Yamaha Transacoustic FG & FSTA - Acoustic Review

[@MrMjp58]

My local guitar shop has one. I have played it rather a lot and find it to be both a great instrument in itself and possibly the best guitar invention I've come across in recent years. Good points are many. The neck is very playable with not one rattle, buzz or anything of the sort. The sound is clear, consistent and balanced. It is great for folk, jazz or classical styles., or anything really. The function of the built in-reverb is quite spectacular, I thought. Deep, rich and full sounding; this effect is alarmingly good. Very bright and enhances the sound to a spectacular degree - it attracts all sort of attention from casual listeners too. When deployed, the acoustic volume, whilst not increased as such, seems louder and more present. Playing with this effect on, is one of the most satisfying playing guitar experiences I've had [that's in 52+ years of playing]. The chorus effect is also very good and sounds very rich and bright, though it isn't my favourite sound. The effects are different to using the same ones from an amp or pedal, because the sound emanates from the guitar itself and it seems to come alive in your hands. I didn't find the action at all high [unlike this reviewer]. I thought it compared very well with the better Taylors and Takamines - with decent, lowish action over the entire fretboard. The bits I'm not just as keen on are: the low E string has a tendency to roll off the edge of the frets, if any but the most extreme care is taken. That is a real problem for me and actually would put me off buying one. I hope they will try a modified neck design. The 'jumbo' body size is rather too big [for me] and requires a slightly uncomfortable playing position. The lack of a cutaway does impede the higher registers. Another slightly personal gripe, is that the output jack socket is positioned in the middle of the side [where the strap button usually is], which also doesn't suit me, though it could probably be moved. Minor and fussy gripes sound a bit petty, but they slightly mar what is a rather fine instrument and a technological triumph. Yamaha are to be congratulated for this magnificent achievement!

[@pauljenkins2501]

Thank you for your review. It's very useful when a reviewer plays a guitar in an "ordinary" way. No open tuning, no million notes a minute showing off, just regular fingerpicking which helps me to hear what it might sound like if I were to play the guitar, and some regular strumming. Also you did voice some criticism of the guitars on test, and I like that. All too often, reviewers have nothing negative to say, even when they probably know there are things they don't like. A Transacoustic is at the top of my bucket list. I just need to get some money together before I can go along and try one out. I won't try without having the money available, just in case I play one and it steals my heart!

[@AcousticReview]

Hi Paul, many thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us. From the off, and this goes for both our review sites AR and Drummer's Review, it is about the instrument first and not the demonstrator - far too many showboaters, and that's not a criticism of a musicians capability, but we are trying to provide a free and impartial guide to, in this instance, acoustic guitars, and that includes what we like and what we don't like. Consumers are far more educated these days, so we want to share what we honestly feel and thought about the given instrument, so that when musicians save up their hard earned cash, AR provides advice to aid them in this process. Thank you for watching subscribing, and if you like what we produce, please share a link with any fellow musicians if you think this would help them too. Very best wishes, AR

[@leonroberts5556]

HELLO HAVING READ YOUR COMMENTS I TEND TO AGREE HOWEVER I HAVE SEEN THESE HAVE FEEDBACK ISSUES WHEN PLUGGED IN AND IF THEY HAVE GETTING IT SORTED IS A NIGHTMARE AS YOU JUST CANNOT GET SPARES ANYWHERE; ALSO DONT CHANGE THE SADDLE TO A BONE SADDLE THIS DESTROYS THE SOUND KEEP WITH THE PLASTIC SADDLE AND AT 6 HOURS IT WILL EAT BATTERIES BECAUSE IF YOU GET THIS YOU WONT WANT TO PLAY IT AS A NORMAL GUITAR SO I WAS BLOWN AWAY AT FIRST THEN WHEN I STARTED TO DO RESEARCH MY OPINIONS CHANGED NOW IM NOT SURE . IF THEY CAN GUARANTEE THERE WOULD BE NO FEEDBACK ISSUES AND THE CIRCUIT BOARD WILL LAST YEARS I WOULD HAVE ONE NOW BUT SO FAR I HAVE GOT NOTHING SO IM SITTING ON THE FENCE WITH IT

[@artvillarino2878]

I played one at a nearly Yamaha dealer and I was amazed by its sound and craftsmanship quality. It sounds fantastic whether it’s plugged or not. I’ll definitely buy one of this soon.

[@roryfletcher1124]

i realize it is kinda off topic but does anybody know a good website to stream newly released series online ?

[@blueshowlar]

Nice review. The first I've heard that that isn't yes,yes, buy it. Thanks for the honesty.

[@ray-rs6mu]

Excellent review, A thru Z, pluses and minuses, some that would be missed by the intermediate player like me. Definitely helps in my search. Thanks from the USA.

[@JacKBVideos]

Hi! Did you compare FS-TA and LS-TA ? Is the price justified for the LS-TA ? What about the sound between the two models ? Tks

[@Lisa-ec9qb]

Ran into this channel for the first time today and after hearing your honest, and in-depth review I subscribed right away. You answered all my questions right down to the last few minutes of the review, where I changed my decision. I was leaning away from getting it while listening to you but at the end you said that it was fun and could be used as inspiration for new ideas playing. And that's what I was looking for in this guitar.

