What Do You All Think Of This Yamaha And Is There A Better Option For The $$$?

Elias Graves

Elias Graves

Common misfit
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http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/yamaha-l-series-ll6-dreadnought-acoustic-guitar-with-case

Hand selected materials, handcrafted construction - at an amazing price.
With a solid Engelmann spruce top, multilayered mahogany/rosewood reinforced neck, and ebony fretboard, the Yamaha LL6 acoustic guitar can be judged an excellent deal on materials alone. Yet where this dreadnought really shines is on the strength of its handcrafted construction by expert Japanese luthiers. Every step in the creation of this excellent musical instrument, from tonewood selection to hand-sanding the frets, is done in a small factory by master craftsmen.

Body top

Most manufacturers are using Sitka spruce tops for their high end models. In Yamaha's experience, Engelmann spruce from Canada naturally suits the role for top woods better than any other. The overriding quality for body top material is an allowance for resonance and Engelmann spruce has this attribute in abundance. It is a light wood that is easy to work and enables a good tone response with a wide harmonic range. Visually Engelmann spruce is comfortable on the eye and its opaque light yellow tint is reminiscent of a mature acoustic instrument.

Back & side

Yamaha uses rosewood for both the back and sides on all the L series models. The rosewood blends extremely well with the Engelmann spruce top. It disperses resonance evenly and effortlessly.

Neck block

The neck block reinforces the neck joint. Yamaha has improved the conventional C block design by enlarging the surface area that is in contact with the top of the guitar. The block securely meets the underside of the top adding a real depth to the tone of the instrument.

Bracing

X-bracing maps out the vibration patterns of the guitar. Each of the eight braces has been carefully positioned in order to bring out the tone in a balanced fashion and find a natural harmony with the guitar's tone woods.

Multilayered reinforced neck

Traditionally, an acoustic guitar neck is carved from a single timber block. As the grain of the timber has to be angled at about 14 degrees to accommodate the headstock, it leaves itself vulnerable to excessive stress. To alleviate the potential of neck movement over time, Yamaha has introduced multilayered necks.

The LL6 model features a strip of rosewood set into the center of the mahogany neck. Rosewood has been chosen for its rigidity and the way it complements mahogany tonally.

Bridge

The unique larger bridge on the LL6 provides a more efficient transfer of the string vibrations to the body of the guitar, giving a tight, clear midrange and a full, balanced tone. Handcrafted with chamfered edges, the bridge design offers a perfect balance of tone, comfort, and style.

Yamaha has over thirty years experience of crafting quality steel string instruments by hand. Today's L series guitars are a testament to the decades of that extensive research and development work.

Yamaha design themes center around the following points:

A balanced tone and response. The ultimate goal. Bass and treble must complement each other, encouraging inspiration from the guitarist rather than compensation.

Dovetail neck joint. Since the '70s, Yamaha has adopted a unique dovetail neck joint. This particular joint gives the guitar the excellent surface to surface (neck to body) contact. In the joint there is nothing but timber. This enables and indeed encourages resonance flow from the neck to the body, aiding the achievement of a balanced tone and response.

Blending of woods. Yamaha's experience of blending quality woods ensures that the highs are really sustained and note texture is under maximum control at all times by the player.

Body Designs. Yamaha's original L series has shoulders that are slightly more slender than a standard dreadnought design and the body has been designed to be subtly wider. This gives the guitar a more definite tone.

Lacquer expertise. Without a doubt, one of Yamaha's most significant strengths. They work very closely with lacquer manufacturers. The focus being less is more. Specially developed finishing materials, unique to Yamaha are used on handcrafted models. Ultimately, this gives the guitar every chance to breathe and tonally shine. A good acoustic guitar must feel alive and not simply just sound good!

Check the drop-down menu to the right to select colors and/or other options.
Features
Body Type: Dreadnought
Body Wood: Rosewood
Top: Solid Engelmann Spruce
Scale Length: 650mm (25-9/16")
Neck Joint: Dovetail
Neck Wood: Mahogany/ Rosewood (3 ply)
Fretboard: Ebony
Frets: 20
Nut Width: 44mm (1-3/4")
Bridge: Ebony
Tuners: Die-cast
Hardware color: Gold
Finish: Hi-Gloss




Thinking about getting it for my son for graduation since the Ibby got ripped off.
 
Looks pretty nice. MIJ, lacquer finish, solid top, etc for $500 with case. With discounts, I can get it for $425.
 
i think that in the under $300 range, you can't buy a better instrument than a Yamaha. at $500, the only real competition are the Godin brands. i'm not saying i wouldn't buy a $500 Yamaha. i'm just saying i'd make certain it was the best instrument in the room.
 
I agree with Howie, but those are some seriously nice specs on the Yamaha which you're unlikely to find n other brands at that price, such as the ebony fretboard. I'm more of a cedar top kina guy, but I wouldn't hesitate to check out the Yammie.
 
At $500 you have the Epi masterbilts, your pick of the Blueridges & Eastman has a model at that price point.
 
Well, there could be many choices that are not so good...you can't go wrong, but I'm with the crowd - check out some others, esp. the Canadian ones :)
 
Have been looking at eastmans and epi masters, too.
This yammie isn't in stock to try. :embarrassed: I like that it's mij and the specs are real nice. Real lacquer finish; not dipped in plastic. Yammie is one of the few brands I would even consider buying without trying.

I'll go to red dirt bros this afternoon and see what they have. Often some decent used stuff shows up there.
 
Assuming that you like the shape of the neck and the way it sounds, the Yamaha seems like a nice choice. In addition to the choices others suggested, you may also want to consider keeping an eye out for used Guild, Tacoma or Taylor (the 100 or 200 series) guitars. Not sure how tight you budget is, but you may be able to get a nicer guitar for just a little more $$$.

For example, I see a variety of Guild acoustics (USA built) on Craigslist here in Chicago listed between $400 - $600. Not sure what the used market is like where you live, though.
 
That's a great guitar. I got a FG700S for my daughter last year. I put new strings on it and was really impressed with the sound and playability. On top of that it was less than $200.
 
My dad has an old Yamaha acoustic, I think it is older than me. It sounds amazing, well amazing after I change the stings on it. He has never changed them himself.
 
I have the older model of this. The LD10.

I've tried others after and heven't felt the need to buy one. Ultimate GAS killer.
 
You can't got wrong with the Yammies from my experience. But, they're not as easy to find. Don't forget about the other guitars mentioned. All of them are good isntruments too, and are more commonly found than the Yamahas are.
 
EG if it was me, I'd drive up to Githrie and check out doublestop fiddle shop. lotsa nice acoustics there. and ya can try anything and everything ya wanna.
 
Like Howie said, play it, and get the best guitar in the room for the money.

That said, if I walked into a shop looking for a mid range acoustic, Yamaha would be top of the list of names I'd probably ask to get down from the wall to try first.

I have a Yamaha acoustic with piezo that cost me £240 new 15 years and it is still as good as anything else I've ever tried below four figures since.
 
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