Yamaha FG3 - How does it sound?
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- Опубликовано: 11 июл 2022
- I bought this guitar sight unseen, it was almost impossible to get hold of - no stock anywhere in europe, but I called the big european music company we all know, and by pure coincidence they had just got on in stock - so I ordered it immediately. It's a great guitar, but I will say at 800 euros there's a lot of competition out there, and with a pretty steep price increase since it first was released, I was not all that impressed. It's a beautiful guitar, the esthetics are on point, it's very well crafted, and again, it sounds great, but lacks some dimension and harmonics . There is no doubt the Eastman E-1D definitely outperforms this FG3 in terms of value for money. This is a brand new guitar of course, and it definitely needs to be broken in. I changed the Elixir bronze nanoweb coated strings first thing to a set of Martin Tommy's choice, and that did very good things. Anyway - I hope you'll enjoy the video. Feel free to leave a comment below.
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Strings used: Martin MA540FX
Pick: Dunlop Primetone 1.5mm
Interface: Audient ID44
DAW: Logic Pro X
Mic: Lewitt LCT 440 Pure
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Thank you
//Chris Effort
Find me on instagram @Chris_Effort 
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I just received my red label fg5 and it is a work of art. A. It's not like my fg9. But every detail is perfect. Flawless. And the sound is amazing. Made in Japan
Hay Chris...After watching you play I put down my guitar and went out for a drink ;-)
I hope the drink was perfect!
I had no idea how good this guitar would sound, i simply walked into the store, picked it up, played it, bought it! The FS3 sounds great to.
Wow I love your style man, so unique!! One of the best demos out there
Absolutely beautiful, love your tunes!
Wow, really nice tasteful playing, and that guitar sounds amazing. Cheers
I just purchased one online a few minutes ago before watching this. I grew up with Yamaha acoustic guitars. Great value for the money. Love your playing.
Great demo as always. Thank you for your amazing posts.
Thanks William, I really appreciate that
Really appreciate you sharing this guitar with us though. Really did it justice. Sounds great.
Thank you so much
Absolutely love your videos Chris. The video and audio recording quality is amazing, and your playing is beautiful. The last few weeks when I’ve had a hard day at work I’ll come home and grab a beer and a cigar and sit down and just hit play and watch all of your videos. Amazing, thank you!
Man…thank you - sincerely! That put a huge smile on my face.
Nice guitar and lovely playing 👌
Love your work!
Thank you!
Just got mine today. It is better than my FG5. The setup was perfect. The best setup I've ever seen on an acoustic guitar. The strings were low. No fret buzz. Just perfection. The Chinese are knocking it out of the park with their guitars.
Beautiful playing...
Thanks a lot...i buy the same today after your video 😇😇😇
Epic reviews!
Epic comment my man, thank you for supporting me 🙏
Great review😊, but even better; your inspirational playing.. ❤
Tusind tak Brian!
Beautiful!
Thank you!
Rad job, buddy :)
I have the FG830 and it is a cannon. This guitar sounds great. Mine has laminate Rosewood back and sides and quite serviceable.
Defininately I found switching to PB strings made the depth of tone come out. I used Pearse 12s. Also had a luthier make a bone saddle to mimic the FG5. Added bone pins and the sustain is fantastic.
I've been playing guitar for a year and I just ordered this guitar today as my step up guitar. Can't wait until she arrives.
That is sweet! Congrats man, I hope you will enjoy it a lot!
@@ChrisEffort It was a real battle between this and the FG5. The price got the best of me.
@@kevinraimond7658 "
What is the size of the truss rod? Is it wrench or allen wrench?
Even though you don’t love this guitar, you sure do make it sound beautiful. I am considering one of the Japanese built ones because there’s so much positive reviews on them. Maybe you can get one of the them for your spin on it? Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this guitar. Always time well spent watching and listening!
Thank you so much Woody. I would love to try the Japanese version. I’m sure it’s gonna be a much better guitar, and heck - my guitar might even have been a dud, but I’m pretty sure the Japanese quality control won’t let any duds slip through. I hope to get the chance one day. Thanks for stopping by 🙏
@@ChrisEffort I got inspired by your different tunings and somehow ended up in open D and just loved it. I had so much fun noodling around the neck board.
Damn good job on this, so good I'll sub, the fg3 sounds really nice but for the same price I feel the Yamaha ll16 offers more, either way I don't think in this price range there are any better quality than Yamaha, Alvarez come close.
Thanks man! It’s a great guitar, especially for flat picking. I did miss some dynamics playing finger style and was a bit underwhelmed generally, might just be my specific example
Keep in mind the Eastman comes with a bone nut and saddle. This comes with urea. You may wish to upgrade before going after tone and harmonics. I have the LL16D and the same applies. The upgrade makes it a different guitar.