[@AcousticReview]

So glad you found our review helpful and thanks for subscribing.. best wishes, AR

[@scottbecker3485]

Even two years later, your review is extremely helpful, and shines among others addressing the same guitar! Totally felt the same way about the resonance lacking in the FS. Only the FG would come close for me. Thanks very much for showing how the FG performs with dropped-D tuning! Especially relevant for me, since I tune all my guitars to Eb or D, and sometimes even go down to a dropped-D tuning from there. So if a guitar has a weak bottom end, then it won‘t work for me. I‘m curious whether the FG would be OK in Eb or D tuning?

[@Malagrass]

Finally an honest review. Great play'n Great review

[@janiknavasardyan5278]

Hello, on the internet i found a guitar " Yamaha FG-TA Transacoustic " of different colors and each color has its price. I have one question. What is the difference between cilors and does color affect the sound and quality ? thanks.

[@diegopinto6476]

well...it shouldn't. did you buy this guitar? anything to say?

[@zplapplap]

Fantastic review! Thoughtful and clearly presented analysis and demonstration. 👍🏽

[@Philc231]

After a set up this is the best sounding guitar I own . Better than Taylor, Gibson and Martin . My opinion only

[@RyanAnthony1987]

Same

[@nashvillefirenickhood9845]

When you say set up, could you explain. I apologize. I've only been playing for a couple of months, and I am about to purchase one of these.

[@clayfullmer]

​@nashvillefirenickhood9845 take your guitar to a shop, ask for one, pay $100 and they'll the guitar more playable. You can look up how to do it yourself.

[@Doowopsid]

Wow, that’s saying a lot. Can you please just be a bit more specific as to why you think it is better? I’m thinking of getting one but due to the price I am wondering how it compares to the Martins, etc. Thanks!

[@susanroycroft89]

Very interesting comment's, thanks for that, Iv'e just purchased the cutaway version of the same guitar, and I agree with you on the ' action a bit high ' but it's z Very Simple Fix, Carefully cut the string slots down a fraction ( into the nut) and with the strings off and Saddle out measure the saddĺe First, then CAREFULLY sand down (evenly) the edge that rests against the pickup under the saddle. Once you've done it, ( proceed carefully, and the surface that rests on the P/U Must be Even and 90%, Not angled slightly, its done 😊😊😊

[@daveyjoweaver5183]

Thanks Kindly! For the money these guitars sound great. Yahama has been around a long time! Peace! DaveyJO in Pennsylvania

[@technicknb]

i played it, my review: - sound w/out effects - worse than (more expensive Larrivee) but absolutely in range of 700-1200 euro guitars. - sound with Effects - really really liked. Still cinsidering getting it as the extra guitar.. - outer quality GOOD

[@Innuband]

Great review, thanks for sharing!

[@camcook7241]

Thanks for strumming it !! Everyone just finger picks

[@9MAYHEM6]

Are you able to plug in these guitars into an amp? I might've missed that part in the video lol. I didn't get the chance to find out when I was playing it at GC. Man and I'll tell you what, im in complete shock how this thing plays compared to my gs mini! (Mahogany) Its on par with it! But my gs mini beats it in tone but only by a hair! I'm going to trade in my gs mini for one of these in the future. Could care less that these guitars are from China because All I care about is having fun!

[@johngarzone6092]

Yes

[@ramavishwanathan7214]

Thanks for the really detailed review.

[@americanidiotz]

Love this damn guitar! I pick it up more than my 3k Taylor 714. Very fun guitar and as far as US pricing, its a fantastic buy! I Just wish it wasn't made in China.

[@cyberstace58]

I got 2 Yamaha Guitars . APX 1000 & Just got the FSTA yesterday April/ 16/2019, just like the one you have there & love love it. Getting the all solid Parlor CSF3M for this Christmas .. Quality is always top shelf with Yamaha. Always good bang for buck too. I am a 61 year old from Newfoundland Canada. Have owned 2 Yamaha Side by sides as well . Awesome Machines. Yamaha Makes All Awesome Products .

[@AcousticReview]

Wayne Stacey thanks for sharing your thoughts and for watching. Hope the review proves helpful. Best wishes, AR

[@SP-cz5iy]

@Wayne Stacey: Lucky you! Sad but true, I would never be able to afford one of these (or even the Canadian made Simon and patrick Songsmith Concert Hall) in this lifetime! Love and Peace from Nepal!

[@cyberstace58]

@@SP-cz5iy Oh my. I wish you could have one to enjoy. I am not rich by far. I saved to get this one and sold a few things i had to get the APX . I wish you nothing but great things in your life. Love and Peace from Newfoundland Canada :)

[@SP-cz5iy]

@@cyberstace58 : Thank you for your best wishes. That really means a lot.

[@heiheibe]

Hello mate, am dying to know which one between the apx1000 and fsta do you prefer? (No plug-in) exactly the two im struggling between . I prefer a warmer and not so bright tone. Thank you!

