Thanks for sharing your experience & thoughts on Yamaha guitars..I am 78 yrs old and still love my Yamaha. FG470 SA which I bought new some years ago... the sound has improved with time & although I look at newer guitars, I haven't updated ... thanks again for sharing your comments ... cheers from Australia...😀
I have owned a vintage tint FS800 since 2016. Other acoustic guitars have come and gone from my collection because they just don’t get played as much as my FS800. It’s a fantastic little guitar. Yamaha definitely flies under the radar compared to the bigger name brands. Budget friendly top quality instruments for sure!
I purchased a Yamaha FGX5 (Red Series) mid last year after watching a review from Heart Breaker guitars in Las Vegas on your show. At the time I was tossing up whether to buy a Maton or Cole Clark (I live in Australia). Both were not making guitars at the time due to Covid and there were none in stock anywhere. I went with the Yamaha and have no regrets, thanks to your show.
My very first acoustic guitar was a 1970 FG300, has a flower pick guard, I still have the sales receipt of $150.00, it stills plays well and has that 50 year old tone, love it!
I have two Eastman's, a Ibanez 12 string and a Yamaha FG 441S, 35 years old and it is great! Solid top, ovangol back and sides, very good sound and playability. The crazy thing is that my Eastman's did cost a thousand euro's, the Yamaha was the same price then but now it is worth nothing, on reverb they do 200 dollar or so, ridicoulos for such a great guitar!
My 441-S is amazing. I just bought an FG5X and it's not close to the 441-S... yet. Hopefully it will open up. I put an infinity of hours into the 441, so I have some hours to put in.
Old guy here ........Grew up in the 60's - 70's when Yamaha were the 'go-to' guitars for most 'folkies' . I recently bought a Yamaha LL16 - - - Amazing Guitar for the money !!! They have top notch solid woods with Yamaha's 'ARE' ( top wood aging system ) .....to my ear they sound almost as good as a Martin D28 and they're built like tanks. ( The bracing though, is pretty stiff and they require at least medium gauge strings
To celebrate my 50 days of TAC I treated myself to the Yamaha AC3R. Wow! Simply amazing. Solid Rosewood back and sides, fabulous pickup, concert cutaway body in tobacco sunburst. You will have to prize it out of my clenched dead fist if you want it!
I have an AC 5R one that is made in Japan they are phenomenal guitars unfortunately mine sitting in a pawn shop right now due to an unexpected car repair I had can't wait to get it back
I own a red label FG 180. Circa 1968. It was my uncle's guitar and the guitar I learned to play on. A lot of people who own very expensive guitars dropped their jaws earing it trough the years. Just great and super reliable. We played it to death an consumed frets and fretboard, but the top never bulged in 50 years with 0.12 on.
My first real acoustic guitar was a FG180, my mom bought it for me for my birthday. I don’t have it anymore but I have a 1968 FG110 which is pretty much my favorite guitar.
I'm a guitar teacher at a small private music school, and one of my students recently brought in a Yamaha ac3r. I had never seen or played one, and after trying his, I have to say that it's an excellent quality guitar at a very competitive price point. It's obviously a great student instrument, as well as a very good entry level professional one. I'm going to recommend Yamaha to all my students from now on.
I have a Yamaha FS5 in my collection. It is an outstanding guitar, irrespective of price, which is very reasonable. All solid wood, beautiful fit and finish, fantastic sound, made in Japan, bone nut and saddle, great hard case ... the list goes on.
I completely agree! I have a FS5 as well, and these days I want to play it every day. I love the aesthetics of it. From the semigloss to the tuners, the warm mahogany look and the tinted top. I actually like it more than my Martin OM-21 which costs four times as much (I got the FS used but in mint condition). It's so crazy! This guitar can do everything and it feels sturdy and like it can take a punch live. I've recently installed the LR Baggs Anthem SL in the FS5, and it justs sings live! It has become my main guitar and I will not let go of it. If you find one on the market, don't hesitate! I was lucky to find one in Copenhagen for 7.000 danish kroner = 1.100 US dollars. RIDICOLOUS!!! But guitarists here in Denmark can be very conservative. Everyone thinks that if you're a serious musician, you need to play a Martin. Martin, Martin, Martin everywhere. And yes, they ARE amazing guitars as well. Like I said before, I also have an OM-21 which sounds beautiful. But way overpriced compared to what the Red Label Series from Yamaha is capable of. I'm excited to be a Yamaha player!
Nice to see Yamaha get some love. I have a 45 yr old Ovation Model 1612 but wanted to add something with a warmer sound but still able to plug in for gigs. I ended up with the Yamaha A5R A.R.E. (the A5 series is the hand made in Japan series). Absolutely love it - in addition to the sound, the neck taper and the hand-rolled fingerboard make it feel like I've been playing it for years, even tho it's brand new. And the SRT pickup system is wonderful.
Get up early and start your day with one hour of playing every day at least. It will set a positive tone for the rest of your day instead of watching the news on tv! My first real guitar was a Yamaha fg180 bought in 1967 when I was12 with money I earned from mowing lawns . It cost 100 dollars and I still have it and it sounds better every day !!!
Alexa Rose is wonderful! I always try to listen to the Blue Moon Cafe on my local radio station on Sunday mornings. They feature all kinds of acoustic artists..some you know and some you might not have heard of before. Also had a 1973-74 Yamaha FG260 12 string. Found it at a garage sale. It needed some luv so I got it cleaned up and donated it to my guitar repair guy who runs a program with his church for young people to learn to play. He uses orphan donated instruments for the kids! It was a really nice sounding guitar despite it’s age!
Getting another guitar quite soon, but I remember getting a Yamaha f325 as Christmas gift when I was in like 6th or 7th grade. Had it for years. Still sounds great
Thank you so much for your review of Yamaha guitars. I currently own an FG-800 that my brother gave me as a gift a few years ago and I thoroughly enjoy playing it. In addition, I also own a Yamaha FG-180 that I purchased back in 1972, and I have to say that it plays as well as, if not better than, my Guild D-25. I am currently a TAC member and am trying to find, or actually dedicate time to involve myself in daily practice. Thanks so much for all that you do.
Tony, about a year ago I bought a backup preforming guitar. A Yamaha AC5R. Built in Yamaha custom shop in Japan. Sitka Spruce top Rosewood back and sides SRT electronics.. $1399. Had I bought a Martin or Taylor of the same tone woods and level the instrument could have been $2800+ . A great value. Kind of following along with your description Tony, quality instruments that a fair price. Thank you for your videos! Fellow life long Hockey player (53yrs) and fellow guitar geek (14yrs) ✌️ Rob Cochrane
Your choice of these Yamahas was Aces. They all play really well and sound great. I would also like to see you review two of the most unbelievable guitars that Yamaha ever produced. They are the LS 400 (mahogany) and the LS 500 (rosewood). I happened to own both these models and in all honesty, they bury most acoustic guitars twice their price
i’ve go an f750s and it’s beautiful. i personally like 11gauge elixir strings and it’s awesome, looks amazing with turtle shell tuning heads and bone bridge pins with abalone dots, solid sitka spruce top, sycamore sides and back, nato neck and rosewood fretboard and bridge; it’s absolutely gorgeous. the previous owner set the string action and added an under saddle pickup with volume control inside the soundhole so no holes or cutouts on the sides. i got it as a gift and i’m never giving it up
I owned 3 different models of Yamaha guitars. One model when new cost $300 to $400 others under $300. Each of them had a sound significantly better than other classical nylon string guitars I owned. Somehow they sound louder and it feels like the whole guitar is resonating strongly from less force applied to the strings. One was CG111C (cedar top), G-55A, third one is CG10. They all sounded very good. Each was a classical guitar model.
