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  #16  
Old 08-09-2019, 06:46 AM
Dbone Dbone is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vognell View Post
I had the FS-TA for a few weeks but traded up to the LS-TA. Both are pretty decent guitars. My main complaint about the FS-TA was the narrow string spacing. The LS-TA has a wider nut and feels more comfy. Also nice to have an all-solid guitar for $1000.

Both seemed a bit bright. Not horribly so, but takes a little getting used to.

Action on the FS-TA was high at the nut, LS-TA higher than I'd like, but not too bad.

If you are looking at the FS-TA, I would suggest looking at the LS-TA instead. The ARE enhanced top, 5 piece neck, wider string spacing, and all solid construction make it a great bang for the buck guitar. Improvement in tone is also worth the price of admission. The Transacoustic system on both is fun, but I prefer the Tonewood amp, which is more tweakable and can be moved between different guitars. Still, the built-in Transacoustic system is simple to use and gets the job done.

The LS-16 is the same as the LS-TA without the transacoustic system, and costs $200 less, which is a great price for what you are getting. You can easily add the tonewood amp later (and use it on other guitars as well). Pickup on the LS-16 is passive, so no onboard controls (see below).

Onboard pickup on LS-TA and FS-TA gets the job done, but tonal adjustment, notch filters, and such would need to be handled at the PA or by an external preamp or pedal. The only control you have on the instrument is a volume control.
The only thing I found not to my liking when trying these TA guitars was the weight of them given the electronics inside...they are very heavy compared to a normal guitar generally speaking...everything else with the product was perfect...
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  #17  
Old 08-09-2019, 06:48 AM
Vognell Vognell is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dbone View Post
The only thing I found not to my liking when trying these TA guitars was the weight of them given the electronics inside...they are very heavy compared to a normal guitar generally speaking...everything else with the product was perfect...
They are noticeably heavier. That is a fact.
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  #18  
Old 08-09-2019, 07:03 AM
CASD57 CASD57 is offline
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Originally Posted by Archangelmm View Post
Anyone have or tried any of the new Yamaha’s?
Thoughts or opinions?
Yamaha Red Label FSX5
Yamaha AC5R ARE
Yamaha FS-TA TransAcoustic

Thank you
Michael
I've tried both the FSX3 and FG3
Both are nice guitars...Sound great
The FG, of course, has more volume and bigger bottom but I wouldn't call either one a cannon, they have a decent volume
I will say this.. Something is lacking in the tone department.. whether it's lacking mid's or too much, I'm not sure but for my picky ears I hear less of what I like.. Too bad as they are nice guitars
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  #19  
Old 08-09-2019, 08:29 AM
mrjop1975 mrjop1975 is offline
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Back in 1999 for my first on my own steel string guitar purchase, it was a Yamaha. I could have had my pick of any guitar in the store but I tried it out, did some playing for nearly an hour on it. Probably a folk size model, definately not a dread or jumbo. The salesperson at the store said to me something along the lines of that guitar really speaks to you doesn't it? I wound up getting it, and the salesperson threw in a gig bag case for free with it. Along the way, the guitar went by the wayside, but the lesson I learnt with that Yamaha is, find a guitar that *speaks* to you and to ignore the label on the headstock.
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  #20  
Old 08-09-2019, 09:05 AM
Dbone Dbone is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mrjop1975 View Post
Back in 1999 for my first on my own steel string guitar purchase, it was a Yamaha. I could have had my pick of any guitar in the store but I tried it out, did some playing for nearly an hour on it. Probably a folk size model, definately not a dread or jumbo. The salesperson at the store said to me something along the lines of that guitar really speaks to you doesn't it? I wound up getting it, and the salesperson threw in a gig bag case for free with it. Along the way, the guitar went by the wayside, but the lesson I learnt with that Yamaha is, find a guitar that *speaks* to you and to ignore the label on the headstock.
I tend to think this is so true. The reality it that Yamaha, particularly in the upper echelon of their range, makes some of the finest guitars on the planet. Their custom shop stuff will rival or exceed most things out there, yet a large segment of the guitar population simply cannot get their head around the idea of purchasing a Yamaha once you get to a certain level of price...which is silly when you really think about it...

