Best Fingerpicking Acoustic Guitar (Jan 2023 Update)

I bought this guitar to check out a budget friendly offering from Yamaha. I have to say I was not disappointed! Excellent tone and volume, the top really resonates. The guitar was really well setup right out of the box. It needed about 3/4 of a clockwise truss rod adjustment, no prob. Other than that it didn't need any fret dressing whatsoever. That's really impressive for a Chinese guitar. Heck even one of my Mexican Martins needed fret dressing out of the box! Also intonation was spot on and this also is important in your guitar. Very impressed with this guitar, intermediate/advanced feel but priced at a beginner budget. You won't regret picking one up, I assure you!Big Bone Murphy

There is a point of quality when an instrument reaches when it stops being seen as "better or worse" but rather just a different flavor. This Yamaha has reached that point. You can play it alongside a guitar costing 5x more and it stands up well. Yamaha is also one of those rare companies with a long history of top quality across all kinds of products, and guitars are an area Yamaha knows well. This is just a beautiful guitar through and throughout. You can get beautiful uncompromisingly great studio recordings with this guitar. Hitting the low strings hard with strumming gives a nice deep and rich tone. Also, the hardware / tuners are nice.Scott

I've owned many acoustics over the years, MANY, and this Yamaha is one of the best sounding I've ever owned. Went to GC just to check out a few lower end acoustics to pick up for jamming on, and tried almost every one in the room. Picked this one up last just before I was ready to leave, and immediately was blown away by the sound and playability, brought a couple friends to listen and tell me which one they thought sounded the best, and hands down this won over all of them. It has the tone and warmth of a Martin D34, which I have owned a few, and it plays like a dream. The neck is so sliky smooth, easy to fly up and down with no effort. It has amazing sustain and beautiful tone, I fell in love with it and just couldn't put it down. I didn't expect a guitar of this price range to sound as good as it does, got it home and I couldn't put it down. Played for 4 hours straight, and even after trying to put it down to go to bed at 1am I found myself playing a for a few more minutes before I could actually go to sleep. Love this Yamaha more than any guitar I've bought in the last decade. The best thing about it is, It gave me the desire to pick up playing guitar again, after hardly touching any of my other guitars for almost a year it's the one I want to play more than all of them. Great guitar, wouldn't hesitate to buy another in a different color, if you want something that you won't be able to put down this baby has the sound and feel your looking for.Johnny D

I didn't have high hopes for a guitar in this price point, but it has had rave reviews so I ordered one. When I unboxed it after about 5 hours, the very first thing that I noticed was the build quality. The neck set is absolutely perfect and the guitar is very nicely playable right out of the box. The finish on this guitar is superb. It is a Plain Jane but it's pleasing to the eye as a solid, well built guitar. It tuned up well and I played a couple of sets on it, and after one retune, it sang out quite nicely. The only change I will make to this guitar is changing the nut and the bridge to bone, since the plastic polymer just doesn't sustain like this guitar is capable of doing. The additional 50 dollar investment is well worth it, I would be comfortable playing this guitar anywhere, it's well worth the money, and it's easy to see why the reviews have been so good on it.Taylor W.

When the guitar arrived, I was not disappointed. The "sandburst" finish was fantastic–satin on the body, matte on the neck, which made playing a breeze. The fret work has no issues. The only change I will make is to have a tech file the nut grooves so the action is easier on the first fret; this is not uncommon with new guitars from any manufacturer. Other than that, the guitar is ideal. The bass response makes my fillings rattle (in a good way) and this guitar is loud when I need it to be. An important factor is this FG800 comes with a solid top spruce–this can't be emphasized enough. With laminate tops, you might get lucky with a decent tone, but the odds will be against you. A solid top will bring you closer to the sound you want. I don't believe in "beginner" guitars, which is another term for paying less in case you don't want to play the guitar later. If you're a guitar player, you'll know what you want. The FG800 passes for a quality guitar that will last your lifetime and that of the person you might bequeath it to.Dave

I’m impressed by the build and sound quality of this acoustic guitar! Easy to tune and play. I used to play on a Taylor GS mini (Koa) but couldn’t bring it with me when I moved to the UK. I was thinking about buying the same model here but they’re quite expensive and paying for international shipping to bring mine from my home country wouldn’t be cheaper as well. That’s when I saw online reviews of this Yamaha FG800 and decided to give it a shot. PMT shopping experience was very smooth and the delivery was very fast – next day. Couldn’t be happier! Now I have something to play after 6 months after moving. And it’s a good quality guitar.Victor T.