I recently purchsed a Gibson Southern Jumbo (which I love!) but being from Chicago (Go Hawks!!) I was afraid of the dry winter days and cracking my beloved solid wood guitar. So I went out and purchased a Yamaha FG-830 ($319.99). To my amazement, it sounds great and plays like a dream. Here it is August and my house is at 42% humidity and that Yamaha is by my side. I just put Grover Keystone tuners on it and it looks absolutely fantaastic!!
I used to own a 1983 FG335. This guitar was a cannon while being articulate. Originally made in Japan, later in China. The F335 isn't as good as the original(FG335) like mine was. It is a good entry level guitar. Had to sell the FG to pay bills. Would love to have that one back.
My favorite Yamaha acoustic guitar is the AC5R. It sounds amazing and is my go to when I play and sing at church or Bible studies. Great guitar if you can find it.
I own an FG 800, And after I exchanged the plastic bridge for a bone bridge and droped the action a little on the top bridge it's as easy to play as my Taylor 810, and the quality of sound is in Taylor's ballpark.
I have an FG 730, the predecessor to the 830, and love it and it's served me well for 8 years. I've always wanted a Martin or Taylor. But I think I'm actually leaning towards a better Yamaha. A good Yamaha is better than the lower end Martins or Taylors.
I have an extensive collection of vintage Yamaha's, from the FG140 through to the FG750S. You are probably right when comparing older seasoned Yamaha's. However, I also own 3 Martin Road Series. They handle better than most of my Yamaha's. What is really interesting is comparing the Road Series with the Nazareth PA versions. I can't tell the difference.
@@philholzbauer2937 Good to know. I just yesterday bought a Seagull S6. Very good, but considering exchanging it for Martin D10e Road series. After buying the case and the pro coverage, it ended up costing the same as the Martin that comes with the case.
I had a nice Yamaha cutaway, when I was lucky enough to get myself a Martin I decided to gift the Yamaha to my friends daughter so she can learn how to play on it as well. I believe it was an FGX800C which usually costs somewhere inbetween 3 and 400 dollars. It was a real nice instrument to learn on for sure 😊
PS - I’m going to have to mess the next 90 party again due to work sadly. I guess I’ll hit the following one once I’m finally retired December 1st. Here though 😊
Very kind of you. I had a nice acoustic Yamaha. That a tourist on Maui wouldn't take no to my selling it to them on Christmas eve. I believe it was 2016. I went back to visit my family on Christmas in 2020 and my mom found a brand new FG-4035 at a consignment store in Ohio. Right before I flew back to Maui, Hi. It been thought a lot, but I still have it and it hold tune and sounds great btw. If the one plays and sounds like mine. That's a great guitar to learn on and hopefully keeps playing it... Blessings,❤ and Aloha from Maui, Hi.
@@TommySG1 Mahalo brotha as they speak here on da islands. Both stories go hand and hand, but I really hope she is enjoying the kindness of you because I found over the years as a tattoo artist that people don't appreciate things that are given to them as if they had to pay for it. Sad as that sounds. It very true in my line of work. I not saying the same with a gift, but the time I've put into a nice tattoo. They don't take care of it and it don't heal well. Witch make me look bad at my job. Maybe you should give her a few listen as well to follow up. Plus you see, if she have been trying to learn how to play. That way it a gift that keeps giving and giving as others start to enjoy her playing. You two can play a few songs and your daughter and everyone around can sing along with you two playing. Blessings,❤ and Aloha Tom
@@josephgraham1075 , yes I have and will do again 🤙 If I ever head to Maui again maybe I’ll drop in for another tattoo too, lord knows I already have plenty lol! Take care and be well.
The best Yamaha deal was my acoustic F-35 I scored for $5 a a garage sale. Gig bag and stand included. I use it all the time. My other Yamaha is the APX500III. That one was $400 plus the hard case. I play that a lot too. Both have great sound.
Rob, so glad you mentioned the Yamaha APX500! My husband surprised with a trip to a music store and I chose an APX500 III. love it! It always gets comments when I go to jams.
I bought my instrument a whopping four months ago. It's a Yamaha CG122MCH full sized classical. Bought it from a local music store on recommendation of the clerk for $250. It has a warm sound that I really like. I did have the strings changed about a week ago which is giving it a brighter sound. I'm very satisfied with it considering I knew nothing about guitars at the time of purchase. Being a classical the neck is really too wide for me. Eventually I want to find a nice, full sized classical with a narrower neck. There must be one somewhere. 😊
I'm a little older, my Best sounding guitar was back in1972 , a Yamaha FG-160 RED LABLE. Paid 125.00 which was a lot more than the 65.00- 75.00 price range back then. Ebay has a few for sale starting at 300.00 up to around 700.00.
Hard to fault your choices as most things Yamaha are superb, although I believe your No 1 compares poorly with the Fender CP60, which comes with a modest solid spruce top, 00 size and 24.75in scale. When I was a young teenager. Yamaha red labels were the coveted budget guitar, so not much changes there after 50 years! Surprised not to see the LL16 in there which at about £800 (so probably $800 as well!) comes with an Engelmann spruce top and solid East Indian rosewood back and sides. Stands up ver well against my 3 high end Martins at about 1/4 the price. That said, great to see so many budget guitars getting an outing.
I bought the NTX700 some years ago. With it's thinner body and slim neck It feels good. But it sounds a bit thin, probably because the thin body and laminated back. So this summer i got the Yamaha GC22C, with solid ceder top and solid rosewood back and sides and there a huge difference in sound. This is much louder and has more highs and lows. So, yes thats my favorite Yamaha guitar. Maybe one day if i win the lottery i'll get the Yamaha GC82, but for now the GC22C will do 😊 Thanks for the show Tony and keep up the great work!
My first good guitar was a Yamaha and still love it to this day! Yamaha and orangewood both make amazing guitars for not a lot of Money. Highly recommend them (:
Last year I was out in my front yard when my son said, “look our next door neighbor threw away a guitar”, I looked and there was a guitar lying on top of a mattress, it was a Yamaha 325, well to make a long story short it’s now my go to guitar, it has great intonation and sounds great, because of that I played every single day, resulting to the improvement in my playing.
Bought a 15 year old FS720S (out of production) a few months ago. A superb guitar with a great look and a real good sustain, on the high e string in particular. Solid spruce top, mahogany back and sides and a rosewood fretboard. I don't regret.
I have played lots of guitars, and several other types of musical instruments. The Yamaha Junior is the one that always puts a smile on my face. If they would put out a Red Label version, I would find the money somewhere to buy it.
I've purchased 4 Yamahas and my favorites are the cheapest that most people would completely overlook. A 1973 FG-160 and a C40ii. Had to include both because it's the difference between steel string and nylon string but I love the sound and feel of both. I can pick up either and play for hours. I've bought and sold much more expensive acoustics but these 2 are keepers and prove that the cost of an instrument has nothing to do with the enjoyment.
Tony about 4 years ago i went in to Sam ash here in Clearwater FL and told the the guy in the acoustic section that i had about $500 to spend and what was the best Guitar he had for that price after looking at about 5 different ones he showed me a Yamaha LL6M and i was blown away, it has a solid top a passive pickup a 1/34 neck and a very good balanced sound. it just fit in to my hands prefect, i have a couple of martins, a couple of tailors and a Gibson and others that i love playing but i just seem to just comeback to my LL6M because it just seems like my favorite go to guitar. my wife said to me if you had to get out of the house in a hurry ( i almost did 3 tears ago because of a hurricane but i wasn't going to leave my Guitars and dog behind) and you could just grab one guitar which one would you grab, that's a tough one but for the sound and playability it could be my LL6M
Not an acoustic but I bought a Yamaha Revstar 502T last year and - except for the crappy plastic nut they put on it - I've found it a fantastic sounding and playing guitar... not exactly cheap ($749.00 before tax and shipping) but I consider it great value and love playing it
@@robertnewell5057 I honestly didn't even know Yamaha made electric guitars until I came across the Revstar via Chris Buck...turns out that, as you say, they've been making a host of excellent electric instruments for a long time already... I'm certainly happy with my Rev, it looks great and is a unique sounding, very playable instrument...a year or so later I still feel like I got good value for my $$$
Hey Tony, Yamaha FG 365 Sii Dreadnaut, which some people claim is really a Martin, has my vote. So responsive, sounds so good, plays so good, an exhausting instrument that I have treasured since I got it in the 80's. It's the one, among all the ones I've owned over the years, that I'll never sell. Phospher Bronze perfection.
