My very first steel sting I ever bought was a $400 Yamaha acoustic electric around 2001. I never thought too much of Yamahas since that time, but I've read some really good reviews of their LL26 and LL36 models made in Japan. Has anyone ever played any of these models? I know they cheat a bit with their top torrification process, but somewhere deep in my heart I have a soft spot for Yamahas.
My first steel string guitar was an 1972 FG200. I still have that guitar and it still sounds great. The LL26/36 are great guitars. It's been quite a few years since I played one, but I do own an LL500, which was the flagship of the LL series from 1999-2003. The top of the line LL36 as well as my LL500 are handmade and hand voiced by single luthiers in the Hamamatsu custom shop in Japan. They have impeccable craftsmanship. My LL500 is in the same league as my Goodall and my Larrivee D10. It is actually more responsive than the Goodall and sounds just as good. The LL26/36 are far superior to the LL6/16 models and have a much fuller tone.
I've owned many Yamahas and have nothing but respect for them. I still have a 1970ish red label FG180, a Pacifica electric12 string and a NTX900FM crossover which is my couch guitar and I play it every day. The high end Yamahas you mention are truly fine guitars.
Quote from: ducktrapper on June 17, 2023, 07:51:36 PMI've owned many Yamahas and have nothing but respect for them. I still have a 1970ish red label FG180, a Pacifica electric12 string and a NTX900FM crossover which is my couch guitar and I play it every day. The high end Yamahas you mention are truly fine guitars.
Totally agree.
Good friend has an LL (MIJ) about 25 years old. One of my favorite guitars.
Duck and I both have the same model Yamaha NTX900FM nylon string hybrid Engleman over maple acoustic/electric with a cut. Great guitar.
I've been on a Bert Jansch binge for a few days and he likes to play Yamahas, so that's what peaked my interest. I really don't need another guitar, but if I won the lottery, I might be tempted to get an LL26. :nana_guitar
When I think of Yamaha, I think of motorcycles and four-wheelers, probably because I grew up riding that brand out in the country. So it's a hard hurdle for me to overcome when I see the same name and logo on a guitar's headstock (even though the logo is a tuning fork, a musical reference). I've never been able to get beyond that and give a Yamaha a decent shake when it comes to musical instruments. Probably my loss!
It's also hard for me to think of Yamaha as a quality guitar maker. But then I try to picture a master samurai crafting the best guitar and I can appreciate the level of perfection they can offer- for a higher price, obviously.
Quote from: Silence Dogood on June 18, 2023, 10:06:05 AMWhen I think of Yamaha, I think of motorcycles and four-wheelers, probably because I grew up riding that brand out in the country. So it's a hard hurdle for me to overcome when I see the same name and logo on a guitar's headstock (even though the logo is a tuning fork, a musical reference).
I got an FG180 just before my junior year in high school, 1969. At least I believe it was an FG180. The headstock did not have a tuning fork, it said "yamaha" on it. Think I paid $119 for it. My first good guitar. Gave it to one of my friends in 1976, when I left home in Illinois on a Yamaha XS500 motorcycle, and ended up in Texas.
Mike
Quote from: StringPicker6 on June 18, 2023, 10:26:04 AMIt's also hard for me to think of Yamaha as a quality guitar maker. But then I try to picture a master samurai crafting the best guitar and I can appreciate the level of perfection they can offer- for a higher price, obviously.
The LL26/36/56 are all hand made in the custom shop in Japan. The lower cost LL6/16 don't even compare. My LL500 is the most articulate responsive guitar I own. The tops are individually voiced. The LL's are almost jumbo size,tone is deep and rich with sustain. Michael Chapdelaine owns an LL500,along with several $10K+ guitars,high praise from a guy who is one of the best in the world.
Check him out: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KqFKhgZto5I&list=RDKqFKhgZto5I&start_radio=1
I did a quick review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AIMlNqINKk
If you're patient, you may find a 26 or 500 for reasonable $1500-20000price used.
They are well worth it.
Quote from: mike in lytle on June 18, 2023, 10:38:41 AMI got an FG180 just before my junior year in high school, 1969. At least I believe it was an FG180. The headstock did not have a tuning fork, it said "yamaha" on it. Think I paid $119 for it. My first good guitar. Gave it to one of my friends in 1976, when I left home in Illinois on a Yamaha XS500 motorcycle, and ended up in Texas.
Mike
Those red label FG's were great guitars. I've had two FG 180's and still have one. Love it. Yamaha recently reissued that guitar. It's over $800.00 now and I'd love to try one.
Yamaha is a huge company and the fact that they make both motorcycles and musical instruments shouldn't deter anyone from seeking them out. I doubt they're made in the same plant but so what if they are.
Quote from: 247hoopsfan on June 18, 2023, 12:41:42 PMThe LL26/36/56 are all hand made in the custom shop in Japan. The lower cost LL6/16 don't even compare. My LL500 is the most articulate responsive guitar I own. The tops are individually voiced. The LL's are almost jumbo size,tone is deep and rich with sustain. Michael Chapdelaine owns an LL500,along with several $10K+ guitars,high praise from a guy who is one of the best in the world.
