A full review of the Yamaha LL16D / The Guitar Breakdown
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 ก.ค. 2024
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Driftwood Guitars performs a thorough review of the Yamaha LL16D. The "Guitar Breakdown" is a revolutionary way of reviewing guitars, and offers potential customers the ability to see if the instrument will live up to their daily lifestyle, as well as hear how it sounds, and if its constructed properly.
www.Patreon.com/DriftwoodGuitars
Chapters:
0:00
0:17 - Features
7:18 - Hardware
8:22 - Playability
11:04 - Sound Quality
17:16 - Case Quality
18:35 - Liquid Resistance
19:30 - Scratch Resistance
19:53 - Dent Resistance
20:22 - String Tension Resistance
21:24 - Fall Test
22:18 - Interior Build Quality
27:00 - Final Thoughts - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
I play a Yamaha LL16 and I love it. It stays in tune from gig to gig, I just plug it in the DI with no effects. 90 minutes set and still in tune on the last song. I would recommend it for the price, it's well worth it.
you should mic the guitar... the peizo pickup sound doesn't bother you??? It's sounds so artificial and bad to me. It sounds nothing like an acoustic guitar.
Do you have a line in the middle of your guitar belly like this guy ? i.imgur.com/LGg0JNv.png
I’ve had the slightly less blingy LL16 for a couple of years and really enjoy it. Thanks for this detailed review. I know that sound preferences are so subjective but I really do enjoy playing it. Especially love it for the price paid. Incredible value, beautiful look and sound.
Best guitar review that I have ever seen.
I love that you are willing to cut the guitar open and allow us to see everything inside the guitar.
Thank you for doing these videos.
Hey there guys. Just wanted to say thanks to you for doing this review. I've recently purchased this exact guitar and have to say it's by far the best one I've ever played. Tried a lot of guitars before I found the one. I do have to say I near cried when you cut it in half. Thanks for showing us how a quality instrument is made. cheers guys
Yeah❤❤❤ lets support this channel. This really show the craftmanship and quality of guitars.
I was excited to see a new video in this series and when I saw Yamaha I assumed they would do really well.
Scratching my head about the back strap, though. Everything else looks really good for a factory machine.
Thanks as always for doing and sharing these explorations. Great stuff!
I really enjoy hearing your thoughts and descriptions of the sound and playability. really great series!
Great breakdown, Chris. I love Yamahas and their specific sound... that "shimmer" that you mention at 16:03 is a big part of it for me.
As a guitar player who's lived in Japan for a couple decades, this doesn't surprise me. Japanese people tend to build things with care and pride.
I was thinking the same until I saw the label (At 25:59). It's a "Made in China".
@@VampireA-Oni that’s even more impressive imo
Only the red labeled are made in japan, and sounded so much better....(not saying that those MIC's are not good, just a night and day difference.)
@@VampireA-Oni Washburn guitars also made in China, as most things around the house.
@@VampireA-OniIt's assembled in China. Jaoanese luthiers engineered the guitar. So, they are just following instructions.
Excellent work, thank you. I never understand why Yamaha instruments keep getting relegated to tier two status. They are all built very well, play great and last. Yamaha knows musical instruments. Witness their pianos and the Red Label acoustic guitars as further examples
They make God tier instruments. However with Guitar they often made 'bland' instruments with even 'blander' colours.
Or they overshoot it and made something way too technical and niche.
And then they did the Revstar which is 10/10.
It's all about open mindedness, I even heard a TH-cam saying yamahas are knockoffs.....
They also make great drums!
@@sleepymarauder4178u probably need to read yamahas guitar building history. im talking about their made in japan series
It's a mindset thing, nothing to do with Quality. As an example Gibson makes shittiest overpriced instruments, but people still holds it at high brand value...
Thanks, loved this review. I am a Yamaha fan for the reasons you stated. Best v as lue in the business. I am still enjoying my 1972 12 string Yamaha dreadnought which still plays beautifully. Needed a new saddle and found Yamaha customer service to be outstanding. They had the saddle IN STOCK and shipped same day from their US warehouse. Remember, this guitar is 40 years old!
