Yamaha FG730S – Quality Through Heritage

Body And Neck:
Hardware:
Sound:
Value:

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If there is one family of acoustic guitars which deserves to be in the acoustic hall of fame, it is Yamaha's FG series. This series of guitars has been around for several decades, and in that time it has built quite a reputation. For years now, one FG or another has been the choice of beginners world wide. This time around, FG730S takes that role, as one of the more refined models in the series. It's not cheap, but it's still one of the more elite guitars which we recommend to beginners.

Body And Neck

There are many things about the FG730S which are just right, and its dreadnought body shape is just one of the more obvious ones. Yamaha went with a rather interesting combination of a solid sitka spruce top and solid rosewood back and sides. This way they have combined a great sounding top wood with a strongly resonating rosewood. Neck is comes in form of a nato unit, featuring a pretty sleek rosewood fretboard. With all that said, function over form was not exactly the ideology Yamaha went with for this model. By all accounts, FG730S looks great top to bottom. You get nice binding around the top as well as the fretboard. It's just a full package.

Hardware

When it comes to hardware, Yamaha kept things pretty simple. You get a very formidable rosewood bridge with a standard saddle. The opposite end of this combo hosts a set of rather decent tuning machines which are more than capable of supporting whatever you choose to dial in. From a purely hardware point of view, FG730S comes across as solid guitar. Chances of you having to swap out tuners, as it is usually the case even in this price range, are slim to none.

Sound

That combination of sitka spruce top and rosewood back and sides really gives the FG730S a punch. There's an abundance of volume to work with, and the trebles are just jumping out at you. Yamaha's choice of top wood is exactly what allows the FG730S to establish some balance with warmth and a good low end response. While the tone you get from this guitar definitely isn't standard, it's up there with the greats when it comes to quality. As a matter of fact, Yamaha FG730S is more than capable of competing with a good number of guitars in one price range higher.

Conclusion

If you are familiar with Yamaha's FG series, about 5 minutes with the FG730S will tell you that you are dealing with that same quality which has made this line of guitars so popular. It has the performance, finish quality and the looks which are usually found only in the price range above the
one this guitar is at. Whether you are a beginner looking for a ‘future proof' first guitar, or someone who needs a reliable acoustic for semi professional use, Yamaha FG730S is one model which won't let you down.

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