Yamaha

collapse expand iconDescription

Yamaha's FS800 folk acoustic guitar is a versatile instrument prized for its outstanding quality and value. Featuring a solid Sitka spruce top and nato back and sides, the FS800 produces a balanced tone with crisp highs, focused mids and robust lows. Yamaha developed an innovative scalloped bracing design that maintains the top board's durability while maximizing resonance. The result is an acoustic with impressive volume and sustain for its compact size.

Ideal for Beginners and Professionals Alike

While perfectly suited for new players or those with smaller hands, the FS800's brilliant tone and playability also make it a go-to for professional musicians. Its concert-style body and slim neck promote comfort and the rosewood fretboard enables smooth fingering across all 20 frets. Recording artists appreciate how the FS800's balanced midrange and articulated high end translate through a microphone.

Timeless Looks Meet Modern Innovation

The FS800 features a traditional appearance with a natural finish, faux tortoiseshell pickguard and chrome tuners. Yamaha utilized cutting-edge analysis to develop the scalloped bracing pattern, an acoustic structure that achieves an ideal balance of volume, sustain and clarity. This pioneering design gives the FS800 a voice far beyond its humble price point.

Premium Components and Portability

With die-cast chrome tuners, a rosewood fretboard and bridge and an adjustable truss rod, the FS800 includes premium parts typically found on more expensive models. Overall, the Yamaha FS800 folk acoustic guitar offers stunning craftsmanship, innovative engineering and inspiring tone for guitarists of all levels.

Yamaha FS800 Folk Acoustic Guitar Natural
Yamaha FS800 Folk Acoustic Guitar Natural
Yamaha FS800 Folk Acoustic Guitar Natural

collapse expand iconFeatures

Body
  • Body type: Concert/O
  • Cutaway: Non-cutaway
  • Top wood: Solid Spruce
  • Back & sides: Nato/okume 
  • Bracing pattern: Scalloped
  • Body finish: Gloss
  • Orientation: Right handed
Neck
  • Neck shape: Info not available
  • Nut width: 1.69" (43 mm)
  • Fingerboard: Rosewood
  • Neck wood: Nato
  • Scale length: 25"
  • Number of frets: 20
  • Neck finish: Matte
Electronics
  • Pickup/preamp: No
Other
  • Headstock overlay: Rosewood
  • Tuning machines: Die-cast chrome
  • Bridge: Rosewood
  • Saddle & nut: Urea
  • Number of strings: 6-string
  • Special features: None
  • Case: Sold separately
  • Accessories: Hex wrench
  • Country of origin: China

Featured Articles

collapse expand iconReviews

4.81

69 Reviews

97%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend

Most Liked Positive Review

5

Let's Be Objective Here

Ok first, I've owned this guitar for 6 months so this isn't a typical "I've owned it for a week" review. I've been playing for 25 years. I play Folk and Fingerstyle, I capo a lot and I rarely use a pick. Now the guitar! For the price, it's unbeatable. I'm not going into the specs, you probably looked at those before looking at the reviews. Yes, it is playable, imminently playable, right out of the box but YES it will need a setup, if you want to play fingerstyle anyway. Better strings (not knocking the D'Addario's it comes strung with, but there are much better strings out there) make a big difference. I use Curt Mangan Strings (Check them out :)). The guitar has a nice rich voice. Good bass and clear high's with suprisingly good articulation across the strings. The sound is clear and remarkably precise for the price point. The craftsmanship is so good (Yes it's made in China) I was shocked. The guitar is capable of gigging (I do a lot) and going in the studio (I've used it there too) and getting the job done nicely. Yamaha has proven yet again that a guitar doesn't have to cost a ton of money to look and sound great (They've been doing this since 1876 guys). Now, I would change one thing (and I did change on both of mine) . The tuning machines, they are ok but just put Grover's on it. Finally, even though I rarely use a pick, I spent a few days strumming mine just for the sake of this review. It does well when lightly strummed, but like most if not all small body guitars, if you have a heavy hand/hard strummer it's not going to do well. So, I highly recommend this guitar, I own two of them. They look great, sound great, feel great, play great and just ARE great. Get one, even if it's just for travel, etc. to protect your expensive guitars. You'll be glad you did.

