The Yamaha CG-TA Classical Guitar is an excellent guitar for the money, made in Japan for a reasonable price. It has a laminate spruce top and tapered sapele back and sides that give it a deep, rich tone.
The classical guitar is designed to generate more volume than the folk guitar because it’s closer to the player’s body; this can be helpful in situations where you need your performance to be heard. The Yamaha CG-TA is lightweight at only 4 lbs., making it easy to take on trips or play seated.
The CG-TA also has an adjustable truss rod, allowing some tightening or loosening to accommodate different string gauges. The neck is fast-playing with good action for classical guitar. Yamaha’s classical guitars are some of the best values on the market today.
- Yamaha Prorpietary Trans Acoustic technology with built-in Hall Reverb, Room Reverb and Chorus
- Solid Engleman spruce top with Ovankol back and sides
- Rosewood fingerboard and bridge
Last update on 2024-04-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Table of Contents
Design and Structure:
The body of the Yamaha CG-TA is made of solid sapele (the lightest wood, stronger than mahogany) with a laminate spruce top. This makes it much lighter than other classical guitars at only 4 lbs., which makes it easy to play for extended periods.
The soundboard is made of true Indian rosewood (an African hardwood), which gives the guitar its deep, warm tone. The tuners are made by Sperzel and are reliable in all situations. Overall, this guitar has a sturdy design to last well beyond the initial investment.
Specifications:
The CG-TA is a full-size classical guitar with a body length of 38 inches, an upper bout width of 9 1/8 inches and a lower bout width of 13 inches. It has a scale length of 25.6 and nut and saddle measurements of 2 and 3/8 inches respectively.
The Yamaha CG-TA has a contoured back and sides made from high quality sapele. Some users have reported the lower bout being wider than 13″ on newer model guitars, but it still fits into the gig bag just fine. It has a laminate spruce top for a deep, rich tone.
The tuners are V-Tuners which give it great tuning stability over time, especially when being used in the studio or on the road. Sperzel tuners have been known to last well over four decades in some cases. In the electronics department, the Yamaha CG-TA features a D’Addario Prelude Classical guitar strings as well as a Spanish wool classical guitar pick as an alternate string choice.
Sound Quality:
The CG-TA has a warm, rich tone without being overly bassy or boomy. Since the guitar is light in weight, it doesn’t generate quite as much volume as heavier classical guitars. However, since most classical guitarists play with an amplifier, this works out well.
For live performances where you’d want to be heard over a large crowd, this would be an excellent choice. For small recitals where you’re competing for volume with other instruments, look into Yamaha’s FG series.
They have more of an electric guitar sound and are also great guitars. This guitar is perfect for picking up and playing wherever you are – it is the ideal size for travel.
Features:
Many of the features of the CG-TA are very similar to the FG-453, but this guitar includes its own unique features. The CG-TA has an all solid sapele body that has nice volume but doesn’t need amplification to get heard.
It also has wide wings on either side of the sound hole to accommodate more precise string positioning. The wing is high enough to prevent your arm from hitting the soundboard when tuned up. Yamaha uses both Spanish and Indian rosewood for their classical guitars, which has a great tone quality mixed with a deep maturity.
Pros:
- The CG-TA has a rich tone that is very respectable for such an affordable guitar. The warm, deep tones will allow you to play just about any genre of music with great tone.
- This is a great classical guitar for amateurs and professionals alike.
- A great choice for beginning guitar players. It is very affordable, especially considering the quality of the wood and electronics. If you are looking for an excellent classical guitar at a great price, this would be our top recommendation.
- The Yamaha CG-TA’s sound is warm and resonant and an easy instrument to play and manipulate, especially for a beginner. The tone quality is superb whether it is plugged in or not – which is something you don’t usually find in budget classical guitars.
Cons:
- Some of the older models of the CG-TA come with a quality control issue where the lower bout is a few inches larger than 13”, making it too wide to fit in some cases.
Conclusion:
The Yamaha CG-TA Classical Guitar is an excellent guitar for the money. It has a laminate spruce top and tapered sapele back and sides that give it a deep, rich tone.
The classical guitar is designed to generate more volume than the folk guitar because it’s closer to the player’s body; this can be helpful in situations where you need your performance to be heard. The Yamaha CG-TA is lightweight at only 4 lbs., making it easy to take on trips or play seated.
The CG-TA also has an adjustable truss rod, allowing some tightening or loosening to accommodate different string gauges. The neck is fast-playing with good action for classical guitar.
FAQ:
Q: Is the new Yamaha CG-ta a good guitar?
A: Yamaha recently introduced a nylon-string version, the CG-TA, which I took for a spin and found to be quite nice all around. At a glance, Yamaha’s CG-TA looks like a typical classical guitar, with its slotted, crown-shaped headstock; 12th-fret neck junction; nylon strings; and intricate rosette.
Q: What makes the Yamaha CG-Ta transacoustic so special?
A: Learn more The Yamaha CG-TA TransAcoustic is a next-level classical guitar with TA technology that makes its built-in reverb and chorus sound astonishingly textured and authentic. The TA technology is not limited to only the guitar itself; you can use the onboard chorus and reverb through a PA system and amplifier.
Q: Is the Gibson CG-ta a good beginner acoustic guitar?
A: Without enabling the TA technology, the CG-TA is an all-around robust acoustic and, it’s safe to say, an excellent introductory-to mid-level instrument for those who wish to take a deep dive learning classical guitar.
Q: Are Yamaha guitars any good?
A: Yamaha guitars are excellent performers – Most of the Yamaha guitars are actually excelling greatly in every field of performance. Simply speaking, with their special designs and high-quality materials, Yamaha guitars are actually capable of producing superior sound quality.