Yamaha FG JR1 & JR2 acoustic guitar hands on review

Nobody can deny the fact that small guitars are the bomb! They may not be the loudest sounding guitars out there, but they are relevant in many situations. They make great travel guitars for adults. If you are traveling the world, you can always have one on standby for when you get the inspiration. They also make great first guitars for kids.

The price friendly FG JR1 and JR2 from Yamaha are examples of small guitars that have maintained their popularity throughout the years. The JR1 and JR2 are modeled after Yamaha’s famous FG line of acoustic guitars.

Features and opinion of the Yamaha FG 3/4 guitars

This article is dedicated to the affordable selection of Yamaha FG JR guitars. There are 2 variants: the JR1 and JR2.

What is the difference between the Yamaha FG JR1 vs JR2?

The 2 guitars are identical to the untrained eye, but there is a difference in price and features:

• The wood used for the JR2s back and sides is Mahogany, vs Meranti used on the JR1. Mahogany is more upscale and sounds better.
• The JR2 has a thinner finish than the JR1. A thinner finish allows for more vibration from the wood, which makes it sound better.

Will your child or you be able to tell the difference? Probably not.

Otherwise, they share all other specifications:

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Small body and neck modeled after the big Yamaha FG

The designers of the JR1 wanted to keep it simple by settling for their renowned folk guitar (FG) shape, only smaller. This ensures that it has great balance in that it is large enough to comfortably play yet small enough to carry around while traveling and store in your home.

While the quarter size may sometimes be restricting to players with large hands, most newbie guitarists and smaller players prefer this size.

The size of the FG JR makes it one of the best kid’s guitars, ideal for children of age 8-11 who are starting their guitar journey.

There was a great consideration for balance when choosing the materials for the JR1. The guitar comprises a nice combo that includes a top made of spruce, while the sides and back are made using Meranti on the JR1, and Mahogany on the JR2.

These are laminated wood, as you would expect from the budget price. Generally, the FG JR is a simple yet sophisticated little guitar whose stylishness is further defined by the black body binding.

Though it is average with nothing special worth noting, the neck of the JR1 is solid. Weighing under 5 pounds, it is easy to carry around.

It actually has a good build for a mass-produced product, although you can significantly improve it by putting quality strings on it, and having it set up by a professional guitar tech.

Hardware

For most manufacturers, this is the part where they try to save money: no wonder the majority of affordable designs feature shady hardware.

Conversely, The JR1 and JR2 come with decent components considering their price.

The body contains a rosewood bridge with a synthetic bone saddle and nut. This same kind of simplicity has been applied to the tuners. There is also a standard set of chrome tuners that hold tuning well.

Sound

The Yamaha JR1 produces a pretty nice tone with a greater punch compared to some average concert and travel style of guitars. Though a little boxy, the trebles are clean and crisp with a solid mid-range. And while it may lack a bit of bass, this doesn’t take anything away from its intended use.

I am not saying it will produce sound at the level of a high-end Martin dreadnought. This small acoustic, as you would expect, has a weaker projection and the low-end response isn’t as impressive, due to its size.

Starter kit bundle of the JR1

Here is a starter kit version of the JR1, which includes several items you would probably end up buying anyway. They also have a JR2 starter kit.

The bundle includes:

• clip-on tuner
• capo
• guitar strap
• peg winder
• picks
• Yamaha folk guitar strings
• instructional DVD

Video review of the Yamaha 3/4 scale guitar

About Yamaha Guitars

Most people don’t know it, but Yamaha has been making instruments for a very long time. Yamaha was established back in 1887, making organs and pianos. They applied for the famous tuning for logo trademark in 1916, over 100 years ago.

Yamaha is actually a big name in the music industry, though not a high-end name like Martin or Taylor. They build quality instruments at an affordable price point.

Other Yamaha FG JR1/JR2 reviews and recommendations

The Yamaha FG JR1 and JR2 guitars are very popular, meaning you can find other reviews about them online as well. Here are a few.

Sweetwater.com

Sweetwaters tagline for the Yamaha FG JR1 is “Small on size, big on tone”. They compare the tone of this 3/4 sized guitar as rivaling that of full size guitars. Strumming the guitar yields a suprisingly big sound. Read more…

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Musicradar.com

Musicradar gave the FG JR1 3 points out of 5, noting that the price/value ratio us good, but the fingerboard was cramped for the author of the review, and he missed more bass from the sound. Read more…

What customers say about the little Yamaha guitar

If you are wondering what people who have bought the guitar think about it, here are a few opinions from Amazon. You can read more reviews here.

One customer thinks that this guitar presents the best value in the lineup of small guitars. This customer is a professional musician who makes a living playing guitar on tour and in the studio.

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Another customer complains that this guitar is smaller than you would expect from a 3/4 scale guitar. It is more the size of a 1/2 guitar, too small for his child.

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A customer who bought the bundled starter kit for his 9 year old son said he was pleased with the purchase. He describes the contents of the kit in detail, noting that everything works nicely and there were no problems with the guitar.

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An experienced guitarist, who owns Gibson and Taylor acoustic guitars wanted a travel guitar, so he bought the 3/4 scale Yamaha. He was amazed by the sound and quality for the price.

You can read more reviews here.

Final verdict

If you are looking for a small acoustic guitar to travel around with or a guitar for a child, choosing the Yamaha JR1 or JR2 will work out great for you. It has a nice design, produces a good tone, and is budget-friendly. All it needs is a string change followed by a decent setup to really get your money’s worth.

The guitar comes with a padded gig bag, but if you want extra protection, you could get this 3/4 size guitar hard case.

I can honestly say that if you are looking for a quality 3/4 guitar to give to your child as a first guitar, you are making a good choice by opting for the Yamaha FG JR.