Side-by-side comparison of the Yamaha FSX830C Small Body Solid Top and the Fender T-Bucket 300CE Cutaway

Today's product comparison has Music Critic comparing the Yamaha FSX830C Small Body Solid Top to the Fender T-Bucket 300CE Cutaway. The Music Critic reviews can help point you towards models and brands that suit your needs. If you would like to see more product comparisons from the same category, click here.

Let's get started by taking a close look at the Yamaha FSX830C Small Body Solid Top. Next up is the top end of Yamaha’s entry-level guitar offering, the FSX830C. It’ll come in at just under your $500 budget, but is a premium product to back that up. This is a small-body cutaway, with a short 25 inch scale, and shallow, slightly flat oval neck. Yamaha have specifically marketed this as a guitar for those with smaller hands, and we can see that it would be a best choice if this is you - but there’s no reason to be put off if you’re looking for a full-size. If you are looking for an even smaller guitar, you can look into Ukulele's (click to view our top 10 guide).

And now we will have a look at our second product, the Fender T-Bucket 300CE Cutaway. Onto one of the most attractive guitars on our list - the Fender T-Bucket 300CE. This is a full-sized cutaway dreadnought, priced well within the under $500 budget, and designed with big sounds and big impact in mind. We have a quilted maple top, with laminated mahogany on the back and sides for a deep, rich tone.

More about the Yamaha FSX830C Small Body Solid Top

This model is an updated version of the previous 700 series guitar, with the major change being special scalloped bracing on the interior. Yamaha claim that this helps to boost the bass and mids, and we have to agree. Plugged in and cranked up, this small-body (solid spruce top, rosewood body) really doesn’t sound that far away from a dreadnought. Combined with the cutaway and oval neck, this is a simply awesome guitar to play.

Taking a closer look at the features of the Fender T-Bucket 300CE Cutaway

We really like the sound of this guitar. It has plenty of resonance, and some really nice sustain, which are complemented by a Fishman pickup and preamp combo, along with built in tuner and three band EQ for some nice adjustment.

HEAD TO HEAD COMPARISON
Yamaha FSX830C Small Body Solid Top	Fender T-Bucket 300CE Cutaway
KEY FEATURES
+ Excellent sound quality + Super easy to play + Premium product	+ Beautiful detailing + Good specification + Excellent tone
WHAT OUR TEAM THOUGHT
It’s at the top of the price bracket, but it’s very hard to argue that it’s not worth it. Many beginners will find this an easy guitar to play with, but experienced players are going to love the quality, the neck, and the hardware.	An all-round excellent choice, the Fender T-Bucket is a great looking, great sounding, and well-specified electro acoustic guitar at an attractive price. There are very few weak points to this guitar, so it should undoubtedly be on your shortlist, which is why it’s on ours.

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You may also be interested in our article Top 10 Best Rated Electric Acoustic Guitars Below $500 in 2019.