Yamaha APX600 vs. APX1200 | Cheap vs. Expensive Stage Guitars

[@PJ-hn4cg]

I actually have had an APX 600 for years but have wanted the 1200 for a long time. I love the size and thin line of the APX series. But listening to the comparison here, strangely enough, I prefer the 600, because the 1200 is too bright for my ear - although the sound projection is bigger. However the neck on the APX series is the best of any instrument I have, acoustic or electric. And that 600 STAYS in tune even after months in the trunk of my car. Thanks for this guys !

[@humanexperiment61]

Exactly what I heard. It´s a matter of Taste, but I prefer the warmer tone of the 600. But everyone who likes vintagetone should better choose a Taylor with Elixier strings 🤣

[@PJ-hn4cg]

@@humanexperiment61 Yes. Of all my guitars my favorite is the Taylor T5z. If I could put a Yamaha 600 neck on it, it would be perfection !

[@PaulBC1981]

Does the 600 neck feel like an electric to play?

[@PJ-hn4cg]

@@PaulBC1981 To me it certainly does !

[@PaulBC1981]

@@PJ-hn4cg cool man, I'll check it out....

[@Mickm0j0green]

just bought the 600 . to learn 6 string as a bass player . i am 60 years old! never to old lol it arrives tomorrow.

[@maximusextreme3725]

How is the 600 holding up?

[@Mickm0j0green]

@@maximusextreme3725 love it. one awesome yamaha . told a friend about how much i really liked this, his was not as perfect lol.i guess i got lucky?

[@lenmiles5150]

True… never too late. I started 6 string at 7 yo, then switch to bass in 1967 as it was hard to find a bass player that sang lead at least back in those days.. Yep, I’m an old relic. Started on 6 string (still my main instrument), so switching to bass was an easier transition, then you’re up against. Nonetheless, enjoy the challenge…👍

[@Mickm0j0green]

@@lenmiles5150 i love it ., i bought a esp 200ht to boot. i am still have issues with spacing lol bass string spacing to a 6 string as you. play ead cover a fret and go to play and hit the muted G string lol play a little the carpal tunnel is a royal pain the bum. do not give up!!! do not let it win lol yamaha apx 600 is one fine acoustic for 350. then i had a friend buy one was not as good..

[@Rammersteined]

I just bought one and am learning guitar at 61 :)

[@jaybrinkman2767]

I’m 5’7, not long arms, torn rotator cuff, large body hurts shoulder. Tried the slim Yamaha at guitar store. Didn’t hurt, could reach over easy. Being older just looking to strum around the house and camping.

[@GuitarNovice07]

I'm planning on buying the APX 600 I went to a shop to check it out today and the sound quality is amazing. It sounds pretty rich and has a good feel

[@JohnPaulMusicUK]

Great video. I have used the original Version 1 APX 500 and is still with me today (called RED). I have since picked up another the APX 600 (Called Lucky Lime) and they are both work horses. GREAT for travelling to a gig and have a double guitar bag for it. they have been battered and brusied and still sound great. I use D'Addario XS 12>53's as im a REALLY heavy chord player. Would ALWAYS recommend these guitars. love them for stage and personal use.

[@MarianoPerez]

If you like the apx1200 but want more of an acoustic solution, look at the cpx1200ii. That guitar is amazing.

[@kennybluet5527]

I got a 600 based on this review. Action was very high. Put on 10 gauge , still difficult . Filed the saddle down and put on silk and steel strings and it plays great. The fretboard is amazing for this price and it sounds great plugged in. Stays in tune well too

[@guitareveryone]

I’ve owned a Yamaha APX-700 for many years now and I have to say that it has a great pickup system and even unplugged it gives a punchy midrange tone. Maybe the 700 shines versus the 600 or they don’t make them as good anymore but mine was a good investment. I own my favourite acoustic guitars of course which are a Martin HD-28 and a OM-28 which obviously blows it away acoustically. However they don’t have built in pickups so my APX-700 plugged into my Fishman amp fits the bill for live situations and delivers great tone.

[@guitareveryone]

@@doublewhopper67that’s true. Still much less than the 1200 though. I sold the guitar a couple of years ago and invested more in a Martin Road series model which I prefer plugged and unplugged over the APX. But the APX is undeniably a great guitar for the purpose it serves and the 700 model I owned gave me what I needed at the time. Yamaha instruments are still a tremendous value in an acoustic guitar.

