All videos seen at this current time have been shot and/or edited prior to any guidance around isolation and social distancing. We will be ensuring presenters follow social distancing guidelines along with following the daily updates issued. Stay Safe. Team Andertons. 🤘❤️
I have owned both the Tonewood Amp and am lucky enough to own the LL-TA Yamaha , I now just have the Yamaha after having sold on the Tonewood some time ago. One of the comments already listed mentioned a distinct separation between the Tonewood and natural acoustic tone and I have to confirm that this was also the case for me. Like most , I have a fair few acoustics and wanted to emulate the Yamaha so I would feel inspired to play those "other" guitars . It left me feeling uninspired as it couldn't get close to what could only be described as the Yamahas organic properties with regard to chorus and especially the reverb.The only true way to find out what you want is to back to back test them as in the video and make your own mind up. The Yamaha will remain with me for a long long time , yes its a little heavy on battery usage but more than worth it considering its just AA's . I still get a kick out of playing it in front of fellow guitarists who have no clue as to its abilities.
I have a Yamaha LA TA. All I can say is I sold my 6 series Taylor as I never played it after getting the the TA. The best kept secret ever. The absolute only minor problem is sometimes you get feedback if you put the guitar down and let a string ring out. But once you do it once you remember to turn it off.
With the tonewood you have to adjust the gain in the settings. Kinda hard to get to, not right out in the open, but you can dial it in so you never get feedback. You might have too much saturation in your fx, but if it sounds killer then it sounds killer.
@Scott Moffat I read the Yamaha has “line out”... When plugged in to a board, are there any other controls than when playing acoustic?Do the reverb and chorus function the same as unplugged?
i usually go into the guitar store play a few things then narrow it down mabye go back the following week then MAYBE make my mind up ,but went into the shop (merchant city great store )tried about three chords on the yamaha ll ta and was hooked .two years later and im still loving it
Your Auto-Wah demo was fantastic. I’ve seen tons of reviews for the Tonewood. You’re the only one I’ve seen do that justice! Very nice playing. Thanks.
Love the way Ben laughs when changing effects. As if he can't believe it himself or as if it's ridiculous for an acoustic guitar. I opt for the second scenario 'cause Ben is an acoustic guy.
i tried both LL TA and FG TA and i felt that FG is better..... better acoustically, the only thing is a bit big for me. any way, perhaps I will try again next time @@karlyfree6054
For the Tonewood, you need an existing electro acoustic guitar, as the effects box is driven by the guitars inbuilt pickup. I didn't have a guitar with an inbuilt pickup, so the Tonewood wouldn't have worked for me. Of course, I could have bought a reasonable electro acoustic plus the Tonewood, but I thought the Tonewood might have had more settings and voices than I could really use, and I might have ended up very confused by too much choice of effects. I sold a couple of other guitars and took the plunge on a Yamaha Transacoustic exactly as was played on this review. It's everything I hoped it would be...... It has enough effects without being too much, and they are easy to engage or disengage. It works for me, but it won't suit everyone......
Tonewood can work with non electric-acoustic guitars. There's an option on their website which includes an attachable sound hole pickup. Don't know how good the quality is of the pickup though
@@fastfour8727 yea it's a pretty cheap pickup with the wire coming out the soundhole unless you get it installed I like the options on the tone wood I just hate how big it is on the back of the guitar. But it is great.
Nice demo! I have the Yamaha LS-TA, and Yamaha did a great job with that guitar. The transacoustic system is good, and I give it high marks for convenience as the transducer element is built in. However, the tonewood is far more versatile, has better quality effects, and can be transferred to any guitar in your collection.
I just bought that same transAcoustic, I almost went with the lower model but it being full wood it sounds better, it is Soo much fun to play, hard to put down, I would strongly recommend it! And what a gorgeous guitar is it in person! I feel a lot of people see Yamaha and think beginner guitar or low end, but it holds its own that's for sure
Yamaha's tends to be a little plain in the aesthetics department and that puts some people off. But they do have a certain understated elegance to them. They often sound far better than they look.
The Yamaha sounds more natural. I bought one based on that difference after listening to as many recordings of as I could. There seems to be some digital bloom and tail on the Tonewood, and I can distinctly hear the dry guitar and the effects somewhat separated. Would love to hear comments and recordings from Tonewood owners who have figured out how to get the most natural sounding effect, and also how the mentioned chorus effect turned out. Thanks for a great review!
I definitely agree with you, I've had the lower end FG Trans-Acoustic for a year and even this is a breathtaking guitar. I believe it is because the Tonewood just mounts to the back itself whereas the Yamaha's transducer mounts to the structural parts and the back so there is more wood to come in contact with and resonate.
@@brandonhaas9165 Agree. And, the tonewood gets its input from the piezo or other pickup already mounted on the guitar. Piezo quack is not a desirable part of the tonal response, but the tonewood gets that and then processes it. I'm not sure what the input transducer is on the Yamaha TA module, but it is much more natural. Of course if you had a mini acoustic mic inside your guitar to feed the tonewood, you might get a much better result. Few guitars in the low to mid-price segments have that, though. I think Yamaha pulled off a minor miracle. I too have the FG... it is a terrific instrument.
@@serpentor21 To me, no. I've had costlier guitars and I prefer this Yamaha. Excellent build quality, playability and tone just plain, without the effects. It's not the loudest guitar I've had, but I've come to see "loud enough'' as the measure unless you do a lot of bluegrass jams with loud banjos and other loud guitars. Then you need a cannon. Acoustics have come a LONG way in price/performance. I have a Fender Sonoran in surf green that sounds and plays great, it was very inexpensive. Wish it had the TA system!
