Yamaha CG162S Classical Guitar: Full Review

The Yamaha CG162S classical guitar delivers an authentic classical guitar sound and value at a beginner-friendly price point. This nylon-string guitar features a spruce top, rosewood fingerboard and bridge, and mahogany back and sides - the classic tonewood combination found on premium classical guitars. Though affordably priced for beginners and students, the Yamaha CG162S punches above its weight with rich resonance and balanced warmth that belies its smaller body size. Students and hobbyists looking to start their classical guitar journey need not look further than the well-crafted Yamaha CG162S.

Construction

The Yamaha CG162S classical guitar utilizes solid spruce for the top, mahogany back and sides, and a nato neck. The combination of spruce and mahogany produces a guitar capable of both dynamic range and warmth.

The spruce top is carefully selected and graded to provide a responsive and balanced tone. Spruce is a popular choice amongst luthiers for its resonant properties. When paired with mahogany back and sides, the guitar leans slightly more towards a warmer, rounded tone while still retaining excellent volume and clarity.

The mahogany grain is attractively figured, visible through the gloss finish. Mahogany contributes to a focused low end as well as some sweetness in the midrange. The nato neck offers stability and is set into the body at the 12th fret for comfortable upper fret access.

Overall, the woods selected for the Yamaha CG162S give it the versatility to handle various playing styles and genres, from delicate fingerpicking to vigorous strumming. The construction provides a durable instrument ready for intermediate players and beyond.

When comparing the Yamaha CG162S to other classical guitars, it's worth looking at the Martin 11SC13E-01. This model also utilizes a solid spruce top with mahogany back and sides. The spruce top produces excellent clarity and volume while the mahogany contributes to a balanced tone. The Martin 11SC13E-01 has a hand-rubbed gloss finish which accentuates the wood grain. The neck is constructed from genuine mahogany for stability and durability. The fretboard and bridge are made from richlite which is an eco-friendly and sustainable alternative to rosewood. Overall, the Martin 11SC13E-01 is an attractive option for intermediate players looking for solid woods and quality construction in a classical guitar. Comparing specifications and sound characteristics will help players decide between the Yamaha CG162S and Martin 11SC13E-01 models to find the best fit for their needs and budget.

Sound

The Yamaha CG162S produces a wonderfully balanced tone that makes it a joy to play. The combination of solid spruce for the top paired with nato back and sides creates a guitar that is well-rounded across the tonal spectrum.

The spruce top offers crisp, articulate highs with complex overtones. It captures the nuance and color in each note. The nato back and sides provide a focused midrange and rich bass. This tonewood combination allows the CG162S to achieve impressive volume, projection, and dynamic range.

Whether you prefer to play with a light touch or dig in more aggressively, the CG162S accommodates both styles. It is very responsive, with notes that bloom nicely and ring out with sustain. The balanced tone gives players flexibility to craft their ideal sound.

Fingerstyle players will appreciate the warm low end coupled with crystalline trebles. The CG162S flatters complex chord voicings and enables polyphonic tones to be heard distinctly. For strumming, it offers a balanced voice with pleasant overtones and no muddiness. Overall, the CG162S achieves a very musical and pleasing classical guitar tone.

The Cordoba C7-CE 04704 is another excellent option for classical guitarists looking for a balanced and nuanced tone. Cordoba is known for making high-quality nylon string guitars that offer fantastic value. The C7-CE combines a solid Canadian cedar top with Indian rosewood back and sides to create a warm yet detailed sound.

The cedar top provides sweet, singing highs with excellent resonance and sustain. It has a delicate and refined voice that many classical players find captivating. Meanwhile, the rosewood back and sides offer full bass and rich harmonic overtones in the midrange. This creates a guitar with exceptional tonal balance from low to high.

Like the Yamaha CG162S, the Cordoba C7-CE is very responsive and dynamic. It has impressive projection suitable for performance settings. The tone is refined but also powerful when needed. Whether playing softly or digging in harder, the guitar remains balanced and controlled.

The C7-CE excels at both fingerstyle playing and strumming. It has the warmth and nuance to handle intricate polyphonic passages with clarity. But it also has the punch and fullness for rhythmic playing. Classical guitarists who want one instrument for diverse repertoire will appreciate the versatility.

Overall, the Cordoba C7-CE 04704 rivals more expensive instruments in terms of tone and playability. It's an excellent choice for serious classical guitarists who want professional-grade sound without breaking the bank. Check out the Cordoba C7-CE 04704 here to learn more about this impressive classical guitar.

Playability

The Yamaha CG162S features a high-quality spruce top with nylon strings, providing excellent resonance and rich tones. The neck width measures 52mm at the nut, which is a comfortable width for most adult hands to fret notes and chords cleanly.

The rosewood fingerboard has a radius of 400mm, allowing for slightly curved fretting position of the strings. This promotes clear notes and smooth playability up and down the neck. Many players find the CG162S neck and fingerboard to be very playable for both rhythm chording and melodic soloing.