[@blissroadmusic]

Great comparison here. I owned the APX600 and played it in the Sunday Morning band once a month for about a year. It worked perfectly. very comfortable. plug and play. Sound tech set it up once and we were good to go. After one year I am ready to commit to the better grade APX1000. I doubt that it will sound much different in the overall mix of keys, drums, electric guitar, bass and 2 singers, but I will feel better about my gear. This cheap vs expensive" review is just what I needed to hear today before heading to the store. Thanks Alamo Music!

[@applesauceblues6952]

Go with an LL16 ARE instead. I promise you’ll love it much more

[@blissroadmusic]

@@applesauceblues6952 thanks for the tip. I had tried that model but it wasn't what I needed in the band. I bought the APX 1000 and it is just the perfect size and has great tone in the worship band

[@JTB--]

@@applesauceblues6952 I don't disagree... but the biggest draw to the APX line is the "Thin Body" style.

[@LarryLadale]

I hate long videos. However, in the last few videos, right now, as a first time viewer, I have grown to like listening to you guys surgically break this sh*t down. Especially since I'm looking to branch out from my one and only, old Washburn. Great job guys. Thanks for mastering your knowledge and sharing it with us.

[@scouser2230]

The 1200 has noticeably more projection in sound. In finger style playing it is particularly noticeable.

[@dsw001]

pretty big improvement in pick-up quality between the 1200 and 600, that along with the all solid rosewood build with better appointments makes sense for the $1k markup, but likely not worth it with other options out there

[@stefanchernev4996]

What options are better for 1K?

[@road2abundance]

​@@stefanchernev4996 same observation..

[@thewrongbike7709]

I just bought an APX600 used. In the store against a (cheaper) dreadnought it sounds thin. In this video the 1200 sounds fuller both acoustic and plugged in. However if you are buying the guitar for its tone I would say you are buying the wrong guitar series. The point of this is that is a small travel proof guitar that you don't need to worry about very much to use for practice. Everything else is secondary to that mission. .Thats why I bought mine. In a pub its fine. but in any other setting I would use my hard earned skill though something else.

[@mellowfred8935]

I really like my Yahama APX 600 and play it a lot. If you want a deep tone then get a dreadnought. The APX 600 is a brighter sounding rock sound. Having said that I play everything on mine. EQ your amp and the guitar preamp can really surprise you on how good it will sound even with Jazz. I would say it’s an Allrounder guitar. Easy and fun to play. Very versatile for sure.

[@uberstudent]

As an APX600 owner who is happy but not over the moon with it, this was very informative. The template of both of these guitars well-fill my particular live performance niches through appropriate sound modelling. The playability of the APX600 is nice out of the box but is better with a few minor tweaks.

[@johnybrokeit]

What minor tweaks do you speak of, please :) ?

[@PCFANBOY]

Man I heard the difference as soon as you hit the strings lol. Good sound from the expensive model

[@mineralisk]

I have an APX 500 and I love it as my couch guitar. I don't care about the loudness and the guitar plays great. Intonation is good and the action is fairly low too. Would buy it again.

[@gardnercalibuso]

I got them both... couldn't decide which ones 😊

[@clarissaanaferreirasieiro2127]

I have a Yamaha APX10NA and sounds amazing , think was the first crossovers guitars been made

[@CrankCase08]

I preferred the sound of the APX600, which seemed a bit lighter and zingier. The APX1200 sounded a bit boxier and reminds me of cheapish acoustics I have bought in the past that never failed to disappoint. Based on this, for a recording session it would have to be the APX600.

[@philipsanders7694]

I would save the extra grand, the 600 sounds just fine

[@stevejeffrey11]

yeah and then you have more than enough $$ left over for a decent acoustic amp, mic and cables I gig with the 600 it sounds decent

[@PaulGAckerman]

Two videos in one day? And it's not even my birthday. Thanks for the educational and entertaining content!

[@greg6509]

Loved when you played the blues on these guitars!

[@michaelp9061]

The 1200 sounds awesome. Hope they made a shorter neck version.

[@robynw63]

I own the APX600 and a Yamaha Pacifica electric guitar. I can go back and forth since the neck profiles are similar. Comfort wise, both feel great too.

[@Blacksunshine636]

Interesting, I own a Pacifica and and played a bunch of acoustics in the store and kept liking the APX600 the most. I'm trying to talk myself out of getting one now but having a hard time.

