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Fender CP-60S Parlor
Yamaha CSF3M
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Playability
78
Sound
79
Build
62
Value
88
Score
73
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Playability
82
Sound
84
Build
70
Value
84
Score
79
FIND IT ON:
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Fender CP-60S Parlor vs Yamaha CSF3M

Reasons to Get
Fender CP-60S Parlor over Yamaha CSF3M

Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm) vs 23.625'' (600.1mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm) vs 15.75'' (400.1mm)
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings
Value Score
88 vs 84
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Yamaha CSF3M over Fender CP-60S Parlor

Release Year
2018 vs 2017
From a more recent year
Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Pickup Mods
Multi-Voicing vs None
Changes the voice (tones or gain) of the pickups
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
23.625'' (600.1mm) vs 24.75'' (628.7mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer 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
Fender CP-60S Parlor vs Yamaha CSF3M

Bridge Material
Walnut vs Rosewood
Different Bridge Material
Neck Wood
Mahogany vs Nato
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Walnut vs Rosewood
Different Fretboard Wood

Shared Features
Fender CP-60S Parlor vs Yamaha CSF3M

Back Material
Mahogany
Same Back Material
Sides Material
Mahogany
Same Sides Material
Saddle Material
Plastic
Same Saddle Material
Body Wood
Spruce
Same Body Wood
Headstock
3-3
Same Headstock
Nut Material
Plastic
Same Nut Material
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
Vintage vs Medium
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • Solid Top Wood
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

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

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Yamaha CSF3M is probably the better product overall with its final score of 79 compared to the Fender CP-60S Parlor's 73 score, although not by a lot.

The Yamaha CSF3M wins when it comes to sound, playability, build quality. On the other hand, the Fender CP-60S Parlor has the upper hand when it comes to value for the money.

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 Yamaha CSF3M is the better choice.

The Yamaha CSF3M meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Fender CP-60S Parlor 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

Fender CP-60S Parlor
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Soft Strings
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Yamaha CSF3M
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Short scale
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • 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.

Fender CP-60S Parlor Overview

  • From Fender's 2017 Classic Design series
  • Made in China
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Spruce top
  • Laminated Mahogany back
  • Laminated Mahogany sides
  • Mahogany neck
  • Walnut fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: (/)
  • Walnut bridge
  • Acoustic Fender 'Easy-to-Play' shape with rolled fretboard edges Set neck
  • 20 Vintage frets
  • Chrome Die-Cast tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Yamaha CSF3M Overview

  • From Yamaha's 2018 CSF series
  • Made in China
  • 6 strings
  • 23.625"'' scale
  • 15.75" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Sitka Spruce top
  • Solid Mahogany back
  • Solid Mahogany sides
  • Nato neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Passive System (SRT Piezo) (Preamp/Passive)
  • Rosewood bridge
  • Acoustic C Set neck
  • 20 Medium frets
  • Die-Cast Chrome tuners
  • 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
Spruce wood pattern used for guitar building
Spruce

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.

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 Fender CP-60S Parlor

Walnut wood pattern used for guitar building
Walnut

It's a hard wood with a chocolate color that is often used to give an elegant finish. Since it's quite expensive and rare, it's mostly used for guitar tops. Find out more about Walnut.

Woods Used in the Yamaha CSF3M

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 CSF3M.

Electronics

The Yamaha CSF3M 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:Yamaha CSF3M.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Fender CP-60S Parlor
Sustain 70
Versatility 80
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 79
Yamaha CSF3M
Sustain 80
Versatility 90
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 84

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 Fender CP-60S Parlor compares to the Yamaha CSF3M.

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.

In this case, both have Plastic nuts. 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.

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 Fender CP-60S Parlor's are Chrome Die-Cast while the Yamaha CSF3M's are Die-Cast Chrome

Winner: Tie.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Fender CP-60S Parlor
  • 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
Strengths & Weaknesses
Yamaha CSF3M
  • Expensive Wood
  • Electronics
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Solid Side Wood
  • Solid Back Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in China
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • Low-Quality Material Saddle
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Fender CP-60S Parlor
Quality of materials 66
Features 65
Quality Control 55
Build Quality 62
Yamaha CSF3M
Quality of materials 71
Features 80
Quality Control 60
Build Quality 70

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

Fender CP-60S Parlor 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

Fender CP-60S Parlor's Scale Length
Fender CP-60S Parlor's Scale Length
Yamaha CSF3M's Scale Length
Yamaha CSF3M'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 Fender CP-60S Parlor has the longest scale: 24.75". The Yamaha CSF3M is only 23.625" long. This is a 1.125'' (28.6mm) 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

Fender CP-60S Parlor Neck Profile
Fender CP-60S Parlor's neck profile
Yamaha CSF3M Neck Profile
Yamaha CSF3M'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 Fender CP-60S Parlor and the Yamaha CSF3M 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

Fender CP-60S Parlor Fingerboard Radius
Fender CP-60S Parlor's Fingerboard radius
Yamaha CSF3M Fingerboard Radius
Yamaha CSF3M'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 Fender CP-60S Parlor's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Yamaha CSF3M'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 CSF3M.

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 .

Fender CP-60S Parlor:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Yamaha CSF3M:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Fender CP-60S Parlor Frets Size
Fender CP-60S Parlor's Frets Size
Yamaha CSF3M Frets Size
Yamaha CSF3M's Frets Size

The Yamaha CSF3M has Medium frets, which should be taller than the Fender CP-60S Parlor's Vintage 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

Fender CP-60S Parlor
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 80
Playability 78
Yamaha CSF3M
Bending & Vibrato Ease 90
Chord Playability 75
Solo Playability 80
Playability 82

Specs Side-by-Side

Fender CP-60S Parlor vs Yamaha CSF3M
General Fender CP-60S Parlor Yamaha CSF3M
Brand: Fender Yamaha
Year: 2017 2018
Strings: 6 6
Made in: China China
Series: Classic Design CSF
Colors: Natural Natural
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Hollowbody Hollowbody
Body Material: Solid Spruce Solid Sitka Spruce
Sides Material: Mahogany Mahogany
Back Material: Mahogany Mahogany
Bridge: Walnut Rosewood
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Chrome Die-Cast Die-Cast Chrome
Fretboard: Walnut Rosewood
Neck Material: Mahogany Nato
Decoration: 3mm Pearloid Dot Pearloid Dots
Scale Size: 24.75" 23.625"
Shape: Acoustic Fender 'Easy-to-Play' shape with rolled fretboard edges Acoustic C
Frets: 20 Vintage Nickel Silver 20 Medium Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" 15.75"
Nut: Plastic Plastic
Nut Width: 43mm (1.693'') 43mm (1.693'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Passive System (SRT Piezo) (Preamp / Passive)