The wider classical neck encourages proper left hand technique, while the nylon strings are much easier on the fingertips compared to steel strings. Overall, the CG162S offers very comfortable and responsive playability ideal for the classical guitarist.

Hardware

The Yamaha CG162S features high-quality hardware that enables smooth, reliable performance. The guitar's tuning machines do an excellent job of holding the strings in tune through repeated tuning adjustments and playing. The machines turn smoothly and allow for accurate fine-tuning.

The nut and saddle on the CG162S are both made of synthetic bone, which provides a smooth surface for reduced string friction. This results in better tuning stability and sustain. The nut is cut precisely for clean note definition, while the compensated saddle ensures accurate intonation up and down the neck.

Overall, the hardware components on this Yamaha classical guitar allow it to stay in tune well and produce clear, resonant tones. Players will appreciate how reliably it performs and responds to adjustments. The tuning machines, nut, and saddle are all durable parts that stand up well to regular practice and performance.

Electronics

As is typical for a classical guitar, the Yamaha CG162S does not include any electronics. There is no built-in preamp, tuner, or pickup system. This allows the CG162S to stay true to the traditional nylon-string classical guitar sound and feel.

Players who require amplification or other electronics features would need to install their own pickup or microphone. The lack of electronics helps keep costs down compared to acoustic-electric models. It also eliminates potential feedback issues and allows Yamaha to optimize the CG162S solely for unplugged acoustic tone and playability.

Overall, the absence of electronics is par for the course with classical guitars in this price range. It allows the CG162S to focus on core nylon-string tone and playability rather than amplified versatility. This guitar is designed for playing unplugged.

Comfort

The Yamaha CG162S classical guitar features a traditional concert body shape with a cedar top and mahogany back and sides. This makes for a lightweight and comfortable guitar, weighing in at just under 3 pounds.

The compact body size and contoured edges allow easy access to the upper frets while also being comfortable to hold in playing position for extended periods. The smooth matte finish on the back of the neck contributes to the overall comfortable feel.

The cedar and mahogany construction provides an excellent balance of strength and lightweight playability. The spruce top is thin and responsive while the mahogany back and sides offer stability and sustain. Overall, the materials and construction prioritize playing comfort without sacrificing tone.

While individuals' preferences may vary, the Yamaha CG162S should accommodate most players with its conventional and well-balanced body size and profile. The minimally finished neck and overall weight make this an exceptionally comfortable classical guitar for practice and performance.

Quality

Yamaha has a well-earned reputation for building high quality instruments that perform consistently. The CG162S classical guitar is no exception. The solid spruce top and nato back and sides produce a full, balanced tone. The guitar stays in tune well, even during extended playing sessions thanks to the chrome enclosed tuners.

The fit and finish is excellent, with smooth fret ends and clean bindings. There are no rough spots or irregular gaps. Overall, the guitar exhibits the attention to detail and craftsmanship that Yamaha is known for. Players can feel confident that this guitar will hold up for years of enjoyable playing.

While not a professional level classical, the Yamaha CG162S offers excellent quality and consistency for the price. For beginners or hobbyists, it's a guitar that will keep sounding good as your playing improves. The quality is far beyond other guitars in this very affordable price range.

Value

When considering value, the Yamaha CG162S stands out as an excellent classical guitar for the price. Though not the absolute cheapest student model available, it offers exceptional quality and playability at a very reasonable cost.

Compared to lower-priced guitars, the all-solid wood construction and hand-sprayed finish help the CG162S produce a richer, more complex tone that will encourage continued practice and refinement of technique. The guitar holds its tuning well and intonates accurately up and down the fretboard. This level of stability is rare to find on classical guitars under $300.

More expensive professional-level classical guitars do exist, but they cost significantly more while offering only incremental improvements in sound and playability. The Yamaha CG162S hits a sweet spot of great quality and value, appealing to both beginners and more advanced players on a budget.

Overall, the Yamaha CG162S punches far above its weight class in terms of value, making it an easy recommendation for any classical guitarist with around $200 to spend. Students and hobbyists get pro-level performance without breaking the bank, while the quality inspires continued progression on the instrument.

Summary

Yamaha's CG162S classical guitar provides beautiful sound and playability at an accessible price point. This guitar's solid spruce top and nato back and sides produce a bright, focused tone that projects well. The slim neck and shorter scale length make the CG162S comfortable to play, even for beginners with smaller hands. The hardware is high quality, with chrome enclosed tuners that hold tune reliably.

The CG162S punches above its weight class in terms of sound and build quality. For the price, it's tough to find another classical guitar that looks, feels, and sounds this good. The bright but balanced tone works well for various styles, from Bach to modern composers.

Some downsides are the lack of cutaway and onboard electronics. The CG162S is an acoustic-only instrument. The neck join is also simpler compared to higher end classical guitars. However, these attributes keep costs down while still delivering an impressive musical instrument.

Overall, the Yamaha CG162S offers outstanding value for a beginner or intermediate level classical guitar. The quality materials, construction, playability, and gorgeous sound make this a recommended choice for any player looking for an affordable nylon-string guitar. It's an excellent first classical guitar and a great option even for more advanced musicians.