Yamaha Classical Guitar CS40 (3/4 Size)

A Three-Quarter Size Classical, Built for Younger Players.

The Yamaha CS40 is a 3/4 size nylon-string classical guitar. This is the single most important thing to know about it before you buy: it is not a full-size instrument. Yamaha built it around a “3/4 scale compact bodied design” aimed squarely at “young learners”.

The scale is 580 mm against the 650 mm of a full-size classical, and the nut is 48 mm rather than 52 mm. The body is smaller and shallower too, at 450 mm long and 84–88 mm deep. Everything is closer together, lighter and easier for a child to hold properly.

That matters more than it sounds. A child wrestling with an instrument too big for them develops poor posture, gets sore and often gives up. Yamaha's stated aim is keeping practice “inspirational and exciting” — and the honest version of that is simply that a guitar which fits gets played.

Is a 3/4 Size the Right Choice?

Buying the wrong size is the most common mistake people make with a first guitar, so here is how to think about it honestly.

Compact Yamaha CS body — 450 mm long, 84–88 mm deep

Smaller and noticeably shallower than a full-size classical, so a child can get their arm comfortably over the top and hold the instrument in a proper playing position rather than fighting it.

580 mm scale and 48 mm nut — smaller hands fit

Frets sit closer together and the neck is 4 mm narrower than a full-size classical, with 10.6 mm string spacing. Chord shapes that are a genuine stretch on a 650 mm guitar become reachable, so a young player can actually make the shape instead of giving up on it.

Nylon strings — kind to young fingertips

Nylon sits under far less tension than steel and does not hurt uncalloused fingers. For a child starting out, this is the difference between practising happily and quietly deciding guitar is painful.

Spruce top, rosewood fingerboard and bridge

Proper guitar materials, not corner-cutting: a spruce top with a traditional rosette, rosewood fingerboard and bridge, gloss body and matte neck, with chrome RM-1252X tuners on a slotted classical headstock.

Holds its tuning, holds its value

Cheap small guitars will not stay in tune, which is the fastest way to put a child off. Yamaha build quality means this one holds pitch and plays properly — and 3/4 classicals hold their resale value well, because there is always another family needing one.

Q. What age is the CS40 for?

Roughly 8 to 12, but height and arm length matter more than age. Sit the child down with the guitar on their leg: if they can reach the first fret without stretching and get their right forearm over the body without hunching, it fits. Smaller children may need a 1/2 size; teenagers should go full-size.

Q. Will my child grow out of it?

Most likely, yes — usually somewhere in the early teens. That is not wasted money. A child who learns on a guitar that fits progresses faster and enjoys it more than one struggling with an oversized instrument, and 3/4 classicals resell easily to the next family.

Q. Does it tune the same as a normal guitar?

Yes. It tunes to standard E A D G B E at concert pitch, so your child can play along with lesson books, backing tracks and other guitarists exactly as normal. The shorter scale changes the feel, not the tuning.

Q. Can an adult play it?

An adult can certainly play one, and some do — smaller-framed players and travellers sometimes prefer the size. But if you are an adult buying for yourself, the full-size C40 is the more natural instrument and actually costs less than this.

Q. Can I put steel strings on it?

No — please don't. A classical guitar is built for the far lower tension of nylon and has no truss rod to resist steel. Steel strings can pull the neck forward and lift the bridge, and that damage is not covered by warranty.

Q. Does the CS40 have a solid top?

No — Yamaha lists the top as “Spruce”, meaning laminated. For a child's first guitar that is exactly right: a laminate top copes far better with being knocked about, left out and carried to lessons, and with humidity swings.

Q. Is a case or gig bag included?

No — the CS40 is supplied without a case, and a 3/4 guitar needs a 3/4 bag rather than a full-size one. If it is going back and forth to lessons a padded bag is close to essential, so ask us and we will match one that actually fits.

Why Buy from YMS?

• ✓ Authorised Yamaha Premium Retailer: Buy a genuine India-market Yamaha instrument with official manufacturer warranty support.
• ✓ Set up before it reaches you: We check action, relief and intonation so a beginner is not fighting a badly adjusted guitar.
• ✓ We will help you get the size right: Tell us the player's age and height and we will tell you honestly whether a 3/4 or a full-size is the correct buy.
• ✓ Support beyond the guitar: Ask us about 3/4 gig bags, footstools, clip-on tuners, nylon string sets and stands.
• ✓ Pan-India delivery: Order from anywhere in India, subject to serviceability for your location.
• ✓ Physical-store support: YMS teams in Bengaluru and Mangaluru are available for product enquiries and after-sales guidance.