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Yamaha FSX820C
Taylor 114ce
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Playability
77
Sound
84
Build
67
Value
86
Score
76
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Playability
73
Sound
85
Build
74
Value
82
Score
77
FIND IT ON:
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Yamaha FSX820C vs Taylor 114ce

Reasons to Get
Yamaha FSX820C over Taylor 114ce

Release Year
2016 vs 2015
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 1.688'' (42.9mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Body Shape
Concert vs Grand Auditorium
Compact body with balanced tones
Scale Length
25'' (635mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Fretboard Radius
15.75'' (400.1mm) vs 15'' (381mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend
Value Score
86 vs 82
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Taylor 114ce over Yamaha FSX820C

Country of Manufacturing
Mexico vs China
Built with higher quality standards
Nut Material
Ivory Tusq vs Plastic
Resistant, good tuning stability and rich tone
Nut Width
1.688'' (42.9mm) vs 1.693'' (43mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Body Shape
Grand Auditorium vs Concert
Wide and narrow body with a balanced tone
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 25'' (635mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
15'' (381mm) vs 15.75'' (400.1mm)
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings

Other Key Differences
Yamaha FSX820C vs Taylor 114ce

Back Material
Mahogany vs Walnut
Different Back Material
Sides Material
Mahogany vs Walnut
Different Sides Material
Saddle Material
Plastic vs Synthetic Bone
Different Saddle Material
Bridge Material
Rosewood or Walnut vs Ebony
Different Bridge Material
Neck Wood
Nato vs Maple
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Rosewood vs Ebony
Different Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
Plastic vs Ivory Tusq
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Yamaha FSX820C vs Taylor 114ce

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
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Solid Side Wood
  • Solid Back Wood
  • Locking Tuners
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • 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 Taylor 114ce is probably the better product overall with its final score of 77 compared to the Yamaha FSX820C's 76 score, although not by a lot.

The Taylor 114ce wins when it comes to sound, build quality. On the other hand, the Yamaha FSX820C 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?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Yamaha FSX820C is the better choice.

The Yamaha FSX820C meets 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Taylor 114ce meets only 3. 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 FSX820C
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Soft Strings
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Taylor 114ce
  • 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 FSX820C Overview

  • From Yamaha's 2016 FG / FGX series
  • Made in China
  • 6 strings
  • 25"'' scale
  • 15.75" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Spruce top
  • Mahogany back
  • Mahogany sides
  • Nato neck
  • Rosewood or Walnut fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: SYSTEM66 + SRT Piezo Pickup (Preamp/Active)
  • Rosewood or Walnut bridge
  • Acoustic C Set neck
  • 20 Medium frets
  • Die-Cast Chrome (TM29T) tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Taylor 114ce Overview

  • From Taylor's 2015 100 series
  • Made in Mexico
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 15" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Sitka Spruce top
  • Layered Walnut back
  • Layered Walnut sides
  • Maple neck
  • Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Expression System 2 Electronics (Preamp/Active)
  • Ebony bridge
  • Acoustic Taylor Standard Set neck
  • 20 Medium frets
  • Chrome (100/200) 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

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 FSX820C

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

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.

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.

Woods Used in the Taylor 114ce

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple
Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony
Walnut wood pattern used for guitar building
Walnut

Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.

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.

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.

Winner: Yamaha FSX820C.

Electronics

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

Winner:Tie.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Yamaha FSX820C
Sustain 75
Versatility 95
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 84
Taylor 114ce
Sustain 85
Versatility 85
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 85

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 FSX820C compares to the Taylor 114ce.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Yamaha FSX820C is built in China while the Taylor 114ce 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: Taylor 114ce

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 FSX820C 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 Taylor 114ce comes with a Ivory Tusq nut. Ivory used to be considered the best material for guitar nuts due to its beauty, durability, and the rich harmonics and sustain you could get from a guitar with it. However, the way to obtain it is simply unethical. Enter TUSQ ivory nuts, which are made synthetically to imitate ivory. Technically, it's better than ivory because it is consistent piece-to-piece, while natural materials can vary a lot, even if they're made from the same.

Winner: Taylor 114ce.

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 FSX820C's are Die-Cast Chrome (TM29T) while the Taylor 114ce's are Chrome (100/200)

Winner: Tie.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Yamaha FSX820C
  • 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
Strengths & Weaknesses
Taylor 114ce
  • Expensive Wood
  • Ivory Tusq Nut
  • Electronics
  • Synthetic Bone Saddle
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Mexico
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • Laminated Side Wood
  • Laminated Back Wood
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Yamaha FSX820C
Quality of materials 66
Features 80
Quality Control 55
Build Quality 67
Taylor 114ce
Quality of materials 76
Features 75
Quality Control 70
Build Quality 74

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 FSX820C Nut Width
Yamaha FSX820C Nut Width
Taylor 114ce Nut Width
Taylor 114ce Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Yamaha FSX820C has the wider nut with 43mm (1.693'') vs 42.9mm (1.688''). This is a 0.1mm (0.0050000000000001'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Yamaha FSX820C, 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 FSX820C's Scale Length
Yamaha FSX820C's Scale Length
Taylor 114ce's Scale Length
Taylor 114ce'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 Taylor 114ce has the longest scale: 25.5". The Yamaha FSX820C is only 25" long. This is a 0.5'' (12.7mm) 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 FSX820C Neck Profile
Yamaha FSX820C's neck profile
Taylor 114ce Neck Profile
Taylor 114ce'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 FSX820C and the Taylor 114ce 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 FSX820C Fingerboard Radius
Yamaha FSX820C's Fingerboard radius
Taylor 114ce Fingerboard Radius
Taylor 114ce'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 Taylor 114ce's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Yamaha FSX820C'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 FSX820C.

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 FSX820C:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Taylor 114ce:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Yamaha FSX820C and Taylor 114ce 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 FSX820C
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 80
Playability 77
Taylor 114ce
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 73

Specs Side-by-Side

Yamaha FSX820C vs Taylor 114ce
General Yamaha FSX820C Taylor 114ce
Brand: Yamaha Taylor
Year: 2016 2015
Strings: 6 6
Made in: China Mexico
Series: FG / FGX 100
Colors: Sunburst Natural
Left-Handed Version: No Yes
Body
Type: Hollowbody Hollowbody
Body Material: Solid Spruce Solid Sitka Spruce
Sides Material: Mahogany Walnut
Back Material: Mahogany Walnut
Bridge: Rosewood or Walnut Ebony
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Die-Cast Chrome (TM29T) Chrome (100/200)
Fretboard: Rosewood or Walnut Ebony
Neck Material: Nato Maple
Decoration: Dots 4mm Dot Italian Acrylic
Scale Size: 25" 25.5"
Shape: Acoustic C Acoustic Taylor Standard
Frets: 20 Medium Nickel Silver 20 Medium Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 15.75" 15"
Nut: Plastic Ivory Tusq
Nut Width: 43mm (1.693'') 42.9mm (1.688'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: SYSTEM66 + SRT Piezo Pickup (Preamp / Active) Expression System 2 Electronics (Preamp / Active)