Best Guitar For Fingerpicking (Jan 2023 Update)

I am a professional musician/songwriter (also a Berklee grad-1981). While guitar is not the principal instrument I was trained on (piano/keyboard are my primary), I have been playing guitar on and off since I was a teen back in the 1970s. However, over the last couple of years I've been putting a lot more dedicated practice time on improving my guitar skills for both for songwriting and solo guitar playing. I've been particularly focused mastering the layout of the guitar fretboard so I can put all my harmonic knowledge to work on the instrument, something I wish I did many years ago, but better late than never! I purchased this guitar because I wanted an instrument that was reasonable, easy to play, and enjoyable to listen to. I tried guitars in a variety of price ranges and was surprised at how much more I liked the F335 than guitars 2-3xs more costly. Although this guitar has a laminate rather than solid spruce top, it has a clear yet warm sound that I find really pleasing sonically. The fretboard is also very comfortable and easy to play which adds to the enjoyment of making music with it. I was so impressed with this instrument that I recently also purchased a Yamaha FS800 to use more for fingerstyle playing while using the F335 for flat picking. Those are a nice combination of instruments that cover all my guitar playing needs at this time. Regardless of what level you are playing I highly recommend this (and the FS800) for anyone looking for a very reasonable option that you can use for playing and songwriting.Scott F.

First of all, I own 2 Yamaha Guitars, the F335 being the first one I have owned. For an entry-level dred, you could not ask for a better quality, easy to play right out of the box, althought I would recommend a set-up with any instrument right out of the box with the addition of a bone saddle. Did this with this one and it brought its already rich tone to another level. I only give it 4 stars because I have owned a number of high-end instruments. If you are a brand new player, or one who is in the market just to have a dred to beat around with, look no further. This is the one for you.Chris

I purchased this guitar while it was on sale so can't really complain. There are several QC issues I would expect better from Yamaha even in a cheap imported product. Fit and overall build seems solid but there are odd finish issues that make no sense. At the neck joint there seems to be the remains of a tape line from the body to the neck all around the joint. This neck feels quite thin and comfortable but again, the finish is inconsistent. Just before the headstock, the finish goes from semi-gloss to mat in a very visible way that can also be felt in the hand. As I said in the beginning, cheap guitar, cheap price, hard to complain.Robert

Excellent entry level guitar, the action is as nice as my 600 dollar Martin. Tone is great, you can't go wrong with this guitar for the money, plays nice, good sound.goaltender0bop

My first guitar, it was a great purchase. I completely broke the head off on accident and glued it back on and it worked better then ever.Carson Ranells

After allowing the guitar few weeks to adjust and giving it a good set up including new strings and a neck adjustment (tightening the rod), Conditioning the fret board and a good polish, The guitar is easy to play and has great sound for an inexpensive guitar. I like the So Cal green color others may not as it is a vintage vibe. Tuners are price point but even price point tuners these days are decent. A little sticking from the nut, I think I can lightly file that out and add some nut sauce. The fret ends were not too sharp but I conditioned them to a nice smooth finish useing 500 grit sponge. Very little cost to make improvements and the guitar is fun to play. The sustain is probably the biggest suprise and I am satified to practice with this guitar every day. Very pleased for the cost. Good value.Bruce P.

Guitar is ok for the price; however, I was expecting the strings to last longer than 2 days before breaking. Even the extra ones that came with the bundle broke as I was putting them on. I had to buy better ones and had a professional put them on to make sure they were adjusted correctly. Additionally, the small tuner's battery was dead out of the box so I had to get a new one. Again, I guess you get what you get for the price. On a positive note, the guitar looks nice, the small amps is super convenient, and everything arrived fast and together in one box.Luis L.

The guitar did not have the black scratch panel that is shown in the Sunburst guitar. Also, when my son opened the gift guitar, the black bag was covered in a white mold/mildew. It was delivered one week before his birthday and kept in a dry room, and opened for the first time on his birthday. The guitar seems ok, I will know more when someone with some guitar knowledge checks it out for me. It may be going back to the store. The pictures show exactly what the bag looked like minutes after the gift was opened. Looks rough, 2 stars are for the fact that the guitar was not moldy.Kacee

