#16
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People have their brand and tone preferences. Yamaha gets a ton of well deserved love here, and their higher end stuff is exceptional quality. Those that like the tone and the brand will argue its as good as any other quality manufacturer - this is also my opinion.
Yamaha's price points at every level are very competitive, or better, than the US manufacturers. This value for money, in my opinion, causes many to have a lower quality perception of the higher end Yamahas. Others will argue they would rather have a Taylor, Martin or Gibson when spending the larger dollar amounts at the high end. It really depends on what you are after. I have an LL16 - I have not played anything higher than that. Build quality and tone, even at what I consider a moderate level with the LL, is every bit as worthy as any other large manufacturer in the same range. If you like the tone of these guitars, the build quality is as good or better than anyone else in the world. Like every other comparative discussion on here, it comes down to tone and brand preferences. These high end Yamaha models are hard to get your hands on in the US so many people do not have firsthand experience with them, so the responses you get should be digested with this in mind.
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Justin ________________ Gibson J-15 Alvarez MD60BG Yamaha LL16RD Epiphone Les Paul Standard Fender Player Stratocaster |
#17
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Have never seen the upper end Yamaha acoustics. They used to make some super high end basses that were extremely nice.
About the only Yamahas I see in the wild are low end. |
#18
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Take this for example at a place in the UK...At a "sale price" right now...
https://www.rimmersmusic.co.uk/yamah...-guitar-p31826 This on sale 56 is at $11,219 CND dollars, or $8543 USD. If they are paying those prices they know and accept a certain truth about these upper echelon Yamahas that the average person over here is not understanding. They are doing the comparison with those Martins, and Lowdens, and Taylors, etc...and seeing a value proposition even at those high prices... Having said all this, I would have been priced out of the LL56 market a long time ago if that is what I would have had to pay to get one...It just would not have happened...In relative terms I'm feeling pretty fortunate right now...Especially considering the considerable discount I ended up getting from Yamaha Canada for their royal screw up on my original LL36 order... The one advantage that a Brit and other market folks have that we don't? They don't need to wait 8 months to get one. That has to be worth something. Is it worth 6k+ CND? Not to me
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2020 Yamaha LL56 Custom 2021 Boucher SG-51-BMV 2020 RainSong CO-WS1000N2 2019 PRS Silver Sky |
#19
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Quote:
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2020 Yamaha LL56 Custom 2021 Boucher SG-51-BMV 2020 RainSong CO-WS1000N2 2019 PRS Silver Sky |
#20
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Is that thing as mint as it looks?
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2020 Yamaha LL56 Custom 2021 Boucher SG-51-BMV 2020 RainSong CO-WS1000N2 2019 PRS Silver Sky |
#21
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Would that thing had been the LL56 of the day? Or 36?
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2020 Yamaha LL56 Custom 2021 Boucher SG-51-BMV 2020 RainSong CO-WS1000N2 2019 PRS Silver Sky Last edited by Dbone; 11-17-2019 at 10:03 AM. |
#22
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The L-25A was the top of the line of Yamaha's quote/un-quote regular production guitars at that point in time. THEN...there are ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL the ultra high end full on custom models that they had/have been making...for the Asian market...since the late 60's/early 70's. There are Japanese Collector vintage guitar books that catalog many of these Yamaha instruments...but again...those books rarely make it over here to the US for anyone to see...you can't read them...I have one...unless you are fluent in Japanese, and I am not, so much like Playboy, I just look at the pictures...er...I mean read the articles...{;-) There is another entire universe of Yamaha guitars that almost no one has seen here in the USA...just glimpses here and there. If you are a John Denver fan, you have seen it with John's L-53 Custom 6 string and several other custom 6 and 12 strings after that. But also, back in the late 70's/early to mid 80's Paul Simon, Jimmy Paige, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen...I believe...and John Lennon were also playing custom Yamaha acoustic guitars. Google "John Lennon's 'The Dragon' Custom Yamaha Acoustic Guitar" for fun {;-) Suffice to say, Yamaha has been "holding out" on all of us guitar geeks here in the US and Canada...and Europe...with an amazing array of custom acoustic guitars that would rival anything that we have seen or heard from the high end custom acoustic guitar world. Alas...sigh... duff Be A Player...Not A Polisher |
#23
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Irrational, I know, but I think I'd feel a bit of 'brand anxiety' if I were to spend big money on a Yamaha. At, say, LS26+ money I'd be looking at Martin, Collings or something from a smaller, 'bespoke', maker like Brook.
