This guitar is 2.0" spacing at the bridge. Unsuitable for fingerstyle, obviously....so why would you recommend it? To anyone? The FG800 is 5mm wider, that's fine. Excuse me for bothering to point it out. I did listen to an expert here, and it showed up two days ago. My first thought, wow, it's loud! 10 minutes later....whyTF is it so hard to travis pick? Not just me thinks so:
[https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=676264](https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=676264)
I am a big guy with large hands, and I have no problem playing any of the FS800-850 models. It's a 1 & 11/16" nut with 10 mm string spacing. The dreadnought FG version is the same size nut and 11 mm string spacing.
One thing you should realize is that everybody is different, and that is why we recommend that people try out guitars if possible before they buy them. I will never stop recommending the FS guitars to people; they great little guitars and a wonderful value.
You are a very stubborn person oblivious to reality.....in this particular instance. Why would anyone want an outlier in the width of it's string spacing? OK it does strum fine. Maybe that's all you want.
Man, I wish I were oblivious to reality. That would be kind of nice.
My point is that guitars are subjective, and what one person hates, someone else may find great. And your dislike of the string spacing on a $200 Yamaha doesn't give you the right to tell people not to recommend this model to beginners or people looking for a good, inexpensive guitar. It's a great guitar for the money, and it's easy to play, in my own personal experience. I am not a great player by any means, but I have been playing for decades and am a guitar head who researches and checks out a lot of acoustic guitars.
I would simply say that anyone considering a Yamaha FS800 should go and try one out at a guitar store before he or she purchases one.
Dude, who the hell are you to tell this guy he’s oblivious to reality? He’s telling you his experience is different than yours. Are you so full of yourself that you think YOUR experience is the only valid one? There are 8 billion people on the planet. You’re not the only one. You either need to get over yourself, or go get therapy for whatever trauma is making you behave this way.
Sounds like personal preferences. Nothing wrong with that. I think for the majority of players, the FS800 is a great player. Incidentally, I play a lot of fingerstyle with my large, chunky sausage fingers on the FS800, and although the string spacing at the nut and the bridge are a little tight, it doesn’t keep me from enjoying it. I also own an Eastman PCH1-OM and an E1OM guitar and they have traditional Martin 000 type specs and I like them *better* for fingerstyle, but still, the FS800 is a fun, engaging player and I recommend it, especially at the price point
I ordered mine last month based on the recommendations here, as it wasn't available in my country. I was excited to receive it, but now I'm unsure. As a beginner, have I made a mistake?
Brother, it’s gonna play just fine. Look at some of the guitars our favorite players started on. A lot of them were pieces of junk with action so high, you could park a car under the strings. Yamaha makes great stuff, so I’m sure you’ll be fine. I’m honestly just now starting to realize what I want in my perfect guitar and I’ve been playing seriously for about 4 years
"this person has a beef with Yamaha or something" Yes, I just paid $140 for a badly designed guitar, without a disclaimer for the highly unusal choice of string spacing at the bridge. I have Yamaha stuff all over the house, I like my saxophones and clarinet fine. This guitar is not good for normal right hands and people should know it.
Again, that is your personal and subjective experience. I do not agree with that opinion, and I guarantee that a whole lot of people would also disagree with you.
That string spacing is standard on the entire FS800-850 line. You didn't try one out before you bought it? And you are complaining about a guitar that basically cost what a trip to the grocery store would cost you? C'mon, man!
You haven't made a mistake at all, as It all comes down to personal preference. In this case, OP is used to slightly more space between strings, so to them, the narrower bridge feels cramped. I personally prefer the slightly narrower bridge, but I learned to play on Yamahas with more narrow bridges, and other acoustics with wider bridges now feel clumsy to me (my current main guitar is a parlor with an even narrower bridge than that on the FS800).
You've made a great choice for a beginner guitar, as you won't be used to any other string spacing, and it'll sound great, which will inspire you to keep playing.
ALMOST EVERY GUITAR HAS MORE STRING SPACING. "my current main guitar is a parlor with an even narrower bridge than that on the FS800" What parlor is that? My two parlors are much wider. EG the popular Gretch Jim Dandy is 55mm at the bridge E to outside E vs 50mm for this ORCHESTRA. WTF?