VS

Most Liked Negative Review

2

Setup was so bad that the guitar isn't worth it

I bought this for my wife around 2021 so that she could get into guitar. She complained about how much it hurt to play the guitar and eventually she just quit because it was hurting too much. I didn't play guitar at the time so I figured it was just because she didn't have enough calluses on her fingers. The only negative thing I noticed at the time is that it had a bad buzzing behind the nut when I strummed on it. I ended up putting an elastic hair tie near the tuners to get the buzzing to go away. The guitar just sat in a closet for a few years. Fast forward to a couple of months ago, I've been playing for 1.5 years now myself and decided to check it out. It also hurt my fingers too much to play if I play near the nut. It had nothing to do with not having enough calluses and everything to do with how terribly the nut slots were cut. Now that I know how to check and setup guitars I checked this one out and found that not only did it have terribly high action, but even worse that the nut slots were not cut even close to how low they should have been. I ended up buying a new bone nut and saddle and sanded them until the nut was at the proper level and that the saddle was low enough to give me a medium action on the low side a low action on the high side. The new nut/nut being cut properly also eliminated the terrible buzzing that the guitar had as well. I really like the guitar now but it shouldn't take $20 in new materials plus a $100 setup (which is what it would have at least cost had I not done it myself) to get a guitar into working order. Most people would have just sold it and taken a loss.

Filters
Best Uses
  1. Practicing57
  2. Jamming34
  3. Small Venues22
  4. Recording16
  5. School Bands6
Cons
  1. Flat Sound2
  2. None2
  3. Not Consistent1
  4. Terrible setup1
  5. Action a bit high out of the box1
Describe Yourself
  1. Novice33
  2. Experienced23
  3. Professional Musician6
Pros
  1. Good Feel57
  2. Fun To Play53
  3. Good Audio46
  4. Stays In Tune44
  5. Consistent39
  • My New Love!!

    5

    submitteda month ago

    byTeri

    fromMissouri

    I'm a 61 year old woman re-learning to play guitar. I've tried several one being the FG800 which is also a great guitar but it was a little bulky for me to play comfortably. I finally purchased the FS800 SB and it was a match! The size is perfect, the neck is slim and smooth and mine was ready to play right out of the box. The tone is absolutely beautiful not to mention the beautiful finish. The quality of this very affordable guitar is unsurpassable in this price range! I'm very pleased and would highly recommend the Yamaha FS800 to everyone!

  • Setup was so bad that the guitar isn't worth it

    2

    submitted2 months ago

    byChris

    fromKnoxville, TN

    I bought this for my wife around 2021 so that she could get into guitar. She complained about how much it hurt to play the guitar and eventually she just quit because it was hurting too much. I didn't play guitar at the time so I figured it was just because she didn't have enough calluses on her fingers. The only negative thing I noticed at the time is that it had a bad buzzing behind the nut when I strummed on it. I ended up putting an elastic hair tie near the tuners to get the buzzing to go away. The guitar just sat in a closet for a few years. Fast forward to a couple of months ago, I've been playing for 1.5 years now myself and decided to check it out. It also hurt my fingers too much to play if I play near the nut. It had nothing to do with not having enough calluses and everything to do with how terribly the nut slots were cut. Now that I know how to check and setup guitars I checked this one out and found that not only did it have terribly high action, but even worse that the nut slots were not cut even close to how low they should have been. I ended up buying a new bone nut and saddle and sanded them until the nut was at the proper level and that the saddle was low enough to give me a medium action on the low side a low action on the high side. The new nut/nut being cut properly also eliminated the terrible buzzing that the guitar had as well. I really like the guitar now but it shouldn't take $20 in new materials plus a $100 setup (which is what it would have at least cost had I not done it myself) to get a guitar into working order. Most people would have just sold it and taken a loss.

  • Don't overlook this guitar

    5

    submitted2 months ago

    byJoe

    fromMassachusetts

    Brought my daughter to our local GC to buy a new acoustic. She has been playing my Ovation for about 1.5 years and was looking to get her own instrument. We both played basically every acoustic in the store under $500 and kept coming back to this one. We narrowed it down to 3 or 4 and sat next to each other playing to compare them. The sound is unmatched at this price. It's super playable and it looks way better in person than in the photos online. Don't overlook this guitar because it's cheap or because it's a Yamaha. It sounds and feels better than the Fender, Ibanez, Epiphone, etc. instruments that are double the price.

  • Probably the best low priced acoustic guitar on the market

    5

    Verified BuyerVerified Buyer

    submitted4 months ago

    bySteve

    fromTempe, Arizona

    Submitted as part of a sweepstakes

    I bought this guitar for one of my sons who suffers from mental illness. The acoustic guitar is such an excellent instrument for doing self therapy. I want him to use this guitar to gain a sense of inner piece and comfort. This guitar model came highly recommended by a number of reliable sources. When I played it the first time I was blown away that a guitar in this price range could sound so good and play so comfortably. Here's hoping this guitar provides the means to help him regain a new place in life. Thanks Yamaha for your assistance.

  • Great guitar!

    5

    submitted4 months ago

    byJoel

    fromFort Worth, Texas

    I purchase this guitar for my daughter as it is her first full scale guitar. I am very impressed! I've owned and still own some high end acoustics, and this guitar really holds its own. The craftmanship is really incredible for the price, and it sounds great. Very balanced and good for fingerpicking or strumming. The body size is perfect for my daughter (who is 12 and still growing). I also feel the orchestra/concert size is much easier to play for fingerpicking which is what I do exclusively. I would definitely recommend this guitar to anyone looking for a first guitar or upgrading an existing guitar.

