Now Available at Northeast Music Center!

Yamaha FG5 GL Red Label Dreadnought Acoustic! Guitar comes with a Yamaha Hardshell Case!

Made in Japan | Solid Sitka Spruce A.R.E. Top | Solid Mahogany Back & Sides | Scalloped Bracing | Yamaha Hardshell Case

Vintage-Inspired Yamaha Tone—Built in Japan

The Yamaha FG5 Red Label is a guitar that reminds us just how serious Yamaha can be about acoustic instruments.

Inspired by Yamaha's legendary FG acoustics of the 1960s, the FG5 combines that unmistakable vintage aesthetic with modern Japanese craftsmanship, all-solid tonewoods, scalloped bracing and Yamaha's Acoustic Resonance Enhancement (A.R.E.) treatment.

The result is a Dreadnought with a warm, powerful voice, strong low-end response and the woody character that makes spruce-and-mahogany acoustics so appealing for strumming, flatpicking and singer-songwriter work.

And importantly, the FG5 isn't simply designed in Japan.

It's made in Japan.

Available now from Northeast Music Center and supplied with its Yamaha hardshell case.

FG5 RED LABEL HIGHLIGHTS:
• Made in Japan
• Red Label Series
• Traditional Dreadnought-style body
• All-solid construction
• Solid Sitka spruce top with A.R.E. treatment
• Solid mahogany back and sides
• Scalloped bracing
• Gloss body finish
• African mahogany neck
• Satin neck finish
• Ebony fingerboard
• Ebony bridge
• Ebony bridge pins
• Bone nut and saddle
• 25" scale length
• 1-3/4" nut width
• 20 frets
• Open-gear chrome tuners
• Classic V-shaped FG headstock
• "Since 1966" truss rod cover
• No onboard electronics
• Yamaha Hardshell Case Included

THE RED LABEL STORY

The FG5 doesn't borrow vintage styling simply because vintage guitars look cool.

There's history behind that red label.

Yamaha introduced its FG acoustic guitars in the 1960s, and those early instruments went on to earn a reputation among players for being dependable, musical guitars that could withstand years of serious use.

The modern Red Label series draws directly from that heritage.

Look at the FG5 and you'll see details that deliberately connect the instrument with its predecessors, including the traditional FG headstock shape, Yamaha tuning-fork logo and "Since 1966" truss rod cover.

But Yamaha didn't simply recreate an old guitar.

They took the spirit of those instruments and applied decades of additional acoustic-guitar knowledge and Japanese manufacturing experience.

That's what makes the FG5 interesting.

It's vintage-inspired without being stuck in the past.

ALL-SOLID SPRUCE AND MAHOGANY

At the heart of the FG5 is one of acoustic guitar building's most proven tonewood combinations.

The top is solid Sitka spruce.

The back and sides are solid mahogany.

Sitka spruce gives the guitar projection, clarity and dynamic range, while mahogany contributes warmth, woody midrange and strong fundamental character.

Together, they're particularly well suited to a Dreadnought.

Dig into the strings with a pick and the guitar has the headroom and projection to respond.

Back off and the natural warmth of the mahogany becomes more apparent.

For flatpicking, open-chord strumming, folk, country, Americana and singer-songwriter music, it's a combination that simply works.

A.R.E. — YAMAHA'S APPROACH TO THE SOUND OF AGED WOOD

One of the most interesting features of the FG5 is Yamaha's proprietary Acoustic Resonance Enhancement—or A.R.E.—treatment applied to the solid Sitka spruce top.

Yamaha uses controlled temperature, humidity and atmospheric pressure as part of the process, with the goal of altering the wood's acoustic characteristics in a way associated with naturally aged tonewood.

The idea isn't to make a new guitar pretend to be an old guitar.

It's to give the soundboard a more mature response from the beginning.

Combined with the FG5's scalloped bracing, the result is designed around the warm, open and powerful voice Yamaha wanted for the Red Label series.

SCALLOPED BRACING — BUILT FOR WARMTH AND POWER

Yamaha developed the FG5's scalloped bracing to enhance low-frequency response while maintaining the structural integrity the guitar requires.

And that's especially important in a Dreadnought.

A great Dreadnought shouldn't simply be loud.

It should have authority.

The low strings need weight.

Chords should sound broad without becoming muddy.

Individual notes should remain clear when you're flatpicking.

The FG5's combination of body shape, scalloped bracing and all-solid construction gives it the foundation to do exactly that.

MADE IN JAPAN

This deserves to stand on its own.

