Yamaha AES620

Everyone's already spelled it out............

This guitar kicks serious ass through my 5150 combo (back off) on top of a 5150 straight 4X12!!!The Duncan JB is clear, loud, articulate and just plain smokes. The Neck bucker is growing on me. I have been playing for 22+ years and can honestly say this is one of the best if not the best playing and sounding guitars I have owned (and I've had too many to bother listing).This guitar is a steal so like said elsewhere on this board, go get one before Yamaha realizes that they are giving them away!

Top notch set up....just needed some custom 10's (10-52) and away it went!

You could beat a horse to the ground with it and it would still play like you just bought it!

No dealings with Yammie.

I can again say this unit rocks....go get one before they are gone!

2004, made in Korea, 22 frets, laminated top, 2 volumes for 2 humbuckers and 1 tone, 2 humbuckers, 3-way selecttor, passive, Yamaha p/u on neck and Seymour Duncan JB on bridge.
Mahogany body, quiltied top, gibson les paul type of body, stop-tail bridge,, non-locking grover tuner, I think it's jumbo frets ...

Yeah I got this product 2 weeks ago and I must say I'm satisfied with this product. It suits for my music mainly alternative grunge, metal type o' music. I'm using Marshall MG100HDF head n cab. And NO its not noisy. Its got that nice full sound, specially on distorted sound using the bridge pickup, mannn it blows my mind. But I tried this with heavy gauge string (10-60), it is not good, it lacks bottom end, but normal string it is superb.

THe guitar was perfect as it is.

Yeah man, this guitar withstand live playing
yeahh the hardware seems last forever
the strap is catchy, its got 2, which enables me to try on different position
Yeah i can depend on it
Yeah, I can use it without back-up, but maybe i will use backup just incase the string breaks

I have never dealt with yamaha before, but the music store that I bought this in was very nice to me. They treat me good and everything.

I have been playing for 12 years. I have Fender squier fat strat, Ibanez SZ520, Yamaha AES620, Marshall MG100HDFX head n cab, Korg AX1500G.
If it is stolen I will probably get the same one or buy another brand i dont know man. I never think about it, the reason I bought this guitar coz I need a second guitar to play standard tuning that this guitar suits me the best.

Yamaha carved top electric with two humbuckers (a Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge). Has a flame maple top (amber finish) and Grover tuners.. The guitar itself kind of reminds me of a Gibson Les Paul meets a (albeit lower end) PRS. For the price.. unbeatable. Gave it an 8 instead of a perfect 10 because a Duncan pup in the neck would have been nice (although the stock pickup is definitely useable) and it has one of those real thick, heavily lacquered necks similiar to a Les Paul.. meh. I'd pick a Fender neck any day.

Had a Tele already, so I was looking for something with a thicker, more overdriven natural tone.. I got that and then some. It's actually a step above overdriven; I'd go as far as to call it rockin' (which isn't exactly what I was looking for, but hey..)
The neck pickup is warm/creamy and the bridge pickup is spankin' hot. I'm playing this through a Fender tube amp, and it's a really nice compliment to the Tele's cleaner, brighter sounds. Not too noisy at all.

Action was great, but strings were too light a gauge (9s I think). I'll move up to 11s ASAP. But good setup for 9s anyway. Well-adjusted pickups. I noticed some flaws in the finish where the neck meets the body, but I've seen this on higher-end Gibsons, so...
Also, one of the volume pots was a little scratchy. Neck was perfect, which says something because I live in Nebraska (most dry AND most humid state in the country).

This guitar seems solid. I'm slightly nervous as it's my fist set-neck, and I live in a rapidly changing climate, but that's the sacrifice I make for tone. Thick finish.. a little uncomfortable on the underside of my right arm, but will definitely last. Hardware is solid. I would never gig without a backup, because my momma didn't raise no fool.

lifetime warranty

This guitar is GREAT for the price. Amazing tone that kicks the crap out of any Epiphone (or lower-end Gibson), in my humble opinion. Gorgeous, professional-looking finish. I was only concerned about two things.. that it was made in Korea (which doesn't seem to be a problem at all, quality-control wise), and the set neck which I discussed above. Anyone looking for good, hard-rocking tone without having to pay ridiculous prices for the other guys' products.. this is your answer.

