Yamaha APX 4A

This is a discontinued model, Yamaha have moved on to the 'odd numbered' APX models, but I am really impressed. Pre-amp has a 3-way eq with adjustable mid frequency, and battery replacement is much easier than most acoustics I've played. Also has volume and mute. Spruce top, nato back and sides, comes in 4 colours but mine is natural. (seems to give a much warmer tone?!??) Bridge and fretboard are both rosewood, and chrome hardware. Overall a very attractive package. It took me a while to get used to playing it since it seemed a bit fretboard-heavy with the strap on.

Ok, this is a shallow body acoustic, and anyone who buys a shallow body acoustic and then complains that it doesn't sound like a dreadnought is just stupid. It's not supposed to! However, this is not the first shallow body I've owned, and the volume you get out of it is excellent! It is the only one with an oval sound hole, and the bracing in the body is set to boost mids and trebles. Plugged in it is just the sweetest sound ever!!! I'm not crazy about adding too many effects in, but some minor adjustments with my BOSS GX-700 helped a bit. I compared to Epiphones, Ovations and I'm very happy with this one.

When I got the guitar the action was too high for me, but that is always easy to fix as long as you don't try do it yourself... ;) Other than that I have nothing to complain about. Yamaha delivers quality.

No backup needed here. The battery lasts for AGES, and the tuning is incredibly solid.

Haven't had to deal with them yet. From what I've heard I'm a bit scared to... ;)

I've been playing for a number of years, and I tend to change guitars quite frequently since I've always struggled to find exactly what I want. I reckon I'll settle with this one though. If I'm in line for another acoustic I'll look at a dreadnought for obvious reasons, but it would be to supplement this guitar, not to replace it. I tried out Ovations, Epiphones, Corts, A&L, and a couple of others. This was by far the best value for money. If you play plugged in, and you've gone and bought something else, then slap yourself around a bit, sell what you bought, and buy one of these babies. You won't be disappointed... ;)

Bought in 2000 new
22 frets
Solid top
3-way selector
Sunburst finnish
Thin neck, thin body
Easy removable battery

Sounds great when it's not plugged in, contrary to lots of people's opinons.

No flaws, it can take a beating and show no damages. I've had it for 2 years now and still no scratches - I do take care of it though.

Everything is still like new - Yamaha is a great company

Never dealt with them.

I give this guitar a 10! For the price, it kicks serious ass!

Preamp with three band eq, parametric mids, mute switch, low battery indicator. The cutaway is very useful and the small body confortable for playing live. Everything (and probably more than) you could expect in this price range.

The unplugged sound is not very good. It?s a bit harsh, with poor bass response and too much mid-high frequencies, but it?s usable. I give it a 6.5. Light strings can help to improve balance and brilliance. But who buys an acoustic electrified guitar is interested in other features and such a guitar cannot be as good as a full bodied one.When plugged in, the situation changes radically. You can use the built in eq to balance the overall sound, there are very little feedback-related problems and the sound is good enough. I give it a 9. The overall is a weighted average of the above two ratings. I use a BBE 362 Sonic Maximizer after it to further improve the amplified sound, and sometimes I use the compressor and chorus of my Digitech RP100. For more information about my setup, visit my web site at http://www.flamminifra.cjb.net.

I own the Transparent Blue model. I like it very much. The finish and tuning machines are very good, considering the price range. The action was too high for me, so I had to file the saddle. I also switched to extra light strings, because they are easier to play and seem to sound better on this guitar (more brilliant highs and balance). I?m going to buy an Earvana compensated nut and a compensated saddle, to improve intonation (expecially when playing open chords or high on the confortable fretboard).

Solid, and the 9v battery seems to last a lot...

It?s worth the money, but probably you can get a similar or higher quality (expecially if you need to play it unplugged) in the same price range by taking a look at other brands (such as Ibanez, whose acoustic guitars I like very much and do not seem to be much expansive, too). If I had to buy a new acoustic guitar, I?d buy the Yamaha CPX15 South (way more expensive than this!) or a model from Ibanez.

Purchased in late 199 and gigged out constantly for the better part of a year. It's a shallow body; it isn't going to sound like a Dreadnought....try all you want; it's the Physics of the thing.

It's a no-frills acoustic to be certain; if you need an A/E and don't care much about anything else this is a great guitar. Neck inlays look abalone-esque but I'm willing to bet arent the real deal. No binding on the neck or headstock....but for the money what do you expect?

