Yamaha Acoustic Red Label Series – Vintage Soul, Modern Performance at Colemans Music Melbourne

Luc Travers
Yamaha Acoustic Red Label Series – Vintage Soul, Modern Performance at Colemans Music Melbourne

What Is the Yamaha Acoustic Red Label Series?

Yamaha’s Red Label acoustics are a modern love letter to their iconic FG and FS guitars from the 1960s. The original “red label” FG models appeared in 1966 and quickly became cult favourites thanks to their reliability, warm tone and no-nonsense styling.

Today’s FG/FS Red Label series takes that heritage and wraps it in over 50 years of Yamaha guitar R&D:

  • Inspired directly by the 1960s red-label folk guitars

  • Designed for modern singer-songwriters and working players

  • Available in dreadnought (FG) and compact concert (FS) body shapes

If you’re chasing that “already played-in” acoustic sound without waiting decades, Red Label is where Yamaha has put all the good stuff.

Key Red Label Features – Why Players Love Them

1. All-Solid Tonewoods

Across the range, Yamaha Red Label acoustics use:

  • Solid Sitka spruce tops – dynamic, wide-range tone that responds beautifully to both light fingerpicking and heavy strumming.

  • Solid mahogany back and sides – adds warmth, punchy mids and a controlled low end that sits nicely in a mix.

All-solid construction means the guitar will “open up” over time and reward you for playing it.

2. A.R.E. – That “Broken-In” Tone From Day One

A core ingredient of the Red Label sound is Yamaha’s A.R.E. (Acoustic Resonance Enhancement) wood treatment. In short, Yamaha carefully controls temperature, humidity and air pressure to reform the wood at a molecular level, making new spruce behave more like wood from a well-loved vintage guitar.

The result?

  • Smoother highs

  • Richer, more complex overtones

  • A mature, “played-for-years” character straight out of the case

Perfect if you want that vintage vibe without hunting down an actual ‘60s instrument.

3. Scalloped Bracing for Power and Sensitivity

Red Label models use a modified scalloped bracing pattern, designed specifically for the FG/FS body shapes. This boosts low-end warmth and projection while keeping the top responsive for dynamics and touch.

You feel this especially on the smaller FS concert bodies – they sound far bigger than they look.

4. Atmosfeel™ Pickup System (on “X” Models)

On the electro-acoustic “X” models like the FSX5, Yamaha uses the Atmosfeel™ 3-way pickup and preamp system:

  • Piezo sensor in the bridge for low frequencies

  • Internal mic for body warmth and mids

  • Thin soundboard transducer for high-end detail

These three elements are blended with simple onboard controls to give a natural, three-dimensional amplified sound that actually feels like your guitar, not just a quacky piezo.

Spotlight: Yamaha FS3 Acoustic Guitar – Vintage Natural

The FS3 is the pure, non-electro, no-nonsense member of the Red Label FS family – a compact concert-size acoustic that’s all about feel and tone.

Key FS3 Specs & Character

  • Body shape: FS concert (small) – super comfortable, especially seated, and ideal if dreadnoughts feel a bit bulky.

  • Construction:

    • Solid Sitka spruce top (A.R.E. treated)

    • Solid mahogany back and sides

  • Bracing: New FS scalloped bracing for a focused, powerful midrange and sweet overtones.

  • Neck & feel: African mahogany neck with an ebony fingerboard, 634 mm scale and 44 mm nut – a familiar, easy-playing modern acoustic feel.

  • Hardware: Ebony bridge, open-gear vintage-style tuners.

  • Case: Supplied with a quality Yamaha hard bag.

Who Is the FS3 For?

The FS3 is a great fit if you:

  • Want a smaller-bodied acoustic that still has plenty of punch and projection.

  • Do a mix of fingerstyle, light strumming and recording, where clarity and balance really matter.

  • Don’t necessarily need a pickup system – maybe you mostly play at home, in the studio, or you prefer using an external mic.

  • Love the idea of a workhorse all-solid acoustic that will age and open up with you.

If that sounds like you, the FS3 is an incredible value proposition in the all-solid, pro-level acoustic world.

Spotlight: YAMAHA FSX5 Red Label Concert Acoustic Electric

If the FS3 is the “quiet achiever,” the FSX5 is the fully-loaded, stage-ready version – still compact and comfortable, but with premium Japanese build and Atmosfeel electronics onboard.

Key FSX5 Specs & Features

From Yamaha and Colemans Music’s own description, the FSX5 gives you:

  • Body shape: Concert-size FS with a gloss finish and classic ‘60s styling.

  • Construction:

    • All-solid build – Sitka spruce top with A.R.E. treatment

    • Solid mahogany back and sides

  • Bracing: Custom FS scalloped bracing based on the legendary FG-180 voicing, refined for deeper lows and rich harmonics.

  • Electronics: Atmosfeel™ 3-way pickup & preamp for natural, controllable plugged-in tone.

  • Premium appointments:

    • Ebony fingerboard, bridge and bridge pins

    • Bone nut and saddle for enhanced sustain and clarity

    • Made in Japan, with the extra attention to detail you’d expect from Yamaha’s higher-end acoustic line.

  • Case: Includes a robust hardshell case – ready for touring, rehearsal rooms and the boot of the car.

Who Is the FSX5 For?

You’ll love the FSX5 if you:

  • Gig regularly in cafés, churches, venues or on worship teams, and need a compact acoustic that sounds as good plugged in as it does unplugged.

  • Want that vintage Yamaha look and vibe, but with modern tuning stability and reliability.

  • Prefer a smaller, more intimate body shape rather than a full dreadnought.

  • Appreciate Japanese-made instruments with high-end woods and hardware.

It’s very much a “buy once, cry once” guitar – something that can comfortably be your main acoustic for years.

FS3 vs FSX5 – Which Yamaha Red Label Is Right for Me?

Both guitars share the Red Label DNA – Sitka/mahogany, A.R.E. treated tops, scalloped bracing and that unmistakable Yamaha feel – but they serve slightly different players.

Choose the FS3 if you:

  • Mainly play unplugged at home, writing, or in the studio.

  • Don’t need built-in electronics right now.

  • Want a more affordable entry into the Red Label world while keeping all-solid construction.

Choose the FSX5 if you:

  • Play live regularly and want plug-and-play reliability with Atmosfeel electronics.

  • Value Made in Japan build quality and premium appointments like bone nut/saddle and a hardshell case.

  • Want a single, do-everything acoustic that can cover gigs, sessions and home playing without compromise.

Not sure which way to go? A lot of players end up loving the FS3 as a dedicated recording/home guitar and the FSX5 as a stage companion.

Try Yamaha Red Label Guitars at Colemans Music

At Colemans Music, we’re proud to stock Yamaha’s Acoustic Red Label Series, including the FS3 and FSX5 Red Label Concert models, in our South Melbourne store and online with fast shipping Australia-wide.

  • Visit us in South Melbourne to feel the difference between the FS3 and FSX5 in your own hands.

  • Or order online and have your new Yamaha Red Label delivered anywhere in Australia.

If you’d like, tell me a bit about your playing style, budget and whether you’ll be gigging or mainly playing at home, and I can help you decide between the FS3, FSX5, or suggest other Yamaha Red Label options to consider.