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Yamaha CGX122MS
Martin LX1 Little Martin
VS
Playability
73
Sound
81
Build
64
Value
83
Score
73
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Playability
82
Sound
80
Build
62
Value
85
Score
75
FIND IT ON:
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Yamaha CGX122MS vs Martin LX1 Little Martin

Reasons to Get
Yamaha CGX122MS over Martin LX1 Little Martin

Nut Width
2.047'' (52mm) vs 1.688'' (42.9mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Body Shape
Classical vs Concert
Compact body with soft nylon strings
Scale Length
25.6'' (650.2mm) vs 23'' (584.2mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
Flat vs 16'' (406.4mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend

Reasons to Get
Martin LX1 Little Martin over Yamaha CGX122MS

Country of Manufacturing
Mexico vs China
Built with higher quality standards
Release Year
2014 vs 2013
From a more recent year
Nut Material
Corian vs Plastic
Similar to Bone, but slightly cheaper
Nut Width
1.688'' (42.9mm) vs 2.047'' (52mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Body Shape
Concert vs Classical
Compact body with balanced tones
Scale Length
23'' (584.2mm) vs 25.6'' (650.2mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Fretboard Radius
16'' (406.4mm) vs Flat
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings
Avg. Weight
3.5lbs (1.6kgs) vs 3.625lbs (1.6kgs)
Tends to be lighter
Value Score
85 vs 83
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Yamaha CGX122MS vs Martin LX1 Little Martin

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

Shared Features
Yamaha CGX122MS vs Martin LX1 Little Martin

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

  • Solid Side Wood
  • Solid Back Wood
  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Locking Tuners
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

Yamaha CGX122MS Prices

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Martin LX1 Little Martin is probably the better product overall with its final score of 75 compared to the Yamaha CGX122MS's 73 score, although not by a lot.

The Martin LX1 Little Martin wins when it comes to playability, value for the money. On the other hand, the Yamaha CGX122MS has the upper hand when it comes to sound, build quality.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the Martin LX1 Little Martin.

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

Yamaha CGX122MS
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Soft Strings
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Martin LX1 Little Martin
  • 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.

Yamaha CGX122MS Overview

  • From Yamaha's 2013 CG & CGX Classical Guitars series
  • Made in China
  • 6 strings
  • 25.6"'' scale
  • Flat Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Spruce top
  • Nato back
  • Nato sides
  • Nato neck
  • Walnut fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: SYSTEM73 (Preamp/Active)
  • Walnut bridge
  • Acoustic C Set neck
  • 20 Medium frets
  • Chrome tuners
  • Weight between 3.5lbs (1.6kgs) and 3.75lbs (1.7kgs)
  • Compare Specs >

Martin LX1 Little Martin Overview

  • From Martin's 2014 Little Martin series
  • Made in Mexico
  • 6 strings
  • 23"'' scale
  • 16" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Spruce top
  • HPL back
  • HPL sides
  • Rust Birch Laminate neck
  • FSC Certified Richlite fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: (/)
  • FSC Certified Richlite bridge
  • Acoustic Modified Low Oval Set neck
  • 20 Medium frets
  • Chrome Enclosed Gear tuners
  • Weight between 3.35lbs (1.5kgs) and 3.65lbs (1.7kgs)
  • 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 Yamaha CGX122MS

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

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.

Woods Used in the Martin LX1 Little Martin

Birch wood pattern used for guitar building
Birch
Richlite wood pattern used for guitar building
Richlite
HPL wood pattern used for guitar building
HPL

Birch wood is a hardwood with a light color and a fine, even grain. It has good dimensional stability and is resistant to warping. It's used as a cheaper replacement for maple. The tone produced by birch wood is typically described as being warm, clear, and resonant.

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.

HPL is a high-pressure laminate made from multiple layers of paper or fabric that are impregnated with resin and then fused together under high pressure and heat.

Winner: Tie.

Electronics

The Yamaha CGX122MS 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 CGX122MS.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Yamaha CGX122MS
Sustain 75
Versatility 85
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 81
Martin LX1 Little Martin
Sustain 70
Versatility 80
Tuning Stability 70
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 Yamaha CGX122MS compares to the Martin LX1 Little Martin.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Yamaha CGX122MS is built in China while the Martin LX1 Little Martin is made in Mexico.

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.

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.

Winner: Martin LX1 Little Martin

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 Yamaha CGX122MS has 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.

On the other hand, the Martin LX1 Little Martin comes with 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.

Winner: Martin LX1 Little Martin.

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 CGX122MS's are Chrome while the Martin LX1 Little Martin's are Chrome Enclosed Gear

Winner: Tie.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Yamaha CGX122MS
  • Electronics
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in China
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • Low-Quality Material Saddle
  • Laminated Side Wood
  • Laminated Back Wood
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Martin LX1 Little Martin
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Mexico
  • 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

Yamaha CGX122MS
Quality of materials 61
Features 75
Quality Control 55
Build Quality 64
Martin LX1 Little Martin
Quality of materials 55
Features 65
Quality Control 65
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

Yamaha CGX122MS Nut Width
Yamaha CGX122MS Nut Width
Martin LX1 Little Martin Nut Width
Martin LX1 Little Martin Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Yamaha CGX122MS has the wider nut with 52mm (2.047'') vs 42.9mm (1.688''). This is a 9.1mm (0.359'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Yamaha CGX122MS, 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 CGX122MS's Scale Length
Yamaha CGX122MS's Scale Length
Martin LX1 Little Martin's Scale Length
Martin LX1 Little Martin'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 CGX122MS has the longest scale: 25.6". The Martin LX1 Little Martin is only 23" long. This is a 2.6'' (66mm) 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 CGX122MS Neck Profile
Yamaha CGX122MS's neck profile
Martin LX1 Little Martin Neck Profile
Martin LX1 Little Martin'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 Yamaha CGX122MS and the Martin LX1 Little Martin 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 CGX122MS Fingerboard Radius
Yamaha CGX122MS's Fingerboard radius
Martin LX1 Little Martin Fingerboard Radius
Martin LX1 Little Martin'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 Martin LX1 Little Martin's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Yamaha CGX122MS'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 CGX122MS.

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 CGX122MS favors large hands more than the Martin LX1 Little Martin.

Yamaha CGX122MS:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Martin LX1 Little Martin:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Yamaha CGX122MS and Martin LX1 Little Martin 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 CGX122MS
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 73
Martin LX1 Little Martin
Bending & Vibrato Ease 90
Chord Playability 75
Solo Playability 80
Playability 82

Specs Side-by-Side

Yamaha CGX122MS vs Martin LX1 Little Martin
General Yamaha CGX122MS Martin LX1 Little Martin
Brand: Yamaha Martin
Year: 2013 2014
Strings: 6 6
Made in: China Mexico
Series: CG & CGX Classical Guitars Little Martin
Colors: Natural Natural
Left-Handed Version: No Yes
Body
Type: Hollowbody Hollowbody
Body Material: Solid Spruce Solid Spruce
Sides Material: Nato HPL
Back Material: Nato HPL
Bridge: Walnut FSC Certified Richlite
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Chrome Chrome Enclosed Gear
Fretboard: Walnut FSC Certified Richlite
Neck Material: Nato Rust Birch Laminate
Decoration:
Scale Size: 25.6" 23"
Shape: Acoustic C Acoustic Modified Low Oval
Frets: 20 Medium Nickel Silver 20 Medium Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: Flat 16"
Nut: Plastic Corian
Nut Width: 52mm (2.047'') 42.9mm (1.688'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: SYSTEM73 (Preamp / Active)