Yamaha CG-100 A

Features are as mentioned by numerous reviewers. Serial # would indicate it was made in early 1990s. Tuners are cheap, and G-string consistently goes flat after a week or two.

Although I have played guitar for 35+ years, this is my first "classical" guitar. I was surprised at its richness of tone and sustainability.

Action excellent for its age, no bridge "bulge," no finish cracks, checkering. Previous owner(s) obviously cared for it well.

See above. Well-preserved and well-cared-for. I have owned it for only 6 months, bought at an antique store in Prosser, WA, for $30 (no case). Having played numerous guitars over 3 decades, I would not hesitate to take on stage, but my playing style demands that I also have a dreadnaught-type steel-stringed guitar (I have an old D-28 and a Hummingbird).

N/A

For my needs, this guitar is perfect---it fits its niche as well as any nylon-string guitar I've tried. I'm still far more comfortable playing either my D-28 or Hummingbird, but at least for me, getting this guitar for $30 was probably the best deal I've made!

18 fret
front has nice finish
back a little hazy clear coat

great for my needs
sitting home with friends
and picking tunes

great full sounding guitar
long sustain
nice wide neck

this little baby
stays in tune quite well
brought at a flea market which
might explain the hazy finish

never played out with this guitar
hardware seems pretty solid
CG-100A seems capable of holding
a tune all by its lonesome

never used support

23 years playing
also own ovation guitar
and prefer the 100A
love the rich bright sound

*Cheap* tuners. Tuner keys collect dirt and look lousy. Divets in key plastic from cheap molding looks crappy. Comes with cardboard case usable for storage and not much else. Handle on case is rediculous for hanging on to. Very cheap.

This is my second classical guitar, my first was an inexpensive used Roccoman. Compared to my first guitar the sound on this one is an improvement. I'll trust the other reviewers who probably have more experience rating the sound.

The glaze finish has for some reason taken on a bluish hazy look on the back, the base of the neck, and in the curves on the sides. It was stored in it's case out of the sun by the one person who had it before me. The fret dots on the left side of the neck are cheapishly done, you can see streakishly see wood through the paint around them. A couple of dimples in the glaze. The nut definately has a cheap factory made look to it. The base of the fretboard where it slants down to meet the body has glaze on the right side messily and not on the left.

The hardware is CHEAP. Friction between gears and keys makes a raspy sound. I was seriously unimpressed. It does play nicely though. The finish seems decent enough. The actual construction seems pretty solid.

n/a

The sound is pretty good. The finish and details are a bit like it was trainee day at the factory, the quality control is poor. Would I replace this one with one exactly like it? No. I probably wouldn't get another Yamaha. After this experience I would say their finish quality sucks. And I say that having had an even cheaper guitar before I got the Yammy. It plays pretty but the finish and hardware will *NOT* impress you.

I bought this classical acoustic in 1991 or thereabouts; cost #150. Its a solid spruce top with solid back/sides of mahogany, and (I think) a mahogany neck; 18 frets; lovely glossy varnished finish.

I play classical and blues for my own amusement at home, using finger-picking style.The sound of this guitar has a rich,full sound, with crispness and good balance in the mid, treble and bass ranges and its a pleasure to play. The overall tone has mellowed over the 13 years I've had it, and it has a good sustain for a nylon-stringed guitar.

I bought this guitar 'off the shelf' with factory setup and it has always played well - no fret buzzes etc.m and an easy action. The build quality and finish are superb,and haven't changed one iota over the 13 years I've played it; recently I've noticed an almost invisible 'bloom' effect at the varnish/underlying wood interface, which can only be seen in bright sunlight at a particular angle, and in no way detracts from the overall appearance. (I suspect it is an effect of age).

The guitar has never been played for public performance, but it has had lots of regular playing over 13 years and shows no wear anywhere. The neck/body joint is rock-solid,no warping/cracking; the action hasn't moved, and it stays in tune for days on end.

