Yamaha CPX-10 any good?
James Leung
The title says it all. Yamaha CPX-10 (not APX okay) any good? Please help as
I am only a college student and have not much money to invest with.
--
James Leung
"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the
shadow of the Almighty."
Psalm 91:1
wcollings
James Leung <faith...@pacific.net.sg> wrote in message
news:858qcp$jk6$1...@newton.pacific.net.sg...
> The title says it all. Yamaha CPX-10 (not APX okay) any good? Please help
as
> I am only a college student and have not much money to invest with.
I would think that for $700 with case you can probably find something that
will sound a little more lively acoustically than a plywood Yamaha.
What Yamaha describes as:
"a floating bridge system that effectively reduces unwanted noise and
feedback produced by the acoustic characteristics of the guitar when
amplified. The pickup is set in an adjustable steel saddle case within the
bridge and saddle height can be adjusted with a coin. To add strength and
stability to the system, the bridge is secured to an aluminum plate under
the body top."
sounds to me like it would pretty much kill any acoustic liveliness that
wasn't killed by the plywood body of that guitar.
The guitar may be fine plugged in, where the deadness of the plywood body
and the floating decoupled bridge could be an advantage.
Or you may like the "intricate geographically inspired inlays".
But, generally speaking, a Martin 15 series, Larrivee 02 or 03, or a Tacoma,
or a Guild, or several other solid wood guitars will provide far better
acoustic tone than a plywood Korean guitar, no matter how fancy the
appointments. Unless you are looking for an instrument to be used
exclusively in an amplified stage setting, I think you could do better. Or,
you can certainly buy an acoustically dead plywood guitar for a heck of lot
less than $700.
James Leung
not worth big bucks? Well locally the CPX-10 goes for around $700+ with case
as you've mentioned. Supposed to have solid spruce top, rosewood
fingerboard, back and side. Specs also mentioned mahogany neck and ebony
bridge.
Well I compared that to another Japanese brand, Takamine. For $720 I can
only have a NEXC style non-solid spruce top guitar with case. To get a real
nice one like those limited edition stuff or the solid stuff you gotta spend
$1000+.
Well, the Tak second-hand market looks dim too. I got a nice deal of a
limited 96 guitar for $550, and I wonder if I should take it. Got a chip on
the top, and will that affect sonic resonance?
Tor Arntsen
>James Leung <faith...@pacific.net.sg> wrote in message
>news:858qcp$jk6$1...@newton.pacific.net.sg...
>
>> The title says it all. Yamaha CPX-10 (not APX okay) any good? Please help
>as
>> I am only a college student and have not much money to invest with.
>
>I would think that for $700 with case you can probably find something that
>will sound a little more lively acoustically than a plywood Yamaha.
NB: According to Musician's Friend it *is* a solid spruce top guitar..
>What Yamaha describes as:
>
> "a floating bridge system that effectively reduces unwanted noise and
>feedback produced by the acoustic characteristics of the guitar when
>amplified. The pickup is set in an adjustable steel saddle case within the
>bridge and saddle height can be adjusted with a coin. To add strength and
>stability to the system, the bridge is secured to an aluminum plate under
>the body top."
That didn't exactly excite me either.
-Tor
wcollings
> Mmm... Is that supposed to imply that all Yamaha guitars are entry-level
and
> not worth big bucks?
Not necessarily. I'm told that Yamaha makes some good all solid wood
instruments.
> Well locally the CPX-10 goes for around $700+ with case
> as you've mentioned. Supposed to have solid spruce top, rosewood
> fingerboard, back and side. Specs also mentioned mahogany neck and ebony
> bridge
This model has plywood back and sides with a solid wood top. Take away the
fancy inlays and you can buy that grade of instrument in the $300 to $400
range.
For $700, you can buy an all solid wood instrument from a number of highly
respected builders (including Yamaha). Guitars that I would look at include
the ones I mentioned: Larrivee 02 and 03, Martin D-15, Tacoma, Guild, etc.
Unless you have some particular requirements other than acoustic
performance, why settle for plywood in a price range that will buy you an
all solid wood instrument?
In my opinion, you shouldn't put the gee-whiz stuff like fancy inlays ahead
of the basics like all solid-wood construction and acoustically lively
performance. The Asian manufacturers sometimes put more marketing emphasis
on the icing rather than the cake. The descriptions of the CPX-10 appear to
fall into this category.
James Leung
unless by special order, inwhich the dealer will rip you off. Martins are
overpriced here and so are Taylors. The DC1E costs US$1600 and the 310CE
costs $1170. Anyway I am looking for electric-acoustic since I will need to
plug it in at church and at small gigs. However my wallet limits me.
