Yamaha CG162C Classical Guitar: Full Review

The Yamaha CG162C is an entry-level classical guitar made with nylon strings and designed for beginner to intermediate players. Part of Yamaha's Classical Series, this guitar features a spruce top with mahogany back and sides for a balanced, warm sound. The CG162C is designed to be comfortable and easy to play while providing excellent tone and projection. With its traditional fan bracing and matte finish, this Yamaha model aims to deliver great playability and sound at an affordable price point, making it a popular choice for new classical guitarists. While not a professional-grade instrument, the CG162C offers solid hardware, quality construction, and good attention to detail that belies its price tag. For those looking to buy their first nylon-string or to have a reliable, consistent backup option, the Yamaha CG162C is an excellent value classical guitar worth considering.

Physical Features

The Yamaha CG162C classical guitar features a solid cedar top, mahogany back and sides, and rosewood fretboard that provide excellent sound and playability.

The solid cedar top is a high-quality tonewood that provides a warm, rich sound. Cedar is lightweight and responsive, allowing the top to vibrate freely for excellent tone production and dynamic range. The solid wood construction ensures volume and sustain.

The back and sides are made of mahogany, which provides a balanced tone across the frequencies, with good bass response. Mahogany adds depth and richness to the sound. The rosewood fingerboard is known for stability and durability. Its dense properties also enhance the guitar's sustain.

Overall, the all-wood construction of solid cedar and mahogany offers a full-bodied, nuanced classical guitar tone. The choice of excellent tonewoods makes this an ideal instrument for intricate classical guitar styles and techniques.

Sound Quality

The Yamaha CG162C classical guitar produces a warm, balanced tone that is characteristic of high quality cedar tops. The solid cedar top allows the guitar to project well and also provides excellent sustain.

When strumming, the CG162C offers a rich harmonic overtone without sounding too bright or tinny. Single notes and melodies have nice bloom and fullness. The bass notes are present without being overpowering.

Overall, the cedar top helps create a very balanced and nuanced classical guitar tone. It's an ideal choice for playing both Spanish influenced classical pieces as well as for backing up vocals or playing fingerstyle arrangements.

Playability

The Yamaha CG162C classical guitar has excellent playability overall thanks to its nylon strings and comfortable neck profile. The nylon strings have a softer, warmer tone compared to steel strings, and they are also easier on the fingers for beginning and intermediate players. The neck has a traditional c shape that fits nicely in the hand, with smooth satin finish on the backside.

The action on this model is set fairly low at the 12th fret, making it easier for players to fret notes and chord shapes. This is especially helpful for students who are just starting to build finger dexterity and strength. The low action doesn't create any buzzing issues across the fretboard either. Overall the CG162C has a very comfortable and accessible playing feel that lends itself well to new players while also satisfying more seasoned guitarists.

Hardware

The Yamaha CG162C features quality hardware including chrome tuners, a plastic nut and saddle.

The chrome tuners are durable and keep the guitar in tune well. They have a smooth turning action that makes fine tuning easy. The keys are also comfortable on the fingers when tuning.

The nut and saddle are both made of plastic. While some guitars use bone for these parts, the plastic performs well on this model. It provides the right amount of friction to prevent string buzz while still allowing the strings to move smoothly. The plastic nut and saddle are perfectly acceptable for an entry-level classical guitar like this.

Overall, the hardware components Yamaha selected allow the CG162C to function reliably. The tuners, nut and saddle all do their job admirably and contribute to this being a quality beginner's instrument. Guitarists shouldn't find the hardware limiting their playing ability or enjoyment.

Craftsmanship

The Yamaha CG162C classical guitar features high quality materials and construction, making it a very durable and reliable instrument.

The solid Cedar top is evenly grained and crafted to vibrate evenly across the surface, providing a balanced tone. The mahogany back and sides offer stability and projection, while the nato neck allows for easy playability up and down the fretboard.

The build quality feels very solid, with no loose joints or imperfections. The binding along the body, fretboard, and headstock is cleanly executed. The glossy finish looks attractive and also helps protect against scratches and fading.

Attention to detail is apparent, from the abalone and pearl inlay rosette, to the gold tuners embossed with the Yamaha logo. Small flourishes like this elevate the fit and finish of the guitar.

Overall, the materials and construction quality of the Yamaha CG162C exceed expectations at this price point. The guitar feels like an instrument built to go the distance, not just a cheap acoustic. The craftsmanship makes the CG162C a reliable choice for new and advancing classical guitarists.

Value

The Yamaha CG162C classical guitar offers excellent value for money. Though not exactly cheap, it is reasonably priced given the quality of materials, construction, and sound.

This guitar manages to punch above its weight class, delivering an impressive tone and playability that rivals more expensive instruments. Considering its all-solid wood construction and hand-crafted build, the CG162C is very competitively priced.

The Yamaha name has long been associated with quality and reliability. You can expect this guitar to deliver years of enjoyment without breaking the bank. Many owners say it's the best guitar they've played in its price range.

While not the cheapest student model, the CG162C offers greater longevity and retains its value well on the used market. Overall, it's an affordable way to get a professional-grade classical guitar that will grow with you.

Pros

• The Yamaha CG162C classical guitar produces a rich, warm sound that belies its affordable price point. The solid cedar top allows the guitar to resonate beautifully, with clear and balanced tone across all registers.

• Playability on the CG162C is very easy and comfortable right out of the box. The slim neck profile and shorter scale length reduce tension, making it a great choice for beginners and younger players. The wider nut width also provides room for more expressive playing.

• This Yamaha nylon string guitar offers tremendous value, given the quality of its materials and construction. The solid woods, attractive finish, and reliable hardware make it comparable to models costing much more. For an entry-level classical guitar, it's tough to beat the CG162C in terms of value.

Cons

The Yamaha CG162C has some limitations that more advanced players may find restrictive.

• Limited tone controls: The guitar only has basic tone controls, lacking the ability to shape and customize the sound. It has a fixed saddle and nut rather than upgraded options for tone enhancement. This can make it more difficult to achieve variation in timbre.

• Basic hardware: The tuning machines, bridge pins and other hardware components are adequate but basic. Upgrading to higher quality hardware could potentially improve intonation and tuning stability. The lack of upgraded hardware is understandable for a guitar at this price point, but it does limit the instrument's capabilities.

• Overall, while a very good value proposition, the Yamaha CG162C does lack some of the tonal nuance and hardware quality found in more expensive classical guitars. For beginners, this may not be a major drawback. But for seasoned players seeking maximum expressiveness, it could leave something to be desired.

Conclusion

The Yamaha CG162C is an excellent beginner classical guitar that comes highly recommended for students. It has a solid spruce top and nato back and sides, producing a balanced and nuanced classical guitar tone. The playability is very comfortable, thanks to the traditional width nut, flat fingerboard, and perfect string spacing at the bridge. It stays in tune well and includes an adjustable truss rod inside the neck, ensuring proper relief can be set.

Hardware like the chrome tuners and synthetic bone nut and saddle are durable and smooth. The build quality and craftsmanship, especially at this low price point, is quite impressive. Considering the sound, comfort, and reliability the CG162C provides, it is very good value. The only potential downsides are the use of laminate woods and the lack of electronics or cutaway. However, at this entry-level price point, those features aren't expected. Overall, the Yamaha CG162C is an outstanding classical guitar for beginner and intermediate players looking for quality on a budget.