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Epiphone J-45 EC
Yamaha FG850
VS
Playability
82
Sound
88
Build
77
Value
87
Score
82
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Playability
73
Sound
80
Build
62
Value
82
Score
72
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Epiphone J-45 EC vs Yamaha FG850

Reasons to Get
Epiphone J-45 EC over Yamaha FG850

Release Year
2020 vs 2016
From a more recent year
Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Pickups Brand
Fishman vs None
Pickups from a renown brand
Nut Material
Bone vs Plastic
Good quality nut with rich tone
Sides Wood
Solid vs Laminated
Helps with richer tones and louder volume
Back Wood
Solid vs Laminated
Helps with richer tones and louder volume
Scale Length
24.72'' (627.9mm) vs 25.6'' (650.2mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm) vs 15.75'' (400.1mm)
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings
Value Score
87 vs 82
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Yamaha FG850 over Epiphone J-45 EC

Scale Length
25.6'' (650.2mm) vs 24.72'' (627.9mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
15.75'' (400.1mm) vs 12'' (304.8mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend

Other Key Differences
Epiphone J-45 EC vs Yamaha FG850

Saddle Material
Bone vs Plastic
Different Saddle Material
Bridge Material
Reverse Belly, Indian Laurel vs Rosewood
Different Bridge Material
Body Wood
Spruce vs Mahogany
Different Body Wood
Neck Wood
Mahogany vs Nato
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Laurel vs Rosewood
Different Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
Bone vs Plastic
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Epiphone J-45 EC vs Yamaha FG850

Back Material
Mahogany
Same Back Material
Sides Material
Mahogany
Same Sides Material
Headstock
3-3
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Hollowbody
Warm tone, lighter and acoustic sound
Switch Positions
0
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
0
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
0
Same tone control
Number of Frets
20
Same maximum octave
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm)
Same string separation at the nut
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Fixed
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo vs Medium
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • Solid Top Wood
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Locking Tuners
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

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SET PRICE ALERT

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Epiphone J-45 EC is probably the better product overall with its final score of 82 compared to the Yamaha FG850's 72 score, which is a significant difference.

The Epiphone J-45 EC wins when it comes to sound, playability, build quality, value for the money. This means that it wins over the Yamaha FG850 in every aspect.

If you got small hands, none of these instruments will make a big difference when it comes to comfortability.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Epiphone J-45 EC is the better choice.

The Epiphone J-45 EC meets 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Yamaha FG850 meets only 3. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.

New Player Friendliness

Epiphone J-45 EC
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Short scale
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable shape
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Soft Strings
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Yamaha FG850
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable shape
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Soft Strings
  • Locking tuners

Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.

Epiphone J-45 EC Overview

  • From Epiphone's 2020 Inspired by Gibson Acoustic series
  • Made in China
  • 6 strings
  • 24.72"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Sitka Spruce top
  • Solid Mahogany back
  • Solid Mahogany sides
  • Mahogany neck
  • Indian Laurel fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fishman Sonicore (Preamp/Active)
  • Reverse Belly, Indian Laurel bridge
  • Acoustic Rounded C Set neck
  • 20 Medium Jumbo frets
  • 3 on a plate: Ivory buttons, press in bushings tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Yamaha FG850 Overview

  • From Yamaha's 2016 FG / FGX series
  • Made in China
  • 6 strings
  • 25.6"'' scale
  • 15.75" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Mahogany top
  • Mahogany back
  • Mahogany sides
  • Nato neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: (/)
  • Rosewood bridge
  • Acoustic C Set neck
  • 20 Medium frets
  • Die-Cast Chrome (TM29T) tuners
  • Weight between 4.2lbs (1.9kgs) and 4.55lbs (2.1kgs)
  • Compare Specs >

Sound Quality Comparison

The most important thing that will determine the tone of an acoustic guitar is the wood. Let's take a look at the differences between both .

Woods Used in Both

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany

Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.

Woods Used in the Epiphone J-45 EC

Laurel wood pattern used for guitar building
Laurel
Spruce wood pattern used for guitar building
Spruce

There are many types of Laurel, but East Indian is the most common for guitar building. Its color can vary from dark to light brown with black lines. Many people find its tonality similar to Rosewood, which favors the warmer frequencies. Find out more about Laurel.

Spruce has a light color with tight grain patterns. It's very stiff but relatively light. It's known for producing a well-rounded tone with a broad dynamic range. Find out more about Spruce.

Woods Used in the Yamaha FG850

Nato wood pattern used for guitar building
Nato
Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood

Nato a hard and dense wood similar to Mahogany, but cheaper and not quite as hard. Tone-wise, it's also similar, but it doesn't have quite the same attack as Mahogany.

Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.

Winner: Yamaha FG850.

Electronics

The Epiphone J-45 EC comes with a preamp that allows you to connect it to an amp, unlike its competitor. This allows it to have more versatility and sound quality if you want to record with it or play live.

Winner:Epiphone J-45 EC.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Epiphone J-45 EC
Sustain 95
Versatility 85
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 88
Yamaha FG850
Sustain 75
Versatility 80
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 80

Build Quality Comparison

When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Epiphone J-45 EC compares to the Yamaha FG850.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in China.

China has a bad reputation when it comes to building quality. However, times have changed and now respectable brands use China's cheap labor to build good instruments for a lower price. Don't discount a guitar only because it was built in China, but also expect more quality from countries like Korea.

