Yamaha FG700S or FG730S?

[Broadus]

I bought a Yamaha FG700S ($199.99) a couple of weeks ago, but I am considering replacing it with an FG730S ($299.99). Does anyone think that the rosewood back and sides of the 730 will make a noticeable difference in sound over the nato back and sides of the 700? They both have a solid Sitka spruce top.

 

BTW, I did not anticipate buying the Yamaha, but I was pleasantly surprised at the sound and workmanship. A friend who is an accomplished guitarist told me he prefers my Yamaha to his Seagull S6.

 

Thanks.

[guit30]

The sides and back are laminate rosewood compared to your nato laminate on the fg700s, nice guitar, just keep it

Jim

[guitarist21]

Nato is comparable to mahogany in terms of tone, so theoretically going to the rosewood would make the low end of your guitar more complex. However, like guit30 said, they're both laminate so the change isn't going to be as dramatic as with solid wood. I would just keep your FG700S.

 

Ellen

[Broadus]

Thanks, Jim and Ellen. What you've written makes sense. Just trying to put creeping buyer's remorse at bay.

 

Bill

[Hudman]

There is an FG720S. It's an upgraded version of the FG700S with the same wood combination (spruce / nato). I have an old version of the FG720S. It's an FG413S. I like it a lot. It's a nice playing and sounding guitar for the money. I would also like to get the smaller body (folk) version of the guitar with rosewood sides and back (FG735S). It would make a great budget fingerstyle guitar.

 

Yamaha makes great guitars.

 

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Yamaha-FG735S-Folk-Acoustic-Guitar?sku=518277

[Broadus]

 

There is an FG720S. It's an upgraded version of the FG700S with the same wood combination (spruce / nato). I have an old version of the FG720S. It's an FG413S. I like it a lot. It's a nice playing and sounding guitar for the money. I would also like to get the smaller body (folk) version of the guitar with rosewood sides and back (FG735S). It would make a great budget fingerstyle guitar. Yamaha makes great guitars. http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Yamaha-FG735S-Folk-Acoustic-Guitar?sku=518277

 

 

I considered the FG720S, but the only difference appears to be cosmetic.

 

Speaking of the FG735S, I checked the Yamaha site and did not see it. Musician's Friend entitles it "folk acoustic," but it has the same title for the FG700S. I suspect the FG735S is simply the FG730S dreadnought with a "vintage cherry sunburst" spruce top. In fact, the "features" call it an FG730S.

 

Bill

[Hudman]

 

I considered the FG720S, but the only difference appears to be cosmetic. Speaking of the FG735S, I checked the Yamaha site and did not see it. Musician's Friend entitles it "folk acoustic," but it has the same title for the FG700S. I suspect the FG735S is simply the FG730S dreadnought with a "vintage cherry sunburst" spruce top. In fact, the "features" call it an FG730S. Bill

 

 

You are correct. I gave you the wrong model number. The small body is an FS. I thought they used to have it with rosewood. It looks like they only have it in the 720 model (nato). I would still like to have one. I love playing a dread, but miss owning an OM sized guitar. I think it's good to have both.

[Good_Vibrations]

Newbie here, Just thought i would share a little with the Broadus' of the world. I also stumbled on, and bought an fg700s at G.C. about 3 weeks ago.(i went in the store for picks) I played many guitars that day, just to kill time and have some fun. After playing the fg700s i said to myself, "this thing is going to replace my EPI-aj10wr for camping etc.." after taking a double take at the price tag ! (The EPI is my second axe/beater guitar) What happened next took me by surprise, Not only did it sound better than my beater, it was a better strummer with more volume and fuller sound, etc. than my main guitar (Seagull S6 orig.) I was very taken back and spent many hours comparing the two. Now FOR ME, I preferred the sound of the Yamaha FG700S. Guess what, I sold both of my previous guitars. But the story doesn't end there. After my amazement with this mass produced guitar, i decided to research it online, and that's when i discovered the wonderful world of Harmony Central Reviews, Etc. After reading many Good reviews on my fg700s (almost all of which i agreed with) i stumbled on the FG730s reviews. This is when the buyers remorse set in. You see i hadn't even tried the FG730S, as i later had come to find out, they were sold out of them at the time i purchased the FG700s that happened to be hanging on the wall that day. So," ya know what i did ? you guessed it, i returned the FG700S and special ordered the FG730S TBS (TOBACCO BROWN SUNBURST) sight unseen or heard mind you ! (I must trust you folks a whole lot + your reviews on the FG700S were spot on with my assessments ) Bold i thought. Well i just got it yesterday and was able to compare it side by side with another fg700s in my own home.(ill explain that later) and man I AM NOT DISAPPOINTED IN THE LEAST, A BETTER WORD WOULD BE ECSTATIC ! Its hard to believe it could get better under say $700 or more, but this thing only cost $100 bucks more and sounds more rustic woody and projects like nothing I had the pleasure of playing before it !! It's truly an amazing guitar !

