Are high-end Yamaha guitars worth getting?

[LesStrat]

I played an APX 10-T for several years until it died. I loved that guitar.

yamaha makes great equipment. They also own Line6 these days.

[AniML]

The new Yamaha FS/FG Red Label series are phenomenal. I have the FSX5

https://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical_instruments/guitars_basses/ac_guitars/fg_redlabel/index.html

[Bogner]

If you like it, buy it. What we think doesn't matter much.

[ICTGoober]

I've had a lot of Yamaha gear. Years ago, I had a 335 style guitar from them that was the very definition of sweet. I currently own an early steel string Silent Guitar. Plays great, has some terrific sounds. I have an older BB100 bass (I've had 3 of them). You can pick them up used for $100 and use them anywhere - studio, stage - makes no difference.

[Aceman]

I have two acoustics, and owned a high end Strat.

Yamaha's crap is worth it. High end only gets better.

[Aceman]

If you like it, buy it. What we think doesn't matter much.

Shut your whore mouth!!!! Next thing, people will start thinking for themselves. And then, the social fabric of the internet will forever be destroyed! After that cats and dogs mate and have cat-dogs, and well, from there it is one quick descent into oblivion!!!

[formula73]

I always wanted an SA-2200 but DAMN they’re spendy.

[d1dsj]

I have a 15 ish year old CPX15 which plays and sounds really great, it gets a lot of love from my guitar playing mates. However, my singer bought a LL36 (or something like that) that is on a different level. It’s beautifully made, plays effortlessly and sounds out of this world..... so articulate, touch sensitive and the projection is incredible. I remember him telling me he went in the store with the intention of buying a Martin, he tried many, he said he tried pretty much all of the higher class guitars and left with the Yamaha. I keep trying to buy it off him but to no avail.

[Drak]

I have to say it if you're thinking about an acoustic.
Eastman.
I hadn't owned an acoustic in nearly 20 years when I decided it was time to dip the toe back in.
I read up on them, then went into the local dealer and played nearly everything on the wall, from all brands, to see if what I read was true.
It was. All true. I couldn't believe it. I played two different models and they both killed it.
So I went home and started shopping Reverb for deals.
I wound up buying five (all Eastman's)over a period of about 1.5 years.
All used, all bought from Reverb, all with case (and very nice cases they are too) and still love every one of them.
$800.00 was the most I spent (for a mint E20-OO-SS that retailed for near-double that)
Most were well below that, usually in the $500.00-$600.00 range for guitars well worth over a grand or more.
Two baby jumbos (one Mahogany, one Rosewood), a high-end limited OM, their J45 model, and the OO.
If you can't tell yet, I'm not a fan of dreadnoughts for some reason, have never figured that out, but they make 'em for sure.

You really gotta be careful with acoustics, it's not a perfect equation between $$$'s and quality all the time.
You can't just assume ~1.5k will buy you a dream acoustic guitar that you'll love and bond with, you really have to research and then run the racks.
With acoustics, you must run the local racks with an open mind, it's a complete necessity.
I will say no more on this matter.

[Demanic]

Eastman you say.
I shall have to look into this.

[Mincer]

I love my Eastman electric, but I hear great things about their acoustics, too.

[Drak]

I love my Eastman electric, but I hear great things about their acoustics, too.

I've been building my own electrics for about ~30 years now so I haven't been in that market (to buy) for a long time.
But if I was, I'd absolutely shop Eastman, with no hesitancy.
From what I've read and seen (and I've researched them quite a bit) they don't really have a weak point across all the instrument markets they participate in.
Even their student/entry level lines are remarkably competitive and built well.
I researched their older electric jazzster archtops when I was thinking about buying one.
Never pulled trigger, but the reviews were all just as good, and I found potential deals on them on Reverb just as good as what I negotiated for the acoustics.
The jazz archtops and the acoustics share a lot of similar build characteristics, minus the top construction and any electronics, of course.

The weird thing I found about Eastman is they have a really interesting (and prolific, if not short by American standards) history with the guitar lines.
They seem to offer a model for a few years (3-5 maybe), then drop it and reconfigure a new model with a different model no. that is similar, but not a direct copy.
Like they're always examining the current market and updating models consistently, every few years.
I think this is to keep things 'fresh' and to not appear 'stale' by offering the same model for decades upon decades.
But there really aren't websites (that I found) that are easily searched that yield up their history and the older models too easily.
You really have to search hard for that information to find it to fill in the gaps until the 'big picture' appears.
I found Reverb to be very useful as a 'research engine' since people tend to put up as much about their guitar (to help sell it) as they can.
But when you do and you start to become familiar with the different models and their time periods offered...
It becomes really cool, and you see how interesting the history is with different models and feature sets.

For an example, when I bought my first Eastman, I didn't even know what a 'baby jumbo' was, really.
I 'stumbled' onto it (I think) in a Reverb ad, when I was searching for others at the time, which got my curiosity going.
And it was not easy at all for me to uncover exactly what they were and the years they were made.
And even in the baby jumbo category, they would change it up every few years, like clockwork.
The two I bought look completely different with different woods and features, which tracks exactly like and how they approach everything else.
But damn now I love my baby jumbos, so much after buying one (Mahogany), I went back and bought another (Rosewood).
They are both fabulous guitars (to me).
I mean, I just cannot imagine owning better acoustics for the $$'s level I parked myself at (under 1k, and the less, the better).
So the quality vs. dollar spent ratio, to me, is outrageously lopsided, on the positive end.
What I'm saying is that, to me, I got multiple guitars every bit as as good as a $2k competitor for ~$600.00.
Damn...did I say I would say no more on the matter?

[Open lane]

I have had very positive experiences with yamaha. My only complaint is that the Billy Sheehan bass i used to own had a serious neck-dive issue. Anything else I've tried of theirs has been great. Could have been a fluke.

[Open lane]

You guys read my mind. Was also gonna say eastmans are also great.

[ehdwuld]

Dang
say no more was three paragraphs long

Awesome

Thank you