Comments like, "At that price I might as well buy a Martin or X Y Z instead". Why would one say this? I personally get a large kick out of such statements. If a product is good it is good, if a product is great it is great (regardless of the name on the headstock). In reality these kinds of comments do not apply if you are talking about quality and performance in guitars at the end of the day. The guitar world definitely does seem to have a bit of snootiness going on...Certainly my impression in reading on different forums around the web...I personally find it quite comical...I'm not a brand w***e myself...lol

Having said this, I will probably venture into Taylors, Martins, Boucher, etc...At some point...It's all good...
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  #21  
Old 08-09-2019, 09:19 AM
Cool555 Cool555 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Archangelmm View Post
Anyone have or tried any of the new Yamaha’s?
Thoughts or opinions?
Yamaha Red Label FSX5
Yamaha AC5R ARE
Yamaha FS-TA TransAcoustic

Thank you
Michael

Hi Michael. I think that the FSX5 should be a great guitar. I’ve got the FS5 for a couple of months now and I’m very pleased with it. I did a NGD recently which tells what I think of this MIJ guitar. There’s also a YT video review in the thread of this FS5. Here it is:

NGD-Yamaha FS5 Red Label (Made in Japan)
https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=547877
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  #22  
Old 08-09-2019, 09:29 AM
ctvolfan ctvolfan is offline
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I think this video has better sound and may reflect the quality of the sound of these Red Labels.

https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...eply&p=6132783

Quote:
Originally Posted by llew View Post
The new Red Label Yamaha's are very intriguing.
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  #23  
Old 08-09-2019, 09:32 AM
ctvolfan ctvolfan is offline
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Well stated!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dbone View Post
I tend to think this is so true. The reality it that Yamaha, particularly in the upper echelon of their range, makes some of the finest guitars on the planet. Their custom shop stuff will rival or exceed most things out there, yet a large segment of the guitar population simply cannot get their head around the idea of purchasing a Yamaha once you get to a certain level of price...which is silly when you really think about it...

Comments like, "At that price I might as well buy a Martin or X Y Z instead". Why would one say this? I personally get a large kick out of such statements. If a product is good it is good, if a product is great it is great (regardless of the name on the headstock). In reality these kinds of comments do not apply if you are talking about quality and performance in guitars at the end of the day. The guitar world definitely does seem to have a bit of snootiness going on...Certainly my impression in reading on different forums around the web...I personally find it quite comical...I'm not a brand w***e myself...lol

Having said this, I will probably venture into Taylors, Martins, Boucher, etc...At some point...It's all good...
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  #24  
Old 08-09-2019, 11:43 AM
Jaden Jaden is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dbone View Post
I tend to think this is so true. The reality it that Yamaha, particularly in the upper echelon of their range, makes some of the finest guitars on the planet. Their custom shop stuff will rival or exceed most things out there, yet a large segment of the guitar population simply cannot get their head around the idea of purchasing a Yamaha once you get to a certain level of price...which is silly when you really think about it...

Comments like, "At that price I might as well buy a Martin or X Y Z instead". Why would one say this? I personally get a large kick out of such statements. If a product is good it is good, if a product is great it is great (regardless of the name on the headstock). In reality these kinds of comments do not apply if you are talking about quality and performance in guitars at the end of the day. The guitar world definitely does seem to have a bit of snootiness going on...Certainly my impression in reading on different forums around the web...I personally find it quite comical...I'm not a brand w***e myself...lol

Having said this, I will probably venture into Taylors, Martins, Boucher, etc...At some point...It's all good...
I’m a Yamaha fan but I’ve found the size of the soundbox going up the food chain not to my liking - I can live with 15” across the lower bout but not 4 3/4” deep at the endpin, for example on a LS-26. If anything, I’m heading in the direction of 14.25” or so across the lower bout and no more than 4 1/8” depth (00-28). Martin was there in the 1930s staking out these dimensions and any manufacturer copying these measurements and brace positions isn’t being original.

