Yamaha APX700-12

General Specifications:

APX Soundhole:
Oval

APX Body Depth:
Thin 80-90mm (3 1/8” - 3 9/16”)

Non-scalloped X bracing
Solid Spruce Top
Nato (Eastern Mahogany) Neck, Back & Sides
Rosewood Fingerboard & Bridge
Die-Cast Chrome Tuners
12 strings!
ART (Acoustic Resonance Transducer) pickup system



UTILIZATION

This is a fun guitar to play! The body has a narrower depth to it, and the neck is very thin, which helps the playability factor a lot. The finish is ultra-smooth - this glossy black looks like a mirror in the light! The onboard tuner is easy to use, and a very handy feature to have, especially when trying to get a 12 string guitar in tune in a loud, noisy club. Also, the ART pickup system does a good job of amplifying the signal. Yamaha put a lot of effort into making sure this is a good guitar, and it shows.

SOUNDS

The shallower body depth generally hinders bass frequencies, but on this 12 string, the oval soundhole helps to enhance the low end, while the upper string of each course of the 12 greatly increases the "shimmer" factor. The natural chorusing of this guitar is strong, and it really shines through with a thinner pick.

Plugged in, the axe sounds a tad on the "honky" side - the upper midrange is boosted a bit overall. But that can be controlled at the mixing console or on an acoustic amp, so I'm not concerned.

OVERALL OPINION

I have been a fan of Yamaha's guitar craftsmanship for quite awhile, and this guitar is no exception. They have put a lot of thought into the feature package of this instrument, and the attention to detail shows. It is a nice sounding, great playing guitar, and the finish is an added bonus. For anyone looking at a quality 12 with some bang for the buck, this axe is recommended.