Nice! I still have my 12 strings that I bought new in 1988. Still sounds awesome.
Awesome, I love your tear down vids, especially excited as I have this exact guitar
I really appreciate your guitar breakdown videos! Im so glad that I found your channel!
I have an LL16 and had it for about 5 years [ bought in 2017]
travelled a lot
I bought it in the ME[Virgin Doha] with a soft bag
after about 8 months returned to Sri Lanka [humid]
its been the UK over winter time twice and
in Asia Thailand now and it has been fine
I had the string action reduced after two years in the UK
I now have 3 Yamaha's
and the LL16 is great
what an investment at the price point
Not so
with my Martin 00028 EC purchased in the UK [in 2015]
which has needed the de laminated binding re fixing
for two years now
playable sounds good but uncomfortable with the constant binding issue
I plan to return it for repair once back in the main land UK
No body wants the responsibiliry for the repair in Asia
due to the high value & potential down side issues
as a result the Yamaha LL16 being more durable
has been my go to guitar.
Thanks for posting
keep it up ✌
excellent informative vids 🙏
This is the first comment I have ever made on any TH-cam video. I found this video absolutely fascinating, I could not believe that anyone would cut open a perfectly good guitar to show us the inside, but I just like the braces was glued to the screen, and watched every detail. Fantastic well done and thank you.
Comprehensive review. You guys are awesome! I learn more and more about guitars and guitar building every time I watch one of your videos. Please keep them coming!
I’m glad you did a Yamaha. I’m a fan of Yamaha guitars. I would love to see you do a video on a Eastman guitar.
The most thorough guitar review on the net , thank you
I own this guitar and grateful for the info. 😃
YESssss! Guitar Breakdown episodes are back. So killer, thank you guys for doing this again.
Well done, as usual. Sure looks like an excellent guitar for someone searching in that price range. Thanks for the review!
The L series Yamaha acoustics are really nice guitars.
The 5-pc necks feel so good. Both in terms of in-hand feel and sturdiness.
I've played this model and their folk sized body.
If something happened to my Alvarez Yairi, I think I'd be in the market for one of these, or a Guild.
Great value, and a fantastic instrument.
I have a 1967 Yamaha classical guitar. From what I was able to find out was this was the time when Yamaha first started making acoustic guitars. It is still beautiful and sounds even better.
My daily is a 1972 Yamaha FG acoustic. It's showing its age, what with three generations banging on it, but still sounds great. Been in the family since new.
A very thorough review. Well done. I do hate seeing the guitar cut in half particularly when I see how terrific it looks inside.
Love these reviews, never seen such in depth reviews anywhere. The only thing I missed from this one was the score card that you usually do at the end, can you please carry on with the scores? Kinda gives a final conclusion and good to compare scores with other guitars 🙂 Keep up this great work!
Nice review first one I have seen of yours and I am impressed.
Awesome review. I have a Yamaha LS 16M and I love it. Would like to see a review on that one.
I enjoy your “guitar breakdown” videos (what happened to the final rating though?) and find them very useful. This one confirms what l’ve been hearing for a long time about Yamaha acoustics in general and their LL series in particular, ie that they compete with much more expensive instruments in sound & playability and are very well made. One other make which seems to be building up a very good reputation is Eastman. I’d love to see a “breakdown” episode dedicated to one of their all solid acoustics, perhaps something like their E 8 or the older AC 420. Thank you for your interesting, no frills channel.
This is a very timely review as I bought this guitar at the beginning of July in the black finish. I bought it because I’m mainly an electric player but looking to move over to more fingestyle as I get older and wanted to test the water.
I have several good performer friends who have very good quality acoustics (Santa Cruz, Bourgeois, Martin, etc) and know what the top end sounds and feels like but didn’t want to go that level at the moment.
After trying some of the mid range offerings fromTaylor, Martin, Gibson, Epiphone etc, one friend suggested trying a Yamaha because, amongst others, Bert Jansch played one.
