Electro-acoustic guitar Yamaha APX600 (Natural)

Even though it’s a relatively new addition to Yamaha’s expansive acoustic collection, the APX600 is already incredibly popular, having built on the legacy left behind by its predecessor, the APX500III. With a thin body, sensible features and a great tone, the APX500III was a mainstay on our chart of the best beginner acoustic guitars – so how will its successor perform? There’s one way to find out…

Body & Neck

Yamaha haven’t reinvented the wheel here, instead building upon what made the APX500III so popular. The APX600, therefore, retains the same shape and thin body design which offers a more comfortable holding and playing experience than a dreadnought. However, the scale length has been reduced a tad, from 25.6” to 25”, while the string spacing is narrower – both are changes that further enhance the playability.

The materials used are the same too, with a spruce top and three-ply nato (or ‘eastern mahogany’) back and sides. The neck is also made from a satin-finished nato, featuring a rosewood fretboard and 22 frets, which are easily accessible thanks to the cutaway. As for colors, you can choose from a traditional natural finish or an elegant glossy black, as well as a cool Vintage White and a sophisticated Oriental Blue Burst.

Overall, the craftsmanship and detailing are very commendable, with the APX600 featuring a few upgrades in the aesthetics department too, such as smaller fret inlay dots and a genuine abalone sound hole rosette to replace the plastic version of the APX500III.

Hardware

If you haven’t already gathered, the APX600 is an electro-acoustic, featuring a Yamaha-designed piezo pickup system with a solid AA-battery-powered preamp that offers good flexibility. It offers simple 3-band EQ controls, volume knob, and separate mid-range frequency slider. In addition, there’s a very convenient onboard digital tuner.

The rest of the hardware is similar to its previous iterations – components that do a good job, but nothing spectacular. These comprise a set of die-cast tuners on the headstock and a standard rosewood bridge on the body.

Sound

The APX600 builds on the success of existing models by providing the same big sound with surprisingly good low end for such a slim body. However, there appears to be a bit more oomph and fullness than the APX500III – thanks to the advanced bracing pattern – which is welcomed with open arms.

Through an amplifier, it performs as well as before, with good clarity. Of course, a little piezo quack is present, but it’s an overall solid performer, with the preamp controls offering good onboard flexibility.

Video: demonstration of the game on the Yamaha APX600