Yamaha L-Series Transacoustic Guitar with Hard Gig Bag - Concert Size, Vintage Tint

I had a technician at Guitar Center tell me about these Transacoustic guitars and how much he liked them. I honestly thought it was a gimmick. It's not. They do make a cheaper one (F series) and I played one at GC before buying the L Series Dreadnought. Head-up, the F series doesn't come with a bag. That was enough for me to wait on the L series to ship. I really wanted the solid wood back and sides anyway, so, glad I waited. I've been playing a Taylor 810 ($3400 for a new one) for years and it has the same woods in the construction.First, this guitar sounds great without the Transacoustic electronics. It's very piano-like if that makes any sense, warm but very snappy with a punchy mid-range. The action from the factory is a bit high but I'm going to have a technician work it over and will try to update the review. When you turn the electronics on the effects are fantastic. The reverb sounds natural and the chorus adds a 12 string kind of effect. Pretty cool. This guitar is loud, with or without the electronics , and will fill a room with sound easily. I especially like adding a bit of reverb on when fingerpicking to add a bit more volume. It really makes you sound better than you actually are and with the reverb, can make an acoustically dead room sound great.It's a great value for the money. All the hardwoods, electronics, hard bag, and build quality make this a great choice for someone who wants a great sounding guitar with a bit extra to help you keep playing. It doesn't hurt that the guitar is beautiful too. The maple binding is a very nice touch.Update:As mentioned, the action from the factory was a bit high. I had a technician sand the saddle, file the fret edges, and nut. I highly recommend having someone qualified setup the guitar. It made a huge difference in the playability. The going rate for a setup is about $45, well worth it.

I have several acoustics, a 20yr old Takamine cedar top which has aged up, a brand new Ibanez acoustic artwood, and now this Yamaha. The way that wood ages does change the sound and it's hard to describe and not that easy to notice without an a and b comparison, but the first notes I played on the Yamaha, I was struck by how clear they rang out. The torrefaction aging they are doing to the wood isn't snake oil, and it has an easy to hear change on the tone.The upper mid range of the guitar for instance is louder, and there seem to be more overtones. If you could imagine starting with a soft, wet wood, how it would tend to muffle the treble freqencies because it's not very stiff, and then imagine you somehow made that wood as stiff as carbon fiber, and then played it, how much brighter it would sound, it's something like that. The notes sound very clear, and project very well. It actually 'sounds good'. Like play an A chord and someone can tell it's an expensive guitar just from that. It just has that sound.The electronics are also great. I wish it had a built in tuner like my Ibanez but the magic wizardry that is the built in chorus and reverb is pretty incredible. It takes 2 AA batteries from down by the TRS jack, and I haven't had to change them yet after about 20 hours of playing. The chorus especially gives you a 12string sound on a 6 string.The plugged in sound is better than my Ibanez, but still sounds like a piezo. It's okay for using an amp but if you're recording guitar, you're still better off using a microphone pointed at the 12th fret.Now the action......is great. It's the easiest acoustic action I've ever used. It's not as easy to play as an electric, but you won't struggle with it even if you don't play acoustic. It's nothing like my Takamine which is a finger destroyer. The neck also has that knurling down both sides to kind of protect your hand from fret sprouting and such so that even wrapping your thumb around the neck you have nothing grinding on your hand on either side moving up and down the neck. Very smooth, and a matt neck finish so it's not grabby.The tuners are very fast, which is usually a sign of quality. It takes very little movement to tune up or down and once the strings stretch out, it stays in tune. It also does not affect tune very much if you're pulling on the neck or pushing on it which is a good sign. I did not have to adjust the action to get a buzz free experience. The action as a whole is a little higher than I'd like, but you won't get any string buzz with it set like that.My fit and finish is flawless. No scuffs, dings, flaws, from the factory. The guitar uses thick top wood which is much thicker than my Ibanez or Takamine. The guitar also weighs more than my other 2 acoustics and it feels solid.I expect this guitar to last a lifetime.

Quality workmanship, the Dreadnought sounds bright, loud and crisp without the effects, when you engage the reverb and chorus it's how I always wanted my guitar to sound and I can take it anywhere. Played easy right out of the box, was set up well but I lowered the string action by removing material from the saddle as Im learning most guitars generally come set with high action and need to be adjusted to user preferences. I'm a Yamaha fan now, and they are reasonably priced, great value. It's hanging on my wall so It's easy to grab and Jam.