The LL16 even with the urea nut and saddle and plastic bridge pins sounds way better than this does. Not that this is a bad guitar, it just sounds, flat. I have upgraded to bone saddle and ebony bridge pins and its a little better, but still flat. I havent done a bone nut yet because I am not sure I am going to keep it… After hearing only minimal improvement with what I have already done, Im not sure it will get much better if I replace the nut with a bone nut.
If I could get a FG3 to sound like that I would state it was the best guitar in the world...great playing buddy !
That said I liked the sound of the guitar. Would be great for Bluegrass flatpicking I guess.
Thanks man, much appreciated. It is definitely much more suited to bluegrass flatpicking. It lacks dynamics when fingerpicked, at least on the particular sample I had.
@@ChrisEffort comparing to Eastman E1D, which is better?
Hi Chris, I like your demos and how you record guitars. what do you mean by “no EQ except some boomy frequencies” , can you please be more specific?
Hi Dragan, thank you . The room I record in is not that big, so it creates some unwanted frequencies in the 100-200Hz area that I have to reduce. It’s not the guitar that is boomy,
it’s the space I’m playing it in. Hope it makes sense.
I’m new to guitars,, I have a question,, how do you add the reverb if the guitar doesn’t have a pickup?
Great review Chris 👌🏻I currently own a Taylor 110 would you say that the Fg3 was an upgrade. Thanks Ian
Thanks Ian,
I’d keep the Taylor tbh. I wasn’t impressed at all. Maybe the Japanese made ones are better - but this one was disappointing.
To each his own I guess. I played a 110 and FG3 at my local music store and the FG3 way out performed the 110. I went with the Yamaha and had it setup. I've had it for over a year now and absolutely love it. ❤️ 😃
I had watched this video many times, and the guitar sounds fantastic in your hands in this video. I never understood what you meant when you said it was lacking. So a month ago I played it in the store and it sounded great in the noisy busy store. Bought it, brought it home. Once home, I completely understood what you meant. I have put a bone saddle in and ebony pins, and it’s a little better, but it’s just, missing that dynamic quality in sound. It’s weird. It sounds ok, but not great. Seriously not sure I am happy with it for the price. It plays fantastically well after I set it up to how I like it, but the sound is just, lacking….. Really feel like I made a mistake.
Would love to know what kind of reverb you add? Sounds awesome, thanks for sharing
Thanks man! I’m using the Liquidsonics Seventh Heaven plug-in, just the budget version, I love that simple but very good sounding reverb
Hi Chris I was going to asks how this compares to your ED1 but reading your comments I can see you're a little disappointed. I have been spending the last few weeks researching on a new acoustic I can buy to record with. I narrowed it down to just 3 guitars the gf3, ED1 and also an ll16 that there's a really good deal on one and it's tempting me not sure if the rosewood would be a little overpowering to record with. beautiful guitar playing as always.
How do You put a guitar strap on this guitar
Здравствуйте, что на Ваш взгляд более предпочтительнее под вокал, ymaha FG-3 или может LL- 16m лучше будет?
Greetings from Tokyo, Chris! FYI this guitar and its little sister the FS3 (Which I recently bought) go for about 600 euros (at current exchange). Just curious, at that price, would you feel a little differently about the FG3? And many thanks for the gorgeous playing and tone in your videios...
Hi Francis
If they were still 600 euro I’d definitely change my opinion a bit, but the Eastman E1D is still gonna be more guitar in my opinion, they are around 650 in Europe atm. The FS3 might be better experience, I unfortunately haven’t tried one yet. Thanks a lot for your kind words 🙏
@@ChrisEffort The FS model is sized just right (close to a 000), the sound is very balanced wtih surprising ly fulsome bass. The high quality torrefied (ARE) sitka top is very responsive - the guitar is loud with little effort on the right hand. The resulting tone is between a vintage sound and something more modern. Personally I think it's a true value. Now a quick caveat about the so-called "made in Japan" "5" series - they are actually also made in China, and the bodies complete with dovetail neck setting etc. are sent to Japan for "finishing", which explains the rather slight increase in price. So the "3" series which are virtually the same instruments, re the way to go. Too bad about the price increase in Europe - that would stick in my throat too. Cheers...
На 5-ке порожки кость.
The best guitar I ever played.
Should I get FGX3, Taylor 214ce, Fender paramount OM or Cort A6 Gold ?
I’d get the Taylor out of those
Between this Yamaha and the ed1 Eastman which one do you prefer all around? Be honest!
