Guild D-40 vs. Yamaha Red Label FGX5 | The Most Underrated Dreadnoughts? 

I have Both but I really really love my Yamaha FGX5. Just something about the way it feels and the tone is to die for. The Guild is nice but I will die with my Yamaha FGX5 .

The FGX5 is my dream guitar

To me the Guild sounds like a very crisp solo instrument. The FGX5 sounds like a band. I think for playing in a band or recording single tracks the Guild would be better but for a solo singer i believe that the FGX5 would serve that purpose much better.

I have been saying this for the past couple years, the new USA Guild guitars are just flat-out awesome!

I’m a huge fan of Yamaha acoustics. I bought my 3rd one which is the FGX3 (also hard to find) earlier this year. It’s much the same as the FGX5 except for the nut, saddle, bridge pin and pick guard material but those are cheap and easy upgrades. It also has a firm soft case instead of a hard case. Beautiful sound and very easy to play. I’ve never been disappointed with Yamahas and think they should be considered at every price point.

I love my FGX5 to death. Sounding better every day. Guild sounds more crisp and very nice, Yamaha is warmer and mellower, both amazing guitars.

The FGX5 just resonsonates forever. Notes layered on top of notes. JP Cormier also reviewed the FGX5 and ended up buying it and he is sponsored by Boucher guitars… incredible especially for the price, I have one since your review a few years back Chris. 🙏 Great Playing ⭐️

Great review, as always, guys. The FGX5 has replaced my Gibson J45, Koa Taylor and Martin D-28. It's that good! Maybe I just got lucky but it is perfect for me in playabilty, tone and electronically.

Another great video guys!

I just purchased a Guild D-40. What a beautiful American owned and made instrument. The fit and finish is perfect and this thing is a cannon. I'm sure the Yamaha is great also, I'm not downplaying it but just haven't played one. Thanks for the review, it helped my purchase. You guys are great.

Another really great topic choice and spot-on demo and commentaries. Thank you. I'm a huge Red Label FGname-your-number5 fan. I didn't think the sound between were as differentiated as they were. Plenty 'o reasons to buy both!

FGX5 sounds great..... Yamaha certainly don't disappoint with great sound & build quality... thanks for sharing... cheers from Australia 😀

A really great review. Covered all the bases. I'm saving up for the Yamaha FGX5, cause I'm a strummer and the older sound is what I love. Thanks fellas!

Great video, as usual, Thank you Chris & Cooper for letting us know all about guirars models. Thanks to this video I'm going to get a FGX5 tomorrow.

I like the guild for finger style picking and the Yamaha for strumming. Both sound fantastic and you can’t go wrong with either one 👍🏾😊

Randomly walked into a guitar shop and tried a FG5. I was blown away, it sounded great. I couldn’t justify a Yamaha at $1300. Then I came home and started watching video reviews and they all had the same opinion. Two days later I went back and bought it. I would love to see a FG5 rosewood, would love to have it’s twin.

That guild sounds amazing

FGX5 to me sounds warm and balanced. The Guild has more bass presence and persona.

Both really sweet guitars. Purely based on sound, I think I'd lean towards the Guild, but I prefer the aesthetics of the Yamaha and having played an FGX5 recently I found them a good fit for my hands. By all accounts the Yamaha pickups are excellent too. I guess I'd need to try the D40 to see how one felt to play. As an alternative spruce and mahogany dreadnought to these two, Eastman D6 or D10 (Adirondack) are worth considering.

I own an FGX5. Also had a Taylor 717 builder’s edition, a Taylor 314ce, still own a Martin HD28. I’m a weekend warrior. Play about 60 gigs a year. The FGX5 is my favorite guitar I’ve ever owned and it’s not even close. Only guitar I haven’t wanted to trade. Still want a J45, but I feel like the Yamaha gives me everything I want as far as spruce and mahogany dreadnought. I am loving how this guild sounds though. Wondering if they have a pickup out of the factory. Chris you and Cooper rule! Thanks for all of the awesome videos.

Love the demo 👍. I’d be curious to know if those two guitars have the same or different strings. 80/20, phos-bronze, nickel-bronze etc.

