Yamaha FG-401

I was given my FG-401 in late 1993. I have seen accounts on the internet that this guitar was built from 1994-1997, but the receipt for mine is dated 12/17/93, so they were built at least as early as '93. It is the standard Dreadnought configuration, and seems to be based on the Martin D-28. It features a Spruce top, a Bubinga fretboard, and an Indian Rosewood bridge. It came with a soft-shell case.

This is a very good sounding guitar. It is purely acoustic, no pickup at all, but it records very nicely. I can get good tone from strumming, or finger picking. It shimmers on the high end, projects mids well, but is not highly resonant on the low end. The overall tone is very pleasing, however.

When I received the guitar, the action was too low, and fretted out in the upper range. I raised the bridge slightly, and ..... this is the BEST PLAYING acoustic I've ever played! It has been the benchmark for all other acoustics I, and my extended musical freinds have been around. It plays more like an electric than a lot of electrics! My subsequent guitars have had to measure up to this model.
It's also a very pretty finish; Looking very much like a Martin, until you get up close.

+

I've never gigged with this guitar, as it is unamplified. I've done many jams, and recorded with it, however, and it has performed flawlessly. The tuners are not deluxe, but have always kept it in pitch. I've used Elixer strings on it, for the last 8 years or so, and they sound great on it.

I have been playing since the mid '70's. I play mainly electric, and own Les Pauls, Teles, a Lucille, a SG Elegant, and others. My first acoustic was an old Telleno, (like an old boat oar) so this Yamaha was my first good acoustic. I have subsequently bought an Ibanez AEL-20, and a Martin DC-16, but the criteria was that they had to play like the FG-401. I hope I never lose this guitar, however. It's great for sitting on the couch and picking, or going camping.

Not sure of year of manufacture, but research suggests 1998. The guitar has 20 frets, joining the body (in traditional Dreadnought style) at the 14th fret. As with all guitars of this type which have no cutaway, playing beyond the 16th fret isn't really comfortable or feasible. There are no electronics - it's a totally acoustic instrument. The finish is fairly hi-gloss and the neck is as straight as a ruler. I fitted a compensating saddle and at the same time I slightly lowered the action. This caused no problems and there has never been any hint of buzz or rattle from the strings. As far as features go, the guitar is basic, but it is very well built and has virtually no flaws as regards appearance or manufacture.

The 401 has a clear sound, maybe slightly biased towards bass and middle, but nevertheless strong. It suits fingerstyle, flatpick and strumming equally well and is a genuine all-rounder. I have used it with a 'Guitar Man' across-the-soundhole pickup and also a John Pearse acoustic pickup. In both cases, the sound is good, but I prefer the use of an open-mike if I'm going to amplify the sound. Usually, though, I don't. I just rely on its own capabilities and qualities, both of which are good. It's a very reliable guitar and when pushed, can be pretty loud.

I can't comment on the facory set-up because I bought it second hand ... BUT, when I bought it, I strongly suspected that it had never actually been played much (if at all) by its previous owner. The inside of the guitar was pristine and there was absolutely no trace of wear or rubbing on any of the frets. The fingerboard was also pristine, so maybe the guitar as bought by me was still as originally bought and may thus still have been as it was when it left the factory. In that case, I'd have to say the setup was excellent - maybe a tad high for my tastes, but I prefer a very low action because of a damaged hand. For anyone else, the setup would have been perfect. The wood used on the guitar seems to be spruce on the top (can't tell if it is laminated) and Nato for sides, back and neck. The neck is slim (without being too slim) and very comfortable to use. Of note is the fact that as well as fingerboard dot markers at the 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th and 15th positions, these are usefully echoed along the side-edge of the neck. Although Nato isn't as well-regarded as Mahogany and is moderately reddish in appearance, it still produces a very good sound for a guitar in this price range. When strings are new, and for quite a while afterwards, the sound is extremely clear. Harmonics really do have a bell-like ring. Both top and back seem to be one-piece as no matter how hard I look, I cannot detect any central join where two pieces would have been butted up against each other. The heel of the guitar is especially comfortable when playing around the 12th fret. It doesn't bite into your hand but, rather, fits around it. The headstock Logo is unusual in that it features the Yamaha name and a 'leaf' design which is quite attractive. I believe that this logo was only used for a very short time and is therefore a moderately distinctive little feature.