This is a stunning guitar - mahogany body with flamed maple top and set in mahogany 22 fret neck (rosewood finger board). two volumes and one tone control, selecting between a seymour duncan JB bridge pickup and a yamaha alnico pickup via a gibson style toggle switch. Grover machine heads and a lovely string through bridge. Personally not too keen on the electronics. I modified mine to a single master volume and two tones, but thats a matter of personal preference. I also installed push pull pots so i could coil tap the pickups - more about that later ...

the sound is awesome! such a rich, smooth, creamy distortion with a sustain that lasts forever. its everything i ever wanted. the clean sound is really full, and the JB has some serious cut! what surprised me most is the quality of the Yamaha pickup. i was gonna change it for a '59, but theres no way im replacing it now!

Im not sure why yamaha didnt think to include coil taps, cos the sound of both pickups when tapped is SO nice. especially the yamaha neck pickup - really bluesy

if you like big, chunky vintage nexks, then this guitar was made for you. i think its a slightly shorter scale length to, cos string bending on this is slightly easier than my other guitar, which has the same gauge. well done yamaha - spot on!

its a bit of wood - what could go wrong?

never dealt with yamaha as a customer, but i work in a guitar shop and find them to be quite reliable from a dealers point of view. however, i kinda voided the waranty on my guitar by moding it, so its slightly irrelevant to me !

SO good! if you're looking for a great guitar with a stupidly low price tag, then go for it. the only thing that disappoints me was that they didnt go the extra mile and coil tap it. The single coil sounds on this guitar are to die for, so i'd thoroughly recommend it. as a guitar technition, i did it myself, but its something your local dealer can do for you without a problem. My advise - go buy this guitar before yamaha realise how good it is and put the price up!

Just bought it, writing this review after 1 week of playing. I?m going to try my best to write an honest and fair review. This is my first Yamaha guitar. Keep in mind I am rating this guitar in respect to it?s price range. I?m not expecting to compare it to a $1500 guitar, if you had $1500 to blow on a guitar - why you would be considering this guitar in the first place? (Unless you were going to buy 3 of them, also Yamaha makes more expensive models ?AES920 for example) Go to Yamaha website for more detailed list of features, also a good review on guitarplayer.com (type in AES620 in search box). For the price I?m not sure how many more features you could expect, it comes stock with an upgraded pickup and Grover tuners, which I think is a really big plus. I can?t tell you how nice it is to have good quality tuners, makes a world of difference. The body is Mahogany with a Nato neck and a rosewood fingerboard. It comes with 2 strap buttons on the bottom of the guitar, this might have to do with where the placement of the cord jack, which is right in the middle on the bottom (where a button would traditionally go), also the cord jack angles up slightly to help keep the cord from coming unplugged if it were snagged, nice thinking. It has your basic pickup 3-way toggle switch that is probably the only reason I?m not giving it a 10, a coil tap or split feature would have put it over the top. The nut looks kind of cheap, like injected plastic or something. In the box was a cord, manual and some hex keys. All in all a 9 is pretty damn good and for $500 it might be a 10 but there is always room for improvement.
Side note; some people may not be familiar with Yamaha as a guitar company and I don?t blame them, to some it may just sound like a Panasonic or something but I have to put my 2 cents in here. Yamaha has been making musical instruments for sometime now (logo is 3 tuning forks) - drum sets, pianos, classical, steel stringed acoustic and electric guitars. So for what it?s worth I personally feel like they know musical instruments as well as any company and have faith that whatever they produce will be a well thought out product.