I went into the local music store expecting to buy a Taylor 114 or Taylor 214 also. 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!AndrewSGI

Bought a Fender guitar to practice with an acoustic guitar (I own 5 guitars total classical, electric, and travel guitars). The bottom bridge came unglued after ten days of taking it home, so I wanted something different and better built. I wanted to stay in the $800 or less budget, so I headed to Guitar Center; I played with over 30 guitars for over two hours (including Taylors and the mini travel Martin's). I stumbled on this Yamaha which had the most clear rich sound! I was very impressed with the quality of the electronics; particularly the tuner! I took it home and plugged it up to my amp, and once again, I was very impressed with the guitar's capabilities! I highly recommend this guitar even when it never crossed my mind to own a Yamaha.Tavo

I'm backing up a woman who writes, plays a Taylor, and sings like an angel. We play at some venues that are crowded with lots of other musicians running around on and back stage. I had been playing a $3600 Martin HD-18V and was somewhat nervous about it getting damaged or stepped on. So I set out to find reasonably priced guitar with good sound. I hit all the local music stores in the Atlanta area and played just about everything on the market for under $1000. NOTHING came close to the Yamaha FSX800 and FGX800 series as far as consistency, quality, playability, or PRICE. To get a Martin or Taylor that sounded and played this good, one would have to spend at least 700, and more like $1000 to get a comparable guitar. One that that really stood out to me as I spent 2 days of test driving acoustics all over Atlanta was the incredible consistency in the Yamaha guitars. Even in their models that were under $200. So with the intention of having a nice sounding a playable "insurance policy" substitute for my Martin, I ended up with a great sounding guitar that I really enjoy. And, if it were to be stolen or demolished, I now know that I could get a replacement for it that would be as good. While it's not quite the guitar that my expensive Martin is, it really lacks nothing. It's sounds good and plays good. It's fun to play and is incredibly loud. The electronics (when plugged in) actually sounds as good or better than my music partners $2K Taylor. Strongly recommend anyone looking for a good quality acoustic guitar to check out Yamaha. These guys have really nailed it.Very Yahama-pleased

An extraordinarily well designed and made guitar. The scale is a bit shorter than most guitars so it's easier to play, the bevel on the body makes it more comfortable to play, the fit and finish is perfect. It sounds good acoustically and plugged in. Really nice for finger style, and surprisingly good with a light pick. The back and sides are layered Sapele wood, the top is solid Sitka. The neck is maple. The tuners keep it in tune. I've played quite a few smaller body guitars in my 4 decades of playing, and this one is right at the top of the list along with Martin 00 and 000 models. It's not only for students, its just a really good guitar.Boomer

I had been looking for a reasonably priced mid-range acoustic guitar. In most of the reviews I read they said that the Taylor Academy was a great "beginners" guitar. I have to say this is an incredible guitar all around and works well for any level of guitar player. Absolutely loved being able to go into the Sam Ash store and look at the guitar. It was already setup perfect and the staff was super friendly. Would definitely recommend both Taylor guitars and Sam Ash to anyone!bcsman

An extraordinarily well designed and made guitar. The scale is a bit shorter than most guitars so it's easier to play, the bevel on the body makes it more comfortable to play, the fit and finish is perfect. It sounds good acoustically and plugged in. Really nice for finger style, and surprisingly good with a light pick. The back and sides are layered Sapele wood, the top is solid Sitka. The neck is maple. The tuners keep it in tune. I've played quite a few smaller body guitars in my 4 decades of playing, and this one is right at the top of the list along with Martin 00 and 000 models. It's not only for students, its just a really good guitar.Boomer

