I have had a few Yamaha's too and never found them to be especially lacking in any significant way. But, I am easy to please. It doesn't seem like so very long ago that I had a piece-of-junk import with frets so high and rough that barre chords and bleeding were the cost of playing it. So nowadays, nearly any guitar looks pretty good to me. My main requirements are that it stay in tune for at least a few minutes at a time and that I can hear all of the strings when I pick them.

My favorite guitar that I have ever owned is one I picked up for $15 dollars at the Salvation Army. It is gut strung and was made in Czechoslovakia.

I suppose all of this might possibly disqualify me as someone who could give good advice on guitars. But I agree with Bob in that if you haven't actually held it in your hands, (or one like it,) don't buy it.