The guitar comes with an upgraded pickup in the bridge, a Seymour Duncan JB, this is differently for hard rock, it is tight and loud, and at first I found it to be a little harsh, it also it did not blend well with the neck pickup when both pickups were selected. I lowered the JB (about 1 & 1/2 screw turns) and raised the neck pickup (about 1/2 screw turn). After I made this adjustment things start to sound much better. To my surprise I really like the Yamaha stock pickup in the neck position, it?s good for bluesy rock type sounds (Black face, Roland JC) and is a lot smoother than the JB. With these two pickups you can get a wide variety of blues & hard rock sounds. The sustain of the set neck and string thru body really come though which was a big reason why I was interested in this guitar in the first place. We all know sound is a very subjective thing, I find it hard to describe in words. So I?m going to keep this as simple as I can. Does this guitar sound like what it was designed to do? I would say yes, very much so. How does it sound with respect to the price range? I would say it sounds very good. Overall I dig the sound and I?m sure it will keep me happy for many years to come.
If you are a guy that has been playing 10 years and is looking for ?the sound? realistically speaking you?re a fool to think your going to find it for under a $1000 in the first place, I mean get serious. Side note: Just quite smoking for a year and you can save $1500 and buy a Les Paul or something dumb ass.

As soon as it arrived I inspected it for any flaws in the finish and could not find any, very nicely done. Before I bought this I went to a local music store and they had all 3 finishes (unfortunately their price wasn?t even close to MF), they are all nice, I went with the faded burst, the blue is really pretty too. The gloss looks thick and evenly applied so I?m sure this guitars finish will take a beating, this is especially good since there is no pick guard. I?m not sure what size or brand of strings it came with. I replaced them with a set of .10 D?addarrio regular light strings. The neck needed no adjustments at all; the action was good to go. The abalone dots are nicely done on the fret board. The fret job is very good, smooth and it has no dead spots anywhere, sounds very solid everywhere you go. (That is something I could not say about my MIM Strat) The Rosewood fingerboard is really nice and does not look cheap like some other brands I?ve checked out around town. I like the width and string spacing, the neck radius is deep (if you?re used too an Ibanez wizard or something this will definitely feel different) but it is a very comfortable playing neck. The bridge looks very solid as well; I like the string thru body design very much. One last comment; the ?machining? on the body is very clean and precise, from the vol/tone knobs which are countersunk into the body to the fit of the rear covers to the bevel on the cut out, everything is done well - which is one reason why I think a lot of people are raving about the perceived quality of this axe. Yamaha has taken a lot of effort to do some of the little things which added together really make this guitar stand out from the masses.

As others have pointed out the volume and tone pots are very cheap, they crackle a little bit when rotated and in one case I lost all connection altogether. Not sure what to make of this besides it?s totally unacceptable, somebody somewhere in the corporation knew about this and decided to use the bad parts rather than do the right thing which would be to scrap them or reject them and send them back to their supplier.
Side Note: Because of this issue it peaked my curiosity to see what?s ?under the hood? ? I removed the 2 back covers and found that; the covers are shielded, solder points look solid, the wiring which was visible was of a thick gauge and the compartments were clean and free of debris (all of which I can not say about my MIM Strat)
I was going to give the guitar a 9 but because of the cheap and below average vol/tone pots I?ve gotta drop it a to a 7 - Can?t be very gig worthy if your about to lose connection.

I contacted Yamaha Via. email regarding the defective vol/tone pots. They responded a day later stating that they?ve received my email and that someone would be contacting me soon. In this day and age that?s a pretty good response time. Later the same day I received a message on my cell phone from a Yamaha customer support person saying that they were going to take care or me and set things straight (I won?t bore you with the details) So I?m very pleased with their customer support, the resolution and timeliness were simply outstanding.

