Yamaha CJ-838S

Don't know exactly when it was made. Made in Taiwan I guess. I acquired it from a friend more than 25 years ago. It has an unusual jambo style body. Don't know much about the build material.

Its sound just getting better year after year, which makes me believe only the solid top can be aged to better sound. Neck is still straight after so many years, considering it has been with me to a lot of temperature zones and I never did an adjustment of its neck. It sounds very rich and good balance of 6 strings with no buzz at all. Good rich wood guitar sound without high-pitch metal ringing noise.

I never adjusted the guitar for playability. The action is low and fast. For a period of about 6 years it was stored in a high moisture rom but the finish is still great.

Considering a guitar this old and still playable, I think it is very durable. The finish is pretty tough. I won't say I took good care of it in its earlier life. But it is still in good shape. I never gig it.

no experience with customer support.

I have played guitar for 27 years. I started then classic guitar, then acoustic, and now electric bass. I played more guitars than I can remember, but only own few of them. Maybe I am used to this CJ-838S. Others I played just don't feel as homey. This one just sounds much richer and better balance than some young and famous ones. It looks very special. If it is stolen, I can only wish I could find one again. It is priceless.

This jumbo is apparently modelled on the gibson and though i've never played the famous j200 i'd be very happy if it sounded like the Yamaha cj838.
Its made to a high standard with a solid spruce top and mine has extremely narrow grain making it very strong and using heavy strings have never been a problem for me over the past 20 years with it.
The back and sides are laminated rosewood that looks beautiful and dosen't seem to take away from the sound as the sound has all the dynanism and range and volumn that you could possibly expect.
The neck is mahagony with a rosewood fretboard that again has perfect (as perfect as my ear can detect) all the way up at least to the 17th fret so i can tune using 14th fret for example. Or check tuning. Whatever! The fretboard has a nice binding to finish it off nicely and make it more comfortable to play and slide your fretting hand around on.
Tuners are yamaha and always stay in tune and have a smooth consistent feel making tuning a breez.

As stated above the sound is that expected of the top shelf guitars. Low C tuning has all the volumn and subtlty you would want. Great for fingerpicking, for example love playing led zep's 'Bron-yr-stomp' on itand just as much Zeps 'Ramble on' so for me has as many attributes for a strummer as it does for a picker.
Tried many strings on it over the years and have never been able to really settle on any particular string bercause they all sound good on this guitar.

Top notch. What more can i say. After 20 odd yearsthis guitar still has perfect alignment and its been banged around. One thing that should be noted about this guitar is that its built like a tank. Well, not built like a tank but is as strong as a tank, oh yes, also built, its the heaviest acoustic i've ever held but it looks fine.
I only give it a 9 because i picked it up in a pawn shop for a couple of hundred bucks and surely i should leave at least 1 point more for those guitars that costs thousands.

After 20 odd years of bouncing around on the back seat of my car and been climbed all over by the young ones its still in perfect alignment. A lot of dings and scratchs but action, intonation and sound still worth that of a top shelf guitar.

Don't know.

As stated above. This guitar is a hidden gem. Was so lucky to come across it. Been my main guitar for 20 years. love playing it. Could do with what would be its first re-fretting but still very playable.

Spruce Top Indian Rosewood back and sides mohagany neck this guitar is thick heavy, built very well, to get a guitar of this calibour will cost alot!

Best ever had im lucky to own it its indian rosewood body with spruce top has sweet''nice tone!

This guitar was set up after just like the gibson western jumbo nice low action easy playability''

Tuff as a guitar can get! Ive owned mine for 16 years,its around 25 years old it still looks ,plays better than any Martin i ever played!

Never Had To Have it Repaired.

Been playing for 17 years i also play a Banjo.All i can say if you ever get a chance to own a Yamaha cj-838s you better jump to it! look for the two diamonds on the head stock!

Ok i am a yamaha fan i think they do some great guitars i have quite a few but this is my best one cj 838s. i also own 3 handmade guitars all from solid top grade woods aaa spruce and best rosewood i know the guy that made them and how he did it . The best one is owned by a friend of mine whoooo doesnt play guitar really and having an inquiring mind i decided the main difference was the the thickness of the wood his was a bit thicker there lies i believe the quality that provides quality of tone .The yam 838 is a heavy guitat and alsoi has a quality sound. THe bodystyle is country jumbo j200 style i believe gibson tried to sue them when they bought out this guitar. the finish is very good better than any of my other yams pearl inlays on fretboard bound neck sides etc greatquality wood .Yamaha grover type tuners a very solid box that really oozes quality.smooth all over nice colours.Mine has a pickup fitted and graphic so we are sorted here also has great action.

This guitar is the best i have and as good as i have heard my style is strumming and picking up and down lenghth of fret board no probs here .The sound is very good i have guitarsthat sound warmer but this is a great full bright deep sound that i like the only guitar that i have heard like it was a guild d55. it is rather heavy but that i believe is where the sound comes from .i love all guitars but especially this one.

Really the only faultwith finish is the binding at the bottom strap button is not perfectly smooth like all the rest it looks pure quality even to a casual obsever.

this guitar is 20 years old it looks fantastic . The hardwear looks like it will outlast me probably will

dont know

Been playing 35 years own 15 guitars inc electric all different like kids but this ones going to study for a phd at cambridge and get first class honours played a #3000 taylor and id say sounded thinner than this beaut and no brighter, neck a little better phaps(but not much). I like all us guitar anoraks have been looking for a great guitar (there is no best guitar ) hence 15 guitars I have done the music shops playing them all havent you? This is a great guitar if you see one try it you may not like it all the rest of the cj838 might be rubish but this ones a corker ill never sell it.
Tips for yams the bigger the no the better it is usually ie fg2000 better than fg 1500 etc. S means solid (sb sunburst)if they look quality they probably are (ie binding and inlays etc look for grain inside for solid guitars if its got a solid back it will have a solid top .They made some bloody great guitars just a bum marketing policy .
thats all folks