Quality Yamaha Guitars

[edwardcav]

Hi everyone.

I have recently acquired a Yamaha Clasical Guitar info booklet. I believe that they are available for download for free of their website.

I am interested in these guitars; not neccessarily for purchase - however, I am more curious why no one talks about these guitars? Are they poor quality? The GC series especially - they are expensive guitars! The knowledge acquired by the Yamaha kids in the pic is from Spanish luthiers Eduardo Ferrer and Manuel Hernandez. I don't know much about Spanish luthiers and old guitars, but I have not heard of these folk...

Has anyone played the GC Series of Yamaha Classical?

And anyone from GSI - why do you not sell them? Of course they are expensive, especially the GC70, but I assume they do not rival the handcrafted genuine luthiers that you guys stock?

Sorry about all of the questions - I am just curious about these guitars... I am not interested in purchasing one, but I'd probably jump at the oppurtunity to play one. They are certainly pretty gutiars - this does not always mean that they play well.

Thanks!

[snetzley]

Hi Edward,

It'll be interesting to see what GSI and other folks have to say about the Yamaha classicals. Just wanted to share that I have a Yamaha G235 classical that is over twenty years old. I don't play it much anymore since I bought my Ramirez earlier this year. There's NO comparison, of course! :P

However, my Yamaha, which was a nice mid-range student model when I bought it, is well made and has a nice tone. There's a lot of "punch" to it, too. It's really stiff, if you know what I mean. But I doubt the newer high-end models would have that particular problem. :)

The point is my mid-range Yamaha has served me very well through the years. Other than having the action lowered, I have not had to do any repairs on it all.

[Miguel]

Hi Edward,

since we do not carry them, I am not very familiar with the Yamaha line and their features. I have seen and played a few in the past, and my experience with them is that their entry to mid level guitars are quite reliable, and in general their quality control is very consistent. They make good, durable "work-horse" guitars.
On the other hand, if you have them compete against hand-made instruments, that's perhaps where they may start having a hard time keeping up, at least in terms of tone (the aesthetics on a Yamaha are usually near flawless)
I have never played Yamaha's higher end instruments, so I wouldn't be able to give a valid opinion on that area.

Hope this helps,
Miguel
GSI

[kornflakes]

I'm thinking my next classical guitar may be a yamaha, the new '4 T' design makes them worth a look. My present guitar is an Alhambra 4P, but it does'nt respond well beyond the 7th fret. By the way snetzley your Yamaha according to my catalogue was made between 1977-1981. The GC70 must be pretty good for the price, the GC40 is probably more in my price range. Any thoughts on wood choice, Cedar or Spruce? Thanx in advance.

[edwardcav]

I probably wouldnt get a Yamaha... There is probably a reason why they are not played much!

As for the CURRENT mid-rang Yamaha's theya re the best value for money around if you ak me. The CG-171 Spruce, I think it was, was a fantastic instrument. All for about $1000AUD ($400Usd).

Theres a whole new forum topic as it is: Cedar or Sruce. Cedar can be played straight away and I prefer Cedar, but Spruce is loveley to look at, and takes a while to play in, and appreciates the older it gets, usually. If you choose a Yamaha, with spruce, go for an aged top, and PLAY IT FIRST!

Out of curiousity, how much is the GC40 you were looking at? Im sure for the price you could find a neat instrument here.

BTW, there certainly has to be more people out here that have heard or played the newer GC line of Yamaha classical - Segovia apparently designed the GC-71?!?!?!!?

[Jonny Hotnuts]

Segovia did some consulting for Yamaha but did not design the guitar (so did many other people).
According to Yamaha the bracing design of the GC-71 is based on 1880 Torres.
If I am not mistaken the GC-71 is a 10000 USD stick.
And while I have never played one they look like they are the real deal.

http://www.yamaha.com/yamahavgn/Documents/Guitars/gc71.pdf

But I think many people will not be willing to drop that kind of coin on a guitar they will have to wait 6 months for when so many good shops are making wonderful guitars that have a name built around doing one thing…..making catguts. It would make me feel a bit odd to know that my handcrafted 10,000$ guitar was being built next to a 5 valve R1 racing bike cylinder head (I am sure this is not the case).

But on the other hand Yamaha was first a musical company. (their logo, even used on jet skis, motorcycles and guitars is three tuning forks). And I am sure that they are wonderful guitars in every respect. The question is who is going to drop the cash to try one out.

Maybe if someone from Yamaha reads this they could send me a new GC 71 and I will be thrilled to do a full and comprehensive review on it. Maybe send Ed one too.


:D

[edwardcav]

:lol: sounds like a plan.

[Flynn]

Anyone has experience with Yamaha Silent Guitar SLG100N? Is it worth of buying to practice while not at home?Thanks.

