Pros
- Easy to play
- A great fit for young students of the instrument
- Recommended for older players
- Compact and comfortable beater guitar
- Combination of good quality and playability
- A good value for the money
Cons
- Sounds thinner than a regular sized dreadnought
- Mid gig bag
The JR1 is Yamaha’s response to the hype around “mini” acoustic guitars, this one being the compact version of their popular FG (Folk Guitar) design.
Being a smaller FG means that it retains the familiar dreadnought shape and feel, with less of the bulk and weight. As such it is touted as a good travel guitar and a good starter instrument for young musicians. It also appeals to those who want a smaller acoustic that’s easier to play.
The back and sides are crafted from laminate meranti, a low cost timber that is known for its structural strength, while the top uses laminate spruce, which is quite common in the entry level price range.
Other features include having a nato neck with rosewood fingerboard, opened chrome tuner, and it has a shorter scale length of 21.25″.
With Yamaha’s reputation for student friendly guitars, the Yamaha JR1 is a great travel guitar option that can double as a reliable student guitar.
Specifications:
- Body Profile: FG JR1
- Top: Spruce
- Back & Sides: Meranti
- Neck: Nato
- Fretboard: Rosewood
- Bridge: Rosewood
- Scale Length: 21.25″
- Tuners: Opened Chrome Tuners
- Nut Width: 1.6875″
- Electronics: None
- Body Length: 15.3125″
- Weight: Not Specified
- Others: Bundled with a Gig Bag