Yamaha AES800

I don't mean to gush over this baby, but...as I sit here looking at it, I'm reminded of the cherry sunburst Carvin "tele" I ordered several years ago: two humbuckers, equivalent controls, alder body - mainly just a neck-thru vs. a bolt-on with the Yamaha. This Yamaha is every bit the guitar that Carvin was, and the Carvin was around $750 or so. I paid less than a third of that for the Yamaha (used). By the way, the Carvin was returned because of fingerboard (maple) issues.

Well they only come in one colour and you can look at all the other reviews for all the other details. I always wanted a guitar that was a cross between a strat and a les paul and this is it. I tried all kinds Godin, Epiphone Les Pauls (what a total load of shit they are!). Its a kind of Les paul shape with a strat type 5way switch and a proper 25 1/4 scale not one those stupid gibson short scale necks with tiny frets that were surely designed for kids or girls with small hands. Best features are the Dimarzio pickups, good tuners and clever Yamaha 5-way 4 pole super switch I think they called it. Variable coil tap on neck humbucker. Why then didn't do it to both I don't know. Then I'd definately give it a 10, I might see if I could rewire it. Don't know when it was made I bought it second hand and the previous owner had for about 4 years so I reckon about 2002.

It is the guitar I always wanted but never dreamed possible. It fits my sound perfectly. The pickups are amazing. Rich, bright, bell like tones, incredible harmonics, I've never heard a guitar like it. Plug it into a decent amp and subtle use of the switch, volume and tones on the guitar you can get just about any sound out of it. It can do everything from jangly 60's rickenbacker, telecaster like twang, fat wall-of-sound heavy metal power chords, spiky indie edgy sounds, bluesy Cream/Hendrix tones. I really like the inbetween positions between on the switch, 2 and 4. Don't how its wired but it does give you the same sort of sounds you'd get on a strat only with a bit more beef. Then on position 4 one knob gives you a variable coil tap on the neck pickup, which is especially good for blues sounds or a fairly convincing electro acoustic sound with your amp on a clean setting

I lowered the action a little and put some new Exlixir strings on it. No buzes anywhere, pretty fast fingerboad. Plays amazingly well for a ??400 guitar. I think when it next needs new strings I'll take it for a pro setup because I think it could be even better. There is a slight buzz fromthe strings between the bridge and where they go into the guitar, but you can only hear it unplugged and when you play hard. I think some graph tech saddles might help. The finish is Yamaha's usual impecible, high standard, the wood grain looks beautiful on the back. Not sure about the red mock tortoise shell pickguard or whatever it supposed to be. Think I might make a new one in a plain colour, maybe black. Considering it was giged regularly by the previous owner it is still in incredibly good condition, shows the finish is very tough and all the electronics work perfectly with no crackles. It could nearly pass for brand new.

Great. Nothing has gone wrong apart from the jack socket coming loose recently, but then what guitar doesn't that happen to from time to time? And one of the screws that hold the strap buttons in came out. but a shavings of wood and some wood glue and that was fixed in no time. Stays in tune better than any guitar I've ever owned and I've got 6 at the moment! I planing to spend some serious money on a decent hard case, it deserves it.

Never needed to use it with either of my Yamaha guitars but I would imagine it would be good.

Best guitar I've ever owned. I'd only sell it on pain of death. If I ever see another one for sale for a reasonable price. No question I'd buy just as a spare. Pity they don't make it anymore. I plan to buy a Laney VC30 or LC30 or maybe a Peavey Valvking sometime this year as I reckon it will sound amazing through some valves.

A little on the heavy side.

Very versatile. I play a little of everything - jazz, blues, country fingerpicking - and I can get a decent sound for any of those styles. I've been playing quite a bit for two years after a thirty year plus lay-off (I should have hung on to my my pre-Columbia Mustang. I traded it for a set of speakers). My daughter and I bought a cheapie Epi Junior with the P-90, and I liked the P-90 sound, but hated the noise. The AES 800 is a good choice for quiet P-90. I don't use it much in single coil mode, and my ear doesn't detect any change when using the phase control. I play through a Pod 2.0 into a Kustom Quad 65 watt. I can grow with this guitar for many years.

This guitar sat in a shop in Bend, Oregon for two years collecting dust, but it played fine off the shelf. I took it to a shop to check the set up since I didn't have much experience when I bought it. The tech did minor adjustments and suggested replacing the bridge with a Tone Pro. The original bridge would go out of adjustment everytime you change strings. Good move.