[keith]

$10,000 and a 6 month wait? if i were to drop $10,000 on a guitar, a 6 month wait would not be an issue.

one reason folks may have a problem with a $10,000 (i recall seeing one advertised somewhere for $8000) yamaha is the name: johhny hotnuts got it right: one does not associate high end classical guitars with a company that makes stereos, jet-skis, motorcycles, etc. if they used another name maybe they could pull it off.

jose rameriz 3 tells a story of his great uncle manuel putting a torres label on one of his (manuel's) guitar. the critics loved the guitar (so torres! they said). he pulls off the lable and there it is....the manuel ramirez label. the rest is history.

the moral of this story: the label is the last thing one should consider and the ears and hands the first (sound, playability) .

as to their travel guitar. i think the nut is the size of a crossover guitar and not a standard classical. personally i like the solette in that it is designed not only around a standard classical, the frame is offset to mimick the depth of the body of the guitar. check out sharon isbin's website for more info.

[kornflakes]

I think the Yamaha GC40/1 can be picked up for about £1000, thatsabout $1500 i think. Really i just want an upgrade from my Alhambra 4P to a solid wood guitar, i think i can pick up a solid from anywhere from £350-£1000.

[Jon Carter]

I tried one for a month and didn't like it. It would have been bearable if it was the only guitar I was playing, but it felt too different to be a part time substitute for a standard classical.

As Keith says the nut is the width of a crossover, a big design fault in my opinion. When you are used to the width of a classical, those couple of mm's make all the difference, and the neck is also substantially shallower. As for the body (or frame with the dimensions of a cutaway, but with a third of the depth) it is awkward to play in the classical position. The contemporary flamenco position was the most comfortable.

But forget playing flamenco rasgueados on it - the in-bridge pick ups can't handle them. The notes need intervals. And when you habitually go for a golpe, your hand falls through the guitar.

It is tricky to tune as you dont get a continuous flowing pitch when you turn the pegs, it tends to jump from one pitch to the next. It is easier to tune switched off and without the headphones.

Is there anything good about this guitar? Yes. Single note passages, glissandos and arpeggios sound good, especially with the reverb on. It has a jazz guitar sound to it, Django's Minor Swing melody sounded great. But it needs to played through an amp to be appreciated.

If you want to be a classical guitarist, forget it. It will spoil you. The legato is done for you.

If you want to be a Yamaha SLG100N guitar player - it is perfect.

[Flynn]

Jon Carter and Keith thank you very much for insight on SLG100N. :) Very helpful!

[keith]

hey kornflakes--go to guitar stores, play a bunch (same pieces on each to give you an idea of how that guitar responds to that piece), choose the one you like, plunk down the money, go home, play the guitar, have a bass ale or two, play some more, more bass ale, play...... after a while you will look like this 8) + :lol: you get the picture. of course, i could interject a shameless plug for the extremely-almost new ramirez 2e i have for sale with hard case shipped (and a steal, price wise) ...but i won't.

good luck.

[Jonny Hotnuts]

With everything wrong with the SLG100N I do have to respect a guitar that can have classical played on it AND break down and fit into a small box. It plays ok, looks slick and can go places you would never take something high end. I think it was Yamahas goal to make a great travel classical guitar, that does not sound bad and for a resonable price.

In my opinion they have acheved just that.
I played a few of them.
They are great if they are not the only guitar you own!
:D

[RDS]

I have a GC-71 Got it at a big discount. Very high quaility instrument. I like the Japanese guitars, and was concidering an Asturias before this deal came along. I also like the Yairi guitars. Rick

[edwardcav]

How much did you get the 71 for? Thats the Segovia model, yeah? The Hauser style? Tell us more - what does it sound like? I am very interested, especially in the price.

[RDS]

The 71 lists for $12,000, I got a "blem" (I think It may have been in a show) I'd rather not give the price but it was very reasonable. I is a very lightly built and braced guitar. Very loud, excellent craftsmanship, fine woods. It is he Hauser style. Rick

[MegaBrawn]

I have a GC-71 Got it at a big discount. Very high quaility instrument. I like the Japanese guitars, and was concidering an Asturias before this deal came along. I also like the Yairi guitars. Rick

Hi I'm a new member and hope you don't mind me adding my 2cents.

I am a Singaporean classical guitarist and have finished my Yamaha grade 6. I'm not very experienced but have had the opportunity to try alot of Yamah guitars.

For low-mid range guitars, I feel Yamaha produces great guitars. However, I was not impressed by their silent or GC guitar.

I've been playing Yamaha guitars for the last 5 years, and I feel all their guitars have great consistency in terms of quality. But I feel their guitars are only good up to the $500 price range. If you are going to pay anything more, I feel that you can get a better quality instrument by a different luthier.