  • I am very happy with my Yamaha FS800.

    5

    Verified BuyerVerified Buyer

    submitted4 months ago

    byRobert

    fromFlorence KY

    Submitted as part of a sweepstakes

    I am a couch and family event player. I have other more expensive guitars, and I always have a set up done to lower the action along with new strings installed. However I liked my FS800 right out of the box! It holds tuning well, so far, has good volume, and a nice pleasing range of highs and lows. It is easy to play, as well as fun guitar to play!

collapse expand iconQ&A

Have a question about this product? Our expert Gear Advisers have the answers.

  • asked byRene

    fromTinley park,IL

    What guitar strings are on for FS800? Thanks

    What guitar strings are on for FS800? Thanks

    Open Reply - Gear-Support
    The Yamaha FS800 Folk Acoustic Guitar (Natural) comes factory-strung with Yamaha’s own brand of phosphor bronze strings -------- 012 – High E .016 – B .025 – G .032 – D .042 – A .053 – Low E
  • asked byJB

    fromBerkeley, CA

    Is this available at the Emeryville store?

    Is this available at the Emeryville store?

    Open Reply - Gear-Support
    I'm sorry, it is not available locally
  • asked byStarr

    fromundisclosed

    Would the Ibanez IAB541 POWERPAD Acoustic Guitar Gig work well for this guitar? Thank you.

    Would the Ibanez IAB541 POWERPAD Acoustic Guitar Gig work well for this guitar? Thank you.

    Open Reply - Gear-Support
    Yes, it would.
  • asked byverdie

    frompooler, ga

    would a gator dreadnought gig bag work with an fs800?

    would a gator dreadnought gig bag work with an fs800?

    Open Reply - Gear-Support
    Yes, it would.
  • asked byTori

    fromKaty, Texas

    I'm interested in purchasing the FS800 Sandburst. I've seen images of this model with both a gloss and matte finish. Could you please clarify whether the FS800 Sandburst typically comes with a gloss finish?
Thank you,
Tori

    I'm interested in purchasing the FS800 Sandburst. I've seen images of this model with both a gloss and matte finish. Could you please clarify whether the FS800 Sandburst typically comes with a gloss finish? Thank you, Tori

    Open Reply - Gear-Support
    "Body finish: Gloss"
  • asked byKev

    fromLas Vegas

    Would this be considered a 3/4 size guitar?

    Would this be considered a 3/4 size guitar?

    Open Reply - Gear-Support
    No. 3/4 is 3/4 of a full scale - 25.5" This is 25" .
  • asked bySal

    fromDublin ca

    Would I be able to add a shoulder strap to the guitar In the pictures I do not see where I would be able to connect one?

    Would I be able to add a shoulder strap to the guitar In the pictures I do not see where I would be able to connect one?

    Open Reply - Gear-Support
    Yes. There's a button at the base of the body. At the neck you will need ------------- Martin Headstock Tie Guitar Strap Button.
  • asked bysal

    fromDublin ca

    hello I was wondering if I purchased online would it already be tuned? also what is the best color to get I like them both?

    hello I was wondering if I purchased online would it already be tuned? also what is the best color to get I like them both?

    Open Reply - Gear-Support
    1) No, it won't be tuned.
  • asked bySally

    fromundisclosed

    Does this guitar have nylon or metal strings? Do you do trade ins with new guitar purchases?

    Does this guitar have nylon or metal strings? Do you do trade ins with new guitar purchases?

    Open Reply - Gear-Support
    The FS800 has steel strings. Yes, we take trade ins.
  • asked byFatal

    fromDeridder La

    I've owned the FS800 before and sadly I sold it 6 months or so ago. Anyways.... I was going to purchase this again about a month ago and instead ordered a Fender Cut Away green guitar around the same price point and ended up having to send it back because of buzz and possibly neck was warped. My concern if I reorder the FS800 again that I might get another guitar with really bad action. Is there a way to make sure this doesn't happen again before I order through you guys? I don't have a guitar store here to get a action job done so it's paramount ordering from you guys that I get a guitar that needs little adjustments that I can make myself.

    I've owned the FS800 before and sadly I sold it 6 months or so ago. Anyways.... I was going to purchase this again about a month ago and instead ordered a Fender Cut Away green guitar around the same price point and ended up having to send it back because of buzz and possibly neck was warped. My concern if I reorder the FS800 again that I might get another guitar with really bad action. Is there a way to make sure this doesn't happen again before I order through you guys? I don't have a guitar store here to get a action job done so it's paramount ordering from you guys that I get a guitar that needs little adjustments that I can make myself.

    Open Reply - Gear-Support
    Unfortunately, no. Our instruments ship in factory sealed boxes. We do not set up new instruments.
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