I had been looking for a reasonably priced mid-range acoustic guitar. In most of the reviews I read they said that the Taylor Academy was a great "beginners" guitar. I have to say this is an incredible guitar all around and works well for any level of guitar player. Absolutely loved being able to go into the Sam Ash store and look at the guitar. It was already setup perfect and the staff was super friendly. Would definitely recommend both Taylor guitars and Sam Ash to anyone!bcsman

I've played for 50 plus years and very fussy about my acoustics. I never owned a Alvarez because I thought can't be good for the price. I'm talking about the Masterworks line. Well I was wrong this is one amazing acoustic from inside out. Quality bone saddle and nut ebony pins outstanding well finished bracing. This MD60BG sounds amazing good bass but to me more important a good high end sound. We have an upright bass player in our bluegrass band. But that high end if it's off you can't hide that. Up and down the fretboard the high end sings. Volume is very good to this for the money cannot be beat. The only thing and for the price how can I complain I'd rather have the hard case the original models came with. But I put the MD60BG in a good Gator case a good acoustic like this needs protection.Cibby

Overall: The one I ordered arrived dry as a bone, the neck humped and warped, the paint shrunk, the top bellied down, a disappointment out of the box. I put a D'Addario Emergency HumidPak in it to see if it would recover, but the guitar is so weather damaged, the screws for the tuners are falling out. The warehouse is not using any effective climate control whatsoever. This guitar shows signs of severe heating and cooling well out of acoustic guitar storage temps and humidity. It's a real nice guitar, but it's been ruined by negligence at the warehouse as this is not the first guitar I've purchased that came through the same warehouses with the same exact type of weather damage. What a shame. What a waste of time and money. What a cheat turning off climate control and selling guitars for new that are weather damaged — this one was inspected too, it's got the sticker on it. …inspected, thrown in a box with no humid pack and no climate control, that's a huge problem guys and gals! It's time for the manufacturers to pull their guitars from warehouses like these that try and cheat the customer by turning off climate control. I'd recommend the Alvarez but not from a warehouse that turns off climate control to cheat the customer. If the exchange is weather damaged too, we've got a problem! And save yourself the time and money, the HumidPak Emergency kit doesn't work on a guitar this badly weather damaged!Russell

This 79 buck guitar was the biggest surprise ever! I really didn't expect much, and was having second thoughts after I placed the order. I bought the sunburst version on a SDOTD as a total impulse buy. I have several expensive acoustics, and I don't need a cheap guitar. But I have to say, this is a really nice instrument. The fit and finish is above average, with relatively smooth fret ends and a huge sound. The tuners, however inexpensive, work as intended and stay in tune. The sunburst finish is lovely, with only one small thumbnail scratch. The neck joint is well done, and the neck has a comfortable full feeling. Epiphone has improved the "E" symbol on the pickguard, it is made into the plastic, and not glued on and wanting to fall off like on the older Epiphones. The rosette appears to be painted on, but it looks good regardless. The bridge (rosewood) is solidly attached to the top, with no lifting or gaps. The body has a white plastic binding front and back that is well executed. The rosewood fretboard is attractive with nice grain. And the sound! This guitar has a huge, loud sound for a laminate guitar. Tomorrow I plan to replace the original strings with some quality mediums, which can only make it sound even better. One odd feature is a false truss rod cover, held in place with three wood screws. There is nothing under it! The access to the truss rod is inside the sound hole. I did have to remove some glue from around the truss rod adjusting nut inside the guitar. Quite frankly, the quality and sound of the Epiphone just blows me away! If I had to sell all of my other acoustics and only keep this one, I would be content. It's that good!JimmyJ

I bought this guitar to check out a budget friendly offering from Yamaha. I have to say I was not disappointed! Excellent tone and volume, the top really resonates. The guitar was really well setup right out of the box. It needed about 3/4 of a clockwise truss rod adjustment, no prob. Other than that it didn't need any fret dressing whatsoever. That's really impressive for a Chinese guitar. Heck even one of my Mexican Martins needed fret dressing out of the box! Also intonation was spot on and this also is important in your guitar. Very impressed with this guitar, intermediate/advanced feel but priced at a beginner budget. You won't regret picking one up, I assure you!Big Bone Murphy

