Yamaha CSF-TA Trans Parlor Size Review

Best of the best

You were gonna love this thing. Very easy action great tone for a small guitar. Then when you turn on the trans acoustic it is unbelievable. Bought an amp with it but never use it don't need it. Without question the best parlor size guitar on the market.

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Get a larger Yamaha or different parlor guitar

I picked up a Yamaha A1R and was blown away. Stuck at home, I wanted another parlor. I thought this was it. I had already picked up a Martin 000jr and needed something compare it to. I thought this smaller version of the Yamaha I loved would be it. I read a hundred reviews and thought the CSF3 would have it all. But when it arrived, the trans acoustic sounded gimmicky and ithe… read more guitar itself had a flat and boring sound compared to the 000 jr. I'm writing this review bc I wish I would have read it myself: get the Taylor GS mini or Martin 000jr instead.

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I love this little thing!

I was looking for a nice smaller sized guitar Under $1k. Something mostly for at home use to relax on the couch. After many comparison rounds at stores...this little Yamaha won the battle! I love the shape, color, no pick guard, and of course the real neat effects. Quite frankly, the onboard reverb and chorus effects make practicing guitar so much more fun just sitting on the couch...it… read more takes things to another level. The included case is awesome. Also it's really nice that it takes AA batteries not the usual 9V. Ya need a nice small sized guitar with unique features?? This is the one.

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Yamaha CFS TA - An AMAZING addition to my collection!

I had been looking for a steel string guitar that was acoustic, but with a classical feel and with a 12 string three dimensional tonality... yes, a bit of a challenge to find and I tried MANY! I am a Spanish guitar guy, but also play Sitar, so I wanted this mix of steel strings and tones for slides, hammers and pull off style of playing. AND I found it! The CFS TA is EXACTLY… read more the perfect fit for me. What Yamaha did with the TA technology is amazing and to provide the means to blend Hall Reverb with Chorus is the secret sauce to my new tone. I have played live with it and looped it with Sitar over the top... perfect! I HIGHLY recommend the CFS TA and any of the TA line that fits your style. Also, Drew of Sweetwater was fabulous and has been a supporter of mine for years. I recommend him and Sweetwater for the best online buying and consulting experience. Go GET one! Dennis Lang

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More Fun Than I Thought it Would be.

Parlor guitars are cute. kind of like the puppies of the guitar world. I play bottleneck blues, country, gospel on a pair of open tuned resonators with acoustic duos and quartets. I was looking to add a parlor for some standard tuning songs. I didn't buy the CSF-TA for the onboard effects but because it looked like a solid contender in the under $1000 division. I asked the consultant… read more about the Trans acoustic feature and was told it was similar to a simplified Tonewood amp. My criteria were, a parlor size for under $1000 that plugs in. My guitar arrived well packed and unharmed with action on the high side. I played it a couple days, adjusted the truss rod and played a couple more days. After one more truss rod tweak its playing well. It looks nicer in person with the sparkly blue green rosette giving it just the right touch. Not surprisingly, due to its size, it will sound a little more confined and subdued than a full size box. Even so, the character is pleasant and can be shaped to taste when plugged in. Its very comfortable to play on the couch or even an easy chair. I've never made friends with any travel guitars I've tried, opting to lug a full size through the airport instead. But this is going to fill the bill for that aspect too. After just a couple of weeks of play, the sound has matured and I expect will continue to grow more complex as it develops its voice over time. The guitar sounds good all on its on but the trans acoustic feature is a lot of fun and makes it sound big and lush. Try playing something like Zeppelin's Thank You with the effects enabled and you'll see. Organic,shimmering chorus and juicy reverb flow from your guitar without cables or external devices. I have fairly large hands but slender fingers. Fingerboard space is at a premium so if you have wide fingers it may prove challenging to negotiate. The Yamaha CSF-TA perfectly fit my requirements and plants the flag as a prime offering in the sparsely populated niche for parlors in the 600-1000 dollar range.

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