Suzuki F-200 Dreadnought

Beautiful looking dreadnought with nice abalone inlays. 20 frets, spruce veneer top, old style winders. Plain, simple, classic look.

Wow! I own many guitars of all shapes, sizes and brands (e.g., Martin, Taylor, Guild). Found this at a garage sale 15 years ago and picked it up for $20, thinking I'd give it to one of my young boys. Sounded so good, I had to keep if for myself. I'll give it to them when they're old enough to appreciate it.

Huge sound. Bright, clear and rich tone in all registers. Best all-around guitar I own. Very versatile. Play it soft, play it hard; it all sounds great on this baby.

Still can't believe my great luck. Serious guitar playing friends used to laugh when I brought out this Suzuki; until I let them play it. Can't tell you how many times I've been asked how much I want for it. I'll never sell it; too good a friend.

Nice action. Beautiful honey spruce color.

It's a rock. Original hardware (from the 70s), and no major repairs or replacements. I give it pretty hard use and the finish still looks great. Very dependable. Stays in tune longer than many of the more expensive guitars I own and play ($2k plus).

No idea.

Classic and beautiful dreadnaught. Exceptional sound. Best overall guitar I own. Don't know how they did it, but it looks/sounds better than more expensive guitars I own.

Classic basic dreadnaught, seems to be almost a Martin clone, I suspect that may have been it's original purpose. Should have been priced well above the 1980 selling price of $325.

This is ~THE~ category! I own nine acoustic guitars (including two custom builts) the "cheapest" of which is my $1600 D28, and NONE of them are any better -overall- than this hidden jewel. I inherited this guitar from my Dad who used it many years as his primary player in his bluegrass band replacing his trusty D18. But I didn't use it for a couple of years untill sometime back when I overheard someone commenting about how good they sounded, so I took it out, cleaned it up, adjusted the action, put on a new set of D'Addario P/B mediums, and was immediately blown away! For anyone who's familiar with the sonic nuances of acoustic instruments, this guitar rocks! Light as a Martin, clean sounding as a Taylor, warmth elements of a Guild, well balanced overtones, nice medium sustain, excellent register in the mids, better than average defiition in the highs, and respectable volume in the lows. Sounds are like flavors, amost endless in their variety, and no guitar ever built will satisfy everybody, but this is now one of my favorites.

This one has aged pretty nicely, and I've adjusted it to suit my own playing preferences, still looks almost new.

Lightweight but sturdy and it retains it's tuning very well. I use it regularly when I play small venues as a solo.

I find no "cons" with this box whatsoever. I'm just amazed that it didn't make a reputation for itself. I'm guessing that's because it was brought on the market at a time when acoustic guitars were losing favor at the end of the Folk/Rock era. Whatever the reason, this is far and away the most undervalued guitar I have ever ran across, if you find one in good condition BUY IT! I don't know if they all sound as good as this one, but if they do they are destined to become a legend in retrospect.

i have a black gloss finished dreadnought. very glossy but very easily prone to smudges.the tuners tend to become loose easily so a screwdriver comes in handy. 20 frets, sound doesnt screw up as you go up the frets so its cool. it looks very good but headstock is very simple

ah the sound. my friends love the sound cuz they borrow it to play live shows etc. like i said the sound doesnt screw up while going up the frets. hell, i can even do pinch squelies with my acoustic dreadnought!

it easily dents n colours fall apart. i had to repaint afew parts using a marker. lol. but the glossy-ness rocks

it looks as though i'll use it for another 20-30 years but i keep hitting it against walls etc. its HUMONGOUS!

i played this momma for a year or so. it has very nice sound and good looks. so i'll keep it, definately. i even named it suzy. lol.

Solid Spruce top, double ring of abalone. Old style winders. I guess this ax is from the mid '60's from the yellowing of the varnish run over the cream binding.

This is where it stands out as an exceptional insturment. It seriously gives the MArtin D-35 some low-budget competition! Awesomely loud and bright, with enough bottom to rumble your innards!
WOW!

CAme with a huge gouge in it, which made it really chep to buy. I'm sanding and refinishing, 'cause I want it to look goo on stage.
Wood is as good as a Martin. The neck is true with just a bit of fret dressing needed to stop buzzes in the root postion chords.

Weighs nearly nothing, yet has held up so far! I think it should last forever.

Have not tried this...

I give it a 9. For it's price, it's really good as a present day $1500 guitar!

The previous gentleman pretty muched summed it up. Suzuki must have had to stop making these things! This is a thousand dollar, or more, guitar. I pulled it out of someones trash, thinking I'd fix it up and give it to the kids. NO WAY! I've got several VERY expensive, well known and hand made guitars, and this thing is almost as nice sounding and put together as well as they are. 30 years old, yellowed and has the greatest sound you ever heard. I'd like to say "Thank You" to whoever it was who was silly enough to throw this baby away. You made my day!

The sound is AWESOME! Very big. LOUD GUITAR! Nice bottom, clear ringing highs. Sounds like it should have cost more than the original $600 price tag would have suggested. No noise from the frets.... And just like the previous review..STAYS IN TUNE!

Action is great. A touch high up the neck but still easy to play, and that's with Martin lights on it. Finish is like new. One or two tiny dings. Nothing serious. Very pretty top, sides and back. Killer, "thick" finish. This was NOT a once over paint job. They put some serious work into these guitars. I tried hard to find something "wrong" with the workmanship on this guitar. Couldn't find a single thing. They say that they were hand made, one at a time... I'd have to believe that. The detail is beautiful. doesn't look like the kind of thing a machine could do...