There is a point of quality when an instrument reaches when it stops being seen as "better or worse" but rather just a different flavor. This Yamaha has reached that point. You can play it alongside a guitar costing 5x more and it stands up well. Yamaha is also one of those rare companies with a long history of top quality across all kinds of products, and guitars are an area Yamaha knows well. This is just a beautiful guitar through and throughout. You can get beautiful uncompromisingly great studio recordings with this guitar. Hitting the low strings hard with strumming gives a nice deep and rich tone. Also, the hardware / tuners are nice.Scott

I've owned many acoustics over the years, MANY, and this Yamaha is one of the best sounding I've ever owned. Went to GC just to check out a few lower end acoustics to pick up for jamming on, and tried almost every one in the room. Picked this one up last just before I was ready to leave, and immediately was blown away by the sound and playability, brought a couple friends to listen and tell me which one they thought sounded the best, and hands down this won over all of them. It has the tone and warmth of a Martin D34, which I have owned a few, and it plays like a dream. The neck is so sliky smooth, easy to fly up and down with no effort. It has amazing sustain and beautiful tone, I fell in love with it and just couldn't put it down. I didn't expect a guitar of this price range to sound as good as it does, got it home and I couldn't put it down. Played for 4 hours straight, and even after trying to put it down to go to bed at 1am I found myself playing a for a few more minutes before I could actually go to sleep. Love this Yamaha more than any guitar I've bought in the last decade. The best thing about it is, It gave me the desire to pick up playing guitar again, after hardly touching any of my other guitars for almost a year it's the one I want to play more than all of them. Great guitar, wouldn't hesitate to buy another in a different color, if you want something that you won't be able to put down this baby has the sound and feel your looking for.Johnny D

Overall: My first thoughts when I took that first strum, was “Guy Clark.,” except I think that man made his own guitars. But if I can describe the first sound I heard or who, that’s what it was, Guy Clark designed this one. It is beautiful and played in tune out of the box. Now I’m just more of a collector than a player, but I some ESP’s, a Yamaha, Taylor 710e, Ovation, an Ibanez, and now this magical Martin D-15M StreetMaster Acoustic. Good luck putting it down before your fingers bleed. At this price point and much above this is a splendid guitar. I can’t wait to hear what it sounds like after it has hours and hours of use on it. Buy one they’ll take it back if you don’t like it, but somehow I don’t see you making that choice. If all the other Martins haven’t convinced you, this one will. If your budget isn’t as high, do yourself a favor and keep saving or pay as you go option.Richard

I literally walked around Sam Ash plucking low E strings listening for a deep rich sound. Martin seemed to have more than anyone else. I liked the look of the Mahogany top/back/sides/neck. The ripples of the grain add a beautiful touch to the color of the wood. The tone has totally warmed up more and grown deeper over the 10 or 11 months she's been home with me. I have the MFX740 Bronze Acoustic Guitar Strings (Martin strings, they call them Tommy's Choice) on there and it just gives this rich low rumble on the low E and the D strings that if I have my feet up on my desk I can feel on my desk. The ring out is intense and long on this baby. I have not had anyone pick up my Martin and NOT say how much they love the tone of her. I do love the look of no binding… but, I'm going to have to say I do have some dents on the sides where the bindings would be protecting. That said… I'm not sure I care at the same time I think I care. I think that means I want it to be perfect but I also am okay with her getting age marks just as long as it doesn't do some serious damage. I would buy another. I'd buy it for my Dad. I'd buy it for one of my kids if they'd play. If you pick this guitar up you'll probably end up taking it home. Comes with a beautiful martin case with green insides. Acoustic only, don't forget.BasPilot

