Yamaha LL16DRBLHC Handcrafted A.R.E. Acoustic-Electric Guitar With Case – Black Deluxe Model

We. Love. This. Guitar. So. Much!!!  Just completely blown away by the raw power and tone, and the craftsmanship is breathtakingly good.  The Black one here with the beautiful abalone inlay seems to be even more resonant and alive than the standard LL models, and that’s really saying something!

When we first became a Yamaha dealer we didn’t know what quite to expect exactly.  We were already big fans of their old “Red Label” guitars from the late 60’s, and we knew they made great student model guitars for all styles of players interested in acoustic music in general.  But how well was some of their nicer offerings going to stack up in our high demand “bluegrass world?”  Our findings are very positive to say the least.  We got in several of these “LL” series guitars and virtually sold all of them initially before even getting them listed on the site. 

It’s just crazy how much tone and volume this guitar produces, and how the sound fills the room.  It is dry and well balanced from note to note as well, and every little subtlety is conveyed with the slightest touch of the string.  And it plays sooo easy (especially after our professional touch).  The feel of the neck is superb and the fret work is impeccable.  

The craftsmanship is way way up there.  Well beyond most any guitars in this price range.  Fit and finish are awesome, and the black/abalone contrast on this one is incredibly fetching.  There’s maple body binding and back strip, fingerboard binding, abalone rosette, mother of pearl headstock inlay, headstock binding, French eye abalone position markers, etc…but the real star of the hour is the structural parts of the guitar.  Solid rosewood back and sides, solid Engelmann spruce top with their acoustic resonance enhancement treatment (think torrefied), mahogany neck with double rosewood reinforcement strips, ebony fingerboard and bridge, and their special “C” block style neck block to prevent neck angle shifting over the years.  They really thought of everything (most of these appointments can be seen in the pictures.) Not only does it play and sound right up there with the best of them, but it’s built in a way to last many decades.  

AND!!!  If all that weren’t enough, this guitar also features their “zero impact” pickup system which is designed to produce a very natural tone (similar in sound to K&K) and also leaves the natural tone of the guitar unaffected when not plugged in.  And it works on all fronts brilliantly.  

Includes Full Professional Setup, Strap Button Install, Hard Case, and Free Shipping Within Lower 48 US.  

Solid Engelmann Spruce Top
A.R.E. Aging Technology
Solid Rosewood Back & Sides
5-Ply Mahogany & Rosewood Neck
Ebony Fingerboard
Gold Tuners
SRT Zero Impact Passive Pickup
Hardshell Case Included