There is only one strap button and, personally, I would never fit another into the heel. I prefer to use a tie behind the nut and below the strings where they lead towards the machine head posts. The guitar is VERY well built and yet doesn't feel as if it is so heavy as to be uncomfortable. The tuners are open and work very well. The guitar stays in tune as well as any I have ever owned. As far as I can see, it would be unfair to give this guitar anything less than a perfect 10 for this category.

Cannot comment. I bought the guitar second hand. It has never needed any form of repair or adjustment.

I have been playing guitar on and off since the early 1960's. I also had an earlier FG model (an FG-160) but the neck on the 401 is slimmer and more comfortable. As with most entry-level Yamahas, this guitar is both very basic as regards features, and yet in terms of quality and playability, is well above what you would expect of any instrument which can be described as 'entry level'. It is reliable, good to look at, very comfortable to play, extremely reliable, strong and affordable. It may lack a truly individual tone, but is nonetheless a guitar to value.

This guitar was found stuffed in a closet in a fiberboard case. It was abandoned at a rental and a family member gave it to me. I have a small shop. I mainly set-up and refin electrics. I haven't run the numbers so I have no idea how old she is. There was a nice assortment of bugs and dust in her though. I'd guess 10-15 years. She's a dreadnought with a spruce top and mahogany sides. 20 fret bone-dry rosewood board, Waverly type open tuners that were fine, though I replaced them with a set of grover's I've had laying around. Cheap thick finish clouding badly on the back. No electronics. Made in Taiwan for Yamaha says the tag. I really like the rosette! simple and elegant. Considering her state of neglect, I think this is a real tidy little entry level strum.

Good bass response and the mid/highs are real subtle and pleasant, especially in a small room. The sound does not project well. I think this is a result of the candy coating of poly they slapped on her. Strangely enough this has proven her very easy to mic. I think she sounds best with a slide. Strums loud and has nice attack but bending is a bit pointless as the radius bottoms the strings out instantly with the tiny frets. An excellent living room guitar. Elixer strings BTW.

The frets got a polishing but they were good, straight and level. The truss rod was snug and a non issue. I was impressed, amazed even. This has set through several rounds of vermont winters and summers in a third floor closet. The top is straight and the bridge is flush. The neck joint is solid but sloppily finished and in need of a sanding. The kerfing was evidently glued in using a Wagner power roller but I find it kind of...charming? I cut a new saddle and nut. Too high on both counts as can be expected but absolutely playable as they were. No separation or cracking. She got a polish and I drenched the finger board in lemon oil three or four times now. Nut and saddle slots were clean and flat. Over all- adequate work that needed a little attention.

Durable? Yes, I would say it was durable as hell! It was pulled out of a musty closet, stuck in a car trunk in Vermont in December and handed to me. I tuned it up and played little wing. If you took this Guitar camping, you could split logs with it then play beside the fire.

They were great when it needed to tune up my 50cc mini wheeler.
Does that count?

I've been playing since you were this tall. I play old motown r&b, rock and funky stuff. I belt out the delta blues like a shower Sinatra even when I'm politely asked not to. I'm very very white, I need to come to terms with it. I play strats and I've built several. I have a '67 tele with a bigsby a '74 SG and a '64 melody maker. I play through a Princeton and a Twins via a wah, mutron phaser, an electric mistress and an arbiter fuzz face. This Guitar plays and sounds very close to a mid seventies Aspen Leaf that I borrowed from my father twenty years ago and keep forgetting to return when I go home for Christmas. Maybe I give him this Yamaha next year. After all, he put me through college. I've become close to this guitar in resurrecting it and I'd like to keep it close. If it were stolen I'd return some beer bottles and get another one, but it wouldn't be the same. Guitars are like kids, the grubby ones are often more interesting then the polished prim and pretentious ones. This is a charming little guitar that serves its purpose as a living room corner strummer that you grab every time you get an ear worm stuck in your head. It's constructed much better then that last sentence too.

1997 FG-401 made in Taiwan. 20 frets. Laminated spruce top. No on-board electronics. I hear that the sides and neck are either nato or mahogany. It has a thick transparent gloss finish, which has begun to fade on the sides, back and neck. The body is a large dreadnought. The tuners are open, non-locking. I bought it in 1997 as my first guitar.