I have somewhat passively searched for the holy grail of the acoustic/electric bass guitar for years. Most acoustic bass guitars available are less than $500 and sound horrible. I started researching again and found numerous reviews stating that the Martin is heads and shoulders above the rest. I was still hesitant since I didn't know where I could check one out first. I found one in McKinney, TX. I played it unplugged and plugged. I had found it. Since my local music store had recently become a Martin dealer, I was planning to have them order me one. I knew that Martin had recently discontinued production, but they offered to build one and would take about 3 months. I visited a Sam Ash store in Birmingham and another in the Dallas area. I purchased an $8 item and was mildly annoyed as the guy checking me out was asking for everything with the exception of my passport and birth certificate. Now, I'm glad I cooperated. I receive regular emails from Sam Ash. Late one night, I see that they were offering 48 months with no interest. I thought to myself, I wonder if they have a Martin bass. Low and behold, hallelujah, they had a limited stock and was on sale. Well, I applied for the credit and was approved, however, when I tried to check out, I didn't have my new account number. The next morning, I had an email from them announcing a Paul Ash sale. I called Sam Ash and explained my issue during checkout. I asked if there was an additional discount due the sale. He put me on hold for a while and came back and knocked another $70. Two days later, on a Saturday, Fedex delivered the latest addition to my bass family. Of course I would prefer it to be louder unplugged, but it's fine for sitting around playing. Plugged in, it sounds amazing. Too bad Martin discontinued it. I purchased a Thumby and mounted it on the edge of the sound hole. I love this bass and a big fan of Sam Ash.Jeff

A fine, good looking guitar that sounds every bit as good as it looks. The Fender feel is right there and the tone. The design has been adhered to rigidly, this is transferred over to the player , it blends into the body. Then of course, the price, I would have willingly paid a lot more than the Fender price for a guitar that was up to the Fender standard . Unbeatable.footballer10sweeper

Sounds great and does everything it needs to! Ticks all the boxes for me as I’m just starting out as a guartarist… thoroughly recommend for anybody starting out, although consider whether you want an amp or not first, this version doesn’t have an audio output…Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

I bought this guitar for my wife to learn how to play and it is perfect. I have been a Fender devotee my whole life and could not believe the great value for money this guitar was. Manny's allowed for a trouble free purchase, I can recommend them for both price and service!Greg

If you're looking for the best acoustics, best pre amp, best build quality and everything you look for in a guitar this is the one. The acoustics are the best i've heard in any 12 string and would purchase this guitar over and over again. This is a very good guitar for all your uses. Very comfortable and has great resonation.This is my favorite guitar in my collection.alex

I typically play steel string acoustics. I wanted a quality nylon string guitar without the wide flat neck of a standard classical guitar. This is it. Extremely well made with quality woods (no laminates) that has a great sound (both amplified and unplugged). It does not have a large body and projection is somewhat limited when playing unplugged but has incredible sound both amplified and not amplified. Can be played quietly when everyone else has gone to sleep, or can flood the house with music if they're awake. The action and intonation on this guitar was fabulous right out of the box and I didn't have to make any setup adjustments. This is an awesome guitar and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a nylon string acoustic.John

In 1981 I had three guitars, two of them acoustics, and one of those was an Ovation Country Artist–a nylon-string guitar with a 14 fret, comparatively narrow neck. It was my first good guitar, but when I left for grad school, I kept only a Martin OO-18, and sold the Ovation. In the 30 years since, I have been trying to find a replacement, I tried various Ibanez and Yamaha guitars, but they didn't have what it took. Then, a couple of months ago, needing a brain break, I left work and took myself to the acoustic room at Sam Ash. There was another guy in there playing, so I looked for a quiet instrument, and took this one down off the wall. Immediately, I knew that it was special. The clarity of the tone, and the richness of the bass, it was all there. The other guy liked the sound too, and soon we were jamming and telling stories. Both of us tried other neoclassical guitars, and agreed that this one was best. I loved the guitar at first note, but when I looked at the price tag, I knew I could never own it. So I bought (online) a similar guitar, but it lacked the feel and sound of this one. My wife heard me playing, asked what I thought about the similar guitar I'd bought, and I explained that it wasn't the same. Then she told me to buy this one. So I did, And I have been playing it daily since then. The OO-18 is still with me and still gets some time, but right now my fingers itch to play and hear this one. Did it replace my long-gone Country Artist? Not exactly–this Takamine is significantly superiod to the Country Artist in all respects. Even if I don't play it plugged in 🙂Andy M_S

