Yamaha FS-TA

T
he acoustic world is maybe not the first
place you would look for technological
innovation. Software and circuits may
be constantly evolving but it’s sometimes
tempting to regard old-fashioned wood and
steel as materials that have reached their
peak of evolution. Not the case; there is plenty
happening in acoustic guitar design that has
the potential to change the way we play for
good. Taylor’s recent V-Class bracing, which
we looked at in the last issue, is a revolution
in structural design and the steel-string
voice. But in its own way Yamaha has proved
just as willing to shake things up with its
TransAcoustic technology.
The essence of the idea is simple but, in the
flesh, it is quite an experience. TransAcoustic
uses the guitar’s own body as the ‘speaker’ for
built-in effects such as reverb and chorus,
meaning you can summon a lush, effects-laden
sound from your acoustic guitar without ever
Words Rob Laing Photography Olly Curtis
Yamaha’s new models are bringing its eerily good
TransAcoustic technology, which uses the guitar
itself to generate reverb, to a temptingly low price
Special
Effects
first play
YAMAHA FG-TA
£676
WHAT IS IT? More affordable FG
size electro acoustic featuring
Yamaha’s other-worldly
TransAcoustic technology
YAMAHA FS-TA
£676
WHAT IS IT? Smaller concert-size
version of the FG-TA with shared
technology, onboard reverb and
chorus effects without outboard
gear or plugging in
VIDEO DEMO http://bit.ly/guitaristextra
23
april 2018 Guitarist
GIT431.rev_yamaha.indd 23 22/02/2018 14:44