@@DogFoodTunes The Yamaha convinced me I needed to learn acoustic guitar. As a total beginner, I think it’s amazing. Nice to hear from veterans that you all enjoy it as well. 💫
I've had one for over a year now, and playing something like Yiruma in the complete dark with hall reverb on, is an incredible experience! You just get lost in it. Definitely worth it!
I liked the sound of the effects on the Yamaha better (mostly the reverbs), but the Leslie sim on the Tonewood sounds absolutely tits. Yamaha for the win, if I also need a new guitar. Tonewood for the win if I like the guitar I have. I would happily live with the lackluster reverb to have the Leslie patch.
Lots of opinions, but truly, these are the kind of things that you really need to hear in person. Nothing else will really give you the sense of what they sound like.
I have a Tonewood and love it. I bought extra brackets for my other acoustics. I keep it subtle and I REALLY notice it when I don't turn it on. Feels empty now without it
As far as versatility is concerned, the amount of time you spent playing the ToneWood vs the Yamaha says it all... and even then you only touched a subset of what the ToneWood can do. It's a no-brainer for those who already have an acoustic they love but just want to add a new dimension.
@@mrbensherman I have a job thank you! I work for the NHS, so the main reward is not the pay. And yes I would choose the Yamaha if I had a win, what's wrong with that?
Perhaps it's just the recording, and that it was different in the room, but I'm a little disappointed in the tones from the ToneWoodAmp. It wasn't nearly as impactful as the Yamaha was. Thanks for the video.
I bought one of these ToneWood amps because they looked so promising, and was underwhelmed by it's performance unfortunately. When I returned it I was charged a restocking fee, so it ended up costing me about $50 to essentially demo it. I bought it direct from them. Anyone thinking of getting one, keep that in mind.
Thank you for the heads up. You took an arrow for us. It sounded pretty damn cheaply artificial and terrible. I can't imagine anybody wanting this encrustation on his or her guitar, especially not a nice expensive one. Mommy taught me not to say anything if I have nothing nice to say but this is the exception. $50 restocking fee for a tryout? Ridiculous.
Restocking fee!? What a joke. Their products didn't live up to the hype so you had to pay 50 bucks. Just for that alone I think ill save my money. I never trust any company that can't stand by their products.
Sounds like user error to me. Not their fault that the 3 of you don't understand basic instructions on how to install properly, and not their fault the 3 of you are obviously technologically challenged.
That Yamaha is a mindf*ck the first time you play it. It sounds THAT natural. I felt like John Mayer playing Slow Dancing… under that tent for the acoustic thing he did for Martin. I’d love to see it come out in their transparent black from their A series.
I bought a new Yamaha LLTA. It's my favorite Guitar now. Plays great without effects but I always seem to be using them .Effects are mainly used for finger picking
Of course I gave this a thumbs up, but honestly, there was so much dry sound during the Tonewood portion that the effects were all like a distant conversation in a gymnasium. The Transcoustic was great; it's a shame we couldn't really hear the Tonewood Amp effects.
The sticky feet on the TA don't stay on forever. I bought 2 receivers, placed them into 2 guitars and they both came off within six months. It comes with extra adhesive pads but kind of a hassle. Good sounds, yes. I'm thinking about the Yamaha though. No real wrong answer here. Great demo!
P.S. - You guys are such troopers through a rough time. I can only imagine the hit in your revenue, so I'm making sure to play 100% of all ads on your vids. It's the least I can do.
It seems like a $100 guitar, though. With blue paint where the LL has abelone inlays, for example. Kepma AcoustiFex is another option that kind of sits between Tonewood and the Transacoustic.
...I'm a singer and not a guitarist, but began learning guitar late...not 6 y/o like a Travis Tritt, but 55 y/o. So I'm always looking for the electronics to help bail me out, for my imperfections, mistakes and dead spots. Yes, I wish to gig. So how to accomplish that ??...Looks like a TC- Helicon voice synthesizer, a Tonewood amp, and a Spark Positive Grid amp...You get backing tracks, reverb, hall and chorus with all of these....I think this will do the trick
I like the elegant solution of the Yamaha and the effects themselves sound well judged, I’ve tried loads of effects on acoustic but only ever really used chorus and/or reverb.
Thanks for this. I like having it integrated like Yamaha. Although the Homewood has more efx and presets and can move to different guitars. That have pickups. But is so big.
I was VERY close to getting the tonewood but I read the reviews on Amazon and what you say about the Reverb seems to confirm my suspicions - and what other are saying. There is a large difference between a guitar BUILT with these effect internally and using the guitar back and body as your speaker/soundboard; which is exactly what the tonewood does. People often complain about muddy sounds or delayed echos bouncing around within the guitar. (that and the constant gain/noise issues seem to be high on people list). There's a high degree of likelihood that every guitars acoustic's back is going to act differently and that the resonance within the body cavity will also vary. At least with the Yamaha everything will have been 'matched' to some design spec. If I were to spend the money I think I'd go for the Transacoustic.
I have to agree with you about a bit of a muddy sound and what appears to be a constant feedback going in the background of the TA. The Yamaha definitely had a clearer reverb. It sounded more organic.
I had a Transacoustic and, while interesting and nice in many ways, I was very disappointed that Yamaha had not bothered to include a battery indicator, especially considering how much battery it consumes. There is also no indicator that it is turned on and no sensor that automatically turns it off if idle. I can forgive them for the tuners, but not for that. It goes without saying that more often than not, the batteries were dead when I needed them. Sure, one can always change just to make sure, but how many good batteries would I throw away?
@@notshared4072 My issue is that they save a few cents on a very expensive guitar and their saving cost me many batteries. If you have one, you know you forget to turn it off now and then. My €90 ukulele has a battery and on/off indicator...
