Introduction
The Yamaha FSX800C is a versatile compact acoustic-electric guitar ideal for beginners, students, and gigging musicians. This small-bodied guitar packs impressive features into its concert-style cutaway design.
With its solid Sitka spruce top and nato/okume back and sides, the FSX800C delivers a balanced acoustic tone with great projection and resonance. The slim neck and shorter 25" scale length provide easy playability for smaller hands. An onboard preamp with built-in tuner allows plugging into amps or PA systems with excellent amplified tone.
Weighing just over 5 lbs, the FSX800C is lightweight enough for prolonged practice and performance sessions. The cutaway body style also permits easy upper fret access. Yamaha’s high standards of fit and finish result in a guitar that plays smoothly right out of the box.
Offering versatility across many musical styles, the FSX800C works well for pop, rock, country, folk, blues, and singer-songwriter genres. It’s an ideal instrument for beginners starting lessons, intermediate players advancing their skills, and gigging musicians who need a durable, portable acoustic-electric. With its quality construction and electronics, the FSX800C delivers impressive value in its price range.
Body & Construction
The Yamaha FSX800C features a concert-sized body shape that’s smaller than a traditional dreadnought acoustic. This compact body makes the guitar comfortable to hold and easy to play, especially for musicians with smaller hands or frames.
The top of the FSX800C is made of solid Sitka spruce, which helps produce a bright, resonant tone with good volume and sustain. Spruce is a popular choice for acoustic guitar tops thanks to its balanced tonal characteristics.
The back and sides are constructed from nato wood, also known as Eastern mahogany. Nato has a dry, focused sound that complements the spruce top nicely. This combination of spruce and nato woods gives the FSX800C a rich, well-rounded acoustic voice.
Binding along the body and fretboard gives the guitar a more polished, high-end look. The FSX800C comes in three gloss finish options – natural, ruby red burst, and sandburst. The finishes allow the attractive wood grain to shine through for a pleasing visual aesthetic.
Overall, the materials used in the FSX800C combine to deliver great tone and durability at an accessible price point. The compact concert body expands its versatility for players of all sizes and styles.
Neck, Fingerboard & Hardware
The FSX800C features a slim taper neck profile that is comfortable and easy to play, with a shorter 25" scale length that makes fretting effortless. The rosewood fingerboard has 20 frets, providing ample room for solos and lead playing up and down the neck.
The nut width measures 1 11/16", which is a comfortable string spread for most players. The rosewood bridge has a compensated saddle for proper intonation, ensuring the guitar stays in tune across the entire fretboard.
The chrome die-cast tuners do an excellent job of holding the guitar in tune, even during aggressive rhythm playing. The hardware is high-quality for the price point.
Electronics & Controls
The Yamaha FSX800C is equipped with Yamaha’s System 66 + SRT Piezo pickup system, designed to accurately translate the nuances of the guitar’s acoustic tone when plugged in. The SRT Piezo pickup utilizes multiple sensors to capture the vibrations of the guitar top and strings from several positions. This allows it to recreate the instrument’s natural dynamic response.
The onboard preamp gives you control over your amplified tone with its 3-band EQ and mid-range contour switch. This allows you to shape your sound by boosting or cutting the lows, mids, and highs as needed for the desired tone. There is also a built-in tuner for quickly tuning up on stage or in the studio.
Plugging in is seamless with the FSX800C thanks to its 1/4" output jack. This allows you to connect directly to PA systems, acoustic guitar amps, audio interfaces and other equipment. The guitar’s preamp ensures your acoustic tone remains balanced and clear through the PA or amp.
Sound and Tonal Characteristics
The FSX800C produces a beautifully balanced and resonant acoustic tone when played unplugged. The solid Sitka spruce top contributes to the guitar’s warm, sweet treble tones, while the nato/okume back and sides provide a pleasing midrange and low-end response. Strummed rhythm parts have nice punch and clarity, while fingerstyle playing reveals the FSX800C’s rich harmonic overtones.
The guitar projects well for its size too, easily filling a room with its unamplified acoustic voice. It’s impressive how such a compact guitar can produce a loud and vibrant unplugged sound. The FSX800C has plenty of acoustic volume whether you’re jamming with friends or busking on the street.
When plugged into an amplifier or PA system, the FSX800C’s System 66 electronics accurately convey its natural acoustic tone. Thanks to the under-saddle piezo pickup and 3-band EQ, the amplified sound retains the guitar’s balanced frequency response and resonance. Turning up the mid-range control allows cutting through the mix in a live band setting. The onboard preamp also includes a tuner and phase switch for getting the best amplified sound in any environment.
Whether unplugged or plugged in, the FSX800C is tonally versatile enough to handle a wide range of musical genres and playing styles. From bright, peppy strumming to mellow fingerpicking, this guitar will serve you well. The acoustic tone is sure to inspire, and the electronics provide the flexibility to easily amplify your sound.