I played a whole herd of acoustics, including many APXs when i was searching for an acoustic for the project band I was in. The shallow-body appealed since I'd be playing it alot standing up and the electronics were decent enough and didn't drain the battery when it wasn't plugged in (BIG bonus!).

I did find that the APX models with natural wood back and sides had a MUCH warmer tone than those with the plastic back and sides, typically the non-natural colors of the model (black, etc). I A/Bed about a half dozen APXs before I came to this conclusion.

The bad: It is a shallow body. It will naturally lack frequencies and "fullness" tonally.

The good: as a stage instrument running through a PA with some generous EQing it's hard to beat this for the price.

The action on mine is astoundingly good. I was reminded last week when I picked it up, put new strings on it and sat down to play it; the action is better than some of my acoustics. Not sure whether it's because I got lucky or what....but it's amazingly low with no buzz and VERY even all the way up the neck.

I also noticed last night that the silly thing is againg VERY nicely as well. The color is getting a litte darker and is looking more vintage in a pretty short amount of time. This kind of takes some of the stress away from the very modern stylings of it physically.

I've never had it go goofy on me for any reason. I gigged without a backup all the time and was never apprehensive. I was confident that many times I didn't even bother to bring extra strings...and this is on a 3 set night!

I am noticing some wear on the heel of the neck from the strap. It'd be hard to call that a flaw as I'm assuming it must be inherent in any guitar.

The chunk of plastic on the bridge was broken when I purchased it and I didn't notice it until I had it home. I lived with it and it's been fine. If I was ambitious I would probably have it replaced or would attempt to glue it back together. However it's never been an issue with me and has performed flawlessly with it...so why bother?

Have not dealt with them.

I spent a good 4 months playing every damned acoustic I could get my hands on before I settled on a YAmaha APX. I did have a considerably limited budget at the time (hey....college will do that to you) and for under 4 bills this was the best bang for the buck that existed. I played it constantly and mercilessly for the better part of a year; gigging about every weekend (3 or 4 set nights), rehearsing 2 nights a week, and practicing for hours everyday with it. The thing is a workhorse and it's never let me down. I've owned other low-end acoustics (Alvarez and Mitchell) but none with as many features as this one, nor one that plays anywhere nearly as well either.

If this guitar was stolen or lost I might consider upgrading to a higher-end APX. My budget is slightly larger now (graduated, got a good job) which is the only reason.

If I could have anything added to this guitar it would be an onboard tuner. However since such a thing either doesn't exist or is only available on guitars that are much more expensive than I've played it seems unreasonable to ask.

In summary; a very solid feature-packed guitar that's made to be played on stages. It's not a high-end deep-bodied guitar, and it wasn't meant to be. But for the money it beats the pants off of just about anything else in the price range. After haivng it for a few years I was consdiering trading it in for a more expensive one. However, after a string change and a night of playing it it's hard for me to justify the need; it does what I want it to, sounds like I need it to and that's really all i could want in an acoustic.

Just bought second-hand at my local music dealer CCgrove Music Kailua HI. $350.00 on consignement. A few minor things were wrong with it but, CCgrove Music came thru excellent! Came w/hard molded case. Chrome hardware. Separate Vol knob, sep mid knob, 3band EQ, under bridge pickup. EZ access batt compartment.

I just picked it up on the 27 Sept 01. So, I will be having more to say as time goes on gigging, rehearsals etc; RIght now I am using a Mesa 50 Cal. But, a Fender Acoustisonic Amp is in the near future. WHich model I am not sure of yet. The Jr sounded good accept no line-out. I probably uses a basic set up for effects. TC Chorus/Flanger, Boss RV-3, Ibanez "Tone-Lok" Dig and analog echo/delay. Maybe a compressor w/vol pedal.

I just had the action lowered a bit at my local Kailua town CCgrove music store. It plays awsome! It has a nice "Blue Burst" finish. THe rest is all fitted tight as far as I can see. I am a smallish/medium build person and it fits me just right. Fast neck.

I am sure of it but, I play electric primarily and fit the acoustic in at the beginning of the evening.

Haven't dealt with Yamaha as of yet. My local store has taken care of every detail for me. Outstanding Customer Service. Beat out any big music store on this island.

Outstanding instrument for the price. I would by it again if stolen but, It would be hard tp find I am sure. Yamaha has been a value-buy trade secret kind-of for years. Awesome bang for the buck. All the other brands offer no hard cases inclusive in the guitars price. Or, $699.00 to $999.00 w/case. The sound of this guitar unplugged is a delightful surprise for all who tried my APX-4A out.

