Yamaha CG172SF Classical Guitar: Full Review

The Yamaha CG172SF is a nylon-string classical guitar that offers players an affordable entry point into the world of classical guitar. As part of Yamaha's CG Series, the CG172SF features a spruce top, rosewood back and sides, and a nato neck, delivering balanced tone across the strings. The smaller body size makes this an approachable guitar for beginners, while the spruce and rosewood construction allows for rich classical guitar tone as players progress. With its focused yet warm voice, the CG172SF is ideal for various classical and fingerstyle playing. This review will dive into the construction, playability, tone, and hardware of the Yamaha CG172SF to give players a sense of what they can expect from this budget-friendly nylon-string guitar. While not as refined as pro-level classical guitars, the CG172SF provides beginners with a quality instrument to start their classical guitar journey.

Construction

The Yamaha CG172SF features an all-solid wood construction that produces rich, resonant tones. The top is made of solid Sitka spruce, which is a popular choice for classical guitars due to its lightweight and stiff properties that promote vibration. Spruce is able to transmit string vibrations efficiently to produce clear, bright trebles.

The back and sides are constructed from nato wood, which is tonally similar to mahogany. Nato has a warm, balanced sound with good midrange presence. The combination of spruce and nato creates an instrument with definition in the highs and warmth in the lows for well-rounded tone.

The neck is nato as well, providing a stable base for the fingerboard. An all-solid wood construction makes the CG172SF a great choice for pursuing classical repertoire and technique. The wood materials are selected to highlight the nuances and colors of the music.

Solid wood construction is essential for classical guitars, as it allows the top to vibrate and project sound freely. Laminate tops restrict vibration, resulting in a thinner, quieter tone. The CG172SF's solid spruce top gives it an advantage over guitars with laminate tops in the same price range, like the Fender CP-60S. While the Fender produces decent sound at a low cost, the Yamaha's solid top takes the tone and volume to another level.

The all-solid build also gives the CG172SF better sustain and resonance across the tonal spectrum. The solid spruce and nato woods produce clear, complex tones that sing with nuance and character. Whether playing Baroque, Romantic, or modern classical pieces, the guitar's excellent acoustic properties let the music shine.

For intermediate players looking to upgrade from a laminate top beginner classical guitar, the Yamaha CG172SF is an ideal choice without breaking the bank. The solid top is the defining feature that elevates this model above other guitars in its price range. While cosmetics and accessories like tuners matter, tonewood construction has the greatest impact on an acoustic instrument's sound.

Appearance

The Yamaha CG172SF has a traditional concert-shaped body with a high-gloss finish. This gives the guitar an elegant, refined look that is suitable for both stage performances and practice at home.

The gloss finish comes in several attractive colors like tobacco brown, black, red, and natural. The body shape is designed to resonate and project sound like a professional classical guitar. The gloss provides a smooth surface and beautiful shine.

Some key details of the appearance include:

• Concert body shape with a generous lower bout provides balanced and full tones
• High-gloss polyurethane finish for aesthetically pleasing shine
• Multiple color options including tobacco brown, black, natural and red
• Elegant rosette and body binding
• Black and white fingerboard and bridge provide pleasing visual contrast

While the concert shape is bigger than a traditional flamenco guitar, the CG172SF still maintains a comfortable feel during extended playing sessions. The gloss finish not only looks beautiful, but also protects the spruce and rosewood body from scratches and wear. Overall, the appearance matches the excellent construction and tone that make this classical guitar stand out.

Another popular classical guitar option to consider is the TARIO GLC-231TCED NA. This model features a traditional fan-braced spruce top with mahogany back and sides for balanced tone and sustain. The gloss finish comes in transparent cherry sunburst, black, or natural, providing an elegant look. Binding along the body and fretboard gives it visual flair. The headstock has a distinctive design with covered tuning machines that complement the guitar's appearance. With its traditional body shape and attractive finish options, the TARIO GLC-231TCED NA is another classical guitar that combines visual beauty with impressive sound and playability. Whether you prefer the Yamaha CG172SF or the TARIO GLC-231TCED NA, there are lots of excellent classical guitar choices that sound fantastic and look stunning on stage or in the practice room.

Playability

The Yamaha CG172SF classical guitar is designed with playability in mind. It features a nut width of 48mm, which is narrower than many classical guitars. This narrower nut width allows for quicker and easier fretting, making it a great choice for players with smaller hands or those who are new to classical guitar.

The CG172SF also has very low action right out of the box. Low action reduces the physical effort needed to press down the strings, making playing less tiring. The action can be further adjusted and personalized to suit each player's preferences. Overall, the narrow nut and low action of this Yamaha model promote excellent playability, ideal for new players or experienced guitarists alike.