I play all kinds of music, but mostly rock, folk, and country. This is the guitar I play the most at home. I considered selling it for a while, but I've found that it sounds and plays better than my $400 Takamine acoustic, so I'm keeping it. It has a loud, even sound, nothing spectacular like a big Gibson acoustic, but extremely nice for a cheap entry level guitar. Like I said, better than many guitars that cost twice as much. The bass frequencies are very pronounced, the midrange is even but slightly muddy, and the treble attack is nice but not sparkly. Mainly, very loud when strumming chords. When playing single note leads, this guitar really shines. The large body with its pronounced bass and slightly elevated midrange makes single notes stand out.

I use Elixir medium nanoweb strings on this guitar.

The factory set-up was crap, mainly because the saddle was so damn high. Also, the intonation on the B string was bad because the factory saddle wasn't compensated. Back in 1997, I didn't know much about guitar set-up, so I assumed that the action was high because of the truss rod adjustment, but that was incorrect. Later I realized that the saddle was the root cause of the high action, and replaced it with a $10 compensated composite saddle from Allparts, which I adjusted to the right height with some sandpaper. It plays beautifully now. If you have this guitar, do yourself a favor and get someone to replace the saddle with a compensated saddle (with a setback for the B string).

The nut came unglued after about 9 years, so I glued it back in place with super glue.

With the exception of the saddle, the rest of the hardware is fine. It's entry level stuff, but nothing wrong with it at all. The tuners still have a nice feel after 10 years, and they have no problems staying in tune.

This guitar is extremely reliable. It has been beat up, nicked, scratched, exposed to sunlight, lent to friends, dropped, and moved around the country. I expect this guitar will still be sounding and playing great for decades.

The thick transparent gloss finish is fading on the back, sides, and the back of the neck. It has a slightly cloudy look where it is fading. I imagine this is from exposure to sunlight, but it could just be the quality of the finish they used. The finish on the top is still in good shape.

There is one strap button only. It's in good shape, which is surprising after all the time it spent in the corner of different rooms with no guitar stand.

Never dealt with Yamaha. It's never needed any repair, only a set-up. No idea how long the warranty was.

I've been playing guitar since 1994 or so. This was my first guitar. I bought it at Guitar Center in Houston, they had a sea of these guitars on sale in the summer of 1997. There must be a ton of these guitars out there. I played a bunch of the FG-401s that day and picked the one that looked and sounded the best. It's possible that there is a lot of variation in these guitars, but I doubt it.

Like I said, I like the sound of this guitar better than my $400 Takamine. There are nicer guitars out there, but for this one is great and extremely durable for an entry-level.

I'm planning to add a nice Fishman pickup to it in the future. These days I've been using a CAD condenser mic to amplify/record it.

just bought this guitar at a garage sale. 35 bucks for guitar, strap, case and picks. Came with brass strings, very little wear. The gentelman who sold it to me said it was his first guitar.

Just learning how to play, but when I strum this thing, it sounds like how I think a guitar should sound. Warm. Just learned a few chords tonight, and I could not put the thing down. I cant believe that it is me struming on this guitar.

Action may be a bit high, but what do I know. My fingers were able to press down the strings, ok it felt a bit wierd and it did take some pressure.

Just jumped on this site to see if I bought a real guitar or not. It looks as if I did.

Solid finish has held up over last 12 years.
Stays in tune.

It sounds great. Not exactly subtle, but bright and clean.

The factory set action is too high.
I guess that is a matter of preference, but still, for those looking for a guitar in this price range, I would expect that it should be a fair bit lower.

Solid as a rock.

I've been playing this thing for over a decade and still no complaints. I mostly use my Godin Seagull Artist Series for performances, but I feel more comfortable carrying this one around and playing on my porch. It is the kind of guitar that nicks and whatnot give character to.

No extra features, just a standard acoustic guitar.

Top:Spruce
Back and sides:Nato
Neck : Nato
Fingerboard : Bubinga
Bridge : Indian Rosewood
Tuning : Machine Open Chrome
Finish : Natural

I chose this guitar from all of the ones at Guitar Center, not because of the price, although the price was wonderful, but because it just sounded better than all the rest I played. WAY better. I'm serious, I have played many acoustics, but the large body makes this Yamaha sound FANTASTIC!!! Great lows, highs and mids.

