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Yamaha FG820 12-String Acoustic Guitar - Natural

12-string Acoustic Guitar with Solid Spruce Top, Mahogany Back and Sides, Nato Neck, and Rosewood Fingerboard - Natural
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Yamaha FG820 12-String Acoustic Guitar - Natural
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A Great Value-priced 12-string Acoustic

From the first strum, you'll get it — the Yamaha FG820-12 performs way above its modest price tag. This 12-string acoustic guitar's solid spruce top ensures a warm, strong sound that's enhanced beautifully by its mahogany back and sides. You'll love the feel of this guitar's Standard-shaped neck, which is topped by an easy-playing rosewood fingerboard. You also get eye-catching cream-colored body and fingerboard binding. Whether you're a beginner that's looking for a quality first instrument, or a longtime player searching for a top-notch backup, the FG820-12 is a great choice.

Solid spruce top for great tone

Yamaha chose a solid spruce top for their FG820-12, due to its look and tone. Spruce has a well-rounded, articulate sound with excellent projection. These qualities have made it the undisputed leader for acoustic guitar tops. And because it's made from solid wood, the tone will age gracefully, with enhanced harmonics and greater tonal balance as the years go by. Beyond that, the FG820-12 boasts scalloped bracing, resulting in a larger low end and more projection.

Mahogany back and sides

The FG820-12 sports a back and sides made from mahogany. The strummers here at Sweetwater appreciate this wood for its warm, well-balanced tone. It enhances midrange frequencies while maintaining top-end clarity. The sound is gentle and full, which is ideal for vocal accompaniment. Combined with the lively and defined sound of its spruce top, you'll love the rich tone you get from the Yamaha FG820-12's mahogany.

Yamaha FG: the best-selling acoustic guitar series in the world

It's not hard to see why Yamaha's FG series is a world best seller. They were the first to offer full-sized dreadnought bodies, professional-grade tonewoods, and fast-playing necks on instruments that were affordable for beginners and pros alike. If you're just learning to play, you'll enjoy the comfort of the neck and body, the low string action, and the full sound. Seasoned players who need a quality backup will love the detail of tone, the acoustic power, and how effortlessly the guitar plays.

Yamaha FG820-12 Features:

  • 12-string version of Yamaha's FG820 acoustic guitar
  • Solid spruce top yields a well-rounded, articulate sound with excellent projection
  • Mahogany back and sides enhance midrange frequencies while maintaining top-end clarity
  • Scalloped bracing accentuates low frequencies and increases projection
  • Great-feeling Standard-shaped neck topped by an easy-playing rosewood fingerboard
  • Eye-catching cream-colored body and fingerboard binding
  • Makes a quality first instrument or top-notch backup

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Tech Specs

  • String Type: Steel
  • Number of Strings: 12
  • Left-/Right-handed: Right-handed
  • Body Shape: Dreadnought
  • Back & Sides Wood: Mahogany
  • Top Wood: Solid Spruce
  • Finish: Gloss
  • Color: Natural
  • Body Bracing: X-bracing
  • Binding: Cream
  • Neck Wood: Nato
  • Neck Shape: Standard
  • Radius: 15.75"
  • Fingerboard Material: Rosewood or Walnut (MFR availabilty changes)
  • Fingerboard Inlay: Dots
  • Number of Frets: 20
  • Scale Length: 25"
  • Nut Width: 1.8125"
  • Nut/Saddle Material: Urea/Urea
  • Bridge Material: Rosewood or Walnut
  • Tuning Machines: Die-cast
  • Strings: D'Addario EXP36, .010-.047
  • Case Included: Sold Separately
  • Manufacturer Part Number: FG820-12

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Customer Reviews

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Rated 5/5

Great Value

I bought this as a gift for my grandson. He had been playing and 'coveting' my pristine, 50-year old Martin D12-28. I didn't want to let that go any further, so I looked around find some other options for him. We included the FG820 12-string as he already has a Yamaha FS800 6-string that he likes and plays a lot. After playing a number of other options under $ from Guild, Martin, and Taylor, we went with this guitar, the least expensive of the bunch.

First of all, it sounds great - my D12-28 may have a slightly better sound, but not nearly 10 times as much. He's had it now for a few weeks and is very happy with it. I was pleasantly surprised to find the action was right on and the intonation was excellent. The frets are level and fret ends are smooth, but they could probably use some crowning ad polishing. The neck is smooth and comfortable. The urea nut and saddle seem to work okay, though I'm sure others might want to replace them. The tuning keys seem to work just fine.

I've got a few high-end acoustics, but I'm constantly surprised at the quality of the guitars you can get at such a low price these days. I certainly include the Yamaha FS800 6-string and FG820 12-string in that. These are excellent guitars for a 12-string beginner or intermediate player, and I wouldn't hesitate to use one for a gig.
Music background: Playing classical, bluegrass, blues, flamenco, etc, for 50+ years.
Rated 5/5

Extremely Impressed!

I play a lot of solo acoustic gigs and wanted to add a 12 string for a few songs. In my personal experience, most acoustic electrics under $ include a pretty subpar pickup system. They all seem to have that piezo "quack" that has to be dialed out via a mixer with sweepable midrange parametric EQ. I decided to go with this non pickup Yamaha based on the positive reviews. I then took it directly to my local luthier for setup and installation of a LR Baggs Element VTC pickup. Yes, the pickup with installation labor cost almost as much as the guitar, but the result was well worth it. For a total investment of around $, I got a quality, solid top instrument that plays great, sounds good acoustically - but most importantly sounds balanced and "quackless" plugged in!
Music background: Singer / Songwriter
Rated 5/5

Best Bang for the Buck

I tried a lot of different 12-string guitars, including Martins, Guilds and Taylors. This Yamaha has by far the best sound for the money, deeply resonant and pure. It's a lot of music, it stays in tune well (the strings are new so are still stretching out), the fingerboard is perfect, and the shallow neck shape makes it easy to play. It does not do as well with a capo as my 6-string Martin, so I avoid using the capo. I have mine in a drop-D now and it's amazing.
Music background: Played piano and guitar and sang since 1960.
Rated 5/5

Pretty amazing 12 string!

I'm truly impressed with this guitar. It has a very sweet voice, especially when tuned down a whole step. It sounds huge! Chords sound great and picking out single sets of strings have this distinct sound that is just addictive. I highly suggest this guitar. You won't be disappointed!
Rated 5/5

Just Buy This Beauty

Wow this is an unbelievably well made instrument. It screams quality and attention to detail. If it was $2000 I should still feel I got true value. The sound sublime, rich and full balanced yet fun too. Shout out to Issac Melton. Buy your Yamaha from him. PS I am a beginner and still feel this is not much harder to play than a 6 string.
Music background: Years of listening but a beginner in playing!
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