Bought without trying it out because I had seen a photo and decided I would like to try it but was out of stock for many months. Then it became available for $79 off and I jumped. – It came well packaged and in perfect condition. 'Played as well as it looked and it looks even better than the photos show it. The finish is as deep and glossy as any I have seen, and even the fretboard is bound. It seemed a tad bass shy at first but over the last few weeks has bloomed and now sounds beautifully balanced with tight well defined tones throughout the octaves and plenty of shimmer up high. 'Have not plugged in yet but it projects well without amplification and should be just fine for a small stage like a church or coffee house. I highly recommend this guitar to any enthusiast.Steven

I went to the GC in Palm Desert CA with a five-hundred dollar budget for a new acoustic/electric. There were three guitars that I had to play, but I was open to checking out others. I didn't see the Hummingbird in the room so I asked the clerk to check for me … he found one. Before he got back with the Epiphone, I had a chance to play the Guild and a Fender that were on my list, as well as a few that were not. The Fender was winning … until the clerk showed up with the Epiphone. The craftsmanship/fit and finish, the feel of the neck/action, the sound projection/tone … Everything about the guitar was perfect for me! I could not be happier!John

First of all, this is a gorgeous guitar. It looks just great. It has a big, rich sound even moreso than other larger bodied guitars I've seen. The tuner works great. I love playing it. A few minor issues. First, I find the action high, & the bridge is not adjustable. 2nd, the complaints others have offered about the fret edges being VERY rough are entirely true: you can practically leave your hand bloody, I'm sure, if you play long enough, just from being roughed up by the fret edges. I'll try filing them down & refinishing them, as some have suggested. Finally, you'll want to get rid of the strings & go with a lighter gauge, partly to alleviate the high action issue. I'd get this guitar again. I think it is a $500 – $600 guitar lurking for only a little more than half that price. But before recommending it to a friend, I'd point out these couple issues.DET

Poor quality control! Neck is a mess with all of the fret ends protruding and sharp. One fret is noticeably higher causing all kinds of issues. Inside edge of the sound hole is poorly finished and some of the ribs look rough, like they weren't sanded smooth. This one's going back!Bill

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

Absolutely amazing guitar. I had been shopping for a while, and tried an OM-21 in my local GC. The overtones, the warm tone, I just had to have it! Definitely a forever guitar and could not be happier. Get your hands on one of these!K

I really love this guitar! I purchased in a sunburst finish. There's nothing to dislike. Martin's come with the action a little high, this is to be expected. I took it to a tech to have the action lowered to my taste. Because it's plek'd from the factory, you can really get the action quite low. It's is now the best of my guitars. The sound is so balanced, it's beautiful to behold and to play. I never want to put it down. I've waited a bunch of years to commit…it is everything I wanted and imagined it could be. Martin standard series are all amazing. They Are the Martin sound defined, the reference point. They are not a cheap investment, but they are worth it. Whether you like a short scale hog (000-18), or a long scale Rosewood dread (D-28), you will not be disappointed. I love the long scale OM with rosewood. I wanted a sunburst with understated dark bindings to blend with the sunburst. This is my guitar…it is stellar in every respect. If you can acquire any model of the standard series of martins, you will be blessed with tone and beauty. It will be a lifetime guitar.GGC

I don’t like buying mid to high end guitars in the blind. Even if it’s a Martin, Collings, Taylor etc… but I was able to play 3 M36’s at a store in Nashville and they all sounded the same. I had to think about it because I have a Martin HD28 and it was very close. The thing about the M36 is that it having a OOOO (Jumbo) size body, I got bolder low ends. Finger style was easy and picking was bright and articulate. Problem solved not needing to bring more then one guitar to the recording studio and didn’t have to worry about gigging with it because of the affordability. American Musical Supply always makes it easy with the nice selection and 12 months interest free to get one. I installed (myself) a K&K pure mini pickup and this guitar sings. Thank AMS!T Galloway

Outstanding value in this Ibanez guitar. First off, it's beautiful to look at it. Blue or the black, you can't go wrong. They are both attractive (I bought the black one). Neck is smooth as butter. Sounds great plugged into my little Blackstar amp and just as good unplugged. The gear seems like something you'd find on a higher priced guitar. The tuners and EQ are top notch. Really couldn't be happier with the guitar, the price and the service from AMS. They promised 2 day shipping and they delivered.Eric

Overall: Great for playing in the living room, I've strummed pretty hard on this and it can take it. Everything works great on it. Stays in tune good. Frets probably need filed like everyone else is saying but I'm very happy with it.Joe