Off I went to the Yamaha flagship store in London, I’m in the UK, and tried all of their ranges and the one thing that stood out for me was how and consistent in quality and sound their guitars are irrespective of the price (also tried the Revstar range and nearly came out with one of those too).
However, the LL16 sounded great and the salesman suggested I try the LL16D as an upgrade. The D is essentially the same guitar but has more upmarket appointments like the ableone and Ebony but is also, apparently, voiced individually for a more higher end sound.
Everything you say is what I found, it lacks some midrange but has great bass and treble and is a very easy guitar to play, the neck is very good and the width is just right. It looks fabulous and the recording I’ve done with it shows it to sit very well in the mix and you can always some midrange if you want to.
Mine also came with a very good quality and sturdy soft-shell case that is more than capable of handling transportation. My guitar was made in March this year so maybe they’ve changed the case since you got yours. It’s also made in China whereas the next models up, the LL26D, LL36D, LL56D, are all hand-made in Japan by one Yamaha’s master luthiers and are by all accounts the equal, if not better, than the more common high-end guitars (also much more expensive, the LL56D is around $6000).
I plan on doing some open-mics and jam sessions with it so feel more comfortable taking it to pubs and clubs rather than a very expensive guitar.
One thing this guitar is not is that it’s a ‘beater’; this is very good quality, great sounding, great playing, and great looking guitar and could quite easily be your one acoustic guitar, certainly at least until you get to a standard where you need to have a much better acoustic guitar.
I’m very happy with this guitar and agree with your final thoughts!
Nice. I have an LL16-12 (12 string). I was in the market for a Taylor to replace a GA4-12 that I foolishly sold several years ago. I was prepared to spend up to $2000, but a friend admonished me to not ignore Yamaha (and to specifically check out the LL series) and I found one on Reverb for about $700 shipped. Less than half of what I was ready to pay for a Taylor and I couldn't be happier. It sounds absolutely wonderful and is now my forever 12-string acoustic. I'm still mostly a Taylor man (I have a 414 Fall Limited as well), but I'm here to tell you not to pass up a good Yamaha.
I own this and had a bone nut and saddle installed. Took it to the next level.
Conversely I got the mahogany Ll16M and kept the urea nut and saddle. Very unique tone.
In both cases the jumbo body adds depth and projection. I also added my fave buffalo horn pins.
My dude came thru I've been asking for yamahas. Luv ya guys
Big Yamaha fan here. Had many brands including Martin and Taylor but I'm down to 3 Yamahas now. My 50 year old FG-160 being my favorite. Great company, great guitars.👍🏻
Great and fair review. The minutexyou started plsying I said yep, that is MY guitar. i have an LL16D and it sounds identical. Even down to the massive ringing open strings. The sustain in these is mind-boggling to me. Even my wife who really doesnt pay much attention at all to my guitar obsesssiveness and gear said "Wow!" the first time I strummed it. It is what I like about Yamahas. Consistency of value and craftsmanship is 'always' there. You WILL absolutely will get more than you pay for in comparison. You have such a flat, even definition of all strings, you can EQ this to be anything you want it to be. Don't dismiss it's pickups either. They are not cheap 'quackers' by any stretch. Many dismiss Yamaha as being flat or lacking in a specific 'character'. I look at it like dialing in an EQ I want, instead of fixing deficiancies.
Amazing super informative and profesional review. Thanks, I have learnt lots. Subscribed.
Very great and nice sound ! Absolutely stunning !
As a Yamaha fan, I think this sums up nicely. Incredible value for money and great craftsmanship from Yamaha. I love the big brands and have owned most of them, but keep coming back to the Yamaha.
Great video as always 😊! I have some more red spruce tops for you ! I’ll never forget I sold you a red spruce top a few years ago on eBay. To driftwood guitars in good old Florida. I am a luthier myself from Baltimore Maryland. I love all your videos. !! Keep up the great work !! Thanks 🙏
I've been shopping for a mid-priced guitar that I can gig and practice/learn some basic setup skills on and been really impressed with some of the Alvarez Masterworks stuff - even more so than Yamahas in the same price range. If you're looking for a candidate for the next lovely assistant to be sawed in half, I'd love to see a Masterworks MF60 OM, or any of the series. Thanks for all the great videos!
