Yamaha A-Series All Solid Wood Concert Acoustic-Electric Guitar with SRT Preamp/Pickup Rosewood Back & Sides

Comments about Yamaha A-Series All Solid Wood Concert Acoustic-Electric Guitar with SRT Preamp/Pickup:

I had to keep taking this guitar out of he case and playing it to make sure they had sent me the right guitar. Let me say, for this price point I have not seen anything that even closely compares. I play a Taylor 912ce and love the sound and neck. I just didn't want to worry about the Taylor getting stolen or tripped over on stage. The Yamaha is a well made, great sounding guitar that I can take anywhere and feel confident that it will look and sound good on stage.

I was pleasantly surprised by the build quality. Even though this guitar was made in China, the Yamaha factory has excellent quality control and other than the L series, I believe the "A" series are at the top of the heap.

I don't really care for the pick guard and wish they had used a clear pick guard instead, but my guitar is sunburst and I like the finish to stand out.

All in all, I'd recommend this guitar over any of the Taylor 1 or 2 series. I recently sold a Taylor 314ce and in many way the Yamaha stands up to the Taylor. Being that I could buy 2 of the Yamaha guitars for the price of one Taylor, I'd have to say that the Yamaha is a guitar that you can't go wrong with.

Comments about Yamaha A-Series All Solid Wood Concert Acoustic-Electric Guitar with SRT Preamp/Pickup:

Needed a new acoustic and spent several weeks looking in the "high end" range. Money is not a huge thing for me and I wanted something that I would truly enjoy for a long time. When I came across this solid wood guitar (AC3R) - I instantly loved it. Initially, I quickly passed it by because the brand name was not one of my target brands, however, I kept thinking about the AC3R and I decided to do some research on the web. I was actually hoping the electronics would get mixed reviews or the quality would be suspect (to confirm my need to buy a more expensive brand). Every review I read seemed to really favor the SRT preamp along with the guitar's overall quality and sound. So, I decided to go back to the store and play it again. My only hesitation was the price relative to high-end guitars and I spent weeks trying to rationalize the higher price. In the end, I could not justify the added cost considering how much I enjoyed playing this guitar. Now that I've had it for nearly a month, I truly believe the only thing that separates the AC3R from guitars in the $2500-$3000 price range is an emotional reaction to the paint on the headstock.

Comments about Yamaha A-Series All Solid Wood Concert Acoustic-Electric Guitar with SRT Preamp/Pickup:

I have been playing guitars for over 40 years. I wanted a Taylor 714, but could not afford one. Much less want to take one to an open nite jam where idiots bump into you and ding your instrument?!? I picked up the Yamaha and it is just a dream come true. This new A-Series is something that you need to "play" before you "pay" for a comparable Taylor. Sorry Bob. But this Jap model is major competition. I own two Taylors (GS Mini and DN)and love them. I own one Yamaha and it is my favorite. This guitar has a 1 11/16th inch width and feels very comfortable. The detail work is stelar. The Taylor costs two and a half times the price of the Yamaha and for my money I am fully satisfied. Try one!!!!!

Comments about Yamaha A-Series All Solid Wood Concert Acoustic-Electric Guitar with SRT Preamp/Pickup:

I would take one half point out of ten off the overall rating for the weak lows unplugged, but for me this was not an issue since when amplified, the lows are better represented. Better amplified sound than the dreadnaught body (A3R) to my ear. Rosewood sides and backs were worth the extra money to my ear.
I played a bunch of acoustic electrics in the under one thousand price range. I wanted the best amplified sound, since I have another acoustic for non-amplified applications. The Yamah SRT pre-amp works wonderfully. Three different mic models times two mic set-ups ensures you will find one you like for your chosen amp. Plus 3 band eq, and adjustable "resonance" means you have control over your tone. I intentionally induced feedback with high preamp volumes in front of the amp to determine that the feedback filter also works well, but did not have any feedback with my normal style of playing. If that wasn't enough, the on board tuner is easy to use. All these features work well. An included hardshell case just completes the awesome package. And don't forget that this baby is all solid tone woods!
Fit and finish on my guitar from Musicians Friend was flawless. No cracks, scratches, glue drips, or other defects. I did notice some minor imperfections in the finish of guitars I tried at the local GC stores near my home, but none were significant enough to prevent me from making a purchase. The amplified sound is just what I was looking for. Best acoustic sound I could find in this price range. The AC3R is weak on the low end un-plugged, but very well balanced when amplified. I compared the amplified dreadnaught to the concert body of the A3 series side by side at 3 different local shops. I must have compared 8 or nine different guitars using 4 different amps against each other. At each one, I found the amplified concert body to be more pleasing to my ear than the dreadnaught, having a more balanced tone. It seemed the dreadnaughts had deeper bass and brighter highs but lacked in the mids. Rosewood side and back tone was well worth the higher price to my ear, compared to the mahogony models. Since the best amplified sound was what I was after, the AC3R was a clear winner.
With all the features of the pre-amp, great fit and finish, and an included hardshell case, a value rating of 10 does not do justice to this guitar, even without factoring in a discount coupon!

Comments about Yamaha A-Series All Solid Wood Concert Acoustic-Electric Guitar with SRT Preamp/Pickup:

Well, I can't say enough about the sound and feel .
I beleive thay Yamaha has realy been listening to the customer reviews and built a guitar that is totally a pleasure to play.I've had many top end handcrafted guitars in my fourty five years of playing and I probably will still purchase a martin or gibson sticktly acoustic someday but as far as a cutaway acoustic electric this is the best bang for your buck if I may use that cliche.
My favorite neck profile ever.
The sound of this concert size guitar is as good as any out there.
Some of wich are called auditorium or 000 or om.
Very comfortable to hold with a very nice feeling neck and top notch electronics.
The controls are a bit small but I adapted very quickly as I'm sure anyone would.
Very well built solid and proffesional feeling guitar.
I've used it on stage through a PA system with great results.
Very well finished inside and out.
I think I've found my keeper in electro acoustic guitars.
You can't top the value of an all solid rose wood guitar with state of the art electronics.
These hand selected tops have perfect grain for looks and sound.
As good as any guitar in it's class but at half the price in many cases.

Comments about Yamaha A-Series All Solid Wood Concert Acoustic-Electric Guitar with SRT Preamp/Pickup:

Again, it's all about value. For under $1K, you get a great guitar in the AC3R, great sound, great features, and comfortable to play. My friends have given this guitar huge kudos. Before you buy anything else, you owe it to yourself to at least try this guitar. If you still feel inclined to spend more money to by a "big name" guitar, do it. But for those who are looking for excellent value and a nice guitar, this is it.
This guitar offers a great blend of size, acoustic sound, comfort, playability, and electric tones. While it might be lacking the super deep bottom end of a dreadnaught, it still holds its own compared to most of the competition out there in the same price range (or higher priced guitars).
The contours, finish, appointments, it's all there. I have absolutely no complaints about this guitar. Ok, maybe one small thing.... a little less satin? I guess heavy coats of satin will protect the wood but it masks the sound? But still, this is a nice looking and well built guitar.
Compare this guitar to $1K plus competitors. You'll have a hard time trying to justify spending more money (unless you have unlimited resource$$$$). The SRT electronics alone offer great sound competition to the big name guitars.