Both beautiful instruments ❤

Gret balanced review and I agree with almost everything you say. I owned a similar pair of guitars, the Guild Westerly D140 and the Yamaha FG5 - same as the FXG5 sans electronics. Neither the build quality nor the sound are even close IMHO. I flipped the D140 within six months and don't think I will ever sell the Yamaha. I also had a terrible time trying to get the Yamaha during COVID here in Australia and eventually snapped up a FG5 instead, a guitar which had been on order by the dealer for 10 months. I had a K&K plus an LR Baggs M1 unstalled, routed to a TRS output by a guitar tech who also set it up.. I like to use effects with my acoustics so I can run my Yamaha as a wet/dry mix. My effects include a Strymon OB.1 compressor so all my guitars articulate really well anyway. As an aside, my other acoustic for live work is a Takamine EF360S TT. I got this to replace a Guild D55, which was a beautiful guitar, but the wild overtones from the rosewood made it almost impossible to use for live work. I sold it. Higher spec Japanese guitars are very reliable and great sounding workhorses for amplified live work. Acoustically , the Yamaha is better than the Takamine.

Both sounds different, both sounds great, I own FGX5, but I like Guild D-40 too, reminds me more Yamaha LL16/LL26

I bought the FG5 a couple years ago. I did have to get it setup as the action was too high for my liking out of the box. It’s an amazing guitar that is now my daily player. Still have my Taylor 814ce and Martin ooo-17sm, but the Yamaha has really won me over.

Wow, that Yamaha sounds great. The Guild sounds good too. It sounds bright, but I expect it might loosen up as it's played in. The Yamaha already sounds played in, I guess from the ARE treatment.That's the difficult thing about rating these instruments: how will they sound as they're played in? Thanks for this video, very interesting and informative.

The D40 and D18 comparaison would be really interesting!

Great video and comparison. You guys mentioned the FGX5 is the best value in this wood pairing (Spruce/Hog) - what would you say is the best value for the Spruce/ Rosewood pairing?

I had a Guild D-50 and that guitar had a neck that played like an electric guitar. The American Guilds have a 12" radius fretboard that I prefer. I also love the chess piece on the headstock of the D-40 traditional.

Guys can you review the FSX5, please? Thank you. You both rock!

Currently I’m looking for a small bodied acoustic ( a 000~15SM 12 fret to be exact ). However these Yamaha Redline acoustics have really gained my interest, Chris actually brought this line to my attention when he made that older video too, what a nice acoustic 🤙 Thanks guys, most of your videos are always an education.

I feel the Guild tone is clear and crispy. I like it.

The Yamaha top is torrified so, it sounds more mellow. The electronics are also a value with the fgx5, very good electronics. I really like the guild also. I have the d140 with an anthem.

I give Cordoba all the credit in the world for their devotion to Guild. I have a 3rd year Corona-made D40. I love it, but it seems reticent compared to the new D40s. I did want an all hog guitar and was happy to get the Guild D20 over even a Martin D15. They are both great. The Guild just appealed more to my taste. I do have a Yamaha LL16D. Still trying to find the optimal strings. But Yamaha means you are getting a great instrument. The funny thing about this comparison is that both instruments do what they aim for so well. It was not head-to-head but side-by-side. No losers here. Thanks!

Thanks for all you do in pointing out characteristics and value in guitars. I am hellbent on the purchase of a FG5, probably used, and have only one question regarding this guitar - Is a low action arrangement possible and practical for this instrument... I mean almost for an electric guitar action? I am a fan of you guys and Yamaha acoustic, LL, etc. Thanks again.

Both are great instruments! I like the balance of the Yamaha. The Guild is a more traditional dread sound to my ears.

i really enjoyed this enjoyed

I got to get myself this Guild D-40! Wonderful sound to my ears!

Yamaha Red Label really rocks. It sounds as good as my Guild D-55

Got me the FG5. Happy happy.

I went looking locally for a FGX5 a couple of days ago. Couldn't find one. Tonight, listening to this video, I really like the FGX5. Every time it's played, I thought it's just so sweet. Then, I hear the Guild and I am completely blown away. I LOVE that sound! Lord, I wish I could justify $2500 for a new one.

I have the Yamaha FGX5 on order. Sorry guys. The Yamaha to my ears wins hands down as far as tone is concerned. It has a gorgeous sound and looks beautiful. Always enjoy your videos. Keep up the great work.

