated 5 out of 5
Jtech –
Great bang for the buck, maybe the best bang for the buck.
Have to say, was pleasantly surprised, while i have am pretty picky for both play-ability and sound, the solid spruce fg830 is a very good performer, with especially nice sound quality. Out of the box, the setup was too high, a little adjustment and that was easily sorted. I play several different Taylor guitars most of the time, and lean towards a bright sound, which the spruce top and rosewood back/sides delivers. i use this one for parties or travel, or when you can’t risk an uber expensive guitar, it’s my go-to. It has a lot or presence and can fill a room with clear highs and solid base. I have some earlier Yamaha’s and the neck is now more D shaped, much like the Martin neck, than then older more flat necks, this works well for such a narrow neck. While it may not have the play-ability or sound of a 900 series Taylor, it’s great value for the money, wish i could say that about all my guitars.
3 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Amazon Customer –
Great Guitar!
this guitar surprised me it sounds like a dream and looks like one also. if your looking for a guitar in this price range or even if you are looking for a guitar that’s more expensive this is the guitar for you. unreal sound for the money easy to play satin finish on the neck feels comfortable and allows for easy transition between cords. The craftsmen ship is what you would expect from Yamaha. I needed to change the strings the ones that came with weren’t that bad but I’m picky about my strings.
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Rated 5 out of 5
G. Williams –
Excellent value, beautiful quality and sound. Even better if you dial it in a bit more….
I had a lower end version of this guitar for the past two years, and finally giving to my daughter to learn with. Stepped up to this one and get slightly better construction and finish, creme color binding on neck and headstock> Wow it is gorgeous! Action was really nice out of the box, but I like low action so was able to shave the bridge down a small amount, now is the best guitar I have laid my paws on…love it! Best guitars for the $$ Yamaha.
2 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Chris Colby –
Great Guitar for Affordable Price
The Yamaha FG830 is a well-made guitar and it sounds sonorous and full, not thin or reedy/twangy. The neck on my instrument was straight (and it has a truss rod, so it can be adjusted). The action was perhaps a bit high on the bridge end of the neck, but not by much. This is a quality guitar made by a company known for excellent student-model guitars and you would hard pressed to finder a better guitar at a comparable price.
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Rated 4 out of 5
Grace –
useful !intonation!
I have used it one month ,the guitar is not bad,every things are good!
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Rated 5 out of 5
Jim DuBreuil –
Great acoustic-electric for the money.
Great looking and, most importantly, great sounding guitar!
One person found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Jose G Torres Jr –
Sounds Amazing and Beautiful Guitar
Sounds Amazing. A huge step-up from the FS800 a 50% increase in price but the value is phenomenal. Not only do you get a better sounding guitar, but you also get a guitar that’s a sight to behold. Get this one over the FS820 and FS800, you won’t be disappointed. I purchased the FS800 first at guitar center and I loved it but I was left wanting more and the colors available didn’t suit my palette. I am glad I kept looking for a guitar and found this one. Remarkable, and a must buy.
2 people found this helpful
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Rated 4 out of 5
Jim –
Plastic, Hollow saddle
Very good guitar for the money. For the more advanced player this is an ideal “take camping-to the beach” guitar. Light weight, easy to carry.Be aware that the fingerboard is fairly narrow…1 -11/16th” nut width (I believe). The action was high, so as part of my setup I replaced the saddle (lowered) with a bone saddle…curiously the factory shipped saddle was hollow plastic with four small holes in the bottom. The result was slightly less bass, but very pleasing…I liked it better!
7 people found this helpful
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Rated 4 out of 5
Edward Sarro –
Good guitar
Very good guitar nice sound I like it the built-in tuner is a nice added feature
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Rated 5 out of 5
ssmigs –
At this price point there isn’t a better made guitar
I’ve been playing guitar actively for 40 years. I was looking for a dreadnought cutaway with pre-amp. At this price point there isn’t a better made guitar. I would have to spend 2-3 times as much for rosewood back, sides, fret board and saddle for a Taylor or Martin.My first guitar was a Yamaha, so I was happy to find another that took me back. It is aesthetically flawless. I think the Fishman in my Martin Custom X is a tad stronger but I can EQ that; and I love the tuner. If it matters to you, it is made in China. (I thought Yamahas were Japanese).Sounds amazing un-plugged with great bottom end. Very pleased.
75 people found this helpful
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Rated 4 out of 5
Surfer Hank –
Best for the money
If you want a playable nice sounding guitar for a great price, this is it. In my head-to-head comparison the sound quality beats the epiphone hummingbird, the other guitar I tried.
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Rated 5 out of 5
Randall J. Bohl –
Great, fun little guitar to play in the living room
I bought the fs800 first. It arrived in poor conditiion and i didn’t like the guitar. I sent it back and bought the fs830. Its fantastic. I great guitar for the money. perfect for around the house. not as loud as a dreadnaught. nice finish with the binding around the body and up the fret board. I got the Tobacco Sunburst color. Looks fantastic. Its worth the extra hundred bucks to up grade to the 830. Love it.
One person found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Jair –
Wonderful guitar
This guitar has a great sound and has good finishes. I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to buy an Yamaha guitar since I love the sound. It is totally worth it.
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Rated 5 out of 5
Skip Howland –
great sound, with minor mods
to get a Martin sound out of this guitar, replace the plasics with bone. be sure the neck is correct,, use light strings and you will be amazed at the improved tone- VERY good and very pleased. It rivals $2000 guitars
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Rated 4 out of 5
R. Payne –
Could have been 5 stars
I’m going to break this review into pros and cons. Pros: Top notch wood, electronics, wonderful bound neck and great machine heads. The action/fretboard are wonderful (after being setup). Sounds beautiful!, and more so if you take my advice. One last pro, all of the cons are easily remedied. Cons: The saddle, nut, and bridge pins are plastic (kind of like putting crap tires on a good sports car). I replaced the saddle and nut with tusk, and for the bridge pins I went with brass. It was like the volume went from a 4 to a 8, and the tone went from nice to beautiful and singing. It was about a 40$ upgrade, that made it sound like a thousand dollar guitar. This is the first time I bought a guitar before playing it. The gamble more than paid off. Been playing guitar for 25 years, and I could recommend this guitar to hobbyist or pro (with proper adjustment).
194 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
JimboJimbo –
Good sound, features for the price
After almost 20 years with an old guitar, I wanted an upgrade. I play about 3-4 hours a week so I wanted something nice but not too expensive. Researched all the brands and for the money, I think it’s one of the best out there in the 500.00 range. I did return my first one as it had two strings that “buzzed” when strummed. The second guitar is very nice and has a great sound.
One person found this helpful
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Rated 4 out of 5
M. Petterson –
Seems good for the price!