Rock solid.

Do not, and I doubt of I'll ever need them. L

Looks good, plays great, good value. If I lost this guitar I'd probably try and find another, but there are so many cool guitars out there and so little time. Sometimes the right guitar finds you. I think that's the case with me and my 800.

this guitar has so much to offer. there are so many different sounds hiden in there! so versatile. a VERY stable guitar, evey thing is solid as a rock on it. tuning stabilty great too.

you can get some great tones out of the thing. i use a marshall DSL 401 with a couple of stomps including a DS1. i have been happy with the range of sounds i can acheive. i love the way that the guitar rings out. i'm currently back on d'addario 11s to get a bit more meat from it. also i did upgrade the saddles with graphtechs as i had wobbly buzzing d and b saddles.

pretty pure sound, no hum or oat.

however recently i have "made" a yamaha pacifica using P90s an that was the sound i was after. sometimes i feel that the AES is too sterile... maybe thats just me and the graphtechs...? i feel as though the q100s stop me from expessing properly... but still, a completely unique set of sounds from a unique guitar

as i got the guitar second hand i cannot acurately comment on set up. the pickups had been moved pretty close to the strings but i still bought it for the great sound. the frets could be smoother on the edges. i suppose this is something that come with the big money though. the finish was in good to very good condition when i got it. the back had been battered by a belt buckle or something butthe front was unharmed. take it outside in the sunshine and it gleams! its amazing.

a truly unique guitar. i can say i was drawn to the Les paul junior like look with the fat ass and that.

i don't know, it looks simple (flat top, smoothe lines) and frilly (tailpiece, headstock) at the same time.

Loving that tortoise shell scratchplate! its the best bit to me!

as iv siad the guitar is solid. i was carrying it on my back on a bike and fell off, the gig bag took a bashing on the headstock area. i was worried to look inside the case but it was completely fine. as it had landed on the neck/headstock i thought that i'd bust the neck off or summat but there was not even a crack. the neck to body joint was solid as ever.
10- rock solid - damn right!

all hard wear on the guitar is great machine heads are lovely!

- never felt as though ive needed any help with it. :)

go for it bro! it took a while for me to settle into this guitar, maily the PU configurations and sounds as i was so used to strat type switching but ive never felt more comfortable playing it. i know that it'l get me through that gig.

So as not to be repetitive, I suggest you go to the yamaha site as linked above and do a search that includes archived material. I can't say enough about this guitar; as a non-trem, 2-humbucker guitar, it's everything it needs to be and more (hence the rating). The mahogany top is about 1/16ths inch thick and overlies a 3-piece solid alder body, which is relatively light and has a belly contour. The outstanding pickups are DiMarzio Q-100's, which are identical to their DLX Plus, i.e., DP162 model. The tuners are like a combination Grover/Schaller type and as good as either. The maple neck is 2-piece, with the headstock end spliced in to make it's tilt-back stronger and/or easier to build. The overall vibe is like and LP/LP Jr. crossed with a Tele.

One of the best sounding guitars I've ever owned or played. Extremely versatile and quiet, even in positions 2 and 4. Can be rich and full as well as bright depending on the settings. The pickups are articulate and airy. Alone, each one is nutritious and crunchy, the bridge pickup just being more trebly due to its position. Together, they give a more rounded sound, of course. The bridge pickup in single coil mode gives Tele-style twang but can also do a convincing impression of a Strat in position 4 due to its sparkle. Position 2 is a little more complicated: one coil of each pickup together with the second coild of the bridge pickup that can be rolled into and out of phase with the third control. It doesn't do much for me distorted, but clean it's amazing: at "0" it gives the most useful out-of-phase sound I've ever heard, and at "10" it's like a Strat in position 2--plus anything in between. Ingenious. I get a kick out of anyone who says the third control doesn't do much--probably the same people who claim they can tell when their metal sound has been compromised by a fly taking a dump on their high E pole piece.

I got mine used, so my comments here are limited. The action is as good as it gets. The mahogany cap appears to be one piece and looks great with the cherry sunburst finish, which is great all around. Everything fits and works well. The string-thru arrangement is somewhat stylized, but I don't think it makes a damn bit of difference that there's more string length beyond the bridge on the higher strings--overall string tension between the bridge and the nut is what it would be anyways.

Standard strap buttons that aren't going anywhere. Good, solid hardware. Not a lot to go wrong here. I'd use it without a backup as much as I'd use anything else without one.

