Yamaha FSX800C
Acoustic-Electric Guitar
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Best Acoustic-Electric Guitar (under $500)
Yamaha FSX800C
- Don Makoviney
- Last Updated: August 30, 2020
 - http://mscgr.com/best-acoustic-electric-guitar-under-500-2308331876){kind=link}
The Yamaha FGX800C is the best acoustic-electric guitar under $500 for most people. The onboard electronics are spectacular and it sounds great unplugged too. Features a single cutaway nato (eastern mahogany) body with a solid Sitka Spruce top, rosewood fingerboard and bridge and chrome die-cast tuners. If you're looking for a great acoustic-electric under $500, the FGX800C is the one to get.
We say our pick is the best for most people, because there are so many variables. If you have no idea what to get, then our pick will be great. If you have some guitar playing experience, you might now that you like a cutaway, or a jumbo size, or dreadnought. You might prefer ceder to spruce, or vice versa. We’ve got some great choices below. Read through, look at the specs on the manufacturer websites, and then adjust your choices accordingly.
How We Picked
90% of the time (my unscientific guess-timate), most of us want an acoustic-electric because we play gigs, so the electronics is often more important than everything else.
Many years ago I didn’t have much to spend on an acoustic-electric, but needed one to play live with my band. I dropped about $350 on an Ibanez. It had great electronics and really shined plugged in. But the laminate flamed maple top, laminate back and sides? It sounded terrible unplugged. Like, really bad.
It wasn’t much of a problem because I also own a great 1940’s era Gibson acoustic. But if you are looking to kill two birds with one stone – a great sounding gigging guitar and a great sounding unplugged acoustic for home recording or songwriting use – you’ll want to find something that does both equally well.
In the budget acoustic-electric guitar range, there are some great choices. Of course, in this range, our choices have to accept the fact our pick would probably have laminate wood back and sides, and possibly a laminated top, instead of solid wood. There are some great acoustic-electric guitars that sound great unplugged.
Why do people make a big deal out of laminated wood vs. solid wood?
If you’re new to acoustic guitars, it’s entirely possible you might not even notice much of a sound difference between laminate and solid wood when you’re comparing two brand new guitars.
But solid wood ages better than laminate woods over time, which makes the guitar more resonant, the frequency response richer and wider. That is why a lot of people take the solid wood versus laminated wood very seriously.
You’ll generally see two different types of solid wood tops. One is spruce – in fact most of the guitars in this category will be spruce. There are some in cedar as well. Typically, spruce offers a brighter sound, while cedar offers a warmer, deeper sound. Soloists, duos, and trios tend to prefer the cedar, while those in louder groups, like country or rock, will tend to prefer the spruce because the brightness cuts through a noisy mix better.
So with that in mind, here is our guidelines for picking a great acoustic-electric under $500.
Great budget acoustic-electric guitar criteria:
- Solid wood top at least. Solid back and sides preferred, but not necessary (in this category anyways).
- The guitar should sound great – both unplugged, as well as plugged in.
- User reviews and professional reviews should reinforce this.
- Hands-on testing as available.
If you look on Amazon or Guitar Center, and use the search tools to narrow down choices (average reviews of four or five stars, price range between $350-$500, solid wood top), you’ll quickly see the choices whittled away to a handful of options.
If you aren’t sure what you want, go with our pick. But read through and check out some of our alternate picks and see if maybe one of those will match your needs better.
Our Pick
The Yamaha FGX800C is the best acoustic-electric for most people. You’ll rarely find a review that is negative – it maintains 4 and five star reviews on all the music instrument retailer sites.
On the technical details side, it has a single cutaway nato (eastern mahogany) body, solid Sitka Spruce top, rosewood fingerboard and bridge and chrome die-cast tuners.
User reviews
One Yamaha FGX800C user explains on Guitar Center their shock at the sound quality compared to the price :
I picked up the 214 and it just wasn’t the guitar for me. I picked up a fender 140 c e and it had no Bass to it at all hardly. Didn’t like some of the other readers here I stumbled across another guitar thinking it was a fender and it sounded beautiful. To my surprise it was a Yamaha fgx800c. Never considered buying a Yamaha but it sounded as deep and Rich as I could have wanted. Just goes to show you when you listen with your ears and not with the name brand and price tag you get the same response many of the reviewers here got.