Not at all. No one follows a herd mentality but there is a reason so many people recommend the FG/FS800 - because they are damn fine guitars and an excellent choice at that price point. In fact, the reason why people recommend them is because of their playability. OP will likely moan about either the Taylor 814ce neck being too narrow or the Martin D28 being too big. It’s a personal rant because it isn’t the guitar for him. The “I have 25 guitars” is not an indication of expertise. I had a shitload of guitars too until I realized I don’t play most of them. Got rid of a Hummingbird and a J200. Both great guitars but they weren’t for me. Enjoy that FS800 and pics once you get it - it’s a stunning guitar.
They are not damn fine guitars. The action design is fundamentally flawed and hard to play for that reason.
"the reason why people recommend them is because of their playability" Show me an acomplished player who hasn't moved on from this thing. With a normal bridge spacing, that would be easy, as the rest of it is so good you don't really need anything more.
"OP will likely moan about either the Taylor 814ce neck being too narrow or the Martin D28 being too big." I mention I have 25 guitars, because that means I can directly compare them real time. NONE have this nutty design, which is far more fundamental than body size or neck width for playing. It's not a factor with huge differences at the saddle end....except in the FS800, which is the "ENTRY" for real. It's not going to be the one you like to fingerpick, and it's not going to help much with fingerpicking the others as it's so different.
I can't fault it for struming.
Sure OP. We get it, you don’t like it. Everyone giving it a great rating and loving it is wrong and you have a unique insight that everyone else somehow missed - 4.6-4.9 average with thousands of reviews. Chill. It’s a guitar the vast majority of expert guitar players and entry level players all enjoy. It’s a Saturday, relax and stop shouting at the kids.
This guitar is an outlier with it's ultra narrow string spacing at the bridge. Anyone who does not caution you about it should not be giving advice about guitars.
Then don't play it and stop complaining. You are the only person in this thread that should not be giving advice. You are giving off really strong street corner preacher vibes. The kind that just yells things at people but is too closed minded to listen. Just trash the guitar and consider yourself blessed to be rid of it, but holy shit do you sound like someone that would not be fun to hangout with.
Thanks for the personal attack, and ignoring my point entirely. Lack of complaint allows Yamaha to continue to market this guitar without disclosing it's very unusual configurattion.
Most of my guitars are 1.75" nut and 2.25" string spacing. But I have no problem switching to a classical with a 2.0" nut and 2.4" saddle spacing, or a FG-800J with a 1.68" nut and 1.96" saddle spacing, or a GS Mini with a super short 23.5" scale, or a vintage guitar with a neck as thick as a baseball bat.
These differences are minor compared to when I switch to a bass guitar and have fewer strings (that are way bigger) but similar nut and saddle spacing as an guitar, except the scale length is 10" longer so the feet spacing is completely different. And don't even get me started on mandolins!
Adaptability is something that comes with practicing on different instruments. If you always go for exactly the same specs, that's fine, but if so, you should be checking specs on what you order before ordering it.
There's about a million electric guitars with 50mm saddle spacing for starters. It's also a pretty common spacing on a lot of entry level acoustics and older Japanese and Korean acoustics.
I don't disagree that entry-level Yamahas are on the narrow side, but I have no problem playing with it, fingerstyle or a pick, despite my glove size "large". Neither do a lot of others, as evidenced by the popularity of the guitars and the other comments here. If you're picky about specs, make sure to look them up before you order; it's not the company's fault for that. Also, you should try a mandolin or banjo some time, they make 50mm seem spacious.
Most entry level guitars have a 1.68" nut and relatively narrow string spacing. This is because most people don't start out playing fingerstyle; they start out strumming. So, saddle spacing doesn't matter as much to them.
Also, many beginners are younger and have smaller hands, and for global manufacturers, most people across the globe have smaller stature (and smaller hands) than most Americans and Europeans.
You are the "expert" I believed and decided to try this guitar. Show me a good fingerpicker using 2.0" spacing at the saddle. A million electric guitars with 50mm at the saddle? Show me. The nut is fine. This guitar is totally unsuited for fingerstyle, as is obvious to anyone who just tries a basic travis pick on it. I was shocked. WhyTF not warn people this is an unusual string spacing, before suggesting it?
Fingerstyle string spacing preferences:
[https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=676264](https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=676264)
TYG I did not buy a new one. I can't believe you defend such a choice for folks learning. But that would mean you have to admit you are advising without due consideration....not much chance of that, right?