I think i finally found a keeper for penny's on the dollar for sure ! NICE JOB YAMAHA ! STILL PINCHING MYSELF. LMAO WITH THIS THING ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK !!!!

pictures of the fg730s tbs here - http://s219.photobucket.com/albums/cc117/525452/Guitars/?albumview=grid

[Cardinal49]

I just realized the original post was from 2007. GV congrats on the new guitar and good luck with it.

 

I have a slightly different perspective. My son has the FG700s and I have the FG730s. Out of the 2, I prefer the FG700s. I think it has a richer, more mellow tone. Fit and finish are perefect on both and they are very well built. At

[outdoorgb]

I played the FG700S and the FG730S side-by-side at GC last year when I bought one....The FG700S sounds fanfreekingtastic....But I bought the FG730S. I love rosewood.

 

I did make the salesman bring a new one from the back however...The first FG730S did not sound better than the 700...The new one did...

 

Both are on my "must own" list...

[guildfire]

I think the FG 730 SCA beats them both in tone.

[revive]

It's Better to buy LL6 than any FG... better bang for your buck.

I gave this a lot of thoughts.

 

Check this out:

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/showthread.php?t=2317204

[Good_Vibrations]

FG730S & FG700S Cont... Notice i didn't put VS. this time. lol

Thanks for the replies guys. FYI- Cardinal49, your previous posts about your sons fg700s had me content after i purchased my FG700S, and i thank you for that. But here's what i didn't reveal last time. You see when i traded in my beloved FG700S for the FG730S_tbs, I had to wait over a week for it, and i was kicking myself in the arse for letting my fg700s go like that after falling in love with it. I was going nuts not having anything to play, and i was wondering if i had made a mistake.(Remember i sold my Seagull s6 and my campfire EPI aj10 after buying the 700) I decided to peek on craigslist for a beater for camping etc + id'e have something to play while i waited and could sell it later. Well, Guess what ? I found a fg700s for $112.00 Incl. a Dean Markley pickup and a soft case.WOW "YES" i bought it ! So, this guitar was a little banged up and Under Appreciated by its previous owner, and i could tell right away that the guitar hadn't been set-up. I strummed a G chord and there was that sound ( A rolled off LOW Low E. Mellow but articulate, loud but not REAL loud right at you, but more of a resonator in the chest and heart. Dare i say THUDDY ?) Did it sound as good as my original FG700S ? Answer - No

So, in sequence let me tell you how it went.

Step One - New Strings, I put on D'Addario EJ26'S (.11's). Result- Much better but still lacking that RING in the mid tones like my 1st one.

Step Two - Adjust the neck (only took a couple clockwise turns to get her straight as an arrow)

Step Three - Check for buzzing (especially a C chord, focusing on the "D" string, and measure clearance of the D string at the 12th fret (I prefer around 3/32).

Step Four - After checking the relief,action, intonation,and giving her a good look over, it was was obvious on THIS axe that i could lower the action more at the saddle.

Step Five - Take saddle out of bridge, and sand down the BOTTOM of the saddle on a FLAT surface (150 grit) about the thickness .12, 6th string ~or~ between a 16th and an 8th(dont forget to smooth off the top with FINE wet/dry 600 grit.)

Step Six - Check the guitar AGAIN for buzzing, and repeat if necessary after checking the relief,action, intonation, Etc..

RESULTS - After repeating step 6 the 2nd time, i had a guitar that had that RING that makes you go WOOOO HOOOO. It was was here that i said to myself "STOP" if you take off more, you may lose that RING !

I pondered " and thought to myself," I bought this guitar for EASY PLAY for camping/knocking around etc. But it is here where one can get carried away, So", listen closely. I decided, WTF, and went for step 6 one more time. So what happened next was that i lost a little bit of that RING but not much and ended up with the Lowest action, sweetest sounding, NO BUZZ (even when strummed hard) guitar i have ever played ! YES BETTER THAN MY FIRST ONE ( my orig 700 would buzz on the D string 3rd fret when forming a C chord on hard strumming, and was part of my reasoning the exchange to begin with.)

I will be replacing the saddles on both, my FG730S and my FG700S Keepers with BONE that i will be shaping myself. (I will even shape/cut/file/ it to make it a Compensated Bone Saddle, and i will post Pictures of the results along with a updated review. ~ONE HAPPY CAMPER~

[Cardinal49]

GV - Congrats! Play both of them in good health.

 

Do you hear a difference in tone between them? I know it is not scientific given the small sample size (1 each) but they do sound different to me. More then a thought they would given they both have the same spruce top, shape, strings, bridge, etc. Maybe they are all different or maybe the Rosewood vs. Nato (hog?) does make a difference.

 

They both sound great but to me the FG700 is more mellow. The FG730 is brighter, louder and has more bass.