Haven't had the experience to comment here.

Great sounding, straight-forward yet versatile guitar. Looks great, too. My favorite feature is the variety of sounds it gets. Wouldn't change a thing on it, but I do wish I had a decent case for it.

Made in Taiwan,late 90's,22 1/2 frets, mahogany laminated top,sh backing, dimarzio H.B.pickups, rosewood neck, I'm sure there all built about the same. Before I bought it I read a review in GuitarPlayermagazine that gave it the pick award. I have a wish list a mile long, and this one was on it. The magazine said the problem they found with it was the pickup selector wasn't that good. I bought this used and the previous owner either read the article or found out for himself, because he changed it, put in a polarity switch, and a computer pickup like for G-vox. One thing I am curious to know if every other one out there and why this is but on the neck before the head a different piece of maple is spliced in. I have seen it before on other kinds of guitars but don't know why.

I just got up to play it to get a fresh perspective. I had not played it for over a week, and as usual it was very close to being in tune, only the G sharp and just a little. I consider this my Les Paul Studio until I actually get that and a custom. When that glorious day comes I plan to still have this and play it. I play it on a Dean Markley signature series 120 tube with 2-12 E.V.'s, with a Marshall bluesbreaker II pedal, the first series of Danelectro pedals. The Fab Tone being good for a rich blues sound, and a hard edged rock sound that is good for riffs. So good it spawns creativity!

Aside from the possible problem the previous owner may have had with the pickup selector. My biggest beef is with the cheap chrome where the strings come out. I plan to remedy that somehow either by painting black, or to further extremes. The tuning keys are a nice chrome that keeps a good shine. The jack has been shorting out of late I just haven't taken it apart to look. Usually that's just bending a piece of metal 1/8" or less. All the screws on the pick guard and the neck plate are corroded that could be my fault most of the scratches on it are. Lastly the head is real bland looking black with Yamaha typed in block letter abalone. Come on guys God meant for you to use that shell on the neck not the head.

I have played this guitar for hours on end and left it out of the case for days picked it up and it was in tune. I've had this almost 3 years and only put maybe 5 or 6 sets of strings on it. It sounds alright with nasty corroded strings. I take pretty good care of my instruments and gear, but still work them hard. I have no doubts this will last to be a great sounding antique. For all I've played on this plus it being used the fretboard looks great, and so does the body.

I'm sure a big company like Yamaha would do the politically correct thing, but I don't think they'll be getting a call from me.

I have been playing 14 years, in that time I've accumulated 8 guitars that I kept 2 Telecasters, 2 Stratocasters, an acoustic/electric, Peavey, and 2 Yamahas. Once I pawned it and the whole time I was thinking about when I was getting it back. I wrote this review because I thought I ran off with a bargain at what I paid, and to read what others paid is incredible. If for some reason I no longer had that AES-800 I would pay up to $500 for another one, but they probably go on E-bay for $300. In my opinion it is the closest you can get to Gibson for the money.

Same features as stated below.Mine is a Brown Sunburst and looks beautiful.25 1/2 inch scale like a Fender.Tuners look to be Grover Rotomatic clones.This is the anouncement- press release at introduction.January 29, 1998 -- Two new members of Yamaha Corporation of America's acclaimed guitar family-models AES800 and AES500-will be unveiled at the Winter NAMM show. Though the body shape of these two new guitars is proportionally similar to the company's popular acoustic/electric AES1500 model, the AES800 and AES500 have slightly smaller dimensions and the increased sustain and overall resonance of solid body construction. Yamaha has met the demand for more moderately priced electric options while remaining true to the mix of tradition and technology that inspired its innovative acoustic/electric guitar series.

"Yamaha is out to find its true electric guitar voice," states Jay Piccirillo, product specialist, Guitar Department, Yamaha Corporation of America. "These are great, functional guitars, housed in a body that is timeless. These guitars will definitely be identified as a Yamaha."

Both models have Rosewood fingerboards, Maple necks featuring dot inlay, and a recessed 4 bolt neck joint. Chrome die-cast tuners complete the headstock.

With the AES800's DiMarzio Q-100 hum canceling "soap bar" pickups, guitarists add 90s flair to the innovations of early rockers. The AES800 has Master Volume and Master Tone knobs as well as a unique five-position pickup selector switch and a Phase control knob that allows manual, gradual control of the phasing between pickups. Its Chrome Tune-O-Matic bridge features Yamaha's original 6 part tailpiece. The AES800 is crafted in Mahogany and offered in Brown Sunburst and Cherry Red. Suggested retail price is $1099.

