Yamaha FG-335II

Spruce top, mahogany sides and back, nato neck, indian rosewood bridge and figerboard.
dreadnaught style with great Yamaha Japan tuners
the neck is perfect size, feel and look
natural/glossy finish
the strange thing about this guitar is that it was made in the transition from Japan to Taiwan and therefore the tuners say "Japan" whereas the inside label says "Taiwan". this just adds to how unique this guitar is

personally i tend to play alot of The Who/Townshends work and i find this idealy suited. although it is a dreadnought it sounds like a jumbo.
crisp highs and perfect lows. the way it has been set up, this guitar is often compared with Martins. even a D45 owner was amazed at this 27 year old guitar that sold for $245 originally (i paid ??90 for it from my uncle [ex-D41 owner, current-S.Yairi owner] who wanted me to have an amazing guitar but didnt want to charge me much) sounded as good as the D45.

in sessions with Gibson and Martin galore, my Yamaha and his S.Yairi ring out above them all

iv only owned this guitar for about a year and from day one i knew the action was perfect, the intonation was spot on and the fit was second to none. the look and feel of this guitar is excellent, gorgeous wood was used (and the wear and tear on the top makes it even better)

the fact that this guitar is one of the early ones off the production line in 1981 with all original hardwear (i knicked the S.Yairi tuners coz he had grovers on his recently) with no rust, no defects whatsoever and only a previous owners marks on it show that this guitar has lasted, and will last for many years to come
i have used this live on several occasions and it has never failed me, not even a busted string once on it...
id use this without any backup....or PA....thats how good it feels, sounds and performs in all way, shapes and forms

never had to use it

i have been playing for 7 years and have only come across 3 other guitars that compared with this at all. it is a pleasure to record with and goes great with my large capsule mic and my mbox 2 mini.
i would be absolutely heartbroken if this was lost or stolen and i would travel to hell and back to get it back to me.
i love everything about this guitar and cant find one single flaw
as i have said, it has been compared to Martin's and Gibson's and has turned many heads, i dont think il ever need another acoustic.

only one thing is bugging me.....should i drill it to fit my new Baggs M1 Active? or keep it with the gaffar tape in tact? someone help me decide.....please....

Mine is a dreadnought. I'm not sure about the woods. Tuners are nice and do pretty well. Not as well as my Taylor, but pretty good for a cheap guitar. This guitar was made in 1982 I believe. I think it is a laminated top. No pickups on mine.

This guitar sounds amazing. Anyone who listens to it marvels about the sound. Ths guitar sounded good when I bought it fro $125 at a yard sale, but after some work, it simply sounds amazing. It rivals the sound of my Taylor 314CE. It's different and maybe not quite as consistent of a sound, but for the price difference, WOW!

The action was high, but not bad when I bought it. It was an excellent guitar to learn on. Then I had a set up done, put new ebony bridge pins, and had a bone saddle made. After that this guitar simply plays amazing. It plays as well as my Taylor after the adjustments. And for $300 total investment, you can't beat it!

This guitar seems like it will last forever. It was made in 1982 and I have had mine for 12 of those years. It plays well every time and stays in tune pretty well. I would use this on any gig although mine is not acoustic electric. I have played numerous church gatherings with only this guitar and I have complete confidence in it. Very solid after some adjustments

No dealings.

I have been playing for about 13 years. I own a Taylor 314CE acoustic and a Fender American Strat also. Yes I would buy another guitar like this one. It is a great guitar to play outside by the fire, etc. It sounds and plays great and if something happens to it it would not be a huge financial loss like with the Taylor. This would also make a super beginner guitar for a beginner. Keep in mind fi you get one of these, get a setup if it hasn't had one. I love the tone and easy playability of this guitar. I don't hate anything. It is also very pretty wood.

A basic inexpensive acoustic made in Taiwan. It says so on the label inside the body (try looking there first...). Tuners could be better but are reasonable. Overall finish quite good and fully acceptable at the price.

I liked the sound and finish/price ration and that was why I bought the guitar. I am not too keen on very sparkly acoustics for practice/non-studio use. It is actually guite good for slide playing.

The finish was flawless at the time of purchase.

The reliability has been good. I have used the guitar relentlesly for 25 years, and it is still playable, for home use, but it is seriously worn.
I ought to spend a little on restoring it with new tuners and bridge (the plastic part where the strings are fitted at the body is worn down) and the saddle should be replaced as well. Considering I have owned the guitar roughly 25 years I think the quality of workmanship is very high.

???

This guitar has been my main guitar for ca. 25 years. It's the one I've been playing watching brainles TV, writing songs, recording demos for the band and for a few studio demos as well. I can only say I have been more than happy with this guitar. It is my friend.