Winner: Tie

Nut Material

If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

The Epiphone J-45 EC has a Bone nut. It's a type of nut found in high-quality instruments. They sound similar to Ivory since they give a lot of sustain and a bright sound (at least when striking open strings). The only problem they can run into is that you may get a bone piece that simply doesn't sound as well as others because that's just how natural materials are.

On the other hand, the Yamaha FG850 comes with a Plastic nut. This is a low-quality nut that you might want to consider upgrading soon. Bone and TUSQ nuts are the best for guitars with a fixed or simple tremolo bridge.

Winner: Epiphone J-45 EC.

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.

Winner: Tie.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Epiphone J-45 EC's are 3 on a plate: Ivory buttons, press in bushings while the Yamaha FG850's are Die-Cast Chrome (TM29T)

Winner: Tie.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
Epiphone J-45 EC
  • Expensive Wood
  • Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Electronics
  • Bone Saddle
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Solid Side Wood
  • Solid Back Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in China
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Yamaha FG850
  • Expensive Wood
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in China
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • No Electronics
  • Low-Quality Material Saddle
  • Laminated Side Wood
  • Laminated Back Wood
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Epiphone J-45 EC
Quality of materials 86
Features 85
Quality Control 60
Build Quality 77
Yamaha FG850
Quality of materials 66
Features 65
Quality Control 55
Build Quality 62

Playability Comparison

Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

Nut Width

Epiphone J-45 EC Nut Width
Both Guitars Have The Same Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, both have a nut width of 43mm (1.693'').

This is within the most common range of nut widths for a 6-string guitar. It offers a good balance of string separation at the nut. It's the size that most guitarists prefer as it gives them just enough space to play open chords without muting the strings, but without spreading the strings too wide and making bar chords difficult to perform.

Scale Length

Epiphone J-45 EC's Scale Length
Epiphone J-45 EC's Scale Length
Yamaha FG850's Scale Length
Yamaha FG850's Scale Length

The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

The Yamaha FG850 has the longest scale: 25.6". The Epiphone J-45 EC is only 24.72" long. This is a 0.88'' (22.4mm) scale length difference.

This longer scale means that the strings need more tension to get in tune. This is good if you want to avoid fret buzz, which can happen when the strings are too loose and touch the frets while vibrating. This is especially important when playing in lower tunings. This will also let you reduce the gap between fretboard and strings (low action) to make them easier to press down. However, this higher tension will also make it harder to perform bends and vibratos as the strings will feel stiffer.

This also means that the frets have a longer separation between each other, so this will make it harder for people with smaller hands when playing some chord positions.

Another characteristic of a longer scale is that it makes the guitar sound 'snappier' or brighter. This is due to the extra separation between harmonics and overtones produced by the tension. This influences tone more than any other factor (except the pickups).

Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

Neck Profile

Epiphone J-45 EC Neck Profile
Epiphone J-45 EC's neck profile
Yamaha FG850 Neck Profile
Yamaha FG850's neck profile

No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

Both the Epiphone J-45 EC and the Yamaha FG850 have a C-shaped neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

Fretboard Radius

Epiphone J-45 EC Fingerboard Radius
Epiphone J-45 EC's Fingerboard radius
Yamaha FG850 Fingerboard Radius
Yamaha FG850's Fingerboard radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

In this case, the Epiphone J-45 EC's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Yamaha FG850's. This extra arc will make playing chords easier in this model. You won't be as likely to mute the strings, especially if you have big hands. However, playing single notes and bending will be easier on the Yamaha FG850.

Still, both tend to favor soloing over chords, so if you're looking for a guitar for playing rhythm, you might want something else with a radius closer to a Stratocaster's 9.5''.

Hand Size Comfortability

Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.

After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both in this comparison favor small hands .

Epiphone J-45 EC:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Yamaha FG850:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Epiphone J-45 EC Frets Size
Epiphone J-45 EC's Frets Size
Yamaha FG850 Frets Size
Yamaha FG850's Frets Size

The Epiphone J-45 EC has Medium Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Yamaha FG850's Medium frets.

Some people prefer taller frets because they result in more sustain since the strings get pressed cleanly without interference from the fretboard. However, if they're too tall—like Jumbo frets—, you might change the pitch of the strings accidentally if you press too hard because you won't be touching the fretboard with your fingers. This is also why some guitarists with a heavy grip prefer smaller frets. They like to feel the fingerboard to avoid pressing down too hard and getting out of pitch.

Final Playability Scores

Epiphone J-45 EC
Bending & Vibrato Ease 90
Chord Playability 75
Solo Playability 80
Playability 82
Yamaha FG850
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 73

Specs Side-by-Side

Epiphone J-45 EC vs Yamaha FG850
General Epiphone J-45 EC Yamaha FG850
Brand: Epiphone Yamaha
Year: 2020 2016
Strings: 6 6
Made in: China China
Series: Inspired by Gibson Acoustic FG / FGX
Colors: Sunburst Natural
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Hollowbody Hollowbody
Body Material: Solid Sitka Spruce Solid Mahogany
Sides Material: Mahogany Mahogany
Back Material: Mahogany Mahogany
Bridge: Reverse Belly, Indian Laurel Rosewood
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: 3 on a plate: Ivory buttons, press in bushings Die-Cast Chrome (TM29T)
Fretboard: Indian Laurel Rosewood
Neck Material: Mahogany Nato
Decoration: Mother of Pearl Dots Dots
Scale Size: 24.72" 25.6"
Shape: Acoustic Rounded C Acoustic C
Frets: 20 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 20 Medium Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" 15.75"
Nut: Bone Plastic
Nut Width: 43mm (1.693'') 43mm (1.693'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Fishman Sonicore (Preamp / Active)