Side note rant: I?ve contacted other company?s over the years and never even received a response let along a answer to my question. I know companies have more important things to do besides answer a 1000 questions a day from guys like me but I love guitars, it is my hobby, my passion and I spend a lot of money on gear every year. Its guys like me across the planet that keeps these companies going; all I ask for is an honest attempt to answer a question. If that?s too big a deal then don?t but a ?contact us? link on your website! OK ? got that off my chest, thanks for listening to my rant, I feel much better now.

For the money this is a great buy and I would not hesitate to buy another one. (Even with the bad vol/tone pot issue) It gives you a great playing axe with some nice looks at a realistic price. Hopefully Yamaha will address the bad vol/tone pot issue in the future but I have to admit, they took care of me in the end and I?m a satisfied customer (no buyers remorse). This guitar has so much going for it I think it could a classic in the making. Hope this review was helpful. P.S. ? you can get one of those MF deluxe gig bags for around $20, the guitar fits nicely inside it. (The MF logo patch is sewn on & easily comes off)

MY AES620 was made May 2004...it was made in Korea to Japanese specifications...for a discerning American buyer...me...it has 22 frets...and is the translucent red color...I think we all know the specs of this instrument...so I'll move on

The AES620 sounds as good as you want a guitar to sound...I've played it unplugged for hrs...this instrument is first rate...without even considering the pickups...the more I play this guitar...the more I'm thinking it has telecaster pluck w/ Les Paul balls...it sounds great...and I really love the neck pickup...Yamaha can tell u nothing about this Alnico II but let me tell u it sounds great...and u won't need to replace it...needless to say the Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge is awesome...it can hold its own with anything

I bought my AES620 off ebay and the guy I bought it from had it set up so I can't speak for the factory setup...I do know that its set up great right now...the action is low throughout...I put thick 10s on it...I love the baseball bat neck...its thick...but not wide...very easy to bend strings on...bend a string a step and a half...no problem at all...and u'll enjoy the sound all the way up and all the way down...the sustain on this instrument is first rate!!! Its lighter than a les paul...but just as ballsy but not as dark...and it plucks like a fender...this is a first rate instrument...don't listen to anyone...plug one in somewhere and see for yourself...the craftsmanship is solid...we're not talking Tom Anderson here...I have one and dropped 2grand on it...obviously there was more time invested in building such an instrument...the AES620 is a beautiful guitar put together by people who know what they're doing...it sounds and plays like a first-rate instrument...NOONE would be unhappy if you gave them an AES620...they're incredibly fun to play and they sound great!!!

this is a solid guitar...the neck is thick...not wide...so the weather...temperatures...don't make it go out of tune as quick as other guitars...the hardware is solid and functional...nice finish...that'll age well...strap buttons r thick...which is nice...I haven't had this instrument fall off its strap yet...this is definitely a dependable instrument...and changing strings is a quick straightforward affair...ur not dealing w/ the nightmare that is floyd rose...nor with the quick dream that is steinberger...but the strings change quickly and can be tuned quickly as well...I like the grover heads as well

I've only emailed them...they're responsive...give em a few days...maybe a week and they get back to u...I have to say I'm disapointed they don't have a manual or book for the AES line...the design is a keeper...it'll be a classic before long...and here...they have no literature to go along with the guitar...one thing that is annoying is all the misinformation out there about this guitar...it DOES NOT have active pickups...and there is NOT a way to turn the humbuckers into single coils