Granted, I can’t play a note, however, I got this one for my wife, took it to a luthier, and he said it looked pretty good. I bought the $120 Jasmine cut away for myself, kind of wish I would have saved up a couple hundred more to get this one.
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Rated 5 out of 5
R. NarineR. Narine –
Change strings and add bone saddle/nut and you’re good to go.
Beautiful out the box and shipped like a tank. The action it shipped with was far from bad, but optimally it should be a bit lower. The tone out the box was great but can sound better with some quality strings. I intend to play out the strings a few weeks while my martin strings and bone saddle and nut arrive. Then I’ll have the low action and sound that will make this guitar sound like it’s worth 500+
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Rated 5 out of 5
JE –
Great Guitar shipped fast
I wasn’t really keen on ordering a guitar online but I gave it a shot considering al stores are closed due to the coronavirus. I ordered the Yamaha FG830 guitar without the gig bag. I tracked the shipping which came pretty fast. After unpacking the guitar I examined it throughly no damage the only thing I had to was tune it which I expected and eventually will change the strings. Removed the plastic cover on the pick plate and it sounds great which amazes me because it’s not an expensive guitar but looks and certainly sounds like one.
One person found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Dennis Mulanax –
Superior quality and sound!
For the money, this guitar is great. Superb quality in the craftsmanship and the sound is deep and solid. The fret board is sized just right. You can of course pay as much as you want for a guitar, there plenty to choose from. But for $300 ish, this FG830 is is more quality and better sound than expected.
One person found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
AMZN$Fan –
A fantastic sounding and beautiful guitar
This a a great guitar value. Scalloped bracing combined with spruce solid top and rosewood back and sides creates a large dynamic range and a rich and bright tone.There is a lot of guitar for the money here! This guitar is very playable and it’s larger dynamic range than other configuration allows a great deal of expressiveness. Besides all of that, it is BEAUTIFUL. This thing can make you a better player because you won’t want to put it down.I bought this with the accessory pack. The stand works very well and the tuner is actually quite good. It really helps you to tune to precision.I’ve been playing for a couple of years now and this guitar is really nice step up from a $100-$125 “student” guitar.Yamaha has really made a great guitar here. Go ahead… push the button! /;-)
8 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
manuel r. –
Unbelievable guitar at an Unbelievable Price.
Got my FG 830 today. Could be happier. I was skeptical about it arriving unscaved. Arrived without a scratch on it. What an incredible instrument. I challenge Martin or Taylor to produce a guitar with the craftsmanship and sound of this guitar at this price range. Thank You Yamaha!!!!
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Rated 5 out of 5
Tony P –
Great Guitar for the Money
I bought this for my son and he was really impressed and most importantly it inspired him to practice regularly. He was using a friend’s acoustic and my son found this guitar to be noticeably better. He mentioned it stayed in tune much better than what he was using also. What I like about it is the price. He can take it to church or if he plays out one day, he doesn’t have to worry about someone walking off with his $1000 Martin or stepping on the neck or something stupid like that. He can play it and enjoy it. That’s the most important thing.
One person found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Angela –
Great quality!
Bought for college some who was looking to learn to play. Great sound out of the box and craftsmanship is spot on. Great value!
One person found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
NMLNML –
Beautiful and sounds AMAZING.
Beautiful! My friends and I sing together and 6 of them play (I’m learning). I brought this and they all took turns playing it, they love the way it sounds. Many of their guitars are a lot more expensive and all want to buy this one now.I bought bone replacements for the plastic parts with this and swapped them out first thing.Here’s the link:Blisstime 6 String Acoustic Guitar Bone Bridge Saddle and Nut and 6pcs Guitar Bone Bridge Pins Made of Real Bone https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018SA2CPE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_T00iEbZ640GA1
9 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
A.Blessing –
Don’t question yourself…get this guitar!
I can’t believe I brought a guitar!!! I’ve always wanted to learn but have convinced myself that I’ll never be able to do it. Eventually, I gave up that thought and just went for it. And I’m sooooo glad I did. The music therapist at my job tuned it for me right out the box and he commented on how GOOD this guitar is. He said it’s “an excellent piece of equipment” and he said he would even buy one for his collection. This guy has a $2k guitar and said he would even buy this one!!! Wow!!! Don’t question yourself…get this guitar!
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Rated 5 out of 5
Tracy M. –
It’s a YAMAHA can’t go wrong
Sound quality is excellent. The neck is a tad smaller from the other guitars with the same price range from eat for my small hands. It’s a beautiful guitar. Practice on!
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Rated 5 out of 5
Amazon CustomerAmazon Customer –
The best woods, best quality, and best sound for any guitar within double this price. I love it.
Shipped quickly and very well packaged.
2 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Amazon Customer –
Can’t go wrong with this guitar.
Excellent guitar. New, out of box , played great, just the tone I wanted from spruce and rosewood. It’s just gonna get better. Have played it for hours everyday for a week. Also purchased some ebony pegs and bone saddle that I will install at next string change. Very pleased with this product. Thank you Amazon.
One person found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Michael Mueller –
Great instrument, great price!
In my opinion Yamaha makes one of the best quality instruments for the money. This guitar looks and sounds like a much higher end guitar. The price point is great. Can’t go wrong with this guitar. I use this as my main practice instrument as I try to keep the wear and tear off my high end guitars. So happy with it.
2 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
Janelle –
Best guitar on the planet
I been playing guitar for 30years almost I’ve owned a lot of guitars I have 4 martins and a ole gibson electric and this Yamaha you can’t compare the Yamaha to these cause the Yamaha wins sounds good plays great an didn’t cost 2grand I like what another review said the old yamaha guitar are all good to but the new ones are even better hard to believe you can say that these days about anything but Yamaha is a great company all the reviews can’t be wrong this is the real deal built great sounds great an most in important it’s very playable for a new person I hope this helps you decide you can never go wrong with Yamaha 👍🏻
12 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
P. Maguire –
Great sound, good value
Moved to an apartment and wanted a good guitar that would sounds great but not loud like drednoughts. Yamaha FS830 is a good looking and great sounding guitar. It’s plenty loud but controllable and works well enough in an apartment or anywhere you want to keep it down a bit. Good quality guitar throughout. Might want to change strings. Some have said they changed out bridge and nut. I didn’t do that. String spacing is a bit tight. But overall I like this FS830 a lot. Great value too.
2 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
BL –
Excellent fit and finish
I’m a rookie at guitar knowledge but I do know if something is put together with quality. The FG 830 electro acoustic is beautiful. I eye scanned every square inch and there is no defect. The binding is smooth and uniform. I have played $3,000 dollar guitars in music stores does this mean this Yamaha is only 16% the quality of a 3K Martin? No. This has some excellent stats and sounds great. My friend who plays semi pro played the Yama and he said I made a good decision.
6 people found this helpful
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Rated 5 out of 5
buschman –
Very nice product for the price.
