Yamaha A3M / A3R series

TimmyO · February 2018

I played a Yamaha A3M ARE at the guitar show - it felt lovely and played really well (to my clumsy hands) and from what I could make out (even in their acoustic cubby hole during the quiet period) it sounded ok acoustically.

The thing that I was also interested in was the electrickery where you can blend between the undersaddle piezo and one of 2 mic models/IRs

I didn't get to try that out - wondering if anyone here has?

I understand that the ones at the show were the version II of the range with an updated pickup and control system.

I also can't remember if it was the dread or concert version I tried - I suspect it was the concert size as it felt very manageable

TimmyO · March 2018

I swung by Yamaha Music London today to check these out - I tried the AC3M and the AC3R (the concert-sized solid Mahogany and Rosewood versions.

I'd liked how the one at the show played and I think it was the M
Trying them both today I much preferred the Rosewood one - more top end and separation/definition

I plugged it into a little THR5A acoustic amp and tried the pickup/mic-sim blend - it's only a small speaker but you could tell that there is a big range sound available - at full "mic" it actually sounded a bit woofy - that may be how it is or may be the little Yammy amp - but the centre third of the control seemed to be where the gravy is.

Certainly as soon as you move away from pure-piezo it improves so it's a good feature for a simple way to improve on the typical brittle under-saddle sound.

rossyamaha · March 2018

Ffs. It doesn’t matter how many times I tell them not to demo a guitar through the thr they just don’t listen. It’s a great amp but in a room that size it’s pointless. They have about 20k watts of pa 5 steps from there. If you can get over again ask to go through that. rant over.

Yes the SRT system is fantastic. Really gives you the true acoustic dynamics.

dindude · March 2018

The Yamaha London store is great apart from the THR issue. I tried out an SA2200 and was plugged into a THR10 which just didn’t show off the guitar at all.

rossyamaha · March 2018

I love my THR. I play that more than anything. But in a store that size you just can’t get much out of it. I’ll speak to them again and tell them to stop being fuckwits.

koss59 · March 2018

In my opinion these guitars are a bargain, I was interested in one purely for the decent pre amp but what ever they’ve done to the bracing and aged top has made them as complex sounding as easily a 2.5 grand american built guitar.
Only downside is rough frets.

TimmyO · March 2018

I don't think I'd go that far - but I do think they are very playable, very well made, sound decent and that the electronics are great

Teetonetal · March 2018

I was really close to buying one, I played both through a AER acoustic amp and they sounded gorgeous, way more natural than from a piezo. They were playable and well setup, I also preferred the rosewood, I'm not keen on Mahogany for acoustics.

Eventually I didn't buy one as a student of mine sold me his Takamine P3 for about half the price of the A3 - but I was impressed.

koss59 · March 2018

Mine easily has more harmonic overtones than my Taylor 814 had, much more sweet to listen to. My other acoustic is a Collings dread and the Yammy doesnt sound stupid next to it at all.

TimmyO · March 2018

koss59 said:

Mine easily has more harmonic overtones than my Taylor 814 had, much more sweet to listen to. My other acoustic is a Collings dread and the Yammy doesnt sound stupid next to it at all.

That sounds promising.

Anyone played the "5" versions of any of them?

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Yamaha A3M / A3R series

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