Anyway have you thought of Takamine? I told you there was this limited 96
model going for $530 with minor dings. I have seen it and I think I can
restore it to 95% condition. However is it worth the money? I mean, just
treat it as I am buying a Takamine solid-top for $530.
Thanks.
wcollings
> Very sorry but to tell you that Larrivee is not available in Singapore
> unless by special order, inwhich the dealer will rip you off. Martins are
> overpriced here and so are Taylors. The DC1E costs US$1600 and the 310CE
> costs $1170. Anyway I am looking for electric-acoustic since I will need
to
> plug it in at church and at small gigs. However my wallet limits me.
James:
You had not mentioned that you were in Singapore! That changes what I said.
If the Yamaha is half the price of an all-solid wood instrument in your
market, then that is probably a reasonable price (relatively speaking). In
other words: if that guitar were $300 to $400 in the United States, then it
would be a fair value relative to the Martins and Larrivees at $800 and I
would not have said that it is a poor value. So, if solid wood guitars are
$1200 in Singapore, then $600 sounds reasonable to me for a fancy plywood
bodied Yamaha with pickup.
I still don't like the description of the floating bridge on that particular
Yamaha. I'd want to investigate that a little more thoroughly. Conventional
wisdom says that you want the saddle as tightly coupled to the top of the
guitar as you can get it...because the strings driving the top is what makes
an acoustic guitar work in the first place. The Yamaha you described appears
to do just the opposite with the only coupling being a metal housing. If you
want a comparison, check out the Yamaha FGX412SCE. That is a plywood body,
solid top, cutaway electric/acoustic without the fancy inlays and the
floating bridge. It will give you an interesting price and sound comparison.
It should be less expensive and it may sound better.
With the added information about Singapore pricing and the fact that you
will use the guitar primarily amplified, I think a plywood body/solid top
instrument is a reasonable choice. Both Yamaha and Tak are respected,
popular, successful manufacturers of those types of instruments and I
suspect their instruments are virtually identical in basic construction and
quality. Beyond that, I don't know anything about what instruments stand out
as the better buys in that category...so I'll have to defer to others.
SuperSoup
Sorry I caught this thread in the middle but I'd like to make a correction.
Larrivee's ARE available in Singapore in stock.
I played a D03, a L03 and get this a C03RE (absolutely beautiful) at Swee
Lee. I beat the price of the D03 and L03 down to S$1250 with case so I
think that's a pretty fair price considering the passage it had to go
throught to be here.
wcollings wrote in message ...
>
>James Leung <faith...@pacific.net.sg> wrote in message
>news:85ce10$hpk$1...@newton.pacific.net.sg...
>
>> Very sorry but to tell you that Larrivee is not available in Singapore
>> unless by special order, inwhich the dealer will rip you off. Martins are
>> overpriced here and so are Taylors. The DC1E costs US$1600 and the 310CE
>> costs $1170. Anyway I am looking for electric-acoustic since I will need
>to
>> plug it in at church and at small gigs. However my wallet limits me.
((((((((((((Snips))))))))))))))))
swee
I had asked Swee Lee how they would charge for a C-09E........they quoted
something in the range of S$5000!!! Fortunately I had a guitarist friend
going for a holiday in LA, so I got him to get it for me @ US$1680 :)
SuperSoup wrote in message <85e2bj$of5$1...@clematis.singnet.com.sg>...
SuperSoup
dare ask a friend to do this - lugging that thing back was a drag! Plus,
the airline made me sign a waiver that goes essentially absolves them from
damage.
What I did was ask for a big box from the store, one that the manufacturer's
send the guitar with (to the retailers) and filled up the empty space with
soft clothes (eg sweaters, extra winter jacket etc).
Came back very well.
swee wrote in message <85jq98$2r$1...@mawar.singnet.com.sg>...
>Hi,
>I had asked Swee Lee how they would charge for a C-09E........they quoted
>something in the range of S$5000!!! Fortunately I had a guitarist friend
>going for a holiday in LA, so I got him to get it for me @ US$1680 :)
(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((Snips))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
problem...@gmail.com
> Hi guys and gals...
> The title says it all. Yamaha CPX-10 (not APX okay) any good? Please help as
> I am only a college student and have not much money to invest with.
>
> James Leung
>
> "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the
> shadow of the Almighty."
> Psalm 91:1
Even pro musicians wanted to buy it off me as it is a super guitar.
Don´t believe people like wcollings. It is neither a plywood guitar nor cheaply made. This is the first in line of compass guitars. The ones sold now are rubbish. This one was mostly hand-made.
The action is super-low. the bridge is adjustable. The wood is prestine and the sound is great.
best
Andy