Yamaha Review: CPX8

History:

Purchase: I bought the guitar from a Sam Ash music store as a closeout, discontinued model. It was a replacement for a guitar that did not survive an airline trip. List price was $1200.00 - $1300.00 I paid $500.00 brand new in box with full warranty.

What I Like About This Yamaha CPX8: The action is very smooth and easy to play, with virtually perfect intonation down to the 20th fret. The sound is very full and rich. The finish and workmanship are virtually flawless. Both a friend who is a session guitarist (wants to buy one for a studio instrument) I work with, and my music teacher have been very impressed with the sound, action, appearance and overall quality of this guitar. I have not had it on an amp yet, but my friend tried a newer model, with the same electronics, and loved the sound. Of special note is that is has both a piezo electric pickup in the bridge and a condenser mic inside the body. The electronics allow you to balance out the two for the best sound from the amp. It also comes with a sound hole plug to reduce feedback for higher amplification levels. There is no name on the tuners, but they remind me of grover tuners. The guitar is very easy to tune, and holds its tuning very very well. Two other co-workers saw mine and went out and bought their own. They both love them for all the reasons mentioned above as well.

What I Do NOT Like About The Yamaha CPX8: I can not think of anything I have found that I do not like, nor has anyone else mentioned any problems. Perhaps the only thing that I would have liked to see different is the width of the nut. I have fairly large hands and a 1.75" nut would be slightly easier for me to play than the 1.68" nut the guitar came with. But that is really being picky.

Yamaha CPX8 Quality Rating: The guitar has a solid spruce top, with mahogany sides and back. The sides and back may be solid, but I can not find any information one way or the other. The neck is mahogany with a rosewood finger board. It has ivory binding on the neck and body with gold tuners. The fit and finish on everything is beautiful, and except for a couple very hard to find, very very minor blemishes in the finish, it is virtually flawless.

Review Summary: It is a beautiful instrument in playability, sound and appearance. I am just learning, but the quality of the instrument is making my efforts much more rewarding. Yamaha only changed the color and some of the wood on the newer models (not the design, construction or electronics), but that was enough to get me what I believe to be the deal of a lifetime on the guitar.

Rating of this Yamaha product: 5

This Yamaha CPX8 Acoustic Guitars Review Submitted By: Edward Ford

Review Date: 2002-09-19