I have been playing for 55+ years and have always played Fenders and Gibsons - and collected many of their Classic Models. Thanks very much for taking the time to publish this. Every guitar or bass you Mike Stern's signature has been refreshed with Yamaha's exclusive wood treatment and finish. I played the A3R about a month ago and went in yesterday thinking I was playing it again to find out I was playing the A1R. . usually ship the same business day. I called them recently (above conversation) and inquired about more informatoin for left-handed models of the A series, and they could not tell me anything. Helped me a lot in choosing the AC3R over other brands. Do you or anyone out there know the dimensions (i.e. Please read through my 2 part article on "how to choose a guitar amp part 1" and "how to choose a guitar amp part 2". IRA (Initial Response Acceleration) technology shakes off the stress often found in new guitars and make them extremely vibrant and responsive. Thanks for sharing. (Studio Response Technology). The Yamaha A-Series Acoustic-Electric Guitars(complete series review - updated with new SRT 2 and SRT 1 comparisons), "Easily the best of both worlds for under $1000". The back of the body has a generous belly contour, and the top’s lower bass bout is gently beveled for playing arm comfort. The Yamaha fit the bill very nicely ..... thank you. The other difference is that this review covers the older Yamaha A3 series, whereas the SRT 2 systems are in the newer Yamaha A3 series, and the new Yamaha A5 series, which I have yet to review. Rig Rundown: Strike Anywhere . The SRT 2 has 2 modeled mic options available depending on whether you choose Mahogany or Rosewood, and the SRT original has all 3. The back and side bracing is NOT a model of neatness ..... a lot of it looks haphazard, with small pieces of wood about to fall off into the body. They sound great, the price is excellent (many under $200) and they look awesome. Yamaha is trying to change the situation with the NTX700 electro acoustic guitar. It is just very sharp modelling of the sound of a miked guitar using the piezo as a basis. Although the Palathetic Pickup in the Takamine is excellent for gigs and touring pros, it will not suffice for pure acoustic sound, as no pure transducer will because it cannot pick up the subtle overtones and ambiance you can achieve with a condenser mic / transducer combination. . I am not sure if I can do the research and get to play an SRT2 before Christmas, but will try. My go to guitars have been Takamine's for years now but I have to tell you the Yamaha silent is awesome for full band live work. The profile is also fairly slim, and there’s a cutaway to offer easier access to the upper frets. My FG730S has deft action not to mention its subtle balance between high and low end tones. I am planning to get one of them from the US for Christmas. The A1 Series offers laminated sides and back whereas the A3 series offers solid tonewood sides and back, so the difference between "R" and "M" in this series will be more significant if you are looking to buy an A-3 Series. I am planning to purchase another acoustic electric guitar with good built-in preamp system and have narrowed down to Yamaha brand. they should not have been allowed to charge more than $350 or $400 but it was listed at like $1,100- it was junk. I can't wait to get my hands on it. Rosewood is simply unmatched in its ability to project well in all 3 basic Eq registers (Bass, Mid and Treble) and this gives the guitar a wider Eq, more bass projection, better balance, and more overall volume and projection over it's Mahogany competitors. Understanding the Yamaha A-Series Naming System. I know that when I played the A3R, I liked the neck because I play fingerstyle. Some of these features include; a nut width that is slightly narrower (1.89 inches) which is equally the same as that found on a steel-string guitar. amplified, and played with a full band. Pacifica - Overview - Electric Guitars - Guitars, Basses & Amps - Musical Instruments - Products - Yamaha - United States More, Popular Knob (A): Volume Control Controls output volume. The Yamaha FSX820C guitar is one you can start your guitar-playing journey on and continue with for years to come. I have played the AC3M and loved it, but wanted to know more about the AC3R. . That reduces your personal risk to virtually zero! Rewards members also receive double- and triple-point offers, access to member-only deals, as well as a dedicated phone line to Gear Advisers and a $25 coupon on your birthday, all on us. Thanks again for sharing- Aaron, Enjoyed the review. Where the neck meets the body is not entirely smooth. Aaron, thanks for this detailed and incredibly comprehensive review. John, very glad this helped! Nylon strings were introduced after World War 2. Pretty sure of this although I've not opened it up. . The SRT preamp and pick up offers 3 different microphone modeling types at the flip of a switch to match any playing style (each microphone would cost several thousand dollars to gain this kind of sound in a professional recording studio). . However, the C models will not put forth as much