This is an excellent guitar for the money. It sounds fantastic out of the box. My daughter loves it! She’s picking up playing quickly using online tools. Resonance and tone are some of the best aspects of the guitar. Looks are okay. Shipping was fast and product was intact when received.
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Amazon CustomerAmazon Customer –
Cracked on side of body
Like the guitar, a lot but crack in side of body
OBK –
Great guitar for a few dollars
I like it a lot. Reviews were good everywhere I looked. It’s well-made. It’s a parlor guitar so it has a circus-like sound. Not a beautiful sound. But it’s fun and easy to play. I think it’s great. I’m a beginning guitarist so don’t take my word about it in terms of its musicality. But for the money I think it is solid and worth it. I would not worry about taking it on a plane, or to the beach, or camping. Read review on best guitars under $500 and it makes many of the lists.
One person found this helpful
Jon F. –
My most played acoustic guitar
I have to echo what many others have said–this is a great little guitar. I have a Martin, Taylor, and a Loar parlor size acoustic. I end up playing this guitar more than any other acoustic because it’s comfortable to play, has a cool blues tone, stays in tune, and lives on a stand in my living room instead of a case. It’s also great to travel with due it’s small size. If you want a great little blues box, this is it.
One person found this helpful
Roselyn Daneke –
The sound and the set up out of the box to get to it is amazing. I ordered the gig bag (mistake)
This is every thing you will read about…unless you see under five stars. The sound and the set up out of the box to get to it is amazing. I ordered the gig bag (mistake). After leaving it out and picking it up everyday for the past three weeks… i ordered a gator 3/4 hard for 60% of the price. So what. Well between the 5th and 9th frets; there are amazing sounds from the D thru G stings. Bend them, slide them; it may be just my guitar, but after three weeks it was no longer a $149 guitar…hence the hard case. I have not changed stings yet. Are you kidding me $149? Acoustic Guitar Mag was the tip and i pounced on this guitar. How do they create that woody ghost tone out of $149. I would like to have a Keb Mo Gibson @ $2400 but will smile with the Jim Dandy until that day happens. OK…the Keb Mo Gibson would bury this guitar, but I would still take the Jim Dandy traveling…I love this guitar.
3 people found this helpful
katie –
Great guitar, no ability for strap.
This is a great guitar that produces a well rounded sound. It’s not the most beautiful looking and over all looks a little cheap, like the plastic tuning knobs. But the tune doesn’t slip so they obviously get the job done. One complaint is that there is only one knob to attach a strap. How you would attach a strap I would not know other than, perhaps glueing on another knob? So curious as to why this redunk design is in place, how hard would it have been to add an extra knob?
One person found this helpful
C. Lambert –
Better than the recording kings
As far as budget parlor guitars this is it. I had a solid top recording king for a while but this one wins hands down craftsmanship wise. Intonation is spot on, tuners keep tune, action is great. X braced and clean internal workmanship. This is a players guitar and it’s made to be a beater, just as the stellas and harmonys and Kay’s of old…
One person found this helpful
Andrew & Rebecca –
Very nice for the price
This is a pretty nice little guitar for the money. I was looking for a new parlor to have around the house, take outside, toss into the car for trips–and that’s exactly what the Jim Dandy is perfect for. If you’re looking for a mind-blower, this probably won’t do it. However, it plays good right out of the box, feels solid, and sounds like a good little parlor. Gretsch was going for a throwback guitar, like one of those department store parlors from decades ago, and I think they nailed it. I have a Stella and a Regal from the early 70s (both of which I love), and this fits nicely alongside those.If you want to add a fun little guitar to your arsenal, this is a good one to pick up. And it won’t break the bank. If I was looking at this as a starter guitar, it would probably get the fifth star.
3 people found this helpful
tim behunin –
great guitar for the value
for the price as a learner guitar the gretsch jim dandy is solid, it gets some negative press for the flat finish; however, this is a nice touch in both look and feel. many youtube videos with accomplished blues guitarists show the sound its capabilities. for someone new to the guitar, pretty forgiving and easy to play. strong value.
Patrick Kennedy –
Yes, an actual musical instrument
I’ve had this guitar for a few months now, and it’s delightful to pick up and play. The “boxy” sound isn’t for everyone (search Youtube for some good sound clips), but it was exactly what I was looking for in a parlour-sized guitar. The construction feels high quality, and the setup was pretty good right out of the box. I’m not a good player, but this is at least as enjoyable and beautiful to play as the more expensive guitars I’ve played.The only thing that feels a little cheap on close inspection is the finish, which I expect might pick up some wear and tear over time, but overall I would say this guitar is more inexpensive than cheap. I can’t imagine doing any better at this price point than this guitar.
5 people found this helpful
Jeff Hanson –
Great bang for the buck
Mine arrived thru Austin Bazaar. Everything was as described. I straightened the neck with the provided allen wrench (this guitar had a bit too much relief in it, but it was straight) took the old strings off and sanded the base of the string saddle down a bit for easier action. I restrung it with 11s and couldn’t be happier. The guitar intonates perfectly, the action is where I like it, and it plays like butter. I only wish it had a slightly wider nut but I’m adjusting.Great service with Amazon/Austin Bazaar. Probably couldn’t have picked out a better one myself. Both fingerstyle and flat picking are rewarding. I haven’t played a nicer guitar in this price range.
3 people found this helpful
John Taylor –
One of my favorites
I really like parlor guitars and this one is definitely a keeper. Been playing over forty years.
3 people found this helpful
Stephen L. Graf –
A whole lotta fun for the money
I was looking for something to throw in the backseat of my truck and roll with it. I’m a fan of Godin products and I looked at a number of their used offerings, even a baby Taylor and some old Silvertones. Of course ads for this Jim Dandy kept popping up and it was inexpensive and then when I got to looking, I noticed I couldn’t find a used one – that was telling. Reviews were mostly favorable and yeah, if I want to change things up or drill holes in it – so what. I like this guitar a lot. No it doesn’t sound like my others but that’s the point. It’s got that sitting on the porch steps in the summer heat sound.
One person found this helpful
Heath Hardin –
Great player!
I got this guitar for my daughter for christmas. I have been playing guitar for 45 years…i have owned a ton of different guitars. I LOVED playing this little Gretsch. Out of the box, it was set up to play with perfect action. Just needed to tune in up. Was very impressed with the even sounds from bass to treble and it was a really easy-playing guitar. Sweet sound. Great deal for the money. I am hoping this will encourage her to play more and then down the road i will get her a Martin. VERy happy with the purchase.