This was my first guitar received as a gift over 20 years ago...it is an early 1980's model. Cant really tell if it is a solid top but it is spruce. The wood is beautiful as is the whole finish of this guitar. No electronics. made in Taiwan but the nuts are made in Japan.

After 20 years of usage it still sounds good. The bass response is better than the treble without sounding boomy.

No flaws whatsoever....Never did any adjustments and the action is still good. I will eventually get the action lowered a bit. Everything is well setup on this guitar. It was really well made

@0 years of usage without a problem speaks for itself. This guitar is a tank ! Its been through camping, frying in the sun, kids banging away on it, drops, being banged on a chair...you name it ! There is barely any wear and tear to notice on it

never had to deal with Yamaha but they are a well respected company

This is has been a great guitar for me. It is a left handed model and was my first guitar. They do not make this model anymore but if you are looking for a backup guitar that is made rock solid with a good sound find a used one ! I have not "outgrowm" this guitar and will always keep it. I am now looking for a 12 string guitar and will probably purchase a Norman...they sound great. I strongly recommend this Yamaha

This dreadnought was made in the early to mid- 70s. 20 frets, no pickup. Solid top, probably spruce. Probably rosewood fingerboard. Tuners are standard metal Yamaha metal tuners, tarnished and too easy to fall out of tune, but that's pretty much my only regret with this guitar. I bought it used and sight unseen from five years ago from an e-dealer in California and have never regretted it. The finish is thick and still shiny, and for the money, I can't imagine finding a guitar that sounds so good and would hold up so well so long. I should get those tuners replaced.

I play folk, alt. country, acoustic rock, singer-songwriter--strum, fingerpick, and pick. I've used this with a Fender Acoustisonic amp and mic'd it and currently either mic and run through my little Roland or use a Fishman soundhole pickup through it. The sound is amazing--rich and warm, prone to a little low-end boom but beautiful from low through mid-tones. It's not bright--some might like a Martin sound better--but I've gotten compliments from every player who's ever heard it.

This guitar had seen 25 years of play before I got it, and except for a few chips on the backside, the finish is beautiful and there's no visible damage anywhere. It's a tank, and the finish is thick--I've banged my share of tables and chairs in coffeehouses and churches. The action is low--came to me that way--and this things almost plays itself. Ample room for picking, but strums well with a pick.

I'm down to one axe now, so I use this to both practice and play gigs. I do coffeehouses, bookstores, and churches, and haul it across the country without incident. It's been on planes, and while I usually gate-check it, it handles baggage claim just fine. As I said, the finish is thick and beautiful, and this thing seems indestructible. I'm sure they don't make them this way anymore.

Never had to deal with Yamaha, but I want to pass on my regards--this is a beautifully-made guitar, and I couldn't afford it's like these days.

i've been playing off and on for thirty years; I used to play primarily rock and blues, then retooled myself as an acoustic singer-songwriter under the influence of this guitar and the joy of playing alone without cometing egos. I've had other guitars--most recently a cheap but enjoyable Yamaha acoustic-electric--and also play keyboards and drums. If this guitar were stolen or lost, I would enter a funk that would be difficult to repair. If I could find another vintage FG-335 I'd buy it; otherwise I'd steal my dad's vintage Gibson or get a mid-range Martin. You'd have to spend that much at least to come anywhere near the sound of this guitar.

This is a 1983 Taiwan made laminated spruce top dreadnaught. (I ran the serial number thru Yahamha; they confirmed that all '80's FG335II models were indeed laminated tops-regardless of what others here have stated-unless it carries a 'S' designation). 14 frets, laminated mahogany back and sides, nato neck, rosewood fingerboard, no electronics. Heavy transparent gloss finish throughout. Crappy chrome Yamaha tuners, won't stay in tune for long. Came with a lined cheapo case.

Sound is pretty good, surprisingly good for a laminated top. It's warm, good low and mids, decent overtones. This is not a bright guitar, lacking in highs and somewhat muddy, but still sounds nice, definatly not a packing crate with strings. Good for blues strumming, great jazz sounds, best at moderate to low volumes.

Action is good, neck straight, it's a smooth easy player. Face it , this was and is a cheaper guitar, and the overall fit and finish reflects it. Top was nicely bookmatched, though, and with the exception of the tuners, the instrument appears to be better made than many others around this price range. Twenty years have given a nice patina to the top.

Seems on the light side. The used one I got looked as if it had been around the block a couple of times, but still was holding up well. Thick finish. Loose tuners, loose strap knob. But I wouldn't call it junk.

Can't answer intelligently, but I liked that fact that I could research this oldie through Yamaha and received a prompt response from thier guitar support site. Based on that alone, I'll give 'em good marks.