Playability & Feel
The Yamaha FSX800C features a slim taper neck profile that makes it very comfortable and easy to play. The nut width is a comfortable 1 11/16 inches, providing ample room between strings without feeling too wide. This results in smooth, fast playability without your fingers feeling cramped on the fretboard.
The slim profile neck has a very playable satin finish that allows your hand to glide smoothly up and down the neck. The shorter 25 inch scale length reduces the tension so bends and slides feel smooth and comfortable. The low action and light string spacing further enhance the playability, allowing for easy fretting without buzz.
The compact concert body size, along with the generous cutaway, provides excellent access to even the highest notes on the fretboard. The smaller body size allows you to hold the guitar closely against your body in a comfortable position. The cutaway gives ample room for your hand to freely move into the upper register. This is great for soloing, reaching intricate chord voicings, and playing melodies up and down the neck.
Overall, the FSX800C feels fantastic to play right out of the box. The neck is set up with fast, buzz-free action that facilitates intricate fingerstyle playing as well as rhythmic strumming. The construction and setup deliver optimal playability and comfort that both beginners and experienced players will appreciate.
Finish Options
The Yamaha FSX800C acoustic-electric guitar comes in three beautiful finish options – natural, ruby red burst, and sandburst.
The natural finish showcases the attractive wood grain pattern and coloration of the solid Sitka spruce top, nato neck, and okume back and sides. It has an understated, organic look.
For a flashier aesthetic, the ruby red burst finish features a vibrant sunburst pattern in a striking translucent red, starting dark at the edges and lightening towards the center. This really makes the wood grain pop.
Finally, the sandburst finish has a warm, sandy brown shading in a soft burst pattern. This is a great in-between of the natural and ruby red finishes.
All three feature clean white binding around the top and back, as well as an elegant abalone rosette around the soundhole. The tortoiseshell pickguard and chrome tuning machines provide nice complementary accents. Overall, the FSX800C has visual flair reminiscent of classic acoustic guitars.
Accessories & Value
The Yamaha FSX800C comes with a few useful accessories right in the box. It includes a padded gig bag for safe transportation and protection while traveling to gigs or band practice. The included gig bag has backpack straps, making it convenient to carry the compact guitar on your back.
Yamaha also includes a few other accessories like an adjustable leather guitar strap, a Yamaha-branded polishing cloth, and hex wrenches for tightening or adjusting the bridge.
Considering the quality materials, construction, and electronics, the FSX800C is an excellent value at its price point. Street prices for this model tend to range from $299 to $349 USD brand new.
Compared to other small-bodied acoustic-electric guitars in this price tier, the FSX800C holds up very well. It compares favorably to models like the Fender CD-60SCE ($299), Epiphone AJ-100CE ($329), and Ibanez AEG Series AEG10II ($299). The Yamaha offers better electronics and equal or better build quality than these competitors.
For those looking to step up from a beginner acoustic guitar, the FSX800C is a great way to get premium acoustic tone and stage-ready features without breaking the bank. Overall, it’s one of the best values you’ll find for an acoustic-electric guitar under $350.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Warm, balanced tone with good projection
- Compact, lightweight build for portability
- Easy playability with slim neck and shorter scale length
- Quality construction featuring solid spruce top
- Built-in tuner, preamp and tone controls add versatility
- Excellent value for the price point
Cons:
- Back and sides are laminate, not solid wood
- Limited onboard tone controls compared to higher-end models
- May lack volume and projection of larger dreadnought guitars
- Not a "top tier" guitar with all solid wood construction
The tone aims to be engaging yet informative, highlighting the key strengths as well as any potential limitations or drawbacks of the guitar. The writing is original without citation of outside sources. Please let me know if you would like me to modify or expand this section further.
Conclusion
The Yamaha FSX800C is an excellent choice for beginner and intermediate level players looking for a versatile, portable acoustic-electric guitar. Its compact concert body provides comfort and easy playability, while still producing warm, balanced tone thanks to the solid spruce top. The slim neck profile and shorter 25" scale length also aid technique and fretting for smaller hands.
When plugged in, the built-in System 66 pickup and preamp faithfully reproduce the FSX800C’s natural acoustic sound. The onboard tuner and EQ controls offer plenty of tonal versatility. This makes the FSX800C a great choice for performing live, recording in the studio, or just practicing with headphones.
The quality materials and construction live up to Yamaha’s reputation, providing great value. And with three great-looking finish options, it also brings attractive aesthetics and craftsmanship at this very accessible price point.
For players seeking their first serious acoustic-electric, or a high-quality portable guitar for travel or smaller gigs, the FSX800C is easy to recommend. Its combination of features, sound, and playability add up to an impressive package. I highly recommend trying out the Yamaha FSX800C at your local guitar shop to experience its excellent tone and feel first-hand.