Sound: I changed the settings as I always do when purchasing a guitar, and if course had to retune until the string memory was suffice. I haven't had to retune it since (after 3 weeks … Of course some minor tuning was needed). The eq helped get more low end that I desired. Features: I like the truss rod feature, I changed the tuners to some more appealing Gibson deluxe tuners. The frets needed a little filing but minor tweaks and adjustments are almost always necessary to obtain desired playability. Most (inexperienced) People want straight out of the box perfection, I suggest bringing any new guitar to someone that knows what they're doing and tell them what you want. My brother worked for Gibson custom shop as a guitar tech and let me know that most companies rely on quantity and not so much perfecting every guitar as everyone's idea of perfect is different. Overall: Tweek it or let someone that knows what they're doing tweek it … That includes all guitar purchasesMark

I was very excited to see and play a highly reviewed 12 string that costs pennies compared to my 12 string Takamine, Yamaha and Ibanez. Once I got through the box I saw the guitar had the look of some cheap pressed wood. The sound was as weak as a cup of Finnish coffee. The darn thing couldn't stay in tune to save mine or its life. How this guitar gets rated so highly MUST be a result of fake reviewers OR I simply got the ONE Rogue 12 string that seemed to be made by the Fisher-Price Company. This is NOT a musical instrument. It IS an instrument to make noise with. My edition was not worthy of the effort one has to put forward to learn and play guitar. One must have to have an instrument meet the musician at least half-way. With this "musical" instrument, you have to cross the block, pick the guitar up and fight against it to produce close to a tone that sounds musical. Best to buy a used good name 12 string guitar. Or save your pennies and get a Takamine or Yamaha. The latter will be excellent and cost in the $350 range. But a Yamaha will play forever and stay in tune. I recommend my Yamaha over my ash Ibanez. The former just has a fuller tone. If possible save for the Takamine which is on another guitar plane altogether. But don't buy a guitar based on price and/or name. I've discovered many of the friends I play with can't tell if their singing and/or playing is in tune!!. And yet, they own $5,000 MARTIN GUITARS!! Haha. Quite simply a waste of money. Be like me buying a red-green "masterpiece" oil painting, as I'm red-green color blind. But I DO have a good ear and this Rogue of a guitar is worthy of no one's money or effort. M.F. has many more-though more expensive-options that will bring the performer YEARS if not DECADES of playing happiness. Only misery lies in a 12 string Rogue guitar. Avoid.muskoxmike

Purchased this around December hoping to get my kids into it. As usually happens, it ended up being much more of a display use. I would imagine it was picked up about 12 times max total. It sat on display being ignored primarily. Still, by mid-June (in under 6 months) the bridge has warped and started to detach from the main guitar. I noticed this as I walked past it. The glue did not hold. Surprise though, because you can't just pull up a website for Rogue. I called Guitar Center for help to contact the manufacturer as this should be covered under their warranty. Guitar cCenter took my information and said they would forward it to their "contact" for the company and I should receive a response in 3-5 business days. It's been a few weeks now and I'm not impressed. No one called me back, they wouldn't simply give me an 800 number to call to handle it myself, and I still have no solution and no idea who to contact in order to make a claim on the manufacturer warranty. I am more than disappointed with Guitar Center's negligence to truly stand behind a beginner product they seem to offer a great deal of.Amanda V.

I'm so impressed by my RD 90. I think some reviewers are hesitant to give it the praise it deserves because it is an inexpensive guitar. I did a little work to lower the action and now it is perfect. Humidity and temperature changes cause it to need occasional tuning, no different that my other two acoustics. It has a full, rich tone. It plays easily. It makes me feel like I got a real bargain; I don't know how they turn a profit at this price.Charles

Rogue Starter Guitar. Bottom line: NOT for beginners, requires too much set-up work and the strings feel very harsh on the fingers. I really tried to make it work. I was warned against buying cheap, but I thought I wanted something I could learn on, that I wouldn't be intimidated by, and eventually donate somewhere. But it was not playable out of the box. At first the tuning was awful. I figured out why they include an Allen wrench, and eventually put on my big-girl shoes and adjusted the truss rod. There are no instructions included with this guitar, so here's a clue: the access panel is in the front of the head stock, and you need to open the rhomboid black panel to access it. It was difficult to turn, but I adjusted it and made it sound a bit better, even though I was afraid of breaking it. However – the D-String tuning peg turned out to be totally defective, the screw threads were not lined up. How can I learn what it's supposed to sound like if it never sounds right? We are still in the middle of Covid-19, and I was unable to bring it back to Guitar Center for repair or replacement for weeks, so I tried to work with it and continued my self-guided lessons. As soon as the shop opened to walk-in customers, I returned it. I will not be replacing it with this model. It did serve its purpose in a way, I researched the guitar parts and repair, and took it upon myself to try to fix the issues, so now I am not intimidated by a guitar.J-net