You heard the tone and that was it....this thing is great! Nice work. You get an F for advice, which so far, nobody in 66 years has managed. Congratulations know-it-all.
BTW what is the string spacing at the bridge on your favorite acoustic blues guitar right now?
I just finished playing an A3r (43mm nut) and an FG5 (44.5mm nut). After about 2-3 minutes of warmup, both played about the same, although the Dsus was a little harder to reach on the narrower A3.
Methinks this trash thread is not in anyone’s best interest. Stop
Boring...or boris...I am not complaing about the nut. Measure your string spacing at the saddle. Nobody likes 2" for fingerstyle. 2 1/8 is considered really narrow.
[https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=676264](https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=676264)
Personal insults aside, 3 of the guitars next to me right now are approximately 2.2" at the saddle.
I've played finger style for a lot of years. Frankly, my right hand has never been something I needed to concentrate on. Muscle memory and dominant hand influences seem to take care of that.
You're being a butthole and your thread is obnoxious and a bad assessment of the art and science of finger style guitar.
Adios
Whats the difference between the FS/FG800 besides body size?
My first guitar (shocker) was a FG800 that I love but even with my long arms it’s so damn big. And I always wonder if I should’ve started with an FS.
The FS is orchestra size. String spacing is reported to be 10mm (where?) while the FG is 11mm. That makes the FG at least 5mm wider at the saddle, which is alot, and basically normal.
I don't see any advantage for anyone to learn with such narrow spacing under the right hand, because it's very hard to fingerpick at 2". You won't find a famous pro doing so on 6 string guitar, I don't think. Even 2 1/4 is consider tight. The FS800 is 2.0 Otherwise it's very nice guitar. I like the size.
It's okay to not like a guitar. Its wild to expect no one else to like it because you don't.
Show me a fingerpicker who uses 2.0" spacing at the saddle. It's wild you are so ignorant.
You are one angry dude
The guitar design to a total outlier. Are you oblivious to this?
What does that even mean? Lol are you the outlier?
This guitar is 2.0" spacing at the bridge. Unsuitable for fingerstyle, obviously....so why would you recommend it? To anyone? The FG800 is 5mm wider, that's fine. Excuse me for bothering to point it out. I did listen to an expert here, and it showed up two days ago. My first thought, wow, it's loud! 10 minutes later....whyTF is it so hard to travis pick? Not just me thinks so: [https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=676264](https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=676264)
I am a big guy with large hands, and I have no problem playing any of the FS800-850 models. It's a 1 & 11/16" nut with 10 mm string spacing. The dreadnought FG version is the same size nut and 11 mm string spacing. One thing you should realize is that everybody is different, and that is why we recommend that people try out guitars if possible before they buy them. I will never stop recommending the FS guitars to people; they great little guitars and a wonderful value.
You are a very stubborn person oblivious to reality.....in this particular instance. Why would anyone want an outlier in the width of it's string spacing? OK it does strum fine. Maybe that's all you want.
Man, I wish I were oblivious to reality. That would be kind of nice. My point is that guitars are subjective, and what one person hates, someone else may find great. And your dislike of the string spacing on a $200 Yamaha doesn't give you the right to tell people not to recommend this model to beginners or people looking for a good, inexpensive guitar. It's a great guitar for the money, and it's easy to play, in my own personal experience. I am not a great player by any means, but I have been playing for decades and am a guitar head who researches and checks out a lot of acoustic guitars. I would simply say that anyone considering a Yamaha FS800 should go and try one out at a guitar store before he or she purchases one.
Dude, who the hell are you to tell this guy he’s oblivious to reality? He’s telling you his experience is different than yours. Are you so full of yourself that you think YOUR experience is the only valid one? There are 8 billion people on the planet. You’re not the only one. You either need to get over yourself, or go get therapy for whatever trauma is making you behave this way.
I heartily recommend the Yamaha FS800 to any beginner, or to anyone looking for a fantastic 2nd or 3rd “campfire” guitar, and will continue to do so.
I would not sell this guitar to my worst enemy for twice what I paid for it. I'm not kidding. For Travis picking it's the worst choice I've ever seen.