@@zykify I do indeed own one, and mine has an indicator (inside the sound hole) and also turns itself off after being idle for some time. Even if I play intermittently all day long and NEVER remember to turn the battery off, it lasts several days on a pair of rechargeable cells. So one pair goes into the charger and the other into the guitar. If you're gigging and can't be bothered to change batteries before a performance, you maybe deserve what you get?
Liked reverb on yamaha better. Plus chorus sounded great. But delay on tonewood was great also. I have never played a tonewood and was wondering if it made much difference playing it while standing. Is magnet strong enough to stay put while playing aggressively?
Mine, too, in certain guitars. And the positioning makes a huge difference in the sound. If not quite right, it can sound honky or dull or brittle, and sometimes even the guitar vibrates in a weird way or feeds back. Way too fiddly for me, also with the programming for each guitar and position. Looking to sell my Tonewood and get a Yamaha FG-TA.
You have to dial it in....reduce the output level on your guitar preamp and adjust the gain on the tonewood until it stops and you get the balance that you are looking for.
Just in case anyone is reading this and wants to know how it went, I indeed got a Yamaha FG-TA (Transacoustic) with a built in „accuator“ that does something similar to what the TWA does, though only for reverb and chorus. And I LOVE it! :-)) Even without the effects turned on, it surprised me with a full, rich, detailed, well-balanced sound and great playability/action, as well as clean workmanship all around. The factory-installed Elixir Nanoweb strings are also a perfect match for the guitar, and even sound powerful when the guitar is tuned down a full step, to D, across all the strings. That really surprised me. And the effects are always available, unobtrusively. No switching around of a TWA to deal with, no trying to find the right position for an inner X-brace like with the TWA, no fiddling with and storing of parameters - just plain playing and enjoyment! The reverb can be dialed in for a little or a lot, and the chorus from barely perceivable to sea-sick. ;-) This gets the job done for me, for sure. Naturally, such a guitar is limited in turns of the sounds you can get out of it unplugged, but I don‘t kill. „Kill complexity“ has become my motto. It‘s much for fun to just play, and immerse myself in lush fingerpicking with a beautiful reverb, without any added technology. Well done, Yamaha! (And so far I‘ve been a Martin guy, but I see the Japanese have not been sleeping when it comes to developing great scalloped bracing for good sustain and voicing, even on a guitar with laminated back and sides.)
I have both... I prefer the tonewood. I think the reverb and chorus (available after firmware upgrade, replacing the distortion) are less "zingy" and artificial sounding than the Transacoustic. The Yamaha LS-TA transacoustic is, on its own, a great guitar....
personally I think the TonewoodAmp is the better option, the real problem here is he didn't have it dialed in correctly. Mike Dawes did a great demo with Lee like two years ago... it sounds a million times better in that video, on the same style Sigma guitar I might add
@@andertons It sounds wicked, really. :) The reverb I think is harder to appreciate when on the video, because you're hearing a bit of the room anyway.
Yamaha for me, easy to use accept that you can't tell its on w/o strumming or looking to see the small light inside the circuit board under controls inside . I understand the idea is to get effex w/o a amp or PA but you can use the Yamaha thru the system and effex follow it or can be turned off the same as the TW. it is not an either or it is an awesome guitar on its own with effex, w/o effex, plugged in to amp or PA and use effext or not... all good . I tried several wondering if it was" gimmickie ". I looked into the Tonewood and thought it was awesome but pulled the trigger on the Yamaha. Been flawless and the battery replacement is one of the easiest to perform i have come across yet ! for those that hate the Velcro pouch hidden in the bracing...
I'm struggling to think of when I would need this? At a gig you can add reverb etc on the mixing desk, in the studio you add it post anyway.....is it just for sitting at home adding "cool" effects while noodling? Might get boring pretty quick..... dunno..
If you're like me and you mostly play at home to yourself and your girlfriend or at campfires and you don't ever gig or go into a studio it's pretty fun and doesn't get boring.
I have the Tonewood and have played the Yamaha many times but i don't own one. If you are buying a guitar in the price range of the Yamaha with the reverb don't buy a cheaper guitar and the Tonewood....just get the Yamaha. The built in Yamaha reverb/chorus is a better tone than the Tonewood by just a little. But if you are retro fitting an existing guitar the Tonewood will be very pleasing. Also not for either system ....this is good for you and a singer....not so good playing with other guitarists....campfire singing not that good either....it is for a single guitar or guitar and singer....bottom line....its pretty cool (either product).
Good comment. I am thinking of either the FGX830C + Tonewood or just the FG-TA. Not an exact $ for $ equal, but close enough that I'm considering between those 2 options. Cheers.
Also, it would just be interesting, though probably not that noticeable (or maybe it would), but Tonewood gives very specific specific instructions for different type of guitars as to where the box should be placed on the back, and Ben just slapped it on anywhere. I wonder if it would sound different had he followed the guidelines.
how about a red label TA i want a higher quality guitar with the TA. Yamaha needs to put a delay in also . It can not be that much to put a different chip in.
How is the weight of the Trans-Acoustic as I thought the Tonewood made quite a difference in the weight of my guitar and made it feel a bit cumbersome? Thanks.
2:48 How do you play that? Is that starting on I or vi or something else? What is the Root and what key is it? What chords are those they're awesome! I think I found the root of those chords on my guitar and if I did the Circle of 4ths and 5ths correctly......It's either D minor or F Major. My ear tells me that's a minor progression but I know better than to trust my ear. That was beautiful. I wish I could play that.
While they both are good, I personally, as a guitarist I might add preferred the tonewood as the best, very slightly, probably because you can shape the sound of the tone wood but you can't to the same level on the trans-acoustic
I’m considering one of these guitars. Does anyone have any concerns with using a humidifier in this guitar? Could the humidifier in the guitar ruin the electronic board that’s in this guitar?
