Useful Tool or Gimmick? | Yamaha TransAcoustic Guitars In The Year 2023
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- Опубліковано 19 чер 2024
- Today Chris and Cooper explore the Yamaha Transacoustic technology that Yamaha offers in their acoustic guitars. This a cutting-edge musical instrument that allows the user to augment their acoustic tone without pedals or amplification. We delve into the features and capabilities of the instrument, as well as its potential uses for musicians. The video will also discuss whether the Yamaha Transacoustic is a useful tool for musicians or simply a gimmick. With expert analysis and hands-on demonstrations, this video is a must-watch for anyone interested in the future of music technology.
0:00 Intro
6:50 Steel String Demo
8:29 Nylon String Demo
10:23 Final Thoughts
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A good friend, who is an exceptional electric player, asked me to help him pick out an acoustic. He was thinking of a Takamine, but was open minded when we went into a very well stocked store. He grabbed some Takamines off the wall, I handed him a Taylor AD17e, and a 514ce. All sounded good. I saw an FGC-TA and handed it to him. He loved the way it played, and the dry acoustic tone. THEN, I turned on the effects, and gave him some reverb and chorus! His eyes lit up, and a big smile followed. He looked at the price tag, and said, “done”.
We recently did an acoustic blues duet set at an open mic… My RainSong was set “dry” through the board, for rhythm, and the Yamaha tone with a good dose of reverb really stood out for his leads! Useful tool, no doubt…. Now I want one!
I need a device that will make me play like Cooper.
We all do
TransAcooperStic?
I have an App for that. 🤣
@@jed1166 thats what I want!
Right?!
I bought one, and eventually returned it, but not due to the sound / tone of the guitar (would've needed about $100 worth of set up work, wasn't in for it). Man, the tone is intoxicating. Everyone I played it for.... they were blown away with a little bit of 'verb and chorus. Such a great idea, Yamaha knocked it out of the park with this series.
When I was at a Guitar Center, I heard a store associate strum a guitar and it produced one of the prettiest sounds I ever heard. It was the Yamaha acoustic guitar variant shown in this video. It was only about $800 and it was the best acoustic guitar I’ve ever played in that price range, even without the effects. With the effects on, it was even more fun to play.
Yamaha really is a very underrated music company. They are really good, regardless of the price.
I own lots of great guitars, among which are a Martin D-35, a Lowden Jumbo, a Yairi and more. My Martin used to (!) be my main stage guitar…until I bought the far less expensive Yamaha FG-TA (in Vintage Tint) a few years back. This guitar changed my (music-making) life!!! Why? As an acoustic performer - solo and duo - that covers material from diverse genres (pop, rock, folk, blues, soul, R&B), the Yamaha gives me a balanced sound across all the strings, for both strumming and fingerpicking, plus delightful playability and great intonation - all on an instrument that only cost me a bit over €600 (now just shy of €700, I see). It‘s got a solid spruce top and only laminated mahogany back and sides, but it sounds (!) great and is highly responsive. My Martin, by comparison, imposes more of a „sound signature“ on everything, being an all-out dreadnaught. Oh, and I should mention that I tune all my guitars down to C# (yep, three half-steps down) to better suit my voice, and believe it or not, the Yamaha delivers a convincing sound even in such a low tuning (using thicker-gauge strings without any further changes). It has enough bass to sound full and lush, both unplugged and plugged. I also love that the neck is a wee bit narrower than on some acoustics, allowing me to better play certain chords with the my thumb on the low E string. Add the great and inspirational reverb and OK chorus sounds to that, and you‘ve got yourself a fantastic and fun instrument. I love my Yamaha so much that I would be buying a second one for alternate tunings, except that I‘m instead getting a hybrid guitar (Michael Kelly Hybrid Special) to cover more „electric“ terrain with enough acoustic feel to keep my act billed „acoustic“. ;-)
I just tried the parlor version today at my local music store and was blown away by the sound quality and playability, and I don’t even turn on the electronics. I had no idea this was a feature on it. Now I want it even more!
