Yamaha CGS Classical Guitar Review (Hands-On & In-Depth)

It can be difficult to find an inexpensive classical guitar. There are many makes and models on the market, so you might get confused. In this Yamaha CGS Classical Guitar review, we’ll look at this classical guitar from Yamaha.

Yamaha is a well-known producer of musical instruments. They make instruments that are designed for beginners through advanced players, and they offer several low-cost classical guitars that are ideal for students.

The Yamaha CGS is an example of a lower-cost classical guitar that makes a perfect starting instrument. In this guide, we’ll take an extensive look at this guitar.

Yamaha CGS Review: About the Yamaha CGS

The Yamaha CGS is a 3/4 sized guitar, although you can also get a 1/2 sized and regular 4/4 size guitar. The smaller size makes this guitar ideal for a beginner or a student, as this makes the instrument easy to hold and play.

Please keep in mind that this is a beginner guitar. It’s not something you’re going to want to record with or play live. This is a basic instrument design for students or first-time players.

Body

The top of the guitar is made with spruce wood, which gives it a natural and full tone. The sides and back of the guitar are made with meranti wood, which further enhances the tone that the guitar produces.

Neck

The neck of the guitar is a typical classical-style neck. It’s comfortable for playing single notes, and the student will learn their first chords on this neck. It’s made with nato wood and has a rosewood fingerboard.

Pickup

This instrument doesn’t come with a pickup. If you want a pickup, you can buy a soundhole pickup. Most beginner players won’t need a pickup, so you can probably skip this step and go with the natural tone of the instrument.

Other Parts

This guitar has a regular classical-style bridge made of rosewood. It’s also got standard classical-style machine heads. It also features a regular soundhole rosette design.

Pros & Cons

Yamaha CGS Review: My Experience with the Yamaha CGS

I have a lot of experience when it comes to the Yamaha CGS Classical Guitar. When I taught music lessons, many of my students had this particular model. It’s an excellent beginner guitar because it’s easy to play.

I found that this guitar was easy to set up for my students. It tuned up nicely and stayed in tune. In addition, it has a decent volume and projection for an instrument that doesn’t cost a whole lot of money. This makes it ideal for lessons.

This isn’t an instrument you’ll want to record with or take to a live gig. Instead, this is a basic-sounding classical guitar that you should use as a practice instrument and nothing more.

Although this is only a practice instrument, it has a decent tone, and it’s easy to play, so beginners won’t struggle with it. In addition, the softer nylon strings are perfect for younger students, as they don’t dig in like steel strings.

Yamaha CGS Review: The Sound

You shouldn’t expect a professional sound out of this guitar, as it’s not designed for that type of sound. However, it will produce a full and rich sound suitable for lessons or learning your first songs.

It gives you the typical classical guitar sound, which is warm and pleasing to the ears. Single notes ring out nicely on the guitar, and chords feel full and rich when you play them.

You can expect a decent tone out of the guitar. It’s not an outstanding tone by any means, but it’s suitable for beginners or students. Of course, the guitar’s sound will make the student want to keep playing, which is the main thing.

Yamaha CGS Warranty

You should check with the store where you bought your guitar to determine the warranty. Yamaha can provide better information on the warranty that they provide for their musical instruments.

Yamaha CGS Frequently Asked Questions

There are some frequently asked questions that people ask about the Yamaha CGS guitar. It’s important to understand what you’re buying before you make that purchase.

Is the Yamaha CGS Right for Me?

I’d classify this guitar as one suitable for the beginning student or first-time player. The nylon strings are easy to press down, making learning chords and single notes a lot easier.

If you already have some skills in guitar, this probably isn’t the instrument for you. If you want to learn classical guitar, there are probably better options if you already have time behind the instrument.

For the first-time player, this is an excellent option because the instrument is easy to play, low-cost, and you can get a feel for playing guitar to see if it’s right for you or not.

How Can I Improve the Tone?

One of the easiest ways to improve the tone of a classical guitar is to put a good set of classical guitar strings on it. Some of these instruments have probably sat in the shop for a long time or in a factory box.

Make sure you use decent classical guitar strings and not the cheap ones. Cheaper strings will give you a poor-quality tone. Have it set up at a local guitar shop for the best results.

The strings that new instruments ship with usually aren’t all that great. By changing the strings right away, you’ll improve the tone of your instrument by a great deal.

What Size Should I Buy?

This instrument comes in three different sizes: the 1/2, 3/4, and 4/4 sizes. For younger students or children, the 1/2 and 3/4 size is ideal. However, for older students or young adults, the 4/4 is the best option, as this is a full-size guitar.

Do I Need a Case?

This offers you the maximum protection for your instrument. If you’re going to and from lessons all the time, you can also buy a sturdy gig bag to protect your guitar from damage. Keep it in the case when you’re not using it.

Do I Need a Guitar Setup?

You should get your new Yamaha guitar set up by a professional in a guitar store. Some of these instruments aren’t set up all that great when they come from the factory. A proper setup will make the guitar play a lot better.

The guitar technician can also look at your instrument to see if it needs any other adjustments. If you want, they’ll put on a fresh set of strings, which can give the guitar a better tone.

Where to Buy the Yamaha CGS

There are several places where you can pick up a Yamaha CGS Classical Guitar. Here are some of the common locations where I like to shop. This will give you several buying options for your new guitar.

Amazon

One of the better locations online to shop for your new Yamaha guitar is Amazon. They have a wide selection of products for you to choose from. I like their fast shipping times, and I can leave reviews on products if I want to.

Order Online

Sweetwater and GuitarCenter are two other locations where you can purchase musical instruments. Both of these retailers have a wide selection, fast shipping times, and great customer service.

Your Local Store

You may also want to pick up your new instrument through your local retailer. If you purchase through a local guitar store, please bear in mind that they might not have this instrument in stock, and you’ll have to wait.

Conclusion

This concludes my Yamaha CGS review. This is an excellent guitar for a beginner or a younger student. The nylon strings are easier to press down, so they won’t hurt your fingers.

You won’t spend a whole lot on this guitar, so it’s budget-friendly. Have it set up through your local music store for the best results. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how well the guitar plays and sounds despite its low cost.

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