Never had cause to seek customer support. No problems.

I've been playing this guitar for 13 years, and for the price I paid its a great purchase. Incidentally, I played a Yamaha trombone for 12 years in a Trad Jazz group, and also play a Yamaha keyboard. Both are great products. I'm about to buy a steel-stringed baby jumbo ( a Cort NTL 20)for playing blues on, just as an alternative instrument, but I doubt I shall neglect the CG100A! And, finally, NO, I'm not a PR man for Yamaha! I just think their products are great value for money.

-it is not dress up well with furniture
-the neck has some problems of cracking laminate deep down into the neck wood
-plastic nut
-finger board is wide but not thick
-it can be modified easily

-long resonance
-low sound of 3rd fret natural harmonic
-mega bass sound for line 4 5 6
-clean sound for sweeping

strong enough
I smash the body with the wall so many times but the body still OK

nothing to say
I never contact them again

I have 7 guitars (1classic 1folk 1electric folk 2electric 2banjo) but I like my yamaha classic guitar the most

My dad bought this guiutar when I was 13 in 1993
It's made in Taiwan. i have no idea what kind of wood it is. I would have thought that all CG100a use the same wood. I did however see ssome that were made in indonesia and they were so CRAP, lacquer not put on properly, bits sticking out in corners etc. plus the sound was plain awful

The sound so far is UNMATCHED. I have played classical guitars that were 5 times more expensive. There is a clarity in this guitar taht I have not heard anywhere else. The sound is ruch and warm. the only thing I think is alittle crappy is the G string, it's a little muffled

the finish has lasted 11 years still looks new froma distance. Ithas sustained many knocks and only recently developed a slight crack where the neck meets the body.

This guitar needs little tuning and holds the tune pretty well. It is a very durable guitar. I will never ever sell this baby. My dad bought it for me and there are so many happy memories tied in with it. It was my first guitar and that means so much.. I am sure you all know what I am talking about.

Never had problems

Have been playing for 11 years. I would recommend this guitar to anyone, especially beginners

-sleek figure-eight body
-detatchable bridge
-strong tuning pegs
-suffice sound hole...not too large, not too small
-beautiful mexican/tribal design aroun sound rim
-with what looks like rosewood neck and mahogony body
-laminated shine on both body and neck back
-thick neck, plenty of finger room
-no fingerdots, great for discipline
-works great with steel, bronze, or nylon strings
-stays in tune
-tuners do not turn that easily when touched
-guitar adatable to both left-handed and right-handed string set ups

-bold and lulling-like, depending on use
-vibration is long-lasting
-piano-like sound when picked
-body gives bass strings a metallic-like sound with hammer ons and offs, as well as pull-offs
-ideal for island, folk, country, liturgical, some metal, alternative, and much more
-great in picking
-works good with medicine bottle slides and capos
-adapts well to any type of pick, metal or plastic

-bridge is perfect, and well proportioned
-tuning pegs have proven to be quite precise
-versatile in any song in any musical performance
-great in unplugged performances
-perfect for teaching
-easiy maintained

When I had bought the CG100A back in 1997-98, I just thought it to be just a regular guitar. throughout the years, I have purchased other guitars, no matter the size or type, they just don't match up to the CG100A. The CG100A has been through hell, but still manages to keep it's antique look. No matter what happens to it, it still keeps it's shine. A year ago I had accidentally cracked part of the neck and I was going to throw it away when we had a party and my uncle started playing it. It still sounded great! The CG100A sounds great live, unplugged, with a clip-mic, and even when pojected into a standing mic. So far the CG100A hasn't failed me yet. I take it everywhere. Other guitars can't make some songs sound the way the CG100A can make them sound.It even sounded great when recorded it on home video. All in all, I would never trade it for anything. I've heard and played the CG101 and still prefer the CG100A over it! Some of my friends are wondering what happened to it. Yamaha had produced one great guitar!

