Yamaha FS-TA Trans Concert Review

Wonderful guitar

This is a wonderful guitar, especially for the price. By itself, the spruce top and mahogany back and sides provide a crisp and articulate sound, with good balance and a nice resonance. The neck is comfortable and smooth. The trans acoustic feature is simple to use. I find the two reverbs to be more useful and used than the chorus, but they all have their place. With the reverb,… read more I generally use it about "half " power, and this seems a good balance with a more "natural " sound, with increased sustain. I will sometimes use the chorus with the reverb, but find myself using only about 1/4 power of the chorus feature. I feel like this is the finest guitar I've played, and even without the effects it is a wonderful instrument. Action, intonation, great right from the box. Bart at Sweetwater is my rep, and has always been excellent at customer service and friendly. I tried one of these first at a local family owned music shop, so I knew what I was getting into. Everyone who hears it comments on the wonderful tone and sound. I've used through an amp as well, and for my purposes it's been great. Just s nice overall guitar that won't completely break the bank.

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Amazing!!

Wow!! What else is there to say? I was recommended this guitar by your great salesperson Ryan. I had purchased several things from him in the past and trusted his recommendation even though I was not considering a Yamaha at the time. Folks...get this guitar in your hands and you won't want to put it down!! The sound..my gosh it's incredible especially when you consider the… read more price point. I played it next to Martin's and Taylor's and preferred the Fsta based on sound alone. Do yourself a favor...get to the nearest shop and try it. Blind fold yourself. Have someone listen to you play who isn't biased...whatever. then call Ryan and buy it from Sweetwater like I did! Sweetwater always has 5star service. Couple that with this incredible piece and u got a winner. Buy this acoustic...you will NOT be disappointed!

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I work at guitar center

I get to play and hold basically every single dream acoustic guitar you could imagine ($16K custom shop gibson acoustics for example) and I still ADORE this guitar. Yamaha is incredible. Do yourself a major favor and buy this guitar it's insanely good for the price. I want nothing else to play it's my baby!!

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Outstanding guitar!

I was looking for a new acoustic at twice the price of the FS-TA and after some research I was testing a Taylor 114 a Martin and so on. Good guitars, well made, without solid tops at those price ranges, plus of course, the added cost of branding and american labor. Then the owner of the store hands me this trans acoustic. When he explained and after seeing Yamaha on the headstock,… read more I knew this was going to be interesting. Ive had many Yamaha instruments in my studio over the years, from guitars, basses, drums, keyboards you name it. This is one brand that In my opinion never disappoints. You get a great instrument for your money no matter the price range. Anyway, Im not affiliated with the brand in any way so moving on. This is one of the most inspiring guitar Ive played, I remember having the same reaction when I first played a Parker Fly. The transacoustic electronics are pure genius! The system has an internal actuator which is sort of a speaker that drives the reverb and chorus effects and uses the guitar body for resonance creating a rich ambience without amplification. Of course amplified sounds great too. Just pick it and start playing anywhere with studio sound. To me this is more of an inspirational tool for composing. Also, my go to acoustic when all I wanna do is having fun playing and singing classics. Leaving hardware behind, this is an extremely well made guitar, feels great, action was real good from the box, it has a nice solid spruce top, neck feels great, all check! This guitar delivers in every way I really recommend it for any kind and level of player, give it a chance, you will be impressed! I did not buy this guitar from sweetwater Since Im not at the States at the time, but Im a Customer and for good reason, great service!

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Sounds, looks and feels great, great value !

I mainly play electric and I bought this guitar to replace a Taylor 414-ce which I sadly had to give away. Now I am not claiming that this guitar is better or as good. If you have ever tried multiple acoustic guitars then you will know that there is a more direct relation between price and quality than with electrics. The Taylor was in almost every aspect the better guitar, smell,… read more feel and sound, but we are talking about a guitar that costs around 2500 USD new. Because I only needed a single acoustic guitar, I have specific requirements: under 1000 USD, must sound and feel great and be very versatile. I tried enough acoustics to know that Yamaha makes wonderful guitars in the under 1000 $ category. I had the opportunity to try out the Transacoustic system on the Dreadnought model in person, and it is a game-changer. I ordered the concert model here on Sweetwater which is the closest to the Tayor GA line available from Yamaha. The Ruby Red color is an eye catcher. My experience so far: First of all, Sweetwater did a great job with the preparation and shipping, the guitar arrived safely and you get photos from the 55 point inspection. Now about the guitar, my first attention was to the tuners, those work well, my guitar was able to hold the tuning for a few hours even with the fresh Elixir strings from the factory (every acoustic guitar should come with those). The guitar smells like a regular new acoustic, the glue is quite prominent, and here is an obvious difference to premium guitars: Those smell like the wood they are made out of. The neck feels good, and has a matte finish, which is great when you move around the neck a lot. I also had no problems getting my thumb to wrap around for muting and fretting. The sound without the TA system engaged is balanced I'd say, a good quality sound, but nothing that really stands out. The Transacoustic system is when the advantages become apparent: The reverb makes you sound like you are in a performance, there are settings for Room and Hall, but I generally prefer the lower Room reverb setting. The chorus turns this guitar into a 12-string guitar without the hassles of a 12 string. Yamaha nailed it, Reverb and Chorus are the 2 effects that enhances every acoustic guitar. Alternatively I was thinking about getting a Tonewood amp, but if I wanted to get a Yamaha anyways, then this is the better integrated choice. Overall a great value, great quality guitar that motivates the owner to practice and play more by means of an enhanced sound experience and that is what it's all about, right ?