Sorry, I hate to write negative reviews but… in what world are these the same guitars? From the picture, the Red Burst guitar looked like a dark mahogany color. Instead it's a bright red with a black edge. I'm sure that's some people's style, but not mine. It also won't stay in tune, and it's a pain to retune it every day I pick it up. I picked this guitar because I'm just starting to learn and didn't want to sink too much money into something I don't stick with. I'm not sure if I want to spend the extra money to upgrade to a better guitar, but I at least plan on taking it into the nearest guitar center store and see if I can exchange it for another color. Even that will be a pain, since I'll have to take it on the train and I don't have a case for it yet. I just wish the pictures were more accurate to the product!Rachel

Bought for my ten year daughter. Action is insane for such a affordable price. Sounds good. Beautiful color. My guitars were too big for her. This one fits just really get. Love that the scale is normal still. Allowing for a great transition. When it's time to upgrade.Nick

I play locally for hire as a solo acoustic guitar / vocalist. My primary guitar is a Martin GPCP Aura. I purchased the Martin SC 13E in hopes of finding a guitar with better action and playability. My first reaction to the 13E was really nice and it did play with less effort / strength than my GPCP. The first issue I noticed was string buzz on the 1st and 2nd strings. It wasn't awful but noticeable. I played the guitar that weekend at two shows. I was still noticing the buzz. So, I started the set-up investigation. The neck relief, the slight bow forward that a guitar neck needs, looked really good, maybe could use a bit more to help with the string buzz. This is an easy truss rod adjustment; however, I didn't change the truss rod setting. The next thing I looked at was the distance of the string height, above the 12th fret. My thought was I would try to lower this slightly if I decided to keep the guitar. The next weekend I got the guitar out at home before getting ready for my show that evening, to run through a new song I was planning to do at hat nights show. I took the SC13E out of the bag and the 1st and 2nd strings were touching the guitar at the 20th fret. I thought the saddle had somehow pushed down lower into the bridge…. I exchanged that guitar for another SC1E. GC person was easy to work with and got the exchange handled quickly. About 3-4 days I had my second SC13E in my hands. It also had the same string buzz, even though the neck relief and action looked good. I played a couple of shows with this guitar and then I started noticing the buzz getting worse. If you are still reading, the reward is at hand. lol I have decided that the problem with this guitar, and probably the other guitar, is the neck angle is off. I will explain why I think it is off and explain how you can check your guitar. I have watched hundreds of youtube videos trying to learn how to set-up and care for my instruments. I have watched neck adjustment videos put out by fender, for their strat guitars, because I wanted to know how to adjust my Acoustasonic Strat. But what I am getting ready to sell you, I have discovered on my own and may not be accurate, but here it goes. If I put a capo, or hold the strings down with my hand. on the 12th fret, there is a space between the strings and the frets above the 12th fret. A pretty wide gap at the 20th fret. On the SC13E the strings are almost touching and the 1st string is touching. Wa La I believe that neck angle is off. I think it was off on both guitars. So check yours before missing your return date. If you check your guitar and it has this problem, don't totally freak out. The SC13E has an adjustable neck angle, so it can be made perfect. If you find what I described above, I suggest contacting Martin Guitar and GC. Another thing to be aware of, the three Martin guitars I have owned had the nut groves cut too narrow. I took my GPCP to an excellent luthier. He filed the width and depth to correct specifications and filed down my frets (I had two that where high) Both of the SC13E guitars needed to have the nuts filed. If you are trying to tune your guitar by making a very slight turn to get it just right and the string doesn't increase pitch and then jumps to a sharp pitch, the string is probably pinching in the nut grove. Both SC13E's were boogers to tune for that reason. One of them broke the B string while tuning up from dropping the pitch. I am returning my second SC13E tomorrow and I think I am going to give it a rest for awhile. Maybe look for something different. FYI: I love my Martin GPCP Aura, unfortunately they discontinued that model. The sound I get from the Fishman Aura electronics is the best I have heard. PS: part of the reason the SC13E plays easier is they use a lighter gauge string. I put a set of the MA535T Martin Lifespan strings on mt GPCP and even with the truss rod loose, the strings don't pull on the neck hard enough to give me the neck relief that is needed. The SC13E is a beautiful guitar to look at and the electronics onboard sound very nice. I learned, I'm not a big fan of having the controls inside the sound hole. A little awkward to get to while strumming and the phase reverse switch is way back from the opening. If you like using the hole covers to fight feedback, I'm pretty sure you would be out of luck. I think this price range of acoustic guitar should come with a hard case. I gave this guitar a 2 rating because it has potential BUT i do think both of these guitars suffered from poor quality control. My luthier could have made both of these guitars sing beautifully but I refuse to buy a new guitar and send it for repairs, even if the repairs are set-up issues. A new guitar on the north side of a thousand dollars should show up playing without string buzzing and the strings close enough to the neck that you hand doesn't feel like you just hung from the monkey bars during an entire recess.Dale

