Electric Guitar Or Acoustic For Sale (2024 Update)

There are hundreds of reviews on this guitar, of course some good and some bad. The good reviews (4-5 stars) far out number the rest. Although I’ve read some really, really bad ones. I suppose every guitar maker churns out a turd on occasion when mass producing affordable beginner (read inexpensive) guitars.
I can only tell you about my particular guitar.
It is fantastic, it’s beautiful, sounds amazing (plugged in and acoustic), plays amazingly well, stays in tune, the tuners are smooth and work as you would expect on a much more expensive guitar. The neck is perfect, the action is great (Martin MA540 Authentic Acoustic Light strings 0.054-0.012). I haven’t a single complaint I can’t say whether the quality has gone up or down in the last few years. Mine is an earlier production model about 10 years old. They’re relatively common , You can find a nice used one locally in most cities for under $150. That way you can play and give it a thorough inspection before you buy it. Check your local Guitar Center, try it, return it if you don’t like it, my bet is you will love it.Larry Daniels

I usually don't leave negative reviews. This guitar is beautiful, it sounds amazing. However, I just can't believe that guitar center would let this be shipped. The neck seems fine but every fret divider is razor sharp. It's so uncomfortable that I have quit playing it. Living in a small town it's very expensive to return stuff, so I guess it will just sit for now. To guitar centers credit, I have shopped there for many years and never been disappointed. But gee guys, why wouldn't you be checking this stuff? If I picked it off your wall I would never buy it unless you fixed it for me. Sorry but this sucksJohn

Tried out two of these at the local store looking for a first guitar for my son. Both sounded pretty good for the price point, but both had problems with the neck and really terrible frets. Terrible like not safe for children or unsuspecting adults – they both had sharp edges sticking out the whole length of the neck. Between that, some minor string buzz, a crazy high 9th fret on one, and iffy intonation on the other, it just didn't seem worth getting either of them. What's the point of getting a low priced guitar if you have to spend $100+ getting it worked over to make it playable? I suspect that the neck binding makes it difficult for the factory to really get the frets properly dressed and still pass cosmetic inspection. It may be I just had the bad luck to find the two worst examples of this model in the same store, but I suggest you move up notch in price range and you will be happier with what you get.triple.ratrider

Great for the price. It is a good idea to change the strings right away though. The guitar is playable from the get go however I did some adjustment on the rod to make it perfect. Its design allow for easy reach of the highest notes close to the body and the tuners and the electronics are good enough for a beginner to intermediate player. It comes with an entry level amp that outputs strong and high volume it is small but powerful enough for practicing indoors. All in all a great package for the money. I got this jewel from SamAsh for my daughter and cannot be happier. Hope this comments help you on your decision to buy. Cheers, JB from Coconut Creek.JESUS

This is a great guitar! I would honestly recommend it to relatively anyone. It has a great feel to it that would be exceptional for young players, but also has a good sound that's great for those more experienced. Anytime I let someone play this guitar, they ask so many questions because they love it so much. They're always super surprised to learn the price. Definitely worth the purchase if you're thinking about it.Brittany Colvin

A bought the Epiphone PR-4E LE in vintage sunburst for a good price as the SDOTD. I have been playing for over 40 years semi professionally and I own a number of higher end acoustics but I wanted to purchase a "beater" that I could break out at a party and not have to worry about one of my intoxicated friends bumping or scratching it. This guitar seemed to fit the bill. The reason I gave it three stars is that although the fit and finish seemed very good, this is supposedly a student level/beginners guitar and the action that it arrived with would be difficult and frustrating for anyone to learn on. I do my own luthier work and I had to spend about two hours to cut the nut, take some relief off of the neck and shave the bridge down to get it to play well. I do not know if my experience with this acoustic is an exception but at this price point I doubt it. With that said it is a nice beginner guitar with a nice build quality, it sounds surprisingly full and rich and if yours arrive like mine I would strongly suggest taking it to your local trusted luthier and spend the extra cash to have it set up properly and have the action lowered. Now mine plays wonderfully and is fun to play. If I didn't have to do all the work to get it playing properly I would have easily given this guitar 4 stars but at this price point I kind of expected thatG-Man