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#24
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Yes, it was the equivalent of the LL36. The binding has intricate layers of wood, maple strip down the back. I bought mine off Craigslist 10+ years ago, with the original custom Yamaha case for quite a bit less than $1100. Crazy deal.... You will love your LL56. I've never seen one.
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1972 Yamaha FG200 My 1st guitar 2003 Yamaha LL500 2007 Larrivee JCL 40th Anniversary Edition 1998 Larrivee OM05-MT All Mahogany 1998 Larrivee D09 Brazilian “Flying Eagle” 1998 Larrivee D10 Brazilian "Flying Eagle" 1990 Goodall Rosewood Standard https://soundcloud.com/247hoopsfan |
#25
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Emerald X20 Emerald X20-12 Fender Robert Cray Stratocaster Martin D18 Ambertone Martin 000-15sm |
#26
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When I originally started on my quest for a higher end Yammie this is the precise guitar I originally had asked Yamaha Canada about sourcing -->
https://www.peachguitars.com/guitars...-hard-case.htm An even more rare special version of an LL36. They just laughed at me basically...Yamaha will do the odd weird one off here and there and push them for sale into the markets where they know people will buy them for sure without an order ahead... I contacted peach guitars about this guitar...they said it sold in a heart beat almost as soon as it came in...
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2020 Yamaha LL56 Custom 2021 Boucher SG-51-BMV 2020 RainSong CO-WS1000N2 2019 PRS Silver Sky |
#27
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I understand where you are coming from. You are normal. Most people care a lot about brand. I am what I would call abnormal. I look at the merits of a guitar only, and consider very little the head stock label. As 2 extremes: I have seen the level of quality for an LL56 first hand. I have also seen the level of build quality first hand for a certain high end American brand and there was no comparison. The build on a LL56 was at a level that this US made unit could not even begin to come close too. In this case some would reward their business to the Gibson (as just a theoretical example) because of their heritage, despite a potentially obvious quality difference. I just cannot ignore such problems. I am a very practical person. A brand name has little to do with what directs me.
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2020 Yamaha LL56 Custom 2021 Boucher SG-51-BMV 2020 RainSong CO-WS1000N2 2019 PRS Silver Sky |
#28
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I will say I had never heard of Brook guitars before now...Took a look at their site...Yeah, yer not wrong...Yum...They look like an option too ;-0
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2020 Yamaha LL56 Custom 2021 Boucher SG-51-BMV 2020 RainSong CO-WS1000N2 2019 PRS Silver Sky |
#29
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Will let you know my thoughts in a day or two. LS36 due for arrival monday. The price was very reasonable. I have owned multiple guitars in different models from Martin, Taylor, Collings,Goodall, Maton, Gibson and a few luthier builds. I do setups on guitar, mandolin, banjo, weissenborn, and mt dulcimers, so I know what I like in regards to tone and playability.
Looking for a long term keeper. I have an all mahogany Xbrace Taylor 522ce which is an excellent instrument. Been wanting a rosewood to pair with it. Will keep you updated on my thoughts. d Last edited by darylcrisp; 11-17-2019 at 11:37 AM. |
#30
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I gather you purchased this used, and you are in the states?
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2020 Yamaha LL56 Custom 2021 Boucher SG-51-BMV 2020 RainSong CO-WS1000N2 2019 PRS Silver Sky |