I have a Tom Anderson which cost me 2grand...a Steinberger which cost me 2grand...an Ibanez Artist made in 1977...a Yamaha SBG1300TS...a guild Jumbo acoustic with cutwaway...and this Yamaha AES 620...I play all my guitars...most of my practice sessions...and the AES620 is always a joy to pick up...it can be used for ANY type of music...Jazz...Country...Rockabilly...hard rock...heavy metal...even Bach...still...I think of it...as something of a barn stormer...the pickups can really bring down the house...and the guitar itself feels like a tele and a les paul all at once...it is its own instrument to be sure...but it is reminiscent of other instruments I've played...like this 50s era tele with a baseball bat neck that my buddy could play like a mother fucker...the neck on this baby was thick but not wide...strings bent with easy...and you could run scales till the cows came home...I've never forgotten that old tele...and the AES620 neck feels exactly the same way...except there's hotter pickups to back u up...I played this instrument once...at Rustic Music in Philadelphia...I had to have it...I asked them to set it aside for me for 10% down...but they wanted 50% down and the rest with a few weeks...I came back a couple days later and they'd sold it...'why didn't u put something down' the owner said...I wanted to choke the life out of him on the spot...anyhow...I peddled home...and found the exact model on ebay for the same price and bot it immediately...this guitar sound great the moment u play it...plugged or unplugged...and when u put this thing into an amp...there's nothing but smiles...she sings up a storm...one reviewer said she either 'whispers in ur ear or screams like a banshee'...I like that comment...its true...and u can also get everything in between...and all kinds of mixtures of the two...this guitar is the best value out there...that I've ever seen!!! We're talking a first rate instrument...that's brand new...for under $500!!! Holds its own with anything u care to name...Trust me...I put it up against the best every day I practice

picked up one in royal blue, and the fit and finish is great, not to light and not to heavy in the making. Hardware is first rate...I had heard rumors about the pots, but they are unfounded on this one. The response is clean and quick, no crackles, no blank spots either. The control knobs really offset the color, and look as great as they work. The tuners are tight and stay put thru alot of streching and playing...the sound is as fine as any other high dollar guitar I have played...and better than more then half of them!! It sounds "seasoned" and can sustain a note for as lone as you want. I have found it to be the best buy I have ever gotten on a musical instrument...and I have been playing for almost 33 years.

MY AES620 is a transparent red model. These guitars are Korean made. 22 frets. Two volume and one tone control, three way selector, dual humbucker, Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge, and a Yamaha Alnico in the neck. It's a Les Paul styled guitar, Maple on Mahogany body, mahogany neck, rosewood fingerboard. Grover tuners. Three strap pins.

It's hard for me to give and accurate picture of the sounds, as this is my first and only guitar, I have only been playing it for a couple of weeks now. Muscial style? HA! I don't have one, yet. I will leave it to those with more experience to describe the sound.

The guitar was set up perfectly when I got it. I have no idea if the factory did that, or if the store did it. I don't know much about action, but it must be good because I barely have to apply any pressure the strings, and haven't had any problems with buzzing, even unplugged. I had the strings changed from the stock 9s at the store, to some 10s, as per the recomendations of many, and no adjustements were needed afterwards. The top is superb, very nice flame pattern, well matched. The frets are all perfect, even though I am a beginner with minimal experience, I spent months researching guitars bvefore buying, so I knew what to look for, and belive me and went over them with a fine tooth comb. I had heard of some with bad pots, but mine seem fine, nothing scratchyt here. Thre is only one flaw on the entire guitar, a tiny little bit of what I think is glue is visible right next to the fretboard, where it meet the body on the cutaway side. Barely visible. ALso there are some basically invisble scratches near the strings, probably made by a pick by some loser in the store. I can only see it if i shine light in it in just the right away, but it does bother me. I'm just very picky though.

I will mention that the guy in the music store, a Les Paul player, had never seen one of these guitar before, but he plated mine, and I don't think he wanted to give it back. Told me it played like a $1500 dollar guitar. I can veryfy that, since I've never played a $1500 dollar guitar, and if I did I doubt I would be able to tell the difference at this stage, but I am inclined to believe him. It certainly LOOKS like a 1500 dollar guitar.

Everything about this guitar looks like it is built to last, and I have no reasons to suspect it won't. However I will leave it to those with more experience to answer this question concretely.

Well, Yamahas home audio division sucks. Downright terrible service from them. However I have heard very good things about the guitar divisions service. Hopefully I'll never have to find out for sure.