The Yamaha FG5 is made in Japan.

For the player shopping for a serious acoustic guitar, that matters.

The FG5 represents Yamaha's higher level of acoustic-guitar production, with careful construction and traditional appointments that match the musical ambitions of the instrument.

Take a close look at the details.

Bone nut and saddle.

Ebony fingerboard.

Ebony bridge and bridge pins.

Open-gear tuners.

All-solid construction.

A.R.E.-treated spruce.

Scalloped bracing.

None of those features exists simply to fill space on a specification sheet.

Together, they create a guitar designed for the player who appreciates traditional acoustic construction and intends to keep the instrument for a long time.

BONE NUT AND SADDLE

The FG5 uses a bone nut and saddle, another welcome appointment at this level.

Bone provides a hard contact surface that promotes efficient transfer of string energy through the instrument.

Combined with the ebony bridge, these traditional materials complement the all-solid construction and acoustic-first philosophy of the FG5.

There are no electronics hiding inside this guitar.

No onboard tuner.

No preamp.

The FG5 is unapologetically an acoustic guitar.

For the player who wants to capture it, put a good microphone in front of it.

COMFORTABLE, TRADITIONAL PLAYABILITY

The FG5 uses an African mahogany neck with a satin finish and ebony fingerboard.

Its 25" scale length and 1-3/4" nut width create a comfortable playing platform that works particularly well for players moving between strumming, flatpicking and fingerstyle techniques.

The satin neck finish also keeps the fretting hand moving naturally without the stickier feel some players experience with a high-gloss neck.

It's another example of Yamaha putting function ahead of unnecessary decoration.

SPECIFICATIONS:

General
• Manufacturer: Yamaha
• Series: Red Label
• Model: FG5
• Country of Manufacture: Japan
• Orientation: Right-Handed
• Electronics: None
• Yamaha Hardshell Case Included

Body
• Body Style: Traditional Dreadnought
• Construction: All-Solid
• Top: Solid Sitka Spruce with A.R.E. Treatment
• Back & Sides: Solid Mahogany
• Bracing: Scalloped
• Body Finish: Gloss
• Binding: Black + White
• Pickguard: Wooden Type

Neck
• Neck Wood: African Mahogany
• Neck Finish: Satin
• Fingerboard: Ebony
• Scale Length: 25"
• Nut Width: 1-3/4"
• Fingerboard Radius: 15-3/4"
• Frets: 20

Hardware
• Tuners: Open-Gear Chrome (Y1D)
• Nut: Bone
• Saddle: Bone
• Bridge: Ebony
• Bridge Pins: Ebony
• Hardware: Nickel/Chrome

Electronics
• Pickup: None
• Preamp: None
• Controls: None

Included
• Yamaha Hardshell Case

WHO IS THE FG5 FOR?

The FG5 is for the guitarist who appreciates a traditional acoustic but doesn't necessarily believe the name on the headstock has to be one of the usual suspects

It's for the flatpicker who wants projection.

The singer-songwriter who wants warmth underneath a vocal

The rhythm guitarist who wants a Dreadnought with authority.

The studio musician who wants an all-solid acoustic without onboard electronics.

And it's especially compelling for the player who values Japanese craftsmanship and Yamaha's remarkable consistency.

This isn't an entry-level Yamaha dressed up to look expensive.

It's a serious acoustic guitar.

THE NORTHEAST MUSIC CENTER PERSPECTIVE

At Northeast Music Center, we're fortunate to spend our days around some exceptional acoustic guitars.

That makes instruments like the Yamaha FG5 particularly interesting.

It doesn't need to imitate anyone else.

Yamaha has its own acoustic history, its own engineering philosophy and decades of experience building instruments for serious musicians.

The FG5 brings those things together beautifully.

You get an A.R.E.-treated solid Sitka spruce top, solid mahogany back and sides, scalloped bracing, ebony fingerboard and bridge, bone nut and saddle, Japanese construction and a Yamaha hardshell case.

More importantly, those specifications come together to create a guitar with a purpose.

This is an acoustic designed to be played for years.

If you're shopping for an all-solid Dreadnought and automatically looking only at the traditional American names, we think the FG5 deserves to be part of the conversation.

Come experience one at Northeast Music Center, or contact us if you'd like to know more about the exact guitar we have available.

The Yamaha FG5 Red Label Made-in-Japan Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar with Yamaha hardshell case is available now from Northeast Music Center.

The FG5 doesn't need to borrow someone else's history. Yamaha has plenty of its own.