[@deetee-uk]

Great channel. Will you be doing a review on the Epiphone EJ200SCE anytime soon?

[@AcousticReview]

HI Dee Tee, we are always open and welcome to suggestions, so we will put the question to Epiphone and see if they would like to send us one. Many thanks for watching/ subscribing. Best wishes. AR

[@GarryWan666]

So, the reverb effect can be experience even acoustically without an amp??

[@darwinhofer7409]

Yes , not plugged in you get room reverb, hall reverb and chorus coming out of the guitar itself sounds great.

[@gillisdanos9354]

Yes I have the Yamaha FS-TA TransAcoustic Acoustic-Electric Guitar And I love it Makes it so much fun to play and it sounds amazing. It does play a bit louder but not much but the effects are great. Stays tuned really well easy to play once I adjusted the neck. It does take 2 aa Batteries and using lithium batteries make it a bit louder than regular aa batteries It is a bit pricey buy it is a heck of a lot better than carrying an amp around Perfect for playing around camp fires or taking it on vacation and having good effects without an external amp. I have 2 Martin travel guitars I am selling now because they sound so bland compared to this guitar. I do have an acoustic electric and an amp that is my main guitar I play in my workshop and by no means does this Yamaha come close to this set up but it is worth a look. May or may not be your cup of tea. It surely was mines though.

[@wahyuirfansyah1347]

@@gillisdanos9354 how long the batery last ?

[@gillisdanos9354]

@@wahyuirfansyah1347 I play around 20 minutes a day and use 2 AA eveready Lithium batteries and it last a month. When you use an amplifier the batteries last longer. Make sure to turn off the electronics when your finished playing because the guitar does not shut off automatically. Hope this helps.

[@wahyuirfansyah1347]

@@gillisdanos9354 do you have some problem with the pre amp ?

[@larrykenney7091]

I have the YAMAHA FG-TA and clearly love it, when I play an ordinary acoustic it sound dry to my ears, will stick to the TA.

[@wahyuirfansyah1347]

Compare with takamine gd51 ce or martin gpcx 1ae which better ?

[@InAtlasAtLast]

@@wahyuirfansyah1347 that Martin is fantastic!!!! I have a gpcx2ae Martin. I’d say to go with the Yamaha though and save up for a more expensive Martin.

[@karlyfree6054]

@@InAtlasAtLast FGX3 or FG-TA ??

[@InAtlasAtLast]

@@karlyfree6054 FG-TA for sure

[@karlyfree6054]

@@InAtlasAtLast ok thanks for the confimation. i guess am going for the FG-TA. That was a very tough desision

[@barrylamirande7638]

What thumb pick are you using.

[@AcousticReview]

Hi Barry - I use a Fred Kelly regular delrin - Ben

[@edc6774]

Cannot lower the string action?

[@dylanshadrach2015]

Can't the action just be adjusted? That can be fixed like any other guitar right? Did you mean you wish it had lower action straight out of the box?

[@AcousticReview]

Hi Dylan - Yes the action can be adjusted as on any other guitar, so I'm just commenting upon the factory setup here. It's always a good idea to buy from a retailer who can adjust the guitar to your preference if you can, but some retailers will ship without adjusting the guitar so I think it's useful to know how the particular guitars we receive are setup from the factory/distributor. Thanks for watching! Ben

[@dylanshadrach2015]

@@AcousticReview For sure! I just bought the FG-TA and yes, the action was a little high straight out of the box. But that wasn't a problem, I managed to fix that within minutes. I must say, it plays absolutely amazing once that's done, especially for a guitar in this price range! One question though, I'm not sure if it's just me, but the effects on the two models I played at the shop (including mine) weren't as prominent as they are in a lot of the videos I've seen. They're definitely there, just not a lot of it is coming through. Any info on this? Thanks so much.

[@zyandy7464]

Im sorry for being stuppid but can this guitar connect to amp?

[@levonkocharyan7401]

Nothing to apologize for. Yes, you can plug them in if you would like to.

[@zyandy7464]

@@levonkocharyan7401 thank you :)

[@ed_music1834]

You certainly can. You can also connect this with an audio interface and use the effects.

[@karlyfree6054]

FG-TA or FGX3 ??

[@villarrealmarta6103]

I’ve tried a thumb pick, couldn’t learn it

[@123elvislives]

Thank you Very helpful 🇦🇺👍🇦🇺

[@guitarista666]

That was a good review. It's really disappointing how bad some of these guitar reviewers are. Many just hack and thrash and their attempts at fingerpicking sound like they've never heard of tone production.

[@lowellirish]

It must be super windy in that room!🤣🤣

[@candracandra9755]

I like very much yamaha product🌹

[@markrobertson8007]

You lost me, I could not tell what model you were playing

[@anderltz]

Massa ver o salsicha em outros Ramos de atuação

[@alexandermcdowell720]

Bruh, its Ed Sheeran on a diet

[@MungoBiker]

Great concentration face :)

[@agusdayo8804]

Justin Bieber!! Nice review! I hope they put pickguard -_-“

[@Cjs478]

How has this grown man still a justin bieber haircut?