Yamaha FGC-TA Concert Cutaway Transacoustic Guitar w/ Chorus and Reverb, Ruby Red

I have several acoustics, a 20yr old Takamine cedar top which has aged up, a brand new Ibanez acoustic artwood, and now this Yamaha. The way that wood ages does change the sound and it's hard to describe and not that easy to notice without an a and b comparison, but the first notes I played on the Yamaha, I was struck by how clear they rang out. The torrefaction aging they are doing to the wood isn't snake oil, and it has an easy to hear change on the tone. The upper mid range of the guitar for instance is louder, and there seem to be more overtones. If you could imagine starting with a soft, wet wood, how it would tend to muffle the treble freqencies because it's not very stiff, and then imagine you somehow made that wood as stiff as carbon fiber, and then played it, how much brighter it would sound, it's something like that. The notes sound very clear, and project very well. It actually 'sounds good'. Like play an A chord and someone can tell it's an expensive guitar just from that. It just has that sound. The electronics are also great. I wish it had a built in tuner like my Ibanez but the magic wizardry that is the built in chorus and reverb is pretty incredible. It takes 2 AA batteries from down by the TRS jack, and I haven't had to change them yet after about 20 hours of playing. The chorus especially gives you a 12string sound on a 6 string. The plugged in sound is better than my Ibanez, but still sounds like a piezo. It's okay for using an amp but if you're recording guitar, you're still better off using a microphone pointed at the 12th fret. Now the action......is great. It's the easiest acoustic action I've ever used. It's not as easy to play as an electric, but you won't struggle with it even if you don't play acoustic. It's nothing like my Takamine which is a finger destroyer. The neck also has that knurling down both sides to kind of protect your hand from fret sprouting and such so that even wrapping your thumb around the neck you have nothing grinding on your hand on either side moving up and down the neck. Very smooth, and a matt neck finish so it's not grabby. The tuners are very fast, which is usually a sign of quality. It takes very little movement to tune up or down and once the strings stretch out, it stays in tune. It also does not affect tune very much if you're pulling on the neck or pushing on it which is a good sign. I did not have to adjust the action to get a buzz free experience. The action as a whole is a little higher than I'd like, but you won't get any string buzz with it set like that. My fit and finish is flawless. No scuffs, dings, flaws, from the factory. The guitar uses thick top wood which is much thicker than my Ibanez or Takamine. The guitar also weighs more than my other 2 acoustics and it feels solid. I expect this guitar to last a lifetime.

This is a fantastic guitar. First it is beautifully finished and more importantly it has a great sound ; even without the Transacoustics turned on. I have several nice acoustics and this guitar is my favorite. I've played the other top brands starting with M and T and for the money, I prefer this guitar.

I had a technician at Guitar Center tell me about these Transacoustic guitars and how much he liked them. I honestly thought it was a gimmick. It's not. They do make a cheaper one (F series) and I played one at GC before buying the L Series Dreadnought. Head-up, the F series doesn't come with a bag. That was enough for me to wait on the L series to ship. I really wanted the solid wood back and sides anyway, so, glad I waited. I've been playing a Taylor 810 ($3400 for a new one) for years and it has the same woods in the construction. First, this guitar sounds great without the Transacoustic electronics. It's very piano-like if that makes any sense, warm but very snappy with a punchy mid-range. The action from the factory is a bit high but I'm going to have a technician work it over and will try to update the review. When you turn the electronics on the effects are fantastic. The reverb sounds natural and the chorus adds a 12 string kind of effect. Pretty cool. This guitar is loud, with or without the electronics , and will fill a room with sound easily. I especially like adding a bit of reverb on when fingerpicking to add a bit more volume. It really makes you sound better than you actually are and with the reverb, can make an acoustically dead room sound great. It's a great value for the money. All the hardwoods, electronics, hard bag, and build quality make this a great choice for someone who wants a great sounding guitar with a bit extra to help you keep playing. It doesn't hurt that the guitar is beautiful too. The maple binding is a very nice touch. Update: As mentioned, the action from the factory was a bit high. I had a technician sand the saddle, file the fret edges, and nut. I highly recommend having someone qualified setup the guitar. It made a huge difference in the playability. The going rate for a setup is about $45, well worth it.