* Note to Yamaha: give us a 00 equivalent size all solid wood model with full 25.5” scale and it will blow the competition in this category out of the water

Last edited by Jaden; 08-09-2019 at 12:38 PM.
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  #25  
Old 08-09-2019, 08:14 PM
Dbone Dbone is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaden View Post
I’m a Yamaha fan but I’ve found the size of the soundbox going up the food chain not to my liking - I can live with 15” across the lower bout but not 4 3/4” deep at the endpin, for example on a LS-26. If anything, I’m heading in the direction of 14.25” or so across the lower bout and no more than 4 1/8” depth (00-28). Martin was there in the 1930s staking out these dimensions and any manufacturer copying these measurements and brace positions isn’t being original.

* Note to Yamaha: give us a 00 equivalent size all solid wood model with full 25.5” scale and it will blow the competition in this category out of the water
I hear ya...In my case the LL36 works given that I'm a largish dude. The LLTA has the exact same dimensions so I was able to confirm comfort with one of them before ordering my LL36. In that respect I suppose yer right...their higher end dimensions are somewhat limiting for sure...Never really thought about it until you mentioned it.
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  #26  
Old 08-11-2019, 04:46 PM
CASD57 CASD57 is offline
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Originally Posted by CASD57 View Post
I've tried both the FSX3 and FG3
Both are nice guitars...Sound great
The FG, of course, has more volume and bigger bottom but I wouldn't call either one a cannon, they have a decent volume
I will say this.. Something is lacking in the tone department.. whether it's lacking mid's or too much, I'm not sure but for my picky ears I hear less of what I like.. Too bad as they are nice guitars
Okay.... I received the FG3 last week, and that is when I made this comment...
After a few days the guitar opened up, and it's astounding.. I guess I get to much in a hurry to send guitars back if I don't like the tone for a couple of days but this one opened up after four days..And it's a different guitar..
When I first played it the day of and the day after, it sounds boingy, tight..restricted but by this weekend its a changed animal..
So there isn't anything lacking in the Tone department.

The only thing I will add is all my Yamaha's that I've owned or tried out are not capo friendly.. It's hard to find the sweet spot so that all the strings ring out and don't buzz when played a little hard.. must be the neck shape or my cheap capo's but they work fine on other guitars...
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  #27  
Old 04-12-2020, 12:44 PM
mgstax mgstax is offline
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What is the difference between the FG3 FSX3 and the FG5 FSX5 (basically the 3 vs 5)?
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  #28  
Old 04-12-2020, 12:56 PM
Wellington Wellington is offline
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I can't speak for the particular models you mentioned other than I've played a TA dread before, played nice.

BUT, my main guitar is a Yamaha LL16, all I'm gonna say is up until two years ago when I bought it, I never even once considered ever owning a Yamaha. I always associated them with cheap thin sounding beginner guitars, which there are definitely those around IMO. For some reason the LL6 and LL16 caught my eye when in L&M a couple years ago, so I tried them. I couldn't believe the quality feel and sound. I bought the LL16, and now I promote the LL's to everyone because of how impressed I've been. It feels like I could go to war with it, if that makes sense. Kinda heavy yet very loud and clear, and with a bone saddle swap, some phosphors and thicker picks it can be warm at the same time. Love it.

So if my experience is any indication of the quality of Yamaha's, I would recommend trying them. The L line is higher end but still very affordable.
I've played some of the A line, SO nice to play. I'm also very anxious to try the FG5 and 3.
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  #29  
Old 04-12-2020, 01:00 PM
Birchtop Birchtop is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mgstax View Post
What is the difference between the FG3 FSX3 and the FG5 FSX5 (basically the 3 vs 5)?
Craftsmanship. 3 is made in China. 5 hand built in Japan.

The 5 also comes with these upgrades:

Bone nut and saddle.
Wood pickguard.
Hardshell case.
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  #30  
Old 04-12-2020, 05:44 PM
AmericanEagle AmericanEagle is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Archangelmm View Post
Anyone have or tried any of the new Yamaha’s?
Yes, the 800 series.
I think they are very good for the money.
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