Beginning of video - Oh, it's just some modeling acoustic crap. Ben - " The guitar isn't actually plugged in to anything, all of the effects come from inside the guitar itself " 🤯 Damn, that must cost a fortune for that type of modern sorcery! Ben - " It's only 799 " 🤯🤯🤯 That's only about $1,000 over here in the States. What a deal!
Both great. I love it already built in. But love the extra presets on the tone wood. They should get together. Yamaha sounded better because it was made for that guitar alone
It sucks that the only such system to include a looper is the rather garbage HyVibe. I don't need a Leslie or an autowah, but I could do some good w/ a simple looper.
they are both great... if you are not in market for another guitar and just want to upgrade an existing one.. i think the choice is clear... the tonewood has more options... and i find the chorus/reverb on the yamaha TA to be more subtle.
Před 3 lety
I have one, its nice but i always forget to turn it off
The Tonewood is a potential health hazard if you have a pacemaker or ICD because of those bracket magnets (they are strong). Tonewood, to their credit, admit this is the case, but a lot of people don't bother to read the fine print.
The thing is that you can use the tonwood with most any guitar, and you can also use the tonewood on a Classical guitar (you buy an extra pick-up module from Tonewood). To here this on Classical Nylon-string is a whole other world.
Here’s a fly in the ointment for the Tonewood. Will it allow my guitar to still fit in its case? How much work is it to take off the back for the guy who gigs out often?
It attaches magnetically and can be removed in literally 3 seconds. The magnetic x brace mounts to the inside of the guitar with double sided tape and just stays there. One of the real advantages of the TWA is that you can just purchase additional X braces and use the amp on multiple guitars.
Does it make the guitar louder? if so, If you use a DPA4099 microphone for live situations (to get the most natural sound possible) it would result to less feedback and spillage from other instruments as you can get away with turning the microphone down. What are your thoughts about this? anyone experimented with this idea?
The Yamaha is definitely louder with the Reverb and Chorus. Some of it is perceived volume, but if the Reverb is set right, you’re essentially stacking sound waves on top of each other as it’s projecting out of the guitar.
All videos seen at this current time have been shot and/or edited prior to any guidance around isolation and social distancing. We will be ensuring presenters follow social distancing guidelines along with following the daily updates issued.
Stay Safe.
Team Andertons. 🤘❤️
no one cares, if politicians can attend to huge parties, without any of their draconian mandates and protocols, us peasants can do it as well.
@@Max_94 literally "he started it" but taken 10x to the extreme. nice.
Social distance if you feel thats the right decision, not because you've been ordered to.
I have owned both the Tonewood Amp and am lucky enough to own the LL-TA Yamaha , I now just have the Yamaha after having sold on the Tonewood some time ago. One of the comments already listed mentioned a distinct separation between the Tonewood and natural acoustic tone and I have to confirm that this was also the case for me. Like most , I have a fair few acoustics and wanted to emulate the Yamaha so I would feel inspired to play those "other" guitars . It left me feeling uninspired as it couldn't get close to what could only be described as the Yamahas organic properties with regard to chorus and especially the reverb.The only true way to find out what you want is to back to back test them as in the video and make your own mind up. The Yamaha will remain with me for a long long time , yes its a little heavy on battery usage but more than worth it considering its just AA's . I still get a kick out of playing it in front of fellow guitarists who have no clue as to its abilities.
appreciate this.
Finally, some Yamaha acoustics on this channel
I have a Yamaha LA TA. All I can say is I sold my 6 series Taylor as I never played it after getting the the TA. The best kept secret ever. The absolute only minor problem is sometimes you get feedback if you put the guitar down and let a string ring out. But once you do it once you remember to turn it off.
I really wonder if Yamaha can use this tech and make a $500 guitar sound like a $5000 all solid vintage guitar. Looking forward to this tech.
With the tonewood you have to adjust the gain in the settings. Kinda hard to get to, not right out in the open, but you can dial it in so you never get feedback. You might have too much saturation in your fx, but if it sounds killer then it sounds killer.
@Scott Moffat I read the Yamaha has “line out”... When plugged in to a board, are there any other controls than when playing acoustic?Do the reverb and chorus function the same as unplugged?
Please put the tone wood on the Yamaha and retest
I have a tonewood. It's f'ing awesome. Got me back into my (ironically Yamaha) acoustic
I own the Yamaha LS-TA. Absolutely live it.
0:31 Ah yes, "Chrous", my favourite effect.
I love me a bit of chrous.
What year is this...?
Call the Chrous police....
Isn't it everyone's? I put it on guitar, vocals... I'd put it on my breakfast cereal if I could. Ah... CHROUS... The best.
i usually go into the guitar store play a few things then narrow it down mabye go back the following week then MAYBE make my mind up ,but went into the shop (merchant city great store )tried about three chords on the yamaha ll ta and was hooked .two years later and im still loving it
Your Auto-Wah demo was fantastic. I’ve seen tons of reviews for the Tonewood. You’re the only one I’ve seen do that justice! Very nice playing. Thanks.
Love the way Ben laughs when changing effects. As if he can't believe it himself or as if it's ridiculous for an acoustic guitar. I opt for the second scenario 'cause Ben is an acoustic guy.
I have the Yamaha LL-TA and it's undoubtedly my favorite acoustic. Sounds great without the effects, add them in and it can be magical.
I have one also. Sounds awesome even w/o effects as you said. Stellar guitar for the price.
have you tried the FG-TA ?
i tried both LL TA and FG TA and i felt that FG is better..... better acoustically, the only thing is a bit big for me. any way, perhaps I will try again next time @@karlyfree6054
I have several guitars, I purchased several inside braces so I can attach the tonewood to any off them..
Really like that feature
For the Tonewood, you need an existing electro acoustic guitar, as the effects box is driven by the guitars inbuilt pickup.