It’s about time you started cutting guitars in half again.
These L series Yamaha's, are (just my opinion) quite something else, I'd never heard or played them until I brought a damaged one, fixed it, and Wow, compared to the FG 830 (both electric cutaway's) was quite Outstanding 😮😮😊, excellent video 😊😊
Really? I hate it... I have such a hard time watching a nice guitar get cut in half!
This is my favorite series by far. I would LOVE to see a Taylor GS Mini reviewed. They are worshiped by a TON of players worldwide and Taylor now has GS Mini models that are over $1,000. I would love to see the internals of one of these guitars to see if the craftsmanship really stands up to the hype.
nothing about the gs mini is worth the hype to me. it's just a fine travel guitar.
@@wiiverI own one and agree with you
I tried two GS Mini versions and ended up with Yamaha CSF3M. Not only cheaper, but all solid wood, better built and sounds better as well.
I got a GS mini as part of their summer deal. I will say that as a travel guitar, I really love it and I’m glad that I got it at the price that I did ($200 along with the purchase of another guitar). However, that being said, I absolutely would never pay over $1000 for it
@@codyscott8687 I have played a ton of GS Minis myself while I was searching for a great travel guitar. I will admit that for their size the build quality and sound is far superior to other “travel size” guitars. But I think the way they are advertised and the way some people review them as being a “do it all guitar” is complete rubbish. There’s no way that you could play a GS Mini in an ensemble setting and cut through enough to be heard. They are great guitars for travel, I just want to know why people literally worship them. I have not discovered anything overly compelling with the ones that I have played.
It’s interesting that the Yamahas have been around so long that you don’t hear all the hype that’s around newer brands.
They’ve always been good value well made instruments even 50 years ago.
Thanks for the review.
Wow, premium content! Thanks.
You did a great job on this review! It's truly a lovely guitar and it highlighted your lovely playing quite nicely! Quick request, do you think you could add the Phil McKnight sock test to help us see how the fret ends "feel?" It's a smart way of revealing what kind of adjustments, if any, are needed. Might I suggest focusing just a bit on the fret work... just a little. Any high spots, the "scratch" test when bending notes, fret sprout, sharp ends, that kind of thing. Thanks again for the great review, Chris!!♥
Very nice review. I could see myself owning one of these one day. I'd have to change out that pickguard though!
These videos are probably the most informative, yet at the same time the most painful guitar reviews I've even seen. That drop test rattles my bones every time.
Love these reviews!!
Sounds pretty dang good! And just so people know, martin had non scalloped braces for decades and still does on some models. A bone nut and saddle, good SOLID PINS. That thing would sound amazing
And pull out the godawful undersaddle element, plus open short shaft tuning machines.
Wow... what an excellent and comprehensive review and presentation. Thank you
Awesome video as always guys !!! really beautiful guitar !! Any thoughts on the Takamine GN93 CE?
Very interesting tests!
Thanks for the breakdown/anatomy analysis. Appreciate it!
Not everyone can do it....
Great review! Would love to see your thoughts on the similarly priced Recording King RD-342.
I owned a D-41 and sold it to pocket the difference after I'd played the LL16D. It is a stellar guitar and easily holds its own with ANY Martin, including my friend's D-45. It may not 'surpass' the great Taylor/L'Arrrivee/Martin/SantaCruz/Collings but it sure does feel and sound fine for several times less money. And it's NOT just about the money. It flat out sounds great, has a fine neck superior build, and I'll be upgrading further up the LL line to the handmade. I like all your videos and truly appreciate the efforts. Can't currently order one of yours, but working on it. Thanks for this cool dissection! I really push mine when strumming, and find that the bass capacity is enhanced by bringing up the action a bit. I typically play classical as well, so no problem. The scooped mid thing levels out a bit too--and I agree with the shimmer. This guitar does that. The staunch bass of say, an Alvarez Artist Jumbo (even in maple) is bigger than this guitar can offer though. When I really pounded barre chords I find the LL16D keeps up with any Martin, as I mentioned. For balance my L'Arrivee 10 Koa / Mahogany is unsurpassed, but I just use it for mellow shows and studio. Anyway. Thanks again for your thoughtful expertise, and evoking a response. Fun!
