A full review of the Yamaha LL16D / The Guitar Breakdown

[@michelsavoie6971]

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.

[@urwholefamilydied]

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.

[@persiaguitar]

Do you have a line in the middle of your guitar belly like this guy ? i.imgur.com/LGg0JNv.png

[@cugir321]

They definitely stay in tune better then most. I installed a zero glide zero fret which makes it even more stable. It's chinese made....if you're thinking about one be sure to play it before you buy it...mine had a 14th fret hump. I had to level the fingerboard and refret it. Bought it used. It's a Martin killer now!

[@littlegoose9860]

Which DI do you use with this? I was thinking about getting a PZ-DI. Would you use a DI if just playing the guitar through an amp? What difference does it make? I have played my LL16M through a Roland Blues Cube and with some tweaking it sounds pretty good.

[@keithskelton2287]

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 🙏

[@DRChevalier]

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

[@sleepymarauder4178]

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.

[@cheenangng4050]

It's all about open mindedness, I even heard a KZbin saying yamahas are knockoffs.....

[@joshlicht1359]

They also make great drums!

[@f.i.l.d.e.p.s]

@@sleepymarauder4178u probably need to read yamahas guitar building history. im talking about their made in japan series

[@home_tv3561]

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...

[@massimilianopanizza1148]

I bought the LL16 ARE just yesterday. Great guitar, great sound, great care in construction. I am very happy with my purchase.

[@kennygee83]

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.

[@tgh223]

thats the way i feel about my d 28 martin 50 years old and still rocks

[@thecookingfisherman]

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

[@BobPerrone]

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!

[@michelsavoie6971]

Nice! I still have my 12 strings that I bought new in 1988. Still sounds awesome.

[@EmptyMirrorMindful]

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.

[@philhodgetts4068]

This is the first comment I have ever made on any KZbin 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.

[@zakbraverman]

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.

[@VampireA-Oni]

I was thinking the same until I saw the label (At 25:59). It's a "Made in China".

[@shaynme8560]

@@VampireA-Oni that’s even more impressive imo

[@P37_28]

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.)

[@jennyomalley7634]

@@VampireA-Oni Washburn guitars also made in China, as most things around the house.

[@Twitch_Moderator]

​@@VampireA-OniIt's assembled in China. Jaoanese luthiers engineered the guitar. So, they are just following instructions.

[@chrisjohnson9758]

As an engineer, I applaud the detail of this review. Exactly the information I needed! Keep up the great work!

[@andreasStettler]

Why does the string compensation apear under the A String in Stead of the b-String (27:16), that means somoene inserted the bridgesaddel the wrong way, when strings were changed last time. And nobody was worried about that???

[@littlegoose9860]

where's waldo? you should win a prize for noticing that.

[@paulthegeek]

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.

[@amitb.e.5244]

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!

[@amitb.e.5244]

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

[@maplebones]

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 .

[@oscarplaysmusic]

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.

[@davidedwards7172]

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.

[@williamknell864]

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.

[@wolfgangwendland3352]

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.

[@wiiver]

nothing about the gs mini is worth the hype to me. it's just a fine travel guitar.

[@herbalchicken]

​@@wiiverI own one and agree with you

[@toyotozan]

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.

[@codyscott8687]

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

[@wolfgangwendland3352]

@@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.

[@teladan5]

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.

[@Tee-mq2zn]

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!

[@michaelmalik5049]

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.

[@Charles-Darwin]

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.

[@jimwarner1187]

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.

[@tomformanek3312]

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.

[@littlegoose9860]

How does your LL16M compare to the LL16D?

[@tomformanek3312]

@@littlegoose9860 I clearly preferred the LL16M. The tone had more depth and character and I prefer hog.

[@littlegoose9860]

@@tomformanek3312 That is interesting to hear since the LL16M is $300+ cheaper new - it's what I ended up getting and wonder what I might be missing out with the rosewood models. I guess it's just a preference - probably best to have both! Interesting that you kept the LL16M though - I wonder what you preferred about its' sound? Here are some quotes from the internet that all seem to highlight some general differences between the 2 woods ... In very general terms, mahogany has a woodier and dryer tone while rosewood produces more overtones Mahogany generally offers better string definition with more of the fundamental. Rosewood generates more higher order harmonics Mahogany offers clarity, definition, and a crisp attack, while rosewood offers a darker and richer tone and some nice weight to its notes Generally Mahogany produces a slightly brighter sound where rosewood produces a slightly mellower or deeper sound than mahogany

[@tomformanek3312]

@@littlegoose9860 Don't forget there is a LL16 and LL16D. The former is priced like the LL16M. The D version is really about bling.

