Yamaha APX-6A Accustic/Electric Guitar; Thoughts and Reviews

Yamaha APX-6A Guitar

Yamaha APX-6A

Acustic/Electric Guitar

Thoughts and Reviews

-Alan Arnell

I came in possession of my Yamaha APX-6A, named Ace, in an odd way and then gave it away in a very normal way, very familiar to most parents of teenage children.

My wife had a close friend who had moved out of town.  Being particular friends, they enjoyed girl talk and a girls night out on the town. (Keep Austin Weird!) Not wanting to lose that fun activity, my dear wife would travel to Beth’s new home in Austin, Texas to enjoy girls’ time together.  To keep Beth’s husband busy in his wife’s absence, my wife would take one of our computers to be repaired by him, which happened with more frequency that one would like back 15 years ago.  As a note of pure backstory, the computer we had at the time was a green colored Acer.   Ace, being green as the computer, was therefore given the name.

To make a long story short, Beth had purchased a new guitar, and as some people do, unlike me, she wanted to sell her old guitar.  I never sell or throw anything away. I even have the same wife! After Jodi learned the guitar was for sale, and knowing I never like to pass up the opportunity of a moderately priced guitar, Jodi made an executive decision and bought the guitar.

At the time, Jodi said that she bought the guitar for herself.  Jodi is an excellent guitar player and in her youth gave guitar lessons.  Yet, she hates to cut her left hand finger nails short to be able to play with any frequency.  

The Yamaha APX-6A was now ours and was put into my rotation of guitars that I play.  At the time, my rotation was a Gibson SG Les Paul Junior and a Gibson quarter sized guitar. Ace was the start of our collection of which Jodi and I now have a dozen.  

The Yamaha APX-6A was a great addition to our family.  Ace is a pretty green color name by Yamaha, "Translucent Green" with cream trim.  You may also buy in the APX series guitars in Natural Brown, Sunburst and Translucent Blue Burst colors.   The top of the guitar is made of spruce, the sides are Nato as well as the neck  (Nato wood is a collective name for wood from Mora trees). The fret board and bridge is Indian rosewood,  the hardware is gold.  Although an acoustic guitar, it is also equipped with a 3-Band EQ with AMF (adjustable mid-range frequency), volume, battery light and mute electronics.  

Yamaha’s sales literature:

APX Series

For over a decade, APX series has provided guitarists with an unparalleled blend of superior acoustic sound and response with electronic versatility and control. These superb instruments deliver extraordinary tone and response whether played acoustically or through the internal electronics.

Piezo Pickups

The APX line features advanced bridge-mounted, monaural piezo-electric pickups. Extremely thin, yet highly efficient, even subtle shades of picking and attack are clearly reproduced. Mono 2-way models incorporate twin APX acoustic sensors under the guitar's top to produce a softer, more microphone like tone.

Electronics and Controls

Refined amplifier circuitry offers excellent bass reproduction and exquisite tone balance over the instrument's entire range. Playing chords and arpeggios will show a blend that is nothing less than superb. A linear 3-band equalizer with variable midrange frequency puts total tonal control at your fingertips. The MIX control on 2-way models offers balance control between the bridge and body pickups.

My review of Ace, the Yamaha APX-6A is very favorable.  I like the action between the neck and the strings, very similar to an electric, but not. The strings don’t bend as well as on an electric guitar, mainly because I have it strung with thicker copper-acoustic diameter strings. The span of the neck, and therefore the strings, is very familiar and pleasant to my string hand.  The guitar plays crisper than the Gibson acoustic I was used to, as I have found true with most Yamaha guitars I have played.  Not a bad sound by any means, just different. Once used to it, I like the difference and is a breath of fresh air that I miss and will explain later.

I do not know all the jargon as a true professional reviewer would know, so here are additional reviews from http://www.wholenote.com/.

Michael Hungerford Wrote: The APX series guitars have a long track record of being great acoustic-electric performance guitars. All the ones I've played have been great feeling guitars. And the electronics are supposed to be reliable. Check out harmony-central.com, go to guitars then product reviews "guitars" then "by manufacturer" then scroll down to Yamaha. Most of the APX series get pretty good reviews.  Yamaha guitars are also known for having some really great necks in the last few years.  (I will add that my APX is 15 hard of years of use old and the neck is still as good as new)

An Inactive Member Wrote: I owned a Yamaha APX before I "upgraded" to an Ovation - and the only thing the Ovation is better is that it has more acoustic volume due to the larger body. The Yamaha was a very good guitar.

Fred LeBaron Wrote:  I've had an apx8a since '97 (discontinued now, but pretty similar to the 6) and I love this guitar. It's a great guitar to play -- the action is good, the neck is fairly slim without being too insubstantial and it sounds great. I prefer it to the Guild and Martin guitars I have, both of which cost a lot more. It sounds pretty good amplified, although it's tough to get a really natural acoustic sound out of it for me. But it has a good sound, just not like a mike'd regular guitar. I'm thinking of getting an AG Stomp to see if that does the trick. Anyway, if you haven't made up your mind, I really endorse this guitar. I have an Ovation cc057, too, which in some ways is similar in its electronics, size and playability, but I like this one the best. I think it’s a really cool looking guitar, too. Good luck with your choice.

As these things happen, my oldest daughter wanted to learn to play the guitar.  To her, what is ours is hers.  Really liking the design and color of Ace, she began to learn how to play. Also, because of her smaller hands, she liked the smaller neck, unlike a full fledged classical acoustic quarter guitar that I had purchased for her to learn how to play.  Over time, she fell in love with Ace making it her primary guitar and took Ace with her when she moved from Texas to California for her first job at West One Music Group.

(About LINK)

I am in California on vacation, as I write, playing old Ace, enjoying and remembering her qualities and sounds. I like the unique sound of Ace and found I missed playing her after her move west.

To learn about my other Yamaha guitar and the history of Yamaha guitars you may read my blog entitled “Yamaha Electric EQ-112C; Guitar Review and History” @ http://bit.ly/2bChwqR

Matteo Pidalà Tests a Yamaha APX-6 (Sailing Ships Whitesnake, Spirit Carries on Dream Theater, Your Song Elton John)

Vintage Classic Guitar

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