I’m a Guild player and have to admit, I love the tone of this Yaam-ah-hah!

I bought a FGX5 after seeing your video a few years back. I really liked it, but found and bought a D-18, so I sold the FG. Mistake!!! I now own another FG and have my D-18 for sale. The D-40 looks great too, but I like the 1 3/4" nut on the Yamaha. BTW Chris, the Yamaha tuners are a replication of the 1966 FG-180...and...they're awesome.

I personally like the punch 🥊 of the guild but that Yamaha has a more mellow tone they both produce different sounds and certain songs will sound better on one over the other . Just remember it’s not about which ones better it’s about which sound fits your mood/ style !

Wish you would have also included one of the Eastman dreadnoughts in mahogany either the e6d-tc or the e-10d-tc. Those are great guitars!

I am liking the deep lows and mids of the Guild a whole lot, but not the price. The Yamaha has a refined balanced tone.

@Alamo Music Center. Don't forget that the Yamaha also has a REALLY nice ebony fretboard with rounded edges - comparable to a that found on a Martin. Altså the 44mm nut width and the Martin-sque but slighty fuller neck profile just speaks to everyone. I have an FS5 with an L. R. Baggs Anthem SL. Everytime I'm on stage I have people coming up asking "damn, what kind of guitar is that? It sounds phenomenal." Yamaha Red Label series is THE best value for money-acoustic on the market right now. Bum!

The pickgaurd is the standard black one with a textured decal on it.....you can take it off

You guys should do a review of the high end yamaha ll 36 series and up. Those sounds angelic.. and way outta my budget ✌️😁

I have an FS5. I love it. It clicks for me and I don’t think I’ve ever liked a guitar so much. I put an LR Baggs HiFi in it but wish I went with the x version, although the HiFi works really well with the guitar.

I think you guys are the best guitar reviewers on all of youtube and anywhere else! I think Cooper is one the best guitar players I have ever had the privilege of watching and listening to! I wish I could play a fraction of that good! This of course makes me value his opinion on the quality of guitars greatly. And of course there is the extremely knowledgeable and also a very good guitar player Chris McKee! I have spent hours watching the two of you review guitars and learned so much in the process. I have a request which I think is going to go unanswered because I know that Alamo doesn’t carry them. But I have been a longtime admirer of Takamine guitars. I am so curious to know why you guys don’t carry these. I suspect you guys don’t have a high opinion of them but I don’t know for sure. I think Takamine is right up there with Yamaha when it comes to getting high quality guitars for less than the other big name brands. I would love to see what you guys think about Takamine CTP 3 cool tube preamp that comes with some of the Takamine guitars such as the Takamine P4DC! I like John Is Too loud and I was impressed with his review on one of these! I would really appreciate it if you guys could do reviews on any of their guitars from the g series up to the pro series. Especially the P4DC which I am very interested in. I really love Takamine 12 string guitars with the onboard tuners and the ability to adjust their sound with the preamps they come with! Chris, please at the very least get back to me and tell me what you think of the Takamines and why you don’t carry them. Thank you and keep up the great work!

The Guild adi top might even be a bit stiff. Imagine when it opens up. The Yamaha probably is closer to it's fully broken in point. Oddly, Yamaha nows owns Cordoba and Guild.

Another Beautiful glorious video thank you for your hard work in bringing the lord into my home every day. Love to you all

Thanks for this review. Both guitars sound great. Both have pros and cons. If I had the extra coinage, I would get the Guild D-40. The late Richie Havens played one for his entire career. Imo, he beat the crap out of it, because of his style playing. It's a tank!

I'm original owner of a 1976 Guild D40, which I love. However, the FG5 sounds warmer and richer vs. the Guild's brightness. They're different enough to me that I'm going to pick up an Fg5. I love the playing ease of Yamaha acoustics...I bought a used FG850 which is my take everywhere :"beater", and it turned me into a Yamaha fan.

Both of these sound great, it's really hard to pick a winner here. I'd say they're both similar in sound, somewhere between a J-45 and Martin D-18 sound but the Yamaha is a little closer to the D-18 side and the D-40 is closer to the J-45 side.

To my ears, the guild has the total package for a big dread, while the Yammie seems more mid-focused, like a concert style. I do own guilds and have owned Yamahas years ago. I would own either of these, but my ears love the big bottom of the guild.

