Yamaha CG-TA TransAcoustic Classical Natural

This guitar has amazing tone. It projects like crazy without having to pluck heavily. The strings are closer to the fret board which makes it easier for a beginner like me to get good tones out of what I play without too hard which used to hurt my fingers. Although it’s a classical style guitar for more classical picking and playing, it sounds great playing any style of music. I couldn’t have picked a better learning instrument. All my friends who have been playing for years also love the way it sounds. Everything at an unbeatable price with quality that Yamaha delivers on every time. If you’re thinking about a guitar, whether you’re a beginner learning how to play or an experienced guitarist wanting to try classical guitar music, don’t hesitate. No mistakes were ... MoreThis guitar has amazing tone. It projects like crazy without having to pluck heavily. The strings are closer to the fret board which makes it easier for a beginner like me to get good tones out of what I play without too hard which used to hurt my fingers. Although it’s a classical style guitar for more classical picking and playing, it sounds great playing any style of music. I couldn’t have picked a better learning instrument. All my friends who have been playing for years also love the way it sounds. Everything at an unbeatable price with quality that Yamaha delivers on every time. If you’re thinking about a guitar, whether you’re a beginner learning how to play or an experienced guitarist wanting to try classical guitar music, don’t hesitate. No mistakes were made in the purchasing of this guitar. Thank you American Musical for making this attainable for me!

This is an excellent product which does everything it has been advertised to do. The phone sale was carried out with great professionalism and the delivery both secure and prompt. It is only a pity that since my purchase of the CGTA it has increased considerably in price and is no longer the great value for money it was when I first purchased it.

A lot more fun than your typical classical guitar

This is the CG162S but with Yamaha's Transacoustic system. Room and Hall reverb effects are excellent. Chorus effect may be of interest to fingerstylists. Tone is very good unplugged. Well-built. Battery will drain if you leave cable plugged-in. Factory action was high for me.

An awesome classical Nylon guitar!

Let me tell y'all what it is! Lol. I am really into this classical nylon guitar; it is the best nylon guitar I've had in years. Over 20 years ago, I had bought a nylon guitar in Mexico. It was totaled, eventually. But, I've been meaning to get a classic Spanish nylon ever since. This particular model was a gift from my beautiful soon-to-be-wifey! She hit the nail on the head with this axe (she too is a musician).This model, I am really interested in pima, finger style and Huapango, and other Latin variations. My fingers have missed this kind of a fretboard; since I am used to my electric guitars (Ibanez, PRS, Epi.)A most excellent purchase, I strongly recommend it. I love the wood on it. Lol.December 2020.

Great electronics on mediocre guitar

I tried this guitar at the music store and was enthralled by the built-in effects. I had to have it so I purchased it here at MF and got a good deal. Basically, Yamaha took a CG-162S and installed the transacoustic electronics in it. I wish they chose a better guitar because the guitar, without the effects, sounds flat and not of top quality construction. On the bright side though, they didn't install it on a Yamaha C40 which would have made it unappealing. I was a bit disappointed by the guitar because the fretwires were rough/unfinished and so they quickly scratched the strings and made it difficult to play vibrato because the strings would stick. I had to finish the firewires with a fine wool. There is also a portion of the soundhole under the fretboard which was ... MoreI tried this guitar at the music store and was enthralled by the built-in effects. I had to have it so I purchased it here at MF and got a good deal. Basically, Yamaha took a CG-162S and installed the transacoustic electronics in it. I wish they chose a better guitar because the guitar, without the effects, sounds flat and not of top quality construction. On the bright side though, they didn't install it on a Yamaha C40 which would have made it unappealing. I was a bit disappointed by the guitar because the fretwires were rough/unfinished and so they quickly scratched the strings and made it difficult to play vibrato because the strings would stick. I had to finish the firewires with a fine wool. There is also a portion of the soundhole under the fretboard which was not finished/varnished and I wonder why they left it this way. It looks cheap and possibly exposes the soundboard to moisture without the finish. The electronics on the other hand, are topnotch. Although it makes the guitar heavier, it doesn't matter once you're seated with the guitar on your lap. It uses a couple of AA batteries which last a long time. It can also be plugged into an amplifier as an added option. I only use the guitar for practicing or if I just want to try out the reverb and chorus effects on a pop song. Otherwise, I use only the reverb because I play mostly classical pieces and the rever gives that added cathedral effect. All in all, the product is very good.