I didn't have a guitar with an inbuilt pickup, so the Tonewood wouldn't have worked for me. Of course, I could have bought a reasonable electro acoustic plus the Tonewood, but I thought the Tonewood might have had more settings and voices than I could really use, and I might have ended up very confused by too much choice of effects.
I sold a couple of other guitars and took the plunge on a Yamaha Transacoustic exactly as was played on this review. It's everything I hoped it would be...... It has enough effects without being too much, and they are easy to engage or disengage. It works for me, but it won't suit everyone......
Tonewood can work with non electric-acoustic guitars. There's an option on their website which includes an attachable sound hole pickup. Don't know how good the quality is of the pickup though
@@fastfour8727 yea it's a pretty cheap pickup with the wire coming out the soundhole unless you get it installed
I like the options on the tone wood I just hate how big it is on the back of the guitar.
But it is great.
Good job Ben, I like your videos.
I like both, but I own the Tonewood amp. The chorus effect is superb!
Nice demo! I have the Yamaha LS-TA, and Yamaha did a great job with that guitar. The transacoustic system is good, and I give it high marks for convenience as the transducer element is built in. However, the tonewood is far more versatile, has better quality effects, and can be transferred to any guitar in your collection.
Jeff Hatcher I also own an LSTA and am a happier person because of it
I just bought that same transAcoustic, I almost went with the lower model but it being full wood it sounds better, it is Soo much fun to play, hard to put down, I would strongly recommend it! And what a gorgeous guitar is it in person! I feel a lot of people see Yamaha and think beginner guitar or low end, but it holds its own that's for sure
Yamaha's tends to be a little plain in the aesthetics department and that puts some people off. But they do have a certain understated elegance to them. They often sound far better than they look.
The Yamaha sounds more natural. I bought one based on that difference after listening to as many recordings of as I could. There seems to be some digital bloom and tail on the Tonewood, and I can distinctly hear the dry guitar and the effects somewhat separated. Would love to hear comments and recordings from Tonewood owners who have figured out how to get the most natural sounding effect, and also how the mentioned chorus effect turned out. Thanks for a great review!
I definitely agree with you, I've had the lower end FG Trans-Acoustic for a year and even this is a breathtaking guitar. I believe it is because the Tonewood just mounts to the back itself whereas the Yamaha's transducer mounts to the structural parts and the back so there is more wood to come in contact with and resonate.
@@brandonhaas9165 Agree. And, the tonewood gets its input from the piezo or other pickup already mounted on the guitar. Piezo quack is not a desirable part of the tonal response, but the tonewood gets that and then processes it. I'm not sure what the input transducer is on the Yamaha TA module, but it is much more natural. Of course if you had a mini acoustic mic inside your guitar to feed the tonewood, you might get a much better result. Few guitars in the low to mid-price segments have that, though. I think Yamaha pulled off a minor miracle. I too have the FG... it is a terrific instrument.
Good to hear you guys rating these guitars as thinking about one myself. Just didn't know with putting all the tech in them have they cut spec in way?
@@serpentor21 To me, no. I've had costlier guitars and I prefer this Yamaha. Excellent build quality, playability and tone just plain, without the effects. It's not the loudest guitar I've had, but I've come to see "loud enough'' as the measure unless you do a lot of bluegrass jams with loud banjos and other loud guitars. Then you need a cannon. Acoustics have come a LONG way in price/performance. I have a Fender Sonoran in surf green that sounds and plays great, it was very inexpensive. Wish it had the TA system!
@@DogFoodTunes The Yamaha convinced me I needed to learn acoustic guitar. As a total beginner, I think it’s amazing. Nice to hear from veterans that you all enjoy it as well. 💫
With the tonewood amp I can finally stop playing the acoustic in my bathroom for the reverb!
I've had one for over a year now, and playing something like Yiruma in the complete dark with hall reverb on, is an incredible experience! You just get lost in it. Definitely worth it!
@@finlayhamer Which Yiruma song?
@@vechap I normally play River Flows In You, or Kiss The Rain
🤣🤣
You're going to look back on those good ol' days and miss them one day. LOL
I liked the sound of the effects on the Yamaha better (mostly the reverbs), but the Leslie sim on the Tonewood sounds absolutely tits. Yamaha for the win, if I also need a new guitar. Tonewood for the win if I like the guitar I have. I would happily live with the lackluster reverb to have the Leslie patch.
The tonewood and sire were stunning together
You can also connect the Tonewood Amp to an iPhone or iPad to get many more effects, definitely worth buying.
Lots of opinions, but truly, these are the kind of things that you really need to hear in person. Nothing else will really give you the sense of what they sound like.
Not sure what you can do during lockdown, but I'd love for Ben to do a 12 string comparison. pick his favourite option at three price ranges.
I have a Tonewood and love it. I bought extra brackets for my other acoustics. I keep it subtle and I REALLY notice it when I don't turn it on. Feels empty now without it
Yamaha’s acoustics are killer full stop. The amount of people who come up to me and sing the praises of my A3CR is huge.
Man U make that look effortlessly. U sound like a million bucks. Guitars sound great also!!👍
I got one of the LL-TA transacoustics cheap on ebay, it's a great guitar even taking the effects out of the equation.
I've got one too and it's a great guitar !
As far as versatility is concerned, the amount of time you spent playing the ToneWood vs the Yamaha says it all... and even then you only touched a subset of what the ToneWood can do. It's a no-brainer for those who already have an acoustic they love but just want to add a new dimension.
The LL-TA is wonderful. That would be the first thing I'd get if I ever won the lottery! Stunning guitar.
lol you would buy a Yamaha if you won the lottery?? Why not just get a job and buy one like anyone else would? 🤣
@@mrbensherman I have a job thank you! I work for the NHS, so the main reward is not the pay. And yes I would choose the Yamaha if I had a win, what's wrong with that?