[@weskaminski8927]

Great review. And fair. It certainly makes Yamaha look like a strong choice

[@Twitch_Moderator]

*I had an LA-8 Yamaha way back. I never found a guitar that sounded as good no matter how much I spent or how far I traveled to find guitars.* *Then I found the LL16 A.R.E. It was nearly the same sound. Definitely the exact same feel. So I was over the moon.*

[@buffdoc46]

It definitely has great sustain. It does sounds great and better than several more expensive ones. My High school graduation present in 1980 was a Yamaha acoustic, still going strong. I changed out nut,saddle, bridge pins.

[@quigley4440]

I've owned Yamaha for years and the LL16 in 6 and 12 strings. Changed the pins to tusq, and Elixer phos/bronze 12-53 strings and it changed everything.. Brought out the mids - and harmonic balance. Recommended for the money.

[@brandonkoch3852]

Always had a soft spot for yamaha acoustics. My very 1st guitar was a 700 series ,I believe.i got it for Christmas as a teen in the early/mid nineties.i drug that thing around and played it to death.until the black painted binding had worn completely off around it.i didn't even own an electric for the 1st 4-5 years of playing guitar.my calluses were epic.It played easy,had good projection etc..when I look back I still wish I owned the beat up old beast.i have a really nice acoustic.but I'm definitely considering picking up a new yamaha.i don't know if my budget will allow for this.but I think I'd be happy with a $500-$600 model honestly.

[@festushaggen2563]

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.👍🏻

[@cliffcampen4033]

A very thorough review. Well done. I do hate seeing the guitar cut in half particularly when I see how terrific it looks inside.

[@chewyfingers1288]

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.

[@billbowers7553]

Me too... my LL6 is awesome and I have 4 other Yamaha acoustic guitars that I love....

[@courier11sec]

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!

[@dobbsguitar]

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.

[@ZacharyWhite25]

I bought the twelve-string version of the LL16 three years ago and it is the best guitar I’ve ever played! And it’s my favorite guitar to pick up and play. It was the best $900 I’ve ever spent on myself!

[@backian]

Yeah❤❤❤ lets support this channel. This really show the craftmanship and quality of guitars.

[@favoriteblueshirt]

Top end Eastman would be my suggestion for the chop.

[@liamfinch4129]

I first played a Yamaha acoustic in Singapore in 1965 - it was astonishingly good and compared really well against the Martin D28. - at a fraction of the price! I still play a Yamaha guitar!

[@stephenpearson9031]

Bet u wish you brought that back with you… we all have those 😂😂

[@tdw57]

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!

[@DDE_ADDICT]

I do like the Yamaha guitars, the V-neck is a killer feature.

[@TUBEORATER]

One of the most informative, comprehensive and detailed reviews that I have seen.

[@GreggBennett-j3p]

Sound Reminds me of my 70’s Yamaha dreadnaught. Wish I still had it. Even back then my circle of guitar friends (high school) commented on its lack of midrange.

[@singingfedexmanjoshcampbel1614]

i’ve owned an LL16 for almost a decade and used it live and in the studio and people mistake it for a martin D series all the time it plays better than any guitar i’ve ever played

[@CoreyMcCormick]

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.

[@briandesjardins728]

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

[@LegsON]

And pull out the godawful undersaddle element, plus open short shaft tuning machines.

[@colinwatt8410]

Best acoustic/electro guitar I ever had is a Yamaha LS16. No other model has come close to matching the beautiful sound, the volume, nor the playability. The low impact pickup has such a well balanced sound too. And I have owned Martin and Taylors.

[@michaelmarine6593]

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.

[@Bettys_Eldest]

I've only bought one guitar new, a Yamaha LL11-e bought in 2001. It plays nicely and I like the sound of it bouth acoustically and through the external pre-amp. Despite being the model that Bert Jansch played it was discontinued several years ago and there's not a lot about it on the internet, but I've never felt the need to replace it.

[@ldemelo]

Awesome review. I have a Yamaha LS 16M and I love it. Would like to see a review on that one.

[@pmscalisi]

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.