Although I live in Japan,I didn’t know this interesting YAMAHA guitar.
Thanks to Mr McKee's commentary and Mr Greenberg’s excellent performance,I was able to know this guitar is actually useful and cool instrument.
Thank you!😃
Cooper explains it very well. I didn’t know how to put it in words but listening to Cooper play the classical TA, it really brings it out for me. Thank you
Another great review! You are off to a great start again this year. Really enjoyed the demo portion; it was very helpful.
I have a FSC TA vintage tint, love it. You are correct, it also sounds good without the affects. With the reverb and the chorus turned up, it sounds like a 12 string.
I bought one of the CG-TA (nylon) versions a year or two ago. Could hardly put it down when I first got it. I have no regrets. I very much agree with Chris's assesment. They are no gimmick. The effects are excellent. I don't think you guys mentioned that these Transacoustic guitars have a regular 1/4" line out too. I'll be performing tomorrow night with it at a venue that doesn't have much of a sound system. With the CG-TA, all I have to do is plug it in to the cheap house PA, use the CG-TA effects, and it will sound great.
I’ve had one for I think 4 years , best guitar I’ve ever owned and I’ve got gibsons and fenders been playing over 20 years , the build quality of these instruments are great , my tuners wore out after a couple years , that was it . Also you can percussively beat on the instrument like a drum and everything inside will stay secure. I can’t say enough about them .
Great point , Cooper, about “leaving some space” when playing! Not enough people realize that.
I bought an LL TA here in Ireland two weeks ago, and I haven't put it down since. I've been fired from my job, my wife has left me, and I've lost 8 stone, as I haven't had time to eat since I bought it! But this guitar is so damn addictive! It's a brilliant guitar in it's own right, even without the transacoustic turned on - worth noting that the LL TA is based on the LL16. The fit and finish on these hand-built guitars is superb, but the tone, sweet Divine Jesus, the tone!
As far as I know, the FG TA, which I also played in store, is based on the FG 820.
I am so enamoured of the LL series now, my next purchase is going to be an LL 16 M, with the solid mahogany back and sides, instead of the rosewood back and sides on the LL16 or the LL TA that I have. Buy an LL TA - you won't regret it - heck, buy two!
So cool glad you showed these off.
'Excites the body.'...
Insightful and well-considered comments from Cooper (and Chris after as well), also displaying some admirable self-awareness.
I've considered one of these, but haven't pulled the trigger. Parlour would be the one I'd go for.
I wanted another accoustic to leave in drop tunings all the time. I tried these Yamahas w/out the reverb and chorus on at first and loved the tone and playability. Adding the effects was just icing on the cake. The price is amazing fot the quality of these instruments. For live performance, I like not having the noise of add on pedals, or any/thing else. Intonation is great as well as it stays in tune for days. Practicing sans an amp is only time I might use the effects, but just for my own enjoyment. Sounds great. A useful tool....not just a gimmick. I like mine.
Really interesting take on reverb use from Cooper, thanks guys!
These are really good sounding acoustic guitars. THE TRANS ACOUSTIC functions are just a sweet bonus. I truly love mine 😂 I also have a martin d15 cheers
Superb video guys ! Thank you so much for the info. Is there any plans for yamaha to make a single cutaway nylon like the NCX1 ,3 or 5 but with the TA technology? That would be awesome!
I just bought the cg-ta and played it at a guitar circle Sunday and everyone was amazed, action a little high from the factory but I lowered it a little . I really like the 6 pickups to keep each string equal sounding
Coopers play is always inspiring. I just bought this guitar and knew it was the one as soon as i picked it up. Its incredible at its price point as are most Yamahas.
I am the proud owner of an llta sincèrement 2020, all massive dreadhought, and what a guitar ! « unplugged » it is a really good guitar, and each time I put the reverb on I am on another dimension.
Love it !
I would like to have a little looper in it .
I`ve had my LS-TA for six years now, and it has been awesome on stage, and on the couch making songs. I totaly agree that the chorus is mostsly shown for fun, but the reverb is magic. It has also worked flawlessly since I bought it.