A lot of value, especially at the discounted sale price. Handsome design. But… Where is the quality control? Sharp fret ends, action set waayyy to low. major fret buzzing. several of the tuners were sticking. Rough edges on wooden bridge, strings are "rough" and lifeless. Pre-amp works well, but the tuner is inconsistent. Fretboard wood was really dry… did they store it dry storage? If you are willing to invest some time and effort like I did, filing the fret ends, raising the bridge, conditioning the wood, etc. it can serve as a first beginner guitar or a beater that I wanted. I'm no expert, but one can't expect a novice to take care of these issues. Getting a luthier to fix things properly, and you've doubled the price of the guitar. I've been spoiled. My other 4 guitars are medium to entry-level Yamahas, and none had these type of issues. BTW. the finish is not black, it is a charcoal grey and is distinctive. The neck is easy to play, but the sound and resonance is typical for a thin-bodied guitar. But, with a built-in tuner pre-amp, it's a decent value.Lawrence

Sounds good so far. First impressions: the "metallic black" is more metallic than black. It's really more of a shimmery dark grey than black; the pick guard which IS basically black contrasts more than product images suggest. Frets are a bit sharp at the ends, but otherwise, no major complaints.Jeff

The electronics didn't work well at all. I was able to sporadically interface with my Tonewood Amp, but it was hit-or-miss. I know it wasn't my TWA or cable that was the problem. I liked the sound of this guitar, and it was comfortable for my frame. The action was perfect for me out of the box…about as low as you can get without fret buzzing. However, all of the fret ends we're sticking out and would have needed filing. The fretboard and bridge wood seemed soft and rough. I suspect neither would wear well. There was a spot near the sound hole where it looked like glue had been smeared when the pick guard was placed on. That would not rub off. Gooey streaks elsewhere did clean off. There were some ripples in the finish around the sound hole. The color was more grey/gunmetal than black, and spray marks were visible in the paint. I got this guitar on sale at 40% off: $127.19, delivered. For that price I probably would have kept it had the electronics worked properly. I returned it.Regina

Look, just wanted to reply to some reviews that say this guitar sounds well…..thin. Duh, yes its not a jumbo acoustic or even a regular body acoustic. Its a thinline acoustic so it sounds just like what it is. Ive played several thinline guitars and they all sound…well…thin. That doesnt mean its cheaply made or a bad sounding guitar. It has its own sound. If you want a deep bass, then buy a jumbo or regular acoustic. I like the easy neck movement. The chords sound fine and this guitar doesnt require anymore tuning than any other in this price range. I tried ten guitars at guitar center including more expensive brands like fender, mitchell, yamaha and others and this was the only one under 400 dollars that stayed in tune from an E chord to a C chord. I bought it because Ive owned Ibanez before and never regretted it. To each his own but keep in mind a thinline guitar is not going to have a deep rich sound, but, I record my bass along with it so it sounds fine. It is what it is…a nice thinline acoustic-electric guitar.Kjmmusician

I had been playing a very old and very nice acoustic at church for night service, and didn't want to subject it to the rigors of live playing on a regular basis. After some research, it came down to purchasing a Talman or a Stratacoustic. I went with the Talman due to the price, and Ibanez's reputation. When the guitar arrived, I was a little apprehensive as the neck felt awesome, but the setup was awful. The strings were heavy gauge, and were set way too high. After some work shaving down the bridge, changing to light strings, and adjusting the truss rod, this baby plays great! I love that the electronics are really easy to use, and it was made to plug in. The sound when you are practicing unplugged isn't as full or rich as you get with a full sized acoustic, but this guitar wasn't made for that – it was made to be plugged in. I was able to eliminate having to use pedals to get the proper volume and EQ, which makes the live rig way easier to set up and tear down. I play it through a Line 6 spider II 75 watt head running through a Marshall 4×12 cabinet. The spider's clean channel is great for acoustic as it does not color the tone, and the Marshall is plenty loud for a church sanctuary. Overall, I am quite happy with the Talman, even though I had to put in some extra work to get it the way I like my guitars. It is a steal at the price if you have the skills and are willing to play with the setup.Stratbuilder

. Now let me set the scene… I am a guitar lover (I can even play a little too) and a quality professional so My expectations are somewhat higher than most looking at this product. An absolutely beautiful instrument, this is my second SA360 and although they are no longer. Made in Japan, be assured they have not lost any of the build quality or attention to detail. The guitar was really well set up, is great to play, feels good in the hand and sounds the bee’s knee’s. If you are looking to start out in guitar playing get yourself an Ibanez Gio to start as a first upgrade from that, then the SA series is where you want to be at.Timbo