Thanks for your videos, knowledge, and insights. This is one for my list. For future videos, Would it be possible to dig into the Enya Carbon Fiber X4 PRO? I'm really interested in your take on this one.
Great review. And fair. It certainly makes Yamaha look like a strong choice
I own LS-Ta which is transacoustic version of that in Jumbo size. Very stable and enjoyable. Had to do some adjustments and changed to solid pins as you advised before. Great guitar for 700$ used plus adds
Yep, have the LL-TA and it's great
Great content as always. Please do an Eastman Dreadnaught. Cheers from Canada!
Gooood afternoon from central Florida! Hope everyone has a great afternoon!
Awesome video, very informative. I would have loved to see a review/cutting of a Red Label Yamaha to see how it compares !!
Great review! Thanks.
Please do a Japanese made Yamaha like the FG5 or FGX5. Would love to see that.
Just got an fsx 5 and it’s spectacular
I spent hours demoing smaller acoustics, picked up an FGX 5 and once that neck hit my hand the choice was made. Not fancy looking but feels and sounds amazing.
I just got an LS16 (orchestra size) and am very much in the honeymoon phase, so do take this with a grain of salt. But I have to say, I am very impressed.
I had gone into my search thinking I'd be paying 2k-2.5k for a good mid-range guitar (solid woods, orchestra size, good tone and playability). I played several Taylors and Martin's that were 2.5k or even 3k+ guitars and, in my honest opinion, the Yamaha beat anything I could find under 3.5k or 4k. The neck finish is fantastic, very comfortable and smooth-feeling; the sound rich and clear; the fit and finish are great, excellent attention to detail in terms of craftsmanship and set up out of the box. Even the piezo sounds quite nice to my ear. I also tried out an LL16, and was equally impressed.
I ended up paying much less than I had planned to, and frankly, I cannot believe I got such a great guitar for that price. Very happy camper here!
I have to say, it hurt my soul to see that LL16D get dropped and cut in half. I appreciate the in-depth analysis, though. Not for the faint of heart XD
Martins and Gibsons are easily priced double what they're worth if it wasn't for the name on the headstock. They've spent a lot of money cultivating the hype because they know that a fool and his money are easily parted .
For a little perspective, I have the LL-16 and the LS-16. The LL-16 sounds so much better, there is no contest. They are totally different instruments.
Really informative, guys, and much appreciated. I'd love to see a review of a Yairi Masterworks DYM95 or similar model. I have a DYM96 and love it.
Nice review! I don’t even play and still enjoy your content very much.
I recently bought a 2013 LL16 12 (pre ARE) I LOVE IT!
Thank you for this incredible review. I really love my Yamaha A3M and my LLTA. They're my daily players among my Taylor's, Martin, PRS, Breedlove and Rainsong (carbon fibre) The Yamaha are at the top. 👍
Excellent video full of great info! Pls do one on the Breedlove Organic.
Great review. I’d love to see one on the Easton e1d or e2d guitars.
Thank you for your very informative video! I learned a lot about how guitar’s are made. I play a Yamaha AC5R, and many of the construction features are present in my model Yamaha. The Yamaha acoustics rival the big expensive brands, thank you for reinforcing my opinion about this. I own Martin, Alvarez, Seagull, Beard and Michael Kelly guitars. The Yamaha is the best sounding unplugged of all my guitars. I have a powered pickup system different the piezo in LL16. I prefer the availability of volume and tone control on body of guitar so I don’t have to go to my amplifier for adjustments during a live performance. The Yamaha pickup system equals the Fishman Aura in my Martin.