[@timlawrence2759]

I thought the 1200 sounded much better than the 600 through the line input, but otherwise, the difference between the two seemed pretty small. I had a Taylor 814 and sold it 10 years ago, and hadn't played again since until last year, when I picked up a used APX 600 for about $150 just to get back playing again. So my standards for play-ability were pretty high, and the APX isn't bad at all - I like the shallow profile, and while the neck action is a bit high, it can be adjusted if I ever get around to it. It holds its own for the price.

[@tigerbelly2152]

Love the honest review!

[@davidintokyo]

FWIW, back in the late 1980s I was playing Dave van Ronk and Jorma stuff (with fingerpicks) on a D-21 with a pickup amplified (the add-on pickups those days were problematic). The cheapest APX at the time sounded better. I sold the D-21 and bought the top-end APX, and it was wonderful. However, I wouldn't buy either of these. I absolutely hate the sound of piezo under the saddle pickups. The high-end APX models used to also have really good contact mic pickups and allowed you to turn off the piezo. At some point, they switched from contact mics to synthesized sounds. Maybe it works, but I'll pass. (I use a OOO-28 with an LRBaggs in-soundhole pickup nowadays).

[@PaulvanHuet]

You forgot to mention an important difference namely the wider string spacing of the apx 1200

[@texhaines9957]

If you're okay with a guitar made in China, try an Eastman E20SS-V-sb for that $1300 price tag. Thanks for the comparison.

[@texhaines9957]

@OLX kidstaff got my new E20SS-V-sb from a local (Montana) dealer for less than I mentioned. They don't advertise that price.

[@nathanfrisby3133]

Immediately hear the difference in the more expensive one maybe due to the pickup and solid woods.

[@MelodyMaker]

Shouldn't this option provide for some higher octave easier playing solo work given the cutaway and fret board less distant from one's own body.

[@ar15gator]

Excellent review once again, Thank you💯

[@randomuniverse8770]

I love this one. I always though that it has a versatile sound for different occasions and it's good for video recording. Do you guys agree? If not what do you recommend?

[@ingeebeltoft]

Hi duds. I`m a happy beginner of the 600. I hear an rounder sound from the 1200. But its to expensive for me. I triad an Martin ( dont remember the type but same price as the 600 ) it has a deeper body. And man the sound was much deeper and i liked it a lot. Still i love the Apx 600. Much gitar for the money ❤

[@jonijowo9644]

I better choose APX1200 for a good quality sound. But my money choose apx600 for more saver yearly amount. Hahaha

[@joanofarc708]

They make great guitars

[@woodandmetal3107]

APX 600 is a great guitar

[@woodwindrain5020]

Great review & assessment of these 2 lower end models. I'd like to see a review of the Yamaha Ls36r & the Martin 000-28. I have the Ls36r and it is one of my most resonant guitars. It's also very nice & adorned with beautiful abalone inlets around the body & soundhole with gold grover tuners. This guitar in my opinion compares very well to mid- level Martins. I do have Martin, Taylors, Larrivees, Maestro by (Hozen,) and Yamahas guitars.

[@jakeweber5578]

1200 kills it. Yamaha makes the best stuff.

[@waichow5887]

Great comparison. Thank you.

[@seanhallahan14]

Love you guys, you're a gift to us, no question. I'm going to be critical, then effusively complementary at the end. 3:55 "something we should talk about" didn't get talked about sufficiently at all. The whole thing to 4:30 "some kind of scalloped, cantilevered, what-not bracing" are you kidding me, "what not bracing!!!!' seemed unprofessionally dismissive. Alamo should be all over this cantilevered bracing. Not not not cool. "APX bracing is all they really say" REALLY!!! Humbly,the distinctions should have been much much sharper, razor sharp. You should have been totally on top of the this-much-value for x, and the whys and wherefores of the 1200 being more expensive. 4:43 "no big glue blobs" REALLY!!!!! 60 plus years of Yamaha impeccable quality and your pushing "no glue blobs!". Come'on. That was evil crap. 4:56 "I"m sure it's not real abalone." Very not cool. What is it exactly??? You should have called your Yamaha gal/guy in advance. Whatever it is should have been presented much more professionally, and in an educational way that folks can understand how attractive appointments can me mimicked at lower costs. Not a scam. Not duplicitous. Just attractive appointments via technological cost savings. Nato back and sides, huge in the cost differential, was not explained. "All laminate"??? or "All Layered construction?" I don't think it's laminate, I think it's layered. Laminate is compressed vinyl sawdust. I think Alamo and everyone else has entirely missed the boat on explaining how layered rosewood can sound as good as it does. Good on the solid top distinction. Yamaha is a ultra sophisticated engineering company. No longer humbly, Alamo should be educating the public on the engineering of their top and sides material, engineering choices why, what exactly allows Yamaha to hit a great price points with such value. Nothing about the headstock emblem. Some people may say xyz, I don't think you met you're own raised standards. I didn't learn nearly what I should have learned. The low priced end getting so much better is a huge industry thing. Has been for some time. You should be taking the lead on educating the public on the detailed hows and whys. Love you guys. You're a great gift to us. You've taught us to expect more. Please do so. Very good summary, except for comparing the 1200 to a Red Label dreadnought? Really? This all could have been caught with more mindful preparations and execution. Love 'n Light best & cheers, Sean