I've never had to take my CG100A in for any type of maintaince because the way yamaha had designed it, made it so conveinient in assembly that I've always maintained it myself. I bought this guitar when I was 7th grade. It was my first one. I had always had my eye on it every time I went to that store. In fact if at any time I did need to seek advice, I always went back to the store to talk to the salesman who sold it to me. It's great! This guitar gave me more than great music, it also made me friends with that salesman whom I up to this very day still works at that very store selling Yamaha products.

I have been playing guitar since the 2nd grade, but didn't own a guitar until my 7th grade year.If it was stolen or lost, I would try my best to find it and purchase it again. I love and appreciate everything about it. Wouldn't chnge a thing.I did compare it to others, the CG101 and the F-301. I think the CG100A has the ability to produce similar sounds. I only wish that other people were able to share the same thoughts and appreciation that I have for the CG100A. even though Yamaha no longer manufactures the CG100A, that gives me more bragging rights and reason treasure it even more! thank you Yamaha:)

Made in Asia, Korean I think
19 Frets
6 Nylon Strings
Rather Wide Neck
Tuners look crappy but very effective

Wonderful sounds. Originally bought for my sister, i borrowed it a while ago and it sounds full and very good. This guitar has been through heaps......bumps, knocks, and several airplane rides across Australia and it manages to stay in tune very well.

A rather wide neck makes thumbing difficult some times. Lots of finger space. Rather dodgy looking tuning pegs but work remarkable well

Would work as a gig guitar with proper sound equipment. Would certainly last any travel or movement and tuning is excellent. Have actually used in a small gig, 500 capacity. Had a backup but didn't need. A good mic and it sounds great!

Never needed, but have worked with Yamaha equipment and customer support for their electones and questions answered quickly and problem was soon resolved

Ace.
Best Acoustic Guitar For The Money By Far
While it visually might not look the best, you can't judge a book by it's cover
You must hear it first before making your descion.

Purchased in 1989. Made in Taiwan. Cedar top, nato sides and back. Wide neck. 19 frets. Gloss finish very durable, still looks very good. Tuning machine works fine, although the plastic knobs look somewhat cheap. Classical guitar; no electronics. Had to buy case separately.

Very sweet sound. Perfect for contemporary church music. I love the way Beatles tunes sound from this guitar. Suits my musical tastes perfectly.

I love the dark cedar wood color. No cosmetic defects noted. I'm not an expert regarding the innards, but it still sounds great after continuous playing over 13 years. I can still smell the glue smell faintly through the sound hole.

I've travelled cross-country twice with it, and it's been mailed by UPS cross-country twice. I'm still amazed at how well this guitar still looks and sounds. It is quite heavy compared to the current classical guitars made by Yamaha and other makers. I wonder if it's the bracing or simply the gauge of the laminate wood they used to make the back and sides. I went to my local guitar store and none of the new classical guitars were even close to being as heavy as this guitar, even the ones made by Yamaha. It has the feel of being indestructible, as it is so heavy and solidly built.

I never had to call customer support for this guitar.

I originally wanted to upgrade my CG 100A. But then I took it in to my local guitar shop, and learned first of all, that Yamaha no longer makes this model, and secondly, that the quality and feel of the current classical guitars is really cheap. The big baby Taylor, for example, sounded fine, but it is so light and flimsy feeling that I felt that if it ever dropped even once, it'd be seriously and irreparably damaged. I decided to keep my CG 100A. I will never sell this guitar. I hope to keep playing it for many more years, and I will give to my baby daughter when she is old enough to play it. Why did they stop making this guitar? Why are the new Yamaha and other classical guitars built so lightweight?