The sounds are amazing.Everything from clean shimmering single coils to fat humbucker crunch.Lead solos from the bridge pickup soar and sustain with abandon.These Dimarzio Q-100 P-90 pups scream!

I always adjust my guitars to my tastes and It was the the first thing I did when I got it home.It was set up fairly well when I bought it.I just tweaked the intonation,truss rod and bridge to make it sound and play its best.Absolutely no buzzes and plays like a dream.Incredible fretwork.

The AES800 is as solid as a rock.The thing stays in tune no matter how hard I bend.Standard chrome strap buttons.Might get Dunlop strap locks eventually.The finish is perfect and the Brown Sunburst looks great with the rosewood fretboard.I can definitly depend on the AES800.It seems as dependable as my Gibson Les Paul Custom but since it's fairly new to me I will have to wait and see.I would always have a backup at a gig.No exceptions.

I haven't had a problem with the AES800.But Yamaha has been helpful with my Motif 8 keyboard.

I have played since 1976.My first guitar was a 1976 Les Paul Custom which I still own.I also have a Fender USA Telecaster Custom and a Strings & Things Custom.I mainly play through a Yamaha DG Stomp amp sim into a Galien Kruger 250ML and a Roland JC-120.Sometimes I use my Lab Series 200 watt head with a Lab Series 4 X 12 cab.If it were lost or stolen I would look for another but Yamaha doesn't make this model anymore.What a shame.I might also consider the Godin LG.I love every thing about this guitar.For the price I paid it was a steal.

Had this guitar for about 2 yrs. (2)Q-100's, 5 way switch, Volume-tone-Realtime Phase knobs. Chrome. All the bells and whistles listed already.
I've found that the phase knob only works in the 2nd position. I can't tell if it really does much @ all. Although, the fact that I have a cheap-n-crappy amp, may have some to do with it.
I don't think you could get the strings out of tune, even if you strummed with a butter knife. I mean you can whale on it!!! NO NEED CHECKING "TUNE" AFTER EACH SONG. Maybe between sets, Maybe.

I play all types of rock, and country. I know for a fact that pos.1 is the fullest sound you will ever find. I don't care how many guitars you play. I have gotten several comments from people who would never own anything but a "Strat". They are truely impressed, I am too. I catch people just wanting to pick it up & make a chord on it, everytime I set it down during get togethers.

I haven't changed a thing on it. I never will. Just the strings. Well, I take that back. I did use a feature on the bridge to raise the strings off the pick-ups a little. (I play in "dropped D" + "1/2 step down" alot - the E string buzzed the neck humbucker) Wasn't a big deal. No tools required.
The finish is why I bought it! No lie. Cherry w/swimming pool pickgaurd. Beautiful. I could go on & on.
I would suggest getting a wider strap for comfort. With a Guitar this nice you weren't going to buy the cheapest strap out there anyway.

You can see yourself in the finish. It's deep. Everything rock solid. No "loose" anythings.

I really don't know about the customer support/repair end. I will say that of the 5 Yamaha Guitars I own, I haven't had a problem that has required any of their support.
They have a good web page, too.

OK THIS SUMS IT UP... I've been playing 14yrs.
If it was stolen, hell yeah I'd replace it. This is the nicest guitar I own. I DO NOT understand how it sat in a Music Store for 2 yrs. I bought it on a reduced rack.
The "realtime Phase" knob isn't much, but I'm sure Yamaha was looking for a reason to have more than 2 knobs on one of their "nicer" guitars. I am sure that the 5 way selectable switch has more than enough tones to get you through any style of music you play.
Awesome guitar.

Taiwan-made, purchased August 2002. Beautifully balanced body, if just a wee bit heavy (Solid mahogany), maple neck with rosewood 22 fret board.Twin 'DiMarzio' soapbar pickups on bridge and fret (P90's I think). The finish is generally excellent, although natural dark brown colour would not have been my original choice, but then it does make the guitar look very understated compared with its performance.
The body style is LesPaul-ish and the fingerbord more suited to those who prefer the flat Gibson stlye to the curved Fender. Devoid of tremelo system.