Plays really well, and has a nice warm tone, and good volume and projection. Has binding around the edges and a Gibson style truss rod cover on the headstock. I don't like that stylized 'E' on the pickguard but I imagine the it will wear off over time. The neck feels really nice and plays well, has good action and smooth fret ends. The angled headstock keeps the guitar in tune well and looks nice too. The guitar sounds good plugged in, so if you're going to play gigs it works for that. I do wish that it had a built in EQ and volume, but it has none of that, just a peizo pickup and an output jack. I don't play plugged in very often so it's not a big factor for me. The output jack is built into the Strap pin, which I like, and there is a strap pin on the heel of the guitar neck. I definitely recommend this guitar, especially if you're on a budget, or want a guitar that you don't want to worry about getting beat up.SirJackalope

Overall: I purchased this guitar in February and it arrived unplayable. I was unable to review for this reason. Due to living in a remote location and being disabled it was to dificult to exchange, however, zZounds was very prompt at trying to help me return it. Unfortunately my caregiver had to throw away all the packaging. So my fault I couldn't return. I have purchased many ibanez guitars and this was the first time I had a problem. However, it's pretty obvious ibanez knew about this when sending the guitar to zZounds. So a little disappointed. So I'm unable to try this guitar, however, zZounds was very prompt and the customer service was great. I just can't return it and that's my fault. I would still recommend this guitar and zZounds.Kenneth

Looked good online but like someone else said it's like a toy I should have listened. I was told since I didn't like it I would have to pay return shipping and ups quoted me eighty five so I called guitar center and they said I could return it there. I did and they were very nice and it went back on my cardDavy E

I brought this for a signature book for our wedding, we wanted a playable momento, but didn't want to spend a lot of money. It's a great $88 guitar, we have guitars upwards of $500 so of course it would not be as good. Well built, tunes easily, buy needs frequent tuning. I think if we replace with high quality strings we would definitely take this guitar up a notch. Good for beginners and will definitely teach them tuning skills.Tasha S.

I purchase this bass being motivated by its price and rave reviews. Let me just say that when I received my bass today I was blown over at the fit and finish on this bass. It looks like a $500.00+ guitar! I've been playing it for hours and the deep bass is so sweet. The action is a tad high but I kind of like it that way. The great sound projection from this bass made me chuckle while I was playing because the bass made a silver cup I have on a wall mounted shelf rattle! Now that's impressive sound projection! I can't wait to plug in this bass to my friend's Ampeg that's a 1X15 ported bass amp. It should be wild! For the money this Best Choice acoustic had got to be the deal of a lifetime if you're in the market for an acoustic bass guitar.Jason

This is a great acoustic-electric bass. I originally purchased it to use as an alternative to plugging in my electric bass. I instantly fell in love with it. It stays in tune. The nut is of appropriate measurements and the frets are greatly positioned. I changed the factory installed strings with some acoustic bass strings and it sounded so nice! For the price, I didn't expect to get a good value, but I was surprised once I immediately opened the box. Good job Best Choice products!consumer

I own a vintage guitar shop and try to keep inexpensive guitars around to give to deserving young students. I bought two of these based upon good reviews. I was first amazed at the quality of the guitar…no sharp fret ends, no high frets, no blemishes in the finish, intonation right on. The set-up was quite good out of the box. I did file the nut some, but I always do even on high end guitars. The guitar sounds decent acoustically, but plugged in is where it shines. It stands up to guitars priced over a grand when plugged in. I gave one of these to a Grammy winning guitar player who is also amazed at its quality and sound. He thinks it is a great practice guitar that he does not need to worry about getting broken or stolen.Gary

I have been playing about 2 years. I have an acoustic guitar and wanted to try an acoustic-electric without breaking the bank. I bought the RA-090 concert size because a dreadnought size guitar is too large for me. The built-in tuner, volume and tone controls are handy. The action is a little high but it plays fine. The top and body are all laminated and of course sounds different than my solid spruce top acoustic.I had realistic expectations of an instrument in this price range, and overall, I am satisfied with the guitar.John