4 people found this helpful
cjg –
Great guitar
Great value
2 people found this helpful
rel –
JUST DO IT NOW
I’ve had the G9500 for less than 24 hours and it really is hard to put down. I build CBG’s as a hobby and love the blues. I had been looking for an acoustic beater for my nightly couch playing. I love playing my cigar boxes, ukulele (s) and Stratocaster, but I haven’t owned an acoustic guitar since I was a teenager. I have a Gretsch Uke and its quality and sound is amazing, so when I found this parlor guitar by Gretsch, I gave it a shot. … and just WOW!I can literally not keep my hands off this guitar. There was a minor truss rod adjustment (6th string buzz) but besides that its flawless. Beautiful sound and very comfortable playability were the two things I was looking for and its got BOTH. I would have never believed that a 150 dollar guitar could ever be this great. Unless I’m just crazy… If you are trying to decide on purchasing this guitar JUST DO IT NOW or SOON.
One person found this helpful
Jonathan Freeman –
Fun and Inexpensive
Perfect for just playing around, it’s fun to play and inexpensive. It’s nothing special by no means but well worth it for the price.
Rose –
Amazing sound
This guitar is well built and has a wonderful quality sound.
joel clackum –
Buy this.
The Jim Dandy is in line with the Gretsch Guitars of old. It sounds great and feels great. I bought this for my son to learn on, but I very much enjoy playing it myself and it sounds fantastic when Its mic’d up. Other reviews suggested that it was fragile, but I think it is well-built and will withstand whatever my son can throw at it. If you are thinking about this guitar, buy it.it is fun to play, has a great sound, and travels easily.
One person found this helpful
kelsey stewart –
Great for travel
Perfect size for what I wanted sounds okay the body is small so it doesnt resonate as much as a bigger body guitar but it looks sharp an is comfortable to play. Definitely a great travel guitar not something I’d play a show with but something to drag everywhere.
Gregg –
Worth 169 and fun to play.
Good value for the money. I really enjoy the size and neck. I will play this a lot. The paint is cheap. The white line is not solid on the front surface it is broken up like they did not have enough paint in the machine when finishing. The pick guard takes away from the fake old fashioned look with the G. I may remove it. It is worth the 169 paid. I am a beginner and it is very comfortable to have this size rather than the full size Dreadnought when walking around the house. The E and A strings do not have a ring like a regular size guitar. It was this or the 199 fender cp100. I would recommend it does have a quieter nice resonance. I rarely give reviews because I think most are laudatory over the top BS that seem paid for. This review is not paid for.
One person found this helpful
Gravey Shakes –
Love this guitar
Bad – had to lube the saddle and nut the strings were sticking. It needs a machine head/tuner upgrade. They work but require a lot of effort to turn so you loose some of the ability to fine tune. Good – stays in tune once you get there. Absolutely love the sound – got that “blues” tone, size – light convenient,neck – smooth, color – flawless flat (I got the red) paint that can take getting bumped without leaving a mark. It sounds and feels like a $500 guitar. I am going to get another one to hot rod.
Eleven –
Beautiful little guitar
Confortable and good sound. Great for the money
aaron Wagner –
Nice Guitar. Worth more than it is.
I bought this guitar because i needed to have a smaller guitar for a boat trip down the Mississippi. Turns out it was still a bit large for our smallish boat. However, I was impressed by the quality and craftsmanship right out of the box. The sound isn’t booming, but i wouldn’t expect that from a parlor guitar. Instead, It’s a bit raw and perfect for starting slide work or for an inexpensive guitar that you don’t have to worry about leaving out of it’s case in order to quickly grab for a quick practice session.
One person found this helpful
John robbinsJohn robbins –
Opinion of a Manager at Manny’s Music NYC, a salesman at both Sam Ash NYC and Matt Umanov’s NYC:
I worked at the above stores as well as several in Seattle for almost 20 years total. And I was looking for something that would stay in tune and I could actually play, and drag around to the beach or camping, perhaps busking and wouldn’t kill me if it were stolen or destroyed. That being said..This is an unbelievable deal. First this was shipped to me in December, and the frets were not protruding from the sides of the fretboard as often happens when a guitar is exposed to the cold. It was shipped from NJ to Seattle. The neck is streight and true, the action is quite playable though it could be lowered. It does not NEED to be lowered, it could be depending on personal preference. I searched each string and fret and there is ZERO fret buzz. Not a one needs to be filed down. And most importantly it stays in tune. I did not throw it out of tune from bending strings or traveling across town from warm to cold to warm. The tuners are the open gear type and aren’t the best but I haven’t had any problem tuning it so far. All the interior bracing seems solid, well placed and firmly glued with no gaps or spaces, drips etc. showing. Likewise the neck joint seems equally well made. There is a strap button on the bottom of the body, the other end must be tied under the strings on the headstock, or another strap button must be added. The bridge is well made and securely fastened to the face of the guitar. It does have the intimated B and high E string saddle which would need to be replaced if someone is thinking of stringing it lefty and flipping it over. It comes with a warranty card and an Allen wrench. If you are in the industry you can compare this to an entry level Yamaha acoustic from the late 1980’s early 1999’s as far as playability. It’s not a full scale nor is it a dreadnaught shape body as the top bout meets the neck at the 12th fret instead of 14th. But comparable quality. As far as sound it’s quite nice and much louder than I expected very articulate and …crisp mids, nice round highs, and the low end is pretty well balanced and has that growl you get in drop D owing to the short scale. Sounds like it’s just aching for a coricedan bottle!All in all I really can’t think of anything else to say other than I was really sceptical but hey this thing holds its own. For the money nothing else I have seen even comes close! I plan on using this live for a few songs.WORD OF WARNING: This came FedEx. I have received several packages this month from them. One requires a signature so I missed work to stay home and sign for it. Then at approximately 4:30 in the afternoon they changed the delivery date to “unknown”. because the item was still in Texas and wasn’t going to make it to Seattle by ground in the next day let alone by 8:00pm Saturday as they had been saying all week. It showed up Monday morning after I went to work (delivery date was still unknown on computer). And this guitar comes in a box that says Gretsch in giant letters on it. So I left a note telling them to leave it next door which is about 30ft from my door to theirs. FedEx just left the guitar on my porch with Gretsch facing out towards the street.
97 people found this helpful
David Lewis –
Tight
Tidy
Pcat –
Cheap Fun!!