[@biswasronit]

What a great comment.

[@markharwood7573]

@@biswasronit Yup.

[@TheAnalogKid65]

Sean, I think you were a bit harsh here. They said ALL the things I needed to know- OR want to know for that matter. I enjoyed the comparison and learned enough to begin a journey of discovery on my own.... *I own an APX600 and love it btw. Cheers.

[@markharwood7573]

Over 20 years ago I had the APX4a. It was versatile, it played nicely, and I was unwise to part with it. It's interesting to see that Yamaha is still using the same basic design. There must be a lot right with it.

[@maylonsosnowski3916]

Another great comparison guys! Could you do a comparison of LL16 and variants? Cheers!

[@roshanbeni3601]

I can listen to Chris play and just forget the world

[@VincentLangevin]

Can you guys please do a review or versus on the Yamaha APX 700 Series 12 string? There are no good reviews of it on KZbin! Please guys it would get many views!

[@enricofugazzi5206]

I have 2 Apx 4a. Yes I am that old

[@markharwood7573]

Wish I still had mine. Could have saved a heap of money over the years, buying guitars for stuff that the 4a could have done just fine. Still, it's been a trip.

[@eugenemichael9833]

I have a few APX 500s Great Guitars 🎸

[@KrivoyTrack]

Thx for video, guys!

[@thongamchan775]

Hi I like your previous show featuring Guild D40 acoustic as it sounds very clear note sound when I listened to it. How much that Guild one cost?

[@RobMLyon]

The APX 700 is and has been my go to. Have spent thousands on Taylor and Martin in particular only to come back. Does it have the acoustic resonance of those absolutely not, but with good electronics and a PA works perfectly fine (IMO)

[@organichealthsovereignty5855]

Same I play the 700 more than all my expensive guitars

[@stevenwex8966]

Came here after looking at the Fender Acoustic-sonic, and then checked the price. I just want to play at home and have a couple of old Dreadnoughts, wouldn't mine a less volume, modern, electric acoustic, the apx600 might be what I was looking for???

[@0928devil]

Big difference between the two. The apx 1200. Worth the extra $1000

[@thedave5748]

Ive been considering the 600 but it sounds pretty boxy. The 1200 sounds a bit better but still boxy - at least over the airways.

[@AnjuStefan]

Is there a much difference between the APX 500 iii and APX 600?

[@robinbebbington7063]

I own the APX600 for the size and the fact its quiet works well when I am playing at night with kids asleep. I have 3 other acoustics and its certainly the most comfy and quiet but definitely lacks the tone of any of my others. From for $35 dreadnought with a bulging belly to my Cort AD810 to my Yamaha FS820. The FS820 is great for a compromise between the dreadnought and the APX and you really notice the tonal differences. Would I consider the APX1200 nope I think I would rather look at a cutaway version of the FS820 and in fact thats what I am starting to look for now and will sell the Cort as its just too big for me. Nice comparison though for a guitar I will not be buying 🙂

[@TheTMontgomery]

Question How far up the Taylor line or Martin OO line would you place the APX 1200.Do you think it could compete against a 5 or higher series Taylor. Could you compare $4000 guitars from all the major manufacturers

[@dorin-cristiandragan9670]

You can hardly hear any difference in sound in between these two guitars and for someone who does not care to much how a guitar will look I think is not worth to pay £1000.

[@clydeortego8332]

What do you think of the Peavey Composer Acoustic Electric Parlor Guitar.

[@bonzo1928]

I can hear the difference but in my opinion definitely not 1000 Usd extra. I had the original APX 10 T and it was great back then

[@shiraga0516]

I think APX has a better tonal balance. I feel APX1200 is 'mid-heavy'.

