Had my FG9R for about a week now and it has subsequently put my D-28 Modern Deluxe in its case for the foreseeable future. This is, without question, the finest steel-string acoustic guitar Yamaha has made to date.
I have had my FG 9 M for about 6 months and it is a fabulous guitar. I also own a '94 HD-28 which has been my main guitar since I bought it new. I really love the HD-28 but wanted a mahogany D and almost bought a D-18. (also wonderful) But the Yamaha is really something special. In addition to the very high quality craftsmanship (yes, better than my Martin) it has a dynamic range I've not experienced. You can't over or underplay it. Makes it a very versatile instrument, equally suitable for fingerstyle or flatpicking. If you have the opportunity, play one; I think you will be surprised.
I have a mahogany. I prefer it to the rosewood. One point that needs to be stressed is these are not torrified and are absolutely getting better with age. I thought it would take ten years. But mine astounds me every time i pick it. I’ve had mine a year in August and bought it used.
I still have my FG Yamaha from 1973 . It’s 50 years old . Played it recently ata bluegrass jam and it punched a hole in the banjo. Seriously, it has great bass and projection .. completely swamps the ubqituous gs minis . Looks good after 50 years .. kept in case . I need to change the strings soon ….. 😊 half a century! To me they are just settling down …
Since your guitar has some age, would you think that perhaps lighter gauge strings should be put on so it doesn't do anything demanding of the guitar, or it's well enough to hold medium gauge strings?
it takes some driving to get the bass moving. I think the medium gauge strings with a hard pick seems good combination. You make a good point -therefore, I keep it in D standard tuning .- Capoed at 2nd fret. This allows a robust string gauge and lessens the tension. More importantly, this gives me a shorter scale length and allows me to play in F or Dm with good chord shapes. Seems to work well. @@stanleybroniszewsky8538
I'd really love to have an FG9. I'm not sure if it's because of the great quality for price or is it because I have a secret desire to annoy my bluegrass friends. I have a DW-10 that was purchased to be a beater guitar, and it is. but the quality to price on it is amazing. When I took it to a Luthier for a better setup he wanted to buy it from me because even he was impressed with the sound and playability. My first Yamaha was a silent violin. I told my wife it was for her (I like to practice first thing in the morning). I was so impressed with the fiddle (can I call it a fiddle?) I bought the silent guitar with steel strings. It is also amazing. I'm partial to Gibson and my collection of Kalamazoo branded instruments (Kalamazoo is just a hop skip and jump away from me) but there is no denying Yamaha quality. and why not, they've been making instruments nearly as long as Martin, and even longer than Gibson.
It's tough to tell how good a guitar sounds when listening on a pair of 4" speakers. But I've watched dozens of demonstrations using what I assume is the same recording equipment and these both stand out as the best sounding guitars that have been reviewed here. I've never owned a Yamaha, but I've always liked them. I might have to get one of these.
Massive disservice to yourself if you don’t in all likelihood. I have no doubt that these guitars are of similar consistent quality to my LL56. The average mass produced competing Martin will be a joke in comparison, yet the brand whores out there will still lap them up regardless. Yamaha know what they are doing. What a beautiful set of guitars with a simple clean design.
Coming from a maintenance perspective, the Yamaha is actually easier to work on. By that I mean truss rod adjustment. My two Yamahas (FG700 & FG830) along with my Sigma are easy to maintain whereas my Guild D240e, the rod isn't as easy to work with. Yamaha's approach to guitars reminds of the same mindset Leo Fender had when he started building guitars. And the shared approach is a great way to make quality guitars.
It should be noted that the FG9M is made with African Mahogany from the Khaya genus and not Honduran Mahogany from the Swietenia genus. I’m not certain how they differ tonally but would assume the Khaya costs less.
I own an Alvarez MD 60 EBG, and i recently tried thisy yamaha FG9, ok, the craftmenship is oustanding, sound is very balanced, for a very experienced ears, but honestly, it is not 5 times better than my outstanding sounding Alvarez, never in this world that this FG9 is 5 to 6 times better sounding that my Alvarez! I paid 900$ for it, when the Yamaha FG9 is between 5500- 5900$! I would dare anyone to do a blind test between those 2 guitars( like JP CORMIER does so frequently) and you would be surprised how many people wouldn't be able to tell wich is which! Conclusion: i you don't care to spend this much money, the FG9 is indeed a spectaculor guitar, but you can have an oustanding and good sounding guitar for much much less!