[@andrewh6337]

I have an LJ56 Custom ARE, and though I hated to see a beautiful guitar cut up, glad you chopped a Chinese factory made guitar vs the premium Japanese handcrafted guitars! Great review, I need to sneak a boresnake camera around the inside of my guitar and make note of the grain orientation and glue squeeze out and see how it compares. Keep up the great work, fascinating videos!

[@kapiatgatas]

I still have my old Yamaha I got in the 80s made in Japan. Today made in China. When I travel and have a chance to visit Japan at least 3 days. I would travel and buy directly to a guitars makers store. I always go for the older models. Since Japans old generation of luthiers are gone and I try to preserve their work. Not that new Luthiers are bad, they have a different mind set. Either they put their soul into the work or for a paycheck.

[@vandamme211]

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

[@steves12strings]

Yep, have the LL-TA and it's great

[@josephryan5396]

Please do a Japanese made Yamaha like the FG5 or FGX5. Would love to see that.

[@Prosegoldmusic]

Just got an fsx 5 and it’s spectacular

[@drchull]

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.

[@Thrivelife669]

I've played many guitars over the years and always impressed when I pick up and play a a Yamaha acoustic guitar .

[@dalesearcy5734]

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.

[@helmanfrow]

1:30 A year or three ago I spent an afternoon in the acoustic guitar room at my local shop. I've always liked Yamaha acoustics and was playing the mid-to-high end dreadnoughts, marveling at how great they played and sounded. Then I made the mistake of picking up a Martin D28 and it was all over. While Yamaha dreadnoughts sound great and vaguely Martin-esque, when you have them side by side it's not even close. I mean, the difference is night and day. It's not subtle. The D28 has a voice unlike any other. It's rich, buttery and otherwise sublime. Granted I can buy three Yamahas for the price of one D28 but you get what you pay for.

[@robbrown8483]

Yamaha has been gathering the best spruce and other tone wood in the world for decades. Engleman spruce makes for stellar tops. Yamaha workmanship is as good as you want it to be. Even the 300

[@phoenixsound]

I own both the LL16 and LS16. They are great guitars but I do have a love/hate relationship with my LL16. It is very bright and articulate but the low end is deeper than my Martin HD35 and it 5dB louder. I struggled with the brittle trebles for a while and I made a recent accidental discovery. It sounds fantastic with old worn in strings taken from my other guitars. The LL isn’t the best for strumming imho but it’s a fantastic finger style guitar with a warm woody low end.

[@willwetherell7265]

Try Martin Retro Monel strings. I think you will be happy with them.

[@scdaymon931]

I completely understand you... since I had the same problem with my LL16: a love / hate relationship. It sounded heavenly good for finger picking but not great when strumming. I sold it. The Rosewood back and sides gave it that brightness that I couldn't tame (no latter the different strings I tried). I'm guessing that I'm not a rosewood guy, and that the mahogany back and sides would sound much better to me... and probably to you too. We can't also forget that the Englemann spruce top will always give us a lot harmonics and not just the fondamentals (I don't know if I'm saying this right, but engleman resonates a lot.... and is not the best for strumming). Nevertheless, I'm on the market for a LL16 MAHOGANY. And to be honest , I regret selling the LL16 rosewood. Sometimes sounded too bright, but when it sounded good... dear God, it sounded REALLY GOOD!!!

[@phoenixsound]

@@scdaymon931 Thanks for your insight and maybe you are right about mahogany. I used to own an Eastman E10SS which was basically a J45 copy with Adi top over mahogany and it was such a beautiful sounding guitar for finger style or strumming. I love my Yamahas but the Eastman was on another level. I should probably get another. I have been wanting to try the higher end Yamahas for ages now but they are as rare as hen’s teeth.

[@phoenixsound]

@@willwetherell7265 I did try monel but found that they didn’t sound right for me. Thanks for the suggestion though.

[@scdaymon931]

@@phoenixsound so you think Eastman guitars are better than Yamaha ? I've never tried an Eastman guitar, but I surely read a lot about them. What model do you think that comes close the LL16 Mahogany or the FG5? An all solid wood guitar, spruce over mahogany or sapele? Thanks man Ps:I know that strings can't do all the sound, but teg better ones I tried are Ernie ball Earthwood phosphor bronze. Amazing strings!!!

