Yamaha F310 Acoustic Guitar Review: Quality and Value Combined
Yamaha’s F310 acoustic guitar offers students and budget-conscious players an affordable instrument with surprising quality. While not professional grade, its playable slim neck, solid top, and focused tone provide an accessible gateway into acoustic guitars. After thorough testing, it’s clear the F310 outperforms expectations given its very beginner-friendly price point.
Overview and First Impressions
At first glimpse, the F310 displays familiar dreadnought proportions with its large rounded shoulders and wide waist. The satin finish intriguingly combines a tobacco sunburst top with black back and sides.
Initial inspection reveals a fairly standard and minimalist design, but solid construction with no evident flaws. Hardware and electronics appear basic but functional. Of course fit, finish and appointments reflect the sub-$200 pricing.
After tuning and setup adjustments, the F310 comfortably played in tune up the neck with decent intonation between frets. Action came reasonably low for steel strings, facilitating easy forming of basic first position chords. From the very first strum, the F310 sounded balanced and musical.
Body Construction
The F310 features a laminated nato back, sides and neck, with a solid spruce top. While not figured exotic woods, these tonewoods aim for sonic consistency at this price versus premium resonance.
The semi-gloss finish withstands light scratches well, but lacks the luster of high-end models. Minimal purfling and rosette inlays decorate the spruce top simply and effectively.
Overall the F310 feels sturdy and solid enough for a beginner’s practice and play. While aimed at students, construction shortcuts minimize long-term abuse potential versus premium models. Still, the F310 should hold up fine when treated well.
Sound and Tone
With its spruce and nato woods, the F310 produces balanced tone favoring the mids and highs. Trebles have enough shimmer for rhythmic brightness, while the low end provides sufficient thump for chordal accompaniment.
The sound profile best suits lighter genres like folk versus aggressive rock or blues. Single notes and leads exhibit good note separation thanks to the laminate back limiting overtones.
While not extremely complex or nuanced, the F310’s focused voice facilitates practice and playing clearly. It compares well against other entry-level acoustic-electrics, with better resonance and articulation than purely budget models.
Playability and Feel
Yamaha designed the F310 for accessibility, with its slim neck profile, shorter 24.75” scale, and comfortable string spacing. Younger students and smaller hands will welcome the easy maneuverability up and down the maple neck and rosewood fingerboard.
The action came well set up from the factory, enabling clear fretting without excessive force. Intonation aligned accurately, with chords sounding crisp and in tune. No sharp fret ends or dead spots marred the playing experience.
While seasoned players might desire more premium appointments, the F310’s playability excels for the price. The smooth satin finish minimizes friction during chord changes and soloing.
Hardware and Electronics
In keeping costs down, Yamaha equipped the F310 with passable but unremarkable hardware. Die-cast chrome tuners keep the strings in tune reliably with some occasional minor slippage under heavy picking.
Controls include a single volume knob and pickup selector for the built-in piezo pickup and preamp. While utilitarian, the electronics capture the F310’s acoustic voice naturally with decent amplification for practice.
The adjustable truss rod allows tweaking neck relief as needed over time. The compensated saddle aims for accurate intonation, but some additional tweaks may optimize this on an individual basis depending on playing style.
Pros and Cons Summary
Pros
- Balanced tone suitable for lighter genres
- Easy playability from slim neck and short scale
- Quality construction for the price
- Very budget friendly cost
Cons
- Electronics and hardware just adequate
- Heavier strumming exposes some muddiness
- Lacks long-term gigging durability
- Minimal ornamentation may disappoint some
Conclusion and Rating
The Yamaha F310 accomplishes its main goals as an accessible entry-level acoustic. It exceeds expectations for playability and quality given its ultra-affordable pricing. Serious players will soon require upgraded electronics and hardware for gigging use. But for informal playing and practice, the F310 provides impressive value. Thanks to its comfortable feel and balanced tone, the F310 merits consideration by cost-conscious students and hobbyists.
Overall Rating: 4/5 Stars