The first thing I did when I got this guitar was took it in and got the action lowered. Now it plays wonderful. It is a very large guitar, somewhat uncomfortable on your lap, but what it lacks in fit it makes up for in sound. It's a great campfire guitar because it's loud. I think EVERY guitar needs to be "set up" when you buy them, especially acoustics. I give it an eight because from the factory the action is too hugh and because it's large.

I've had this guitar probobly like 5 years, and I play it ALOT!!! When I go to practice, I usually play for 4-5 hours non-stop. It has a few knicks and scratches, but they were all my fault, and I could leave it in the case for months (although I hardly ever have) and it would still be in tune. The finish is still remarkable, with very few scratches or dings.

Never used it

Like I said, the only cons with this guitar are it's large body and the fact that upon purchase you HAVE to spend the extra $30 and get it set up with lower action and no buzz. The pros are excellent sound, great volume, pretty finish, durable, and inexpensive.

bought it new about ten years ago. 22 frets
very basic no frills no pickup spruce top mahogany sides, back and neck.

Not a bad sounding. When I bought it some 10 years ago, it was the best sounding guitar in the store for the price.it has a decent bass, smooth
midrange, and ok treble but for the same price you can get a much better guitar today.

very well built very nice finish and is absolutley stable, never had any need for repair or adjustments, neck is still perfectly straight.
as good today as the day I purchased it.

very dependable, very well built.

never dealt with it.

Ive been playing about ten years.Dont have any regrets about buying this guitar.Nothing fancy nothing great about the sound but it is a very good work horse and is very reliable.you can buy the same type of yamaha today for about $150, but if you have more money to spend i do recomend other companies.

I bought this guitar brand new in 1994. It has 20 frets, solid spruce top, mohogany back and sides, and a rosewood fretboard. It was made in Taiwan.

The sound of this guitar is fairly bright, but it does have decent low tones as well.

The action on this guitar was great for about eight years, eventually I had to make a truss rod adjustment due to slight bowing, but that is expected for a 12-year-old guitar. The finish has held up well over time, it doesn't scratch or nick easily.

As previously mentioned, I have owned and played this guitar for 12 years. It has seen some pretty serious abuse by me (since I'm clumsy), and has held up beautifully. It does have some cracks on the side now, but those were due to my aformentioned clumsiness. I have had some problems with the tuners being loose now, but again, those were because of abuse. (don't let it fall over sideways from an upright position!) All in all, I couldn't ask for a more durable guitar.

Never had to deal with it.

This was my first guitar, it has stood the test of time over the last 12 years...and, it still sounds great! I would reccomend it for a beginning to intermediate player.

It's an acoustic. 20 frets, no pickups. Tuners keep it in tune pretty well. I got a case and two sets of strings with it from the previous owner.

I'm primary a hard rock/metal guy so i worry about my tone a lot more on my electrics. Here it's just a good set of strings and my fingers and i get a damn fine tone. It's not a Martin, but it's got quite a nice sound for what it is. Mostly play pretty music and chords on it as opposed to the balls to the wall neoclassical RAWK i'm used to. For what i use it for it's sweet. Nice full sound for Nothing Else Matters/Fade to Black balladry. I also play some of the softer stuff, blues/jazz/country/folk on it. So I feel that it's pretty versatile.

few dents but it was used... nothing really noticeable. I had set it up for the original owner earlier that month so i knew it was all in order. I liked it then just playing it (a lot better than the shitty acoustics i'm used to playing at the shop i work at).

don't know yet... probably won't leave the house anytime soon. Unless i do some Icarus' Dream or acoustic ballads to get the ladies, cuz hell, that's what us metal maniacs buy acoustics for am i right?

haven't had to deal with it.

I've been playing for a little over three years (and am doing a damn fine job might i add) Only thing that bugs me is that there's no cutaway, but most of my shredding is done on my electrics anyway, so it's not too awful. At least now i don't have to worry about being yelled at to shut off my Marshall Halfstack/Fender Strat combo at 11 o'clock at night.