Yamaha Silent Guitar

Wizard

I'm currently having great fun looking at different guitars ... and not buying anything.

Recently run into the Yamaha Silent Guitar.
I've searched the forum for comments; there were a few ... but thought I'd probe for more personal insights.

I heard someone playing one and was amazed by how well I perceived it to simulate the acoustic sound.
I was also pleasantly surprised by how comfortable it felt to hold and play.
Obviously very thin bodied and obscenely light.

I personally like the minimalist look and think it has potential for a future electric guitar build of my own.
I'm busy thinking about how to make the "frame" by laminating together thin strips of wood over a former.
Alas, I digress ...

My question is: What are the opinions of this forum on this guitar?

RobK

I wish I had an opinion that was more that "It looks really cool" ? Unfortunately, although they have one at the (what seems to be) Yamaha shop here, I haven't played it. It does look really cool though. ?

Bob-Dubery

I like the idea. I haven't had enough time with this guitar to say if it's a good application of the idea or not. I suspect it may be the only game in town unless you want to go to a luthier and have one made for you - which will cost a lot more.

The one that I saw puzzled me because it had a pickup and an electronics box with reverb and a couple of other effects, but no tuner. Given the volume that these guitars do not produce I'd have thought a tuner was essential.

MIKA-the-better-one

Funny enough I could never here one ?

Manfred-Klose

Funny enough I could never here one

no pun intended ?
lol you made my day.

Squonk

I have played the Nylon version of this guitar in a couple of music shops and I must admit it does feel a bit strange with no body, but I suppose you can adapt, I wasn't impressed with the sound, but I was playing it through a Cube30, and maybe not the right amp for a Nylon.

I do have a DVD with Lee Ritenour playing one on two tracks and the tone he gets is very close to a conventional nylon.
The Obvious advantage would be no feedback
The disadvantages would be power cable to power the all the electronics, but I suppose you could also adapt!

I personally would still get one for going on holiday, It folds up quite snugly and can fit in the boot with ease.
It also would be quite a talking point when played at Gigs, Almost as much as Bob's Smoothtalker ?

I have always been impressed with Yamaha products and I am sure these guitars are good.
A built in tuner would have been a good idea, as Bob mentioned earlier.

An Electric version sounds quite interesting Wizard, tell us more!

Bob-Dubery

Squonk wrote
It also would be quite a talking point when played at Gigs, Almost as much as Bob's Smoothtalker ?

It's a big advantage. The audience are so busy gawking at your guitar that they don't notice that you played like shit! More makers should adopt this as a selling point.

DonovanB

I loved the neck on the nylon string. was a bit out of my price range for now.