I’d put the Martin tony rice set of strings on and be happy with either. I would lean Guild from this review.

I love my FGX5, however I was disappointed when I realized the pick guard on my FGX5 was not actually wood, but some sort of plastic that looks like wood. Either that or the wood is coated in plastic. Not only that, but the texture of the pick guard makes a bunch of noise when the guitar is plugged in. I never realized how often I rest my fingers on the pick guard. I need to replace the pick guard with a black plastic one. I sort of wonder if it would look better with no pick guard at all.

I finally got a new FG5 in Canada…amazing guitar…I had an FGX3 and was not that impressed with the pick up in it…so on my FG5 I will get a K and K installed in it.

Hey Chris great playing. Great channel. Next time could you please back up on the picking hand closer to the bridge so we can hear more of the fundamental attack. Thanks bro

I have an FGX5. Plugged in it sounds better than everyone else, hands down, no contest. Unplugged it really throws its weight around with the big boys, I’d compare it to a Martin D18 all day long. For 1/3 of the price. Don’t sleep on the Japanese Yamahas, they’re some of the best acoustic guitars ever built

I played a d18 and then picked up a guild d40 satin which made me scratch my head and look at the Martin which on paper was "better" but in the room the guild was louder and more resonant. That Yamaha comes in less and honestly sounds much more vintage and played in than the upper level d40 traditional. Having played the satin version i can honestly say I'd be happy to own either but that Yamaha is scary good. Listen to this one with the j45 banner in the Taylor vs Gibson vs Martin video. Now that Gibson is every bit as worth it but with the price of the Yamaha more attainable it's a steal. It's definitely the torrefied. Playing both examples I can hear torrefied Adirondack vs torrefied sitka and if I was rich or really needed a shorter scale I'd spent 3 times the price on the Gibson but Yamaha has always been the poor man's Martin or in this case poor man's vintage reissue. For that price I'll take one of these and the Fs5 in a heartbeat to scratch the vintage 0 vibe

It's the Yamaha for me

Hi Guys! Have you ever done a comparison between the Yamaha FGX5 and an Eastman dreadnought with mahogany back and sides?

Stumbled on this channel. Your descriptions and demos are really helpful. My first guitar was a small bodied Gibson 12-string factory second; all I could afford. In ‘75, I bought a Martin D-28 which I LOVE and later the Melissa Etheridge model Ovation 12-string. I’m really liking the sound of these, but the Yamaha really stands out. May let go of my 12-string…

I was digging the Guild a lot more. Until the strumming, and in that section I did like the articulate attack and sparkle/clarity of the Yamaha. I'd still pick the Guild, overall, it's more my preferred style. Sounded very good fingerstyle too, which many dreadnoughts don't (the D-120 I think doesn't sound so good fingerstyle). Though, I think maybe I'd still go with an M-20, it's more characterful/unique. The Yamaha is a little more brittle sounding on individual treble notes, it's better strummed. It doesn't sound quite as clean/well setup.

I bought an A5R and an FGX5. I honestly don’t know which one I prefer and love them both.

I have a Guild from 1976, had it from new the only things I've changed on it are the tuners and the strings. The action is phenominal 90 thou bass 65 thou treble, plays and sounds better now than when I got it

The Yamaha is quieter and it seems like the notes blend together more than they do with the Guild. Sometimes you might want that though. Yamaha has plenty of frequencies and I'm sure a much lower price. I'd really like to have that Guild too.

What song are you playing at 10:25?

That Guild is remarkably crisp and powerful! Bluegrass beast. Does it have that slightly longer scale length?

Truss rod adjustment ….tighten it about a 1/4 turn, done. 3 minutes cost $0.

What strings are being used

those 2 are the best dreadnoughts, only Martin Dss17 can compete with them. The Yam has a bigger body, shorter scale, wider nutwidth

If the price was the same for both, I’d pick the FGX5 all day long. Setup out of the box isn’t a selling feature. Any reputable shop should set these up to player preference before delivery. They should deliver higher saddle, so that it can be shaved down to your liking. Most think of Yamaha as the cheap beginner/ campfire guitar, but they have been crafting 10-15 thousand dollar guitars and 200k pianos for years in Japan. The are leaders at the 200 dollar price point, and the fgx5 doesn’t look much different, but the tone out of it is unreal. The pup system is seriously more advanced than a piezo or a k&k stuck in a Guild. People always talk of bang for the buck when talking Yamaha, and while they deliver that in spades, the FGX5, while simply appointed, delivers at ANY price point. It’s a total sleeper of a guitar.

