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Takamine P3FCN
Yamaha GC82S
VS
Playability
73
Sound
85
Build
84
Value
76
Score
81
FIND IT ON:
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Playability
73
Sound
84
Build
82
Value
65
Score
80
FIND IT ON:
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Takamine P3FCN vs Yamaha GC82S

Reasons to Get
Takamine P3FCN over Yamaha GC82S

Neck Profile
Acoustic Asymmetrical C vs Acoustic C
Adapts to the natural shape of your hand
Pickups Brand
Takamine vs None
Pickups from a renown brand
Nut Width
1.875'' (47.6mm) vs 2.062'' (52.4mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm) vs Flat
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings
Value Score
76 vs 65
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Yamaha GC82S over Takamine P3FCN

Release Year
2014 vs 2013
From a more recent year
Neck Profile
Acoustic C vs Acoustic Asymmetrical C
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Sides Wood
Solid vs Laminated
Helps with richer tones and louder volume
Nut Width
2.062'' (52.4mm) vs 1.875'' (47.6mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Fretboard Radius
Flat vs 12'' (304.8mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend

Other Key Differences
Takamine P3FCN vs Yamaha GC82S

Back Material
Sapele vs Rosewood
Different Back Material
Sides Material
Sapele vs Rosewood
Different Sides Material
Bridge Material
Fixed vs Madagascar Rosewood
Different Bridge Material
Body Wood
Cedar vs Spruce
Different Body Wood
Neck Wood
Mahogany vs Cedar
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Rosewood vs Ebony
Different Fretboard Wood

Shared Features
Takamine P3FCN vs Yamaha GC82S

Saddle Material
Bone
Same Saddle Material
Headstock
3-3
Same Headstock
Nut Material
Bone
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
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Fixed
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Scale Length
25.6'' (650.2mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Type of Frets
Medium
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • Solid Top Wood
  • Solid Back Wood
  • High-Quality Nut
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

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

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

SET PRICE ALERT

Yamaha GC82S Prices

SET PRICE ALERT

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Takamine P3FCN is probably the better product overall with its final score of 81 compared to the Yamaha GC82S's 80 score, although not by a lot.

The Takamine P3FCN wins when it comes to sound, build quality, value for the money. On the other hand, the Yamaha GC82S has the upper hand when it comes to.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the Takamine P3FCN.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

Both meet 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness. 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. If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, you can't go wrong with either of them.

New Player Friendliness

Takamine P3FCN
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Soft Strings
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Yamaha GC82S
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Soft Strings
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • 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.

Takamine P3FCN Overview

  • From Takamine's 2013 Pro Series 3 series
  • Made in Japan
  • 6 strings
  • 25.6"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Cedar top
  • Solid Sapele back
  • Sapele sides
  • Mahogany neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: CT4B II (Preamp/Active)
  • Fixed bridge
  • Acoustic Asymmetrical C Set neck
  • 20 Medium frets
  • Takamine Gold tuners
  • Weight between 4.3lbs (2kgs) and 4.35lbs (2kgs)
  • Compare Specs >

Yamaha GC82S Overview

  • From Yamaha's 2014 GC / GCX series
  • Made in Japan
  • 6 strings
  • 25.6"'' scale
  • Flat Fretboard Radius
  • Solid European Spruce top
  • Solid Madagascar Rosewood back
  • Solid Madagascar Rosewood sides
  • Cedro neck
  • Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: (/)
  • Madagascar Rosewood bridge
  • Acoustic C Set neck
  • 20 Medium frets
  • Gold (35G510QC-M) 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

Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood
Cedar wood pattern used for guitar building
Cedar

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.

This is a softwood that is commonly used for acoustic guitars. It's known for its warm tone with strong overtones. However, there are many species so the tone and look can vary a lot.

Woods Used in the Takamine P3FCN

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany
Sapele wood pattern used for guitar building
Sapele

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.

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 GC82S

Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony
Spruce wood pattern used for guitar building
Spruce

Ebony is a high-end wood, so it is not cheap. It's only used for fretboards because it's also very heavy. It does an excellent job as a durable material while looking elegant. Find out more about Ebony.