I really wish they had gone for a much more substantial V shaped neck. Those low profile necks don't fill up your hand and a neck with more mass seems to have a positive effect on tone.
It doesn’t really look like a $4K “boutique” guitar…like if they’d have put a nice subtle FG pattern on the headstock. People would still know it’s Yamaha, but not think they’re looking at a piano.
I like the 510 tuners. I recently bought some Waverly and Schaller open gear tuners and sent them both back due to manufacturers defects. The Gotohs don’t seem to have that problem. Nice sounding guitars.
I agree hell I got a ll16m and I played a fg9 mahogany model with broken in strings and in comparison I definitely prefer the tone of my ll16m for its sweet articulation. Resonance was pretty much on par with each other. The ll series has a sweeter tone very similar to well made Alvarez yairi acoustics and some larrivee acoustics I’ve played. My ll16m especially a year later after playing it hours everyday has great depth and complexity with sweet nuance sparkly highs. Very punchy with incredible focus and clarity. It’s so smooth for strumming and decent finger picker. I got lucky and scored mine for 509 new but is definitely well worth the 799 it goes for normally. Honestly I think the shop mistaken this for a ll6m laminated back and side model and didn’t realize it. It has incredible growl as well and definitely full sounding at this point. The tone it produces makes for an extremely versatile acoustic and has plenty bottom end without being boomy which for me is always a good thing. There’s a reason Yamaha created this body shape using englemann spruce tops and chose non scalloped bracing. They were definitely going for a very specific kind of tone and they nailed it
Does Jeremy have any surprises? Or did his mustache counter them? Like the sound/ voice of each. However, I 'll stick with the guitars I have so far. Thanks, John and Jeremy.
The FS9 has actually been announced and should be out this year, we saw them at the Fretboard Summit last year: th-cam.com/video/5bhpeGwSeNw/w-d-xo.html We'll also take pre-orders as soon as they're available!
Has anyone had the chance to compare it to a D28? Wonder how they compare as the are around the same price. Also how does the M compare with the R? Sadly I live in the middle of nowhere so would never be able to play them in person.
@@AcousticShoppe Well, I fell in love with your harmony's and musicianship. I can't remember where I saw you guys, but it was three times. I think once it was in Kalamazoo at the Radisson for a GLAMA Great Lakes Acoustic Music Association event. Another was at a park, sorry can't remember.
John says he has limited playing time with the LL36 but would probably still prefer the FG9 for the body size. The FG9 is just all around, a really hard guitar to beat. We'll go even more in depth in some upcoming reviews and comparisons - stay tuned!
We honestly haven't played those models enough to form a proper opinion since we have only just became a Yamaha dealer. That said we are definitely looking forward to checking them all out and doing comparisons!
Yamaha heavily touts it's 5 piece neck, claiming it is more rigid, requiring fewer adjustments, where is it on the FG9? They also heavily tout their A.R.E. treated tops, does the FG9 include this feature? Why is no one talking about the FG9's removable neck, this seems like a huge deal considering a lot of older Yamaha acoustic need a neck reset. Has the removable neck helped eliminate Yamaha's famous 14th fret hump, mine has that condition, along with a little "Belly Up" and cave in where the fretboard is glued onto the body at the "sound hole" end of the fretboard.
First.. hard to beat a Gibson J45 for tonal balance.. or a good Martin ..Collings too.. Yamaha makes a fine guitar but most are way too bright sounding.. don’t think these fall into a $4000 range… for that price there are way better options… I actually thought the fg830 was a pretty darn good Yamaha for the $.. good sound , nice playing… also some of the Yamahas are put together with epoxy which makes a neck reset near impossible without some detruction of wood and is the finish nitro?..can’t did any info that?
ha-gotcha! as much as y'all are superior in knowledge in the realm of stringed instruments, don't test me and my 30+ years experience on print design quality! john-get on eastman about their lame labels! eastman is just a label away from being perfect! love you guys tons!@@AcousticShoppe
@@demolitionwilliams7419 love it! Can't say enough about the quality of the build, wood, neck joint, fret etc everything is perfect, a lot of bass and high, its a real loud cannon!
Clueless, good luck with those mass produced inconsistent quality Martins. They’re just a name more than anything else these days…Despite their legacy…
@@banjobones8075 I don’t doubt it. There are many incredible ones out there. Sounds like you got one. That’s the difference. Mass produced guitars like that are not consistent is all.
