For quite some time now, Yamaha's acoustic guitars have been synonymous with great performance and excellent build quality, with a model to suit most wallets. The Yamaha FG series has been upgraded with design features inherited from the L-Series, so this quartet has the potential to include some of the company's best entry-level guitars to date.

The FG720S features a gloss-finished top, back and sides and an attractive 'dusk sun red' finish, essentially a two-tone red-black burst that has an appealing sixties flavour.

If this doesn't happen to float your visual boat, a blue burst and more traditional natural and black models are available as standard.

On picking up the instrument, the feel is quite different. This time, the neck has had extra coats of lacquer applied, and as a result we get a thicker, more even satin finish with a smooth, silky sheen.

The fingerboard and body binding applied here is cream, although its hue may be a little yellow for some players. The basic platform of the FG720S has been expanded to include lefties, and there is even a 12-string version.

Sounds

The FG720S has a round, mellow voice and what is lost a little in terms of brightness and presence is gained in warmth and sophistication.

While fingerpicked notes don't quite have the same crisp sheen, the guitar's more sedate performance would probably provide a more measured balance for recording rhythmic chords or arpeggiated work with a plectrum, lending extra bite.

When it comes to consistent production of quality entry-level acoustics, Yamaha appears to be in an enviable position.

We would confidently recommend this model to any player looking for a great-value acoustic guitar. It ticks all of the required boxes with aplomb.