I prefere Asturias models of similarly priced Yamaha models. Excellent guitars. I think Yamaha came up with their silent guitars to offer a cheaper, alternative to the Soloette and Miranda tech's silent, in Asia. Silent guitars are virtually non-existant here. It sounds 'ok' at the pirce range to me, but it's not going to replace my Austurias anytime soon. :D

[Gabriel Gardea]

Hello!
I own a Yamaha GC41C (American Red Cedar Top/Honduras Rosewood sides and back) for two years now and it has very good tone, volume and projection for its price range. Construction is flawless, and to be honest when I first saw this guitar I was impressed more for the beauty of its construction and details than from the quality of its sound. As I am only an amateur classical guitarist I decided to buy it and thought that sound should improve as time passed by. I can say now that sound has improved a lot and I do not regret my purchase. I would highly recommend these guitars! Actually I tried for a while to get a GC71, but it is almost impossible to get one here in Mexico. And anyway I guess it is also far beyond my price range!
Gabriel Gardea
Torreón, México :D

[et041053]

hey Gabriel, are Montalvo classic guitar good guitars have u own any of it since it is made in Mexico check out this site :roll: http://www.berkeleymusic.com/

[Gabriel Gardea]

Hello et,
I've never heard of this guitar constructor. I will check it out in the web site. If you go to Paracho in the Mexican state of Michoacan, you can find several very good guitar constructors and some of them are cheaper than the real famous ones and quality is not very much different. I just bought one guitar from a Constructor by the name of Arnulfo Rubio. It is a Canadian red cedar top, and Brazilian Rosewood sides and bottom, with an outstanding quality and it cost me around $2500.00. If you buy a similar guitar from a real famous constructor like Abel García who is also Mexican from Paracho ( actually you can buy his guitars in GSI) will cost at least double the price.
Gabriel

[foxtrot]

i have an entry level CG111C Yamaha guitar with solid cedar top and laminate nato back and sides. The label states that its made in Taiwan by Yamaha. i don't know much about guitars but the build and finish quality looks to be 1st rate in every way without any flaws. i showed it to a friend who is an experienced guitar player and he was impressed with the quality and tone considering the cost ($229) ( his La Patrie had flaws)...this will become my take to work guitar once i get a higher end guitar for home use...

[adilzahrani]

Hi everyone.

I have recently acquired a Yamaha Clasical Guitar info booklet. I believe that they are available for download for free of their website.

I am interested in these guitars; not neccessarily for purchase - however, I am more curious why no one talks about these guitars? Are they poor quality? The GC series especially - they are expensive guitars! The knowledge acquired by the Yamaha kids in the pic is from Spanish luthiers Eduardo Ferrer and Manuel Hernandez. I don't know much about Spanish luthiers and old guitars, but I have not heard of these folk...

Has anyone played the GC Series of Yamaha Classical?

And anyone from GSI - why do you not sell them? Of course they are expensive, especially the GC70, but I assume they do not rival the handcrafted genuine luthiers that you guys stock?

Sorry about all of the questions - I am just curious about these guitars... I am not interested in purchasing one, but I'd probably jump at the oppurtunity to play one. They are certainly pretty gutiars - this does not always mean that they play well.

Thanks!

Hello everyone
I own a Yamaha 71
also i have a Contreras dubletop and
and a yamaha60, a brooger
Yamaha 71 Guitar is a grate and have a beter quality than the Spanish match, which is located at the same rate Price has a beautiful voice and a very balanced sound
the bass tones better than any other guitar I ever played
I recently sell it to some one , but I bought it again, but unfortunately this person may have been used re-polished ata luther do not understand something about guitasrs
the guitar lost much of its strength and beuty
so i will be re-sent to Guitar Salon to re fineshed it
i by it before 5 years for 7000$
but Certainly i prefer my contreras
the yamaha gc 60 is a very deferent guitar from the 71 and i dont like it
thes is my guitar:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYJrCoHr7o4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjukWAfyRCg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-X4Ccs81Js
adil

[oc chuck]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYJrCoHr7o4[/url]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjukWAfyRCg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-X4Ccs81Js
adil


Great playing and Whispers of Love is an excellent piece.
Love that bass melody!!!

Thanks for posting.

[Sharstrom]

Some years ago, I ran across a new Yamaha guitar in a pawn shop. No idea why it was there, but they had a bunch of guitars. I ended up buying it. It was a steel string, so not a classical, but it was a solid, dependable guitar I hauled around for acoustic numbers in a band. It played very well [action and etc.] and sounded ok. Not incredible, but ok. I played it for probably five years and sold it to get a better guitar. The guy who bought it from me was a song writer and played it in his home, writing tunes on it, for years til his death.

If that one is any indication, Yamaha makes some decent guitars. Not exciting [I've played others] but the price was far below a Martin, etc., and I could actually almost afford it. The price was right, the guitar served me for a while. I now have a Martin OM and a Ramirez classical and they are far better instruments but there was nothing wrong with the Yamaha. I had a classical student once who had a Yamaha classical, though it's been some years ago and I don't recall much about it. But she liked it, it played in tune, the action was very playable, and they are built to take some abuse, or they seem to be. The one I had and the few I've played I would not pay a lot of money for, but I would not discourage anyone from getting one. When I sold the one I had, there were several people who wanted it once I let it be known I was moving on to another guitar.

[hiro]

I remember the acoustic guitar forums hammered on it as the cheap ones were cheap, had ugly tone (this was years ago), shoddy workman ship, all lam etc.

But just a few days ago I played my friends, all lam, and it wasn't as horrible as I thought. It was in neglected condition, but surprisingly still in tune (had to dust off the frets etc), and had some good tone.

A true workhorse guitar. Not as great in tone-age as my el cheapo 400 USD no label spanish guitar but good.