Eastman E1D no doubt
@@ChrisEffort that's good to read! I own an e1d and I'm constantly looking for upgrades or sidegrades (GAS). Maybe I should just be content instead 😅
Trying to decide between the Yamaha fs5 and Martin 000-15. Which would you choose?
Hi Mark
I haven’t spend time with the FS5 - but I’ve only heard good things about it. I have tried many 000-15’s and they have all impressed me. Personally I’d go for a Martin 000-15.
Save some money and go with a Harley Benton CLP-15ME SolidWood
I have one of these. But your other vids make me want the 00015. Lol
How do you like the FG3?
@Chris Effort I definitely like it a lot. Just not in love with it. It was my first mahogany guitar and I chose it over the 00015 at the time. The torrefied top seemed to be itching to resonate. The tone is sweet and airy with the oem strings, just not shimmery as it lacks overtones. But I found it had great clean volume and since it’s had the electronics being an fgx3 that was helpful too. I do enjoy the short scale design also, seems to have less string tension than the 00015. I tried the fg5 for reference and the bone nut/saddle does improve the tone.
On the other hand, the 00015 has better mahogany, smells amazing, is lighter and more comfortable, it’s tone being sweeter and warmer but lower in volume.
In the end I may trade the fg3 for the 00015.
I think I figured out the tone thing. When I received mine the truss rod position had the action up a bit higher. For some reason that made the tone amazing. Then I got tired of that height and lowered the action. Now it has a different tone. A bit more nasal sounding. Maybe that’s the difference.
Did you replace the saddle?
Nope, it’s just the stock one. But I don’t think it would much of a difference on this guitar. It felt… kind of lifeless.
@@ChrisEffort is this guitar is good?
Is it worth the price difference to buy the fg5?
in case you didnt buy yet, im no expert... but from what i see the build is identical... the wood seems to be the same, tuners and pickup on the x's are the same (btw i recommend getting the x... id even get the fgx3 before the fg5...) the only differences i can tell are the pickgaurd (on the 5's its made of ebony...) and the bridge pins and the nut and saddle... and also from what i can tell the setup is better from the factroy on the 5's (but thats really just a chance... could be opposite) so in my opinion, if you have the money, just go for the 5x. if your tight (like me) just get the 3 and when you can switch these things and get it set up etc... in theory should be perfecly fine! i think the main price difference has more to do with the hardshell case that comes with the 5.
The 3...nope. The 5...yes!
How would you compare this with the Eastman E1D?
Hi Pearly, I wouldn’t hesitate getting the Eastman E1D over this, much more guitar for much less money.
Pearly, I also purchased an Eastman E1D after hearing Chris`s demo, it was the icing on the cake for buying it. I have to say I hear a big difference in the sound between these two and I`m Extremely happy with my Eastman. I bought the E1OM also and am just as happy with it.
Hi Chris. Could you expand on the point you make about “much more guitar”? Given that the Fx3 is all solid woods and torrefied, how does the Eastman out perform it? Many thanks.
@@rosscummings161 Hi Ross
Yeah, The Eastman E1D is also all solid wood construction, but is finished in a very thin nitro coat - almost open pore. The Eastman was also much more responsive and alive, dynamic even. The Yamaha felt much more stiff and hard in its response, and the top didn’t seem to vibrate that much. Both were brand new guitars, so the fact it will open up with time is kind of out of the equation of course. The Eastman is less money too, in EU at least. Fit and finish was great on the Yamaha, so nothing to note there. All in all I just think the Eastman is a better guitar. I was actually blown away by it.
@@ChrisEffort thankyou so much for that detailed reply. Much appreciated. The Eastmans look fantastic guitars right enough.
The second piece sounds like it is another guitar. Beautiful melody, fine playing that really makes the guitar sing and open up. In he first piece she sounds numb and dull. Strange!
Thank you Torben. Yeah that guitar was a little disappointing, sound great with a pick, but there really wasn’t any dynamics for fingerpicking.
Hopefully you didn't trade your Martins for this one, but you made the best of it.
The 000-15SM is still with me. That is hands down the best sounding acoustic I have ever had. After I shot the 15 Vs 15 video, I sold the 000-15m - amazing guitar, but the 12 fret just has that special magic that’s hard to describe. And thank you for your comment Paul 🙏
I know exactly what you mean. To my amateur ears at least, all Yamahas have a specific "yamaha" tone - nice, precise but somehow very neutral. Nothing wrong with that at all, but having owned and played one yamaha dread (inexpensive solid top one), all others sound similar, shades of same yamaha sound. And to me, it's just not exciting.
Это одна из лучших гитар! Американцы не умеют делать гитары!!!!
I think the FG800 (standard model) sounds better than this.
It would be nice to get rid of the reverb. If a guitar is that good, it should stand on it's own.