I gave $125 for an fs800 this past spring. Seemed to be like new condition pandemic guitar. I love that little guitar. Tossed it on top of the luggage in the truck when we went to the beach. Take it outside all the time or just on the couch because it's so comfy. My wife rolled her eyes when I brought it home, but if I had to downsize I may get rid of one of the others first.
For anyone interested in the flamenco style.. it is hard to go wrong with a Yamaha CG172FS for the price ($380), as an entry level instrument. Mine, has brought me countless hours of playing joy. Yamaha does use a plastic (urea) saddle and nut. Easy to change out to bone though.. and did improve the tone a bit, on just changing the saddle to bone.
Hi from Germantown,MD This week I have been giving myself 10 minutes a day. The win is I went on to playing my guitar. It was not working so I added TAC. My first Lesson I am working on is the 5 blues lessons. Maybe slow down a little. I guess I am the only person well I keep rewinding parts. The thing is I am playing my guitar for more than 10 minutes, which I practice from 4:30pm (EST) to almost 9:30 I stop playing and pick up my space. I need all the encouragement that you can share
*Thank you so much* for this video! I'm just learning and bought a beater guitar, but my condo just flooded from a next door neighbor's leak and it's a total loss, and I've had no guitar for close to 2 months on which to practice. I'm forgetting everything I taught myself. : ( Hopefully I'll have the money to buy the FG JR2 very soon! I miss practicing, and I'm worried my fingers are getting "soft" again. lol
@@justinthyme2666 I was hoping for something with a little less projection? I don't want to torture neighbors, or passersby, while I'm still in the early stages of learning. lol However, I'd take one if it came along at a reasonable price (I'd be a fool to pass it by). I hear they have beautiful tone.
I would also like to say Pink Anderson from my home town of Spartanburg, SC was such a GREAT bluesman. Pink Jr has carried on the legacy. As for Piedmont blues unrivaled as well as Drink Small from the Columbia, SC area. he is one of the treasures that may be soon gone . In his late 80's , blind and still playing, the "Blues Doctor " is always on call. Please check him out!
I had at one time (circa 2010-2013) a Yamaha FG820 until I learned (and believed) I would never play again following a near fatal accident. But: Before my accident, I loved playing it.....easy play, nice sound.
LL16 ARE was for me a great discovery Around 3 years ago It stays in tune and has been fine For work I travel across Asia And the LL16 has been fine No issues or problems ✌🏼🌈😎
I watched AT53 about 'guitar case no-nos' and I got a question. How on Earth do Molly Tuttle & Billy Strings tour on the road in scorching desert sun and frozen Nebraska snows without cracking their beloved Thompsons? How do they sling a +$15,000 guitar into an aircraft cargo hold flying at 30,000ft (-50c) travelling from Boston to LA without them cracking?
1) they probably have a heavy duty case like the carlton cases. 2) they probably have guitar techs that watch the guitars like a hawk to make sure they don't suffer from weather extremes. But most people do not realize that back in the old days, touring musicians had issues with their acoustic guitars as well. They suffered from the weather extremes just like today. Only they didn't have the modern tools for humidification like we have. And if they did suffer a major issue, I'm sure Thompson would take care of it for them. Molly and Billy have a spare or 2 in case that happens. i don't think it would be uncommon for touring musicians of old to have had cracks and repairs done on their guitars quite often. I would like to say that short term extremes are ok. It's the long term exposure that is the problem. So, a day or 2 in a high humidity area will not do much damage as long as the guitar is put back in the case after the gig. but if you were to leave it out in the open for 2 weeks, or take it out of the case after being in a sub 0 temperature without letting the case and guitar acclimate to the indoor environment, then the guitar would start to be effected by the conditions. I also think most planes have temperature controlled cargo holds. After all, some people ship their pets in the cargo area of a plane. The guitar case like the carlton also provide a very insulated environment. It will help protect against the extreme weather conditions outside the case.
@@johnviolette5511 - Thanks for taking the trouble to reply, old chap. Excellent stuff. I wonder how jobbing sessions/gigging musicians on the lower rungs of the music business cope with six different venues a week, living out of a beat-up truck with loose fitting doors, playing over-heated halls then travelling five hours in a freezing van. It must crack the hell out their treasured instruments. In emergencies I guess they must put duct tape over the cracks.
@@nedludd3641 yeah those are definitely challenging situations. That's where you get an inexpensive hardy built instrument that you can replace quickly if you need to.
@@johnviolette5511 - great topic for conversation once you start thinking about it. Coen Brother's nightmare folk music road-movie, 'Inside Llewyn Davis' is all about a guitar's appalling maltreatment for a sustained period across the frozen mid-winter wastes of Boston and Chicago. I could never work out who made the guitar but it seemed to have super-human resilience. I gotta beloved Martin HD-35 and I stay awake at night fearing that heavy breathing and/or foul language is gonna break it. I wonder what guitars Bob Dylan used back in 1961 on the New York folk scene when he was still a struggling penniless nobody? - surely not a pricey D-28 - I tried to figure out what people were using in the movie, but couldn't.
@@nedludd3641 well there were not as many makers to choose from. Martin was more than likely the one to have. And a lot of used instruments were in use. did a quick google search and found this. acousticguitar.com/bob-dylans-acoustic-guitars-how-to-emulate-his-sound/ Now I need to get back to my job or else...
Tony! How can you not list an LL?? Lol. I have an LLX6 and an LLX6-DN and I totally love them. They blow my Martin, Taylor, and Takamine’s out of the water! Wow! Great list, thanks Tony!
Thank you-my (our) Yamaha JR1 survived being drop-tossed from a 3rd story balcony to the pavement below. Survived with one major chunk breaking off the body next to and below the neck (a hole where the sound could touch my hand if I was playing on the 12th fret). After attempting to luthier it myself; this JR, while it plays, it’s no longer quite to pretty (I failed to maintain the curve as the broken off chunk dried).
BEST FOR BUDGET 700$ cad Yamaha LL6. Upgrade the saddle to bone, ebony pins, throw medium strings on it and lower the action you’ll have a guitar that when you look to purchase a 2k-3k guitar you’ll compare it to that Yamaha and it will make you question the money you’re about to spend. Mind you it is a bigger body and will have a bigger sonic presence. It’s versatile and it gets better with age, for me.
I was looking forward to this episode all week. Great budget style list. For fun maybe this list would be interesting. 1.LL6 2.ac5r 3.fg5 red label 4. LL56 custom are 5. GC82s
My favorite is the one I owned before I gifted it to my son…. FA-TA! I bought it used for $300 in perfect condition. Now I need to save for one of my own.
Very true, not all guitars are made equally. I love the sound of the Yamaha FGX5 when I first heard it, but couldn't get my hands on one. So I bought an AC5M instead. Lovely guitar. But it sounds a bit thin and brassy - both acoustically and through the SRT2 pickup system. In fairness, I think my tastes are changing. I've fallen in love with the sound coming out of my Martin DC-16GTE. After installing a bone nut and saddle and a K&K mini - that'll just about do it for me.