Pretty nice guitar bought used from private auction. 3 knobs coutrolling volume, tone, and distort. NOt really sure about much else, but a pretty nice guitar, thin neck which I like a lot. Thin body. Battery inserted through sound hole isn't too convenient though.

Nice solid sound for an acoustic electric thinbody. Much better than most that I've played. however, when plugged in, I get a lot of feedback. The strings are set rather high, and its kinda difficult for a slightly beginner player like me. Good guitar overall though, and I think that someone with more experience could handle it better.

Action is rather high, like I said before. No major flaws that I can think of. Frets and bridges are straight and in order. Seems to have no major problems except that damned battery thingie.

I do have to say that this guitar can put up with a beating. It doesn't seem to quit, and I'm very impressed. The finish is very good, and the hardware seems intact.

I really like this guitar, but honestly it could be better. The electronics are nice, but I think the action problem makes the guitar sound tinny over the amp. Honestly, though, I do like the guitar, and I'm sure I will use it when performing live.

22 frets, (solid?) spruce top, mahogony sides and (thin) neck. Great Piezo pickups, with 3 bang equalization, on an impressive pre-amp. Cool black finish (Fingerprints galour!). Single Venitian cutaway, thin body, reliable tuners (not sure of brand).

For a shallow body guitar this instrument has one of the richer tones that I have heard, especially for its price range. It doesn't sound like a Martin Dreadnot, or anything, but you can't expect that out of any thin bodied guitar. The pickups that are on this puppy are awesome. Even when amped the tone is full and woody. Either way this guitar sounds great if you know what you are getting into. Expect more of a flaminco sound then a folk sound.

This action on the guitar is great, its a low, but generally speaking it doesn't rattle. Again the pickups are great, and most of the exterior work on the guitar is great, but there are globs of glue on the inside and the wiring is a little half done if you ask me, and is only held by a couple of tiny hooks on the inside of the guitar. Still I haven't had any trouble with it though. Tuners work well, for some reason the guitar seems to stay in tune incredibly well once it gets there, and I am pretty hard on strings, and live in humid weather. The Neck feels Great. The only major problem I have is with the silly brown plastic ring around the oval sound hole. It would be kinda cool if it matched the color of the guitar, but it doesn't and is superflous if you ask me.

Live Playing? I suppose that if I had to make a conjecture about such a rare event, I would say that It could definitly hold up. I'm in college, and though there are few tiny dents in the headstock, it is holding up incredibly well. The hardware is all very solid. The finish is fine, but i'm starting to regret having it in black because of the smudge factor. the strap buttons are fine, although the placement of the second one is slightly unorthodox, and is a little weird. If I played a gig with this, I could play without a backup, but I wouldn't ever recomend going anywhere with just one guitar...what if a string breaks?

I have been playing seriously (meaning more than just tinkering around, and playing power cord songs :P) for about 2 years. My roomate and I between us have besides my guitar a yamaha pacifica, a les paul studio, and a nice takimine. I don't get to play his Les, but I have played the others and I like my guitar the best. At home my family has several vintage gibsons (mostly SGs and a hollow body). Out of all of the acoustic/electric guitars that I played before I picked this one, it was by far the obvious choice under 800 bucks. It plays like a dream, and sounds great plugged in or acoustic. If I lost it I would be berieved, for being a lowly college student, I would not have the money to replace it, but assuming I had the same budget to start with I would almost definitly go for this guitar again, only in the natural color.

- Thin bodied cut-away acoustic guitar.
- Laminated spruce top.
- Nato neck/sides/back
- Piezo brideg pickup
- 3 band EQ, MID freq selector, Volume, Mute button
- 2 strap buttons (believe it or not some manufacturers only give you one!)
- Quick release battery change compartment :)
- Chrome tuners

Quality features for the price.



The pre-amp in this guitar is the best component. It is SO good. The 3 band EQ and MID freq selector works very well. And well done Yamaha for fitting in an excellent location. Another excellent feature is the quick release battery compartment. No need to undo screws to replace the battery on this guitar.

When considering the features that this guitar offers for the price. I've given the rating of 9

This guitar suits my style and needs perfectly. I dont need a typical acoustic guitar sounds such as that you'd get from a Guild, Taylor or Martin etc. It offers a typcial thin bodied acoustic sound and does it VERY well. The tone is rich and full when unplugged and an extra bright sparkle is added when plugged in. I play mine through a Trace Elliot TA50R and it sounds nice.
In comparision to other thin bodied acoustic guitars at the same price range I award this guitar a 8.
THIS GUITAR WILL NOT OR EVER SOUND LIKE A TAYLOR, GUILD, MARTIN etc. It's not meant to.