In today's market the Martin's are not of the quality they once were. Now these new Yamaha guitars have been improved to compete with any mass produced Martin.
Had my FG9R for about a week now and it has subsequently put my D-28 Modern Deluxe in its case for the foreseeable future. This is, without question, the finest steel-string acoustic guitar Yamaha has made to date.
I have had my FG 9 M for about 6 months and it is a fabulous guitar. I also own a '94 HD-28 which has been my main guitar since I bought it new. I really love the HD-28 but wanted a mahogany D and almost bought a D-18. (also wonderful) But the Yamaha is really something special. In addition to the very high quality craftsmanship (yes, better than my Martin) it has a dynamic range I've not experienced. You can't over or underplay it. Makes it a very versatile instrument, equally suitable for fingerstyle or flatpicking. If you have the opportunity, play one; I think you will be surprised.
I have a mahogany. I prefer it to the rosewood. One point that needs to be stressed is these are not torrified and are absolutely getting better with age. I thought it would take ten years. But mine astounds me every time i pick it. I’ve had mine a year in August and bought it used.
I subbed the second you guys started performing. Now this is my kind of guitar channel. Beautiful fella’s. Brought tears to my eyes ❤
My first acoustic was a small body Yamaha FG back in the 70's. Fantastic guitar.
Me too ..see above
I still have my FG Yamaha from 1973 . It’s 50 years old . Played it recently ata bluegrass jam and it punched a hole in the banjo. Seriously, it has great bass and projection .. completely swamps the ubqituous gs minis . Looks good after 50 years .. kept in case . I need to change the strings soon ….. 😊 half a century! To me they are just settling down …
Since your guitar has some age, would you think that perhaps lighter gauge strings should be put on so it doesn't do anything demanding of the guitar, or it's well enough to hold medium gauge strings?
it takes some driving to get the bass moving. I think the medium gauge strings with a hard pick seems good combination. You make a good point -therefore, I keep it in D standard tuning .- Capoed at 2nd fret. This allows a robust string gauge and lessens the tension. More importantly, this gives me a shorter scale length and allows me to play in F or Dm with good chord shapes. Seems to work well. @@stanleybroniszewsky8538
I'd really love to have an FG9. I'm not sure if it's because of the great quality for price or is it because I have a secret desire to annoy my bluegrass friends. I have a DW-10 that was purchased to be a beater guitar, and it is. but the quality to price on it is amazing. When I took it to a Luthier for a better setup he wanted to buy it from me because even he was impressed with the sound and playability. My first Yamaha was a silent violin. I told my wife it was for her (I like to practice first thing in the morning). I was so impressed with the fiddle (can I call it a fiddle?) I bought the silent guitar with steel strings. It is also amazing. I'm partial to Gibson and my collection of Kalamazoo branded instruments (Kalamazoo is just a hop skip and jump away from me) but there is no denying Yamaha quality. and why not, they've been making instruments nearly as long as Martin, and even longer than Gibson.
It's tough to tell how good a guitar sounds when listening on a pair of 4" speakers. But I've watched dozens of demonstrations using what I assume is the same recording equipment and these both stand out as the best sounding guitars that have been reviewed here. I've never owned a Yamaha, but I've always liked them. I might have to get one of these.
Massive disservice to yourself if you don’t in all likelihood. I have no doubt that these guitars are of similar consistent quality to my LL56. The average mass produced competing Martin will be a joke in comparison, yet the brand whores out there will still lap them up regardless. Yamaha know what they are doing. What a beautiful set of guitars with a simple clean design.
Coming from a maintenance perspective, the Yamaha is actually easier to work on. By that I mean truss rod adjustment. My two Yamahas (FG700 & FG830) along with my Sigma are easy to maintain whereas my Guild D240e, the rod isn't as easy to work with. Yamaha's approach to guitars reminds of the same mindset Leo Fender had when he started building guitars. And the shared approach is a great way to make quality guitars.
It should be noted that the FG9M is made with African Mahogany from the Khaya genus and not Honduran Mahogany from the Swietenia genus. I’m not certain how they differ tonally but would assume the Khaya costs less.