[@MarianoPerez]

This is one of my favorite guitars regardless of price. People think I'm crazy when I say I prefer it to most gibsons and Martin's, but it's true. The entire L series is fantastic, but the LL16D and the Ls16 are so so good. I wish they had a deluxe version for the LS16. Super cool video. Thanks.

[@phanhuyduc2395]

Yeah this deluxe version both look and sounds so beautiful. Perfect for a keeper guitar for our grandkids for a very reasonable amount of money

[@0megalul309]

I wonder why they don't have a ls16d? Maybe cos fingerstyle guitarists are less blingy/country yeehaw

[@TempoDrift1480]

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.

[@davidappleby7214]

Speaking of Yamaha, I'd enjoy seeing your review of the FG5, or the FGX5. Keep up the great work!

[@9999plato]

I loved my LL16 12 string so much that I bought the 6 string deluxe in smudge monster black. Then I bought the AC5R ARE, very nice. I love them all.The AC5R has a little smaller body so its more comfortable sitting. I had my luthier replace the nut and saddles with bone to get the most out of them.I could be wrong about that but there must be a reason why its recommended by so many. I also replaced the pegs with rosewood pegs and even tried brass pegs, It does affect the sound though I suppose that's up to the beholder. The brass pegs definitely brighten things up, think about brighter than regular elixers. ThAC5R has the nicest tuning pegs, they have an open gear and are silky smooth, the LL16's tuners are nice as well but not quite as god, no complaints though.

[@flatroc1]

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. 👍

[@anthonyb2334]

I had a Yamaha LS16R. Very similar but not exact. A guitar I kick myself for selling. These are made so well, no not perfect, but amazing for the money. Great video but painful to see a nice guitar cut up. Thank you again

[@Strato13]

Bet THAT affected your Warranty.. Beautiful Guitar. Yamaha makes great instruments. I recently acquired a 1960's era (Early 60's era at that I believe..) Yamaha G160/G60 Classical Guitar. It is several years older than me, and it is in excellent condition, with just a small blemish on the back. Neck is great, tuners look great, and it plays and sounds beautiful. Only, I do have to take it to a luthier to have it converted to a left handed guitar. I bought it for very cheap, considering its age. Guitar Center accidently sold it as the cheaper G120, so it was a Gem of a find. Guitar Center has some Gems in their used guitars section. Bravo to them!

[@jimsteele2072]

When I get mine, soon, I am taking out the pickup, putting in real bone nut and saddle, and setting it up with 12s. I have never liked undersaddle pickups. I would rather have nothing under the saddle and use a mike. But I love the guitar.

[@billjones261]

The most thorough guitar review on the net , thank you I own this guitar and grateful for the info. 😃

[@GK-vj9dz]

nice videos. one note about playing blackbird, and sorry if this has already been mentioned. on the ascending/descending runs, it's much easier to play the high notes on both the b ad e strings. there are videos of McCartney himself playing it where you can see what i'm saying. the pinky stretch trying to play all the higher noted on the b string is more difficult. but keep playing; keep making, and keep reviewing.

[@peterooms3606]

I have built several acoustic guitars. My first had an Engleman spruce top. It is uncanny how similar the two sound. I also use 80/20 phosphore bronze strings. I like that Yamaha for the price. If you wanted to improve the sound cheaply, put a bone nut and saddle, with bone pins if you want to be fancy. Install one at a time if $ is an issue. You’ll be glad you did. No other will sound like your guitar.

[@carlomaletti4284]

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.

[@AuthenticCelestial]

this is such a good review. so much detail, articulated so precisely. really appreciate it, gonna be watching more.

[@kirbyrohling8392]

I bought one of these and it was a very nice guitar with great sound and it played nicely but I wanted one that was better than any of my guitars so I returned the Ll16D and started searching for an LL36. I ended up buying a slightly used LL56 from Reverb and it is a fantastic guitar that I highly recommend.

[@shaynme8560]

What’s the difference between the LL36 and the LL56?

[@dionst.michael1482]

⁠@@shaynme8560About 20 LL’s! You’re welcome! Lol!

[@tamasszebenyi5942]

Thanks

[@gdslick]

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!

[@SBanas]

I've just made a comment about it 😂 It would be so awesome!

[@angelg8445]

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!

[@sacardevos]

​@@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.

[@angelg8445]

@@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.

[@jonathoncliffbailey]

@@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.

[@mcurtisallen]

Great content as always. Please do an Eastman Dreadnaught. Cheers from Canada!

