Yamaha CSF1M TBL Acoustic Guitar: Full Review

The Yamaha CSF1M is an affordable, entry-level acoustic guitar with a concert body style. As part of Yamaha's CSF series, it features a spruce top and meranti back and sides to produce a balanced, projecting tone. The smaller concert body shape makes the CSF1M a comfortable guitar for beginners, while still providing volume and resonance. With its laminate construction, this guitar is built to withstand therigors of new players while giving them a quality instrument to learn on. While it lacks some of the complex tones and projection of premium models, the CSF1M offers new guitarists a reliable, good-sounding acoustic at a very accessible price point. Its quality tops many guitars in its price range while still staying budget-friendly.

Construction

The Yamaha CSF1M is an acoustic guitar with a compact folk-style body shape. It features an all-laminate construction using quality tonewoods.

The top is made of spruce laminate, which provides brightness and clarity. Spruce is a popular top wood choice known for its balanced tone.

The back and sides are made of mahogany laminate. Mahogany adds warmth and sweetness to the overall tone. It helps balance out the bright spruce top.

The neck is also made of mahogany for balanced tone. Mahogany offers stability and sustainability.

The bridge and fretboard are rosewood, which is a dense tropical wood that helps produce full and complex tones. The wood's hardness prevents wear.

Overall, the all-laminate construction with spruce, mahogany, and rosewood offers an impressive tonal balance considering the guitar's accessible price point. The combination of woods provides a dynamic range of tones suited for various styles of playing.

When choosing an acoustic guitar, it's important to consider the construction and tonewoods used. The Fender FA-15 0971170121 is another quality entry-level model comparable to the Yamaha CSF1M. It features a laminated spruce top with mahogany back and sides. The neck is also mahogany for a balanced tone. The bridge and fretboard are rosewood. This all-laminate construction provides an affordable option with Fender's recognizable style and bright, balanced tone. The slim neck profile offers comfortable playability. While it may not have the depth of more expensive models, the Fender FA-15 delivers impressive value in a full-size dreadnought body. It's a reliable choice for beginners and comes from Fender's long legacy of quality instruments. The attractive sunburst finish gives it classic appeal as well. Overall, the Fender FA-15 0971170121 merits consideration alongside other acoustic guitars like the Yamaha CSF1M, especially for players seeking an affordable Fender acoustic with classic styling.

When researching acoustic guitars, it's helpful to read reviews and watch video demonstrations to hear the guitar's sound. The construction details like tonewoods and bracing impact the tone and playability. Laminate versus solid wood is another consideration, with solid wood models having more complexity but higher cost. Beyond materials, the body style and size also affect the sound profile and needs of the player. Smaller parlour styles offer portability while larger dreadnoughts provide louder projection. Cutaway models improve upper fret access. Electronics like built-in pickups allow plugging in for amplification. There are many factors to weigh when finding the right acoustic for your budget and needs. Testing different models in person is recommended whenever possible.

Body Style

The Yamaha CSF1M features a classic dreadnought body shape. This is one of the most popular and traditional shapes for acoustic guitars. The dreadnought shape produces a full, powerful, and deep tone that projects very well.

The large body provides plenty of internal air space which allows the top to vibrate freely and generate volume. The wide lower bout also gives room for the bass notes to resonate fully. The CSF1M's dreadnought design is ideal for rhythm playing and for cutting through the mix when playing with other instruments.

The CSF1M's traditional body style pairs nicely with its solid spruce top to deliver excellent volume, dynamics, and tone. The large dreadnought shape gives this Yamaha acoustic plenty of presence whether playing live or in the recording studio.

In addition to the dreadnought body shape, the CSF1M also features a rosewood back and sides. Rosewood is known for its rich overtones and excellent bass response. When combined with the spruce top, the rosewood back and sides help give the CSF1M a well-balanced tone across the tonal spectrum.

The body binding on the CSF1M is quite attractive as well. The multiple-ply binding helps protect the edges of the body from wear and tear. It also gives the guitar a more refined, high-end look. The body binding on the CSF1M matches the rosette and headstock binding for a cohesive visual style.

Players looking for a great all-around acoustic with traditional styling will appreciate the CSF1M's dreadnought body. It has all the volume, dynamics, and bass response you'd expect from this proven body shape. Be sure to also check out the Vault EA-20CE AUS-EA20CE-SB-COMBO-DLX for another fantastic dreadnought acoustic option.