I was looking for a “knock-around” guitar and began stumbling across reviews for the Gretsch Jim Dandy. I have to be honest: I was deeply skeptical of the positive reviews this little $149 guitar was getting but I took a chance and ordered one. It definitely lives up to the hype but in the interest of being objective here are my observations:Appearance: Gretsch has nailed the retro vibe. If you’re looking for the aesthetics of deeply-grained tone-wood this isn’t your instrument but the Jim Dandy has it’s own vintage charm. The Tobacco Sunburst top is a matte spray finish that looks good and is evenly applied. The rest of the instrument is flat black which may be a fingerprint magnet … time will tell. The pinstripe on the top is obviously hand-painted; there are some minor imperfections but it really fits in with the retro theme Gretsch is shooting for. The cheesy (in my opinion) pick guard and open tuners only bolster that theme. My one complaint: Gretsch made the inexplicable decision to begin their fret markings at the fifth fret rather than the third. Overall, I’d grant the Jim Dandy an 8 out of 10 for appearance.Build: The Jim Dandy is a relatively light weight guitar and subjectively feels heavier than my Little Martin. My out-of-the-box inspection revealed no obvious flaws other than some small debris rattling around inside. The kerfing and bracing seems clean and tidy and the tuners, while stiff, function well. There are no bridge pins to lose with the Jim Dandy’s through-bridge design. Overall, I was impressed by the quality and the instrument was actually close to being in tune right out of the box! Further, the factory set-up is actually very good. The neck is straight, the nut is reasonably well cut, the action is quite playable with nary a buzz or dead spot. The real surprise is the fret work on this guitar. One British reviewer commented that the Jim Dandy had the best fret work of any entry-level guitar he’s seen. I’ll go a step further: the Jim Dandy I received has better fret work than guitars costing several hundred dollars more based on my auditioning of instruments at local music stores. Overall: a 10 out of 10 given the price point.Sound: Fun! Again, if you’re looking for high-end tone and sustain this isn’t your instrument. That said, the Jim Dandy has an enjoyable sound … it’s somewhat boxy yet sweet, especially when finger picked. If you’re a strummer I’d recommend trying light gauge nylon picks as these seem to emphasize the Jim Dandy’s mid-range where celluloid or tortex can ring a bit harsh. Does it have the clarity, voice or vibe of any of my Martins? No. But it has its own sound that is enjoyable. Overall: 8 out of 10.The Jim Dandy is an unapologetically budget guitar that manages to be playable and fun for a price point that’s really hard to believe. Really, it’s not hard to spend more on a case than you would spend on this guitar. In my opinion it’s a perfect instrument for places one might hesitate to take a more expensive guitar.
35 people found this helpful
DylanDylan –
Excellent Little Guitar!
I picked this up to learn finger style delta blues after reading all the positive reviews and watching the video of Eric Bibb singing its praises.This is a very fun and comfortable guitar to play. It has a unique voice, the low end is a bit muted and the mid range is very strong and ‘woody’. On the one I kept the low C booms out a bit more than the other notes both on the A string and high up the neck on the low E. I like that, it gives it even more character than it already has, and it has quite a bit of character to begin with.Currently my two favorite acoustics are this Jim Dandy and my Gibson J-15. Entirely different beasts, but both very enjoyable to play.If I hit the lottery I’d buy these by the case and hand them out to random strangers and spread the joy!I did have to send one back for rough fret work and a few other issues, but the one I kept is very nicely made, and far nicer than I expected for a guitar under $200. Unfortunately it came with a dent in the back. The outer shipping carton was fine, but the inner carton took a hard hit at some point which went right through the box and dented the back. However since it’s plywood and the paint is very durable, there’s no splitting or paint missing and no damage visible inside the body. It’s a very sturdy little guitar! Since every guitar is unique and I happen to really like this particular guitar’s “booming C” I’m keeping the dented one for life. I’ll consider the dent a “beauty mark”.I lowered the string slots at the nut and the guitar plays like silk. Nearly every nut has the slots set high from the factory since you can always lower slots, so they leave them high and let the customer, (or the customer’s luthier), lower them to taste. So high action at the nut isn’t a criticism of the Jim Dandy, it’s standard in my experience. The only other thing I did was replace the plastic strap button with one more in the spirit of this guitar, a vintage style ivorid, (imitation ivory), button from Iluak Ivory. Luckily the screw holding the plastic button on was a smaller diameter than the replacement so I just had to drill out the hole. I’ve attached a photo of the ivorid button.Note that the Gretch Resonator Roots Collection gig bag fits the Jim Dandy well and is a nice looking and very high quality gig bag.
8 people found this helpful
Jose E Rodriguez –
Jim Dandy not parlor but parlor size
Overall I’m okay with my purchase. It’s a parlor size guitar but it is not really parlor but Jim Dandy which is something unique on its own. That means that the style and tone are targeted for blues/country/folk and to be accompanied with steel guitar and-or resonator. Not your typical parlor guitar tones which is what I wanted until I played blues with it and fell in love with what I would describe as somewhat tin box tones mixed with slight touch of guitarlele tones in good taste. It is hard to describe but the wood used sure produces unique delta blues tones. Strongly suggest replacing the strings that comes with it, good strings makes a huge difference. I have to admit, it took some getting used to play with the short scale and no dot mark on the third fret. Definitely no high octave shredding on this. Also, the neck is chunky and action is higher than what I’m used to, probably for the use of a slide but it’s not bad. The guitar has great timbre for a small size, which makes finger picking sounds great and effortless but strumming is not as good in tone.I would say it’s a good beginner’s guitar if you are into blues otherwise your regular pop songs will sound a little off and the sound quality may not be as pleasant to you. If you like more of pop rock music spend a little more and go for the typical parlor Gretsch G9511 or Fender, Ibanez, etc.The guitar looks of quality that surpasses price which is something you see often with Gretsch. At first I thought the open tuners were not going to last but I’m pleasantly surprised that hold tune incredibly well and passed the beach and camping test. The size is perfect, makes it easy, fun to play and practice anywhere and that alone will make you love it. I have 2 more guitars but this one has become my go to guitar and it is the cheapest one. I assume because of the small size it comes with only one strap pin, thus the strap must go thru the tuning headstock but with strap it can hang on your back like a backpack very comfortably and it makes you look cool. :)I had to lower my rating to 3 stars because the fretboard is abrasive in some spots when string bending and even soaked in oil will occasionally have crunchy tones when bending, and it is becoming an annoyance. Is like the neck quality control is completely different from the body. I got it fixed with light sanding but it reflects price vs quality. Although double action thrust rod for that price is a nice surprise. But again, overall It’s okay or great if you’re not too picky.