I just bought a Taylor 22e and I love it. It's super playable and the arm bevel and small body size makes it super comfortable to hold. The short scale makes the action easy. The solid walnut top sounds warm like mahogany with a typical Taylor bright top end. Beautiful guitar, highly recommend!John

Bought it for my granddaughter. I taught her to play on my guitar and then got her one after I knew she was serious about it. She is doing great with it.Sweetie Pie

I was in the acoustic guitar room for a while trying to find a guitar that I thoroughly enjoyed playing and I kept coming back to the Yamaha FS850. It is such a wonderful guitar that held up to even the top of the line Gibsons. This all mahogany guitar is a thing of beauty and has a well balanced tone.KRISTINA

THIS INSTRUMENT IS ONE OF THE BEST BARGAINS AROUND. THE MAHOGANY LOOKS GORGEOUS AND RENDERS A SWEET, WARM SOUND THAT IS EMINENTLY SATISFYING. THE BUILD QUALITY IS FAR BETTER THAN ONE WOULD EXPECT FOR THE PRICE. THE FRETWORK IS FLAWLESS, AS ARE THE FIT AND FINISH. THIS IS AWESOME!JCOFFEY

I mostly play for my own amusement, but I've been at it for about 40 years. The FS5/FSX5 is a well built, nice looking, and easy playing guitar. Setup was about perfect out of the box… I might take it down just a touch at the bridge, but it was definitely in the ballpark. The neck feels comfortable, and I have had no issues with buzzes or rattles anywhere on the neck. Tuners are smooth and accurate. Out of the box, the guitar sounds very full and open, with good balance between the strings. The sustain and volume are also both pretty good. The guitar responds pretty well to dynamics, and you can dig in a bit before it starts to hit the ceiling. I've played some that have a little more dynamic range, but the FSX5 hangs. Offers pretty good clarity for fingerstyle, and I have no problem bringing out the notes I want to emphasize. I am really happy with how it sounds with strummed chords…rich, yet clear and punchy. The aesthetics are low-key, but still classy and elegant. The A.R.E aged top under the satin finish is a lovely warm orange-gold, and the simple black binding with smaller white inner bands frames it nicely. The ebony pickguard is a nice touch.. much richer look than simple plastic. The electronics get the job done. I like about an 80% mic blend, and a bit of a bass cut. I run it through a Fishman Platinum EQ and Preamp… and would recommend a good preamp to get the most out of this pickup system… you can dial in a good tone without one, but you'll get the best results with a preamp. Overall, I think Yamaha made some great decisions with this guitar. Although some of the basic fab work is done in China, the finishing touches fall under the auspices of the Japanese craftsman. They used quality materials for the build (bone nut and saddle, ebony bridge), but otherwise kept the "bling" to a minimum, and concentrated on delivering quality in the sound and feel. This is a players guitar, and the price is right for what it is.Vognell

very pleased in every way thank you it looked good played good i give it to a friend have a blessed day and a safe holiday season. redman.205redman.205

dream come true!! this guitar is amazing, set up out of the box perfect, only thing is sharp fret edges on the bottom of the neck.Sounds amazing and you know its a Martin when you hear it.very impressed with this guitarEric

I would of preferred to buy a solid top Martin for my son but he has an attic bedroom which fluctuates with the heat and we were worried about keeping it stored safely so at his request I brought him this one instead. I had previously seen and held the solid mahogany version and so when this arrived it did look different (not quite as nice) and there was a slight difference it tone and resonance however it still looked and sounded great compared with other guitars around and under the same price range (£500) we had tried. My son is 16 and an intermediate level guitar player and found it comfortable and fun to play and it is a really good sounding guitar (particular at the lower end) especially when amplified. He particularly likes the neck profile of this Martin which is tapered and neither too far or too thin. A good value Martin that should last him years without the worry of the extra care you need to take with solid wood Martins so a good middle ground for us. Would recommend.Mr F. c.