I have had me eye on this for a long time, almost since I first decided I wanted to learn to play. In the begining I had planned to buy an all in one kits, like a Squire Strat Pack, but the more research I did, the more I realized it would be worthwhile to buy something nice from the get go. I found I was most attracted to Les Paul type guitars, but a Gibson was way out of my price range. I thougt about an Epiphone for a while, and was ready to buy one when someone recomended the Yamaha Pacifica line. Well being start styled guitars I wasn't too interested, but I did come across the AES620 on Yamahas website, and I knew right away it's what I wanted. After a bit of digging I found dozens of glowing reviews both from magazine and users, and I knew I was on the right strack. Now that I have it I wouldn't trade it for the world. In my opinion it has the best of the Les Paul, and the Best of a PRS, rolled into one without really copying either. I like that it's unique, but still classic in it's design. I love the dark transparent red, and the scuptures body, i would describe it as jazzy mized with sexy. I compared it to Epiphones, PRS, Ibanes, and many others, and for the same amount of money, or in some cases twice the money, there is nothing that can compare. There is only one things I would chnaged about it if I could; I would have had the headstock red to match the body, it would have been just a teeny bit nicer than way....

If it were lost or stolen there is not a doubt in my mind I would re-buy this guitar, or if I could afford to at the time, I'd get the AES920, which is just like this one, exceopt handmade and featuring premium woods.... (though I have my doubts that they would really be noticably better than what I've already got.)

Most features are described above.

I will mention a couple that I like and don't. I like the idea of 2 strap buttons on the bottom of the guitar. I like the way that the lead chord plugs in and where it plugs in. I had a strat copy that had the plug in the bottom and when I was sitting with the guitar I was basically sitting with the guitar resting on the chord. Hard on the knee, chords and jack. I like the way this guitar sits on my lap, it's very comfortable and easy to play. I don't often play standing up but on occassions that I do I find it comfortable in that position also.

I personally like the placement of the volume and tone pots. The toggle is a little high but remember I'm coming from a strat copy so it's not where I'm expecting it to be.

I'm not sure what I should rate this one as. There is no air conditioning and it doesn't have leather seats or a sunroof but it has 6 strings that you can tune, 2 pickups with a 3-way switch and you can adjust the volume and tone on them. The music store threw in a half decent gig bag (I already had a hardshell case that it fits in) a strap and a dozen picks. What else does it need (a PEZ dispenser in the head?)?

Here is where this instrument shines. This is where an instrument should shine. I don't know about you but I don't have $900 to pay for something because I like the name or I like the color.

Let's face it, with all the computerized technology out there I could probably make a stick sound like just about any instrument on the planet. However, a stick just doesn't have the clean pure sound when being played without an amp or through a "clean" setting. I like the way this guitar sounds on the clean settings. It has a rich voice that I don't find muddy at any time. The SD in the bridge is a much better pickup than the neck pickup and I find it will overpower the neck pickup on occassions. You can adjust the volume though so that problem is curable. The neck pickup has it's uses though. "Dust in the wind" sounds awesome on it and I find it helps to mellow out the SD on higher amp settings. I thought that I may replace the neck pickup at some time but I'm not one to go out and pay money for something and then tear it all apart and replace it with something else. My feelings are that if you have to start replacing things right away then you bought the wrong one. I find the neck pickup is growing on me as I learn what it's good at and when to use it.

If I crank up the volume the guitar still holds its own. If I have the distortion or other settings on then the guitar loses nothing in the way of tones all the way up. Basically this guitar will scream like a Banshee warrior or whisper softly to you.

I play all kinds of music badly. However, I listen to lots of music so I have a good indication about what I should sound like and what type of tones I should be getting out of an instument (if my fingers would only co-operate!). I'd give this a ten out of ten because I think it is a beautiful sounding instrument.