Check him out: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KqFKhgZto5I&list=RDKqFKhgZto5I&start_radio=1
I did a quick review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AIMlNqINKk
If you're patient, you may find a 26 or 500 for reasonable $1500-20000price used.
They are well worth it.
Great video review, thanks for sharing that!
Quote from: Silence Dogood on June 18, 2023, 10:06:05 AMWhen I think of Yamaha, I think of motorcycles and four-wheelers, probably because I grew up riding that brand out in the country. So it's a hard hurdle for me to overcome when I see the same name and logo on a guitar's headstock (even though the logo is a tuning fork, a musical reference). I've never been able to get beyond that and give a Yamaha a decent shake when it comes to musical instruments. Probably my loss!
Yamaha gets high praise and has won many awards for their grand pianos.
According to one music industry website I checked, the two most recognizable brands are Steinway and Yamaha, followed by Bösendorfer, Fazioli, Kawai and Baldwin.
Yamaha has endorsement relationships with Paul McCartney, Norah Jones, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Sheryl Crow, James Blunt, Sir Elton John, Justin Timberlake, Josh Groban, Sara Bareilles, Jamie Cullum, Chick Corea (deceased), Sarah McLachlan, and Gavin DeGraw, just to name a few.
Quote from: Queequeg on June 19, 2023, 12:12:48 PMYamaha gets high praise and has won many awards for their grand pianos.
According to one music industry website I checked, the two most recognizable brands are Steinway and Yamaha, followed by Bösendorfer, Fazioli, Kawai and Baldwin.
Yamaha has endorsement relationships with Paul McCartney, Norah Jones, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Sheryl Crow, James Blunt, Sir Elton John, Justin Timberlake, Josh Groban, Sara Bareilles, Jamie Cullum, Chick Corea (deceased), Sarah McLachlan, and Gavin DeGraw, just to name a few.
And me and you if they'd merely ask.
Quote from: ducktrapper on June 19, 2023, 12:47:11 PMAnd me and you if they'd merely ask.
I'm waiting here by the phone...
:cheers
Add me to the endorsement list!! My all time favorite guitar is a free guitar. :nana_guitar
I'm going to swing by a guitar center today (yuck) and try a Yamaha FGX3, the Chinese made model. I just want to see what the torrefied top sounds like. It's the reintroduced red label FG series.
Quote from: Silence Dogood on June 18, 2023, 10:06:05 AMWhen I think of Yamaha, I think of motorcycles and four-wheelers, probably because I grew up riding that brand out in the country. So it's a hard hurdle for me to overcome when I see the same name and logo on a guitar's headstock (even though the logo is a tuning fork, a musical reference). I've never been able to get beyond that and give a Yamaha a decent shake when it comes to musical instruments. Probably my loss!
I was watching a video review of the new Guild guitars. Yamaha apparently owns Guild Guitars in addition to motorcycles etc. And I just lost my urge to own a Guild Guitar. "Yes ..by acquiring Cordoba Music Group in Feb 2023 that also owns Cordoba guitars, Guilds (founded 1953, acquired by Cordoba Music in 2014), HumiCase, DeArmond (pickups maker), Savares and Aquila."
That's a bit of depressing news. Didn't Guild begin in New York?
Yes, they started in NY in 1952 the year I was born. My only interest in Guild as a kid was that my jazz hero Johnny
Smith for a time had a model he designed made by Guild. My interest in Guild acoustics is this so call arched back which they claim requires no bracing on the back of the instrument thereby r3educing the weight of the instrument.
Quote from: William2 on August 16, 2023, 09:50:08 AMI was watching a video review of the new Guild guitars. Yamaha apparently owns Guild Guitars in addition to motorcycles etc. And I just lost my urge to own a Guild Guitar. "Yes ..by acquiring Cordoba Music Group in Feb 2023 that also owns Cordoba guitars, Guilds (founded 1953, acquired by Cordoba Music in 2014), HumiCase, DeArmond (pickups maker), Savares and Aquila."
I've been doing a lot of research on classical guitars, and people really seem to love their Yamahas. It is still hard for me to get into an instrument with the Yamaha name on it. I think it's just something left over from my youth that I'm probably never going to get over.
As far as them buying Guild goes, that is just the way it goes these days. When I go into a guitar shop and see a Guild guitar on the wall, I look at it like I am seeing a panama jack t-shirt in Walmart. At this point it's just a name badge being slapped on a product and not much more. At least with a Martin or a Taylor (or a Larrivee for that matter!) you really are getting that actual product and not something with its name stamped on it.
I try not to let things like this bother me, but a guitar is such a personal item of enjoyment that emotion ends up getting in the way.