Top Wood

The Yamaha CSF1M features a solid Engelmann spruce top. Engelmann spruce is a popular choice for acoustic guitar tops due to its lightweight and resonant properties that emphasize the treble and bass frequencies. The solid spruce top allows the CSF1M to produce a bright, balanced tone that projects well. Engelmann is also known for being durable yet responsive to playing dynamics. The solid spruce top gives the Yamaha CSF1M a crisp, clear, and balanced acoustic voice.

Back and Sides

The CSF1M has a back and sides made of mahogany which gives it a balanced and well-rounded tone. Mahogany is known for its warm, rich sound with good note separation and definition. It provides the guitar with resonance and sustain, allowing notes to ring out clearly. Many musicians appreciate mahogany for its responsive and lush tonal qualities.

The mahogany back and sides make this an ideal choice for a variety of musical styles, from pop and rock to folk and country. Mahogany lends itself well to rhythm playing as well as fingerstyle arrangements. The wood produces a balanced tone across the tonal spectrum, giving players tonal depth without excessive boominess on the low end or excessive brightness on the high end.

Overall, the all-mahogany back and sides help give the CSF1M a vintage vibe and balanced voice. Players looking for an affordable acoustic with rich tones and musical resonance will appreciate the mahogany sound of this model.

Neck

The Yamaha CSF1M features a nato neck. Nato, also known as eastern mahogany, is a durable hardwood that provides stability and allows the neck to resist warping. It has a rich, warm hue that pairs nicely with the translucent blue burst finish. The neck has a standard width and slim taper profile that makes it comfortable for most playing styles. It feels slick and fast in hand, facilitating quick runs up and down the fretboard. The smooth satin finish contributes to the overall speedy feel. The neck joins the body at the 14th fret, giving players easy access to higher notes. Some benefits of the nato wood include its dense grain that brings out clear notes, its ability to hold its form over time, and its vibrant visual appeal. Overall, the nato neck offers playability, stability, and aesthetics to match the quality build of this Yamaha guitar.

Fretboard and Bridge

The Yamaha CSF1M features a rosewood fretboard and bridge. Rosewood is a popular and traditional choice for acoustic guitars, prized for its hardness, density and ability to produce clear, defined tones. The hard rosewood fretboard on the CSF1M provides excellent durability and fret life. It also contributes to the guitar's bright, lively sound.

The rosewood bridge is a nice complement to the solid Sitka spruce top, helping to generate volume and projection. Its dense nature enhances midrange frequencies. The classic combination of a spruce top with rosewood back, sides and bridge produces the CSF1M's well-balanced acoustic tone - clean highs from the spruce, warm mids from the rosewood.

Overall, the all-rosewood appointments of the fretboard and bridge make a significant contribution to the CSF1M's playability, resonance and tonal character. This is a tried-and-true acoustic guitar pairing.

Hardware

The Yamaha CSF1M features chrome die-cast tuners with ABS buttons to precisely keep this guitar in tune. The chrome tuners complement the look and feel of the all-black CSF1M. The die-cast tuners are durable and help provide smooth tuning functionality. The ABS buttons add stability and prevent slipping while tuning. Overall, the chrome tuners are high quality and reliable, providing great tuning precision and stability for the CSF1M.

Sound

The Yamaha CSF1M produces a well-balanced tone that projects nicely without being too bright or boomy. The solid spruce top provides good volume and sustain, while the meranti back and sides add warmth and resonance to the overall sound. Though not as deep sounding as higher-end all solid wood models, it has a balanced tonal character suitable for fingerpicking and strumming across various musical genres. The smaller concert body helps emphasize the mid-range, providing clear note definition whether playing chords or single note runs. While it doesn't produce the incredible richness of premium solid top guitars, the CSF1M's focused and balanced sound allows it to hold its own in group playing situations or solo performances.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• The CSF1M has an excellent balanced tone that works well for various musical genres. The spruce top produces bright, clear trebles, while the meranti back and sides add warmth and resonance.

• This guitar feels very comfortable and playable. The neck has a slim taper that allows smooth, fast transitions up and down the fretboard. The neck width is also narrower, making it great for players with smaller hands.

• The hardware and build quality are quite good for the price point. The tuners hold tune reliably. The fit and finish is impressive.

Cons

• While the CSF1M sounds good unplugged, it lacks the electronics to amplify the sound. Players who want to plug in will need to install a pickup.

• The intonation could be better on some models. There are reports of notes higher up the neck being slightly out of tune.

• The CSF1M may not have the projection or volume capabilities needed for live performance situations. It's better suited for practice and recording.

• The factory strings aren't the best. Upgrading to higher quality strings can help improve sound.