Yamaha

Yamaha was founded in 1887 by Torakusu Yamaha in Japan when he made his first acoustic organ. Yamaha was very passionate and soon started making pianos and grand pianos. He was the first in Japan to make pianos. In its development process, this progression and innovation was always present. Through the past century and a half, the company has expanded enormously towards all kinds of instruments. Their first acoustic guitar hit the market in the 1960s, and they have been constantly improving and innovating instruments ever since. The innovation that Torakusu Yamaha contained is still visible in Yamaha's instruments today.

TransAcoustic

The FG-TA is a TransAcoustic guitar, as Yamaha calls it. This means that the acoustic sound of the guitar can be altered. This doesn’t mean the guitar can’t be amplified, it simply means the sound can be altered without amplification. This system that was designed by Yamaha consists of an actuator at the bottom of the inside of the back. This actuator catches the vibrations of the strings, these vibrations will be altered and sent to the top of the body. The natural wood will catch the altered vibrations and produce the sound. This way you can change the acoustic sound of the guitar. There are of course limits to this system: the guitar cannot add distortion or overdrive, but only more natural effects, like reverb and chorus. These are the most wanted effects for western guitars anyway. At the side of the guitar there are three subtle knobs with which to change the effects: a chorus knob, a reverb knob, and a volume knob for when the guitar is amplified. The effects also work when the guitar is amplified. Because the system also works without an amplifier, it relies on batteries. These are located right next to the output so it’s easy to change and the location doesn’t alter the natural resonance.

Materials

The FG-TA is a Dreadnought guitar. This is the most popular acoustic guitar shape as it’s ideal for rhythm guitar. The large bottom produces a deep resonance which will result in a full and loud sound. The guitar has a solid spruce top. Spruce is a sustainable tonewood which produces a warm sound, which is great for rhythm guitar. The back and sides are made of mahogany which will balance the sound properly and complements the spruce beautifully. The guitar has a nato neck and a rosewood fretboard. Rosewood is a sturdy tonewood with an equal surface. This will result in a comfortable playing experience. In short, the FG-TA can be used as a great traditional western guitar but can also be used with an innovative system with reverb and chorus!