I play lots of differnet styles and this guitar, for me, is the ultimate compromise. I use a Peavey VT 120 Valve/tranny amp. customised with added mid-range horn for added punch. It has a full range of sounds, aided by the 5-position selector for the complex humbucker coil series and parallel wiring. It can sound like a Strat, full, round, even close to some semi-acoustics and has enough treble (16th fret up) to have a perfectly precise and crisp sound for solo work without being screechy (I have a Telecaster for this, if I need it). The failing of this guitar is the adjustable blend or phase control. With the selector in the second position, this should blend an out-of-phase signal from one coil of the bridge pick-up with a parallel signal from the neck humbucker. The phase control knob has hardly any effect in any position and due to being out of phase, a great reduction in output volume can be experienced. However, I don't use this facility much, so no great worry.

As usual with well-Q.C'd Yamaha stuff, the finish is excellent. (This includes my motorbike and keyboards too, from their livery!)I took to it right away. Very easy to play. Through-body strung - nice feature. Pick-ups seemed OK. No loss of tuning or tonality, even with adventurous string-bending. Machine heads seemed solid and reliable.

I haven't gigged this guitar yet, but I'd think it would stand a hell of a lot of abuse. I've had it a month now, have played it every day (studio)and it has never gone out of tune. I'd like to think I could give it full marks. Totally solid.

Yamaha one-year standard warranty. Purchased new from Redstart in Perpignan, France. Any problems, they'll see it first!

Mainly a piano player, I've been playing guitar on and off for about 30 years, these dyas more on than off. This beast is perfectly comfortable,perfectly balanced, perfectly finished and perfectly easy to play. It doesn't want to go out of tune. I'm not crazy about the colour, but for those who like flat fretboards, it's the perfect all-round guitar - and a damned sight cheaper than a Les Paul!!

All well-covered in other reviews. Mine came w/ padded gig bag, strap-locks & strap, extra strings. This guitar has great features, all around.

I play everything from crunchy modern rock to clean, country-tinged stuff, and this guitar can do it all. I don't know if it would be a great guitar for metal.. but I see that Yamaha has issued a new version, developed by/for the guys in "Orgy", with the same basic setup.. so i assume it can hold it's own.
I use it through both a Peavey Delta Blues 2x10 combo, and a '67 Fender Blackface Pro-reverb. For lead tone on the Pro I use a cheap, but very effective, Ibaneze "tone-loc" tube screamer. (and I run the extension out to 2 closed-back 1x12 cabinets) It is VERY quiet while playing through the humbuckers ..or while *not* playing... even more important... and is acceptably quiet in the #2 "split" position. The pickups are very warm. I especially like the #4 postion, which brings the coils in the bridge pickup out of phase. The variety of tones that I can produce with this guitar are really great. In fact, if you set it up for whatever your most-often-used tone is, and then flip through all 5 positions (seasoning to taste w/ the volume & tone controls), I think you'll find it difficult to come up with something that you don't like.

Action, pickups good from previous owner. The finish is very simple, but I think beautiful. Yamaha does a fantastic job of making low-cost instruments that you're still compelled to rub down when you're done playing. Frets, finish, wood, bridge, tuners, nut, saddle.. good good good good good good good... you get the idea. I play 10s on it, and I'd say that's the ideal guage for this guitar.
Only electronic defect is that the "phase" pot, when rolled to 10, seems to turn off the bridge pickup completely. Where it should have a range from 1 to 10, mind kind of only has a range of 1 to 9... previous owner said it came that way from the store. Neither he or I have found it necessary to have this repaired. This isn't a "custom shop" instrument, but for what it is, it's exceptional.

It takes a beating. The hardware is not expensive, but solid. I think it will last. The tuners are excellent. I HATE guitars that go out of tune. This one does not. The finish is good, and the pickguard effective & well-placed.
NEVER gig withoug a backup! :] That being said..I can completely depend on it, and would gig w/out a backup if necessary. (even if you popped a string, you could replace it quickly)

Haven't dealt with them, but hear they are very good (about new instruments).

I've been playing for 15 years, some on-stage but mostly not. I have (have had) a '79 Ibanez concert series electric, a yamaha pacifica, a yamaha AEX502, a '65 epi archtop, a washburn pig-sticker, and have played many others (strats, teles, etc) Amps covered above. I am mostly a "straight to the amp" guy.. no frills or effects if possible.
I would buy another one in a heartbeat. For price and features, I honestly don't think you can beat this guitar. Maybe if you got a good used Yamaha Weddington... Strat scale & selector, P-90s that humbuck, and LP pick-up configuration... tough to beat.