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Martin DJr-10
Yamaha FG800
VS
Playability
82
Sound
85
Build
76
Value
86
Score
81
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Playability
73
Sound
80
Build
62
Value
87
Score
72
FIND IT ON:
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Martin DJr-10 vs Yamaha FG800

Reasons to Get
Martin DJr-10 over Yamaha FG800

Country of Manufacturing
Mexico vs China
Built with higher quality standards
Release Year
2021 vs 2016
From a more recent year
Pickups Brand
Fishman vs None
Pickups from a renown brand
Nut Material
Corian vs Plastic
Similar to Bone, but slightly cheaper
Sides Wood
Solid vs Laminated
Helps with richer tones and louder volume
Back Wood
Solid vs Laminated
Helps with richer tones and louder volume
Nut Width
1.75'' (44.5mm) vs 1.693'' (43mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Body Shape
Dreadnought Mini vs Dreadnought
Dreadnought but much smaller and shallower
Scale Length
24'' (609.6mm) vs 25.6'' (650.2mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Fretboard Radius
16'' (406.4mm) vs 15.75'' (400.1mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend

Reasons to Get
Yamaha FG800 over Martin DJr-10

Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm) vs 1.75'' (44.5mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Body Shape
Dreadnought vs Dreadnought Mini
Prominent low-end tones in a large body
Scale Length
25.6'' (650.2mm) vs 24'' (609.6mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
15.75'' (400.1mm) vs 16'' (406.4mm)
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings
Value Score
87 vs 86
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Martin DJr-10 vs Yamaha FG800

Back Material
Sapele vs Okoume
Different Back Material
Sides Material
Sapele vs Okoume
Different Sides Material
Saddle Material
Ivory Tusq vs Plastic
Different Saddle Material
Bridge Material
FSC Certified Richlite vs Walnut
Different Bridge Material
Neck Wood
Hardwood vs Nato
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Richlite vs Walnut
Different Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
Corian vs Plastic
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Martin DJr-10 vs Yamaha FG800

Body Wood
Spruce
Same Body Wood
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
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
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • Solid Top Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Locking Tuners
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • Expensive Wood
  • 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 Martin DJr-10 is probably the better product overall with its final score of 81 compared to the Yamaha FG800's 72 score, although not by a lot.

The Martin DJr-10 wins when it comes to sound, playability, build quality. On the other hand, the Yamaha FG800 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 Martin DJr-10 is the better choice.

The Martin DJr-10 meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Yamaha FG800 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

Martin DJr-10
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Short scale
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Soft Strings
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Yamaha FG800
  • 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.

Martin DJr-10 Overview

  • From Martin's 2021 Junior series
  • Made in Mexico
  • 6 strings
  • 24"'' scale
  • 16" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Spruce or Sapele top
  • Solid Sapele back
  • Solid Sapele sides
  • Select Hardwood neck
  • FSC Certified Richlite fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fishman (Preamp/Active)
  • FSC Certified Richlite bridge
  • Acoustic Dreadnought Junior Set neck
  • 20 Medium frets
  • Chrome Enclosed Gear tuners
  • Weight between 3.9lbs (1.8kgs) and 4.05lbs (1.8kgs)
  • Compare Specs >

Yamaha FG800 Overview

  • From Yamaha's 2016 FG / FGX series
  • Made in China
  • 6 strings
  • 25.6"'' scale
  • 15.75" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Spruce top
  • Nato/Okoume back
  • Nato/Okoume sides
  • Nato neck
  • Walnut fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: (/)
  • Walnut bridge
  • Acoustic C Set neck
  • 20 Medium frets
  • Die-Cast Chrome (TM29T) 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

Spruce wood pattern used for guitar building
Spruce

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 Martin DJr-10

Hardwood wood pattern used for guitar building
Hardwood
Richlite wood pattern used for guitar building
Richlite
Sapele wood pattern used for guitar building
Sapele

Hardwood is just a generic wood that can come from many species. This type of wood is used to build guitars because it provides a rich, warm sound. The wood also has good structural properties, making it durable and long-lasting.

It's very similar to Ebony, but it is much cheaper to make. The main reason is that it is made from resin-infused paper. It is very durable and soft, so it's often used for fretboards and tops.

It's similar to Mahogany in both color and tone. It can produce warm tones, and it's known for its beautiful figured grain patterns. Find out more about Sapele.