Do you also sell Yamaha harmonicas?

I thought the Guild sounded nice, But I have 4 Yamahas currently so I'd say I'm a Yamaha fan.

Guilds sound covers all the bases !

Because the Yamaha is torrified, does that mean I don't have to putz around with humidifiers in the winter? (I live in Minnesota)

I am a fan if the FGX5, but biy the D-40 was a great sound.

D40 sounded nice till you hear the FG5. When I bought mind I was wishing I bought this first up ,it would've saved me about 20 grand Australian trying to buy the guitar that I loved. I thought maybe it's just me but seeing these reviews only confirms it. My FG5 and Furch vintage 3 dsr are my go to guitars never to be sold. Would love a pair of FG9s one day.🤞🤑

My D-40 Traditional Guild took 4 years for the low end to open up. It has always had an unusually nice top end, which is why I kept it. It has ended up, after 5 years, sounding more "scooped" to me than, say a D-18. Perhaps that is, in part, because the back and sides are African mahogany rather than Honduran mahogany. "Mahogany" has become a fluid, nebulous term in the world of guitars in recent years. Anyway, I wonder what kind of mahogany is used on the back and sides of the Yamaha FGX5? I suspect it is Honduran. It is more mellow sounding than the Guild.

The Guild is crisp but the Yamaha draws you in and holds you there. There is a warmer tone but it's more than that. Strumming, I hear a balance without being overly harsh and I'm partially hard of hearing. Picking on the Yamaha is rounded and easy with just enough definition for a fuller richer presence. If it's bright to me, it's too much for everyone else. The Yamaha sounds natural and pleasing. I could change its sound by mic position and choice of mic. The Guild has a defined tone that is too narrow for me. The Yamaha is a Jack of all trades and a master of none. That is a good thing for someone like me who sinks all his money into one solid wood guitar.

That Yamaha sounds really nice. It's got something going on in lower mids that clouds up the tone a bit, with a rounder topend. The Guild has really great clarity in the mids, nice bight topend and a big solid low. I'll take the D-40.

Just a thought, the Alvarez MD60BG would sit easily with these two......and then I'd have a huge dilemma, three of my favourite guitars and not being able to choose the sound I like best, they're all good 😅

Guild for me.

Both have distinctive and pleasant sounds, mostly in the midrange. The Guild seems to have the most balance and presence through headphones. The price is reasonable for what you get , I think.

I do not remember either of these guitars being so expensive pre-covid. Sadly, I would choose to save a bit more and go with a D-18 if I voting with my wallet. They both sound fantastic though.

The yamaha A1M is a great guitar for the money, you won't regret buying it

Man I kinda want to get rid of my Martin and zager to get the yamaha

Commenting for engagement

I came here to love that Yamaha but that Guild stole my heart. I may need to sell a kidney :)

To me, the Guild sounds very even all the way through the top end to the low end. The Yamaha seemed to accentuate the midrange quite noticeably. I own a couple of guitars I know very well, and when I go to a music store, I always take one of them in so I can compare them to the store guitars in the same environment. The demo in this video reminds me of that process. If I were to hear the Yamaha just on its own, I probably would think it was fine. But side-by-side, I far prefer the Guild.

I prefer the voice of the Guild…and the fact that it’s Made in the U.S.A. However, Yamaha makes very fine instruments. I’ve owned both brands.

Both sound great! The Yamaha is a bit more mellow / warm, which suits my ears. BUT, if you are competing with other instruments, the Guild would really cut… very distinct tone, lots of volume!

The Guild sounds beautiful, as they do!

What the hell was the bit at 3:51 about car’s extended warranty!!??

Just as Gibson's J and B series are mahogany, YAMAHA's FG series is mahogany from the beginning.And that the LL series has the same style as Martin.However, YAMAHA's acoustic guitar philosophy originally had a concept that suited the Japanese climate and was conscious of the Japanese body type.🙇‍♂️🇯🇵