Yamaha A-Series AC3R Concert Cutaway Acoustic-Electric Guitar Vintage Natural

I purchased this guitar to complement my Taylor 314. It was going to be my practice guitar but I found that it sounds much better and is louder than the 314 - both plugged in and unplugged. It is my go-to guitar when playing out. It also looks amazing. The 314 has advantages in playability and the tuners are better but those are the only advantages. The Yamaha is very playable in its own right. Also, I have owned it for about 5 years and it still looks new.

I hardly ever write reviews but I thought this product is so good it really deserves a good review. I played this guitar along with many others in Guitar Center over multiple days. I was looking for a guitar that would be very similar in feel and playability to my Taylor 714CE. I wanted a guitar that would feel and sound close to the Taylor but that was less expensive so I could take it around more without as much worry. This one really fit the the bill. I was a little hesitant to make the purchase because it's hard, if not impossible, to find a guitar at any price point that has as nice an action or plays as well as the Taylor. I finally decided I liked this guitar well enough that I had to make the purchase and then try to have the action lowered a little and have the strings replaced. That's exactly what I did. I had a setup done and had the strings switched to John Pearse 10-47 bronze (JP500XL). Wow! What a beautiful sounding and playing guitar. This guitar has the same body shape and size as the Taylor. Also, it has the same scale length, nut width, etc. And, now it plays just as well. To have these tone woods and to have the playability of my Taylor for roughly one third of the price is really remarkable. I highly recommend this guitar with the stipulation that, IMHO, it will need a setup with new strings for about $80. The guitar is also very beautiful (more so than many of the photos portray it).

May 2021: I am a retiree with arthritis in my hands, but this guitar has low action and very comfortable to play. I love playing this guitar for hours daily - I just can't seem to want to put it down. This is a fantastic all-solid wood guitar with beautiful rich tones. And, unlike many high-priced solid-wood guitars, the grain is tight and straight with no adverse ugly markings in the wood. The overall workmanship is flawless and beautiful. This is a steal at a very low price point. Get one while they last. It comes with a padded case, which is really nice for the home. But, if you travel a lot, then get a TSA hardshell case for under $200.00, and this total price will still be $1,000.00 - $2,000.00 cheaper than another brand similar quality guitar (if you can find similar quality).

A week ago I traded in my a1r (laminate dread) for the ac3r (solid concert) and couldn't be happier. One thing you should know about the Yamaha A series is they are bigger than average guitars. In particular they are very deep. The a1r was an ok guitar but it was not very fun to play. It is such a large guitar that when sitting it digs right into your armpit and restricts your movement. And I am an average size Male. For smaller players I do not recommend the A series dreads. But the concert is perfect! In reality the A series concert is actually somewhere between concert and dread size. And the sound and tone reflects this. You do get a deeper sound on the lows and more volume than your average concert. The bracing also helps with this. Also the switch from laminate to solid on the A series is well worth the money. The clarity on this guitar is amazing! On the a1r chords sounded a bit muddled but not at all on the ac3r! The setup on this guitar is great and makes it very playable. The only issue I have run into is going out of tune quickly. But that is fairly common with new guitars. After stretching the strings and playing daily I expect this will improve. Overall I find it to be the perfect guitar. Perfect size, perfect electronics, perfect tone.

This guitar is fantastic! Solid wood and well made. First it looks fantastic. I'm sure if the headstock had a name that started with "M" or "T" people would be going crazy over these. The neck is great. The frets are hand rolled. My guess is that bad humidity had something to do with another reviewer's experience with those. The mic modeling is really cool. The guitar is very comfortable to play, the neck is smooth. Don't pass trying this in the store. For under $1000, my guess is you would be hard pressed to find something better. I'm happy with the ac3r and plan to keep it for a long long time.

I was set on a Martin; however, after playing several guitars including the Martin, the sales guy put the Yamaha AC3R in my hands and I played it for a while and decided to buy it. I have never regretted it and am sold on Yamaha. You cannot get a better guitar for the price. Although it's marketed as a mid-level guitar, it's sound and feel are much of a much better quality. It's the perfect guitar for my style of playing... bluegrass and blues.