Discover our in-depth review, here at the Acoustic Shoppe Blogge, of the Yamaha LL16 series guitars. Explore specs, features, and our honest opinions on tone, playability, and build quality. Listen to tone samples and find out if this acoustic guitar is the right fit for you.
Introduction
Welcome back to the Acoustic Shop Blogge, your ultimate source for everything acoustic. Today, we're diving into an exciting first look at the Yamaha LL16 series guitars. We're going to cover all the specs, share our thoughts, highlight the pros and cons, and even provide a tone sample so you can hear for yourself and decide if this guitar is the right fit for you. So, let's get started!
Becoming Yamaha Dealers
We're thrilled to announce that we are now official Yamaha dealers, and our first batch of guitars has arrived. Among them, none have garnered more attention than the Yamaha LL16. It's a popular model that many of you have asked about, and we're excited to share our thoughts. But before we delve into the details, I want to remind you to hit that thumbs-up button and subscribe to our channel if you haven't already. If everyone who watched our videos subscribed, we'd be right up there with MrBeast!
The Yamaha LL16 Series: Specs and Features
The Yamaha LL16 series features all-solid wood guitars, priced at $899.99 (at the time of this blog post). I'm holding the rosewood version, while my co-host has the mahogany one. These guitars sport Yamaha's original jumbo shape, which is slightly different from a standard dreadnought. Interestingly, I discovered that this shape doesn't fit into a standard dreadnought case.
The tonewoods include a solid Engelmann spruce top with Yamaha's ARE (Acoustic Resonance Enhancement) system, solid rosewood sides and back, a mahogany neck, and a 5-ply rosewood and mahogany neck for added stability. The binding on the body is maple, while the neck and peghead feature plastic binding. The fingerboard and bridge are made of ebony, and the guitar includes an adjustable truss rod.
Yamaha's LL16 also comes with gold-plated, sealed tuners and modified non-scalloped bracing. It boasts a gloss finish on the body and soundboard, with a matte finish on the neck—a feature that has become quite popular. The guitar is housed in a substantial hard gig bag with an exoskeleton for extra protection.
The neck profile is described as a high-comfort traditional shape, with a nut width of 1 3/4 inches and a scale length of 25 9/16 inches. It comes with a passive SRT piezo pickup system, which means no batteries are required. Yamaha's unique approach ensures the pickup doesn't impact the guitar's acoustic tone.
Understanding Yamaha's ARE System
The ARE (Acoustic Resonance Enhancement) system is a technology developed by Yamaha to manipulate the molecular properties of the wood, making it sound like it has been played for years. This process involves precise control of temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure. Essentially, it's Yamaha's take on torrefaction, but with some differences. Unlike traditional torrefaction, Yamaha uses lower temperatures and adds humidity and air pressure to the process. This results in a less darkened wood while maintaining the tonal benefits of aged wood.
Tone and Playability
The Yamaha LL16 series impresses with its tone and playability. The rosewood version, in particular, stands out with its big, balanced sound. The non-scalloped bracing contributes to its volume and pressure, surprising us with its robust tone. On our rating system, we gave the tone a solid 4.5 stars.
In terms of playability, these guitars are well set up, especially considering the price point. For our demo, we switched to medium gauge strings, but they come with light strings and are super easy to play. While I found the setup slightly on the light side, I still gave it 5 stars for factory setup, praising it as one of the best I've seen.
Build Quality and Aesthetics
Build quality is an area where I had some reservations. While the overall construction is solid, a few aesthetic details bothered me. The binding on the headstock, which stops abruptly at the first fret, feels like a cost-saving measure. Similarly, the heavy finish around the neck joint and the visible scarf joints detract from the overall look. These issues led me to rate the build quality at 3.75 stars, while my co-host gave it a higher 4.5 stars, noting the binding and neck joint's clean finish and tight construction.
Aesthetically, the mismatched binding and heavy finish around the neck were less appealing. Despite these points, the front view of the guitar is attractive, and I rated it 4 stars in this category.
Sustainability and Overall Value
Yamaha is committed to sustainability, using responsibly harvested woods and innovative manufacturing processes. This aligns well with our shop's sustainability mission, earning the LL16 a thumbs-up from us in this regard.
When it comes to overall value, the Yamaha LL16 series is a standout at its $899 price point. We rated it 4.5 stars for value, appreciating its combination of solid construction, impressive tone, and thoughtful features. It compares favorably with brands like Recording King and Blue Ridge, offering consistent quality and sound.
Who Should Consider the Yamaha LL16?
The Yamaha LL16 is ideal for intermediate to advanced players looking for a high-quality guitar without breaking the bank. It's particularly well-suited for folk and country players, though its versatility makes it a great choice for various genres. Yamaha's consistent build quality and innovative features ensure a reliable instrument that delivers excellent sound and playability.
Final Thoughts
We hope you enjoyed this deep dive into the Yamaha LL16 series. These guitars have impressed us and the rest of the shop staff, and we're excited to keep them in stock. If you're in the market for a new acoustic guitar, the Yamaha LL16 is definitely worth considering. Stay tuned for more reviews and insights, and don't forget to check out our recent video on the FG9 series for more Yamaha goodness. Thanks for watching!
** Watch the full review and hear the instrument(s) here: The BEST Acoustic Under $1K | Yamaha LL16 A.R.E. FULL Review **
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