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.

Winner: Tie.

Electronics

The Takamine P3FCN 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:Takamine P3FCN.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Takamine P3FCN
Sustain 85
Versatility 85
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 85
Yamaha GC82S
Sustain 85
Versatility 80
Tuning Stability 70
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 Takamine P3FCN compares to the Yamaha GC82S.

Country of Origin

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

Japan has a long history of high-quality guitar building. Little has changed in terms of their manufacturing and quality control over the years. Many guitars made in this country can be compared—and even beat—others made in the US.

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 Bone nuts. 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.

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 Takamine P3FCN's are Takamine Gold while the Yamaha GC82S's are Gold (35G510QC-M)

Winner: Tie.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Takamine P3FCN
  • Made in Japan
  • Expensive Wood
  • Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Electronics
  • Bone Saddle
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Solid Back Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Laminated Side Wood
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Yamaha GC82S
  • Made in Japan
  • Expensive Wood
  • Bone Nut
  • Bone Saddle
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Solid Side Wood
  • Solid Back Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • No Electronics
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Takamine P3FCN
Quality of materials 76
Features 85
Quality Control 90
Build Quality 84
Yamaha GC82S
Quality of materials 81
Features 65
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 82

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

Takamine P3FCN Nut Width
Takamine P3FCN Nut Width
Yamaha GC82S Nut Width
Yamaha GC82S Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Yamaha GC82S has the wider nut with 52.4mm (2.062'') vs 47.6mm (1.875''). This is a 4.8mm (0.187'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Yamaha GC82S, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Takamine P3FCN and Yamaha GC82S's Scale Length
Both have the same 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.

In this case, both have a scale length of 25.6".

It's very similar to a typical long 25.5" guitar scale, but with an extra inch probably to compensate the saddle position in acoustic guitars. It should be pretty much the same as a 25.5" scale guitar.

It will allow you to strum hard without hearing so much fret buzz, even with lower tunings.

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

Takamine P3FCN Neck Profile
Takamine P3FCN's neck profile
Yamaha GC82S Neck Profile
Yamaha GC82S'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.

In this case, both have different neck shapes:

The Takamine P3FCN has a Asymmetrical type of neck. Even though this neck shape looks like a poorly-made job, it's, in fact, the neck that most naturally adapts to the arc of your hand when grabbing a guitar neck. You'll notice that the lower part of your palm makes a more pronounced, deeper curve while the upper part makes a more subtle arch. This is the shape that adapts the best to that natural arch your hand makes while playing.

The Yamaha GC82S, on the other hand, has a C 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

Takamine P3FCN Fingerboard Radius
Takamine P3FCN's Fingerboard radius
Yamaha GC82S Fingerboard Radius
Yamaha GC82S'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 Takamine P3FCN's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Yamaha GC82S'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 GC82S.

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.

And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Yamaha GC82S favors large hands more than the Takamine P3FCN.

Takamine P3FCN:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Yamaha GC82S:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Takamine P3FCN and Yamaha GC82S 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

Takamine P3FCN
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 75
Solo Playability 70
Playability 73
Yamaha GC82S
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 73

Specs Side-by-Side

Takamine P3FCN vs Yamaha GC82S
General Takamine P3FCN Yamaha GC82S
Brand: Takamine Yamaha
Year: 2013 2014
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Japan Japan
Series: Pro Series 3 GC / GCX
Colors: Natural Natural
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Hollowbody Hollowbody
Body Material: Solid Cedar Solid European Spruce
Sides Material: Sapele Rosewood
Back Material: Sapele Rosewood
Bridge: Fixed Madagascar Rosewood
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Takamine Gold Gold (35G510QC-M)
Fretboard: Rosewood Ebony
Neck Material: Mahogany Cedro
Decoration: Dots
Scale Size: 25.6" 25.6"
Shape: Acoustic Asymmetrical C Acoustic C
Frets: 20 Medium Nickel Silver 20 Medium Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" Flat
Nut: Bone Bone
Nut Width: 47.6mm (1.875'') 52.4mm (2.062'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: CT4B II (Preamp / Active)