Do the reverb transfer through mics to PA systems too?
@@benugdsen75 that's a yes!
These are great for a kitchen party or acoustic jam, campfire situation. I have one and people are always commenting on how great it sounds.
I have a FG-Ta and a Bose S1 pro system, incredible duo, 100% recomend
Several years ago I owned one each; classical, dreadnought and concert TransAcoustic guitars. When I got them, I thought they were the best thing since sliced bread. Then I discovered that high-end guitars sound even better without the need for special effects plus no worries about the battery dying. If you don't have the bucks for a high-end acoustic, by all means you should get a TransAcoustic. It's the next best thing. BTW, TransAcoustics actually sound decent enough that I have started playing and forgotten to turn the effects on for a few tunes. They have to sound decent in order for the effects to have something to work with.
Extremely useful demo for anyone (like me) considering one of these clever guitars. Thanks a bunch
Great explanation of its value and usefulness Cooper!
Hi there thanks for a brilliant review, please can you tell me if this amplifies the Guitar so you don't have to use an accoustic Amp ,Many Thanks Ian
I have a CFS-TA, What a wonderful guitar to have in the livingroom. Great great guitar. Great vidio guys, as usual.
for close to 25 years I've wanted a "Reverb" for acoustic guitar. Yamaha is a quality brand and I want to try it, but in the meantime I bought a Tonewood (just today) and I want to try it on my JF30 Guild. Thank you for the demonstration,
I've had a fsta for 3 years and have not envied higher quality guitars over it. Its a really solid guitar first and foremost. The effects however are such a natural addition that it makes it feel special, particularly for one man performances
Great review, thanks!
I just got a fgta and I love it it does what it does I've got 6 other guitars including electrics it sounds good even without thr the Trans acoustic
Great review guys! Have an FSC-TA and love it. Sounds very good without the TA as well. Yamaha is underrated big time IMHO!
Thx for the video guys great work
Great playing I'm sold on the idea I think I noodle a couple of thousand hours on one...Many thanks for your thoughts...
Fantastic review im sold on fscta ruby red
These are so darn cool !! Every manufacturer should get on it
What song is Cooper playing for the steel string demo? Is there written music for that song anywhere? Thanks!
I'm getting one of the FG ones soon. Played one recently and couldn't put it down.
When I played one, I wished there was a sound hole for the player. I found myself leaning way over to hear it. It would be cool if they build a 12 string version.
Tengo la versión fg ta... y suena hermoso, me encanta los bajos profundos y los efectos son una delicia.... realmente sino me dolieron los dedos después de unas horas de tocar, creo q hasta dormiría con ella.... realmente es un disfrute total
My LL-TA is my go-to songwriter guitar and it's not near the most expensive. That's not a brag by any means, just a testament to the usefulness of the effects but also, more importantly, a great sounding/playing guitar without it.
@@skrete it absolutely is.
The double take when he says “excites the guitars body” lmao. Excellent review.
Beautiful playing
I had an early Transacoustic Parlor that played great and sounded great unamplified. I sent it back once I played it through a sound system at an open mic. I thought the pickup was very “quacky." But mic’d it sounded great. Now that I’m using an IR system (Tonedexter) it might be different. But I have no idea if the effects would come through.
Needs a mic pickup in addition to the Trans
I have been playing sitar for few years which naturally has Reverb without any actuator as it is crafted in a way that it doesn't need one. Recently I have started learning playing guitar. I love guitar for many reasons one of which is that it is the best companion for singing as it provides music, melody and rhythm all by itself.
But I always found it less soulful than sitar because sitar amazingly fills the spaces between notes with its sustain and sympathetic strings. You can pluck a note on a sitar and stop for 3 to 4 seconds to just melt and meditate in its sound. And I missed that in acoustic guitar.
But this TA series is looking promising to me as this is bringing soul to the gaps of guitar playing. Good that it's just about time for me to buy a new guitar.
