Product: Yamaha 550
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted
12/13/2008
at
04:52am
by
Bongoman
Features
:
7
I've had this Yamaha for several years. It dates from the 1970s, given to me by my uncle.It's a dreadnought style which was made in Korea. It's a laminate top with a gloss finish.It wasn't an expensive guitar the neck is about an average width. There is a zero fret on it.It has a maple top and a mahogany back, the fingerboard is black but not sure what type of wood. The bridge on it is adjustable.I replaced the tuners for better quality ones, the originals being ok but cheap.
Sound
:
9
The best thing about it is the sound. I think this is due to its age, it's a very full resonant sound.It is very good for strumming, it's easier to judge the quality of sound when someone else is playing it,my uncle and friends have played fingerstyle stuff and it has a 'woody' tone but is still loud enough to be clear.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
6
The action is comparable to modern lower end guitars. I've found it fine for simple strumming. The guitar has held up well during the years and is testament to Yamahas durability when it comes to guitars.It's had a lot of use over the years but is still great to pick up and strum. The frets are still reasonable and it keeps in tune ok. The tuners were replaced for better quality ones several years ago. It works best with light and extra light strings.
Reliability/Durability
:
8
My uncle used to go busking with it and so it's withstood all this fine. The surface of the guitar has become worn and it's had quite a few knocks but it does keep in tune and with some maintenance I think it will go on for a few more years.
Customer Support
:
8
My uncle has always used Yamahas due to their durability, I've never needed to contact the company for any reason but I think their customer support would be ok judging by other reviews.
Overall Rating
:
8
I've only been playing a couple of years and learnt on another guitar before this one, I can appreciate it soundwise now I'm a bit more experienced in playing, there other modern acoustic guitars easier to play for a beginner. I would be devastated if it was lost or stolen due to sentimental value and also that I couldn't replace it easily. It takes more effort to play but the sound makes up for it. It is good to have as an extra guitar for singalongs.