[@dxcman1]

I'm glad you did a Yamaha review. I have 3 Yamaha's from high end to med and I love them all. I actually sold my Taylor cause I played the Yamaha more. The Taylor was lovely, but it sat off to the side cause I liked the way the Yamaha played. With that being said... It hurt me to watch you cut that guitar in half 🙂I am amazed like many others that Yamaha's are not given the love that some of the other brands are considering the quality.

[@Patbwoy]

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.

[@brianogrady7900]

Hi Buddy are your dawn guitars just put in the dumpster love your videos, Best Regards.

[@whatsupchicken]

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.

[@padrejohnruffle]

16:39 You're spot on! Exactly my own thoughts - it has more of a Taylor sound rather than the iconic Martin D-28 sound!

[@bretwood9779]

Great series, Chris and Matt! Good to see Yamaha lives up to their reputation as an outstanding instrument builder. It would be great to see a breakdown of the Seagull Artist Tuxedo Black. North American build with solid mahogany back and sides, a maple neck(!), and a Richlite fretboard and bridge(!). Priced around $1500

[@ronwheeler1400]

I love the sound of this guitar. And for that price compared to Martin or Taylor, I'd jump on it

[@Cannibal_Actual]

Most Yamaha guitars I pick up play so nice, even the cheaper ones. I don’t own one but I am on the fence about getting one.

[@dionst.michael1482]

I love top tier acoustic guitars but I will ALWAYS carry a torch for Yamaha acoustic guitars ❤

[@davidstokes4630]

I recently bought a 2013 LL16 12 (pre ARE) I LOVE IT!

[@chrisgonzalez1597]

I have one of these, in the folk size. It's my favorite. I use an external pre-amp to play live.

[@user-qm7nw7vd5s]

I have a 1980 Yamaha FG-350D made in Japan (not for export) guitar, that somehow survived nearly half a century without a scratch, barely a nick. Looks very similar to this guitar. This is the finest guitar I have ever held in my hands. Amazing full bodied sound. Difficult to see such a fine musical instrument built to last a century, perhaps many, sacrificed here… I’m very impressed with the elegant solution to adding electronics, integrating the plugin jack in the already metal strap fixture. Ingenious! I would never own a guitar, no matter how nice, with that plastic thing carved into the side. The look is so cheap, brutal. Probably detracts from the sound too. Yamaha has such class.

[@joshuapaulsen7414]

YESssss! Guitar Breakdown episodes are back. So killer, thank you guys for doing this again.

[@shaneball238]

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!

[@Prosegoldmusic]

I’ve had a Yamaha fsx 5 for a month and it’s stellar. Took it over a 00017 and 00016 streetmaster. Any day.

[@karljshaw]

Well done, as usual. Sure looks like an excellent guitar for someone searching in that price range. Thanks for the review!

[@dannywhite1761]

Great review. I have an LL16. Crazy good at any price. Super informative!

[@dukeofearl4117]

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.

[@williamsburgasylum]

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.

[@matthewfunk6658]

Wow, premium content! Thanks.

[@chrisb3k1]

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?

[@LegsON]

Yamaha got rating so high they had to hide it.

[@christopher-miles]

they probs just didn't remember

[@DonaldGliniecki]

​@@LegsON9

[@phanhuyduc2395]

For that price range this one must be a 10 . Unbeatable tone comes with a beautiful look like a 3k guitar

[@neanderthalpunk8186]

Awesome, I love your tear down vids, especially excited as I have this exact guitar

[@johnrichardson1867]

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.

[@davidleach4811]

I have this guitar and your review is very accurate to what my personal LL16 sounds like. I was expecting a much boomier guitar when I bought this but I'm not disapointed with it at all. It's great for 70's pop/folk music to popular bluegrassy country with it's jangley, you called it shimmer sound. Definately has it's own sound. James Taylor sounds great on this guitar.

[@davidleach4811]

Note I did have a bone nut and saddle installed along with solid bridge pins which improved the out of box sound as well. My luthier increased the string spread a tiny bit on the nut as well. I have big hands.

[@anthonymorales842]

the dowel used for the heel is awesome. glue the back on see what happens

[@fredmanteghian5913]

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”. :)

[@kosiekoos9408]

1 minute in he answers the martin/taylor comparison question. Brilliant.🎉

[@migueldemaria3830]

I really enjoy hearing your thoughts and descriptions of the sound and playability. really great series!