For the money this is Bar None the best guitar I think that is made.
Another reviewer on Amazon explains how impressed they are at the ease of playing and how well the guitar holds up:
After owning the guitar for 8 months and playing it for hours every week, I have nothing but good things to say. It’s got a great sound, a really comfortable size, and continues to stay in tune for multiple sessions. After several months of use I replaced the original strings and opted for a lighter gauge. The guitar kept its superb playability and the tone remained excellent (though changed slightly given the lighter strings).
I can now add, after developing more experience with acoustic guitars, that the neck is quite comfortable to play. That will, of course, be a matter of taste, but as a newbie I found it very easy to use pretty much right away. No regrets: this is a great guitar
Other picks
Takamine GN51CE NEX
Solid spruce top and rosewood back and sides, as well as an amazing preamp system make the Takamine GN51CE NEX an above-average acoustic-electric under $500.
The onboard Takamine TP-4TD preamp system sounds remarkable, gives you a built-in tuner with three-band EQ and gain controls. I felt our main pick sounded a tad better unplugged, but plugged in, it rivals (and to some) beats the Yamaha.
Conclusion
It’s a great time to be a guitar player. These solid-topped acoustic-electric guitars sound great unplugged and plugged in. The on-board electronics on each of these are the best in this price range.
The fact that you can get such great affordable guitars nowadays is astounding.
Now you just gotta play that thing!
Tell Me If There's A Deal For This
Best Acoustic-Electric Guitar (under $500)
Yamaha FSX800C
Important Specs
| Top | Solid Spruce |
| Back & Sides | Mahogany |
| Tuners | Die cast |
| Electronics | System 55T Piezo Pickup |
| Fretboard Material | Rosewood |
| more specs |
Synopsis:
The Yamaha FGX800C is the best acoustic-electric guitar under $500 for most people. The onboard electronics are spectacular and it sounds great unplugged too. Features a single cutaway nato (eastern mahogany) body with a solid Sitka Spruce top, rosewood fingerboard and bridge and chrome die-cast tuners. If you're looking for a great acoustic-electric under $500, the FGX800C is the one to get.
If our main pick is sold out, get this.
Takamine GN51CE NEX
The onboard Takamine TP-4TD preamp system sounds remarkable, gives you a built-in tuner with three-band EQ and gain controls. I felt our main pick sounded a tad better unplugged, but plugged in, it rivals (and to some) beats the Yamaha. The Takamine also has a great track record with users and reviewers.
Sources
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, Guitar Center, 20200830
Yamaha FGX800C Reviews“I picked up the 214 and it just wasn't the guitar for me. I picked up a fender 140 c e and it had no Bass to it at all hardly. Didn't like some of the other readers here I stumbled across another guitar thinking it was a fender and it sounded beautiful. To my surprise it was a Yamaha fgx800c. Never considered buying a Yamaha but it sounded as deep and Rich as I could have wanted. Just goes to show you when you listen with your ears and not with the name brand and price tag you get the same response many of the reviewers here got. You will need to add another strap button to the neck because it only comes with one. For the money this is Bar None the best guitar I think that is made. I went out of my way to write this review so somebody out there searching for a good acoustic guitar who leads worship at church as I do and in youth groups would not miss out on this deal”
-
, Amazon Customer Reviews, 20190123
Plays Nice Right Out of the Box“After owning the guitar for 8 months and playing it for hours every week, I have nothing but good things to say. It's got a great sound, a really comfortable size, and continues to stay in tune for multiple sessions. After several months of use I replaced the original strings and opted for a lighter gauge. The guitar kept its superb playability and the tone remained excellent (though changed slightly given the lighter strings). I can now add, after developing more experience with acoustic guitars, that the neck is quite comfortable to play. That will, of course, be a matter of taste, but as a newbie I found it very easy to use pretty much right away. No regrets: this is a great guitar”
Important Specs
| Top | Solid Spruce |
| Back & Sides | Mahogany |
| Tuners | Die cast |
| Electronics | System 55T Piezo Pickup |
| Fretboard Material | Rosewood |
| more specs |
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