I have an Enya EA-X4e Pro (carbon fiber) that has reverb, chorus, and delay. These are excellent tools to sculpt your sounds with. As Chris said just hanging out on the couch without a lot of gear. It has the subtlety in sound, discrete controls, and amazing battery life. I did not hear you comment on battery life on the Yamahas.
I think about 12 hrs
I have the Enya too, and I was wondering which I would prefer.
Yes enya and Yamaha comparison
Old blues players would play in the corner of the room to get a little reverb. This is an awesome feature.
Nice playing!
I recently went shopping for a dreadnaught and compared the FG-TA to the FG830. I chose the FG830 because I preferred the simplicity.
I toyed with the idea of buying one before getting the feeling I'm practically buying the FG830 with the added transacoustics accounting for the price difference which seemed like a raw deal. I could get the tonewood amp for that. Besides I already have the FG800. So I eventually bought an all-solid CORT, playing which I feel I've dodged a bullet.
no man, FG-TA is a dream
I have the xbrace installed in 4 of my acoustics. I wouldn’t describe Tonewood as chunky and they have more effects. So you don’t have to buy a guitar just to get the effects. I even had it installed in an acoustic bass.
My tonewood amp is good for the feedback effects,🤔 I’m pretty sure the operator isn’t good at figuring settings out.
I have the FGC - TA and previously had an LLTA & the LAG HyVibe. Without a doubt the Yamahas have a superior and more realistic sounding reverb and chorus versus the Hyvibe. Yes, Hyvibe has looper and more effects but the their guitars and the 2 effects are second rate. It’s Yamaha all the way.
Cooper doing som serious zoning out there at the 30 second mark! 🤣
I checked that out and it’s spot on! 😂
Lol 😂
I have to try one of these.
I am very interested in the Ruby Red version.
Does anyone know what the first song he played was or was that an original song? Sounded so swanky i love it!
I am sure you have heard of the LAVA Me 3 , non traditional guitars that have all that and more, including delay built in? They are already on the market, I have never tried one but they sure get good reviews. I am sure the Yamahas are great.
i bought the parlour one ..i love the tone but they shipped it with shylock strings . i'd like its thing to be louder but i was corrected .. it has a signal out ,,,
You play beautifully.
Useful tool in Cooper’s hands, probably a gimmick in mine. But if I had to choose one, the steel string really seemed to shine!
Bought the FG-TA some of the frets bite as the neck has shrunk from time to store front - time to user.
There is really no need to max out the settings as it sounds better at lower values - a smidge of chorus at best to keep clarity.
What it does need is a way to increase volume at the lower settings without increasing the effect. Solid wood versions are best.
Needs a second transducer aka actuator coil with the foot pad vibrating the wood (spread out / properly placed stereo boost)
Lithium
It was a toss-up between the AC3M and a TA. True, the FX are nice but I found the low end anemic vs the AC3M with or without the FX. The AC3M effortlessly responded to my touch producing a nice overall woody tone, which I valued over the TA's FX. To each his own.
I run my Alvarez md60bg into my amp with a little bit of tape echo. To me, that would be worth the price of admission for this guitar, but shit, I'll probably buy it anyway.😜👍
You play very well
I played ne years ago and loved it, I just wish it had delay as well.
Yamaha keeps it very simple and easy to use well integrated and sound good without the etc.
Some newer competition throw in the kitchen sink everything you can think of, and thereby lose their simple shine.
Can anyone tell me what song that is cooper plays when playing the classical guitar
Yamaha is always coming out with great products. Some get canceled unfortunately like the stomp multi-effects. Some continue like the desktop amps.
I bought a Yamaha LL-TA for my Grandson. The important thing to me is that it has to sound great without the TA turned on, and it does. That makes the effects an accessory rather than a gimmick. The only two negatives IMO were the extra weight and the fact that if you forget to turn it off, you'll have dead batteries next time you turn it on.