21 people found this helpful
Ratboy –
Updated: I do love this little dude…
Well I just got mine… arrived a few hours ago. I’ve been playing it non-stop since. I really can do little more than repeat what others before me (the good reviews) have said: she’s a little darling… incredibly easy to play – fits perfectly in my arms and hands. The neck is beautifully shaped; the fretboard is fantastic. The string spacing is perfect for us fingerpickers… and when I tune her to an Open tuning and get out my Rock Slide brass slide – she’s at home. As far as looks go – well, I can’t tell what she looks like when I’m playing her so who cares? She looks fine sitting on my stand where she won’t spend a lot of time. This is, easily, the most guitar I’ve ever received for $150.00… do not hesitate to buy this baby if it’s an easy-playing small guitar you’re looking for… she’s just great. Love her instantly from the moment I get her the way I wanted… even the strings she came with are fantastic – with great action; Everything is really perfect. Couldn’t be happier… well there’s one thing: the frets are a bit sharp and need to be worked on, but… c’mon, if that’s the worst thing I can say about this guitar you know she’s a winner. Amazing price to value ratio.Update: I’ve had this guitar for, I don’t know, a few months now… I just wanted to say that this is the best guitar I’ve ever owned. I mean, not just in relation to the cost of the instrument, but… it’s the most enjoyable to play… it has superb tone (lacks a tad on the lower register but it’ a parlor, that’s too be expected…) and it plays like a dream. It is constantly by my side or in my hands. I love it. I cannot possibly imagine a better deal on a guitar anywhere or from anyone. Gretsch has simply *killed it* with this one. I am astounded… There must be something in the drinking water in Indonesia because every guitar I’ve had that has been made there has been good… but this… I just cannot recommend this guitar enough. Am I making myself clear? Buy this guitar if you are even remotely considering it. You will not do any better buying anything else. It is… the best. A great guitar. If I had paid 500 bucks for it I’d be saying the same thing, by the way…
4 people found this helpful
Natroneous –
Great guitar arrived with junk strings
Overall I’m really happy. I’ve been looking to get one of these since they came out and happy I finally did. Love the finish and overall the craftsmanship on mine is quite nice for a sub $200 guitar.My only complaint is that the included strings were so tarnished and old that I had to replace them immediately (I used Martin Retro Modals). The Jim Dandy actually comes with decent D’addario strings, so it was a shame to cut them off without using (and a waste of $).When I wrote to “Gretsch” about the strings they told me “no replacements are available “ SAY WHA??? For one, they are actually even available on Amazon. 2, was I supposed to keep those old strings on for the life of the guitar? For those reading, it was very easy to find and replace them ;)Anyway, I’m certainly not sending back the guitar with my brand new strings on it. I like the guitar now, I was just hoping for a new set sent to me.Also for what it’s worth all responses came from a company named Adorma – not Gretsch, so even though it looks like it in the listing, I’m not sure this is really coming from Gretsch directly.
3 people found this helpful
jonesvox –
Just Dandy
Well, isn’t this “dandy?” I received my new Jim Dandy yesterday. Packaged very well but still has an odd scratch on the front and some wipe mark as if the person who applied the pick guard got glue on it and attempted to “fix” it. Not that noticeable so I will keep the guitar. It was actually almost in tune out of the box. Never had that with a new guitar.Stings are a bit heavy gauge for me. Plays fairly well. No fret buzz. It’s a fun & quirky. I’m going to install a preamp and under saddle pickup. It will be fun and add a retro vibe to my solo gigs. It’s a fun little guitar to leave on the couch & noodle with. For the low price it’s a blast.
2 people found this helpful
Ringo –
Great Value, but keep in mind the small scale
Great sounding guitar, beautiful finish, and very well made. A great recreation of the old parlor/ catalog guitars meaning its a smaller scale. Not only is the body smaller, the neck is a smaller scale, thus the frets are as well.
Dave –
Very impressive
Very impresssive guitar for the price. I wanted something I could take with me when I travel, and for family gatherings. This guitar met every need and sounds fantastic. I have always known Gretsch to make quality instruments but for the price, this guitar is worth a lot more. The small body size makes it very comfortable to play, and the neck is very beefy and instantly makes you feel at home. I have had this guitar by the campfire, out early in the morning, and have let it sit for over a week, and it still stays in tune. Whether you’re looking for a cheap beater to have around the house, or a solid back up travel guitar, this thing will certainly fit the bill.
13 people found this helpful
Dark one –
Looks better than it plays!
I had been waiting to buy this guitar since September 2019. This guitar was so hot that it supposedly all sold out and we had to wait till Feb 2020 before they made anymore. I was hugely underwhelmed by the following. This is not a smaller guitar like the Baby Taylor. This is actually a 3/4 size guitar. It really only has 12 playable frets almost like a toy guitar. Any fret higher than 12 is not really playable or it sounds like a toy. Looks great like an ancient parlor guitar. It sounds deep and I could still smell the smell of newly cut wood because this was a new batch. The problem I have is, it just sounds like a cheap guitar. Nothing really special. It doesn’t sound like a parlor guitar as I expected. It just sounds a tad better than a guitar for that price but by no means does it sound like those old blues guitars and I am not sure if you can even get those types of tones. It sounds deep and dry to me. Maybe the guitar needs to age and might benefit from different strings. Clearly it looks better than it plays.
13 people found this helpful
Amazon Customer –
Great smaller guitar
I’m a beginner and the size is perfect. It sounds great. The only beef I have is there is no where to connect a guitar strap.
Grant –
Exactly what I needed
No damage while shipping. Guitar is the perfect size. Sound is amazing considering the size and price. Prior to purchasing I read other reviews and detail and they were all pretty spot on. I’m a beginner and I find this guitar easy to play on. If you’re looking for a small guitar at a good price this is the one.
john heckman –
impressed.
For 150 dollars u cant go wrong with this guitar. I have a very expensive acoustic that sounds amazing, but its huge and a bit of a hassle to play. I bought this guitar with the thought of campfire songs and easier practice. Ill tell u what right out of the box i fell in love with it. Ie been playing guitar 6 years and this guitar is one of my favorites. It is so much fun to play, if your into noodleing and chords while your taveling this is the guitar for you.Now about the guitar, the finish isnt what u expect, its not a laquer, so i dont know how it holds up to temperature. Theie are slight cracks in the finish on the neck, probably from quick temperature flux. And th white line bordering the edges dosent go under the neck, it just stops. The intination is great, i only found one dead note, the tuners fit perfectly with the desighn. The only thing i dont really like about this guitar is the fretboard. The lay ins are huge, and the wood for the fret board just looks cheap. This is a 150 dollar guitar and u will be suprised how nice it feels when u start playing. Id buy it again
15 people found this helpful
nick tannehill –
M-!-S-S-!-S-S-!-P-P-!
Great guitar, solidly built. Anyone who may complain about finishing issues, I think, is missing the point of this guitar. It has a beefy neck which is taking some getting used to, It stays in tune better than the Taylor GS mini and it sounds great! At this price I plan to get every color and tune each one to a different open tuning. This guitar coupled with the Jim Dunlop 232 Harris brass slide(and a little truss rod adjustment to bring up the action) will transport you to the front porch of a rundown country house deep down in Mississippi on a scorching hot day, with dust kicking up in the wind and… I think you catch my drift. I decided to remove the pick-guard which was about as easy as removing the UPC sticker from a Bic lighter. I’ve handled both the Fender and Recording King parlor guitars and even if they were $149 instead of $199, I’d still get this guitar.