[Good_Vibrations]

Thx Card,Here's the lowdown ~ They are definitely Brothers ! This you can tell, but while one seems to have gone to Harvard University, and is Very articulate, and loud and proud, the other decided on a humble life, but doesn't need to shout from a roof top "look at me" You know which Guitar I'm talking about right? LOL

But let me tell you something, i just put in my New Custom shaped BONE SADDLE (I shaped it myself and made it compensated) on the FG700S 1st. (This took a while and the bone smells like burnt hair when you cut or sand on it.) The results are actually better than i had expected. Yep, i actually caught my Yamaha FG700S climbing up my rooftop to say "LOOK AT ME NOW" and i had to tell Him " get down from there", but he wouldn't listen. Do you know what he did ? He climbed right up there on a higher plateau than his brother and sang his heart out even louder than his brother. It was then that his previously louder brother cried out to me, " I WANT A BONE TOO". sobbing all the while !

YES, You heard me right, it got louder but still had that subdued humble articulation he was known for. his 6th E string sustains longer now along w/ the rest. I have to run now, my other jealous SON keeps nagging me about wanting to get BONED ! I told him to keep his pants on and that he will get BONED this evening ! he is ecstatic OF COURSE !

[Good_Vibrations]

ANOTHER THING - I don't know what tricks Yamaha has up they're sleeves, but somehow they can make a LAMINATE sided Cherry wood(fg730s) sound noticeably different than they're Nato/Eastern Mahogany(fg700s), which most Lam's don't pull off so well. Congratulations Yamaha !

[nguyenandyy]

yeah

keep on saving your money for something better

[Florida_Gator]

IMO, FGs are so good and so cheap, everyone should have one. They're perfect for leaving out all the time, playing out back, taking to friends, etc., with no compromise in sound.

 

[sixgunner455]

 

yeah keep on saving your money for something better

 

 

Hey, noob. Around here, we say "congratulations, glad you like your new guitar." Not the place to say crud like "what did you buy that for?"

[mike003]

 

I considered the FG720S, but the only difference appears to be cosmetic. Speaking of the FG735S, I checked the Yamaha site and did not see it. Musician's Friend entitles it "folk acoustic," but it has the same title for the FG700S. I suspect the FG735S is simply the FG730S dreadnought with a "vintage cherry sunburst" spruce top. In fact, the "features" call it an FG730S. Bill

 

 

I have an FG735S. It is a 730 in Cherry Sunburst with gold tuners.

[Good_Vibrations]

Hey mike, NICE GUITAR ! I played the fg735s at G.C. and it was nice, but it does sound a bit different than the fg730s to me. In fact when i bought my fg700s i was comparing it to the fg735s, thinking it was the fg730s in my mind (they look the same as the vintage cherryburst 730s, but with gold tuners, yes). The one thing I'm Not sure of though,is if they use the same scalloped bracing inside(they copied the L series internals on the FG series since 2005 from what i have read online) "probably why they sound so darn good". It wasn't until a few days later when i went back to g.c. for strings the i noticed it wasn't the FG730s. Just my 2 cents

I LIKE YOUR DOG PIC

[Florida_Gator]

The FG735S is the same in all ways as the FG730S except for:

 

1) Wine sunburst finish (kind of between the cherry burst and TB burst finishes available on the 730)

2) Gold tuners

3) slightly different (on mine, anyway) binding color (a tiny bit darker)

4) The label

 

That's it. In fact, it's rather odd to me that they even HAVE the FG735S, considering the finishes available on the FG730S.

 

My first FG73xS was the 735, which I brought back and swapped for a 730. When I first bought the 735, it was one of two at the store (they had no 730's in stock). So I brought it back to A/B with some 730's after they got some in, and swapped it for a 730 (only because after CAREFUL comparison in the high-end room, the newer 730 sounded a *tiny* bit better to me, and I prefered the natural finish). But the sound variation (most people couldn't tell) was NOT because they were different in construction or materials (they aren't) -- it was largely strings I'm sure. Even with my preference for natural, it was not easy to choose -- and I chose on sound!

[johnkline]

I might have to end up picking out a fg700s. I've always played solid rosewood back and sides guitars. Currently I have a JO-27, so I may have to venture outside my box and try a hog version yammie for variety.

[yucki8aby]

well, buy whatever you like best. Not nice if you have to sell it cos you don't like the tone. not nice either if you keep thinking about the guitar you could have. Either way you get a good deal.

[Cardinal49]

All this talk about the FG730s prompted me to get around to installing the TUSQ saddle I had. Took me about 45 minutes to sand it and have it fit correctly. The action improved slightly but there was a very noticiable difference in the sound.

 

It is still very bright and loud but now it has more balance. The mids were all sort of muffled and lost before. It is now much more clear. The sustain has also improved (similar to the Seagull that came with the TUSQ saddle). I really can't believe it made such a difference. I am starting to like the way it sounds. Yamaha should have this installed at the factory.