I play through one or all or bits and pieces of a Session Man tube head, a 4X12 box (2 Randall and 2 Celestian speakers), 2 Peaveys and a Marshal practice amp and an RP-50 pedal (get one of those they are amazing). Bottom line is I can get just about any sound I want if I'm patient and read the instruction manuals.

Here's a major problem I had. I had saved up money for a new guitar. For me, even though it is still considered a "mid-range" guitar it was a lot of money. I have mouths to feed so I have other priorities. Anyway, I thought I'd go with a Fender or a Gibson because of...what? The name? I don't know? I'm sure I'm going to get all sorts of responses to that one! I tried out some strats, tele's, SG's (too pricey anyway), etc. I found with the strats the pots got in the way when I strummed and I couldn't find one that didn't rattle and buzz like my first car. I looked at a Tele that stopped dead when I bent more than a 1/2 tone on the 12th fret - couldn't believe it. I thought they would just need a set up job and I can adjust my playing to strum around the pots. Then my wife said (she doesn't see the need for a new guitar so don't yell at me too loud 'cause she may hear) "Why are you thinking of spending money on something that needs to be "set up" right out of the box? If you went out to buy a new car and looked at one that needed a tune up and some other work right away what would you do?" Good point - I married a smart lady.

Ok my rant is over. The action fit and finish on this guitar is beautiful. I went over it with a fine toothed comb before I bought it. Actually I went over 3 of them because I couldn't decide on the color and I was looking for one that may have a flaw or one that looked like it was made on a "good day". All of them were flawless.
I decided on one that was called a faded burst. It's kind of a gunmetal grey if you look at it one way, a blue if you look at it another way and a green if you look at it another way. That kind of solved the color problem.

There is not a rattle or a buzz anywhere. The frets are all tight and the neck joint looks solid. There is very little noise from the switch and none from the volume or tone controls (unless you have the amp fully saturated then you hear the click on the switch - but geez I can hear myself talking through the pickups on that setting!). The pickups were adjusted well but that is a personal preference - two turns with a screwdriver if you don't like it(lol).

This guitar was ready to go right out of the box (I only had to change the strings after about a month of playing but I really did play it a lot and just plain wore them out). Nothing was needed. It stays in tune even with aggressive bending (I suppose a lot of that could be string issues if it didn't). Nothing loose and no unwanted noise.

Will this guitar withstand live playing? Haven't got a clue. I've never played live. I suppose it wouldn't if I was playing it because we'd both be thrown out into the rain on our backsides. I don't imagine it would survive that but I wouldn't expect it to.

Strap buttons are secure, hardware looks to be of good quality, finish is beautiful but only time will tell what will happen. I really haven't had the guitar long enough to be able to say what will happen in the distant future. I have done some work on various guitars though (i.e. new pickups, installing tremolo systems, etc) and I'm pretty sure I recognize quality when I see it and I see it.

Haven't dealt with the company so I don't know. Bottom line is that if anything goes wrong in the near future they (or the store) will fix it, period.

I think the warranty is for a year on the electonics, tuners, etc and lifetime on the other stuff. Could be wrong about this but, as I said above, I'm assertive enough to get it fixed if something goes wrong and I won't cost me much if anything. For $900 you're not going to blow me off!

Overall I'm really impressed with this guitar. It wasn't even on my list when I researched what I wanted. When I went into the music store it caught my eye though because it has a unique shape to it. I don't imagine that everyone will like the looks of it but that is a personal thing. As I mentioned above my first impulse was to go and buy a Fender or a Gibson. I think because of the name? Because they are American made (by Korean's)? Sorry - that's a bit of a racist comment but keep reading. However none of them appealed to me. Again, it is most likely a personal preference. I'm not in the position where I have to worry about what the name on my instrument says if I'm on stage. I can't imagine why I would anyway. I go to a concert to listen to music not read brand names and I can make a Fender sound just as crappy as a Sears special. Bottom line is that this guitar just "fit" me. The quality was there - even though buying a Japanese guitar seems to be, for some reason taboo (look at your monitor and CPU and tell me where that came from, look at your TV and stereo and tell me where they came from, look at your car and tell me where that came from then tell me that you don't like Japanese products) - ok more screaming at me.