I know it sounds good acoustically or plugged into a amp I call it a cannon
I bought rechargeable batteries for my fgta
It switches off after 30 minutes, at least with my FG-TA (few months old version). Of course, if you play some loud music in the room, it may think you are still playing on the guitar and delay the automatic switch off 🙂
Is it just Yamaha that has reverb on their acoustic guitars or do other acoustic guitar makers have reverb as well.
Is that a warm audio w47jr mic?
Don't know if you guys ever heard of Hyvibe guitars or not but you should check it out and get one for a review. They are the real deal and have more options including a looper and recorder ...Justin Johnson plays one on you tube under smartest guitar.....hope you will consider it I think you would be impressed ...THESE are great though!!!
Love my HyVibe. Put it into my favorite parlor guitar and it’s a dream, many more effects and features than these too
Man, you are good!😊
Can you please help me with fixing faulty of yamaha transacoustic guitar switch. It turns off itself a few seconds later.
Please review Yamaha's new flagship ..
The Made in Japan Hand Built.
Thanks.
You guys play s I will.
I await your review.
What do they sound like when the effects are off?
Are there 12 string Trans acoustic guitars ?
Very informative segment guys! I acquired my CG-TA back in January of 2021 after doing my research. A very magical tool from the innovators of Yamaha. My style is comprised of jazz chords of several voicings a touch of Bossa Nova and songs from the 40s to the 70s. Amazing what a little reverb can do, and some chorus at times. I definitely recommend the TransAcoustic! Only downfall, it's made in China and not Japan. I inquired about that while in Japan back in 2019. The company has it made in China because of costs. I tell you one thing, if I ever find out they're making it in Japan, I will definitely buy one more! Aloha
Those guitars are phenomenal...
I have a Tonewood amp. If you think about getting one, you’re going to have to buy rechargeable batteries and a charger, because it goes through batteries quickly and it doesn’t have a power source
Jesus dude!!! You’re one heck of a player
I got one of these. I agree the reverb is a game change from standard guitars. Thanks for the video.
🎸
Is this the same tech that Yamaha has on their Silent Guitars?
I enjoy your channel and have watched a bunch of your videos, you guys project a nice vibe, you're excellent players, and you're obviously very industrious. But as a setptuagenarian who's played an uncountable amount of acoustic guitars in every price range over six decades, I'm gonna have to swim against the tide here and state that the dozen or so F series of Transacoustics I've tried this week, both small and large bodied, are Chinese guitars that feel and sound like Chinese guitars. I have not tried the L series Transacoustics, and perhaps the Alamo examples are set up to a different level than the ones I played at Big Box stores, but I'm sorry, I wasn't even tempted to hear the electronics. And I can't get past the quack of the new Red Label series piezos either. Other humans are a lot happier with Yamaha acoustics than I am, so they can't be all bad, but I'm just weighing in to let people know it's not unanimous how wondrous Yamaha's acoustic offerings are.
Both guitars sound very impressive. Yes, it's very much useful tool.
Wow. Nice
Man, you are one guitar playing mutha'!!!!
My FG830 is a very good guitar for the money and in fact punches way above its price range. Not sure the need to spring for special effects
believe me you need, try one transacoustic and then you can´t regret
Could you put a wireless microphone in it
Very good boyz
does the transducer wear out?
These work well
When it comes to shopping for a new guitar to add to your family of creative release devices. This TransAcoustic is comparable to using lube for the first time. Nothing wrong with raw doggin’. But playing this thing is like even better than that it’s some where in between a fleshlight and the real deal.
Hands down, for real, for real, 100% guaranteed creative rabbit whole for at least a few months. I can see it being a great writers block wrecking ball. I’m not sure how much they usually cost. I got mine for $700 something and at that price…totally happy. Sorry for the jerk off analogy, but if you buy one you’ll probably understand.
The song with the classic guitar does a name?
Reverb is good - I do not use chorus but would make use of delay - that is a pity
Of course its a usefull tool, iv had mine since it came out and it is a blast to ply,its just fun and sounds great.
Huzzah for Cooper. Cooper for King of The Alamo. The line is drawn.