of a "bass end" because of this size difference when the guitar is unplugged. . In Canada in order to get solid back and sides you looking at 2300.00 cdn. I have updated the review above to show the complete details of the SRT original preamp with mic modeling and the SRT 2 system (4 knobs). Most orders placed before noon ET ship same day (except weekends and holidays). the saddle in my AC3R is slightly concave. As I performed and sing with my acoustic electric guitar on stage and in churches, I need a guitar with a good active preamp system so that I would be able to set the sound on the guitar. Best bang for the buck for what has come out in the last several years! What I would recommend is buying one off of Amazon.com here, and then if you have issues, just return it and get another. Free Standard Ground shipping (48 contiguous states, some overweight and Used/Vintage items excluded). Roberto-Correct! It was a lot of work but I am glad so many people are being helped in their decision about this guitar, whether they decide to purchase it or not! The SRT Technology, for the A-Series only appears in the A3 and AC3 models and not in the A1 or AC1 models, and this is a big deal if you plan on plugging your guitar into an amp or any system. Most acoustic electric guitars lose their acoustic beauty when plugged in, because they use only a transducer (piezo) technology or an inferior piezo / mic blender, but not the Yamaha A3 and AC3 -Series with S.R.T. The nut width on all are 43 MM  |  The string length is 650 MM -. There are so many conflicting stories concerning the saddle on this guitar. Now through your review I have learned that the new SRT system is actually mic simulation and not an actual mic in conjunction with the piezo pickup. The mahogany neck is fast and slippery, with a wonderful feel, but the neck joint on mine looks like the sanding process stopped a little short. I enquired with them as to whether Yamaha would be coming up with new models incorporating a good active preamp system like the System 63 SRT pickup and was told that they have no information from Yamaha head office. protection from manufacturer defects. Thanks and rock on! Perfect sound frequency makes perfect sounds and thus the player can feel the notes and it helps the player to differentiate among the seven notes of music. Heowever, any time you have a pickup installed, it can affect the sound profile a bit, but as long as you do not have a pre-amp installed in the side of the guitar, but have them place a blender (microphone in the soundhole) with an under-the-saddle style piezo type pickup, then they usually have a dial (like the old Fishman blender) where you can adjust the gain blend from the 2 pickups to get your desired sound profile. So in order to get the old SRT with mic model blenders, you have to purchase an older A3 model. Sometimes they suffer through shipping as do all instruments, but once you get one of these Yamaha A3Rs that are set up with decent string height, it will sound great for sure! Since they are nowhere to be found on their site for bout and shoulder width- I will write or call Yamaha and post it here later. Hi! From the factory, sometimes, it is possible that either guitar will need to be adjusted slightly to suit your specific preference on the string set (height from the fingerboard). I doubt at my age that I'll ever have a Collection again but I am playing again. Thank you Svetlin for your kind comment! The SRT 2 has these features below- taken directly from the Yamaha website. Join for free and start earning 8% back on every purchase. Thanks so much for the review! Both have a blender with an element pickup and a condenser microphone, and I have heard these things live. I have been trying to decide for weeks which guitar to choose - I am returning to solo gigging after almost 20 years - and do not want to take my Martin D28 out. Get our email newsletter! ET I spent all day reading other reviews of it and listening to youtube demos. Regardless of your playing style, you can switch between 3 professional, built-in microphone settings which allow you to amp the true sound of the acoustic guitar through an on-board microphone. I happen to know a lot about "mid-level" A/E guitars as I have been using them personally and professionally for many (many) years. The A-3 Series features ebony fingerboards which are dark black, distinct, and a bit more resilient to the wear and tear of fingering chords over the life of the guitar. I think when it comes to this kind of fine comparison for finer technical playability and feel- measurements might give a clue to begin your comparison, but the only way to know would be to personally play and touch them side by side. This is a great feature for keeping the sound going in diverse playing environments without destroying or interrupting the natural acoustic amplified sound of the guitar. So if you want the real deal, fork out the extra $200 or so and get an A1. I think your answer will come down to which guitar feels better to you, and which one sound better for your most common use scenario. Call or Chat for expert advice and to hear The tonality is going to be