Yamaha SLG200NW Silent , Wide Nylon-String Review

Yamaha SLG200NW might be silent but can get loud.

I'm am so happy with my Yamaha SLG200NW Silent Guitar, Wide Nylon-String - Natural from Sweetwater. I have tried it with my Bose S1 Pros, EV Evolve 30m, QSCP8, Neve Preamp, Grace Designs Felix2 and it sounds fantastic on all of my live platforms as well as in the studio with my UA Apollo gear. Yamaha hit a home run with this guitar. It come's ready to play out of the box. If… read more you need to lower the action it's as easy as adjusting the saddle. The tone and feel are fully resonate and respond to playing nuances/ technique. So easy to travel and gig with using the included gig bag. I have gig with the guitar last weekend and loved it. I have some very high end flamenco guitars like DeVoe, Culpepper, and others. I have wanted a practice guitar as well as a guitar to do local gigs with. This is that guitar. It's so well built and perfect for the traveling nylon string guitarist. It really produces a fantastic believable tone. The Preamp and mic blend/ EQ and reverb on the guitar are stellar I have tried a wireless with Sennheiser XSW that worked well but the x3 Evolution 3 seemed to have a few issues. The feel look and quality of the guitars build are top notch. I have not put it down since it arrived. I've had others say they are very impressed with the tone/sound sound of the guitar as well. The guitar is a keeper. I am working on getting a glopadore/ tap plate to work in conjunction with the Preamp. I like the medium tension DAddario EJ45 strings on the guitar. Sweetwater sent the guitar well packed and safe to me. They really do have the best customer service/support in the business and are hear to help musicians get the gear they need. Thanks Sweetwater & Yamaha.

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A learning curve, but well worth it

After a long search - largely because I didn't know it's actual name - I discovered the Silent Guitar on Sweetwater's site. I inquired of one of their "sound engineers" and pretty much talked his ear off, explaining my history of playing classical and flamenco guitar most of my life - since age 14 (I am just shy of 70 years) and that I stopped playing due to a diagnosis of bone… read more cancer 15 years ago. I was hopeful the narrow profile of the Silent Guitar might make it easier to recoup some of my skills. My new "friend" at Sweetwater listened very patiently and I became confident that this guitar might just be the magic I needed to bring music back into my life. The instrument is physically gorgeous - a sculptural beauty. Impeccably finished. It handles quite differently from my vintage classical and flamenco guitars, most notably the action is a little higher that I am accustomed to. I opted for the 'wide' neck, which I would definitely recommend if you have been playing an acoustic classical (of note, I am a diminutive person and likewise have small hands). The scale also is longer and it weighs more than I expected. But after a week or two I adjusted my playing style a bit and, of course, it goes without saying the more you practice the more flexible you will become - even at age 70. I tuned down a half step and used a capo for a few days to work into the differences. This is my first foray into using amplification as well, and the engineer at Sweetwater guided me through the equipment I needed. I am grateful for the attention and time spent in explaining things clearly. It is obvious how much dedication went into the design and craftsmanship to create this unique instrument. I love that it can also be used with headphones - hence the "silent" part, which is useful when traveling. Using amplification is a whole new world for me, and the guitar's reverb controls allow for enhanced moods from ethereal to growling bass notes. My musical horizons have expanded exponentially.

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Perfect guitar for the classic guitar player…

I bought the Yamaha slg 200 NW to replace a Godin Multiac which I disliked profusely… This time I got it right. The Slg 200 has a very comfortable feeling and is very playable, right of the box. It didn't need any adjustments. The blend between pickup and mic, gives the exact sound of an acoustic guitar, which was what I was looking for. The wide neck provides the comfort you… read more need for fingering, you can even hear it without amplification. The looking is exquisite. The gig bag is great and useful bonus Overall is a wonderful guitar for half of the price of several regular guitars. If you're looking for a amplified classical acoustic guitar, the Yamaha slg 200n is the right one for you.

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Yamaha SLG200NW Silent Guitar excellent for traveling on airplanes

I play classical guitar and travel on airliners all the time, some time airlines are accommodating and will place it in the coat closet if no room in the overhead, sometimes not. This guitar is compact and easy to store. like the built in tuner and that I can still play it without an amp although it is very quiet, and I like that because I can practice in the airport and not draw… read more a crowd

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The W-I-D-E Neck Makes a Difference!

This is promoted as a practice guitar for classical guitarists. Maybe. But I suspect the design of the body shape and the way the tones are developed are just too different for a dedicated classical guitarist to readjust. What few non-classical guitarists seem to understand is that classical musicians don't play guitar over their right legs. Because classical guitars (and the SLG200NW)… read more have wide necks you have to rotate them at 45 degrees or more to play up the neck on the lower pitched strings. It's a matter of being able to reach across the neck with your left fingers. To do that you either have to have the guitar over the left leg or wear the guitar on a strap like a bib. Except the Yamaha SLG200NW just doesn't sit like a classical guitar over the left leg. The body is too thin. Even a foot stool doesn't quite get it high enough. A strap works, but now you're getting father and farther away from the format classical guitarists are used to. So the Yamaha SLG200NW is a different instrument worthy of its own category. It's an electric guitar with nylon strings. Because of the solid mass of wood between the headstock and the tailpiece wound strings have incredible sustain especially when played open. This is true even with headphones. The guitar responds well to shifting the right hand position along the string length between the bridge and the neck to create different tones. Moving toward (and over) the fretboard creates warm, fat tones and unlike a classical guitar you don't have to be concerned about your right hand covering the sound hole and dampening projection. Classical guitarists can apply their free stroke and rest strokes techniques with superb (if not terribly classical sounding) results. The bass notes are bright, distinct and clear; the treble notes are warm; the guitar produces a distinctive and desirable sizzle and crunch with chords. The neck feels great in my hand and I have to wonder if the extra width doesn't add to the overall mass to the guitar to influence the unbelievable sustain and tone. The real estate of the fretboard is far more open in the higher pitches than on a traditional classical guitar fingerboard, which makes a greater creative difference than I would have expected. Positions up the neck that were a struggle on my classical guitar are easy now and the pitches more accurate. There is more to explore. This is a great guitar for someone who is performing complex music. Jazz, New Age, World music and hybrid styles would be great fits. This is really a fascinating guitar that responds to a classical guitarist's right hand touch in a jazz kind of way. If you're playing mostly first position chords in standard tuning you don't need the wide neck version. The wide neck is for those who leave no area of the fingerboard unexplored. Drawbacks: •Because there is only one piezo pickup under the bridge there really isn't any way to add percussive effects. You won't miss them. •The upper bout of the frame of the guitar digs into my sternum after extended practice sessions. This might not be a problem for others, but I've had to wrap a pad around that area. •The height of the strings at the nut was unacceptably high when I received the guitar. I've heard someone else complain about this, too. I had to recut the slots. I don't know why Yamaha allowed this guitar to be shipped like that. I don't mind strings being a bit high at the saddle, but at the nut is careless. It's something that is adjustable so don't be put off by it.

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