Tone

The Yamaha CG172SF classical guitar produces a bright, focused tone that suits the nylon strings well. This makes it an ideal instrument for beginners who are developing their technique and tone production. The spruce top provides clarity in the treble registers while the nato back and sides offer a balanced and well-rounded sound. There is good separation between notes, allowing melodies to ring true. Chords have enough richness thanks to the rosewood bridge and fingerboard. The end result is a lively and resonant classical guitar tone. While not as complex as high-end models, the Yamaha CG172SF delivers an impressive sound for its price point. Students and hobbyists will appreciate the musicality of this affordable classical. It provides a solid tonal foundation to practice and perform on.

Hardware

The Yamaha CG172SF classical guitar comes equipped with quality hardware to provide stable tuning and balanced tone.

The guitar utilizes chrome enclosed tuners that are durable and precise. The chrome plating prevents rust while the enclosed design keeps out dust and debris. The tuners turn smoothly and hold tune reliably.

For the nut and saddle, Yamaha chose a synthetic bone material called Nubone. The Nubone nut and saddle offer sustain and warmth reminiscent of traditional bone. However, the material is more resistant to temperature and humidity changes. This results in fewer issues with tuning stability compared to bone.

The combination of high-quality chrome tuners and Nubone nut and saddle allows the CG172SF to stay in tune performance after performance. Players can rely on the hardware to deliver consistent intonation and tone.

Electronics

The Yamaha CG172SF is an acoustic nylon-string classical guitar, so there are no electronics built into this instrument. It produces sound solely from the vibration of its strings transmitted through the solid spruce and nato body.

This gives the CG172SF a pure, unamplified acoustic tone. The lack of electronics also results in a more traditional construction and appearance, without control knobs or pickup systems interfering with the guitar's classical aesthetics and design.

Some players may view the lack of electronics as a drawback, as it limits the CG172SF's volume and prevents easy amplification. However, for classical guitarists focused on acoustic practice, recording, and performance, the all-acoustic design is ideal. It showcases the rich, warm, nuanced sound quality these types of guitars are known for.

Overall, the Yamaha CG172SF delivers an authentic nylon-string experience centered around entirely natural acoustic projection and resonance. This gives it a traditional, organic voice that many classical players will appreciate.

Pros

• The Yamaha CG172SF is well-constructed using solid spruce for the top, rosewood for the back and sides, and mahogany for the neck. The build quality feels very solid and durable.
• Playability is a major plus with this classical guitar. The nylon strings have a nice low action and are very comfortable on the fingers when fretting chords and notes up the neck. It's an easy guitar to play even for beginners.
• The guitar produces a clear, bright, and balanced tone that projects well. The spruce top in combination with rosewood back and sides allows both the treble and bass ranges to come through nicely. It's a versatile guitar well-suited to playing different styles of classical music.

Cons

The Yamaha CG172SF is a great entry level classical guitar, but it's not without some drawbacks.

One area where it lacks is in the depth and complexity of its tone. While the spruce top and nato back and sides produce a balanced and articulate sound, it doesn't have the same rich harmonics and bass response as more premium classical guitars. The tone can come across as a bit thin on the low end.

It's also an entirely acoustic instrument without any electronics. While this allows it to be offered at a low price point, it does limit the CG172SF's versatility. You won't be able to plug this guitar into an amplifier or PA system. For strictly acoustic playing, this may not be an issue. But for situations where amplification is needed, you'll have to look to other models.

So while the Yamaha CG172SF excels in playability and construction for the price, the tone and lack of electronics leave some room for improvement. Players looking for maximum tonal quality and versatility may want to save up for a higher tier classical guitar down the road. But as a starter or practice instrument, the CG172SF gets you surprisingly far for the money.

Conclusion

The Yamaha CG172SF is a great entry-level choice for those looking to get started with classical guitar. It features solid spruce and mahogany construction that provides good resonance and playability right out of the box. The nylon strings have a smooth feel, and the shorter scale length makes it easy for beginners' hands to fret notes and chords.

While it doesn't have the dynamic range or tonal complexity of more expensive classical guitars, the CG172SF produces a pleasant, balanced tone. The hardware is quite basic, but gets the job done for practicing and learning. Those seeking professional-grade sound may want to upgrade down the line.

Overall, the Yamaha CG172SF hits a sweet spot of quality and affordability. With its comfortable playability and classic design, it's a nice first classical guitar for novice players who want good construction without breaking the bank. More advanced guitarists may desire upgraded electronics and woods for richer tones, but will likely be satisfied with the CG172SF as a practice instrument.