very similar, but with the A3R you will pay less and get a great pickup as well. It has a functionality that extends well beyond just being a guitar to learn on though that may be its prime design purpose. The SRT 2 does not appear to have an onboard digital tuner available- the SRT original does. Kevin Garner, NC, Kevin- that's great to hear. Unplugged, the Dreadnought size is more universal in sound, and the "C" models are better for people who need a slightly smaller guitar with a bit more favor for fingerstyle playing. Rig Rundown: Sammy Boller. This is a great guitar that I consider to be a new original classic. Like a well-designed café racer motorcycle, the Yamaha Revstar series guitars are built to fit to players’ bodies as snug as a leather racing jacket. Most Recent. Rosewood is the choice of a lot of pros, but not across the board. Yamaha Pacifica Guitar Review Originally developed in the 1990’s, the Yamaha Pacifica series has become one of the company’s best-selling entry-level electric guitars. Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically. The Professional SRT (Studio Response Technology) combines. If you are looking to preserve the true acoustic sound of the gutiar when pluggin in or recording through the on-board pickup, you will be disappointed with any of the A1 series (A1M, A1R, AC1M, or AC1R) because of this distinct diffference. Thanks for your efforts! Victor, Thanks for your comment! The rigidity of the maple and the hardness of it, as well as the "oval" shaped sound hole in the APX1000 series will definitely give a punchy mid-range tone, so you will not get as wide of an EQ response from the body as you would with a thicker body and from Rosewood because it does not have as much bass expression for a tonewood. On its own, the guitar is impressive, but the built-in TransAcoustic technology offers an even more compelling reason to check it out. Sorry about the Yamaha answer here, or lack of it, but Yamaha customer service does not know, nor do they reveal things essentially until the public knows, which does not help us! Thanks again for so much unbiased information! Let us know if you have a chance to buy one and compare! It's readers like you that point out new things as well as find small errors that help me to refine the reviews for everyone to make informed purchase decisions! Or, simply leave the EQ settings in the middle somewhere to resonate the true natural beauty of the tones and overtones which come naturally from the air moving in and around the guitar body. Interviews & Yamaha TRBX505 Review. Not only does the SRT have both an onboard microphone for picking up the natural acoustic sound of the guitar, but it has a blender to balance between the loudness or "gain" from the piezo pickup without sacrificing that true acoustic sound you would expect from an acoustic guitar. 43mm would be slightly narrower than what I have now, so I guess I'll have to go down to the local Yamaha dealer and try one out. Great info, thanks for clarifying the differences between the two, and I know that I can't really go wrong with either one. Simply speaking, Yamaha APX600 has quite a unique body design that offers quite good playability and sound quality. Taylor K14ce … So few companies make more than one model that is fitted for a left hand person. I am not currently familiar with the Yamaha models you suggested. Thanks for sharing your feedback. I think the CPX series is a lighter guitar on the whole than the A series which I find favourable. Comments powered by Disqus. Where the SRT original has these 3 microphone models available in every preamp, the SRT 2 has only 2 of the 3 mic models depending on whether you purchase the Rosewood or the Mahogany. As for the Yamaha Silent, I actually did already write up a review, but it is on the same page as 4 other travel guitar reviews that I did a while back. Thanks Jose for your honesty. 2 - Which guitar actually feels better and sounds better to you while unplugged? Thanking you in advance. Although I like System 63 SRT Pickup system on this guitar very much as it has plenty of personal preference settings, I found that the overall sound of the guitar is not as full especially the bass as compared with the LLX16 (both unplugged and plugged into the amplifier). With 1 push of the A.F.R. Besides living in Canada it is hard for me to justify the cost of a solid wood Taylor. A Gear Adviser is ready to take your questions, Looking for something else? My budget for the guitar and amp would be roughly $1500 so if I get the A3R I would be looking at amps around $600 or less. Read more about the Yamaha A-Series here. I been watching it for a while but I was hesitant because of the 43mm nut width as I mostly play on 1 3/4 necks . My Low e was to close to the edge and would slip off the fret board often. If you filed or sanded the saddle or nut, you might want to try getting a new one or putting a thin shim under the nut on the 5th and 6th string end (kind of tapered). The on-board microphone has 3 different professional microphone models with the 2 most commonly used studio mic settings for professional studio recording and live play realism.