SeriesYamaha L

(Originally written by redstring/translated from Audiofanzine FR) Made in Taiwan, very good manufacturing quality (you have to see it to believe it). The biggest strength of the L Series is its manufacturing quality. - Massive engelman spruce top Massive rosewood sides and back - Rosewood/mahogany/rosewood neck - Ebony fingerboard and bridge - Finish: glossy varnish - Body depth: 3.9"-4.9" - Nut width: 1.7" Scale: 25.6" Only two weak points : (1) plastic pins... Yamaha could have spent a couple of bucks on ebony. (2) The woods are excellent considering the price but... the head looks very cheap. UTILIZATION Very pleasant neck and low action. The compact size enhances the playing comfort (it's sort of a small jumbo). The volume is louder than with my Yamaha FG-355 which is a dreadnought from the 80's, but not as loud as the LL and LJ which have the same manufacturing quality but a bigger body. SOUNDS I play folk, blues and jazz fingerpicking/flatpicking and this guitar produces a well-balanced sound with a long sustain in the lows. The mids are not too present in the frequency spectrum and it's great advantage for fingerpicking. I find the highs a bit too sharp but you can play chords above the 7th fret without losing quality. Besides the quality of the wood, the sound is the main asset of this guitar and I couldn't find a better one for this price. If you know one, write me! I personally like guitars with deep-sounding low strings like on this model. OVERALL OPINION I've been using this guitar for nine months and I tested lots of models before buying it (e.g.: Martin DX1, Taylor 114, Gibson Hummingbird). I was willing to pay much more money but I chose this Yamaha LS16 for its playing comfort, its manufacturing and wood quality, and its well-balanced sound! If you want to get a better manufacturing quality with a Taylor or a Martin, you'll have to spend a lot more money. The sound quality is not unbeatable but it's the best sound I found in this price range. Summary: I think Yamaha is almost unbeatable in this price range. Excellent value for money.

Giving an objective opinion on it promises to be a tough work indeed, but I’m gonna try my best. First, I want to mention that I won it at a Yamaha contest and had never even heard of it before I got it. When the dealer gave it to me, he said “well you’re quite a lucky guy, for this instrument’s acoustic qualities could well be sold for double the price”. And that wasn’t a salesman”s argument as I was bound to get it anyway. :-D One last precision on this review: my previous folk guitar was a Storm which I must have bought for less than $100 many years ago, so no wonder I asked the Yamaha to marry me after hearing its first notes! I brought it to my favorite luthier’s so that he added a strap button at the heel (le lack of which is the instrument’s first – yet petty – fault). Seeing it, he spent 10 minutes telling me what a great piece of work it was. And for having played on an instrument that he made, I can tel this man knows his trade! I play various styles ranging from Andy MacKee to Fink to Vaï (yes, he does make great acoustic tracks too) to very simple songs with 4 open chords in all, and I never found a style for which I found this guitar to be too limited. As far as the acoustic sound is concerned, it’s very impressive compared with my Storm which was only exceptional for being my very first folk guitar. The solid wood is full of qualities and can be heard very distinctly. As for the ARE treatment which is supposed to imitate an aging wood, I can’t judge and you’d have to get the very same guitare with no such treatment to compare. Anyway, the highs and mids are very beautiful, clear-sounding and detailed. As for the lows… I fell in love with them at my first palm mute. Thes resound very well, yet not too much so precision isn’t sacrificed, even in DADGAD. The instrument’s tone balance is great and its sustain is awesome, no matter if you use Ernie Ball Earthwood Bronze 11-52 or 12-54, Elixir Phosphor Bronze 12-53 or Martin Retro 12-54 strings. Now let’s keep ou feet on the ground, of course this guitar can’t be perfect and has its share of faults. First, I already evoked the lack of a strap button – that’s a first one. Also, it’s an electro-acoustic guitar with a passive electronic. No hole in the guitar’s body to fit the usual ugly rectangle-shapes interface that allows to set the preamp, but no preamp either. In the end, you get a lower output, which is not that much of a problem except for the fact which disturbed me: you can’t use it as a DI as it sounds very small, shrilly and doesn’t sound its best. And losing these great lows would be such a pity! However, using an amp (in my case a 1978 Roland Jazz Chorus 120 which was originally not designed for that) it sounds much better. The piezo uses a mini-piezo system for each string. I don’t know if that’s the reason or not, but the sound that comes from it is very precise. With such a preamp system, you’ll certainly have to consider buying an external preamp (which is by the way what Yamaha’s website recommends, so no surprise here). One last fault (which may be proper to the one I got and not to the entire model): the action is set a little low, which can lead to the strings buzzing but I often play in DADGDAD so maybe that’s an explanation. In short, It’s really an excellent guitar and I think finding a better value-for-money will prove hard!

