Yamaha APX500 - Oriental Blue Burst

Yamaha APX 500

I have recently returned to guitars - carpal tunnel syndrome put an end to my playing a while ago - but I have since had successful operations and regretted having sold my old guitars...including a lovely 1965 Hofner Verithin. I bought a Line 6 Variax 700 - and have been very pleased with it but now decided I wanted something acoustic and smaller to pick up an play without necessarily plugging it in.

I chose the Yamaha APX 500 having done some research on youtube - partly for its playing qualities but also for the fact it looks good. I got a blue one to match my eyes and the lounge. I wasn\'t disappointed - kept out on a stand it does look good just as a piece of furniture.

It plays well out of the box - I found the action a bit heavier than the Line 6 - but of course it is a an acoustic and has heavier gauge strings. You could fit lighter strings if you wanted. Being rather a small guitar the unplugged sound wouldn\'t fill a large space - but for home practice it\'s great. Plugged in - it sounds even better - bright sounding and clear with sharp intonation and dynamics.. The cut away shape allows easy access to the top end of the fretboard - and the guitar falls nicely to hand. It has a three channel EQ system and a tuner which is handy.

Quality of finish is very good - some reviews I read were snobbish about the choice of woods - the back and neck are \"Nato\" which is a cheaper sustainable hardwood somewhere from the East - but that is reflected in the price of the guitar. If you want more exotic woods then you have to pay a lot more. The soundboard is spruce and the fret board rosewood with abalone inserts. White stringing round the body of the guitar is stylish and provides protection. Some people don\'t like coloured guitars.

If you want a good looking semi acoustic with a bright sound that is reasonably priced then I think you could do much worse than this guitar.

My guitar teacher likes it too.