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Yamaha CG162S
Yamaha CPX600
VS
Playability
73
Sound
79
Build
60
Value
81
Score
71
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Playability
77
Sound
81
Build
60
Value
83
Score
73
FIND IT ON:
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Yamaha CG162S vs CPX600

Reasons to Get
Yamaha CG162S over CPX600

Top Wood
Solid vs Laminated
Helps with richer tones and louder volume
Nut Width
2.047'' (52mm) vs 1.693'' (43mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Body Shape
Classical vs Medium Jumbo
Compact body with soft nylon strings
Scale Length
25.6'' (650.2mm) vs 25'' (635mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
Flat vs 15.75'' (400.1mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend

Reasons to Get
Yamaha CPX600 over CG162S

Release Year
2018 vs 2013
From a more recent year
Pickup Mods
Multi-Voicing vs None
Changes the voice (tones or gain) of the pickups
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm) vs 2.047'' (52mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Body Shape
Medium Jumbo vs Classical
Smaller than a Jumbo guitar but larger than a Thinline
Scale Length
25'' (635mm) vs 25.6'' (650.2mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Fretboard Radius
15.75'' (400.1mm) vs Flat
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings
Value Score
83 vs 81
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Yamaha CG162S vs CPX600

Back Material
Ovangkol vs Tonewood
Different Back Material
Sides Material
Ovangkol vs Tonewood
Different Sides Material
Neck Wood
Nato vs Tonewood
Different Neck Wood

Shared Features
Yamaha CG162S vs CPX600

Saddle Material
Plastic
Same Saddle Material
Bridge Material
Rosewood
Same Bridge Material
Body Wood
Spruce
Same Body Wood
Fretboard Wood
Rosewood
Same Fretboard 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
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

  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Solid Side Wood
  • Solid Back Wood
  • 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 CPX600 is probably the better product overall with its final score of 73 compared to the Yamaha CG162S's 71 score, although not by a lot.

The Yamaha CPX600 wins when it comes to sound, playability, value for the money. On the other hand, the Yamaha CG162S has the upper hand when it comes to.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the Yamaha CPX600.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Yamaha CG162S is the better choice.

The Yamaha CG162S meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Yamaha CPX600 meets only 4. 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

Yamaha CG162S
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Soft Strings
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Yamaha CPX600
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • 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.

Yamaha CG162S Overview

  • From Yamaha's 2013 CG & CGX Classical Guitars series
  • Made in China
  • 6 strings
  • 25.6"'' scale
  • Flat Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Spruce top
  • Ovangkol back
  • Ovangkol sides
  • Nato neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: (/)
  • Rosewood bridge
  • Acoustic C Set neck
  • 20 Medium frets
  • Gold tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Yamaha CPX600 Overview

  • From Yamaha's 2018 CPX series
  • Made in China
  • 6 strings
  • 25"'' scale
  • 15.75" Fretboard Radius
  • Spruce top
  • Locally-Sourced Tonewood back
  • Locally-Sourced Tonewood sides
  • Locally-Sourced Tonewood neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: SYSTEM65 + SRT Piezo Pickup (Preamp/Active)
  • Rosewood bridge
  • Acoustic C Set neck
  • 20 Medium frets
  • Die-Cast Chrome (TM29T) tuners
  • Weight between 4.85lbs (2.2kgs) and 5.05lbs (2.3kgs)
  • 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
Spruce wood pattern used for guitar building
Spruce

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.

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 CG162S

Nato wood pattern used for guitar building
Nato
Ovangkol wood pattern used for guitar building
Ovangkol

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.

Ovangkol is a beautiful wood that's popular for acoustic guitars. Its tone sits somewhere between rosewood and mahogany, meaning it has a punchy low-end and nice mid-range. Find out more about Ovangkol.

Woods Used in the Yamaha CPX600

Tonewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Tonewood

This is just a generic wood whose origin hasn't been disclosed. Commonly found in cheap guitars.

Winner: Tie.

Electronics

The Yamaha CPX600 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 CPX600.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Yamaha CG162S
Sustain 70
Versatility 80
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 79
Yamaha CPX600
Sustain 65
Versatility 95
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 81

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 Yamaha CG162S compares to the Yamaha CPX600.

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 Yamaha CG162S's are Gold while the Yamaha CPX600'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
Yamaha CG162S
  • 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 CPX600
  • Expensive Wood
  • Electronics
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in China
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • Low-Quality Material Saddle
  • Laminated Top Wood
  • Laminated Side Wood
  • Laminated Back Wood
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Yamaha CG162S
Quality of materials 61
Features 65
Quality Control 55
Build Quality 60
Yamaha CPX600
Quality of materials 45
Features 80
Quality Control 55
Build Quality 60

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

Yamaha CG162S Nut Width
Yamaha CG162S Nut Width
Yamaha CPX600 Nut Width
Yamaha CPX600 Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Yamaha CG162S has the wider nut with 52mm (2.047'') vs 43mm (1.693''). This is a 9mm (0.354'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Yamaha CG162S, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Yamaha CG162S's Scale Length
Yamaha CG162S's Scale Length
Yamaha CPX600's Scale Length
Yamaha CPX600'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 CG162S has the longest scale: 25.6". The Yamaha CPX600 is only 25" long. This is a 0.6'' (15.2mm) 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

Yamaha CG162S Neck Profile
Both guitars have the same 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 Yamaha CG162S and the Yamaha CPX600 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

Yamaha CG162S Fingerboard Radius
Yamaha CG162S's Fingerboard radius
Yamaha CPX600 Fingerboard Radius
Yamaha CPX600'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 CPX600's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Yamaha CG162S'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 CG162S.

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 CG162S favors large hands more than the Yamaha CPX600.

Yamaha CG162S:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Yamaha CPX600:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Yamaha CG162S and Yamaha CPX600 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

Yamaha CG162S
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 73
Yamaha CPX600
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 80
Playability 77

Specs Side-by-Side

Yamaha CG162S vs CPX600
General Yamaha CG162S CPX600
Brand: Yamaha Yamaha
Year: 2013 2018
Strings: 6 6
Made in: China China
Series: CG & CGX Classical Guitars CPX
Colors: Natural Sunburst
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Hollowbody Hollowbody
Body Material: Solid Spruce Spruce
Sides Material: Ovangkol Tonewood
Back Material: Ovangkol Tonewood
Bridge: Rosewood Rosewood
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Gold Die-Cast Chrome (TM29T)
Fretboard: Rosewood Rosewood
Neck Material: Nato Locally-Sourced Tonewood
Decoration: Pearloid Dots
Scale Size: 25.6" 25"
Shape: Acoustic C Acoustic C
Frets: 20 Medium Nickel Silver 20 Medium Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: Flat 15.75"
Nut: Plastic Plastic
Nut Width: 52mm (2.047'') 43mm (1.693'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: SYSTEM65 + SRT Piezo Pickup (Preamp / Active)