I own an Alvarez MD 60 EBG, and i recently tried thisy yamaha FG9, ok, the craftmenship is oustanding, sound is very balanced, for a very experienced ears, but honestly, it is not 5 times better than my outstanding sounding Alvarez, never in this world that this FG9 is 5 to 6 times better sounding that my Alvarez! I paid 900$ for it, when the Yamaha FG9 is between 5500- 5900$! I would dare anyone to do a blind test between those 2 guitars( like JP CORMIER does so frequently) and you would be surprised how many people wouldn't be able to tell wich is which! Conclusion: i you don't care to spend this much money, the FG9 is indeed a spectaculor guitar, but you can have an oustanding and good sounding guitar for much much less!
You guys do great reviews. Keep up the good work!
Thank you!
I'm waiting for the FS9. Hope it's coming soon.
2024 is what we were told, we're looking forward to probably showing them off at NAMM!
FS9 R will be a killer fingerstyle guitar
FSX5 owner here.
I’m ready my money being token for the cutaway and FS version
I really wish they had gone for a much more substantial V shaped neck. Those low profile necks don't fill up your hand and a neck with more mass seems to have a positive effect on tone.
Mustache is coming along nicely Jeremy.
Sure wish they would fancy up the logo on the head stock it would be sold!
Semper Fi
It doesn’t really look like a $4K “boutique” guitar…like if they’d have put a nice subtle FG pattern on the headstock. People would still know it’s Yamaha, but not think they’re looking at a piano.
I like the 510 tuners. I recently bought some Waverly and Schaller open gear tuners and sent them both back due to manufacturers defects.
The Gotohs don’t seem to have that problem.
Nice sounding guitars.
I’m the lucky owner of a Yamaha LL 26 and a more upscale LL 36. It’s hard to believe that Yamaha, or anyone,could top those.
I agree hell I got a ll16m and I played a fg9 mahogany model with broken in strings and in comparison I definitely prefer the tone of my ll16m for its sweet articulation. Resonance was pretty much on par with each other. The ll series has a sweeter tone very similar to well made Alvarez yairi acoustics and some larrivee acoustics I’ve played. My ll16m especially a year later after playing it hours everyday has great depth and complexity with sweet nuance sparkly highs. Very punchy with incredible focus and clarity. It’s so smooth for strumming and decent finger picker. I got lucky and scored mine for 509 new but is definitely well worth the 799 it goes for normally. Honestly I think the shop mistaken this for a ll6m laminated back and side model and didn’t realize it. It has incredible growl as well and definitely full sounding at this point. The tone it produces makes for an extremely versatile acoustic and has plenty bottom end without being boomy which for me is always a good thing. There’s a reason Yamaha created this body shape using englemann spruce tops and chose non scalloped bracing. They were definitely going for a very specific kind of tone and they nailed it
Does Jeremy have any surprises? Or did his mustache counter them? Like the sound/ voice of each. However, I 'll stick with the guitars I have so far. Thanks, John and Jeremy.
It is an awesome guitar. The sound is top end!
Might be that the truss rod adjustment is from the headstock b/c the neck is bolted on.
If you could have only one guitar, which would choose the mahogany or rosewood ?
Rosewood
The FG9M is a perfect guitar. If they add an FS9 to the line, I’d order one before I even finished reading the announcement.
The FS9 has actually been announced and should be out this year, we saw them at the Fretboard Summit last year: th-cam.com/video/5bhpeGwSeNw/w-d-xo.html We'll also take pre-orders as soon as they're available!
I bought a yamaha in 1974 for $140 and played it until the neck fell off 30 years later. Moved onto a Larivee. (The neck is still intact)
Jeremy is saving his money for a black and gold Trans AM.
Has anyone had the chance to compare it to a D28? Wonder how they compare as the are around the same price. Also how does the M compare with the R? Sadly I live in the middle of nowhere so would never be able to play them in person.
I really miss seeing and hearing you guys up here in Michigan. Any plans for touring in west Michigan again? P.S. how about an FG9 FGX5 comparison.
The Chapmans have gotten so busy with the store that there aren't any touring plans anytime soon, but you never know!
@@AcousticShoppe Well, I fell in love with your harmony's and musicianship. I can't remember where I saw you guys, but it was three times. I think once it was in Kalamazoo at the Radisson for a GLAMA Great Lakes Acoustic Music Association event. Another was at a park, sorry can't remember.
The mahogany is louder than the other but rosewood is more balanced on sounding.
Which guitar has a sound that you like more? FG9, or LL36?
John says he has limited playing time with the LL36 but would probably still prefer the FG9 for the body size. The FG9 is just all around, a really hard guitar to beat. We'll go even more in depth in some upcoming reviews and comparisons - stay tuned!
How does this compare to a LL56??