I am an intermediate player, and play a Strat and a G50 Garrison. I got the Yamaha to use as a beater, and because I liked the "vintage" aspect about it. I had always heard that early '80's Yamahas were decent, and thought they were all solid tops, not true as mentioned above. However, I like it. It sounds good, it plays well, and is nice looking. My daughter actually prefers the warm sound. I compared this against low end lam top Fender, Samick and other cheaper guitars, and this one really outshines them. (..though my Garrison eats it for lunch). As mentioned, the only real drawback is the tuners. Overall, it has a surprisingly good sound for the money, and I'd recommend it over all the sub $200 guitars that I've heard or played.

Made in the early 80's and has a solid spruce top typical Dreadnaught size and neck seems a normal size, I own a 1 3/4 and this is thinner.
Sides and back are mahogany I think, basic Yamaha tuners. Has aftermarket pick ups inside.

I use this in a Gospel setting and it sounds marvelous. I own a Yamaha FG-110 and a Collings D2h, this sounds in between the two, definately not a collings and yet it plays consistant mellow basses and tight sounding highs. Full conistant sound. No dislikes.

Action is low, may have been done at factory or not but it never buzzes, built tough and has aged very well, nice color and finish.

For the age it has endured well and the finish still shines, No doubt about the future of it as long as it is care for.

Yamaha has an excellent reputation in almost everything they make, Their website is excellent, but I haven't had to deal w/them.

Been Playing 3 years and own FG-110 restrung lefty, Collings Lefty D2H, and this is a lefty FG-335II, if this were stolen or lost I would buy another.
favorite feature is its consistancy especially for the price.

The FG-335II is a basic acoustic dreadnought, made in Taiwan. I don't know what type of woods it was made from, optically it looks like a body maple / top spruce / fretboard rosewood combination, but then it may only look that way. Features Yamaha standard tuners, nothing special here. Good looking natural wood appearance.

I bought it 20 years ago, around 1983, new. This guitar is, of course no longer made, but you may come up with a used one. I am writing this review as a payback to the reviews I am currently reading for the new guitar I want to buy.

With .12 and .13 strings, the sound of the guitar is warm, but also very fat and boomy. The lower strings (E and A) have quite a strong presence and on continuous strumming there is also a continuous boom backing the music. This could suit you if you are trying to play heavy metal with an acoustic, but if you are into softer styles of music like Crosby, Stiils, Nash, Paul Simon etc the booming will annoy you.

A pleasant side effect of this, is that the guitar produces good jazz tones that closely resemble the sound of big jazz hollowbodies.

Changing the strings to .11 balances the guitar better. With .10 strings the sound of the instrument is very thin. I use .11 strings for years now.

The finish of the guitar was very good for a relatively cheap guitar. The coating of the top is very thick, definitely affecting the sound of the guitar.

The action was very high, and the guitar was very difficult to play. When I bought it, I had no experience on these things. Through the years, I lowered the nut (once) adjusted the truss rod (3 times) and lowered the bridge (3 times) and now the guitar is easy to play with no fret buzz. You will have to adjust every guitar you buy, anyway. If you can't do it yourself, consider the cost of the professional who will do it for you.

The guitar finish proved amazingly durable. I have taken the guitar everywhere (mountains and seas, indoors and outdoors), in a soft case, and it still looks like new.

The frets and fretboard show relatively little wear for the years. Very good considering that I have a heavy grip. The tuners need replacement. All of them.

The hole for the E string peg has widen with use and I am using a fatter peg than the original.

However, the guitar finally reached the end of its enjoyable life.

The neck of the guitar developed a slight bend towards the treble strings, a fault the truss rod won't fix. There is also some top arching, this could be fixed with a new adjustment of the bridge. The result is that the guitar has lost its intonation and doesn't sound good beyond the 7th fret. I must tune it slightly off to get a moderate result up to the 12th fret.

Less than perfect tunning kills me, can't enjoy playing, so I guess that was it. Time for something new.

I can't tell if this was the result of the travels and the changing conditions it was exposed to. I certainly did not cross the African continent with the guitar and I did everything reasonable to protect the instrument.

It lasted 20 happy years, anyway.

Never needed customer support when the guitar was new. I don't think there's any point in contacting them now, this is no vintage guitar.

I am an amateur, playing for about 20 years. This was my main guitar. Although I bought it blindly (I was an absolute beginner), I never regretted it.

I own two of these, and both were made in the 80's. They are no frills, but very well built guitars. Good solid feel, with quality finish. No mother of pearl, but just solidly made. This is a solid spruce top, that just rings.

I bought my first FG 335II a year ago, and immediately fell in love. It has such a beautiful mellow sound. It rings from highs to lows, with a marvelous booming bass. I have strung my second one with bright sounding strings, and it sounds like a totally different instrument, but continues to ring from top to bottom.