Great value for what it is

The first thing to make clear is that this isn't a high-end classical guitar, and it's not trying to be. The build quality is generally very good for the price, although the machines feel very cheap. The trans-acoustic element doesn't seem as well balanced on this model as it does on the LS-TA acoustic I own, and needs to be used with restraint if you want to maintain the "classical" sound of the guitar. Setup out of the box was somewhat high, as it often is with instruments exported globally, and it took a bit of time to get the action sorted, but the neck relief is spot on, so no issues there.If you want a well-made, affordable classical guitar with the ability to add reverb and chorus, along with a line-out to plug into an amp, then this is tremendous value for ... MoreThe first thing to make clear is that this isn't a high-end classical guitar, and it's not trying to be. The build quality is generally very good for the price, although the machines feel very cheap. The trans-acoustic element doesn't seem as well balanced on this model as it does on the LS-TA acoustic I own, and needs to be used with restraint if you want to maintain the "classical" sound of the guitar. Setup out of the box was somewhat high, as it often is with instruments exported globally, and it took a bit of time to get the action sorted, but the neck relief is spot on, so no issues there.If you want a well-made, affordable classical guitar with the ability to add reverb and chorus, along with a line-out to plug into an amp, then this is tremendous value for money.If you're purely a classical player who doesn't need any effects, then I'd suggest that there are better value guitars on the market.A nice touch is that you can use rechargeable AA batteries to power the electronics, which I find fairly essential, as they don't last many hours if you've got the TA switched on.Personally, I would have preferred to see this guitar priced £20 higher with better machines, but I can see that by keeping it as cheap as possible, Yamaha will tempt a lot of acoustic players who want a decent nylon strung guitar, but don't have a large budget.

It’s not a gimmick

I’m not a classical player but have been picking up a few classical pieces to develop my playing. With this in mind, I thought I’d try some cheaper nylon guitars. That didn’t work. You really can feel the difference in quality even when the set ups of nylon strings feel so alien to a steel string player.Taking a trip to the Birmingham store, I came across two Yamahas. They both felt great and though one was significantly cheaper, I just couldn’t resist this TransAcoustic’s magic! So, considering I’m not a classical player and this guitar was only really going to serve the purpose of playing a few select tunes, having that added bonus of the FX changes my whole approach and now I just want to pick it up all the time! But I call the FX a bonus. The build quality is ... MoreI’m not a classical player but have been picking up a few classical pieces to develop my playing. With this in mind, I thought I’d try some cheaper nylon guitars. That didn’t work. You really can feel the difference in quality even when the set ups of nylon strings feel so alien to a steel string player.Taking a trip to the Birmingham store, I came across two Yamahas. They both felt great and though one was significantly cheaper, I just couldn’t resist this TransAcoustic’s magic! So, considering I’m not a classical player and this guitar was only really going to serve the purpose of playing a few select tunes, having that added bonus of the FX changes my whole approach and now I just want to pick it up all the time! But I call the FX a bonus. The build quality is great, the sound is full without any FX added and the neck is really comfortable - satin finished, frets and action and perfectly set.You might have to try it to believe it, - everyone that passed me in the store were a little miffed to not see an amp near me - but this is a great guitar.

Love it!

I am so happy to have found this acoustic guitar! Yamaha - it feels so great to play compared to some other brands I was checking out. On top of that I fell in love with the design. At first thought it was a bit too bright yellow but it grew on me. Also fell in love with the pearl tuning pegs and the subtle gold detail at the head of the guitar. Great purchase 👍❤️

Overpriced for what it is but perfect for me.

Im a nylon fingerstyle player, but not essentially a classical player, although I can play some classical pieces albeit badly.At first impression this is a good intermediate classical guitar. With 52mm nut width, at 12th fret neck join and 19 frets in total. So a standard classical Guitar.In fact it is basically a CG 162 with copied tonewood amp technology built in.That's where the criticism of price comes in. You are basically paying 500 pounds for a three hundred pound Guitar.But that was okay for me as I figured that if I bought the CG 162 and then bought the additional tonewood amp the cost would exceed the 500 price point. So I opted for the CGTA instead saved 50 quid and everything is integrated and less fiddly than fitting in a tonewood amp.This Guitar ... MoreIm a nylon fingerstyle player, but not essentially a classical player, although I can play some classical pieces albeit badly.At first impression this is a good intermediate classical guitar. With 52mm nut width, at 12th fret neck join and 19 frets in total. So a standard classical Guitar.In fact it is basically a CG 162 with copied tonewood amp technology built in.That's where the criticism of price comes in. You are basically paying 500 pounds for a three hundred pound Guitar.But that was okay for me as I figured that if I bought the CG 162 and then bought the additional tonewood amp the cost would exceed the 500 price point. So I opted for the CGTA instead saved 50 quid and everything is integrated and less fiddly than fitting in a tonewood amp.This Guitar is perfect for me, and just what I wanted. It makes me play more and gives me my ambient tone without the hassle of turning on and plugging into my amp and useing pedals. It will never replace my very expensive Taylor nylon string guitar. Or my pedal board and acoustic amp. But I practice on this every time I walk past it. I dont have any problems switching from a 48mm nut width of a hybrid nylon to the 52mm nut width of a classical guitar. But bear this in mind as you may not like the flatter wider finger board of the standard classical Guitar.The instant ambient sound inspires me to keep playing it over my other guitars as we humans are lazy and choose the road with least resistance and picking up this and pressing a button is far easier than getting out my pedal board and amp. But I would never perform with this.I even take it out in my garden and get a sound I would never have dreamed of getting before. I can take it room to room and still have my ambient tone on tap at the press of a buttonSo yes overpriced for what it is..but .. perfect for me and just what I was looking for.

Surprising

Very impressive unit. The ultimate traditional classical. I have other classical guitars but this one is very satisfying to play. First time I played it in public (same day I got it) other guitarists were incredulous. “Where is the sound coming from”? ‘Have you got an amp hidden somewhere and a Bluetooth speaker?”