We honestly haven't played those models enough to form a proper opinion since we have only just became a Yamaha dealer. That said we are definitely looking forward to checking them all out and doing comparisons!
Yamaha heavily touts it's 5 piece neck, claiming it is more rigid, requiring fewer adjustments, where is it on the FG9? They also heavily tout their A.R.E. treated tops, does the FG9 include this feature? Why is no one talking about the FG9's removable neck, this seems like a huge deal considering a lot of older Yamaha acoustic need a neck reset. Has the removable neck helped eliminate Yamaha's famous 14th fret hump, mine has that condition, along with a little "Belly Up" and cave in where the fretboard is glued onto the body at the "sound hole" end of the fretboard.
If you think these FG9s are great. Get some LL AND LS Series in and they will blow your minds.
We're so excited to check those out too!
@@AcousticShoppe the LL26 & LS26 and above are made in Japan. The LL16 is made in China
Anytime I would pick LL series over this.
First.. hard to beat a Gibson J45 for tonal balance.. or a good Martin ..Collings too.. Yamaha makes a fine guitar but most are way too bright sounding.. don’t think these fall into a $4000 range… for that price there are way better options… I actually thought the fg830 was a pretty darn good Yamaha for the $.. good sound , nice playing… also some of the Yamahas are put together with epoxy which makes a neck reset near impossible without some detruction of wood and is the finish nitro?..can’t did any info that?
Less bright than Taylor for sure.
Wonderful instruments from Yamaha. If only I had four grand burning a hole in my pocket.😏
I love Yamaha, but $4,000.00? It better be not just good, but great for the price.
I want to hear more from the guy with glasses.
Just a Japanese thing to do to replicate things to a high quality at a better price. Not just guitars .
?? So, whats the price??
The Rosewood is at $4,000 and the Mahogany is at $3,900.
@@AcousticShoppeNo doubt worth every penny. High end Yamaha guitars are the best kept secret in the industry.
really? its worth 4 grand? jajaja wow@@AcousticShoppe
I like the Mahogany better than the Rosewood though. imo
Since when did yamaha decide to make a premium guitar? What's the price on these?
Lol…wow…What rock have you been living under? LL26/LL36/LL56.
@dlj1285 none, I just don't keep up with low end guitars
@@banjobones8075 Keep talking. It just shows you as the uninformed low knowledge guitar player that you are.
Yamaha has been making guitars at this level for decades
@rstabler1 with laminate sides? I played an fg365 for years. Good guitar but not martin quality
lols-john-i thought soundhole label aesthetics didn't matter! ;) ;) ;)
Now that's a call back! 😂
ha-gotcha! as much as y'all are superior in knowledge in the realm of stringed instruments, don't test me and my 30+ years experience on print design quality! john-get on eastman about their lame labels! eastman is just a label away from being perfect! love you guys tons!@@AcousticShoppe
Me and Jeremy did mention the coolness of this label during that discussion.
I just ordered a Yamaha LL16 directly from Yamaha and I can't wait to have it but now I really want a FG9 also 🤣💸
Just got one two days ago and it's fantastic.. I did a little adjustment on the truss rod and now it's even better!
I'm so close to buying one. How do you like it after 1 month now?
@@demolitionwilliams7419 love it! Can't say enough about the quality of the build, wood, neck joint, fret etc everything is perfect, a lot of bass and high, its a real loud cannon!
@@demolitionwilliams7419 I have a few vid with my LL16 on my channel
That guitar costs more than my first car.
i would never pay 4 grand for a guitar im going to play in my backyard
Why not ? Lots of ppl spend more for useless junk food 😂
I sound better in the backyard like way way back
ok wait, that is a disturbing thumbnail lol
Made you click! 😅
4 grand!!!!???? Oh hell no!. I'll take a martin anytime
Clueless, good luck with those mass produced inconsistent quality Martins. They’re just a name more than anything else these days…Despite their legacy…
@@dlj1285 mine has served me well for almost 30 years
@dlj1285 my old 35 will knock a banjo off a stage
@@banjobones8075 I don’t doubt it. There are many incredible ones out there. Sounds like you got one. That’s the difference. Mass produced guitars like that are not consistent is all.
In today's market the Martin's are not of the quality they once were. Now these new Yamaha guitars have been improved to compete with any mass produced Martin.
This is a $6500. guitar
$4,100*
Well sale him one for 6,500$ and you both will be happy. I hope.@@AcousticShoppe