Quote from: Silence Dogood on August 16, 2023, 12:49:49 PMI've been doing a lot of research on classical guitars, and people really seem to love their Yamahas. It is still hard for me to get into an instrument with the Yamaha name on it. I think it's just something left over from my youth that I'm probably never going to get over.
As far as them buying Guild goes, that is just the way it goes these days. When I go into a guitar shop and see a Guild guitar on the wall, I look at it like I am seeing a panama jack t-shirt in Walmart. At this point it's just a name badge being slapped on a product and not much more. At least with a Martin or a Taylor (or a Larrivee for that matter!) you really are getting that actual product and not something with its name stamped on it.
I try not to let things like this bother me, but a guitar is such a personal item of enjoyment that emotion ends up getting in the way.
I agree with you, I'm just buying American. I play lefty and apparently Guild doesn't make lefty models unless you want the Guild Westerly series which is their low-priced instruments made in China. While I will concede China can make nice guitars, the resale value is poor. I'm still trying to sell one I bought earlier this year. I was just watching Guitar Hunter review a Touchstone (Bourgois / Eastman) collaboration. Jeremy said while it is a very good instrument, it will have a much lower resale value than an all American. And at the price point of $2800 they are in competition with the Martin D-18. And then he pointed out the things that just spell China, the smell of glue inside the instrument instead of wood LOL, the glossing of the bridge and fretboard, and a couple of other things. I sold a couple of Martin's earlier this year and I'm sorry I did. I just re-purchased a Martin D-15 Street Master. The first one sold fast for almost what I paid for it and this new one is a keeper.
Quote from: William2 on August 16, 2023, 01:51:33 PMI agree with you, I'm just buying American. I play lefty and apparently Guild doesn't make lefty models unless you want the Guild Westerly series which is their low-priced instruments made in China. While I will concede China can make nice guitars, the resale value is poor. I'm still trying to sell one I bought earlier this year. I was just watching Guitar Hunter review a Touchstone (Bourgois / Eastman) collaboration. Jeremy said while it is a very good instrument, it will have a much lower resale value than an all American. And at the price point of $2800 they are in competition with the Martin D-18. And then he pointed out the things that just spell China, the smell of glue inside the instrument instead of wood LOL, the glossing of the bridge and fretboard, and a couple of other things. I sold a couple of Martin's earlier this year and I'm sorry I did. I just re-purchased a Martin D-15 Street Master. The first one sold fast for almost what I paid for it and this new one is a keeper.
I like that guy's YT channel a lot and have spent more time than I care to admit on it.
I can't shake the Made in China thing either. Again, emotion wins out. The phone I'm typing on is made there, and I can deal with that, but I actually sold a mandolin that was made there because it bothered me every time I played it.
"The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing," etc. It's probably partially a generation thing too. I view things made in China as toylike where someone younger doesn't think anything of it. Same as when I was a kid in the 80s and my grandfather would scoff at something made in Taiwan, etc.
I can't shake my Made in China bias either. It bothers me that EVERYTHING is made there now.
As far as Yamaha, I played a few today and they are very impressive. This is truly a golden age of high quality guitars at reasonable prices. I liked a few, but then went home and played my L. I'm happy with what I've got. :nana_guitar
Quote from: StringPicker6 on August 16, 2023, 10:22:55 PMI can't shake my Made in China bias either. It bothers me that EVERYTHING is made there now.
Seems that way; doesn't it?
But it's not quite as bad as all that.
In 2021, 8.6% of total U.S. exports of $1.8 trillion to the World were exported to China and 17.9% of total U.S. Imports of $2.8 trillion were imported from China. So more than 4/5 of our imports were not made in China.
Meanwhile, about 12% of US manufacturers with factories in China have returned, or have committed to bringing their manufacturing back home.
And it's worth mentioning that US exports have not fallen as Chinese imports increased.
In addition, most recently there's a great deal of new investment in factory construction and electronics manufacturing here at home.
Lots of Chinese goods on store shelves?
Sure. And it's impossible to buy a TV made domestically.
But it's not all gloom and doom.
On a personal note, the last two IMPORTED guitars I purchased were made in Ireland.
Quote from: William2 on August 16, 2023, 09:50:08 AMI was watching a video review of the new Guild guitars. Yamaha apparently owns Guild Guitars in addition to motorcycles etc. And I just lost my urge to own a Guild Guitar. "Yes ..by acquiring Cordoba Music Group in Feb 2023 that also owns Cordoba guitars, Guilds (founded 1953, acquired by Cordoba Music in 2014), HumiCase, DeArmond (pickups maker), Savares and Aquila."
As an update, I just saw on AGF that the new line of Guilds (the new iteration of the USA- built D40 standard, an F40 standard, and a new D50 standard in rosewood. First rosewood dread in a few years.) doesn't have a dovetail connection. I wonder if this new bolt on connection system is the shape of the future.
Today I was able to play a Yamaha FGX3 with a torrefied top. Very, VERY impressive tone. The kind of tone that stays in your memory. Get away from me, G.A.S.!!! :arrow