Yamaha CG142SH Y1005485 Classical Guitar: Full Review

to the Yamaha CG142SH Classical Guitar

The Yamaha CG142SH is an entry-level classical guitar model designed for students and beginners. Part of Yamaha's CG Series, the CG142SH features a spruce top with meranti back and sides. It's a nylon-string guitar made to deliver the rich tone that classical guitars are known for, while remaining accessible and affordable.

With its smaller body size, the CG142SH is aimed at younger players or smaller-framed guitarists. It has a strong reputation as a quality, reliable beginner's classical guitar. The combination of solid spruce and laminated meranti creates a balanced, focused sound. While not as complex as more expensive models, the Yamaha CG142SH provides an authentic classical guitar experience to start your playing journey.

Construction

The Yamaha CG142SH features a solid Engelmann spruce top with Indian rosewood back and sides for the body. The neck is made from nato wood while the fretboard is crafted from rosewood as well. The combination of tonewoods allows this classical guitar to produce a balanced sound across all registers from bright trebles to a rich bass response.

The spruce top is lightweight and responsive, providing excellent projection and articulation. Indian rosewood contributes warmth and fullness to the overall tone with its dense yet resonant characteristics. Overall, the well-chosen materials in the Yamaha CG142SH let it generate impressive volume and dynamics well-suited for both practice at home and live performance.

The solid spruce top is crucial for providing the projection and clarity that classical guitars require. Spruce is valued for its lightweight and resonant properties that allow the top to freely vibrate and produce sound. Indian rosewood is also an ideal choice for classical guitars given its rich overtones that add depth and complexity to the tone. Together, these tonewoods empower the Yamaha CG142SH to deliver dynamic range across the frequency spectrum.

Yamaha utilizes quality materials and construction techniques to ensure their classical guitars like the CG142SH have the sound, playability and reliability demanded by serious players. From the hand-selected woods to the comfortable neck profile and responsive playability, Yamaha pays close attention to every detail that impacts the instrument's performance and musicality.

For players seeking an affordable nylon-string guitar, the Yamaha CG142SH is an excellent option. It produces an expressive, nuanced classical guitar tone thanks to the solid spruce and rosewood body. The smooth playability and comfortable feel also make this a great choice for new players learning classical technique and repertoire.

With its impressive sound, playability and attractive appearance, the Yamaha CG142SH delivers compelling value at its accessible price point. Players get professional-grade construction and tonewoods without the premium price tag. If you're looking for an affordable classical guitar for practice, lessons or performance, the CG142SH deserves a close look.

Yamaha also produces high-quality steel-string acoustic guitars like the Yamaha FG820 12-String. This model features solid Sitka spruce on the top along with rosewood back and sides. It produces bright, articulate tones well-suited for strumming and fingerpicking. The 12-string configuration provides a rich, chorusing sound that is ideal for folk, rock and many other popular styles. Yamaha steel-string guitars like the FG820 offer the same meticulous craftsmanship and playability as their classical models.

Sound Quality

The CG142SH produces a balanced, warm, and nuanced classical guitar sound. The combination of solid spruce top wood and mahogany back and sides provides a nice blend of brightness, richness, and resonance.

The spruce top offers crisp treble tones and good volume and projection, while the mahogany body adds depth and sweetness to the midrange and bass notes. Together, they create a very balanced and rounded tone profile that is great for playing all styles of classical repertoire.

This guitar also provides excellent sustain and resonance. The solid spruce top readily vibrates and rings out when played, allowing notes to bloom and sing. The mahogany back and sides also give the guitar good resonance to support the top wood. Altogether, it allows the guitar's tone to fill a room and ring with satisfying sustain.

The CG142SH has a full and resonant sound that is well suited to playing both solo classical guitar pieces as well as accompanying vocals or other instruments. It has the warmth to provide a nice foundation and the articulation and clarity needed for melodic lines and counterpoint.

The balance between the spruce and mahogany creates a versatile guitar that can adapt to different playing styles and techniques. It has the dynamic range to sound expressive when played delicately, yet also projects enough volume for bolder and more vigorous playing.

In terms of tonal balance, the CG142SH leans slightly toward the warmer end of the spectrum compared to some other classical guitars. This gives it a pleasing, vintage-like voice. However, it still has enough sparkle and airiness in the treble register to have good definition.

The tone is well-rounded throughout the frequency range, with strong yet balanced bass, nicely scooped midrange, and clear, ringing treble. It's a very musical sounding instrument that makes it easy for players to shape and color their sound.

The playability and construction of the CG142SH also contribute to its excellent tone. The cedar top and mahogany back and sides are crafted from quality solid tonewoods. The neck angle and action are set up precisely for optimal resonance and responsiveness.

The guitar feels comfortable and natural to play. This allows musicians to relax and play with confidence, coaxing out the instrument's warm, nuanced voice. The tone has clarity as well as complexity, suiting both solo playing and ensemble work.

The CG142SH compares well tonally to other guitars in its price range. Models such as the ivy IPF-300 TSB have a similar musicality and balance. However, the CG142SH stands apart with its blend of vintage-inspired warmth and modern playability.

Players looking for an expressive, nuanced classical guitar that easily brings out their musicality will appreciate the CG142SH. Its excellent construction provides the foundation for rich, balanced tone and singing sustain.

Playability

The CG142SH features a high-quality spruce top and nato back and sides, which provide excellent resonance and full-bodied tone. The neck width is 52mm at the nut, which is a comfortable width for most players to fret chords and single notes with ease.

