The Yamaha FG850 – A Timeless Mahogany Classic

Yamaha’s excellent FG range of guitars will be no stranger to many. They have consistently been the best selling acoustic guitars in the world for many years now and, it is easy to see why. Great build quality, coupled with good sound and playability all at a price that won’t break the bank.

All of the above is true of the Yamaha FG850. A beautiful all-mahogany guitar that not only sounds great but looks amazing too. Yamaha has not gone overboard with the cosmetics though. Everything is restrained and done with a sense of style.

The Spec:

Solid Mahogany Top
Layered Mahogany Back & Sides
Nato Neck
Rosewood Fingerboard
Rosewood Bridge
Fingerboard Radius R400mm (23 5/8″)
Scale Length 650mm (25 9/16″)
Body Length 505mm (19 7/8″)
Total Length 1038mm (40 7/8″)
Body Width 412mm (16 1/4″)
Body Depth 100-118mm (3 15/16″- 4 5/8″)
Nut Width 43mm (1 11/16″)
String Spacing * 11.0mm
Nut Material Urea
Saddle Material Urea
Bridge Pins Black ABS with White Dot
Tuners Die-cast Chrome(TM29T)
Body Binding Mahogany + Cream
Soundhole Inlay Abalone w/ Black + White
Pickguard Tortoise Pattern
Body Finish Gloss
Neck Finish Matt
Strings .012/.016/.025(or.024)/.032/.042/.052(or.053)
Colour Natural
Accessories Hex Wrench

Build Quality:

There is a certain sense of understated style and elegance about the FG850. From the beautiful natural finish to the mahogany body binding and soundhole rosette inlaid with Abalone. It oozes class.

The guitar I had, which I bought myself, by the way, this review is not sponsored by Yamaha at all, was flawless in terms of build quality. Everything was finished to a high standard.

There are some things I would change. The nut and saddle material is Urea and whilst it does what it is supposed to, I would prefer Tusq or Nubone. I would also change the strings for a set of D’Addario XS or Elixir Nanoweb.

The Sound:

The FG850 has a rich, warm woodsy tone which is ideal for the singer/songwriter but also works well in a group. The mahogany body lets the guitar punch through without losing any of that warmth. The FG850 is a fingerstyle player’s delight but sounds just as wonderful when strummed.

Conclusions:

The Yamaha FG850 sits at the top end of the FG range, not counting the FG-TA of course. So it is not what I would call a “budget guitar” but, it is still excellent value for money.

If you want an all-mahogany guitar, that sounds fantastic, plays well and looks like it cost twice the asking price, you really cannot go far wrong with the Yamaha FG850.