Best Yamaha acoustic guitars 2024: our pick of Yamaha acoustics to suit all players

Welcome to our comprehensive guide to the best Yamaha acoustic guitars! Yamaha has established itself as a top choice for musicians around the world, yet somehow doesn’t seem to attract the same levels of cache as some of its American peers like Martin and Taylor. Ask anyone who has owned one though, whether a beginner or a seasoned player, and they’ll tell you Yamaha is worthy of its seat at the top table. 

Here we'll delve into the standout features of Yamaha acoustics and explore our top picks from the many different models available. From their impeccable build quality to their impressive tonal characteristics, Yamaha guitars have earned a stellar reputation in the industry, so read on to discover the perfect Yamaha acoustic guitar for your own musical journey.

We've also included some comprehensive buying advice at the end of this guide. 

Best Yamaha acoustic guitars: Guitar World recommends

It’s hard to pick a single guitar from this list, purely because there’s such a broad range of styles, capabilities and prices. For beginners, the Yamaha F310 is almost a no-brainer. It’s well-constructed, sounds brilliant and will guide you through those tricky barre chord years with care. 

For intermediate players looking for a solid option to continue their path, the Yamaha APX1000 is a great combination of looks, tone woods and build quality to justify its lofty price tag. 

And, if you’re looking for something unique, then look no further than the Yamaha SLG200S which, once you get beyond its bonkers silhouette, is a genuinely useful piece of music technology.

Best Yamaha acoustic guitars: Product guide

The Yamaha F310 is one of the best-selling acoustic guitars on the planet and for good reason. This dreadnought-sized guitar is relatively large, so may not be ideal for younger players, but it does mean it can deliver a rich, full sound which projects brilliantly. It would certainly be a great beginner acoustic guitar for older learners.

We also like how affordable the F310 is; around $100 for a well-made, excellent-sounding guitar from one of the most trusted brands in the industry. What’s not to like?

As a concert-sized guitar, the Yamaha APX600 is quite a bit smaller than a dreadnought, which makes it perfect for younger players or anyone with smaller hands. We’ve seen the APX series work well with players who perhaps started to learn when they were younger but got put off by the horrible learner guitars at school. Compared to those, the APX600 will feel like a different beast altogether. 

The choice of a solid spruce top with laminate back and sides means it both projects its sound well and is durable enough to take the odd knock or two. As a solid choice that won’t break the bank, the Yamaha APX600 is easy to recommend.

Despite having such a strong reputation in the beginner to intermediate markets, Yamaha also has a phenomenal range of top-tier acoustics. The Yamaha A5R ARE is a superb concert-sized acoustic, which benefits from Yamaha’s ‘Acoustic Resonance Enhancement’ – a fancy way of saying it sounds richer and more harmonically complex than its competitors. 

Clearly, this isn’t a cheap guitar, but if you’re looking for a sound investment model then the A5R is a very strong option.

If there’s one thing acoustic guitars generally aren’t, it’s quiet. Enter the Yamaha SLG200S. SLG stands for ‘silent guitar’, and that’s exactly what this is. The SLG200S effectively matches up an under-saddle piezo pickup with a mic modeling preamp section, giving you a huge range of tones with which to play any number of genres. 

Additionally, being as close to a tech guitar as it gets, the SLG200S also comes complete with a set of effects and an auxiliary input for piping your phone through. 

The looks might not be to everyone’s taste, but we think this is a solid option for home practice or for anyone who thinks the guitar world doesn’t know how to be innovative. 

For folk music styles, the Yamaha FG5 is a great option and not just because the FG in its name actually stands for ‘folk guitar’. These larger dreadnought styles are made for wonderfully rich, projected sounds that match sparkling highs with velvety low tones. 

You’ll find the action on these guitars is low enough to make them easy to play, and the choice of solid woods for the body means it will last you a lifetime if it’s looked after.

As the higher-specced model, the Yamaha APX1000 stands above its sibling (covered in this list) on a couple of points. The choice of solid spruce, particularly when combined with flamed maple, not only makes for a more attractive guitar visually but also enhances some of the higher notes to give them extra sparkle. There’s also a higher-quality preamp system, which should give a more versatile tone when recording or playing live. 

We were particularly drawn to the Pearl Snow White colourway – not the most common in acoustic guitars, and one we feel works really well in this context. 

We couldn’t create a list of the best Yamaha acoustic guitars and not include the Yamaha CSF. This parlor-sized classical is the perfect accompaniment for fingerstyle, thanks to its wider fretboard and low action, which makes those awkwardly stretched arpeggios a breeze. 

Unplugged, you’ll find it’s not the loudest or most resonant guitar you’ve ever heard, but plugged in all that melts away. With both a piezo pickup and a preamp system, there is real versatility in its tonal output depending on the situation, making this a really interesting option for studio or stage. It’s even got a couple of effects for sculpting your sound. Neat!

The Yamaha NTX-3NT is a marvel when it comes to versatility. Its ‘Atmosfeel’ pickup system (Yamaha must have a field day coming up with these names) combines an under saddle pickup with a tiny microphone to give players a range of sounds to choose from. The thinline body makes it ideal for smaller players, and we found ours to be set up perfectly out of the box for fingerstyles. 

Its price puts it a bit above what you’d normally pay for a beginner, but as a tool on which to develop and progress your craft, the Yamaha NTX-3NT is a superb choice. 

Best Yamaha acoustic guitars: Buying advice

How to choose the best Yamaha acoustic for you

When choosing a Yamaha acoustic guitar, there are several factors to consider to ensure you find the perfect instrument that meets your needs. With its commitment to quality and innovation, Yamaha offers a diverse range of models designed to cater to various playing styles and musical genres.

Yamaha acoustic models explained

Next, familiarize yourself with the different model names in Yamaha's acoustic guitar lineup. They have a comprehensive range that includes models like the Yamaha FG Series, LL Series, and APX Series, each with its unique features and characteristics. The FG Series, for example, is renowned for its affordability and playability, making it an excellent choice for beginners and casual players. The LL Series, on the other hand, boasts premium tonewoods and meticulous craftsmanship, catering to advanced players seeking exceptional sound and build quality.

Yamaha is known for its attention to detail, ensuring that its guitars deliver a superior playing experience. Look for features like scalloped bracing, which enhances the guitar's responsiveness and tonal clarity. Additionally, Yamaha's dedication to innovation is exemplified by its advanced electronics systems, found in models like the APX Series, which offer outstanding amplified sound for live performances and recording sessions.

Tonewoods

In terms of tonal versatility, Yamaha guitars often feature solid tops made from high-quality tonewoods such as spruce, cedar, and mahogany. These tonewoods contribute to the guitar's resonance, projection, and overall tonal character. Additionally, pay attention to the neck profile and fingerboard material, as these factors greatly influence playability and comfort.

How we choose the best Yamaha acoustics for this guide

Here at Guitar World, we are experts in our field, with many years of playing and product testing between us. We live and breathe everything guitar related, and we draw on this knowledge and experience of using products in live, recording and rehearsal scenarios when selecting the products for our guides.

When choosing what we believe to be the best Yamaha acoustic guitars available right now, we combine our hands-on experience, user reviews and testimonies and engage in lengthy discussions with our editorial colleagues to reach a consensus about the top products in any given category.

First and foremost, we are guitarists, and we want other players to find the right product for them. So we take into careful consideration everything from budget to feature set, ease of use and durability to come up with a list of what we can safely say are the best Yamaha acoustic guitars on the market right now.

Read more about our rating system, how we choose the gear we feature, and exactly how we test each product.

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