29 people found this helpful
April HApril H –
I ended up buying a second one for myself
This is an incredibly good sounding guitar. I bought for my grandson. I had it shipped to me tune it up and started playing. And I bought another one for my son-in-law. And I thought I would just add a picture of my dog because she’s so cute that’s Maggie.
11 people found this helpful
Nicholas Mageras –
Very happy.
My guitar arrived quite early, and I couldn’t be more happy with it. It’s construction is solid. I was deciding between this and and something else, but in my opinion you can’t really go wrong with a Gretsh, even in this price range. It sounds like it was made to play the blues, and it’s perfect size for travel.
C L Wheeler –
Awesome 12 Fret Small Body Blues / Travel Guitar for the Price (Cheap)!
Met all the expectations I had after reading review after review about how great a guitar it is for $150. Didn’t have an opportunity to see one in person and I was skeptical when I ordered it because I’ve heard stories like that before. The finish is pretty terrible and sloppy and I had to take a minute to get over that before really deciding what I thought about it. Especially for a guitar it’s size (its small) it has great volume and tone; it plays really good right out of the box; it stays in tune really good and has good intonation; the frets, fret board, nut, and saddle setup are great, and the neck action is like a full size guitar not like the the action on other ‘Travel” guitars I’ve had experience with. What more could you want for a $150 12 fret small body blues player/beater?
7 people found this helpful
C. MarinoC. Marino –
A good little parlor for the beach
Perfect for what I was looking for, a small, inexpensive guitar for travel, camping, beach so that one would not be devastated if it got lost or damaged. Of course it would be great if it looked and sounded like a $2,500 parlor guitar, but then it would not have cost only $169 and I would not be taking it to the beach. It is easy to play, balanced and a solid little guitar. I would have happily paid a bit more for better tuners, these work but slip a bit when tuning. Maybe an upgrade down the road.
Amazon Customer –
Perfect parlor guitar
This is not a toy guitar. It is a parlor acoustic guitar. These are smaller guitars, more comfortable and they unique sound. I love this guitar. And it is perfect for practice.
3 people found this helpful
kaveh –
An extremely comfortable guitar to play….
I have the sunburst version. I took the pick guard off likety-split….to get rid of the unsightly “G”….came off very easy….looks eve better without the pick guard… This is an excellent guitar. It is extremely comfortable to play, mostly because it is so small. It is probably the smallest parlor guitar that you’ll be able to find. The sound is “tinny” ….as everybody who plays it will tell you…..because of the cheap/laminate woods used…..but it does give the guitar an old-school Delta blues sound. Those old-school blues guys weren’t playing fancy-pants expensive guitars….I have 6 or 7 guitars…acoustic and electric…that are more expense than this one….but I still come back to my trusty “Jim Dandy”….great guitar to learn on too….buy it…you won’t be disappointed…
3 people found this helpful
Fatratdaddy –
Just picking it up will make you smile.
It didn’t come double boxed, but it was well packed so there were no shipping issues. It’s set up very well and it’s ready to play out of the box. I changed the strings, polished the frets, oiled the fretboard and I’ve been really pleased with the results. It’s just a fun guitar to play.
J. Ellick –
Another Gretsch Masterpiece !!!
Wanted the blue one, but ended up with the cherryburst. The action was alittle high out of the box, but a quick neck adjustment lowered it where it plays comfortable, with no buzz and perfect intonation. The body is small but comfortable.I’ve played for 40 years and owned the best guitars out there,this acoustic is a quality instrument. Kinda ugly finish ,but a great classic palor guitar aka Robert Johnson tone. The hardware may be cheap but works perfectly, no tune slippage. The strings work well right out of the box , no need to change them. The neck is wide for such a small guitar but it serves a purpose, a great players design. I agree with all the positive reviews ,this guitar is worth every penny. Beginner to proffesional this is worth having. I’m happy I purchased one.
11 people found this helpful
iLean –
Not for strumming
I loved that bass it put out, but only when you’re picking. I read a lot of good reviews and a few that said not good for upbeat songs, nor strumming. I took my chances and returned it after only 2 days. When in boxing, the G string was broken. I replaced them and initially thought it was going to be perfect for small group platform. I tried it the next day at one and boy was it a train wreck. The room ate up the bass and the clanging shrill was all that lingered. In a small room by yourself or with 2 people, it sounds clean and meaty. I was so disappointed with the sound quality I returned it immediately. I gave it great stars individually bc for picking it is nice, just not strumming. I bought a Yamaha JR1 the next weekend for $149 that does the job much better and more affordably.
Jeremy –
You won’t be disappointed…if you know what to expect at this price range.
I wanted to get back into playing, but didn’t want to spend a fortune. In the past, I had great luck with cheaper guitars costing $200 or less. All you’ve got to do is bring them to a guy or gal to get them set up.I’ve had a couple of hours now to play around with this beauty. I wasn’t expecting a great dynamic range from this type of wood & at this price, but this guitar is a keeper for only 169.99 plus free shipping.If any of you are looking for a guitar to travel with, to give as a gift for someone, then look no further. They say that some things are too good to be true, but this isn’t. It’s too good and it’s true.
3 people found this helpful
Kenneth –
Highly Prized !!
This Jim Dandy arrived in excellent protective packaging with no damage. I owned a Baby Taylor but sold it and now have replaced it with the Jim Dandy and I’m very satisfied with the sound and quality. Ordered the brown which gives it a rustic look. I’ve added a removable pick up and practice slide guitar. This is a very good purchase and I highly recommend the Jim Dandy. I checked out the you tube vids and that’s what convinced me to order it. I looked at other parlor guitars and this has the best bang for the buck and hey it’s a Gretsch. I also own Gibson, Epiphone, Wechter and Fender acoustic guitars and I feel I’m qualified to make this recommendation.
5 people found this helpful
Douglas R. Harwood –
Gift one of these to a child! Perfect social media killer!
Bought this little parlor back in early August to set up as a Delta Blues machine and for slide. Absolutely loved the retro sound. Carefully removed the pickguard and kept the action a little high. Unfortunately my 11 year old granddaughter also loved it. So “Papaw” lowered the action, light gauge Ernie Ball phosphors, new gig bag and tuner and put it on Santa’s sled. She’s named it “Baby”. Priceless! Ear to ear smile. I wonder who’ll end up with my vintage Martin collection?
2 people found this helpful
K Ryder –
After two years still going strong
I purchased this guitar in Nov 2018 and have been steadily playing it since then. I own or have owned Martin, Gibson, Taylor, and Yamaha higher end guitars. I purchased this as my knock around guitar. It has nice low action, stays in tune, and has held up perfectly since the day I got it with no issues. It didn’t even need a setup when it arrived, as it played great out of the box. It sits on a stand in my living room so that I can just pick it up whenever the mood strikes. All that being said, you should have realistic expectations. It has a boxy sound which is actually reminiscent of some low end guitars made decades ago. Think the old blues players from the 30’s who created amazing music on those cheap guitars. For the money, it has a comfortable neck and it’s good sounding for what it is. Again I’ll emphasize, it’s not going to sound like something that costs several hundred or more dollars. For this price it does what it’s designed to do.