When I found it, the 3rd string peg was out of the hole but sitting in the case (obviously, not the original case. cheap cardboard...) I put it back together and it's sturdy as a rock. The tuners are a touch "loose", but hey..., they're 30 years old! Still..., I repeat..., the thing STAYS IN TUNE! You gotta love that. Overall thoughts about it's reliability/durability... ROCK SOLID!

I tried to find the company to ask about it's "worth". Closest I got was "www.suzukimusic.com". My guitar is a Suzuki Three.S. I'm assuming that somewhere along the line, Suzuki changed the instrument designation names from "F-22" to "SDG-200" (their top of the line dreadnought. Still, it'a all a guess because there doesn't seem to be anybody out there who has a clue about how to get in touch with Suzuki. Even their "CONTACT" link on their site doesn't go anywhere.

Value aside, this guitar is a monster! I've been playing for 48 years now and this is truly one of the finest guitars (and I've owned a bunch of 'em) I've ever seen. I'd sell it, but no one would probably pay what I'd have to ask for it to get what I think it's really worth. Their loss...., it's doing just fine right here next to my other guitars.

Made in the 70's, so they say. You guys covered most of it. Drednought, 14/20 frets, solid spruce top, laminated rosewood sides and back. Neck looks like mahogany. High gloss sides and back, gloss top. Enclosed square back tuners, still OK and tight, might be an ebony bridge and rosewood fretboard. Large Hex board markers at 3, 5, 7, 9, 12 and 15. May be MOP or a really good grade of mother of toilet seat. They still look good. Fretboard has no wear, frets are another story. Obvious grooving, flattening and highly worn, but still in tune without buzzing. These ratings will be for the almost 30 year old, big time heavily played guitar. New, it must have been a monster, blowing away the competition costing hundreds more.

I'm a strummer and flat picker. If my Seagull Flame Maple Artist is a 10, this sounds an 8. Strung with 10's, bright but not shrill highs, flowing mids and an even, not powerfull, but clear and present bass. Highs a 9, mids a 9, bass a 7-8. Stays in tune!

This was easily a 10 when new, but a 25-30 years it's still a 9, except for the fret wear. Fully bound top, sides and back, neck and head. Great looking rosewood head overlay with Martinesk decal on the head. Nice inlay work on the fretboard, amazing double abalone ringed sound hole rosette. DEEP gloss on the rosewood sides and back. Looks almost like a french finished gloss on the top. Beautifully executed, intracate marquetry on the back center strip.

I only play for me and the friends that I play with. Everything on this guitar has lasted soundly for almost 30 years. This thing looks like it has been played for all those years and except for the fretwear and the amazing aged top, well, I've never seen a 25-30 year old Gibson with an intact unflawed finish. Not even a hint of a blemish in the gloss, except for the light pick marks and maybe the one or two times some strapper didn't take off or cover his buckle.
This would rate a 20, but the highest on the card is a 10!

Not even a clue on how to contact the company. It is well used and I will most likely get a set-up with in a few months.

This is my to and from work, every day guitar. I play about 1.5 to 2 hours in the morning before cases start. It compares 7-8/10 with my Seagull, I'd give it a 8-9/10 to my 1983 DY73CS Yairi. Looks just like, and better than some of the Martins the same age. Sounds 7-8/10 to the D41 it copied. There is no way that Suzuki could have had afforded to keep making these guitars. I would say, that if this was made in today's economy, the F-200 would price somewhere in the $900-1200 range. I'm done buying, selling an/or trading my guitars now (that's what I tell my wife every time I buy, sell or trad a guitar). The next big guitar move, trading all my others in for, would be a Gibson L-130, for a L-140 I'd give up sex.

Simple, has Suzuki 3's on headstock. The machine heads were a bit messed up.

This thing is the guitar I write on, it is warm and has bass galore. It could use an intonation. There is another guy who posted a review as Suzuki Three S's, but he has an F-200. I love the sound.

It seems to be built like a tank, I mean the thing is obviously over 20 years old. I take her everywhere.

Dependable as all hell, dont even think of a backup. I use my Takamine acoustic/electric for gigs though. Have not tried a pickup on it yet.

Cant find anything out about them, except that they are a violin company in Nagoya, Japan. Its so solid I dont think this really applies

If I lost her, I would devistated. Enough said! Would love to hear from other cats who have this model.

This guitar was made in Japan. It was made in the 70's.typical 14frets-to-body.this guitar is without electronics.beautiful rosewood laminated back and sides,cant tell if the spruce top is laminated or solid.Neck and head bound.Similar to old Fender tuners.mahogany neck. Lightweight.

This guitar can play anything.the bass really thumps.has a rich full sound.THIS GUITAR IS LOUD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GREAT low action.you can hit this guitar as hard as you want and it doesnt buzz.There are a few scratches on the surface

I would use this guitar for a gig anytime. If i used this guitar on a gig I wouldnt have to bother with a back up. the hardware is sturdy. This guitar was used when i got it and it was missing the strap button but I made one for it.This guitar has been whacked into a gun case and it doesnt have any marks from it.

I have never had to go to the company

I have been playin for 1 1/2 years and my relatives also play. If this guitar was lost i would buy it again as fast as i could go to the store. I wish i could find the list price on this guitar. If someone stole this guitar I would hunt them done and shoot them.I would make it as painful as i could.I also play an Alvarez,Dean,Fender,and Epiphone this is my favorite dreadnought in the bunch(fender and epiphone)