This is a beautiful instrument with a stunning full acoustic sound despite the deep cut away and relatively small body size. The amazing design allows for unlimited access to the upper frets and the whole instrument feels very comfortable to play. I wanted an acoustic guitar with the accessibility of an electric and this new design from C.F.Martin delivers that in droves without ever loosing it's acoustic personality and sound. I own a super jumbo acoustic made by another company but the SC13e makes it sound dull and lifeless even before it is plugged in. The SC13e has that familiar Martin sound which is full and beautiful. The fishman pickup will then allow that sound to be delivered to anywhere from a gig in a noisy pub to full stadium if required. What a stunning instrument!Reviewed by Kenny's Music custom

For what it is – a very cheap, small, travel guitar, this is great. You'll need a strap as it doesn't sit high enough on your leg to be comfortable to play. Also – the action was high, but a bit of adjusting with a belt sander on the saddle and that came down well. The scale length is short, but plays OK – takes a bit of getting used to from my full-sized acoustics. Putting a capo on it and making chords further up the neck is tight, but OK. Sound is very good for a travel guitar of this size. This would be a great kids guitar or even for an adult beginner. I did put 11s on it – sounds a bit weaker, but is fine, and that's what I use on my other acoustics. I had a washburn rover before – this is better, though not as small, but worth the extra size, I think. I have a GS Mini, which is much better, but a good bit larger, and much more expensive. Tuner works good, haven't tried plugging it in yet. Bought this for the boat – seems pretty sturdy.Alexander

I bought this guitar because I have chronic pain and am a small lady and found that even smaller acoustic guitars are too big and bulky and unplayable. I like to play high up on the neck so wanted a cutaway and occasionally perform so having an electro-acoustic version means it ticks all the boxes. When play acoustically it does sound really tinny, there's not getting away from that. It also tends to be unbalanced toward the neck end, so I need a strap to keep it in place. But it is much more playable for practice and I am almost managing to play bar chords again. Not chance on a normal size guitar. It has a full fret board just smaller but not too small.Michelle S.

I ordered this for my pastors wife who wanted to learn a new instrument. She is tiny ( less that 5 ' tall) and a full size guitar would not fit her body type. I was shocked when the guitar came in. The photos on line do not do the finish justice. I was even more shocked when I played it. Most student guitars in this price point have horrible action. The set up on this from the factory was great. It was very easy to play and the sound was extremely good for a thin body acoustic . Then we plugged it in. I could not believe the sound quality of the electronics in this guitar. On Sunday, I pulled out after church and let the music team take turns with it. Everyone that played it raved about every aspect of this little guitar. The instrument also came with a quality gig bag. The material was thick, padding was good, the zippers and hardware appeared to by sturdy. Even more importantly, she loved the guitar. I highly recommend that you consider this one for your beginner or intermediate guitar student. Both Children and small adults should be pleased with this one.Greg H.

