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Yamaha FG3
Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente
VS
Playability
77
Sound
83
Build
67
Value
81
Score
76
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Playability
73
Sound
88
Build
79
Value
80
Score
80
FIND IT ON:
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Yamaha FG3 vs Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente

Reasons to Get
Yamaha FG3 over Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente

Nut Width
1.732'' (44mm) vs 1.693'' (43mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Scale Length
25'' (635mm) vs 25.3'' (642.6mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Fretboard Radius
15.75'' (400.1mm) vs 12'' (304.8mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend
Value Score
81 vs 80
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente over Yamaha FG3

Release Year
2020 vs 2019
From a more recent year
Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Pickups Brand
Fishman vs None
Pickups from a renown brand
Nut Material
Bone vs Plastic
Good quality nut with rich tone
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm) vs 1.732'' (44mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Scale Length
25.3'' (642.6mm) vs 25'' (635mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm) vs 15.75'' (400.1mm)
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings

Other Key Differences
Yamaha FG3 vs Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente

Back Material
Mahogany vs Ovangkol
Different Back Material
Sides Material
Mahogany vs Ovangkol
Different Sides Material
Saddle Material
Plastic vs Bone
Different Saddle Material
Bridge Material
Ebony vs Ebony; Excellente shape with pearl dot inlays
Different Bridge Material
Nut Material
Plastic vs Bone
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Yamaha FG3 vs Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente

Body Wood
Spruce
Same Body Wood
Neck Wood
Mahogany
Same Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Ebony
Same Fretboard 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 vs Medium Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • Solid Top Wood
  • Solid Side Wood
  • Solid Back Wood
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Locking Tuners
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 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 Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente is probably the better product overall with its final score of 80 compared to the Yamaha FG3's 76 score, although not by a lot.

The Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente wins when it comes to sound, build quality. On the other hand, the Yamaha FG3 has the upper hand when it comes to playability, 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?

Both meet 3 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 FG3
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable shape
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Soft Strings
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente
  • 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.

Yamaha FG3 Overview

  • From Yamaha's 2019 FG/FS Red Label series
  • Made in China
  • 6 strings
  • 25"'' scale
  • 15.75" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Sitka Spruce top
  • Solid Mahogany back
  • Solid Mahogany sides
  • African Mahogany neck
  • Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: (/)
  • Ebony bridge
  • Acoustic C Set neck
  • 20 Medium frets
  • Open-Gear Chrome (Y1D) tuners
  • Weight between 4.15lbs (1.9kgs) and 4.55lbs (2.1kgs)
  • Compare Specs >

Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente Overview

  • From Epiphone's 2020 Masterbilt series
  • Made in China
  • 6 strings
  • 25.3"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Sitka Spruce top
  • Solid Ovangkol back
  • Solid Ovangkol sides
  • Mahogany neck
  • Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fishman Sonicore (Preamp/Active)
  • Ebony; Excellente shape with pearl dot inlays bridge
  • Acoustic C Set neck
  • 20 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Gold Vintage Waffleback tuners with metal buttons 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

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

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.

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.

Woods Used in the Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente

Ovangkol wood pattern used for guitar building
Ovangkol

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.

Winner: Tie.

Electronics

The Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente 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:Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Yamaha FG3
Sustain 85
Versatility 80
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 83
Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente
Sustain 95
Versatility 85
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 88

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 FG3 compares to the Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente.

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.

The Yamaha FG3 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 Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente comes with a Bone nut. 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.

Winner: Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente.

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 FG3's are Open-Gear Chrome (Y1D) while the Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente's are Gold Vintage Waffleback tuners with metal buttons

Winner: Tie.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Yamaha FG3
  • Expensive Wood
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Solid Side Wood
  • Solid Back 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
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente
  • Expensive Wood
  • Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Electronics
  • Bone Saddle
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Solid Side Wood
  • Solid Back Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in China
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Yamaha FG3
Quality of materials 76
Features 65
Quality Control 60
Build Quality 67
Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente
Quality of materials 86
Features 85
Quality Control 65
Build Quality 79

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 FG3 Nut Width
Yamaha FG3 Nut Width
Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente Nut Width
Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Yamaha FG3 has the wider nut with 44mm (1.732'') vs 43mm (1.693''). This is a 1mm (0.039'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Yamaha FG3, 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 FG3's Scale Length
Yamaha FG3's Scale Length
Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente's Scale Length
Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente'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 Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente has the longest scale: 25.3". The Yamaha FG3 is only 25" long. This is a 0.3'' (7.6mm) 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

Yamaha FG3 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 FG3 and the Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente 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 FG3 Fingerboard Radius
Yamaha FG3's Fingerboard radius
Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente Fingerboard Radius
Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente'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 Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Yamaha FG3'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 FG3.

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 .

Yamaha FG3:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Yamaha FG3 Frets Size
Yamaha FG3's Frets Size
Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente Frets Size
Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente's Frets Size

The Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente has Medium Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Yamaha FG3's Medium frets.

Some people prefer taller frets because they result in more sustain since the strings get pressed cleanly without interference from the fretboard. However, if they're too tall—like Jumbo frets—, you might change the pitch of the strings accidentally if you press too hard because you won't be touching the fretboard with your fingers. This is also why some guitarists with a heavy grip prefer smaller frets. They like to feel the fingerboard to avoid pressing down too hard and getting out of pitch.

Final Playability Scores

Yamaha FG3
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 80
Playability 77
Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 73

Specs Side-by-Side

Yamaha FG3 vs Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente
General Yamaha FG3 Epiphone Masterbilt Excellente
Brand: Yamaha Epiphone
Year: 2019 2020
Strings: 6 6
Made in: China China
Series: FG/FS Red Label Masterbilt
Colors: Natural Natural
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Hollowbody Hollowbody
Body Material: Solid Sitka Spruce Solid Sitka Spruce
Sides Material: Mahogany Ovangkol
Back Material: Mahogany Ovangkol
Bridge: Ebony Ebony; Excellente shape with pearl dot inlays
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Open-Gear Chrome (Y1D) Gold Vintage Waffleback tuners with metal buttons
Fretboard: Ebony Ebony
Neck Material: African Mahogany Mahogany
Decoration: Dots Excellente Clouds, 15th fret Block
Scale Size: 25" 25.3"
Shape: Acoustic C Acoustic C
Frets: 20 Medium Nickel Silver 20 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 15.75" 12"
Nut: Plastic Bone
Nut Width: 44mm (1.732'') 43mm (1.693'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Fishman Sonicore (Preamp / Active)