Arrived with tore up shipping box and no padding to speak of (was covered in 1/16 inch, easily penetrable padding). Gave it a strum...sounded OK. Turned on the transacoustic device... nothing. bought new set of batteries to make sure that wasn't the problem... still nothing. Now I have spent half the afternoon trying to arrange a return, only to find out a return could not be processed until "after 5pm". So now I'm going to call them for the 3rd time after 5pm. This may be a good guitar, I'll never know because it doesn't work. Very concerned about computer coming from amazon next week. Guess I'll just cross my fingers and hope it works. One star is too much... hope your experience is better. Update: I am new to Amazon and was trying to handle problem the old way.... by phone. Once I realized how easy (couple clicks) and risk free Amazon returns are (30 day guaranteed), I am much more comfortable with risk of shipping. This product was shipped from Yamaha and delivered by UPS, so the flimsy packing and banged up box were not Amazon's fault, and it took just a little over a week to get refund.

Buena construcción, materiales de primera, el acabado impecable. En cuanto al sonido, tiene un volumen impresionante, bajos potentes y agudos cristalinos. El perfil del cuello es fantástico. El sistema Transacoustic es una maravilla, aunque no es necesario para disfrutar esta gran guitarra. Ya llevo muchos meses con ella y ni una falla. Solo ojo, el precio a veces lo inflan demasiado, comparenlo con el precio en dólares para no pagar demás.

The guitar looks handsome and even better in reality. This guitar has exceeded my expectations. The reverb and chorus effects take it to another level, giving it a depth and richness that you’d expect from a more expensive instrument. It really deliver superb sound. Gotten this at a very good price. It's an incredible value!. ( The action is set a bit high, but it can be easily adjusted to your preference)

This is a beautiful guitar! After a quick tune up, it played richly and true all along the entire fret board. I can’t wait to break it in and do some recordings with it. It is that good! And what can I say about the customer service? Just that I have never dealt with a seller who was so prompt, so gracious in understanding my concerns, and who spent so much time relaying information to me regarding my delivery. I highly recommend them now and for any music and music instrument purchases in the future! I would write more but, all I really want to do is play the dang thing some more! Thank you so very much!

I own both the LL-TA and LS-TA. Here are my thoughts on them. Pros: - The Transacoustic technology is not a gimmick. The added chorus makes the guitar sound like a 12 string. Reverb makes everything better. - If you turn off the Transacoustic electronics, it functions as an amazing acoustic. The guitar is worth the price even without it. The electronic are stealthily placed into the deep pockets of the guitar so it doesn't look like a cyborg's instrument. - Has all the premium features that you'd have to pay Taylor $4000 to get: neck binding, body binding, full (and beautiful) gloss finish, abalone inlay on fretboard and soundhole, rosewood back, etc... - The LS-TA's body shape is very comfortable to play with. LL-TA's dreadnought is a bit bulky but is louder. - Being heavy guitars has both pros and cons. The pros of high body weight is the guitar won't have neck dives. - Good feeling satin neck - Without the electronics, the guitar sounds solid - not as much low ends as J45, not as bright as Taylors - exactly somewhere in the middle. Very reliable sound. Cons: - They are quite heavy - not sure if because of the wood choice or the added electronics. - The fretwork is not the best - consistent looking, but lots of sharp ends. Expect to spend a little bit at the tech to round out those frets. - The tuners are acceptable, but could be better. - The two skunk stripes on the back of these guitars are a little bit weird to look at - but purely cosmetic. - Did not come with a strap pin. - Action is a tad high, but still acceptable. - The "Made in China" tag might throw some off. - Battery lasts for about 2 weeks of regular playing. In conclusion, all these cons are justified by the fact that these guitar are extremely underpriced, undervalued and underrated. These cons can for the most part be fixed by a technician, or safely ignored. These are the ultimate campfire guitars - a piece of innovation that I hope other brands will pick up and apply on their guitars. This is among the top 5 best deals in the guitar world. Get one if you have the cash before their values get corrected.

El producto es tal cual se publica, para mi gusto viene con un empacado muy débil, la caja de cartón presentaba algunos golpes y perforaciones, pero la guitarra no presentó ningún golpe. Algo que me sorprendió es que la guitarra venía un poco desafinada, o sea que la afinaron y en el viaje solo se bajó un poco. El color es tal cual se muestra en las fotos y la electrónica que trae está funcionando muy bien