This guitar is wonderful. I upgraded from an entry-level dreadnought that was really challenging for me to play. I love the beautiful tones this body produces, I love the look and feel of the 000 build, and I'm happy with my progress since investing. Very satisfied with my purchase.AMY

This is a very nice acoustic. I played it a few times before I purchased it. The volume and tone dials are a little awkward to get to since they are in the top portion of the sound hole. The tuner is nice in the bottom of it. I was really surprised by how thin the neck profile is. The soft side case is excellent! For the price is was really astounded! It is not a US made but it is made in North America and it's a Martin!Dave

Let me begin by saying that I've owned a number of Martins over the years – my first "good" guitar was a D28 many moons ago. In that time, I've never seen Martin's quality falter and this guitar is no exception. Tone, construction, and playability are all top-notch. Within the past couple of years, Ive found that a mahogany-topped guitar suits my singing voice and the 000 10 was chosen for that fact. This guitar has a darker, woody tone that sits well with the male voice (IMO). It's warmth and articulation work great for the fingerstyle playing I do (but it certainly holds up to a pick as well with no complaints). The 1 3/4 inch nut and performance neck are very comfortable over a long period. I enjoy small guitars (0, 00) but the bottom end can sometimes lack in those sizes. The 000 is a perfect compromise – a tight, comfortable waist but enough width in the lower bout to produce a pleasing bass response. What more can I say? All in all, 5 stars for this guitar!dawilcox

Great sounding and playing guitar, I replaced the synthetic saddle for bone, original was to tapered on the high E new saddle took care of that. Buy the epiphone or roadrunner jumbo case, nothing else fits, make sure if the guitar comes straight from the factory you use a humidifier in your case for at least 6 months. Especially in colorado. Then if you leave it out without a humidifier that you dont have forcrd Heat or air conditioning vents close to the guitar. This guitar has great projection.Kenny

After purchasing this guitar from American Musical Supply, I was really nervous awaiting its arrival because this was actually my first time purchasing an instrument online. I’m used to going inside music shops and trying out different gear and playing guitars before I buy them so I know that what I’m taking home with me already feels comfortable and right in my hands. This guitar in particular, however, is not a style that is normally kept stocked in the stores for customers to test drive before they purchase. Similar models are available in stores near me but I think anyone who has ever wanted this particular model from Epiphone knows that they have heard and felt the beautiful sound that projects from this big guitar and I am here to tell you that my “leap of faith” online purchase was nothing more than a huge win in my book! This guitar looks, sounds and plays just as I expected it would with much more to offer once it’s actually in your hands! I’m personally a country/blues guy so this guitar definitely fits right up that alley in my opinion. It feels so solid in your hands and the tone is just plain awesome! The Jumbo body allows the sounds inside the guitar to reverberate through your body as it’s pressed against you before making its way through the sound hole where it flourishes into that awesome deep, thick sound. From the factory the guitar is set up beautifully and very playable right out of the box. Quality parts, quality wood and quality electronics as expected from Epiphone and very well executed in this model. Definitely worth every penny for the undecided guitarist but hey, don’t take just my word for it! Pick up this awesome guitar from Epiphone through these good folks here at American Musical and set yourself up with one of their payment plans if that interests you! It’s an awesome way to be able to get the gear you need and the gear you’ve been wanting without breaking the bank right on the spot! Excellent Job by Epiphone once again and an excellent job by American Musical for supplying it at an awesome price and providing sweet payment options for your customers and future consumers!Billy