I couldn't resist buying this guitar, in spite of the fact that I own several acoustics of better quality. I have been wanting to try an acoustic/electric for a long time, one with barn-door electronics, and this one was on sale so I thought I'd roll the dice. And that's exactly what you do when you buy a Rogue. For the money involved, don't expect consistent quality. Mine came with no glaring issues, with fret ends fairly smooth (I did give them a quick touch-up) and a reasonable finish, although the back of the guitar did have some spots that could have used more polishing, but black is a hard finish to make look perfect. The neck is rather beefy, and some may find it too big, but it fits my hand better than a skimpy neck. The sound unplugged is OK but not rich in tone, and the electronics work fine when plugged in, albeit a little harsh sounding. I'll have to work on that with some creative EQ. Taking a peek inside with a light and an inspection mirror, everything looked clean except for some shoddy drill work through the bridge plate. The truss rod turns easily, and came properly adjusted. The cheap tuners all work as intended with no slippage. For the bad, plan to throw away the strings immediately. And the intonation was considerably off, due to the saddle tilting in its slot from string pressure and a sloppy fit in the bridge slot. This was corrected temporarily with a cardboard shim in front of the saddle. Next I will have to address the nut slots (not deep enough) and the saddle being too high. All considered, this is a good buy if you want an inexpensive acoustic/electric.Jimmy J

Great for starting out! Tuner works well. Gloss black gets dirty but easy clean up. Tuning knobs are sturdy. Not sure how to connect a strap since there’s only a strap connection on the bottom. But I’ll figure it out. Good sound, just needs replacement strings because these ones give a lot of feedbackAzGuy

The instrument was pack well, and arrived with no damage noted. Kudos to UPS! I have not touched a guitar to play in public, for about 20 years. It was nice to have one that I could actually play. String action is excellent, I can play this without my left wrist hurting. Right now, I'm in "practice" mode, and will attempt the other uses checked, after a bit more practice. I have a Fender Frontman amp that I can plug it in to. It sounds great there. I have seen some acoustic/electrics sacrifice tone, usually on the acoustic end. Tone is great on both the acoustic and the electric ends. The only down downside I hae seen is that the tuner could use an instruction sheet.Doug

It is unplayable. Has extreme fret buzz and trying to adjust the truss rod doesn't do any good. The neck and fret board are uneven. Starting on the body side the fret board is high and then drops down in the middle of the neck. Trying to straighten up the neck by adjusting the truss rod only makes it worse. The guitars look good but are junk.Robert

I did a lot of research before purchasing, and found a YouTube review that provided a lot of good information. I am more than happy with this guitar! It has a lovely rich tone and sounds fabulous with a brass slide (and I'm a total noob, so obviously credit goes to the instrument and not the player).Stacy

I bought it for my sister but she hasn't had a chance to use it because FedEx took so long to deliver it. She did love the guitar!Stephen C.

Product is great. Price was good. However not happy about it shipped. It was supposed to be a gift and everything on the outside of the package gave away what was in there. Down to the color of the product as well. Do better with how you package your shipments.Genevieve W.

Having relatively recently started learning guitar on an electric stratocaster-style guitar this was a great transition to the acoustic segment. The thinner body makes it much more comfortable to play than say a dreadnought and the neck is comfortable to transition too, yet the guitar doesn't seem to sacrifice as much sound as you'd expect from a thinner guitar. The finish of the guitar is that of a more expensive guitar for example the rosewood finger board. On arrival I actually thought the guitar looked better than the pictures on the website suggest but do note that because of the finish it is prone to showing finger marks which would need cleaning time to time. I would highly recommend this guitar.Richard P.

After suffering a permanent back injury I could no longer play my elictric guitar as it was too heavy or my acoustic electric guitar because it felt like it was twice it's normal size because I could no longer find a comfortable position for myself to play it. I bought a keyboard thinking that I could still play music. Afterv two weeks of playing around with the keyboard I gave up pllaying. Then I saw on the internet one night an advertisement for a 3/4 size Yamaha acoustic electric guitar guitar with a slimline bosy which looked like a nice guitar so I checked out males and females playing it and sounded very nice so I bought one. Man am I'm so glad I did. I got the sunburst like this one on sale. I was excited as l took it out of the box and went straight to my mancave and started playing it. It was perfecty in tune and for a guitar of this size it's got such a beautiful tone playing ACOUSTIC. So I plugged it in and it's as good as it sounded on YouTube. As an 67 yesr old man who started playing guitar when I was 16 years old, this is a beauty. I recommend this guitar to beginners, anyone with small hands and even people who want a good guitar to take with them without taking up much space in your car. Yep, it's a beaty.Deano