Still have my first Yamaha FG730s. It’s beat up, but the greatest $200 ever spent. I barely knew how to play back in 2005 but knew immediately it was the best in that price range.
I've had a Yamaha FG-365S for 43 years and though eventually relegated to being a practice instrument (a Martin D28 taking it's place for performance) it's never disappointed in tone or durability.
My first guitar. My grandparents bought 2 of them in 79. One was lost over the years to a pawn shop by family but I got a hold of my grandma's. Action is a bit high. On the verge of needing a reset but I'll never part with it. It sounds awesome. Love seeing others with this model. Doesn't pop up often. ✌
TP Dude, thank you for your personal gravitas gift to earthly global axe grinders everywhere, and possibly beyond. I've said to many people, many times, "Yamaha offers the best musical value at almost every price point." Almost, just to temper my credibility. IMHO all. I've owned 35+ guitars, sold all, then started again 5 years ago. Then gave guitars to Guitars4Vets and my schools. I have 4 Yamaha acoustics, no others. Yamaha means "jagged summit" or "peak of the peak". As you know, Yamaha takes their mission very seriously. The humble addition I'd make is, you reinforced Yamaha dominating the low price points. Yamaha also crushes it in the upper and bench made echelons. If I may.... Yamaha sent its 26 master luthiers to their Chinese factories for knowledge transfer. No other company that I know of did anything like that. Y is always pushing value down through their line up. BTW, one in 6 musical instruments in the world are Yamaha. Yamaha started as a musical company waaaaay before they got into high tech engineering enterprises like motor cycles. For example, Time Magazine named the Yamaha Clavinova digital piano one of the TOP 50 digital inventions ever! FG800 / FS800 (formerly 700s) are the most widely sold acoustic guitars in the world. Yamaha Red Labels are MIND BLOWING value in the $700+s. So are their A Series and LUTHIER SERIES. I've chastised Y for not making their Luthier Series more well known. Values can also be found in this amazing line under $500 and < $1K but also >$3K. I consider Yamaha Luthier Series usa.yamaha.com/products/musical_instruments/guitars_basses/ac_guitars/l_series/ll_series.html and Yairi bench made guitars www.alvarezguitars.com/instruments/yairi-series/ , still 24 guys hand carving axes in the Kani mountains of Japan ruclips.net/video/-yxz6BiG_JE/видео.html , some of the greatest guitar values available on earth. This is the golden, goldener and increasingly goldenist guitar era ever. So many to choose from Thanks for pointing out Yamaha. I own FS800 - bought it so my friends could sign it. Crafted 4, yes 4 sound portals in it. It sounds amazing, like a multi point stereo. NT1200 @ $700 used, it's predecessor, 'cos no NTX5 ($1,750) could be found. A1CR - at $400 new on Reverb outplayed $2,500 rosewoods in the shops. Y's layers rosewood, I kid you not, outplays solid rosewood. Luthier16M at $775 new, ridiculously stunning value. I found 2 and gave one to my high school. Thank you. Deeply appreciate all that you do. Best & cheers, Sean
It's great working guitar....not just for beginners....sound is incredible....I bought a FG710-S because every one I did a blind test with thought the 710 was a 800 series taylor.
i have a Black F335 and later i bought a Martin Johnny cash special, and my Yamaha sounded better so i toke the Martin back, i don't care about the name just the sound
Bought my daughter an F335 on eBay. It was a steal. Got the action lowered for my daughter and the sound is really great. Great depth of sound very rich. Definitely not my buddy’s 000 series Martin but hey.
Ive got it and it is excellent for the money. However having said that, I changed the strings last night and noticed that the high string frets were wearing faster than they should. The frets are very small and narrow. I dont play it a lot in comparison to a 30 year old, much cheaper Aria whos frets are still in better condition with much more metal on them.
I have a Yamaha FSX5 orchestra size guitar. Solid spruce top, Solid mahogany back and sides. Made in Japan. It has the "Atmosfeel" pickup and bone nut and saddle. $1,399.00 new. Great for fingerstyle!
I bought my daughter a FG720S in 2005. She never played it and I started in May of '13 and play it all the time. I actually like the deeper bass and resonance than my Martin and my Taylor.
The FG800 is a pretty great beginner instrument and definitely one of mine I never plan on getting rid of. Way less stress carrying around a 200 well made guitar that sounds good on a trip than something not just me but my bank account would cry too if a more expensive one got damaged and I wanted to replace or repair it.
Yamaha ATX T2. In the under $200 category, sounds good, feels good and plays good. It's a 3/4 guitar, great for travel which is exactly what I bought it for. Hard to find them in stock.
My Yamaha entry is the FG 345. Picked it up used about 35 years ago when the music store owner was upgrading. Countless times I went to a guitar store thinking about upgrading myself, but nothing sounded/ felt better to me than the 345. Paul K
I bought my FG160 in 1969 and I still play it. It is slightly smaller that the dreadnaught FG 180. Still love it, but have not compared the sound with a more expensive Taylor or Martin.
The Yamaha APX series is unique in a way since they thinline guitars with a cutaway. The APX 600 deserves a special mention since it sounds great acoustically and plugged in it sounds great.
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Thanks for sharing your experience & thoughts on Yamaha guitars..I am 78 yrs old and still love my Yamaha. FG470 SA which I bought new some years ago... the sound has improved with time & although I look at newer guitars, I haven't updated ... thanks again for sharing your comments ... cheers from Australia...😀
I have owned a vintage tint FS800 since 2016. Other acoustic guitars have come and gone from my collection because they just don’t get played as much as my FS800. It’s a fantastic little guitar. Yamaha definitely flies under the radar compared to the bigger name brands. Budget friendly top quality instruments for sure!
Tried a Yamaha FGX in a Guitar Center and it legit sounded better than 90% of the other guitars in the acoustic room. I was shocked it was that cheap
I purchased a Yamaha FGX5 (Red Series) mid last year after watching a review from Heart Breaker guitars in Las Vegas on your show. At the time I was tossing up whether to buy a Maton or Cole Clark (I live in Australia). Both were not making guitars at the time due to Covid and there were none in stock anywhere. I went with the Yamaha and have no regrets, thanks to your show.
My very first acoustic guitar was a 1970 FG300, has a flower pick guard, I still have the sales receipt of $150.00, it stills plays well and has that 50 year old tone, love it!
Cheers, I like mine too
Still my favorite also.
I have two Eastman's, a Ibanez 12 string and a Yamaha FG 441S, 35 years old and it is great! Solid top, ovangol back and sides, very good sound and playability.
The crazy thing is that my Eastman's did cost a thousand euro's, the Yamaha was the same price then but now it is worth nothing, on reverb they do 200 dollar or so, ridicoulos for such a great guitar!
My 441-S is amazing. I just bought an FG5X and it's not close to the 441-S... yet. Hopefully it will open up. I put an infinity of hours into the 441, so I have some hours to put in.
Old guy here ........Grew up in the 60's - 70's when Yamaha were the 'go-to' guitars for most 'folkies' . I recently bought a Yamaha LL16 - - - Amazing Guitar for the money !!! They have top notch solid woods with Yamaha's 'ARE' ( top wood aging system ) .....to my ear they sound almost as good as a Martin D28 and they're built like tanks. ( The bracing though, is pretty stiff and they require at least medium gauge strings
To celebrate my 50 days of TAC I treated myself to the Yamaha AC3R. Wow! Simply amazing. Solid Rosewood back and sides, fabulous pickup, concert cutaway body in tobacco sunburst. You will have to prize it out of my clenched dead fist if you want it!
Wow! Thats a very good guitar. Its similar to my Cort Gold D6 which also an all solid sitka spruce, torrefied top.