If it was lost my wife would kill me so I wouldn't need to worry about replacing it. If it was stolen I couldn't affort to replace it so all I could do is cry. If, however, I had the chance and one of the above did happen then yes I would buy another. I looked at a lot of guitars before I bought this one. I played a lot of guitars before I bought this one (over 18 hours in the music store - I think they were glad to see me finally make up my mind) and this was the best choice in the price range for what I wanted.

If you're looking to buy a guitar in this price range then I'd take a look at this model - can't hurt to look. If you're buying a guitar based on the name on the headstock I can paint a name on a stick and sell it to you for half the price you'd pay in the music store.

Has the features that I wanted as others have listed below.

Well, here it goes. I play alot of classic rock, hard rock, & blues - Hendrix,& SRV to Iron Maiden, Van Halen,80's hair metal & some eric johnsonish stuff. This guitar is pretty good at this & is certainly alot better than some of the other guitars out there but, it's still not great. It's missing something mainly that punchy tone like a les paul. I know it's not a les paul & I shouldn't compare it to that but, I've got to compare it to something. If you were a new guitar player who haven't been playing very long & didn't compare it to something else then it would probably be great. It is alot better than the Fernandez sustainer guitar that I bought for $600 about 12 yrs. ago & now can't give away & in my opinion it is warmer than a gibson faded flying v which I thought was too bright. So, it does have some good useable tones but, I still wish that it sounded better. To me, even on the bridge pickup it seems to be slightly mushy when playing hard rock-single note lines sound pretty good but, play a chord especially a complex one & it sounds garbly. What did I compare it to - a gibson explorer '76 reissue, a gibson explorer pro(which I bought), & a gibson les paul classic - & they all killed the Yammie. These gibsons had alot more punch, were clearer, brighter but not harsh, & just seemed to ring out prettier with less mush. In all fairness at first I thought it might be the JB since I had never owned a guitar with a JB but, let me say I tested a les paul studio with a duncan in the bridge(not sure what, the salesmen said he thought it was a fullshred) & got the same result. I'm thinking Yamaha just does not know how to build guitars like fender, prs, gibson, etc. so no matter what you do to it or what kind of pickups you put in it it just isn't going to sound as goood. So I'm really disappointed after all the hype that the guitar magazines put out about this guitar. I've had it for about a year & still play it some but, a lot less since I got the explorer pro. I think if you had $500 you should save a little more and try to find a good used explorer '76 which absolutely kills it. I only wish I would've bought it from musicians friend so I could've returned it but, then again I loved it when I first bought. However, the guitar is quiet and sounds pretty good when playing clean which is more than I could say for a gibson sg. In summary I would probably give a PRS, an explorer '76, explorer pro & a les paul classic a 10 since they are as perfect as I think you can get. the Yammie - it's close but no cigar.

the setup from the factory was mile high & I've had it setup twice by the yamaha dealer & though the action is low now I'm getting buzzing mainly around the 12th fret. But, maybe the guy was a stupid ass but, probably not I think it has some uneven frets. I also, had bad volume/tone pots that had to be replaced. the finish is absolutely beautiful & perfect - I really have not been able to find a flaw in the looks of this guitar anywhere & imho it seems to be easier to play than the les pauls I've tried. I just upsets me that I can't get it to sound better. By the way I got the one with the amber finish which to me is the finest. 10 for finish but minus 3 for bad pots & buzzing.

Solid!

I've been playing for about 15 yrs. - mostly strats but, have tried to get a fairly cheap dual humbucker job a couple of times now. Next time I'm going for the big daddy - a les paul classic but, I will be keeping the explorer pro. This guitar is awesome for a beginner but, if you've been playing for more than a few years don't waste your money.