Woods Used in the Yamaha FG800

Nato wood pattern used for guitar building
Nato
Walnut wood pattern used for guitar building
Walnut
Okoume wood pattern used for guitar building
Okoume

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.

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.

Okoume is an affordable wood and one of the first to replace Mahogany when the prohibitions started. It's generally softer than Mahogany and the tone has warmer lows.

Winner: Tie.

Electronics

The Martin DJr-10 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:Martin DJr-10.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Martin DJr-10
Sustain 85
Versatility 85
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 85
Yamaha FG800
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 Martin DJr-10 compares to the Yamaha FG800.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Martin DJr-10 is built in Mexico while the Yamaha FG800 is made in China.

Mexico has been for a long time where Fender has built their semi-premium series. If you don't want to overpay for a wellp-built instrument, a guitar built in this country by a good brand always offers good value for the money.

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: Martin DJr-10

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 Martin DJr-10 has a Corian nut. It used to be the go-to nut for Gibson, but it's slowly being replaced by Graph Tech (Tusq). It's a synthetic material made to be similar to Bone, but it doesn't have the same self-lubricating properties, and it's less resistant.

On the other hand, the Yamaha FG800 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: Martin DJr-10.

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 Martin DJr-10's are Chrome Enclosed Gear while the Yamaha FG800'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
Martin DJr-10
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Electronics
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Solid Side Wood
  • Solid Back Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Mexico
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • Low-Quality Material Saddle
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Yamaha FG800
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in China
  • No Expensive Woods
  • 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

Martin DJr-10
Quality of materials 72
Features 85
Quality Control 70
Build Quality 76
Yamaha FG800
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

Martin DJr-10 Nut Width
Martin DJr-10 Nut Width
Yamaha FG800 Nut Width
Yamaha FG800 Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Martin DJr-10 has the wider nut with 44.5mm (1.75'') vs 43mm (1.693''). This is a 1.5mm (0.057'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Martin DJr-10, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Martin DJr-10's Scale Length
Martin DJr-10's Scale Length
Yamaha FG800's Scale Length
Yamaha FG800'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 FG800 has the longest scale: 25.6". The Martin DJr-10 is only 24" long. This is a 1.6'' (40.6mm) 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

Martin DJr-10 Neck Profile
Martin DJr-10's neck profile
Yamaha FG800 Neck Profile
Yamaha FG800'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 Martin DJr-10 and the Yamaha FG800 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

Martin DJr-10 Fingerboard Radius
Martin DJr-10's Fingerboard radius
Yamaha FG800 Fingerboard Radius
Yamaha FG800'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 Yamaha FG800's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Martin DJr-10'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 Martin DJr-10.

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 .

Martin DJr-10:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Yamaha FG800:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Martin DJr-10 and Yamaha FG800 Frets Size
Both have a similar Medium fret size

Both have a Medium fret size. If you like feeling the fretboard when you play, but also appreciate some easiness to press down the frets, this size offers a good balance for that.

Final Playability Scores

Martin DJr-10
Bending & Vibrato Ease 90
Chord Playability 75
Solo Playability 80
Playability 82
Yamaha FG800
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 73

Specs Side-by-Side

Martin DJr-10 vs Yamaha FG800
General Martin DJr-10 Yamaha FG800
Brand: Martin Yamaha
Year: 2021 2016
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Mexico China
Series: Junior FG / FGX
Colors: Natural Natural
Left-Handed Version: Yes No
Body
Type: Hollowbody Hollowbody
Body Material: Solid Spruce or Sapele Solid Spruce
Sides Material: Sapele Okoume
Back Material: Sapele Okoume
Bridge: FSC Certified Richlite Walnut
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Chrome Enclosed Gear Die-Cast Chrome (TM29T)
Fretboard: FSC Certified Richlite Walnut
Neck Material: Select Hardwood Nato
Decoration: Mother-of-Pearl Pattern MOP Pattern Dots- 28 Style Pattern Dots
Scale Size: 24" 25.6"
Shape: Acoustic Dreadnought Junior Acoustic C
Frets: 20 Medium Nickel Silver 20 Medium Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 16" 15.75"
Nut: Corian Plastic
Nut Width: 44.5mm (1.75'') 43mm (1.693'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Fishman (Preamp / Active)