Yamaki AY333S

I bought this guitar NEW in 1971 for CDN$225. Cedar top with East Indian Rosewood back and sides... the "S" in the model number means SOLID - not laminated woods. There seems to be at least two Yamaki guitar families - one is great (this one) and the other is "OK". Details on Yamaki guitars can be found at:

http://daion.client.jp/catalog/07yamaki.htm

http://daion.client.jp/catalog.htm

I will NEVER sell this guitar, but have been looking for a new OM or OO. Money is no object and I've played everything from Froggy Bottom, Martin, Taylor, Olsen, Manzer, etc. I could get my hands on and I cannot find a guitar for under US$4K that sounds better. Having sweetened for 35 years, the tone is rich, full and complex.

This made in Japan Martin dreadnaught COPY is of the finest workmanship. My AY333S has been gigged and spent it's share of time around campfires and continues to be in very good condition. This speaks to the quality of manufacture. Last year I adjusted the truss rod and lowered the action a bit. The guitar is as well built as ANY factory built guitar without a question.

I have no concerns with this old baby! She's rock solid and as fit as the day I bought her. I would not hesitate to gig with it.

Yamaki was sued long long ago and no longer exists as a company. Being a Martin copy, any decent guitar repair shop or luthier could fix it.

I have been playing for more than 35 years. I own several electric, classical and steel-string acoustic guitars. My only regret in buying this guitar is that I didn't chose the AY355S that was hanging next to it and the 65 Strat on the adjacent wall. Sherman... set the Way-Back machine to 1971 and....

1972 made in Japan. 20 fret. Solid top yellow Cedar. I am really not sure what the back and sides are but to me it looks like rosewood and according to another review of the AY333W he describes his as being a rosewood back and sides. I don't know what the last letter stands for in the model number. Someone said the S stands for Steel re-inforced neck. This one has a Dean Markley Sweet Spot under the saddle pick up installed which are amazing pickups. You might want to read about them here on Harmony Central to see what I mean. The neck looks to be mahogany with a rosewood fretboard. It has the typical dreadnought body, black pickguard and standard tuning pegs. How would one rate an acoustic guitar for features? Well since it has a Dean Markley Sweet Spot under the saddle pickup installed I will give it an 8.

I don't want to rave about the sound of this guitar but like almost all of the reviews you will read on them I will have to agree in that they are up there in sound with the Larrivees, Martins, Taylors and Gibsons for a fraction of the price. This thing sounds incredible plugged in! Very warm and bassy with nice bright highs and trebles. The tones blend very well and it is quite loud. It works well for the style of music I play which is mostly very acoustic, folk, world type stuff with lots of harmonics and ambience. I run it direct into my mixer thru a Behringer V-Amp Pro and out to my Harmon Kardon amp to my Monitor Audio Studio 6 monitors. I have 5 acoustic guitars and have owned $5000 guitars and in all honesty this guitar is right up there. My first guitar that I ever purchased back in the 70s was a Yamaki 12 String and that was by far one of the best sounding guitars I have ever owned. I ended up selling it because I needed money but regret having ever got rid of it. In a nut shell you can beat the sound of a Yamaki guitar for the price!

Very well made!

This guitar is 34 years old and as far as I can see will go another 34 years or more..! everything on it works great! One of the most dependable guitars I have ever owned.

Have never need to deal with the company which is more than I can say about other top name brands I have purchased. That in itself says to me that they make their guitars so well in the first place that they don't expect you to be coming back to them with problems... and in the two Yamakis I have owned they stand the test of time with no issues.

Been playing for 34 years. I own over 20 guitars with too much other gear to mention here. These guitars are becoming quite rare and hard to find. If you can find one grab it you won't be dissapointed. Read the other reviews and you will see that most every review rates them at a 10 for sound and for good reason. If it were lost or stolen I would take the time to find another one. I compared my Yamakis to many guitars before buying them and for the price there was not one guitar on the market that came close... it's a shame they don't make them anymore.