4 people found this helpful
SteveW –
Great little travel guitar
Excellent little travel guitar. Easy to take with you. Sounds is about what I expected for this smaller sized guitar. No issues with string action. Really fun to play. I purchased when it went on sale. For $120 this was a no brainer to purchase.
2 people found this helpful
Parkerpusher –
This Blues Box Made For Travelin..
Really cool little guitar….gets the most play now around the house. I bought it originally because I was looking at travel guitars to take with me on the road with my construction job that takes me out of town alot. I couldn’t find one locally, but I did play the little martin and baby taylor at the GC here in town. I didn’t really like the sound that much, and they were too dang small. This Gretsch has a 24″ scale, like a fender mustang or the likes, so it’s small but it is more parlor size than travel size. So, I bought it online here without ever playing it.How does it sound? Just like a cheap plywood parlor guitar should sound. Awesomely boxy, plenty of volume, not trying to be a small version of a bigger guitar but just content to be what it is. The old vintage Montgomery Ward guitars have some competition here. Put a soundhole pickup (Lace) and changed the strings to John Pearce 12s, and this thing is totally gig worthy. If you like the whole vintage thing, and don’t have any brand loyalties to martin and taylot (I only mention these since their small guitars are very popular for travel, which was my need), I think this is a better guitar for half the price. Action is low, plays easy, and has a nice chubby vintage neck (I like that, you might not). Intonation is perfect, open gear tuners with white knobs look killer. I love it.
17 people found this helpful
liquid –
I want another one
Great little guitar. Comes with light strings that make it feel cheaper than it is.. I put some 13s on it and it sings beautifully. Can’t imagine needing more if you’re hoping to spend around 150 for a nice “beater” or whatever you want to call it. Perfect beginner’s item, perfect traveler’s item, perfect lounge item, etc. Great action, and I’m comparing it to my Martin DCME, whose action inspires faster playing than most electric guitars I’ve played in my time. It also has a very sweet minimalist look, which you can probably already see in the picture. Looks ever better in person. The red in the center is darker than I thought it would be, but who cares. So buy it. Buy it instead of that fender or yamaha or ibanez or whatever other parlor/cheapy you’re looking at or going to see while shoppin around. Buy it for your mother and tell her you love her. Then when she says “Why did you give me this? I don’t play guitar.” Tell her it’s the thought that counts and it will be there waiting when you go see her. Then steal it.You might be hearin people say “check ebay or craigslist for a nice kay or silvertone instead..” if you’re researching forums for a new cheap axe.. I have an old Kay parlor from the 50s that I love. It has a type of life that these newer guitars do not, but this guitar is smooth like butter and will outplay almost all of those vintage ladies that you won’t be able to play in store before purchasing. Just a thought.weeeeeeeeeeeI posted a short video of some live action on youtube. Go find it. No talkin, just playin
64 people found this helpful
……lookylul –
grandpa’s gut bucket resurrected
Its a straight up gut bucket from the old days. The tone is “cardboard” but it nails the old blues tone perfectly. A couple of points: the action is fine, many reviewers said it was too high. Mine was perfect outta the box. Other reviewers said its a good fingerpickin’ guitar. I wouldn’t know as that is not my style. I play chords and flatpick. Jazz chords sound ok, cowboy chords sound great! I played a classical sax piece in 5th position with no problem. The construction is very basic. I’ve handled guitars from the 60s that were also mass produced and this one feels exactly like that. I played it all day when I got it and it stayed in tune. So…you want a guitar to play at home? Buy it! You want to take it on stage…hmmmm…not really a good choice due to the low volume. You need a small guitar for travel? Yes, get it now! Maybe you have never played before and need a guitar to learn on? Do it! You will not develop bad habits from its size and the low projection means you can play longer without disturbing anyone. You play metal? Blues? Folk? Country? It will do the job for practice purposes. Hope this review helps.
5 people found this helpful
Ryan MooreRyan Moore –
My favorite guitar I own.
A friend of mine introduced me to this guitar. I fell in love with his the minute I picked it up. So I csme straight home and ordered one for myself.
One person found this helpful
Ambodian –
The quality is much better than you would expect for the price
The quality is much better than you would expect for the price. If you really want a comparison, you could pay the same amount for a guitar with the same price in dollars in the 1960s and get nothing remotely close to the quality of this guitar. I also took a look at some of the Recording King models, but the reports of seams coming apart led me to choose this. Now I can record my CD of hokey songs about cats.Update – this guitar really grows on you. I’ve also found it records really well, especially for late 20’s early 30’s style jazz. The tone is surprisingly fat, but not boomy, and I’d guess the upper mid-range frequencies account for this. The projection quality seems better than a larger guitar.Update March 7, 2017I installed a Tusq saddle last night, PQ-9216-C0, listed as being for larivee guitars. It turned out to be close to a perfect fit with a little bit of filing and sanding, mostly on the bottom, and a tiny bit on the thickness. I also put in a set of StewMac Golden Age tuners, a little over $40 last summer, which are a significant improvement over the ones that came with it..
21 people found this helpful
Ben –
Bravo, Gretsch!
This little number is hands down the best value on the guitar market. First of all: it sounds FANTASTIC. Loud, resonant, warm. Secondly: it’s made extremely well for the price. The satin finish is gorgeous and enhances playability. It stays in tune pretty well. The frets on mine do stick out a hair, but not enough to gouge you or effect fingering. Ive seen worse on more expensive guitars. I had to adjust the truss rod a bit to lower the action but it was very easy. Cannot recommend the Jim Dandy enough. Bravo, Gretsch!
3 people found this helpful
Lisa Garcia –
Get it, you can’t go wrong.
Outstanding quality and craftsmanship on a very affordable parlor-style, travel guitar. Can’t go wrong unless you are expecting a larger sound which this is not intended to do. The old time bluesy sound is incredible and just like in the YouTube videos. Wish I knew how to use a slide. This is my go-to, take-along, strum anywhere guitar. Smaller scale is easy to get used to but I have medium sized mitts. It’s a keeper.
One person found this helpful
Jonah –
Very pleased
This is my first guitar, and I was told my friends not to get anything less than $100. That originally was not really my budget but I’m really glad I extended it to get this one. I’m a total beginner and this is perfect for me. I’ve struggled in the past with guitars that were too big for me (I’m 5’4″) but this one is the perfect size.The sound is great but there is a bit of fret buzz. The guitar itself is really nice looking, the color is great and it has a cool southern / Johnny Cash vibe to it.Really the perfect guitar for a beginner or someone looking for a smaller sized model. I’m so happy with it.
4 people found this helpful