Yamaha FG3 vs FG5 (I have both)

movehome · #1 03-25-2024, 05:08 PM

I got both of these guitars today.

I've seen some people say they sound the same, so you might as well just get the FG3 instead of paying a premium for the "Made in Japan" logo. I've also seen a few people say the FG5 is noticeably better, although those people were all Youtuber guitar store salesmen who probably have a vested interest in saying a more expensive model is superior to a cheaper one.

Well, after playing them today, it's undeniably obvious that they do NOT sound the same, at all. The FG3 sounds pretty good (I've also had another one that I returned because it arrived in questionable used condition.. but that one sounded the same as the new one), but the FG5 sounds **** incredible. It's the best guitar I've ever played (I haven't really played any expensive guitars at home though just in stores other than my LL16).

The FG3 has a kind of boomy bass and a fairly muddy sound when strumming. The FG5 doesn't have that all.. it just sounds amazing.

The fit and finish is also better on the FG5 and there are differences with the bracing as far as I can see. The FG3 is also missing the "A.R.E" imprint on the brace just inside the soundhole on the top side.

The FG3 was also manufactured in June 2022, so I'll be returning it (it was a special order from Yamaha). Bad luck with that model.. I've ordered two in a row now that were both nearly 2 years old. I tried an FS3 in a store a while ago and I think those might be better than the FG3. That one had a really nice sound.

Anyway, I thought this would be worth posting since these guitars really aren't the same. I don't know what they do differently in Japan but those guys really know what they're doing.

Also of some importance - both guitars have tall saddles which I like to see.

thefsb · #2 03-25-2024, 05:35 PM

Did you restring them both? If not, those might be June 2022 strings on the FG3.

movehome · #3 03-25-2024, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thefsb

Did you restring them both? If not, those might be June 2022 strings on the FG3.

That's a good point. Haven't restrung it. The strings are elixirs though and don't have any visible wear.

redwards · #4 03-25-2024, 05:57 PM

Love my FS5 and play it every day, but I have to ask what the problem is with a June 2022 guitar? That's barely even started to notice it's a guitar and not a tree.

redi · #5 03-25-2024, 05:58 PM

New strings for new arrivals. Makes a difference imo.

thefsb · #6 03-25-2024, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by movehome

That's a good point. Haven't restrung it. The strings are elixirs though and don't have any visible wear.

I bought a FG9 early last year, one of the first sold by the Music Zoo. It had Elixir and the Zoo had checked before shipping. But the D string was a dud. Caused me half a day of anxiety believing the guitar's intonation was way off.

thefsb · #7 03-25-2024, 06:10 PM

And another example. I tested an new LS26 side by side with a new LS36 in December and there was a big difference. The 36 had much more treble and therefore also was louder. I left with the impression that as a guitar the 36 was significantly superior to the 26. But I forgot to inquire about the strings. Since we know how much difference they can make it was really dumb of me to conclude it was the guitar. I might have been right but a difference in the strings is as likely as anything else to account for the difference I heard.

RP · #8 03-25-2024, 06:11 PM

I don't have a dog in this hunt, but aside from the potential issue with strings, I think it's hard to judge the tone of all FG3s and FG5s based on a single isolated FG3 and FG5...

movehome · #9 03-25-2024, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redwards

Love my FS5 and play it every day, but I have to ask what the problem is with a June 2022 guitar? That's barely even started to notice it's a guitar and not a tree.

To me it just seems strange that it's a special order direct from Yamaha... but is 2 years old. These are popular guitars and there isn't any reason for it to just be sitting around for two years. So I wonder what the story is. It does have some light pick scratches on the pickguard film which shows that it has been used by someone. I doubt the person at Yamaha who sets it up scratched the pick guard film.

I got an LL16 a few months ago which is probably made in the same China factory as the FG3 and it was manufactured 3 months before I got it.

movehome · #10 03-25-2024, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RP

I don't have a dog in this hunt, but aside from the potential issue with strings, I think it's hard to judge the tone of all FG3s and FG5s based on two isolated FG3s and FG5s...

That's true but I've tried 2 of the FG3's now and they both had the boomy bass and muddy sound when strumming. I'm just saying to me it's clear they aren't "the same guitar."

I'll try restringing it tomorrow and see if that improves things.

movehome · #11 03-26-2024, 10:17 AM

Here are some additional differences I'm finding as I compare them more closely:

The FG5 has much tighter grain on the top.

The FG5 has much nicer looking wood on the back and sides. It's has that sexier golden glow and really attractive grain. It looks really high end compared to the FG3. It's also lighter in colour.

The finish on the top isn't exactly the same. On the FG5 there's more a more glossy look on the edges of the soundhole, while on the FG3 it's more matte.

The pin on the bottom of the guitar for the strap is different. The FG5's is solid black which matches the bridge pins. Maybe it's made of ebony too? Looks nicer than the FG3's.

The FG3 has some ugly spots, especially at the bottom of the neck where it meets the soundhole. It looks really messy as if there was something that went wrong during construction. There's also a crack in the finish in the same area going from a bottom corner of the neck to the sound hole, about 1cm long. The edge of the neck where the binding is/would be is also pretty rough looking. At the bottom of the bridge in the crease there are also white specs which I'm guessing is just slightly untidy gluing.

There's an issue with the FG3's finish on the back of the guitar. The entire back has a milky haze to it. This is a common issue and may exist on all of the guitars. I saw a lot of people mentioning it online before I got the guiter.

The FG5 looks much cleaner and more perfect in comparison. I also like the look of the faux wood decal. To me, the lighter colour and matte finish suits the guitar's look more than a shiny black pick guard.

I think you definitely get your money's worth with the FG5. I'm glad to see it's not just the same guitar but with bone nut/saddle, ebony pins, faux wood decal, and "Made in Japan." There are a lot of differences, especially in the wood and overall fit and finish.

After playing the FG3 more today it does sound really good though. I'm not sure what I was hearing yesterday but it's a really nice sounding guitar. Shame about the crack in the finish and a couple other ugly spots.

Edit for posterity - I ended up returning both of the guitars. The FG5 also had a 6cm long crack in the finish that I only noticed after playing it more, which was a shame. There's something wrong with the finish on the red labels... cracking, hazy milky finish... they need to fix that. Even on the FG5 there was a small amount of the hazy finish on the back. On the FG3 the entire back was covered in it.

I also found that my LL16 has some advantages over the FG5/3's. It's easier to finger pick and get volume. I also think I prefer the neck on that one... the FG's are chunkier. The LL16 also just sounds amazing. Just as resonant and lively as the FG5 but even more "open" and dynamic.