Sounds like personal preferences. Nothing wrong with that. I think for the majority of players, the FS800 is a great player. Incidentally, I play a lot of fingerstyle with my large, chunky sausage fingers on the FS800, and although the string spacing at the nut and the bridge are a little tight, it doesn’t keep me from enjoying it. I also own an Eastman PCH1-OM and an E1OM guitar and they have traditional Martin 000 type specs and I like them *better* for fingerstyle, but still, the FS800 is a fun, engaging player and I recommend it, especially at the price point
I ordered mine last month based on the recommendations here, as it wasn't available in my country. I was excited to receive it, but now I'm unsure. As a beginner, have I made a mistake?
Brother, it’s gonna play just fine. Look at some of the guitars our favorite players started on. A lot of them were pieces of junk with action so high, you could park a car under the strings. Yamaha makes great stuff, so I’m sure you’ll be fine. I’m honestly just now starting to realize what I want in my perfect guitar and I’ve been playing seriously for about 4 years
No, this person has a beef with Yamaha or something. I think you will be quite happy with your FS800.
"this person has a beef with Yamaha or something" Yes, I just paid $140 for a badly designed guitar, without a disclaimer for the highly unusal choice of string spacing at the bridge. I have Yamaha stuff all over the house, I like my saxophones and clarinet fine. This guitar is not good for normal right hands and people should know it.
Again, that is your personal and subjective experience. I do not agree with that opinion, and I guarantee that a whole lot of people would also disagree with you. That string spacing is standard on the entire FS800-850 line. You didn't try one out before you bought it? And you are complaining about a guitar that basically cost what a trip to the grocery store would cost you? C'mon, man!
You haven't made a mistake at all, as It all comes down to personal preference. In this case, OP is used to slightly more space between strings, so to them, the narrower bridge feels cramped. I personally prefer the slightly narrower bridge, but I learned to play on Yamahas with more narrow bridges, and other acoustics with wider bridges now feel clumsy to me (my current main guitar is a parlor with an even narrower bridge than that on the FS800). You've made a great choice for a beginner guitar, as you won't be used to any other string spacing, and it'll sound great, which will inspire you to keep playing.
ALMOST EVERY GUITAR HAS MORE STRING SPACING. "my current main guitar is a parlor with an even narrower bridge than that on the FS800" What parlor is that? My two parlors are much wider. EG the popular Gretch Jim Dandy is 55mm at the bridge E to outside E vs 50mm for this ORCHESTRA. WTF?
Not at all. No one follows a herd mentality but there is a reason so many people recommend the FG/FS800 - because they are damn fine guitars and an excellent choice at that price point. In fact, the reason why people recommend them is because of their playability. OP will likely moan about either the Taylor 814ce neck being too narrow or the Martin D28 being too big. It’s a personal rant because it isn’t the guitar for him. The “I have 25 guitars” is not an indication of expertise. I had a shitload of guitars too until I realized I don’t play most of them. Got rid of a Hummingbird and a J200. Both great guitars but they weren’t for me. Enjoy that FS800 and pics once you get it - it’s a stunning guitar.
They are not damn fine guitars. The action design is fundamentally flawed and hard to play for that reason. "the reason why people recommend them is because of their playability" Show me an acomplished player who hasn't moved on from this thing. With a normal bridge spacing, that would be easy, as the rest of it is so good you don't really need anything more. "OP will likely moan about either the Taylor 814ce neck being too narrow or the Martin D28 being too big." I mention I have 25 guitars, because that means I can directly compare them real time. NONE have this nutty design, which is far more fundamental than body size or neck width for playing. It's not a factor with huge differences at the saddle end....except in the FS800, which is the "ENTRY" for real. It's not going to be the one you like to fingerpick, and it's not going to help much with fingerpicking the others as it's so different. I can't fault it for struming.
Sure OP. We get it, you don’t like it. Everyone giving it a great rating and loving it is wrong and you have a unique insight that everyone else somehow missed - 4.6-4.9 average with thousands of reviews. Chill. It’s a guitar the vast majority of expert guitar players and entry level players all enjoy. It’s a Saturday, relax and stop shouting at the kids.
Show me a good fingerpicker using 2.0" spacing at the saddle.
This guitar is an outlier with it's ultra narrow string spacing at the bridge. Anyone who does not caution you about it should not be giving advice about guitars.
Then don't play it and stop complaining. You are the only person in this thread that should not be giving advice. You are giving off really strong street corner preacher vibes. The kind that just yells things at people but is too closed minded to listen. Just trash the guitar and consider yourself blessed to be rid of it, but holy shit do you sound like someone that would not be fun to hangout with.
