Yamaha FG9M Dreadnought Reviewed By J.P. Cormier

[SRL]

I've played a few FG-9s locally. They're fantastic at any price, competing in the top tier of acoustic guitars in tone and playability. I've played guitars asking double the price that were nowhere near as good. The FG-9 styling is unconventional but on the other hand, instantly recognizable.

[baw3]

I know he gets a little hyped up about the guitars he likes but I have to say that the Yamaha does sound great. I have to agree with what someone else said about the guitar being a bargain. I have played some other brands in the same price range and as far as Im concerned the Yamaha makes them sound a little weak. I think somewhere down the road I am going to have to get my hands on one of these.

[Railroad Bum]

Yes, the FG9 is definitely the best dreadnought in that price range. I have played the mahogany and rosewood versions, and I was completely blown away. J.P. is a good guy, a bit boisterous, but he's honest about his opinions, and he's really trying to turn people onto good guitars without spending a fortune. Some dislike his takes on Taylor and Martin, and that's the only reason people hate on him. I have met him a couple times over the years at bluegrass festivals, and he's a cool dude, very funny, killer picker, and actually kind of humble in person.

[soups]

I’ve played one of these. It was great. I thought about how I could validate buying it but I simply can’t keep dreads for long. Very crisp, nice bottom end, excellent finishes and a little bit of non traditional flair
I really dug it

[sinistral]

I got a chance to play an FG9 in the Yamaha room at the Fretboad Summit in 2022, and Jordan Tice performed with one in concert (as a warm-up act for Julian Lage). From what I heard there, and have read about the guitars in interviews of their designer, etc., I would say that the segment of the market that Yamaha is going after is boutique guitars with an articulate, modern tone, such as Collings, Santa Cruz, etc., and arguably Martin’s Modern Deluxe line. Compared to a Collings—and especially a Santa Cruz—the FG9 is a bargain.

In a different segment of the market—guitars that are trying to emulate the tone and feel of vintage Martins—the somewhat comparable bargain imo is guitars from the Pre-War Guitars Company. They are less expensive than a similar Martin Authentic model, and considerably less expensive than many boutique guitars in that category (Preston Thompson, Blazer & Henkes, etc.).

If you are looking for a guitar in the former category, the FG9 is a serious contender. You can barely get a used Collings for the price of an FG9 (speaking from experience—I recently sold a D1A for more than the MAP of an FG9).

[FLRon]

I was impressed with the sound of that guitar, but as someone already mentioned I cannot get past the Yamaha pickguard. At over 4 grand, everything needs to be right because I’m not settling on anything, I want it all perfect for me.

[rabbuhl]

I saw that video the other day. And then watched a bunch of others. JP sure knows how to sell the underdog guitar makers. I liked this video below.

[columbia]

Those blind tests are great. Often I don't like what I think I like, or I can perceive only the barest differences.

[Rpt50]

Originally Posted by SRL

I've played a few FG-9s locally. They're fantastic at any price, competing in the top tier of acoustic guitars in tone and playability. I've played guitars asking double the price that were nowhere near as good. The FG-9 styling is unconventional but on the other hand, instantly recognizable.

Where do you live? I live in Atlanta (close to 6 million in the metro area) and I NEVER see any high-end Yamahas in stores. Even something like an FG3 is extremely rare.

[TheGITM]

I went to a local GC yesterday and they have no FG9s. They looked them up on the computer system and found there were only 2 total in the distribution center available to ship. That's all they have available, so it looks like I won't be able to try one for quite some time...

Edit to add: I have no issues with JP. He tells people what he thinks. Love him or hate him, he just puts it out there.

[BlueBowman]

Originally Posted by nacnac

I'd love to get my hands on a mahogany version.

Me, too. They are exceedingly rare.

I agree with others on this thread: that Yamaha clearly sounds great (even with lesser laptop speakers on my end), and JP seems truly sincere in his take on the guitar.

[abn556]

I have never seen a FG9 here in the wild and there are 7.5m people in the Houston metro area. I don’t remember even seeing a LL16 in a store here. Mostly low priced Yamahas.

[TomB'sox]

Originally Posted by rabbuhl

I saw that video the other day. And then watched a bunch of others. JP sure knows how to sell the underdog guitar makers. I liked this video below.

That was interesting. I picked the Yamaha by chance I suppose, but I thought it was louder, crisper, clearer, and had a better note separation. I won't say which it was so others can watch it, but I would choose it over the other.

[sinistral]

Originally Posted by TomB'sox

That was interesting. I picked the Yamaha by chance I suppose, but I thought it was louder, crisper, clearer, and had a better note separation. I won't say which it was so others can watch it, but I would choose it over the other.

Listening to the blind test, I suspected which guitar was which (and was right) and picked the Martin because I find the treble-biased, “modern” sound of boutique guitars fatiguing over time. It’s like shopping for TVs—retailers crank the brightness to get TVs to stand out. If one likes the sweet, rounded sound of trebles of a vintage D-18, these guitars make one’s ears bleed. Give me a PWGC D mahogany over an FG9 any day.

And to my point above, Yamaha didn’t build a $4k guitar to compete with a $2.7k guitar, they are squarely going after guitars in the $5k - $10k range (Collings, Bourgeois, Santa Cruz, etc.). The guys in the video say as much, and note that the voicing is somewhere between the full-on modern tone of some boutique brands and Martin. Arguably, Collings Traditional line fits in this space as well. The more interesting comparisons would be the FG9 vs. the D-18 Modern Deluxe (similar price) or the Collings D1AT (Yamaha lower price).

[Joseph Hanna]

Originally Posted by FLRon

I was impressed with the sound of that guitar, but as someone already mentioned I cannot get past the Yamaha pickguard. At over 4 grand, everything needs to be right because I’m not settling on anything, I want it all perfect for me.

Ha! We're all so different, aren't we With these instruments, the level of craftsmanship, utter obsession with detail, the ultra minute I'd describe it, the feel and soul, touch and response, the tonality, and overall unworldly construct are just simply undeniable. The FG9s are a ten thousand dollar guitar dressed in four thousand otter wrapper. Like I said we're all certainly different and I'm cool wit dat. For me, however, this scenario is like turning down a Ferrari 488 cause I don't dig the shift knob. Horses for courses I suppose.