Yamaha Silent Guitar... Anyone Played One ?

Wazmeister · December 2017

I know @BintyTwanger77 has just got one...

They look superb and the demos seem excellent.

Anyone got any thoughts ?

Strat_a_tat_tat · December 2017

Silent Guitar?!?!?!?

Easy... take 1 x normal guitar... cut all of its strings...

richardhomer · December 2017

Yes - all of mine were silent when I was married...

Jalapeno · December 2017

They're good ! Seen Brian May use them with Queen.

I had to reduce the bridge height a bit for playability (Easy-peasy - whip it out, sand it a bit on the flat, put it back, try it)

menamestom · December 2017

Very nice. I had the last version, the newer ones have some kind of body modelling so that it's not just UST to e. But even so mine was very nice(the lower nylon model). As with all Yamaha's, expect to need ti give the frets a buff prior to use.

BintyTwanger77 · December 2017

Yep, got the nylon string version on Saturday.

I have just finished playing mine over headphones for about an hour and a half, forgot what time it was... holy shitsnacks. This thing is addictive, it has me playing like I haven't played before. It sounds brilliant on headphones and through an amp, the technology involved is wizardry. Blown away. I would love to try the steel string as well.

prowla · December 2017

https://uk.yamaha.com/en/products/musical_instruments/guitars_basses/silent_guitar/index.html

Perfect for playing your favourite hits:

Hush
Silence is Golden
The Sounds Of Silence
Silent Night

Guitar_Slinger · December 2017

I've seen Hamish Stuart play twice - the first was with a 60s Tele that is probably second to Nile Rodgers' Strat in the list of records it's been played on. The second time was with a Yamaha silent guitar, at a gig. IIRC it was about 12 years ago, during a guitar show in Wembley Conference Centre. There was him and an hour later, the Hamster.

Kebabkid · December 2017

I've tried both the nylon and steel string on quite a few occasions in shops and have been on the look out for a steel string one at a good price.

The plugged in sound with the built-in reverb through either an amp/PA or headphones is very good and handy and so it can be used as a live or recording guitar as we know but as you can unscrew and take off one of the body arms, it can also make for a handy travel guitar, although there's hardly an acoustic sound there, but nice to have when you go away.

I seem to remember there were 2 neck widths for the nylon.

The adaptor/power supply can be a but cumbersome and the chorus seemed a little over-cooked but a useful thing.

menamestom · December 2017

I ended up selling mine and got a an Alhambra electro acoustic, but that guitar is not quite as playable, but to be fair the Alhambra has a firmly classical action and no truss rod to bring it down. That's how classical should be played but I must admit, I miss the slick playability of the Yamaha for non classical styles

The few minor issues of the previous generation seem to have been addressed, so I would have another. Obviously, great for travelling as well.....

DiscoStu · December 2017

I've fancied the nylon one for a few years now. Just watched the Guitarist review vid and I still fancy one!
Questions: Can you have chorus and reverb at the same time? Do the effects have level controls or are they just fully on or off?

BintyTwanger77 · December 2017

DiscoStu said:

I've fancied the nylon one for a few years now. Just watched the Guitarist review vid and I still fancy one!
Questions: Can you have chorus and reverb at the same time? Do the effects have level controls or are they just fully on or off?

No, the reverbs and chorus are on the one knob, like the effects controls on a Roland Cube amp.

rustneversleeps · December 2017

I used have one years ago.Their ok if you can put up with the narrow nut,it’s more like a electric neck.I couldn’t.

dindude · December 2017

I quite fancy the steel string for silent headphone practice - never found a headphone solution for electric that is inspiring so maybe going left-field is the way...

Kebabkid · December 2017

An interesting 2015 vid from Mick and Dan on using effects with acoustics and Dan uses a Silent Guitar - it's versatile, in a hybrid sort of way, too when using overdrive.

Jalapeno · December 2017

Only negative is that Reverb/Chorus eats batteries, you'd need new batteries for every gig.

xDottore · December 2017

I’ve the steel string. Love it but then I find that I’m a bit of a Yamaha fanboy.

Wazmeister · December 2017

Appreciate the input folks...

Im gonna try one tomorrow

Kebabkid · December 2017

Waz - see if you can try it plugged in as well into an acoustic amp or PA rather than just headphones.

Let us know how you get on

Wazmeister · December 2017

Cos,

Will do - I plan to try some amps too...

Mind you, knowing me, Ill walk out with a 1937 Martin or summat daft...

Waz

Alnico · December 2017

menamestom said:

I ended up selling mine and got a an Alhambra electro acoustic, but that guitar is not quite as playable, but to be fair the Alhambra has a firmly classical action and no truss rod to bring it down. That's how classical should be played but I must admit, I miss the slick playability of the Yamaha for non classical styles
The few minor issues of the previous generation seem to have been addressed, so I would have another. Obviously, great for travelling as well.....

If you know what you're talking about, can I ask a serious question I haven't really looked at in 30 years?

I started, like many at the age of 8 playing the 'School guitar' at school because The devil's sister my mother wouldn't let me take the dreadnought that my Dad had given me and to be fair, to a certain point I could see why.
My point is that I spent most of my time playing and more or less enjoying the nylon string guitars at junior school but I just couldn't get past that action height. I couldn't understand and still to this day have no better idea, despite having watched and listened to a lot more than I had done in 1980, why you would want that and how in any mechanical way it could be of any advantage to playing.
Genuinely I just can't see it, why?
Your fingers are moving faster than I can think so why do you want it to take longer for each finger to press, fret and release each string? It makes no sense to me at all?

Between the age of 8 and 12, I did try and developed enough loose fingerpicking skills for it to be an advantage as I picked up steel string acoustics and electrics.
I challenged it at high school and was told to "Piss off then if you don't like it !" and that's more or less what I did.

Thing is I like classical music, really like the feel and the sound of nylon strings and I guess the feel of them too but this has always stopped me dead in my tracks.

Winny_Pooh · December 2017

@Alnico I reckon on budget guitars it's just the usual reasons. Serious classical guitar players are quite obsessed with tone and perform unamplified so high action helps with volume and projection.

BigLicks67 · December 2017

Also, nylon strings have less tension and vibrate more freely, so need more room to do so. Your tone would be a bit shit if all you could hear is the strings slapping against the frets. However, if u want a traditional nylon string with a low action then buy a flamenco guitar, they need the speed, so go for a much lower action.

Wazmeister · December 2017

Ok, I played one today - well two actually, steel and nylon string...

They sound a lot better than they play imho. In fact, the sound is superb - it really is good especially the 'modelled' side of the acoustic. I play it through a Fishman Loudbox (mini ?).

The actual action was a bit high for me liking, and it was stiff to play... but as I said, beautiful sounding.

Alnico · December 2017

Winny_Pooh said:

@Alnico I reckon on budget guitars it's just the usual reasons. Serious classical guitar players are quite obsessed with tone and perform unamplified so high action helps with volume and projection.

BigLicks67 said:

Also, nylon strings have less tension and vibrate more freely, so need more room to do so. Your tone would be a bit shit if all you could hear is the strings slapping against the frets. However, if u want a traditional nylon string with a low action then buy a flamenco guitar, they need the speed, so go for a much lower action.

Thanks Guys.
I guess that clears it up a bit.

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Yamaha Silent Guitar... Anyone Played One ?

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