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Acoustic Guitar
Yamaha FGX5 Red Label Dreadnought
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Availability: 0/10 (Very rare)
A modern revival of Yamaha's classic FG Red Label dreadnought: solid Sitka spruce top with A.R.E. aging treatment, solid mahogany back and sides, an ebony fingerboard and bridge, and Yamaha's three-way Atmosfeel pickup system.
About the Yamaha FGX5 Red Label Dreadnought
The FGX5 revives the appearance and general specification of Yamaha's original FG "Red Label" dreadnoughts from the 1960s-70s while using current construction methods. The top is solid Sitka spruce with new scalloped bracing and Yamaha's A.R.E. (Acoustic Resonance Enhancement) treatment, a heat-and-humidity process intended to replicate the tonal qualities of an aged, well-played top on a brand-new instrument. Back and sides are solid mahogany, and the fingerboard and bridge are both ebony, chosen for tonal clarity and rigidity.
The neck is African mahogany at a 25-inch scale with a 1.75-inch nut width. Electronics are Yamaha's Atmosfeel system, combining three distinct sensor types in one system: a piezo pickup under the saddle for low-frequency detail, an internal microphone for low-to-midrange character, and a proprietary thin-film contact sensor on the soundboard for high-frequency detail - blended to approximate a close-mic'd acoustic tone through a DI or amp rather than the thinner sound typical of piezo-only systems.
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Source: https://reverb.com/item/101371892-yamaha-fgx5-red-label-dreadnought-2010s-natural
Sound character of the Yamaha FGX5 Red Label Dreadnought
The Red Label FGX5 revives Yamaha's vintage-inspired scalloped top bracing from the original 1966 FG design, giving it a more resonant, dynamically responsive voice than Yamaha's standard modern-braced dreadnoughts, while its solid-wood construction (rather than laminate, common at lower Yamaha tiers) adds sustain and overtone complexity.
Technical data for the Yamaha FGX5 Red Label Dreadnought
| Body | Solid Sitka spruce top (A.R.E. treated), solid mahogany back/sides |
|---|---|
| Neck | African mahogany |
| Fretboard | Ebony |
| Scale length | 25" |
| Nut width | 1.75" |
| Bridge | Ebony |
| Pickup | Yamaha Atmosfeel (piezo + mic + contact sensor) |
The history of the Yamaha FGX5 Red Label Dreadnought
Yamaha's original FG series, and specifically the "Red Label" guitars produced from the mid-1960s into the 1970s, built the company's reputation for genuinely well-made, affordable steel-string acoustics and remain sought after on the vintage market. The Red Label reissue line, including the FGX5, revives that specification and branding with modern bracing refinements and Yamaha's current electronics technology.
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