@@JuanDelaCruz-qt5ok Does sound similar. Torrefied solid Sitka on mine too. Going to have to look up the Cort now!
I have an AC 5R one that is made in Japan they are phenomenal guitars unfortunately mine sitting in a pawn shop right now due to an unexpected car repair I had can't wait to get it back
@@dalefuller5507 oh man. I hope you get it back soon.
I have the Yamaha fs800 .I bought a Martin as an upgrade but I’ll always keep my Yamaha . Will always love it . It looks and sound beautiful .
We have a Yamaha CSF - TA in our house. Lovely little parlor sized guitar and adding some reverb/chorus can make a simple song sound full and vibrant.
Me too. It has the most beautiful tone and very comfortable to play.
FG 300 circa 1970. Still sounds great. Heard Ian Anderson playing it at Fillmore East.
Cheers !
My FG 300 is still my favorite also!
My FG 300 Red Label Nippon Gakki is still making beautiful music after 50 years.
I own a red label FG 180. Circa 1968. It was my uncle's guitar and the guitar I learned to play on. A lot of people who own very expensive guitars dropped their jaws earing it trough the years. Just great and super reliable. We played it to death an consumed frets and fretboard, but the top never bulged in 50 years with 0.12 on.
The elliott smith guitar
My first real acoustic guitar was a FG180, my mom bought it for me for my birthday. I don’t have it anymore but I have a 1968 FG110 which is pretty much my favorite guitar.
I'm a guitar teacher at a small private music school, and one of my students recently brought in a Yamaha ac3r. I had never seen or played one, and after trying his, I have to say that it's an excellent quality guitar at a very competitive price point. It's obviously a great student instrument, as well as a very good entry level professional one. I'm going to recommend Yamaha to all my students from now on.
I have a Yamaha FS5 in my collection. It is an outstanding guitar, irrespective of price, which is very reasonable. All solid wood, beautiful fit and finish, fantastic sound, made in Japan, bone nut and saddle, great hard case ... the list goes on.
I completely agree! I have a FS5 as well, and these days I want to play it every day. I love the aesthetics of it. From the semigloss to the tuners, the warm mahogany look and the tinted top. I actually like it more than my Martin OM-21 which costs four times as much (I got the FS used but in mint condition). It's so crazy! This guitar can do everything and it feels sturdy and like it can take a punch live. I've recently installed the LR Baggs Anthem SL in the FS5, and it justs sings live! It has become my main guitar and I will not let go of it. If you find one on the market, don't hesitate! I was lucky to find one in Copenhagen for 7.000 danish kroner = 1.100 US dollars. RIDICOLOUS!!! But guitarists here in Denmark can be very conservative. Everyone thinks that if you're a serious musician, you need to play a Martin. Martin, Martin, Martin everywhere. And yes, they ARE amazing guitars as well. Like I said before, I also have an OM-21 which sounds beautiful. But way overpriced compared to what the Red Label Series from Yamaha is capable of. I'm excited to be a Yamaha player!
Nice to see Yamaha get some love. I have a 45 yr old Ovation Model 1612 but wanted to add something with a warmer sound but still able to plug in for gigs. I ended up with the Yamaha A5R A.R.E. (the A5 series is the hand made in Japan series). Absolutely love it - in addition to the sound, the neck taper and the hand-rolled fingerboard make it feel like I've been playing it for years, even tho it's brand new. And the SRT pickup system is wonderful.
Get up early and start your day with one hour of playing every day at least. It will set a positive tone for the rest of your day instead of watching the news on tv! My first real guitar was a Yamaha fg180 bought in 1967 when I was12 with money I earned from mowing lawns . It cost 100 dollars and I still have it and it sounds better every day !!!
I got the CSF1M & CSF3M & LS6ARE, great guitars all of em
Alexa Rose is wonderful! I always try to listen to the Blue Moon Cafe on my local radio station on Sunday mornings. They feature all kinds of acoustic artists..some you know and some you might not have heard of before. Also had a 1973-74 Yamaha FG260 12 string. Found it at a garage sale. It needed some luv so I got it cleaned up and donated it to my guitar repair guy who runs a program with his church for young people to learn to play. He uses orphan donated instruments for the kids! It was a really nice sounding guitar despite it’s age!
Getting another guitar quite soon, but I remember getting a Yamaha f325 as Christmas gift when I was in like 6th or 7th grade. Had it for years. Still sounds great
Thank you so much for your review of Yamaha guitars. I currently own an FG-800 that my brother gave me as a gift a few years ago and I thoroughly enjoy playing it. In addition, I also own a Yamaha FG-180 that I purchased back in 1972, and I have to say that it plays as well as, if not better than, my Guild D-25. I am currently a TAC member and am trying to find, or actually dedicate time to involve myself in daily practice. Thanks so much for all that you do.
Tony, about a year ago I bought a backup preforming guitar. A Yamaha AC5R. Built in Yamaha custom shop in Japan. Sitka Spruce top Rosewood back and sides SRT electronics.. $1399. Had I bought a Martin or Taylor of the same tone woods and level the instrument could have been $2800+ . A great value. Kind of following along with your description Tony, quality instruments that a fair price.
Thank you for your videos! Fellow life long Hockey player (53yrs) and fellow guitar geek (14yrs) ✌️
Rob Cochrane
Your choice of these Yamahas was Aces. They all play really well and sound great. I would also like to see you review two of the most unbelievable guitars that Yamaha ever produced. They are the LS 400 (mahogany) and the LS 500 (rosewood). I happened to own both these models and in all honesty, they bury most acoustic guitars twice their price
i’ve go an f750s and it’s beautiful. i personally like 11gauge elixir strings and it’s awesome, looks amazing with turtle shell tuning heads and bone bridge pins with abalone dots, solid sitka spruce top, sycamore sides and back, nato neck and rosewood fretboard and bridge; it’s absolutely gorgeous. the previous owner set the string action and added an under saddle pickup with volume control inside the soundhole so no holes or cutouts on the sides. i got it as a gift and i’m never giving it up
I owned 3 different models of Yamaha guitars. One model when new cost $300 to $400 others under $300. Each of them had a sound significantly better than other classical nylon string guitars I owned. Somehow they sound louder and it feels like the whole guitar is resonating strongly from less force applied to the strings. One was CG111C (cedar top), G-55A, third one is CG10. They all sounded very good. Each was a classical guitar model.
I have an FG 450se from the 90's. So fun to play and sounds better than almost every 1000euro guitar I have put it up against
I recently purchsed a Gibson Southern Jumbo (which I love!) but being from Chicago (Go Hawks!!) I was afraid of the dry winter days and cracking my beloved solid wood guitar. So I went out and purchased a Yamaha FG-830 ($319.99). To my amazement, it sounds great and plays like a dream. Here it is August and my house is at 42% humidity and that Yamaha is by my side. I just put Grover Keystone tuners on it and it looks absolutely fantaastic!!
I have an AC5R and I absolutely Love it. I pick it up more than I do my Martin.
I used to own a 1983 FG335. This guitar was a cannon while being articulate. Originally made in Japan, later in China. The F335 isn't as good as the original(FG335) like mine was. It is a good entry level guitar. Had to sell the FG to pay bills. Would love to have that one back.
That Joel whitehead guitar sold the same day -sounded amazing and Mello is a master player. That video is well worth watching. 🤙🏼
My favorite Yamaha acoustic guitar is the AC5R. It sounds amazing and is my go to when I play and sing at church or Bible studies. Great guitar if you can find it.
i bought my first guitar yamaha fg350 back in the 70s.which was the main guitar of a popular israeli musician a the time
Yamaha CPX600 is a good Acoustic electric that is probably my new favorite acoustic guitar, i want one of these
I own an FG 800, And after I exchanged the plastic bridge for a bone bridge and droped the action a little on the top bridge it's as easy to play as my Taylor 810, and the quality of sound is in Taylor's ballpark.