I liked and subscribed to your channel. I look forward to viewing more of your videos in the future
✌️❤️🎸 Rob from Long Island
Excellent review as always. I would love to see a video on Eastman Guitars. Specifically the Eastman E8OM-TC :)
My favorite videos from you guys! Love that you're keeping the guitar companies honest and making sure we all know what our money is buying us.
Just curious, what happened to the rating score though?
Yamaha got rating so high they had to hide it.
they probs just didn't remember
@@LegsON9
For that price range this one must be a 10 . Unbeatable tone comes with a beautiful look like a 3k guitar
Love this review. I chose the Yamaha AC5M over the LL16 because it's electronic I like better. I'm still am looking for a LL16 /LL26 to get in the future.
Wow. This surprised me. It was amazing how much the headstock was vibrating in the falling forward slo-mo part of the video.
What does that mean? Does it mean it's built well?
I've played many guitars over the years and always impressed when I pick up and play a a Yamaha acoustic guitar .
I have one of these, in the folk size. It's my favorite. I use an external pre-amp to play live.
Always enjoy your reviews,, came across this one because I have been checking out the Yamaha fs3 was wondering if you ever played them? Thanks
Good to hear your take on the scooped sound. I settled on a Yamaha A3 because all the other guitars sounded super middy which is too much for me.
1 minute in he answers the martin/taylor comparison question. Brilliant.🎉
Re: Torrefied woods: I agree that treated woods do make a difference on a new instrument. However in my experience non-treated spruce tops need a few months (I have heard 6 months, mostly) to mature to the same point. I use Western Red Cedar for the tops in my guitars and find about 4 months is needed for maturing provided the guitar is played regularly.
Hi Chris, may i know why all guitar's inside (top, bottom and sides) face are not protected by some sealer to protect it from absorbing water in case if spills or moisture in general?
Thanks for the awesome video. I learn a lot from these series.
Can you do a Alvarez Masterworks Elite next? Also I wanted to ask if you could also do a video o guitar woods or type combinations for an acoustic guitar duo. Example, would a Sitka Dreadnought play well with a Mahogany Parlor.
Although the bridge and nut are plastic (actually synthetic polymer), they are a special type of plastic and are specifically blended to sonically match the guitar. On forums people have tried to swap these out for bone/tusq/etc with diminished results.
Tusq nut/saddle are technically a 'plastic' also.
Great stuff. Yamaha exceeding price expectations since the mid-seventies. I'd be interested in seeing a similar review of modern Sigma guitars.
Looks pretty good. Is that a slipper foot neck block? Whole guitar looks very nicely built.
I’ve the LL6 and I love it.
I don’t think I play well enough to drop a grand on a guitar but out of the 4 guitars lined up next to my living room chair, all of them are Yamaha.
Me too... my LL6 is awesome and I have 4 other Yamaha acoustic guitars that I love....
Great review
I have a beat up 79 Yamaha 000 that's all plywood. I put a bridge doctor in it and maintain the frets and action and I'll say with absolute confidence and plenty of reference, it sounds just as good as any 3-4k Martin I've ever played.
Great idea for a series. Can you do the Takamine GD93 sometime? It's a great guitar for the price and would love to see an in depth review like this!
The sound is great! Thanks a lot.
I agree that Yamaha is a very under rated company for a lot of things. I think it sounds best for a singer song writer task. The ducking of the mids will help the vocals fit better, were as something like a Martin would be better for a solo acoustic act.
Ah, finally another breakdown :)
I suggest next breakdown should be one of those Harley Benton guitars, who are dead cheap but actually not bad at all (for the money). I'd love to see which corners they cut to build such nice but cheap guitars.
Hi Buddy are your dawn guitars just put in the dumpster love your videos, Best Regards.
Yeah, cool idea! I recently bought a HB for 200 EUR , a b stock one (Harley Benton CLF-200 WN) and looks amazing. Sounds decent too. My only issue is the neck profile is kind of like a C/D or D profile. Funny they don't mention it in the description for this model, for other similar models it says C shape but I wish it was a real C shape indeed.
