Yamaha LL16 ARE Original Jumbo - Natural Review

Beautiful Look, Beautiful Sound

I decided to wait two months to write a review of the Yamaha LL16ARE to give myself a chance to really see how I feel about it after playing it multiple times both acoustically and through a house system. Overall, I am thrilled with this guitar. To start, Zach Maurer made the purchasing experience a breeze. He answered all my questions, and offered some good pointers along the… read more way. I also appreciated the photos that Sweetwater shares with the buyer after the purchase. The guitar arrived securely packaged - it was in the soft case (which is well-padded), which was in the manufacturer's box, which was inside the box that Sweetwater shipped it in. When I opened the case I was struck by what a good looking guitar it is. If you are looking at this guitar as an option, you already know the details - solid Englemann Spruce top, solid Rosewood back and sides, ebony fingerboard and bridge, 5-ply mahogany/redwood neck, maple binding and just enough bling to make it a beautiful guitar. I initially had some minor issues keeping it in tune but, with minor adjustments, it now plays beautifully. The action makes the guitar very easy to play without any buzzing. Naturally, the sound man at my church is happy with the passive pick-up that leaves the control in his hands. And the guitar sounds great whether I am playing at home or on stage. I looked at several guitars before I selected the LL16. For the money, there simply isn't a better value available. You could pay two or three times the money and not get a better sounding guitar.

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Great into Fantastic Guitar.

The resonance and sound is beautiful. I tried some Taylor's and Martins at this price point, but didn't have the solid back and sides nor the 5 ply neck. The guitar not only sounds and plays great, but rock solid,with quality workmanship. Yes, China has great luthiers and you don't have to buy American for every guitar. I love to support American business, but I'm not rich either.… read more I recommend putting in bone pins, saddle and nut if you find a good luthier. It was great and is now fantastic. Rings full and balanced for quite a while. Give it a try, I think you will love in the very case that was included.

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Incredible value !!

Shipping box: provided excellent protection. Case: advertised as gig bag but actually heavy duty well fitted with soft lining and neck brace with velcro strap to hold neck securely. Guitar:Impeccable build quality. Gorgeous polished gloss bookmatched rosewood back and sides with cream binding all around. Fully Bound fingerboard,perfect frets, beautifully inlaid spruce top and fret… read more markers. And it Smells like custom shop woodwork and resin every time I open the case to take it out! The tune was close and after minor retuning it has held perfectly for this past two months. At first the bass seemed a bit loose but by the third day it all tightened up nicely with great definition and sustain. This is my first experience with nanocoated strings and so far they seem to fit the character of the guitar - luxurious, smooth, controlled response..not as shimmery as the D'addarios on my all mahogany Mitchell. I can't help but compare this instrument to a relative's Martin HD28 - it may not project quite as well as his but I play mostly finger style and the overall sensation is of balance and neutrality - quietly capable with exciting potential. I feel that I have acquired a piece of kinetic art, a real keeper! And I have Zach to thank for a great buying experience. He assisted me with promotional financing and followed up after the sale with shipping updates and even high res photos of my guitar to tide me over until its arrival. I will recommend him and Sweetwater to anyone who's interested.

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Stop looking... this is the guitar you need.

This might be one of the most overlooked guitars out there. Solid wood at a great price. I've never really seen a bad review about Yamaha guitars and I know why. Their product is so much better than the price range it's in. No it's not made in US, but it's still made by a human who took great care in their work to build a fantastic guitar. The inlays are beautiful and not overstated,… read more the binding is crisp, the wood grain looks great.... I could go on, but looks are opinion based. It plays how a good guitar should. Action is great, no buzzing and I haven't had any issues staying in tune. It sounds great to my ears and that's what matters. Try and find one to play for yourself... YouTube doesn't do it justice. Although they are hard to find because I think they are just that great, so they're snapped up quick. The soft case is a great bonus too. No it's not a hard case, but you'd be lucky to get a thin gig bag at this price range from other brands. If you want a great guitar, and can get over the need to have a certain brand name on your headstock, This is it! I was lucky enough that Sweetwater had it in stock. And as usual.. Sweetwater service was great. The guitar came in great condition, just like the pictures!

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Best solid rosewood acoustic on the planet for the price.

After decades of playing every high end acoustic available I had finally whittled my collection down to three favorites; an expensive Ovation, Taylor and Cort Jumbo Cutaway. All acoustic-electrics. I've owned four Martins, two Guilds, Gibson, Breedlove, Takamine, Zager, Ibanez, Epiphone and countless others. I wanted to add an all solid rosewood dreadnought again but just couldn't… read more justify the price points of the major makers these days. With a simple google search I came across the Yamaha LL16 and checked out some demos on YouTube. They sounded great online so I took a chance and bought one without playing it first. Now I can say, like so many others. that there are no disappointments with this instrument. The tone is so well balanced I was surprised. Not bottom heavy like Martins but plenty of beef there when you want to dig into it. Beautiful overtones and clear and distinct top end too. A great players guitar as well as balanced accompaniment for singers. If all the LL16's sound as good as mine then this instrument is the best value in a solid rosewood guitar on the market today IMHO. I like it so much I'm thinking about adding their mahogany and 12-string versions to round out all the acoustic sound options that appeal to me. Don't hesitate to buy one of these. It's everything they advertise and more. One thing that seemed odd was that they used hard plastic for the nut and saddle, but these are easily upgraded and don't seem to degrade the sound quality at all.

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