I have an FG 730, the predecessor to the 830, and love it and it's served me well for 8 years. I've always wanted a Martin or Taylor. But I think I'm actually leaning towards a better Yamaha. A good Yamaha is better than the lower end Martins or Taylors.
I have an extensive collection of vintage Yamaha's, from the FG140 through to the FG750S. You are probably right when comparing older seasoned Yamaha's. However, I also own 3 Martin Road Series. They handle better than most of my Yamaha's. What is really interesting is comparing the Road Series with the Nazareth PA versions. I can't tell the difference.
@@philholzbauer2937 Good to know. I just yesterday bought a Seagull S6. Very good, but considering exchanging it for Martin D10e Road series. After buying the case and the pro coverage, it ended up costing the same as the Martin that comes with the case.
I had a nice Yamaha cutaway, when I was lucky enough to get myself a Martin I decided to gift the Yamaha to my friends daughter so she can learn how to play on it as well. I believe it was an FGX800C which usually costs somewhere inbetween 3 and 400 dollars. It was a real nice instrument to learn on for sure 😊
PS - I’m going to have to mess the next 90 party again due to work sadly. I guess I’ll hit the following one once I’m finally retired December 1st. Here though 😊
Very kind of you.
I had a nice acoustic Yamaha.
That a tourist on Maui wouldn't take no to my selling it to them on Christmas eve. I believe it was 2016.
I went back to visit my family on Christmas in 2020 and my mom found a brand new FG-4035 at a consignment store in Ohio. Right before I flew back to Maui, Hi. It been thought a lot, but I still have it and it hold tune and sounds great btw. If the one plays and sounds like mine. That's a great guitar to learn on and hopefully keeps playing it...
Blessings,❤ and Aloha from Maui, Hi.
@@josephgraham1075 , what a great story! I hope she keeps playing it too and hello from New York 😊
@@TommySG1 Mahalo brotha as they speak here on da islands.
Both stories go hand and hand, but I really hope she is enjoying the kindness of you because I found over the years as a tattoo artist that people don't appreciate things that are given to them as if they had to pay for it. Sad as that sounds. It very true in my line of work. I not saying the same with a gift, but the time I've put into a nice tattoo. They don't take care of it and it don't heal well. Witch make me look bad at my job. Maybe you should give her a few listen as well to follow up. Plus you see, if she have been trying to learn how to play. That way it a gift that keeps giving and giving as others start to enjoy her playing. You two can play a few songs and your daughter and everyone around can sing along with you two playing.
Blessings,❤ and Aloha Tom
@@josephgraham1075 , yes I have and will do again 🤙
If I ever head to Maui again maybe I’ll drop in for another tattoo too, lord knows I already have plenty lol!
Take care and be well.
My favorite Yamaha acoustic is the AC1M, because is the one I have, and I love her :)
The best Yamaha deal was my acoustic F-35 I scored for $5 a a garage sale. Gig bag and stand included. I use it all the time. My other Yamaha is the APX500III. That one was $400 plus the hard case. I play that a lot too. Both have great sound.
Rob, so glad you mentioned the Yamaha APX500! My husband surprised with a trip to a music store and I chose an APX500 III. love it! It always gets comments when I go to jams.
I bought my instrument a whopping four months ago. It's a Yamaha CG122MCH full sized classical. Bought it from a local music store on recommendation of the clerk for $250.
It has a warm sound that I really like. I did have the strings changed about a week ago which is giving it a brighter sound. I'm very satisfied with it considering I knew nothing about guitars at the time of purchase.
Being a classical the neck is really too wide for me. Eventually I want to find a nice, full sized classical with a narrower neck. There must be one somewhere. 😊
I'm a little older, my Best sounding guitar was back in1972 , a Yamaha FG-160 RED LABLE. Paid 125.00 which was a lot more than the 65.00- 75.00 price range back then. Ebay has a few for sale starting at 300.00 up to around 700.00.
Hard to fault your choices as most things Yamaha are superb, although I believe your No 1 compares poorly with the Fender CP60, which comes with a modest solid spruce top, 00 size and 24.75in scale. When I was a young teenager. Yamaha red labels were the coveted budget guitar, so not much changes there after 50 years! Surprised not to see the LL16 in there which at about £800 (so probably $800 as well!) comes with an Engelmann spruce top and solid East Indian rosewood back and sides. Stands up ver well against my 3 high end Martins at about 1/4 the price. That said, great to see so many budget guitars getting an outing.
I love my FG-336sb its an oldy but a goody. I paid 40$ for it from a neighbour and its mint from 1980. Good fire camping beast!!!
😵😵😵 You’re #1 is the one I have been preaching to my students about for the last several years!!!! It’s the best for my students!
I find the fgx5 and fsx5 as better guitars than the 3 series ... Better sounding better fit finish better specs.
For $2.5k it better be 😂
I bought the NTX700 some years ago. With it's thinner body and slim neck It feels good. But it sounds a bit thin, probably because the thin body and laminated back. So this summer i got the Yamaha GC22C, with solid ceder top and solid rosewood back and sides and there a huge difference in sound. This is much louder and has more highs and lows. So, yes thats my favorite Yamaha guitar. Maybe one day if i win the lottery i'll get the Yamaha GC82, but for now the GC22C will do 😊
Thanks for the show Tony and keep up the great work!
My first good guitar was a Yamaha and still love it to this day! Yamaha and orangewood both make amazing guitars for not a lot of
Money. Highly recommend them (:
I found the orange wood to be good as well, but not on the level of fit, finish or sound of my two Yamahas.
Last year I was out in my front yard when my son said, “look our next door neighbor threw away a guitar”, I looked and there was a guitar lying on top of a mattress, it was a Yamaha 325, well to make a long story short it’s now my go to guitar, it has great intonation and sounds great, because of that I played every single day, resulting to the improvement in my playing.
Bought a 15 year old FS720S (out of production) a few months ago. A superb guitar with a great look and a real good sustain, on the high e string in particular. Solid spruce top, mahogany back and sides and a rosewood fretboard. I don't regret.
I have two Yamaha TransAcoustics.. Call me nuts, but I've played nothing else for months. They're really neat.
I have a Yamaha APX-5A and it has beautiful sound. I bought it used for $300.00 at a local music store. I has never gone out of tune. I love it*
Thanks for that! The Yamaha fs3 caught my attention. Cheers!
I have played lots of guitars, and several other types of musical instruments. The Yamaha Junior is the one that always puts a smile on my face. If they would put out a Red Label version, I would find the money somewhere to buy it.
Yamaha Rocks! I love my FG 830
I have a 365s that I have had for 40 years I have just had the bridge shaved to lower the action it still sounds tremendous.🤩👍
I've purchased 4 Yamahas and my favorites are the cheapest that most people would completely overlook. A 1973 FG-160 and a C40ii. Had to include both because it's the difference between steel string and nylon string but I love the sound and feel of both. I can pick up either and play for hours.
I've bought and sold much more expensive acoustics but these 2 are keepers and prove that the cost of an instrument has nothing to do with the enjoyment.
Love Yamaha guitars. I have my Dad's 1971 FG-75.. great guitar.. also have a Yamaha electric
Tony about 4 years ago i went in to Sam ash here in Clearwater FL and told the the guy in the acoustic section that i had about $500 to spend and what was the best Guitar he had for that price after looking at about 5 different ones he showed me a Yamaha LL6M and i was blown away, it has a solid top a passive pickup a 1/34 neck and a very good balanced sound. it just fit in to my hands prefect, i have a couple of martins, a couple of tailors and a Gibson and others that i love playing but i just seem to just comeback to my LL6M because it just seems like my favorite go to guitar. my wife said to me if you had to get out of the house in a hurry ( i almost did 3 tears ago because of a hurricane but i wasn't going to leave my Guitars and dog behind) and you could just grab one guitar which one would you grab, that's a tough one but for the sound and playability it could be my LL6M
Not an acoustic but I bought a Yamaha Revstar 502T last year and - except for the crappy plastic nut they put on it - I've found it a fantastic sounding and playing guitar... not exactly cheap ($749.00 before tax and shipping) but I consider it great value and love playing it
Yamaha have made some stellar electrics over the years from hollow body jazz boxes to out and out rockers.
