# Yamaha FG800 upgrades



## alui (8 mo ago)

I've been playing my Yamaha for just over a year. It was my first guitar purchase. I think it sounds great and it seems to get great reviews. Is there anything worth upgrading on the guitar? At what price point would I start noticing an appreciable difference? Will I notice much difference with a Taylor 114 or 214? Or will I need to get into an all solid wood guitar for that?


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## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

There's not much that can be done to upgrade an acoustic.
All I can think of is a good set up, including a fret dress, new nut, saddle and tuners.


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## alui (8 mo ago)

laristotle said:


> There's not much that can be done to upgrade an acoustic.
> All I can think of is a good set up, including a fret dress, new nut, saddle and tuners.


I meant am I going to notice an appreciable upgrade in sound (I know that's subjective) going to a bone nut and saddle and upgrading bridge pins. Is it worth the hassle or should I just pony up for a new guitar? And at what price point will I notice a difference as I think the FG800 sounds pretty awesome for $270


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## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

alui said:


> going to a bone nut and saddle


I prefer Tusq. Depends on your tastes, I guess.
Either way, better than plastic.








What are the advantages of a Tusq nut Vs Bone Nut? - Killer Guitar Rigs


We walk you through the differences between Tusq and Bone nuts, and explain why we feel that Tusq is the clear choice between the two




killerguitarrigs.com


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## Mark Brown (Jan 4, 2022)

You would likely come close to doubling the original price on that guitar to get a noticeable difference. I assume that difference would be subtle if you are trying to get a greater tone out of it. Play it, enjoy it and save some money to get something differnt further down the line.


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## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

If the guitar sounds good to you then you're good!

Probably lots of youtube videos where you can hear the difference between different nuts, saddles and bridge pins.

Best way to see if other guitars sound better to yours is to bring your guitar to a guitar store and compare them.

I haven't upgraded anything on my FG830 and it sounds great to me.


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## BlueRocker (Jan 5, 2020)

I'd save the money and put it towards a new guitar. Depending on your taste you will probably find some that sounds a lot better in the $600-$1200 range. Buy with your ears.


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## Dru Edwards (9 mo ago)

Alui, you've got a nice guitar with the FG800. If it plays well I wouldn't upgrade anything. Save you money for the next guitar.

I would try different strings and picks though. That can have a big impact on your tone (yes, even picks can change your tone). If you have 80/20 strings on them now, try PBs. Try some different picks including material and gauge. 

Let us know what you end up doing (if anything).


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## alui (8 mo ago)

Thanks for all the advice. I didn't think it was worth it to upgrade the nut/saddle/bridge pins from a $ value. I have changed to PB strings and they definitely sounded differently than the stock strings.


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## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

BlueRocker said:


> I'd save the money and put it towards a new guitar. Depending on your taste you will probably find some that sounds a lot better in the $600-$1200 range. Buy with your ears.


I wouldn't be so sure. I compared everything under $1000 and bought the $400 Yamaha FG830.


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## alui (8 mo ago)

Guncho said:


> I wouldn't be so sure. I compared everything under $1000 and bought the $400 Yamaha FG830.


so is a $1000 Taylor 114 going to subjectively sound much better? Or are we looking at a solid wood 300 series or solid wood Martin >$2000. I haven't tried playing one yet so maybe from a playability point there will be an improvement?


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## Dru Edwards (9 mo ago)

alui said:


> so is a $1000 Taylor 114 going to subjectively sound much better? Or are we looking at a solid wood 300 series or solid wood Martin >$2000. I haven't tried playing one yet so maybe from a playability point there will be an improvement?


I have a 314ce that I bought in 2007 and as nice as the 100/200 series are I find the 300 series a little more refined, but that comes at a price point. 

If you're looking at the $1000 range, you should check out the Yamaha FG5, although it's $1650 at L&M (if you can find one in stock). The FG3 is a few hundred less and is basically the same guitar with some minor changes including country of origin (Japan vs China). Basically, the FG5/FG3 is along the lines of the D-18 tonewise.


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## BlueRocker (Jan 5, 2020)

Guncho said:


> I wouldn't be so sure. I compared everything under $1000 and bought the $400 Yamaha FG830.


I just went through this and picked up a Taylor Academy 12 for $800 (new). To me it was the best sound / cost fit, and sounded better than quite a few more expensive Taylors as well as other brands. I actually did not intend to buy a Taylor, but decided to get the best sounding guitar I could up to around $1200.

I did not like any of the Yamahas I tried, but if you found one you like for $400, you spent $400 less than I did. My point was there's lots of options in the $600 - $1200 range (or apparently less) that might be an upgrade for the OP. Lots of Godins and Yamahas would fit that budget.


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## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

alui said:


> so is a $1000 Taylor 114 going to subjectively sound much better? Or are we looking at a solid wood 300 series or solid wood Martin >$2000. I haven't tried playing one yet so maybe from a playability point there will be an improvement?


I directly compared a Taylor 114e and a Yamaha FG830 and went with the Yamaha and I could have afforded the Taylor.

Playability is in large part determined by setup. You can make a $10k play like crap and a $100 guitar play great.


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## Guitarantula (Dec 21, 2020)

laristotle said:


> There's not much that can be done to upgrade an acoustic.
> All I can think of is a good set up, including a fret dress, new nut, saddle and tuners.


That “not much that can be done” is sometimes just a set of new strings


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