I love this little guitar. I bought mine from the GC store. I have Taylor GS mini for my RV, but it's still too big and too loud in a small rv with others. I saw the Traveller guitars and thought I'd go to a GC and try it out. I'm too new at this so got the GC sales person to play so I could hear the difference using a big amp. The ones with the pickups were hot and a little bitey for me as I only really play acoustic. The Piezo pickup acoustic sounded mellow and it was on the guitarathon sale for 100 dollars off. That tipped it for me. It's small, extremely light and when unplugged, extremely quite quiet. It's so small, I'm finding that I pick up this one more than the regular guitars. Bear in mind, it's not acoustic or electric, so it's not going to sound like anything else. I bought a headphone amp and also use a regular amp when I can be loud. When practicing unplugged at night, it's loud enough for me, but nobody else can hear it. Also, I've found that if I press it tightly to my side, the lower notes reverberate in my chest. With the acoustic pickup there is no tone or volume controls, so everything has to be done through the amp. I'm getting used to that. With no body and only the wire bottom, it takes a little time before it begins to feel normal. The only negative is if I don't hit the notes perfect, I can get some fret buzz. All in all, it's so different from any other guitar, I would suggest trying it in person first. You will either love it or hate it. And remember it's a small travel guitar you can also use regularly. Play it both amplified and unplugged and see if you think it will work for you.Mike

Overall: So, I have owned this guitar for several months now. It is without a doubt a very good sounding guitar, it's up there with my Gibson's and Martins. Strumming or finger picking it just sounds amazing. I did not love the string spacing, so I replaced the nut with a bit wider spacing for my style of playing. The whole point about me taking the plunge on this guitar was that it was all solid woods, ebony fingerboard and bridge, and one of Yamahas absolute best acoustics available. I have no regrets buying this guitar at all. My friends are amazed at the beauty and sound of this very well-built guitar. The electronics do a good job plugged into the PA for playing live, and it will amaze you how good it sounds unplugged all by itself. I never thought I would buy anything but Martin or Gibson's…. this changed my mind completely. if you're thinking about one of these just buy one!! My honest opinion is the price will go up on these as the solid woods and craftsmanship are stunning.Michael

I’ve had my A3M for three years now. I still look at mahogany wood grain in awe. This guitar has a nice rounded tone that can compete with Taylor and Martin guitars made from mahogany. Plugged into an acoustic amp sounds even better. I notice the price point has increased $100 (not sure of due to inflation) which shows that it is a respected instrument. I spent months spinning around for a acoustic guitar and I was truly pleased with the Yamaha A3M. I think it can keep up with Martin and Taylor on stage as a reliable gig machine.bryan nuñez