@@robertnewell5057 I honestly didn't even know Yamaha made electric guitars until I came across the Revstar via Chris Buck...turns out that, as you say, they've been making a host of excellent electric instruments for a long time already... I'm certainly happy with my Rev, it looks great and is a unique sounding, very playable instrument...a year or so later I still feel like I got good value for my $$$
Hey Tony, Yamaha FG 365 Sii Dreadnaut, which some people claim is really a Martin, has my vote. So responsive, sounds so good, plays so good, an exhausting instrument that I have treasured since I got it in the 80's. It's the one, among all the ones I've owned over the years, that I'll never sell. Phospher Bronze perfection.
I gave $125 for an fs800 this past spring. Seemed to be like new condition pandemic guitar. I love that little guitar. Tossed it on top of the luggage in the truck when we went to the beach. Take it outside all the time or just on the couch because it's so comfy. My wife rolled her eyes when I brought it home, but if I had to downsize I may get rid of one of the others first.
For anyone interested in the flamenco style.. it is hard to go wrong with a Yamaha CG172FS for the price ($380), as an entry level instrument. Mine, has brought me countless hours of playing joy. Yamaha does use a plastic (urea) saddle and nut. Easy to change out to bone though.. and did improve the tone a bit, on just changing the saddle to bone.
CSF1M.. fantastic sounding guitar ,, almost as good as GSMINI
Better than the GS mini
I own a Yamaha APX600FM...love it! Great to go back in forth with my electric Yamaha Pacifica.
Hi from Germantown,MD This week I have been giving myself 10 minutes a day. The win is I went on to playing my guitar. It was not working so I added TAC. My first Lesson I am working on is the 5 blues lessons. Maybe slow down a little. I guess I am the only person well I keep rewinding parts. The thing is I am playing my guitar for more than 10 minutes, which I practice from 4:30pm (EST) to almost 9:30 I stop playing and pick up my space. I need all the encouragement that you can share
My favorite is the FG 830. For me its the best guitar for the money.
*Thank you so much* for this video! I'm just learning and bought a beater guitar, but my condo just flooded from a next door neighbor's leak and it's a total loss, and I've had no guitar for close to 2 months on which to practice. I'm forgetting everything I taught myself. : (
Hopefully I'll have the money to buy the FG JR2 very soon! I miss practicing, and I'm worried my fingers are getting "soft" again. lol
Get an fs800. Can probably find one used cheaper than the little jr
@@justinthyme2666 I was hoping for something with a little less projection? I don't want to torture neighbors, or passersby, while I'm still in the early stages of learning. lol
However, I'd take one if it came along at a reasonable price (I'd be a fool to pass it by). I hear they have beautiful tone.
I can't believe that you didn't mansion the cream of the crop the fg 830 witch blows the red label out of the water hands down
I would also like to say Pink Anderson from my home town of Spartanburg, SC was such a GREAT bluesman. Pink Jr has carried on the legacy. As for Piedmont blues unrivaled as well as Drink Small from the Columbia, SC area. he is one of the treasures that may be soon gone . In his late 80's , blind and still playing, the "Blues Doctor " is always on call. Please check him out!
Nice video, I bought an NTX700 for myself for birthday 😁 very very happy with it, and sounds awesome when through amp with a little reverb 🤩🤩🎸
1986 FG-450S...outlasting me!!!!
I had at one time (circa 2010-2013) a Yamaha FG820 until I learned (and believed) I would never play again following a near fatal accident. But: Before my accident, I loved playing it.....easy play, nice sound.
LL16 ARE was for me a great discovery
Around 3 years ago
It stays in tune and has been fine
For work
I travel across Asia
And the LL16 has been fine
No issues or problems
✌🏼🌈😎
I watched AT53 about 'guitar case no-nos' and I got a question. How on Earth do Molly Tuttle & Billy Strings tour on the road in scorching desert sun and frozen Nebraska snows without cracking their beloved Thompsons? How do they sling a +$15,000 guitar into an aircraft cargo hold flying at 30,000ft (-50c) travelling from Boston to LA without them cracking?
1) they probably have a heavy duty case like the carlton cases. 2) they probably have guitar techs that watch the guitars like a hawk to make sure they don't suffer from weather extremes. But most people do not realize that back in the old days, touring musicians had issues with their acoustic guitars as well. They suffered from the weather extremes just like today. Only they didn't have the modern tools for humidification like we have. And if they did suffer a major issue, I'm sure Thompson would take care of it for them. Molly and Billy have a spare or 2 in case that happens. i don't think it would be uncommon for touring musicians of old to have had cracks and repairs done on their guitars quite often.
I would like to say that short term extremes are ok. It's the long term exposure that is the problem. So, a day or 2 in a high humidity area will not do much damage as long as the guitar is put back in the case after the gig. but if you were to leave it out in the open for 2 weeks, or take it out of the case after being in a sub 0 temperature without letting the case and guitar acclimate to the indoor environment, then the guitar would start to be effected by the conditions. I also think most planes have temperature controlled cargo holds. After all, some people ship their pets in the cargo area of a plane. The guitar case like the carlton also provide a very insulated environment. It will help protect against the extreme weather conditions outside the case.
@@johnviolette5511 - Thanks for taking the trouble to reply, old chap. Excellent stuff. I wonder how jobbing sessions/gigging musicians on the lower rungs of the music business cope with six different venues a week, living out of a beat-up truck with loose fitting doors, playing over-heated halls then travelling five hours in a freezing van. It must crack the hell out their treasured instruments. In emergencies I guess they must put duct tape over the cracks.
@@nedludd3641 yeah those are definitely challenging situations. That's where you get an inexpensive hardy built instrument that you can replace quickly if you need to.
@@johnviolette5511 - great topic for conversation once you start thinking about it. Coen Brother's nightmare folk music road-movie, 'Inside Llewyn Davis' is all about a guitar's appalling maltreatment for a sustained period across the frozen mid-winter wastes of Boston and Chicago. I could never work out who made the guitar but it seemed to have super-human resilience. I gotta beloved Martin HD-35 and I stay awake at night fearing that heavy breathing and/or foul language is gonna break it. I wonder what guitars Bob Dylan used back in 1961 on the New York folk scene when he was still a struggling penniless nobody? - surely not a pricey D-28 - I tried to figure out what people were using in the movie, but couldn't.
@@nedludd3641 well there were not as many makers to choose from. Martin was more than likely the one to have. And a lot of used instruments were in use. did a quick google search and found this. acousticguitar.com/bob-dylans-acoustic-guitars-how-to-emulate-his-sound/
Now I need to get back to my job or else...
couldn't come at a better time. Literally looking at either an Ibanez or Yamaha for the new acoustic.
Tony! How can you not list an LL?? Lol. I have an LLX6 and an LLX6-DN and I totally love them. They blow my Martin, Taylor, and Takamine’s out of the water! Wow! Great list, thanks Tony!
Thank you-my (our) Yamaha JR1 survived being drop-tossed from a 3rd story balcony to the pavement below. Survived with one major chunk breaking off the body next to and below the neck (a hole where the sound could touch my hand if I was playing on the 12th fret). After attempting to luthier it myself; this JR, while it plays, it’s no longer quite to pretty (I failed to maintain the curve as the broken off chunk dried).
