Head to head

Ibanez PJ50E Performance Series vs Yamaha FG800J

The short answer is that the scale lengths are not the same (25.5" against 25"). Below, every specification we hold for both instruments is lined up, with the 18 rows that actually differ marked out.

Ibanez

PJ50E Performance Series

Open-Pore Vintage Amber Sunburst

A jumbo body and a working preamp, at a price where you usually get neither

6.8/105.0 (1)

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Yamaha

FG800J

Natural

The safest recommendation in budget acoustics, and it has been for years

7.8/104.6 (368)

See it on Amazon Read the full analysis

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Score profile

Six editorial axes, overlaid. Where one shape sits outside the other, that is where the instrument gains ground.

Ibanez PJ50E Performance Series6.8
Yamaha FG800J7.8

Scores are Fretline editorial ratings on a 1-10 scale. They are our own assessment and are not supplied or endorsed by Amazon or by any manufacturer.

Specification by specification

Ibanez PJ50E Performance Series compared with Yamaha FG800J
	PJ50E Performance Series	FG800J
Brand	Ibanez	Yamaha
Model	PJ50E Performance Series	FG800J
Finish	Open-Pore Vintage Amber Sunburst	Natural
Instrument	Acoustic guitar	Acoustic guitar
Fretline score	6.8 / 10	7.8 / 10
Value for money	8 / 10	10 / 10
Amazon rating	5.0 / 5 (1)	4.6 / 5 (368)
Price	Under $300	Under $300
Type	Acoustic-electric guitar	Acoustic guitar
Body	Jumbo	Dreadnought (Yamaha Traditional Western)
Body wood	Meranti	Solid spruce top with nato/mahogany back and sides
Top	Laminated spruce	Solid spruce
Back & sides	Laminated meranti	Nato / mahogany
Bracing	—	Scalloped bracing
Neck joint	Set neck, joining at the 14th fret	Set neck
Neck wood	Meranti	Locally sourced tonewood (nato)
Scale length	25.5" (648 mm)	25" (634 mm)
Fingerboard	Nandu, bound	Rosewood
Radius	—	15 3/4" (400 mm)
Frets	20	—
Nut	Plastic	—
Nut width	—	1 11/16" (43 mm)
Bridge	Nandu, with black Ibanez Advantage bridge pins	Rosewood
Tuners	Chrome Ibanez	—
Electronics	Under-saddle pickup with Ibanez AEQ-2T preamp, onboard tuner and 2-band EQ	None
Controls	Volume, bass, treble, onboard tuner	—
Orientation	Right-handed	Right-handed
Skill level	Beginner, Intermediate	Beginner, Intermediate
Styles	Folk, Country, Pop, Rock, Worship, Blues	Folk, Country, Pop, Rock, Blues, Worship
In the box	—	—

A marked row is one where the two differ. A highlighted cell is the stronger figure where one can be judged objectively. Empty cells are specifications the manufacturer does not publish — never estimates.