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Yamaha CGX122MS
Yamaha CGX122MC
VS
Playability
73
Sound
81
Build
64
Value
83
Score
73
FIND IT ON:
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Playability
73
Sound
81
Build
64
Value
83
Score
73
FIND IT ON:
Sweetwater logo
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Yamaha CGX122MS vs CGX122MC

Reasons to Get
Yamaha CGX122MS over CGX122MC

Reasons to Get
Yamaha CGX122MC over CGX122MS

Avg. Weight
3.575lbs (1.6kgs) vs 3.625lbs (1.6kgs)
Tends to be lighter

Other Key Differences
Yamaha CGX122MS vs CGX122MC

Body Wood
Spruce vs Cedar
Different Body Wood

Shared Features
Yamaha CGX122MS vs CGX122MC

Back Material
Nato
Same Back Material
Sides Material
Nato
Same Sides Material
Saddle Material
Plastic
Same Saddle Material
Bridge Material
Walnut
Same Bridge Material
Neck Wood
Nato
Same Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Walnut
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
Nut Width
2.047'' (52mm)
Same string separation at the nut
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
Fretboard Radius
Flat
Same fretboard comfortability
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 Nut
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • 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

SET PRICE ALERT

Yamaha CGX122MC Prices

SET PRICE ALERT

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that both instruments scored 73 out of 100, which makes them similar in terms of quality.

The Yamaha CGX122MC wins when it comes to. On the other hand, the Yamaha CGX122MS has the upper hand when it comes to.

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?

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

Yamaha CGX122MC
  • 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.

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 >

Yamaha CGX122MC Overview

  • From Yamaha's 2013 CG & CGX Classical Guitars series
  • Made in China
  • 6 strings
  • 25.6"'' scale
  • Flat Fretboard Radius
  • Solid western red cedar 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 3.4lbs (1.5kgs) and 3.75lbs (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

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 Yamaha CGX122MS

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 CGX122MC

Cedar wood pattern used for guitar building
Cedar

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.

Winner: Tie.

Electronics

Both come with electronics that allow you connect them to an amplifier or interface for recording.

Winner:Tie.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Yamaha CGX122MS
Sustain 75
Versatility 85
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 81
Yamaha CGX122MC
Sustain 75
Versatility 85
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 CGX122MS compares to the Yamaha CGX122MC.

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. Both come with Chrome.

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
Yamaha CGX122MC
  • 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

Final Build Quality Scores

Yamaha CGX122MS
Quality of materials 61
Features 75
Quality Control 55
Build Quality 64
Yamaha CGX122MC
Quality of materials 61
Features 75
Quality Control 55
Build Quality 64

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
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 52mm (2.047'').

This is considered a wide width for a 6-string guitar. It gives your fingers the extra space you need to play without muting accidentally, but this also makes bar chords harder to perform, especially if you have small hands.

Scale Length

Yamaha CGX122MS and Yamaha CGX122MC'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

Yamaha CGX122MS 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 CGX122MS and the Yamaha CGX122MC 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
Both Guitars Have The Same Fretboard 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.

Both the Yamaha CGX122MS and the Yamaha CGX122MC have the same fretboard radius of Flat. This is common mostly in classical guitars since the strings are soft and have lower tension, so there's no need for a radius. Also, it's perfect for fingerstyle and more technical play.

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 are balanced for most hand sizes.

Yamaha CGX122MS:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Yamaha CGX122MC:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Yamaha CGX122MS and Yamaha CGX122MC 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
Yamaha CGX122MC
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 73

Specs Side-by-Side

Yamaha CGX122MS vs CGX122MC
General Yamaha CGX122MS CGX122MC
Brand: Yamaha Yamaha
Year: 2013 2013
Strings: 6 6
Made in: China China
Series: CG & CGX Classical Guitars CG & CGX Classical Guitars
Colors: Natural Natural
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Hollowbody Hollowbody
Body Material: Solid Spruce Solid western red cedar
Sides Material: Nato Nato
Back Material: Nato Nato
Bridge: Walnut Walnut
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Chrome Chrome
Fretboard: Walnut Walnut
Neck Material: Nato Nato
Decoration:
Scale Size: 25.6" 25.6"
Shape: Acoustic C Acoustic C
Frets: 20 Medium Nickel Silver 20 Medium Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: Flat Flat
Nut: Plastic Plastic
Nut Width: 52mm (2.047'') 52mm (2.047'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: SYSTEM73 (Preamp / Active) SYSTEM73 (Preamp / Active)