I play locally for hire as a solo acoustic guitar / vocalist. My primary guitar is a Martin GPCP Aura. I purchased the Martin SC 13E in hopes of finding a guitar with better action and playability. My first reaction to the 13E was really nice and it did play with less effort / strength than my GPCP. The first issue I noticed was string buzz on the 1st and 2nd strings. It wasn't awful but noticeable. I played the guitar that weekend at two shows. I was still noticing the buzz. So, I started the set-up investigation. The neck relief, the slight bow forward that a guitar neck needs, looked really good, maybe could use a bit more to help with the string buzz. This is an easy truss rod adjustment; however, I didn't change the truss rod setting. The next thing I looked at was the distance of the string height, above the 12th fret. My thought was I would try to lower this slightly if I decided to keep the guitar. The next weekend I got the guitar out at home before getting ready for my show that evening, to run through a new song I was planning to do at hat nights show. I took the SC13E out of the bag and the 1st and 2nd strings were touching the guitar at the 20th fret. I thought the saddle had somehow pushed down lower into the bridge…. I exchanged that guitar for another SC1E. GC person was easy to work with and got the exchange handled quickly. About 3-4 days I had my second SC13E in my hands. It also had the same string buzz, even though the neck relief and action looked good. I played a couple of shows with this guitar and then I started noticing the buzz getting worse. If you are still reading, the reward is at hand. lol I have decided that the problem with this guitar, and probably the other guitar, is the neck angle is off. I will explain why I think it is off and explain how you can check your guitar. I have watched hundreds of youtube videos trying to learn how to set-up and care for my instruments. I have watched neck adjustment videos put out by fender, for their strat guitars, because I wanted to know how to adjust my Acoustasonic Strat. But what I am getting ready to sell you, I have discovered on my own and may not be accurate, but here it goes. If I put a capo, or hold the strings down with my hand. on the 12th fret, there is a space between the strings and the frets above the 12th fret. A pretty wide gap at the 20th fret. On the SC13E the strings are almost touching and the 1st string is touching. Wa La I believe that neck angle is off. I think it was off on both guitars. So check yours before missing your return date. If you check your guitar and it has this problem, don't totally freak out. The SC13E has an adjustable neck angle, so it can be made perfect. If you find what I described above, I suggest contacting Martin Guitar and GC. Another thing to be aware of, the three Martin guitars I have owned had the nut groves cut too narrow. I took my GPCP to an excellent luthier. He filed the width and depth to correct specifications and filed down my frets (I had two that where high) Both of the SC13E guitars needed to have the nuts filed. If you are trying to tune your guitar by making a very slight turn to get it just right and the string doesn't increase pitch and then jumps to a sharp pitch, the string is probably pinching in the nut grove. Both SC13E's were boogers to tune for that reason. One of them broke the B string while tuning up from dropping the pitch. I am returning my second SC13E tomorrow and I think I am going to give it a rest for awhile. Maybe look for something different. FYI: I love my Martin GPCP Aura, unfortunately they discontinued that model. The sound I get from the Fishman Aura electronics is the best I have heard. PS: part of the reason the SC13E plays easier is they use a lighter gauge string. I put a set of the MA535T Martin Lifespan strings on mt GPCP and even with the truss rod loose, the strings don't pull on the neck hard enough to give me the neck relief that is needed. The SC13E is a beautiful guitar to look at and the electronics onboard sound very nice. I learned, I'm not a big fan of having the controls inside the sound hole. A little awkward to get to while strumming and the phase reverse switch is way back from the opening. If you like using the hole covers to fight feedback, I'm pretty sure you would be out of luck. I think this price range of acoustic guitar should come with a hard case. I gave this guitar a 2 rating because it has potential BUT i do think both of these guitars suffered from poor quality control. My luthier could have made both of these guitars sing beautifully but I refuse to buy a new guitar and send it for repairs, even if the repairs are set-up issues. A new guitar on the north side of a thousand dollars should show up playing without string buzzing and the strings close enough to the neck that you hand doesn't feel like you just hung from the monkey bars during an entire recess.Dale

This is a beautiful instrument with a stunning full acoustic sound despite the deep cut away and relatively small body size. The amazing design allows for unlimited access to the upper frets and the whole instrument feels very comfortable to play. I wanted an acoustic guitar with the accessibility of an electric and this new design from C.F.Martin delivers that in droves without ever loosing it's acoustic personality and sound. I own a super jumbo acoustic made by another company but the SC13e makes it sound dull and lifeless even before it is plugged in. The SC13e has that familiar Martin sound which is full and beautiful. The fishman pickup will then allow that sound to be delivered to anywhere from a gig in a noisy pub to full stadium if required. What a stunning instrument!Reviewed by Kenny's Music custom

I had a cheap 12 string guitar for about almost two years. I had been playing corridos during this time. However, I had played guitar for several years. Mainly rock and other stuff. Well, after I got it, I could play all the solos I couldn't really play clean. I guess the other guitar really was bad, or this one is great. Funny thing, I had a really good player tell me to not buy this model but the more expensive one. Well, I'm glad I decided to go with this one. This guitar sounds great and it's extremely easy to play. The guitar stays in tune fairly well for a 12 string guitar. The action is low. I haven't tried it the electronics aside from the tuner which works fairly well compared to my snark. I do have a Taylor and Martin guitar, and the tone on this guitar is pretty clean.Juan

This Guitar plays like a dream, sounds great no matter if it is plugged in or not, stays in tune and looks great. This is a great price for a guitar of this quality, but thanks to another dealers daily deal and Guitar Center's price matching, it was even better. I was able to get this out of layaway for $240 less. I am very happy with this guitar. I have not played in a band for a while, but getting back into practice and plan to start back with some solo acoustic gigs. Having this awesome new guitar is surely an inspiration to help me want to practice more.Kip