Well get a job with better pay , not rocket science!!
winning lottery is 1 in 16million chance. youre better off saving up or financing the guitar.
Perhaps it's just the recording, and that it was different in the room, but I'm a little disappointed in the tones from the ToneWoodAmp. It wasn't nearly as impactful as the Yamaha was.
Thanks for the video.
I just purchased a Tonewood amp. Not what I expected. I will be turning it.
Yamaha TransAcoustic sounds amazing in life.
The Sire sounded fantastic unplugged for me.
I bought one of these ToneWood amps because they looked so promising, and was underwhelmed by it's performance unfortunately. When I returned it I was charged a restocking fee, so it ended up costing me about $50 to essentially demo it. I bought it direct from them. Anyone thinking of getting one, keep that in mind.
Thank you for the heads up. You took an arrow for us. It sounded pretty damn cheaply artificial and terrible. I can't imagine anybody wanting this encrustation on his or her guitar, especially not a nice expensive one. Mommy taught me not to say anything if I have nothing nice to say but this is the exception. $50 restocking fee for a tryout? Ridiculous.
Restocking fee!? What a joke. Their products didn't live up to the hype so you had to pay 50 bucks. Just for that alone I think ill save my money. I never trust any company that can't stand by their products.
Sounds like user error to me. Not their fault that the 3 of you don't understand basic instructions on how to install properly, and not their fault the 3 of you are obviously technologically challenged.
@@ragnaroksangel
The tonewood verb sounds terrible.
That Yamaha is a mindf*ck the first time you play it. It sounds THAT natural. I felt like John Mayer playing Slow Dancing… under that tent for the acoustic thing he did for Martin.
I’d love to see it come out in their transparent black from their A series.
I bought a new Yamaha LLTA. It's my favorite Guitar now. Plays great without effects but I always seem to be using them .Effects are mainly used for finger picking
Of course I gave this a thumbs up, but honestly, there was so much dry sound during the Tonewood portion that the effects were all like a distant conversation in a gymnasium. The Transcoustic was great; it's a shame we couldn't really hear the Tonewood Amp effects.
The sticky feet on the TA don't stay on forever. I bought 2 receivers, placed them into 2 guitars and they both came off within six months. It comes with extra adhesive pads but kind of a hassle. Good sounds, yes. I'm thinking about the Yamaha though. No real wrong answer here. Great demo!
P.S. - You guys are such troopers through a rough time. I can only imagine the hit in your revenue, so I'm making sure to play 100% of all ads on your vids. It's the least I can do.
I'll wait for the TransAcoustic MKIV that add Shimmer reverb and tube spring reverb and IR with stereo output for direct 😎
There is also the Lag hyvibe.
also the Lag HyVibe is much more versatile, it can do loops, Bluetooth, tuner...
Lag is one of the best acoustic guitars around
It seems like a $100 guitar, though. With blue paint where the LL has abelone inlays, for example. Kepma AcoustiFex is another option that kind of sits between Tonewood and the Transacoustic.
...I'm a singer and not a guitarist, but began learning guitar late...not 6 y/o like a Travis Tritt, but 55 y/o. So I'm always looking for the electronics to help bail me out, for my imperfections, mistakes and dead spots. Yes, I wish to gig. So how to accomplish that ??...Looks like a TC- Helicon voice synthesizer, a Tonewood amp, and a Spark Positive Grid amp...You get backing tracks, reverb, hall and chorus with all of these....I think this will do the trick
I like the elegant solution of the Yamaha and the effects themselves sound well judged, I’ve tried loads of effects on acoustic but only ever really used chorus and/or reverb.
Thanks for this.
I like having it integrated like Yamaha.
Although the Homewood has more efx and presets and can move to different guitars. That have pickups.
But is so big.
wow both of those sound nice, I think the tonewood is exceptional, for its flexibility to use on any guitar
No, not "any" guitar. MOST guitars. It has to sit flat, and there are a lot of guitars where that isn't possible. Ovations to start.
I swear i requested this video eons ago so thank you very much Ben and andertons. Ps. MORE ACOUSTIC PARADISO
I was VERY close to getting the tonewood but I read the reviews on Amazon and what you say about the Reverb seems to confirm my suspicions - and what other are saying. There is a large difference between a guitar BUILT with these effect internally and using the guitar back and body as your speaker/soundboard; which is exactly what the tonewood does. People often complain about muddy sounds or delayed echos bouncing around within the guitar. (that and the constant gain/noise issues seem to be high on people list). There's a high degree of likelihood that every guitars acoustic's back is going to act differently and that the resonance within the body cavity will also vary. At least with the Yamaha everything will have been 'matched' to some design spec.
If I were to spend the money I think I'd go for the Transacoustic.
I have to agree with you about a bit of a muddy sound and what appears to be a constant feedback going in the background of the TA. The Yamaha definitely had a clearer reverb. It sounded more organic.
I had a Transacoustic and, while interesting and nice in many ways, I was very disappointed that Yamaha had not bothered to include a battery indicator, especially considering how much battery it consumes. There is also no indicator that it is turned on and no sensor that automatically turns it off if idle. I can forgive them for the tuners, but not for that. It goes without saying that more often than not, the batteries were dead when I needed them. Sure, one can always change just to make sure, but how many good batteries would I throw away?
Keep a spare in your bag and you'll never be caught out... Impossible to go through a set on a single performance, so shouldn't be an issue
@@notshared4072 My issue is that they save a few cents on a very expensive guitar and their saving cost me many batteries. If you have one, you know you forget to turn it off now and then. My €90 ukulele has a battery and on/off indicator...