I have a Yamaha classical with the cedar top. Sounds great and I can plug it in.
BEST FOR BUDGET 700$ cad Yamaha LL6. Upgrade the saddle to bone, ebony pins, throw medium strings on it and lower the action you’ll have a guitar that when you look to purchase a 2k-3k guitar you’ll compare it to that Yamaha and it will make you question the money you’re about to spend. Mind you it is a bigger body and will have a bigger sonic presence. It’s versatile and it gets better with age, for me.
I was looking forward to this episode all week. Great budget style list.
For fun maybe this list would be interesting.
1.LL6
2.ac5r
3.fg5 red label
4. LL56 custom are
5. GC82s
For a about $300 more you can get an LL16 with all solid woods, but the LL6 is a fantastic guitar.
My favorite is the one I owned before I gifted it to my son…. FA-TA! I bought it used for $300 in perfect condition. Now I need to save for one of my own.
Very true, not all guitars are made equally. I love the sound of the Yamaha FGX5 when I first heard it, but couldn't get my hands on one. So I bought an AC5M instead. Lovely guitar. But it sounds a bit thin and brassy - both acoustically and through the SRT2 pickup system. In fairness, I think my tastes are changing. I've fallen in love with the sound coming out of my Martin DC-16GTE. After installing a bone nut and saddle and a K&K mini - that'll just about do it for me.
Love my yamaha pacifica.
Really takin a liking to the company.
Going to buy my first acoustic electric and I'm definitely sticking with yamaha.
Still have my first Yamaha FG730s. It’s beat up, but the greatest $200 ever spent. I barely knew how to play back in 2005 but knew immediately it was the best in that price range.
The second guitar I bought was a solid top Yamaha. It had a cutaway. Don’t remember the model but it was well worth $299
I've had a Yamaha FG-365S for 43 years and though eventually relegated to being a practice instrument (a Martin D28 taking it's place for performance) it's never disappointed in tone or durability.
My first guitar. My grandparents bought 2 of them in 79. One was lost over the years to a pawn shop by family but I got a hold of my grandma's. Action is a bit high. On the verge of needing a reset but I'll never part with it. It sounds awesome. Love seeing others with this model. Doesn't pop up often. ✌
TP Dude, thank you for your personal gravitas gift to earthly global axe grinders everywhere, and possibly beyond. I've said to many people, many times, "Yamaha offers the best musical value at almost every price point." Almost, just to temper my credibility. IMHO all. I've owned 35+ guitars, sold all, then started again 5 years ago. Then gave guitars to Guitars4Vets and my schools. I have 4 Yamaha acoustics, no others.
Yamaha means "jagged summit" or "peak of the peak". As you know, Yamaha takes their mission very seriously. The humble addition I'd make is, you reinforced Yamaha dominating the low price points. Yamaha also crushes it in the upper and bench made echelons. If I may....
Yamaha sent its 26 master luthiers to their Chinese factories for knowledge transfer. No other company that I know of did anything like that. Y is always pushing value down through their line up. BTW, one in 6 musical instruments in the world are Yamaha. Yamaha started as a musical company waaaaay before they got into high tech engineering enterprises like motor cycles. For example, Time Magazine named the Yamaha Clavinova digital piano one of the TOP 50 digital inventions ever! FG800 / FS800 (formerly 700s) are the most widely sold acoustic guitars in the world.
Yamaha Red Labels are MIND BLOWING value in the $700+s. So are their A Series and LUTHIER SERIES. I've chastised Y for not making their Luthier Series more well known. Values can also be found in this amazing line under $500 and < $1K but also >$3K. I consider Yamaha Luthier Series usa.yamaha.com/products/musical_instruments/guitars_basses/ac_guitars/l_series/ll_series.html and Yairi bench made guitars www.alvarezguitars.com/instruments/yairi-series/ , still 24 guys hand carving axes in the Kani mountains of Japan ruclips.net/video/-yxz6BiG_JE/видео.html , some of the greatest guitar values available on earth.
This is the golden, goldener and increasingly goldenist guitar era ever. So many to choose from Thanks for pointing out Yamaha.
I own
FS800 - bought it so my friends could sign it. Crafted 4, yes 4 sound portals in it. It sounds amazing, like a multi point stereo.
NT1200 @ $700 used, it's predecessor, 'cos no NTX5 ($1,750) could be found.
A1CR - at $400 new on Reverb outplayed $2,500 rosewoods in the shops. Y's layers rosewood, I kid you not, outplays solid rosewood.
Luthier16M at $775 new, ridiculously stunning value. I found 2 and gave one to my high school.
Thank you.
Deeply appreciate all that you do.
Best & cheers,
Sean
It's great working guitar....not just for beginners....sound is incredible....I bought a FG710-S because every one I did a blind test with thought the 710 was a 800 series taylor.
I purchased a Yamaha F335 for $180. Sounds and plays great for me at this time in my journey.
i have a Black F335 and later i bought a Martin Johnny cash special, and my Yamaha sounded better so i toke the Martin back, i don't care about the name just the sound
Bought my daughter an F335 on eBay. It was a steal. Got the action lowered for my daughter and the sound is really great. Great depth of sound very rich. Definitely not my buddy’s 000 series Martin but hey.
I picked up a CJ838s from a man from my church who passed away. It sounds pretty good.
You forgot about the fg830! The “best” acoustic guitar $300 can buy!
Ive got it and it is excellent for the money. However having said that, I changed the strings last night and noticed that the high string frets were wearing faster than they should. The frets are very small and narrow. I dont play it a lot in comparison to a 30 year old, much cheaper Aria whos frets are still in better condition with much more metal on them.
I agree
He said fg800, which is literally the same thing minus some minor upgrades, mostly cosmetic
How is that?
@@pwdt4r313Those models have different back and sides. It’s not just cosmetic.
I have a Yamaha FSX5 orchestra size guitar. Solid spruce top, Solid mahogany back and sides. Made in Japan. It has the "Atmosfeel" pickup and bone nut and saddle. $1,399.00 new. Great for fingerstyle!
I bought my daughter a FG720S in 2005. She never played it and I started in May of '13 and play it all the time. I actually like the deeper bass and resonance than my Martin and my Taylor.
The FG800 is a pretty great beginner instrument and definitely one of mine I never plan on getting rid of. Way less stress carrying around a 200 well made guitar that sounds good on a trip than something not just me but my bank account would cry too if a more expensive one got damaged and I wanted to replace or repair it.
Yamaha ATX T2. In the under $200 category, sounds good, feels good and plays good. It's a 3/4 guitar, great for travel which is exactly what I bought it for. Hard to find them in stock.
So I have the AC3K Ltd, a CSF-TA, and a C140. Now I’m on the pursuit for an FSX5 and possibly an FGX5.
My Yamaha entry is the FG 345. Picked it up used about 35 years ago when the music store owner was upgrading. Countless times I went to a guitar store thinking about upgrading myself, but nothing sounded/ felt better to me than the 345.
Paul K
P.S. best hundo I ever spent.
I bought my FG160 in 1969 and I still play it. It is slightly smaller that the dreadnaught FG 180. Still love it, but have not compared the sound with a more expensive Taylor or Martin.
I
Loved
My original Yamaha FG-180 that I picked up used in 1969. It was abused badly and survived for decades.
I still have and play my 2017 FS 830👍🏼 it sounds and plays great👍🏼
The Yamaha APX series is unique in a way since they thinline guitars with a cutaway. The APX 600 deserves a special mention since it sounds great acoustically and plugged in it sounds great.
Yes Yamaha!!!
Love my FS800
An affordable favorite.
Oh and the TEAC A-3440 like you've got behind you. Still got mine.