Yamaha APX500 (black).
I have used numerous Yamaha acoustic guitars. I’m sure there are probably better acoustics out there, but I have enjoyed Yamaha. If you don’t have a huge budget, Yamaha usually has something for you.
The APX series does have a tendency to be a little clangy, but there are some little things to help remedy that a bit. Like the right gage of strings and even picks. There isn’t much you can do when you choose shallow cut-away bodies. For what I do, and how I play, the APX series 500 is my primary choice for now.
UPDATE: I now use an Epiphone
Chad Jarnagin
Mark Jaffrey
August 20, 2008 at 7:15 am
Great guitars. My first acoustic was an APX6, right when they first came out in about 1988. Embarrassingly, a white finish was fashionable then… It served me great until ten years ago when I bought my Tacoma jumbo at Gruhn’s. The Yamaha was a great guitar and, despite being shallow bodied, had a sound that could fill a room with fifty or sixty people worshipping. Easy to play, great controls and tone when plugged in.
I was playing my best mate’s APX8D in Liverpool a few weeks ago, and used it to lead some worship at my home church. It’s a sweet guitar.