@@zykify I do indeed own one, and mine has an indicator (inside the sound hole) and also turns itself off after being idle for some time. Even if I play intermittently all day long and NEVER remember to turn the battery off, it lasts several days on a pair of rechargeable cells. So one pair goes into the charger and the other into the guitar. If you're gigging and can't be bothered to change batteries before a performance, you maybe deserve what you get?
Liked reverb on yamaha better. Plus chorus sounded great. But delay on tonewood was great also. I have never played a tonewood and was wondering if it made much difference playing it while standing. Is magnet strong enough to stay put while playing aggressively?
My tonewood feedbacks like crazy. I cant figure out how to make it work well. I never use it now.
Mine, too, in certain guitars. And the positioning makes a huge difference in the sound. If not quite right, it can sound honky or dull or brittle, and sometimes even the guitar vibrates in a weird way or feeds back. Way too fiddly for me, also with the programming for each guitar and position. Looking to sell my Tonewood and get a Yamaha FG-TA.
You have to dial it in....reduce the output level on your guitar preamp and adjust the gain on the tonewood until it stops and you get the balance that you are looking for.
Just in case anyone is reading this and wants to know how it went, I indeed got a Yamaha FG-TA (Transacoustic) with a built in „accuator“ that does something similar to what the TWA does, though only for reverb and chorus. And I LOVE it! :-)) Even without the effects turned on, it surprised me with a full, rich, detailed, well-balanced sound and great playability/action, as well as clean workmanship all around. The factory-installed Elixir Nanoweb strings are also a perfect match for the guitar, and even sound powerful when the guitar is tuned down a full step, to D, across all the strings. That really surprised me. And the effects are always available, unobtrusively. No switching around of a TWA to deal with, no trying to find the right position for an inner X-brace like with the TWA, no fiddling with and storing of parameters - just plain playing and enjoyment! The reverb can be dialed in for a little or a lot, and the chorus from barely perceivable to sea-sick. ;-) This gets the job done for me, for sure. Naturally, such a guitar is limited in turns of the sounds you can get out of it unplugged, but I don‘t kill. „Kill complexity“ has become my motto. It‘s much for fun to just play, and immerse myself in lush fingerpicking with a beautiful reverb, without any added technology. Well done, Yamaha! (And so far I‘ve been a Martin guy, but I see the Japanese have not been sleeping when it comes to developing great scalloped bracing for good sustain and voicing, even on a guitar with laminated back and sides.)
The Tonewood sounds very artificial to me. Not my cup of tea. I thought the Yamaha sounded good.
I have one. It's incredible
I've tried the Yamaha, it sounds a lot better in person than what you hear in these vids.
I have both... I prefer the tonewood. I think the reverb and chorus (available after firmware upgrade, replacing the distortion) are less "zingy" and artificial sounding than the Transacoustic. The Yamaha LS-TA transacoustic is, on its own, a great guitar....
Witch is cheaper
personally I think the TonewoodAmp is the better option, the real problem here is he didn't have it dialed in correctly. Mike Dawes did a great demo with Lee like two years ago... it sounds a million times better in that video, on the same style Sigma guitar I might add
Great sounds Ben! could you please shortly describe the micing techniqe? Spaced pair of SD condensers is clear but how are you mixing the 414? Thanks!
Great vid ,, what is the guitar above the coffee cup ,, looks expensive ,, 👍
"Autowah. Who knew?" LOL - No kidding!
Diggin that Chrous effect
It truly adds that little something to the acoustic guitar... 😉
@@andertons It sounds wicked, really. :) The reverb I think is harder to appreciate when on the video, because you're hearing a bit of the room anyway.
Andertons Music Co yep so much better than chorus....
Yamaha for me, easy to use accept that you can't tell its on w/o strumming or looking to see the small light inside the circuit board under controls inside . I understand the idea is to get effex w/o a amp or PA but you can use the Yamaha thru the system and effex follow it or can be turned off the same as the TW. it is not an either or it is an awesome guitar on its own with effex, w/o effex, plugged in to amp or PA and use effext or not... all good . I tried several wondering if it was" gimmickie ". I looked into the Tonewood and thought it was awesome but pulled the trigger on the Yamaha. Been flawless and the battery replacement is one of the easiest to perform i have come across yet ! for those that hate the Velcro pouch hidden in the bracing...
I'm struggling to think of when I would need this? At a gig you can add reverb etc on the mixing desk, in the studio you add it post anyway.....is it just for sitting at home adding "cool" effects while noodling? Might get boring pretty quick..... dunno..
If you're like me and you mostly play at home to yourself and your girlfriend or at campfires and you don't ever gig or go into a studio it's pretty fun and doesn't get boring.
He also said from the playing position the unamped natural effects sound remarkable in away post mixing desk and amp cannot.
I have the Tonewood and have played the Yamaha many times but i don't own one. If you are buying a guitar in the price range of the Yamaha with the reverb don't buy a cheaper guitar and the Tonewood....just get the Yamaha. The built in Yamaha reverb/chorus is a better tone than the Tonewood by just a little. But if you are retro fitting an existing guitar the Tonewood will be very pleasing. Also not for either system ....this is good for you and a singer....not so good playing with other guitarists....campfire singing not that good either....it is for a single guitar or guitar and singer....bottom line....its pretty cool (either product).
Good comment. I am thinking of either the FGX830C + Tonewood or just the FG-TA. Not an exact $ for $ equal, but close enough that I'm considering between those 2 options. Cheers.
Also, it would just be interesting, though probably not that noticeable (or maybe it would), but Tonewood gives very specific specific instructions for different type of guitars as to where the box should be placed on the back, and Ben just slapped it on anywhere. I wonder if it would sound different had he followed the guidelines.