Overall: The older you get and the longer you play you come to realize that it's your skills and not that of gear that really matters,i.e Hendrix would have been Hendrix on a Wal-Mart Starcaster, is it nice to have a higher quality instrument? Of course is it necessary? No.This guitar will "get the job done", especially in a recording situation. This guitar is a "bare bones" no frills instrument for working players,once you "make it" go out and buy a 4k Martin or Gibson until then keep it real and work on your technique. I'm not really sure what players get in terms of value when they spend thousands on an instrument a 3k guitar does not sound 15x better than a $250.00 guitar. Some adjustment would be advised on this Yamaha, file down the nut or replace all together, the tuners could be better and the strings meh but this is a fine, professional quality instrument and I highly recommend it.Mike

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 really liked this little guitar, BUT…I read the reviews and decided to buy in-store so I could play the guitar before buying, and I'm SO glad I did. I went into my local Guitar Center and played THREE of these Martin LX1E guitars, including one that had been specially unboxed so I could try it after two others failed my examination. All three guitars had a very pronounced buzz in the frets. It was not that noticeable when I played them acoustically, but the buzz was very noticeable when I plugged them in to an amp. I even tested the amp with other guitars, to make sure it wasn't the amp. It wasn't. Its a great little guitar, great tone and very playable, BUT my advice would be not to buy this one on-line. Play it first. Play up and down the whole fretboard, and plug it into an amplifier and play again. I have been playing for more than fifty years and have never experienced playing three brand new Martins that were simply not up to snuff. Weird!Tele Playr

The guitar itself can have five stars. Nothing wrong with it. The problem I have is that it is not the old LX1E lefty that Martin used to make and I used to own. It is advertised incorrectly here as containing the Fishman I-sys electronics that contained a volume, base/treble controls and a phasing button for feedback. It also no longer contains the tuner. This is basically the LX1 Little Martin with a Sonitone pickup under the bridge and tone/volume control in the sound hole, which I despise. I prefer the old version where the tuner and controls were on top side (as shown in the picture variety). This needs to be updated!!! I now have no tuner on this guitar when I fully expected one. I would recommend the Little Martin guitar but it needs to be advertised correctly.Jules

I bought this guitar for my son so he can have a smaller guitar to lug around in school. We were surprised when we received the product that the pickup that was installed is a Sonitone pickup instead of what's advertised – an Isys T preamp. The Isys preamp has a tuner, phase and tone control whereas the Sonitone is built into the sound hole and only has the volume and tone control. I brought this up with customer support saying I only wanted the product that I thought we were buying. I received excuses and a repeated offer to return the guitar. We chose to keep it because we need it and like the Martin sound. However MF does not stand up to what they advertise and could not provide a reasonable explanation why the product was switched. Even as I write this review, the description still says it has the Isys pickup. Good luck to future buyers and know that you are buying a different product.Pasigenyo

Cost is cheap hence your not going to get a quality built instrument in return. The company cheapens out on everything: Wood, pickups, tuners, wires, knobs etc. Save your money and just buy a made in USA Gibson which will 10 lifetimes longer than this throw away junk. Not worth it!ENGlishJELLo

Awesome it contains everything that I needed for my guitar Only 1 issue How do you tune it? Some advice or buying a book to help in that area would be good I looked it up on google.Reviewed by Absolute Music custo

I am really enjoying the guitar. I have only had it for one day and it's found its place in our home. Great guitar for begginer to intermediate players.Pattyb

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 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

Great sounding guitar, electric or acoustic. Easy & fun to play I bought this guitar as a backup for just in case My 66 Gibson LG-0 fails or string breaks at a gig. The next day after it arrived & played it live plugged in for 2 hrs. It was great. Deep bass & clear highs. The only thing that was a little bit of a bummer was only a cosmetic, in my opinion flaw. You can see where they marked the frets for installation of the wire with a hand marked, magic marker on each fret. Then they must have gotten a little wild because there is an actual magic marker mark on the fretboard for no reason. We laughed about it being from china & kept playing. For the money its a great guitar.Gibtard of the year

Right out of the box I noticed a horrible buzzing (bad action) and it couldn't be tuned properly. Poor callibration. No hesitation. Returning as soon as possible for something of better quality. Ibanez isn't what they used to be. Done with them. So disappointing.Beev

Got this from Guitar Center Cerritos. Priscilla and the tech provided excellent customer service. The guitar required no setup, great sound, and yes it's perfect for me. I i recommend it and the Cerritos store.Pancho M

I bought this as a present for my daughter, it's her first guitar and the 3/4 size fits her perfectly without compromising on the sound. Excellent quality from Fender, would highly recommend.Christine C.