This guitar is part of Yamaha's handcrafted L Series. These guitars are noted worldwide for their rich tone, fantastic construction and general high quality all around. The LL6 is part of the lowest priced line of L Series guitars. This one has a dreadnought style body, a spruce top with a very nice hue overall, rosewood back and sides, a 3 ply neck crafted of mahogany and rosewood. The fretboard is also rosewood as well and the bridge is crafted of ebony. This model is crafted in China in the Yamaha handcrafted factory there. This model is complimented by various other body styles and sizes as well. UTILIZATION The design of this guitar is fairly ergonomic I would say. It is of a reasonable weight and balances very well on the body. I am not normally a dreadnought kind of person but I found this guitar quite easy to hold and to play overall. The neck has a nice medium profile that is a nice balance between thick and thin and the guitar's finish allows for smooth playability. Out of the gate the guitar is set up very well and is certainly inviting to pick up. Getting a good tone out of this guitar is quite simple. It uses great tonewood and craftsmanship to get the richest and clearest sound possible. There is no onboard electronics so the tone of this guitar is just that of a great acoustic. SOUNDS The tones out of this guitar were quite surprising when I first picked it up and tried it out. It has a great controlled low end that allows for excellent chord tones that sit very well in a mix. The midrange is nice and subdued which doesn't work as well for lead breaks, but again helps chords to shine through. The high end is just the right amount to really help the instrument project clearly and distinctly. I particularly like it when tuned to an alternate tuning to get some great overtones appearing. It sounds excellent for fingerpicking styles as well as with a standard flatpick too. OVERALL OPINION All in all I feel that the Yamaha LL6 is a fantastic guitar, even without factoring price in. It combines great looks, a serious attention to detail and some great acoustic tones in an amazingly priced package. This guitar sells new for about $500 which is an absurd deal and is certainly worth it if you want a great guitar from a time tested builder of some of the finest instruments in the world.

I am a professional studio and performing musician who purchased this instrument to fill a temporary gap in my acoustic arsenal for a small-sized guitar while waiting for a commissioned, custom-made instrument to be delivered. Pros - Sound quality, playability and workmanship are exceptional at this price point Cons - Tuners are low-end Gotohs that don't provide precise tuning. These machines were replaced with Grover 102 series Rotomatics. OEM Yamaha strings are thick, dull and hard to play.

I bought this guitar in germany for 599 euros.It is made in taiwan and is handcrafted (written on leather).The quality of the woods is incredible. solid engelman spruce top,solid east indian rosewood back and sides,ebony fretboard and bridge,gold plated locking tuners (stays in tune forever),a very good bag.I think that the combination of the woods,is the best it can be,exept brazilian rosewood for back and sides.The sound is brilliant and ballanced perfectly.Great sustain,lots overtones,and very loud. The sound is what i like the most.It is the best guitar i ever played (playing for 30 years).It simply sounds like a pro guitar should.Can't believe that they make this for 599 euros. There's nothing to dislike. Everything is perfectly matched.The neck is 3ply mahogany-rosewood-mahogany.The quality is first class as the materials. If you are out for a guitar in the pricerange of 600euros don't look any further.At any pricerange?Just give a shot.Maybe i was lucky but the sound is outstanding.The best I played or heard and I played and heard many good guitars like martins,taylors,takamines,ovations. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com