Yamaha CPX5

Mine is black and it's been 14 years since I have it.
Spruce top
C-shaped Nato neck with 20 frets. Rosewood fingerboard.
Rosewood bridge
Lubricated machine heads.
Acoustic-electric system: piezo pickup placed under the bridge nut. Preamp with volume control, 3-band equalizer, mid-frequency control, mid switch

UTILIZATION

Comfortable neck
Ergonomic design
I glued a fret, added screws to hold the preamp, changed the battery compartment and fastened the input jack. I must say it has gotten around quite a bit. But it ages rather good and sounds better with time.

SOUNDS

It's fine for blues, rock and even jazz manouche. It sounds well unplugged, the sound is brilliant, percussive and, depending on the attack, smooth. Plugged: The electronics are average, it has no tuner and the pickup is relatively fragile.

OVERALL OPINION

Besides some minor work on the electronics, especially on the pickup, it's been 14 years and it is still hanging in there and has aged well. In the end, it's a good choice as an entry-level acoustic-electric.

I purchased this cool guitar 300$ from a local music store discount.

I like it's sound, it's exactly what an acoustic guitar should be. Can give very warm tones when used with the amp. Gives the great clean rytm tone when unplugged.

The action is a real pain in the ass. The strings are really high compared to my other axes.

It has a rosewood fretboard and has a great finish, playing for 6 months and there is not even a little crack on it.

If you're in need of an acoustic guitar to play rythms this is a great choice. But if you want to play blues or kinda stuff then you are the one who really needs this guitar.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Top: Spruce top.
Back and sides: Nato
Neck: Nato
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Bridge: Rosewood
Body depth: 95-115mm
Scale: 25.5"
Tuners: Chrome, lubricated
Acoustic-electric system: piezo pickup placed under the bridge nut. Preamp with volume control, 3-band equalizer, mid-frequency control, mid switch

UTILIZATION

The neck is comfortable, even if you need to sweat a bit to play F on the first fret.
Access to the higher frets is easy (even if that's not exactly what you look for on this guitar).
Nice design, it rests fine on your hands.

SOUNDS

Not much to say in terms of sound. I had the opportunity to test other brands at the same price point and the Yamaha stood out. The controls allow you to get the sound you are looking for.

OVERALL OPINION

Its value for money is truly excellent.
Other brands should be concerned about how serious things work at Yamaha.
Finally a brand that doesn't have one hell of a nerve and whose prices are generally justified.

Yamaha CPX-5 acoustic-electric guitar.
Mine is black, but it is also available in Sunburst.
Piezo pickup.
The neck is pretty thick, but it's comfortable to play, it slides well. The settings of the preamp are easily readable and you can easily get the sound you want.

UTILIZATION

The original strings are hard and quite aggressive, so you need a good barre chord technique and a strong right hand. Access to the upper frets seems all right, but that's not the main use of this guitar (a more versatile string gauge will improve this aspect).
Ever since I put my hands on it and started playing, I knew this was the guitar I was looking for. It is sublime in black, and the cream bindings make you think of a Les Paul: The thickness of the neck, the overall form of the guitar and even the headstock make you feel that you are playing the mythical Gibson. Its weight is OK and its design suits me perfectly.

SOUNDS

The sound! That's what makes this guitar stand out from the rest. All acoustic-electrics that I had tried sounded pretty bad unplugged and you really had to listen carefully to feel the warmth of the melody. I started by trying this Yamaha unplugged, since I wanted to replace my classical guitar and, just in case, have an electric option for live. The sound is warm, deep, which is exceptional at this price point. Amplified with an amp conceived for this use, the sound is even better. The anti-feedback button, which the seller told me about, is really effective. Be sure to unplug it after playing because the battery discharges all the same.

OVERALL OPINION

I've been using this guitar for six months and I am more than satisfied with it.
I love its sound and elegance.
It has a very reasonable price for its quality. Its a really good deal. I play lots of styles, jazz most often, even if the original strings aren't ideal for that. The guitar is easy to play.
I would buy it again without hesitation, even if it costs $200 more.
Musically yours!