Typical korean made guitar. has 20 frets on the fingerboard, but the sound hole cuts into the 20th, so its really 19. the body style is very standard and not much to look at. This is a functional guitar to the exclusion of visual beauty. The tuners are ugly-white and very clumsy, as is the entire neck, but again, this is a purely visual concern, and has no effect what-so-ever on the guitars playability. Tuners seem to be poor quality, but really arent, theyve never let me down so far. The neck is very wide, so u wont be able to wrap around, other the hand theres lots of room for your fingers, which is nice. Can be hard to barre sometimes.

I mostly play acoustic rock and the likes, which seems to suit this guitar very nicely. It has a very rich, warm sound. Lots of low end. No buzz. ever. A VERY good sounding guitar, even compared to more expensive models. Quality and price doesnt always go hand in hand, (which is a nice thing to find!)

The factory setup was... perfect. I havent changed a single thing yet. (ive played it regularly for about 7 years) There werent any flaws either, except one of the tuners (the G) doesnt turn smoothly. Has no negative effect though, except a little annoying when tuning.

This guitar could be used for hammering in nails, playing baseball and shovelling dirt - and it would still be scratch-free and in perfect playing condition. This is the most dependable little thing ive ever owned.

no idea. there hasnt been a single problem with this baby yet.

my dad bought this guitar for me, when i was 10 years old. now im 20, and ive played this guitar for 7 of the 10. If u are learning guitar, this is the perfect starting instrument. its good quality and still easily affordable.

From what I can tell the top is laminated, scalloped bracing. Rather crude tuners. The neck is fairly wide but soooo comfortable.

This guitar has a very sweet and mellow sound. I play mostly classic rock tunes on it, Beatles, Led Zepp and you can get funky with it if you jam with care. Dont expect to get monster bends or thrash with it because its not made for it. Ideal for soft melodies.

Ok, the cosmetics on this guitar suck in apperance but it's tougher than hell. I've droped this thing, it's fallen off the wall, smacked it into the coffee table and it's almost always still in tune. The white plastic saddle located in the bridge has a tendency to fall out when I'm changin strings so watch that.

This guitar could easily be giged with without backup (I've done it) however you need to add a pickup because it's a nylon string, pretty quite unless youre playing in a church or something. I suspect this guitar is going to last for many many years, like I said, it's pretty tough.

Never had to call them, sorry

The thing I love about this guitar is the size and ease of handling. To this day, I compare every new acoustic I am interested in against this little yamaha. If your just starting to play, I can easily recommend this guitar

My guitar was originally bought for my mother. She hadn't played it for years when I "borrowed" it some 15 years ago. so I'm figuring this guitar is about 25 years old (because the case had a peter paul and mary book in it dating to 1974). The neck is quite wide and I sometimes find it hard to wrap the thumb. The nylon strings allow me to bend almost all the way across the board. The top I guess is spruce. The tuners are cheap...but will hold the tuning. oh, and it's asian made, korean i believe.

I use this almost exclusively for finger picking. For as cheap as this guitar is, it has a very mellow full sound. The bass could ring a little better. it could be louder (but then again, the other campfire guitar is a yamaha 12 sting which is loud). And don't ever compare it to a 53' martin. (drool drool..but then again there's a small car difference in price). if you bang on it, it starts to sound out of tune. it's meant to be played gently, but can do some of the heavy work. Basic, gentle, warm.

still looks ok after 25 years. the action is fine. the machine heads (as stated before) are cheap. don't expect to be able to bend the neck, it's stiff.

really, if you're playing live gigs, there are better guitars you should be looking at. if you're looking to learn, this is a pretty good guitar for the money. this finish has lasted well, but there is one issue with the neck...the area where the neck and body meet, the finish has cracked. I play this guitar on the dock, by the campfire, just about everywhere but underwater. it travels well. in the trunk on the x-country route, the 12 string mentioned earlier cracked, this didn't.

never had the notion to call them. I doubt they'd really do anything for me, but then again...don't have a real issue to call about.

