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Yamaha FS3
Yamaha FS-TA
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Playability
77
Sound
81
Build
67
Value
80
Score
75
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Playability
77
Sound
84
Build
67
Value
81
Score
76
FIND IT ON:
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Yamaha FS3 vs FS-TA

Reasons to Get
Yamaha FS3 over FS-TA

Release Year
2019 vs 2016
From a more recent year
Sides Wood
Solid vs Laminated
Helps with richer tones and louder volume
Back Wood
Solid vs Laminated
Helps with richer tones and louder volume
Nut Width
1.732'' (44mm) vs 1.693'' (43mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Avg. Weight
4.25lbs (1.9kgs) vs 4.625lbs (2.1kgs)
Tends to be lighter

Reasons to Get
Yamaha FS-TA over FS3

Pickup Mods
Multi-Voicing vs None
Changes the voice (tones or gain) of the pickups
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm) vs 1.732'' (44mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Value Score
81 vs 80
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Yamaha FS3 vs FS-TA

Bridge Material
Ebony vs Rosewood
Different Bridge Material
Neck Wood
Mahogany vs Nato
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Ebony vs Rosewood
Different Fretboard Wood

Shared Features
Yamaha FS3 vs FS-TA

Back Material
Mahogany
Same Back Material
Sides Material
Mahogany
Same Sides Material
Saddle Material
Plastic
Same Saddle Material
Body Wood
Spruce
Same Body 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
Scale Length
25'' (635mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Fretboard Radius
15.75'' (400.1mm)
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
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • 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 FS-TA is probably the better product overall with its final score of 76 compared to the Yamaha FS3's 75 score, although not by a lot.

The Yamaha FS-TA wins when it comes to sound, value for the money. On the other hand, the Yamaha FS3 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 4 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 FS3
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Soft Strings
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Yamaha FS-TA
  • 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 FS3 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 4.2lbs (1.9kgs) and 4.3lbs (2kgs)
  • Compare Specs >

Yamaha FS-TA Overview

  • From Yamaha's 2016 TransAcoustic Guitars series
  • Made in China
  • 6 strings
  • 25"'' scale
  • 15.75" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Spruce top
  • Mahogany back
  • Mahogany sides
  • Nato neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: SYSTEM70 TransAcoustic + SRT Piezo Pickup (Preamp/Active)
  • Rosewood bridge
  • Acoustic C Set neck
  • 20 Medium frets
  • Die-Cast Chrome tuners
  • Weight between 4.5lbs (2kgs) and 4.75lbs (2.2kgs)
  • 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
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.

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 FS3

Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony

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.

Woods Used in the Yamaha FS-TA

Nato wood pattern used for guitar building
Nato
Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood

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.

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.

Winner: Tie.

Electronics

The Yamaha FS-TA 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 FS-TA.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Yamaha FS3
Sustain 80
Versatility 80
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 81
Yamaha FS-TA
Sustain 75
Versatility 95
Tuning Stability 65
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 Yamaha FS3 compares to the Yamaha FS-TA.

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 FS3's are Open-Gear Chrome (Y1D) while the Yamaha FS-TA's are Die-Cast Chrome

Winner: Tie.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Yamaha FS3
  • 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
Yamaha FS-TA
  • Expensive Wood
  • Electronics
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in China
  • 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 FS3
Quality of materials 76
Features 65
Quality Control 60
Build Quality 67
Yamaha FS-TA
Quality of materials 61
Features 80
Quality Control 60
Build Quality 67

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 FS3 Nut Width
Yamaha FS3 Nut Width
Yamaha FS-TA Nut Width
Yamaha FS-TA Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Yamaha FS3 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 FS3, 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 FS3 and Yamaha FS-TA'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".

This scale is close to a Les Paul (24.75''), but it's slightly longer for those who want more tension of the strings and a slightly brighter sound (but not as much as with a 25.5'' Stratocaster scale).

This longer scale will also mean the frets are slightly more separated, which can affect your speed when playing. However, since this increases the tension of the strings, it will also allow you to lower the action even further without getting fret buzz. It comes at the cost of making the strings feel stiffer, which makes bending more difficult, though.

However, remember that you can also change the tension of the strings by using different string gauges.

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 FS3 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 FS3 and the Yamaha FS-TA 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 FS3 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 FS3 and the Yamaha FS-TA have the same fretboard radius of 15.75". It's a radius that makes playing single notes (and bending, vibrato, sliding, etc) easier than on a classic Les Paul guitar. However, it's still more curved than some baritone and 7+ strings guitars.

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 FS3:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Yamaha FS-TA:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Yamaha FS3 and Yamaha FS-TA 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 FS3
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 80
Playability 77
Yamaha FS-TA
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 80
Playability 77

Specs Side-by-Side

Yamaha FS3 vs FS-TA
General Yamaha FS3 FS-TA
Brand: Yamaha Yamaha
Year: 2019 2016
Strings: 6 6
Made in: China China
Series: FG/FS Red Label TransAcoustic Guitars
Colors: Natural Natural
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Hollowbody Hollowbody
Body Material: Solid Sitka Spruce Solid Spruce
Sides Material: Mahogany Mahogany
Back Material: Mahogany Mahogany
Bridge: Ebony Rosewood
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Open-Gear Chrome (Y1D) Die-Cast Chrome
Fretboard: Ebony Rosewood
Neck Material: African Mahogany Nato
Decoration: Dots Dots
Scale Size: 25" 25"
Shape: Acoustic C Acoustic C
Frets: 20 Medium Nickel Silver 20 Medium Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 15.75" 15.75"
Nut: Plastic Plastic
Nut Width: 44mm (1.732'') 43mm (1.693'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: SYSTEM70 TransAcoustic + SRT Piezo Pickup (Preamp / Active)