The guitar set-up was VERY good. The action may have been a little high for some peoples taste. But I personally like to 'work' the guitar so the action was fine. The intonation was good - 12th Fret harmonics were in perect pitch. The neck is very fast and smooth. Fretwork was good and finished nicely. An additional fret polish wouldn't go amiss though. Tuners and nut were good quality and fitted well. Looking in through the soundhole at the internal construction there were a few blobs of glue

Any guitar will withstand live playing if its looked after. Buy a decent case, change strings regularly, avoid excessive temperature. Give it a clean and polish once in a while. Keep it in a guitar stand or hanger and it should last a lifetime.
This guitar does not have a pickguard. So strummers with a full sweeping strumming style will no doubt cause a scratch or too. But isn't that part of normal wear and tear. The quality of tuners, strap buttons and input jack seems up to the job.

One year warranty.

I've been playing guitar for 15 years (on and off). Other gear I own:
Guitars: Fender US Strat. 1977, Yamaha Pacifica, Godin Multiac Duet(Nylon string). Amps: Mesa Boogie Triaxis pre-amp, Mesa Boogie 50/50 power amp, Trace Elliot TA50R. Effects: Boss CE3, BOSS TW1, BOSS CS5, Rocktron Intellifex
Midi: Yamaha MFC10 midi controller

This guitar offers value for money. I compared it to Ovation, Washburn, Takamine and this guitar came top!

The features are nice for this price range. The three band EQ gives you quite a bit of tone control and the midrange parametric EQ is good for punching up the sound.

I play stuff like the Verve, some Radiohead, and Chris Isaac type quasi-country-folk. I needed a versatile guitar but also had a budget. I looked at the Martin 00CXMAE, but it cost a couple of hundred more and sounded really weak unplugged. The Martin sounded great amplified, but I wanted something I could play either way. The APX sounds pretty good even unplugged and sounds terrific amplified. You can hear the little nuances from your fingers plucking the strings. The pickup is quality. I plug directly into a Mackie 1202 mixer and out a JBL Eon G2 amplified speaker system. WOW no effects required. This is the best acoustic electric for the money out there right now, and I have looked at all of them.

The first APX I bought turned out to have a defect in the neck that the luthier at Mars discovered when he was setting it up for me after I bought it. The guitar was replaced with a new one and after the setup it plays great. The factory action was too high for me, I am a light player so I needed it as low as possible. I do not like the dreadnought style guitars; because I have pretty small hands this guitar was a good fit for me, plus it is very easy to play with a strap. In fact, I think that's the most comfortable way to play this guitar.

Aside from the dud I got the first time, I think this one will last a good long time. I have only had it for a month. The materials seem pretty well made and the guitar passed muster from the luthier so I feel pretty confident about it. I have never gigged with it, but I plan to in the future.

Never dealt directly with Yamaha, but Mars was great!

I have been playing electic guitar for ten years, and my only other guitar is a 40th anniversary edition Fender Stratocaster. I finally caved in and bought an acoustic after wanting one for years (finally graduated from college and got a job!). If it was stolen I would buy another one.

Thin body ac/el cutaway.

Cheap wood guitar (nato) , I think the plastic thing on the sound hole looks really cool. Pre amp is pretty darn good.

For this style of guitar the sound is second to none. To all of you that say that the sound is bad I pity your ignorance for buying a thinbody cutaway for amazing warmth and full sound. These guitars are built for ease of playability and amplified sound. Compared to a jumbo guild it would be a 1, compared to any other thinbody cutaway its a 10.

A couple small flaws. The jack on the body has a habbit of getting loose, but you just need to tighten it occasionaly. also, the wiring inside the body has clips which come loose, just throw alittle glue under them, and you'll be fine.

As for the action, it honestly plays like an electric-soooo smooth.

Other than those flaws it's great. I still look at mine and am very happy, after many years.

As you can see from the rest of this, I really like the guitar, but I'll never look at annother Yamaha again, because of the extreemly poor treatment I recieved from coustomer service. Aparently they figure once they've grossed 100 billion, they don't need to aid their coustomers in their problems.

Ive been playing for a long time. This is one of my main 6 string accoustics. My main 12 is a Takamine ef-381c. If it were stolen, I'd cry a whole lot, but I'd stick to my guns, and not buy annother Yamaha. I compared this to a whole lot of other guitars, and for the type, it is by far the best.