I once owned a Gibson J15, that I bought from Guitar Center, and I loved it, but I always wanted a J200, I just could never afford one. Well, I ended up having to sell my J15 to pay rent one month, and I ended up having some extra money from it, and thought why not give the Epi a try? It's closer to the Guitar I always wanted anyways. I was blown away. It has all the high end stylings of a Gibson J200, maybe even more if you consider the built in tuner and cutaway features for about 3000$ less. Well, unfortunately I only owned it for about a week before my car broke down and I had to return my Epi to pay for the repairs. I've regretted it ever since. I would have rather donated blood 50 times than have returned that guitar. (Fortunately I just got my tax return and repurchased it, and it seems like it sounds even better than before). As I was saying, it stacks up against s Gibson guitar nicely, the shadow preamp isn't as nice as any LR Baggs system but it will certainly give you lots of usable sounds. I think this is the best guitar in the 500$ price range and I'm disappointed in Guitar Center for not carrying it in store. I'm a firm believer in the fact that having a guitar you like, you like the looks of, you like the feel of, will make you a better guitarist, and that's what this beautiful, fat boy jumbo acoustic has done for me. I actually like mine so much I decided to put some money into it for upgrades, and I haven't been disappointed. I stuck some Grover Keystone tuners on it in gold of course ( had them on my Epi Les Paul before and thought would look cool so I just swapped them), some Martin ebony bridge pins, and some D'Addario EXPs and this thing sounds unreal now. So, if you're reading this because you're unsure as to whether you should buy this guitar or not, yes, you should absolutely buy this guitar and never look back.Anonymous

I bought this guitar from a local shop strictly as a worship instrument for Sunday mornings. It absolutely destroyed every other guitar at the music shop +/- 500 in either direction. I still hold that it is likely the best guitar in its price range for the quality of its construction and sound quality. There is virtually not a single flaw this instrument possesses… But can we talk about the electronics? The guitar is super odd… I mean, if you are odd too, it is probably your dream guitar. It has a poor-man's tone wood amp build in. When you turn it on, it runs 90's sounding special effects out the soundhole, which is pretty cool. Here is the problem, the controls are super minimal. So minimal that you can't tell whether this bad boy is on or off. We found out the hard way that when this guitar is plugged in, the battery is always draining, even when the sound system is off. This is not atypical, but it gets weirder. The guitar won't turn off when plugged in, but sometimes needs to be turned on (?) when the batteries are dying. There is no indicator to tell you when it is running low on power, so you might find out on stage halfway through Glorious Day. There is actually no indicator for anything electric on this guitar, except for a sliding piece of plastic that sits under the dials that might be useful if it didn't look like you were supposed to cut it out and throw it away. The whole control setup is just annoying and unnecessarily vague. Long story short, with an electronics upgrade, this guitar would be unbeatable. It has more power than it deserves, almost like the guys a Yamaha are professionally sound-profiling the tops, which is something you would expect only on guitars above the 2000 range.Benjo

Where to start with this… Out of the box, once tuned the guitar feels like a quality product. The fitted Elixir strings (I'm guessing a 0.12 brass or bronze set) give the guitar a very bright, clear tone, exactly what I wanted. It is a bright sounding instrument, so others may want to experiment with other string sets. The action is good and low, although compared to the guitar I was playing the fretboard is very flat, not much of a camber at all, a minor complaint which may not apply to everyone and I got used to it quickly. The neck itself is comfortable with a slightly matte finish which I find aids playability, somehow. The design is conservative with small inlays and a transparent scratchplate; I may replace the scratchplate with something more interesting one day but not while it's so new. All in all, a great, solid instrument for its price bracket. Oh yeah, it's also got this on board soucery which applies reverb and chorus through the body of the guitar. These effects are awesome but their real benefit is to make you want to play for longer, simply because you sound better. These effects also apply to the line out; this is also a fully-fledged electro-acoustic. The only drawback here is that the preamp lacks any kind of equaliser, but who cares about that when any amp or sound desk has these functions? That all makes this guitar an all-rounder. A solid acoustic instrument with on board tricks for busking or practicing (your buddies will be jealous if you're having an unplugged jam on the beach, too) as well as being the electro-acoustic you want if you're gigging. I swear, I am not being paid by Yamaha. Check it out on YouTube – some great demos of this guitar on there.Adam W.

Every time I pick this guitar up, I get more joy out of than the last time I picked it up. As others have noted: this guitar sounds amazing even without the transacoustic sound effects! IMO, it sounded better than much more expensive Taylors! So, yeah, not only does this guitar "sound great," but it's price is absolutely reasonable too! What's even more amazing: reviewers who pick this guitar up, on YouTube, seem to gush over it! I'm so happy to have one!Michael