I've been playing for 15 years...this has been with me the whole time. it's what I learned on. I think this lends to my overall ablity to finger pick better then all my friends who learned on electric guitars. but then again, I can't flat pick very quickly. The guitar has mellowed a bit and still sounds good. If you're looking to begin spanish or classical guitar, you can't go wrong. I still play it...how bad can it be.

A great beginning piece. but after 4-5 years, you'll start to look for a higher end guitar. Check out the martin D-28. You'll see what I'm talking about.

This guitar has a great sound. It has a great clean deep sound even when I play High scaled chords (like C on the 8th fret), it's also have a very direct sound.
The sound is great for playing a guitar version of common songs (Which I do with my friends) and for playing spanish flamenco. I also like the sound of classic tunes on it.
It's good for both stfumming or popie songs. and has a great sound for both backup, rhythem and solo.

The Guitar is made from a fine strong wood covered with a thin layer of lak.
I don't have the energy to be more specific, but if it's so critical, read the review before me.
I think this guitar is beautifull.
The fretboard is very comfortable and it has a great action.
The guitar is made so good it's imposible to see the acoustic body top, sides and bottom are seperate.
There is a little flaw, the last fret's (not on the neck, the totally last one) metal peice was cut in the middle so this fret is no good for the 2 middle strings.

I had this guitar for about 17 months now. it was beaten up, pounded against walls, falling down - not even a bruise.
Once my friend dropped a full 1.5 litres soda bottle from my bed (about 6 ft. high) on it, what's only caused a little external crack.
The tuning keys are very delicate, and it's hard to tune. But the tunning lasts as long as nothing touches any of'em.
I could tune it every 2 weeks and it wouldn't bother me.

I never had any problem.

I got it after 8 months of playing a shitty guitar my fother has found on the street, and the diffrence was great. I think this guitar has a great sound, and it's comfortable, not to manssion I rarly have to tune it.
I've been playing it whole nights without it's loosing it's tuning.
It's great for classic rock as well as Flamenco. It's also great for rhythem.
It's very well done, and it's a strong, solid guitar which can take about anything.
I think this guitar is the best accoustic guitar I've ever played (except a 220 million dollars worth of one, but that doesn't count)
And, i've been playing many.

Get it, now.

This is a Classical Guitar with Spruce Top, Nato Back & Sides, Bubinga Fingerboard, Nato Neck and Chrome-Plated Tuners.

I've had this guitar for 5 years now and for the price I paid ($155), I think the sound is great. It is full and rich. Lots of lows, few highs. I play mostly folk rock (strumming) and fingerpicking tunes. I don't know Spanish classical, but have had others play that style on it and it sounds great.

No set-up needed. The action is perfect. It rises slightly as you descend along the fret (high bridge?) but I think this is a standard feature of Classical guitars.

I am pretty clumsy. I leave my guitar lying around the apartment and it constantly falls or receives abuse from nearby microwave oven doors, falling metal chairs, Timberland shoes and the like. I have travelled with it alot. I can count maybe twice where the guitar has fallen out of tune after the spill, let alone suffer any structural damage. I give my highest marks on this category as well as Sound. The gloss finish protects from scratches although it tends to attract fingerprints. Buy some guitar cleaning fluid and a lint free cloth to preserve the finish and woods -- it's worth it.

I haven't had to deal with Yamaha personally. The guitar came with a one year parts & labor warranty but I didn't need it. I suppose other manufacturers provide better warranties, but when you have a guitar that's "low-maintenance" like this one, it's a non-issue.

This is the guitar I basically learned on and I couldn't conceive of how the experience would have been better. I am nostalgic writing this because I am transitioning to a steel string and am in a way closing a chapter of my life with my Yamaha CG-100 A. But it will always be my baby and my first love. Not just because I learned on it, but because of the beautiful sound and look. It has given me hours of enjoyment and genuine pleasure. It is just right for me. If it was stolen, I would cry, but would immediately go out and buy the exact same model, which I've noticed is still being retailed. It is the very definition of value for money. Get it!