I have never had to do anything to the set up of either guitar. They seemed to play like exact twins. In fact until I changed the strings, the only way I could distinguish the two was that I had two different colored straps. The only thing that I wish were provided on this item is a top strap button.

The wood matching was marvelously done.

This guitar will definitely take a beating and keep on going. They gone on since the 80's and are going strong. I don't hesitate to use these to gig with.

Have never dealt with the company.

I've been involved in music all of my life. I started playing guitar about 15 years ago, and then lost one of my fingers in an accident, so I had to go left handed. This took a major adjustment, but has finally worked out. If this guitar were lost or stolen, I'd have one consolation, I own another one. My reason in buying two was that everything else frustrated me, because it didn't sound like this thing. It's absolutely great!!!!!! I am constantly on the look out for good guitars, and If I get the chance I buy another. I intend to set myself up for life with these things. This thing has a thick neck, which was difficult to get used to at first, but I've grown to love it. I own many other guitars, two FG 335II's, an Alvarez RD 30; A vintage Aria Diamond, a marvelous high end Classical, and a cheap Premiere Acoustic, and cheap electric. I have no intentions of getting rid of these things. I've played many very nice guitars, and these are every bit as good, in the sound that it delievers. You will not be disappointed.

I checked the serial number just inside the lip of the sound hole with Yamaha.ca serial search. That gave me four possible years: March 6 of 64, 74 84 and 94. The couple of times that I have had work done on the instrument, both luthiers thought the guitar was pre 84. So I'm going to say the guitar was made March 6, 1974. It has 20 frets total. Solid spruce top with a clear finish, laminated back with beautiful scroll work front and back. Probably has the usual woods used and fit and finish is superb. It's a dreadnought style very similar to a Martin (D 18 I think) my friend owns. Neck is smaller and longer than my Larrivee L8.

I am a folk musician. Have been since I was about 12. I'm 52 now. I play a lot of other styles and have instuments for those styles but when it comes to wooden guitar music, I have three guitars: an Epiphone Classical, A Larrivee L8 and this 335II. I really do like the Larivee better but I have to keep fighting with my daughter because she wants to use it. I am quite satisfied playing music on the 335II. It fits my style of folk music and is a good finger-picker. Has a very even sound throughout the strings and is very accurate. I would call the sound med. bright. Less bright than the Larrivee which is as bright as you can get. The 335II is a little more mellow and maybe not quite as loud. I am more used to the Gibson-like nature of the Larrivee rather than the Martin-like style of the Yamaha. I just prefer it. I"m not saying either is bad. The feel of the Yamaha is just as good though. It almost looks like this Yami has an ebony fingerboard but I don't think so. It is that good though.

When I got it a few years back the action was absolutely horrible. It was like playing a dulcimer or something. (strings were very high). The first time I took it to a luthier and asked for a set up like "greased lightning" because I like it low and fast and smooth. He came back with it and there was a rub on the 2nd string. He thought a fret had been either placed incorrectly or had a little burr on it that was rubbing against the string. It was somewhere around the 5th or 6th string. I thought I could get it to work so I accepted it and took it home. I have a fiddle that I try to fool around on and on one of the strings was a spacer to raise the string up and keep it from cutting into the bridge too much. I took that spacer off the violin string and put it on the Yami's second string and it took the buzz away. The second time I had the guitar in for tweaking, I asked them to check the fret and , you guessed it, there were actually 2 frets giving trouble #5 and #10. Now the guitar feels like glass and is as clear as anything. Cost: $52 CAD for the two visits. As far as other flaws, there were a few character nicks here and there but it was well kept and I plan on keeping it for 30 years myself.

I have played live with this guitar for years without any kind of backup. I use a Roland sound system and just mic it and it sounds good. Quality of the finish seems pretty good to me and I hope it lasts a long time. The strap button at the neck is metal and has been screwed into the base of the neck where it meets the body. I don't think that's factory but it works okay. The button on the tailpiece end is ivory-very nice.

Never dealt with the company but I find it is a standard issue guitar and there is no trouble getting work done on it.

I have been playing guitar for 40 years. I also play Bass, Sax, Trumpet, Piano and sing.
My instruments:
82 Larrivee L8, 80 Epiphone classical, Peavey El. Bass, Cortez mandolin, 2 Japanese Strat copies, Bach Strad. Bb trumpet,
I bought the Larrivee before I got the Yamaha and it is my #1 guitar but for playing in touchier venues, I am totally satisfied with the Yamaha. I originally got it so my daughter would have a nice guitar to play. I'm not unhappy about using the Yamaha. It works well for what I am doing and I can always get the Larrivee if I need it for something special. There are many guitars available but trying to find one with a decent sound for a decent price is the trick. If you go back too far the prices get outrageous. Take time to try some of the older but not so old asian brands. I was quite surprised with this one.