Im guessing he read the directions… and the back unit is sitting where it should be. I could be wrong tho.
how about a red label TA i want a higher quality guitar with the TA. Yamaha needs to put a delay in also . It can not be that much to put a different chip in.
How is the weight of the Trans-Acoustic as I thought the Tonewood made quite a difference in the weight of my guitar and made it feel a bit cumbersome? Thanks.
2:48 How do you play that? Is that starting on I or vi or something else? What is the Root and what key is it? What chords are those they're awesome! I think I found the root of those chords on my guitar and if I did the Circle of 4ths and 5ths correctly......It's either D minor or F Major. My ear tells me that's a minor progression but I know better than to trust my ear. That was beautiful. I wish I could play that.
While they both are good, I personally, as a guitarist I might add preferred the tonewood as the best, very slightly, probably because you can shape the sound of the tone wood but you can't to the same level on the trans-acoustic
4:50 ooh err missus!
Ben is clearly enjoying the ToneWood amp a lot more. Scoring one for my bro in London...
I’m considering one of these guitars. Does anyone have any concerns with using a humidifier in this guitar? Could the humidifier in the guitar ruin the electronic board that’s in this guitar?
Digital verb's been around for 40 years. How did Tonewood get it so wrong?
Beginning of video - Oh, it's just some modeling acoustic crap.
Ben - " The guitar isn't actually plugged in to anything, all of the effects come from inside the guitar itself " 🤯
Damn, that must cost a fortune for that type of modern sorcery!
Ben - " It's only 799 " 🤯🤯🤯
That's only about $1,000 over here in the States. What a deal!
Why are you excited if you thought it sounded like crap at first? If it sounds like crap to you, it sounds like crap. Doesn't matter how it's made.
@@MrBrawl no, I was judging off the video title. That's what I meant at beginning lol
@@_dmfd Ah gotcha.
Which guitar featuring all solid-wood construction and abalone inlay would you recommend at under $1000, electronics aside?
Both great.
I love it already built in.
But love the extra presets on the tone wood.
They should get together.
Yamaha sounded better because it was made for that guitar alone
I just fancy the sire guitar without any effects it's a looker that one 😻
Does the tone control of the guitar preamp come into play? Would adjusting up the bass give it more depth?
Both are very nice 😊😊😊
Do Andertons sell Lag guitars ? You should absolutely try the Hyvibe model, incredible !
ToneWoodAmp will have my vote thank you... They did it first afaik... and If Mike Dawes likes it, I tend to believe it's a good product.
It sucks that the only such system to include a looper is the rather garbage HyVibe. I don't need a Leslie or an autowah, but I could do some good w/ a simple looper.
Can you make a comparison video between Yamaha Transacoustic and Lag Hyvibe? Thanks in advance
Both are cool, but I think the Tonewood Amp for the money is the better buy
Sounds cool and economical
Great playing to
they are both great... if you are not in market for another guitar and just want to upgrade an existing one.. i think the choice is clear... the tonewood has more options... and i find the chorus/reverb on the yamaha TA to be more subtle.
I have one, its nice but i always forget to turn it off
I bought the Trans then sold it and went with the tonewood.
What model guitar did you use with the tomewood please?
Does the tonewood amp has a looper in it? And does anyone knows how is it compared to the hvibe system?
Turn down the intensity of the auto-wah and people could think you are getting the effect with just your fingers.
The Tonewood is a potential health hazard if you have a pacemaker or ICD because of those bracket magnets (they are strong). Tonewood, to their credit, admit this is the case, but a lot of people don't bother to read the fine print.
The problem with the tonewood is without some real knowledge on settings, most of what you get is feedback.
Yamaha is brilliant guitar maker, so Transacoustic it would be.
The thing is that you can use the tonwood with most any guitar, and you can also use the tonewood on a Classical guitar (you buy an extra pick-up module from Tonewood). To here this on Classical Nylon-string is a whole other world.
@@MontoyaMatrix FYI, Yamaha also makes a transacoustic classical guitar for about $600. It's a pretty good guitar.
Both at the same time?
Lag Hyvibe offers whole lot more and surely should have been included in this shootout.
Once again, dear viewers - Andertons only reviews WHAT THEY CARRY AT ANDERTONS!!! This is not a worldwide shootout.
Here’s a fly in the ointment for the Tonewood. Will it allow my guitar to still fit in its case? How much work is it to take off the back for the guy who gigs out often?
It attaches magnetically and can be removed in literally 3 seconds. The magnetic x brace mounts to the inside of the guitar with double sided tape and just stays there. One of the real advantages of the TWA is that you can just purchase additional X braces and use the amp on multiple guitars.
Hello, please tell me what is the difference between yamaha FG-TA & Yamaha LL-TA, i need to know the difference in quality and price ,
same , its just tough to find it .
FG TA is solid top only , LL TA is all solid , both Dreadnought.
@@anish_99 the FG layered back and sides are 1/2 the price of the LL
Does it make the guitar louder? if so, If you use a DPA4099 microphone for live situations (to get the most natural sound possible) it would result to less feedback and spillage from other instruments as you can get away with turning the microphone down. What are your thoughts about this? anyone experimented with this idea?
The Yamaha is definitely louder with the Reverb and Chorus. Some of it is perceived volume, but if the Reverb is set right, you’re essentially stacking sound waves on top of each other as it’s projecting out of the guitar.
What model SIRE is that guitar?
Oh lord they said tone wood. Bless his heart.
its acoustic guitars - so its real
Yeah but just the the words spoken is a fight. It’s great
aztec gold nails? swwweeeeeeeeeet
Didn't mention the tonewood eats batteries. Looking to sell mine.
Do you still plug in an amp w a tranaccoustic?
You can use an amp if you like, but everything works unplugged, no amp needed. I have the Yamaha LS-TA and love it!!