Great review! I agree that the solid wood Yamaha guitars have a similar sound profile to Taylor guitars. Not as distinct as a Martin or Gibson, but still a great sound. Would love to see y'all review an Eastman guitar.
Great video. I've always been kind of a fan of Washburn, and I'd like to get your opinion on that brand. Not any particular model as I've picked up and played some of their guitars in the $350+ range, and found that many of them played better off the shelf than many competitor brands at the same price point.
Hey guys, I've owned this guitar for about 6 months and I'm thinking about putting a set of medium/light or medium gauge strings on it. I watched your video and noticed that it faired well enough even with the heavy gauge strings on it. In your opinion, will this guitar be ok in the long run with mediums? Some folks say engelmann doesn't do as well with mediums but I imagine bracing design factors into it quite a bit. Thanks!
the dowel used for the heel is awesome. glue the back on see what happens
Excellent video. It explained so much that coincides with my impression of the LL16D. I bought this guitar second hand for a good price, less than half price a year and a half ago. The guitar was in good condition, one small imperfection.
My first impressions, visually, it is gorgeous and considerably upmarket with all the pearl inlaying. When it came to playing however, the beefy neck was, for someone like me with smaller hands, a little challenging. I wasn’t aware of the unusually long scale length either, and I have to say that was challenging for me as well. The set up from the previous owner, or perhaps the factory if he never changed it, had slightly higher action, then I would prefer making it just a little bit hard to play. but I didn’t change it as this happens a lot with a Guitars and I just sort of get used to it.
So right off the bat, this is not my go to Guitar.
Tonally, your assessment of a mid scoop sound was spot on. My son who is an on again off again guitar player committed immediately., “ dad, that sounds bright”. That was my impression as well.
I brought the guitar to work a few times where some of us jam at lunch and I will say it was definitely the loudest guitar there (note to self: mission accomplished ha ha).
The guitar has now been in its case in the closet for close to year, and it is likely to be on the chopping block soon. I appreciate the workmanship which for a mass-produced guitar is great, but when I heard you playing James Taylor on the Yamaha, I just looked over at my 1970 Gibson, J 50 and said “ you will never be replaced”. :)
I'd be interested to see a Seagull breakdown, probably the S6. Like the Yamaha, they always seem to do well on the "bang for buck" criterion, and I'd be interested in seeing how well made they are. Thanks for your videos!
I've just made a comment about it 😂 It would be so awesome!
seagulls are 400$ laminate guitars, not worth it. We need them to do an American made solid wood instrument and step it up! Martin 15 series or Taylor 3 series should be next! time to see how the big boys stack up!
@@angelg8445S6 has solid top. The Maritime is all solid. I couldn't give a s... about American or not as long is well made and it plays well.
@@sacardevos I dont care ab america either but the best(aside from Bourgeois) and Japanese Yamaha, Furch, and a few others are MOSTLY made in America, it is what it is.
@@angelg8445 The laminate that Seagull uses isn't the typical guitar laminate. It is 3 solid pieces of cherry glued together, which makes for a great sounding laminate. Most laminates have a thick poplar core, which is a terrible tonewood, surrounded by a thin veneer of a good looking tonewood.
Great review. I played one for a good while (2nd hand mint £450 in the UK). Fabulous guitar which I would have kept forever excpet I had too many guitars and I'm on a one-in one-out. Mine was before torrified, but it had some age on it and also before they added the abalone binding. Even at its full price it is an incredible guitar, and I cannot praise it highly enough. Fabulous to play. You're on the money with the bracing issue. I happen to have an HD35 which is scalloped and can't be beat, but the issue is that unscalloped bracing can be fine - it depends on the top stiffness (amongst other stuff). Incidentally, mine had the exact same 'buzziness' - I think that's the shimmer you got hold of there. Nothing like a Taylor, mind you.
I do like the Yamaha guitars, the V-neck is a killer feature.
Great guitar. First order of business for mine was ordering directly from Yamaha a bone saddle and nut from an LL26. Then put ebony bridge pins. Awesome bang for buck.