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I LOVE IT

Ived always wanted one of these back when it was only around the 1k prices, now they release these models, I got to get my hands on them. It arrived fast, and my heart just filled with joy when i finally unbox this beauty. It sounds amazing, especially the gadgets built in it. I was somewhat worried bout the size at first, thought it might be one of the large body type of acoustic,… read more but thankfully its just the right size for me. Thank you -Dustin Keesbury- with your help on this Guitar.

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TransAcoustic - Not Just A Gimmick

I've always been impressed with Yamaha's ability to produce excellent instruments at an affordable price as well as their technical innovations. Having owned their guitars and keyboards (well, motorcycles too!), I can attest to their quality control and overall excellence. A couple of years ago, getting back into guitar playing after a decades-long absence, I purchased their FG830… read more model acoustic from Sweetwater and was blown away by its tone, playability, construction and looks, to say nothing of its affordable price. It's a big dreadnought-sized boomer. My brother-in-law, an accomplished guitar player of over 40 years and owner of two Martins and two Taylors, deemed it an amazing guitar and he plays it every time he visits, always commenting on how impressed by it he is. I recently got the urge to add another acoustic to my growing little collection. I pored over Sweetwater's web site, setting different parameters for wood, price, size (I wanted a slightly smaller guitar) and I kept coming back to a guitar I'd heard played at Sweetwater over a year ago: the FS-TA. The TransAcoustic technology is amazing ... unobtrusive, powered by two AA batteries, allowing both reverb and/or chorus to be added with the push of a button. I was impressed with the sound but didn't want a "gimmick". I wanted a good guitar that nonetheless could be augmented by the TA feature. And that's what I got. Of course, Sweetwater's legendary service was amazing as usual. I ordered it on a Friday afternoon and had it in my hands on Saturday afternoon. The mahogany is gorgeous as is the sunburst spruce top. Fit and finish are virtually flawless. The action was literally perfect (frankly, a surprise, as a lot of Yamaha's feature high actions out of the box). After tuning it, I played a few favorites, not yet engaging the TA feature, just to make sure the sound and tone was what I wanted. It's simply excellent. And then I pushed the magic button and heard the reverb emanating from the sound hole. And then the chorus. Playing music is often based on inspiration. If an instrument doesn't sound good or is hard to play or even physically unappealing, it's much harder to be inspired. But, on the other hand, if an instrument is beautiful, easy to play and sounds great, inspiration often follows. And so it is with this guitar. If the TA were simply a gimmick, a parlor trick, I wouldn't and couldn't recommend it. But the TA feature adds so much more to the inspiration factor and allows me to play in a different mode and way than I usually would. That's a Good Thing. I think the FS-TA is a brilliant concept that's a game changer. You can play this guitar all day and never use the TA feature and be totally satisfied with its tone and playability. But having the ability to augment the sound with the push of a button is simply delightful. To say I'm pleased is an understatement. Another great job by Yamaha and by Sweetwater!

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"FantasticYamaha"

You can talk about Beautiful Music, but this thing will make you smile forever. Even with the effects turned off the tone is beautiful. It is my humble opinion that this is the acoustic guitar that the world has been waiting for. You have got to try it to believe it. Thanks to Robby and the Sweetwater Team for the excellent service and attention to details. The AG3-HC case… read more fits Perfect. PS: My Taylor T5Z is now second best!

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My TransAcoustic FS TA my favorite guitar

Went to Sweetwater to buy electric guitar strings.......came home with a fabulous Yamaha FS TA Vintage finish acoustic concert guitar! Man! I love it and I can't keep my fingers off it! Mitch and Casey in guitar dept. and Craig at front desk are so personable, helpful, knowledgeable, and love making music! Mitch says to me: hey, check out this guitar and placed a new FS TA in my… read more hands. I played it and was BLOWN AWAY! Since I wasn't prepared to purchase a new guitar, I thanked Mitch, telling him what a great guitar the FS TA is and then payed for my strings and harmonica. Walked over to get a hot cup of coffee at the cafeteria and "There it was......a like-new Yamaha FS TA in the used gear dept.!!! Good Grief!!! I had to have it!! Best all-around playable guitar I own. That is saying something. Recommend the Yamaha FS TA acoustic to all who are seeking a "go to dependable acoustic concert axe"!

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New Favorite Acoustic

The videos don"t do it justice. Just wait til you hear this thing.

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Best Guitar I've EVER heard

This guitar has sparked my interest in playing again, I own guitars three times the price of this and they can't hold a candle to the sound of this beauty! I STRONGLY suggest you pick one up TODAY! Once you hear it, you will know that I speak the truth. Unreal...

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Yamaha FS-TA - Brown Sunburst

First of all it"s hard to find a solid wood guitar at an affordable price. I have looked at so many in this price range and actually higher in price and none of them can compare to this Yamaha. It"s great for finger picking, easy to play with an awesome tone. To go above and beyond they incorporated an internal amp which acts like the tone wood amp you see advertised all over YouTube.… read more This guitar is probably the best at this price point and even higher.

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