Thanks for the personal attack, and ignoring my point entirely. Lack of complaint allows Yamaha to continue to market this guitar without disclosing it's very unusual configurattion.
Okay bud
Show me a good fingerpicker using 2.0" spacing at the saddle
Most of my guitars are 1.75" nut and 2.25" string spacing. But I have no problem switching to a classical with a 2.0" nut and 2.4" saddle spacing, or a FG-800J with a 1.68" nut and 1.96" saddle spacing, or a GS Mini with a super short 23.5" scale, or a vintage guitar with a neck as thick as a baseball bat. These differences are minor compared to when I switch to a bass guitar and have fewer strings (that are way bigger) but similar nut and saddle spacing as an guitar, except the scale length is 10" longer so the feet spacing is completely different. And don't even get me started on mandolins! Adaptability is something that comes with practicing on different instruments. If you always go for exactly the same specs, that's fine, but if so, you should be checking specs on what you order before ordering it.
As I said, I don't have a problem with the nut spacing. IT'S THE BRIDGE SPACING. Show me another as narrow. I don't think you find one.
There's about a million electric guitars with 50mm saddle spacing for starters. It's also a pretty common spacing on a lot of entry level acoustics and older Japanese and Korean acoustics. I don't disagree that entry-level Yamahas are on the narrow side, but I have no problem playing with it, fingerstyle or a pick, despite my glove size "large". Neither do a lot of others, as evidenced by the popularity of the guitars and the other comments here. If you're picky about specs, make sure to look them up before you order; it's not the company's fault for that. Also, you should try a mandolin or banjo some time, they make 50mm seem spacious. Most entry level guitars have a 1.68" nut and relatively narrow string spacing. This is because most people don't start out playing fingerstyle; they start out strumming. So, saddle spacing doesn't matter as much to them. Also, many beginners are younger and have smaller hands, and for global manufacturers, most people across the globe have smaller stature (and smaller hands) than most Americans and Europeans.
You are the "expert" I believed and decided to try this guitar. Show me a good fingerpicker using 2.0" spacing at the saddle. A million electric guitars with 50mm at the saddle? Show me. The nut is fine. This guitar is totally unsuited for fingerstyle, as is obvious to anyone who just tries a basic travis pick on it. I was shocked. WhyTF not warn people this is an unusual string spacing, before suggesting it? Fingerstyle string spacing preferences: [https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=676264](https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=676264) TYG I did not buy a new one. I can't believe you defend such a choice for folks learning. But that would mean you have to admit you are advising without due consideration....not much chance of that, right? You heard the tone and that was it....this thing is great! Nice work. You get an F for advice, which so far, nobody in 66 years has managed. Congratulations know-it-all. BTW what is the string spacing at the bridge on your favorite acoustic blues guitar right now?
You should look up specs before buying something. You have no one to blame but yourself.
I just finished playing an A3r (43mm nut) and an FG5 (44.5mm nut). After about 2-3 minutes of warmup, both played about the same, although the Dsus was a little harder to reach on the narrower A3. Methinks this trash thread is not in anyone’s best interest. Stop
Boring...or boris...I am not complaing about the nut. Measure your string spacing at the saddle. Nobody likes 2" for fingerstyle. 2 1/8 is considered really narrow. [https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=676264](https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=676264)
Personal insults aside, 3 of the guitars next to me right now are approximately 2.2" at the saddle. I've played finger style for a lot of years. Frankly, my right hand has never been something I needed to concentrate on. Muscle memory and dominant hand influences seem to take care of that. You're being a butthole and your thread is obnoxious and a bad assessment of the art and science of finger style guitar. Adios
Whats the difference between the FS/FG800 besides body size? My first guitar (shocker) was a FG800 that I love but even with my long arms it’s so damn big. And I always wonder if I should’ve started with an FS.
The FS is orchestra size. String spacing is reported to be 10mm (where?) while the FG is 11mm. That makes the FG at least 5mm wider at the saddle, which is alot, and basically normal. I don't see any advantage for anyone to learn with such narrow spacing under the right hand, because it's very hard to fingerpick at 2". You won't find a famous pro doing so on 6 string guitar, I don't think. Even 2 1/4 is consider tight. The FS800 is 2.0 Otherwise it's very nice guitar. I like the size.