The action on this model is set low from the factory, making it very playable right out of the box. The low action allows easy pressing of the strings without too much finger effort. Experienced players may want to raise the action slightly to allow more projection, but overall the factory setup makes this guitar accessible for beginner to intermediate players.

The fretwork on the CG142SH is very good for a guitar in this price range. The frets are smoothly finished and beveled for comfort. There are no sharp edges to irritate your hands during long practice sessions. The fret ends are neatly trimmed to prevent snagging. Overall the neck feels fast and comfortable for various playing styles.

Hardware

The Yamaha CG142SH has quality hardware that contributes to its overall playability and functionality. The machine heads used for tuning are sealed and precise, providing accurate and stable tuning. They hold well and allow for smooth tuning adjustments.

The nut and saddle on this model are made of quality synthetic bone material that promotes clearer and brighter tones. The synthetic bone has a smoothness that enhances string movement. The nut slots are cut precisely for consistent intonation up the neck. Overall, the hardware components like the sealed tuners, nut and saddle are well-made on this classical guitar, enabling optimal playability and tone production.

Electronics

The Yamaha CG142SH features a passive under-saddle piezo pickup system designed to accurately reproduce the guitar's natural acoustic tone. It comes equipped with an integrated preamp and EQ for shaping your amplified sound.

The preamp includes basic treble and bass tone controls. This allows you to boost or cut the high and low frequencies to suit your taste and the room acoustics. There is also a volume knob for controlling your overall output level. The preamp requires a 9V battery to operate.

The under-saddle pickup combined with the preamp produces a balanced tone across the frequency spectrum. The piezo pickup captures the guitar's natural dynamics nicely. The tone controls offer just enough flexibility for fine tuning your amplified classical guitar sound, without overwhelming the preamp with too many knobs and parameters. It's a simple but effective system.

The electronics are seamlessly integrated into the guitar. The volume knob and endpin jack are discretely placed on the bottom side of the guitar, avoiding any unnecessary clutter on the top that could detract from the instrument's classic aesthetics.

Overall, the electronics provide a straightforward plug-and-play experience with reliable amplification and shaping of the CG142SH's inherent acoustic tone. Guitarists who want to amplify their classical guitar live or in the studio will appreciate the tonal options and quality of the electronics.

Comfort

The Yamaha CG142SH Classical Guitar offers a comfortable playing experience thanks to its compact concert-shape body design. Though slightly smaller than a traditional classical guitar, the proportions are well-balanced and natural feeling.

At just under 3.5 lbs, this guitar has a nice lightweight feel that prevents fatigue during longer practice or playing sessions. The smooth matte finish neck along with the contours and beveled edges make this an easy guitar to hold and wrap your arms around. Players with smaller hands and frames will appreciate how effortless it is to reach around the CG142SH.

The CG142SH's petite body size places the 24 silver nickel frets within close reach. The neck width at the nut is 52mm which lends itself to comfortable fingering and chord changes. This Yamaha classical guitar feels great to hold and play, whether you're seated or standing. The size and weight help create an enjoyable playing experience without any strain.

Tone

The CG142SH produces a warm, balanced tone with nice bass, smooth mids, and crisp treble response thanks to its solid spruce top, nato back and sides, and rosewood fingerboard and bridge. The spruce top provides good volume and projection, while also giving a sweet, melodic sound in the midrange. The nato back and sides add depth and resonance to the bass frequencies. The rosewood fingerboard and bridge contribute bright, articulate treble notes. Together, these tonewoods create an excellent tonal profile suitable for various playing styles and genres. The bass is present without being boomy. The mids have a pleasing sweetness. And the treble has sparkle and clarity without being harsh. Overall, the guitar's tone is well-rounded and balanced across the frequency range.

Pros

• The Yamaha CG142SH classical guitar provides warm, balanced tone with good projection and volume. The solid spruce top resonates nicely while the rosewood back and sides add depth and color to the sound.
• The nato neck offers stability and the shorter scale length makes this a very playable instrument even for beginners. The action is set low and comfortable right out of the box.
• Hardware includes gold tuners that hold tuning reliably. The nut and saddle are cut from synthetic bone which improves sustain.
• The matte finish is thin and allows the top to vibrate freely. The binding and rosette add nice visual details.
• This guitar punches above its weight class when it comes to quality materials and construction at this price point. It's an excellent value for a beginner or intermediate classical guitar.

Cons

The Yamaha CG142SH guitar has a few negative aspects to consider based on customer reviews and expert analysis.

• The factory strings it comes with are considered quite poor quality. Many owners recommend replacing them right away with a better set of nylon strings from brands like Savarez or Hannabach to really hear the full potential of this instrument.

• The nut and saddle are made of plastic rather than bone. Upgrading to bone nut and saddle pieces can improve sustain and resonance. However, this may require professional installation and setup.

• The tuners feel a bit cheap and can sometimes slip out of tune more easily compared to higher end models. Upgrading the tuners could help with tuning stability.

• While the spruce top provides good volume and dynamics, some guitarists feel the tone lacks warmth or complexity compared to all-solid wood guitars. The laminate back and sides don't resonate as deeply.

• The fingerboard edges are not as smoothly finished as some other models. Some owners have needed to file down sharp edges for comfort, especially up high on the treble strings.

• The fit and finish is not as refined or “hand-crafted” looking as premium classical guitars. The matte finish shows fingerprints easily.

Overall the negatives are minor and can often be improved upon with simple upgrades and setup adjustments. Considering the affordable price, the Yamaha CG142SH provides excellent value as a beginner or intermediate level classical guitar. Most owners are very pleased with it, especially at this price point.