[@bluenotgreen63]

I thought the line input on the 1200 sounded like a tin can.

[@yudipitre5720]

Can you do one on Johnson guitars.

[@am3289730037]

Many thanks from Italy ..guys, Now I have an idea of differente between two.

[@leoperalta4941]

I just bought mine apx-600 at Cashtime 2nd hand store here in torino, italy near porta nuova for only 230€, got discounted of 15€ from their original price of 245€.. it says it's made from indonesia how luck... this sounds really cool worth for the money... works very well and no issue at all..the sound quality is superb and can compare it to any high end acoutic guitars out there... You can rely on this guitar and that's for sure...

[@1964Byron]

What about the CPX 600 Vs 1200 ;

[@Halfsour1]

I'll be honest. I did not hear anything close to a $1000 difference in sound. I will say that in the last (blues example) the 1200 punched higher. That said I don't know that I'd spend the kind of money on that 1200 in a quest for an acoustic at that price point. I think Yamaha makes great guitars that typically punch well above their price. The scalloped bracing, tone woods with unique laminate construction methods, and in many cases solid tops. I love them, but not enough for $1200.

[@mikegaudet6264]

how about an ac3r

[@micahhlc]

subscribed.

[@Agua-MauritiusForFree]

i saw the APX 600 with line in and micro ,sound look better than APX1200.

[@chickenlickin3820]

i had an original series APX1000 beautiful flamed sycamore was ok but sounded rather small and bland, never meant to be an acoustic, acoustic guitar. A friend had the apx6 and it was nowhere near the apx1000. the apx 6 sounded boxy and even worse acoustically. this was propabably 25 years ago though.

[@Rafa_guitars]

The takamine ef341 kills the apx 1200 the preamp is much better

[@llamaalpaca9117]

I got the apx600 not best sound, but it's a great couch guitar the small body is alot more comfortable.

[@jimmetzgar5803]

There's a slight difference between the two, pay a thousand more and it's slightly brighter. A little more precise. But after watching this kind of thing over what is now 50 years of playing guitar, let me offer an observation. People who can't play guitar any more than rabbit tend to buy really expensive guitars. If you play out, you don't want to lose an expensive guitar to some dick who might steal it. And if you can play well, you can make any cheap guitar sound pretty damned good. A good workman never blames his tools.

[@shillcreativeworkshop]

The documentation says the 600 has a spruce top.

[@richardtaylor2361]

what about a lava brand guitar?

[@markharwood7573]

A friend of mine has one and it's surprisingly good. Well worth a look.

[@ElDami]

I really love the sound of an acoustic guitar. Maybe my favorite instrument in the whole world (being from a country where guitars are almost always nylon string style). But I can't stand that piezo sound. It's horrible.

[@clayfullmer]

Not worth the upgrade unless the body is exactly what you want.

[@bammbamm1961]

Red label.

[@mr.bumble8400]

Not fond of either guitar. Both sound emaciated.

[@HAULHipHop]

Amen

[@CrankCase08]

They didn't really give them a good workout. It was all light diddly-diddly stuff.

[@IgorBodimer]

Almost the same sound

[@MeloDiazStudios]

This guitar is for Dominicans that put a Gibson pickup in the sound hole lmaoo. Me....I am Dominicans lol

[@artdevil2754]

Yoooooo first

[@ShowseeTravels]

Made in China kills it for me.

[@justintrites1699]

Dude 98% of everything you own is made in China🤣

[@England66hs]

Haha. Another dumb

[@cg1288]

@@justintrites1699 I purposely do not buy Chinese made products unless...it is the only option. And even then, i just decide i don't need it in most cases. So no, 98% of things are not made in China. If people keep buying Chinese crap because of the price and supporting shit-turd companies that make their crap there; then sooner or later, there will be NOTHING not made in China. People need to realize paying more for products made here will always be cheaper in the long run than buying from your enemy. Buy Chinese...and you are financing your future distruction.

[@benloveday6113]

You’ll probably find most of their craftsmanship is better than the USA made gear, they just won’t necessarily get paid as well.

[@markharwood7573]

It shouldn't. My Chinese Alvarez parlour is a winner.

[@byteme9718]

Bullcrap! The store is misleading the gullible.

[@masudmahmud3123]

What is the nut width of this Apx 1200 NT? According to Sweet Water, it is 1.692 inches whereas the same guitar that comes in translucent black is 1.6875 inches. I look forward to your reply. Best.