Overall: So, I have owned this guitar for several months now. It is without a doubt a very good sounding guitar, it's up there with my Gibson's and Martins. Strumming or finger picking it just sounds amazing. I did not love the string spacing, so I replaced the nut with a bit wider spacing for my style of playing. The whole point about me taking the plunge on this guitar was that it was all solid woods, ebony fingerboard and bridge, and one of Yamahas absolute best acoustics available. I have no regrets buying this guitar at all. My friends are amazed at the beauty and sound of this very well-built guitar. The electronics do a good job plugged into the PA for playing live, and it will amaze you how good it sounds unplugged all by itself. I never thought I would buy anything but Martin or Gibson's…. this changed my mind completely. if you're thinking about one of these just buy one!! My honest opinion is the price will go up on these as the solid woods and craftsmanship are stunning.Michael

I’ve had my A3M for three years now. I still look at mahogany wood grain in awe. This guitar has a nice rounded tone that can compete with Taylor and Martin guitars made from mahogany. Plugged into an acoustic amp sounds even better. I notice the price point has increased $100 (not sure of due to inflation) which shows that it is a respected instrument. I spent months spinning around for a acoustic guitar and I was truly pleased with the Yamaha A3M. I think it can keep up with Martin and Taylor on stage as a reliable gig machine.bryan nuñez

I bought this guitar from a local shop strictly as a worship instrument for Sunday mornings. It absolutely destroyed every other guitar at the music shop +/- 500 in either direction. I still hold that it is likely the best guitar in its price range for the quality of its construction and sound quality. There is virtually not a single flaw this instrument possesses… But can we talk about the electronics? The guitar is super odd… I mean, if you are odd too, it is probably your dream guitar. It has a poor-man's tone wood amp build in. When you turn it on, it runs 90's sounding special effects out the soundhole, which is pretty cool. Here is the problem, the controls are super minimal. So minimal that you can't tell whether this bad boy is on or off. We found out the hard way that when this guitar is plugged in, the battery is always draining, even when the sound system is off. This is not atypical, but it gets weirder. The guitar won't turn off when plugged in, but sometimes needs to be turned on (?) when the batteries are dying. There is no indicator to tell you when it is running low on power, so you might find out on stage halfway through Glorious Day. There is actually no indicator for anything electric on this guitar, except for a sliding piece of plastic that sits under the dials that might be useful if it didn't look like you were supposed to cut it out and throw it away. The whole control setup is just annoying and unnecessarily vague. Long story short, with an electronics upgrade, this guitar would be unbeatable. It has more power than it deserves, almost like the guys a Yamaha are professionally sound-profiling the tops, which is something you would expect only on guitars above the 2000 range.Benjo

Where to start with this… Out of the box, once tuned the guitar feels like a quality product. The fitted Elixir strings (I'm guessing a 0.12 brass or bronze set) give the guitar a very bright, clear tone, exactly what I wanted. It is a bright sounding instrument, so others may want to experiment with other string sets. The action is good and low, although compared to the guitar I was playing the fretboard is very flat, not much of a camber at all, a minor complaint which may not apply to everyone and I got used to it quickly. The neck itself is comfortable with a slightly matte finish which I find aids playability, somehow. The design is conservative with small inlays and a transparent scratchplate; I may replace the scratchplate with something more interesting one day but not while it's so new. All in all, a great, solid instrument for its price bracket. Oh yeah, it's also got this on board soucery which applies reverb and chorus through the body of the guitar. These effects are awesome but their real benefit is to make you want to play for longer, simply because you sound better. These effects also apply to the line out; this is also a fully-fledged electro-acoustic. The only drawback here is that the preamp lacks any kind of equaliser, but who cares about that when any amp or sound desk has these functions? That all makes this guitar an all-rounder. A solid acoustic instrument with on board tricks for busking or practicing (your buddies will be jealous if you're having an unplugged jam on the beach, too) as well as being the electro-acoustic you want if you're gigging. I swear, I am not being paid by Yamaha. Check it out on YouTube – some great demos of this guitar on there.Adam W.

This has been a great entry level (or more?) guitar. Been using it with youtube videos and Rocksmith and everything works as advertised!ROBERT