Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss
Any thoughts on Yamaha RGX A2 'AIR' Guitar?
455 views
Skip to first unread message
JimmyB
Dec 21, 2012, 4:51:48 PM12/21/12
to
http://uk.yamaha.com/en/products/musical-instruments/guitars-basses/el-guitars/rgxa2/?mode=series
Seven
years in production and now discontinued, although it's still listed on
the Yamaha site. Seems to me to be a brilliant idea which is flawed in
execution. And now that I've got one, like everyone else that's written
about it, I love it.
it's around a kilo lighter than either of my partscasters. It doesn't
sustain any more than they do, but it has such a snappy response that
the alder and ash bodied strats feel slightly rubbery by comparison.
The bridge is beautifully designed; elegant looking and very
comfortable on the heel of your hand. But it culminates in three bolts
which stick out of the back of the guitar, ready to catch on whatever
you're wearing. While we're on the back, the control cavity has a
recessed cover, but the battery box face is surface mounted, and I've
already broken one door off, catching it on my jumper.
The pickups sit nicely between single and double coil tone, being P90
sized humbuckers custom designed in California to suit the guitar's
resonant qualities, apparently. Pity nobody told the Californian dudes
what the string spacing was then, because the pole pieces are
completely misaligned. It's either that or the bridge is too wide,
which would explain why the E strings fall off the fingerboard so
easily.
But the real WTF is the rotary 3 position pickup selector and no tone
control. It looks great (indeed my kids love the look of it) but it's
simply impossible to change sounds quickly in performance.
Actually, the more I rant, the more I feel a blog post coming on. It's
like someone got bored half way through the R&D, or the budget got cut
or something. And yet Yamaha contined to produce them for seven years?
Anyone else played one, got one or got stories to tell or gossip to whisper?
Jim
--
50th Anniversary Edition
http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/
Seven
years in production and now discontinued, although it's still listed on
the Yamaha site. Seems to me to be a brilliant idea which is flawed in
execution. And now that I've got one, like everyone else that's written
about it, I love it.
it's around a kilo lighter than either of my partscasters. It doesn't
sustain any more than they do, but it has such a snappy response that
the alder and ash bodied strats feel slightly rubbery by comparison.
The bridge is beautifully designed; elegant looking and very
comfortable on the heel of your hand. But it culminates in three bolts
which stick out of the back of the guitar, ready to catch on whatever
you're wearing. While we're on the back, the control cavity has a
recessed cover, but the battery box face is surface mounted, and I've
already broken one door off, catching it on my jumper.
The pickups sit nicely between single and double coil tone, being P90
sized humbuckers custom designed in California to suit the guitar's
resonant qualities, apparently. Pity nobody told the Californian dudes
what the string spacing was then, because the pole pieces are
completely misaligned. It's either that or the bridge is too wide,
which would explain why the E strings fall off the fingerboard so
easily.
But the real WTF is the rotary 3 position pickup selector and no tone
control. It looks great (indeed my kids love the look of it) but it's
simply impossible to change sounds quickly in performance.
Actually, the more I rant, the more I feel a blog post coming on. It's
like someone got bored half way through the R&D, or the budget got cut
or something. And yet Yamaha contined to produce them for seven years?
Anyone else played one, got one or got stories to tell or gossip to whisper?
Jim
--
50th Anniversary Edition
http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/
ic
Dec 21, 2012, 5:49:22 PM12/21/12
to
"JimmyB" <sp...@jazzrascals.com> wrote in message
news:2012122121514885413-spam@jazzrascalscom...
> But the real WTF is the rotary 3 position pickup selector and no tone
> control. It looks great (indeed my kids love the look of it) but it's
> simply impossible to change sounds quickly in performance.
>
> Actually, the more I rant, the more I feel a blog post coming on. It's
> like someone got bored half way through the R&D, or the budget got cut or
> something. And yet Yamaha contined to produce them for seven years?
>
> Anyone else played one, got one or got stories to tell or gossip to
> whisper?
I was interested when they first came out but that rotary selector was a
non-starter and the tuners were hard work. I picked up a Peavey Tele/piezo
at the time for a good price as Sound Control had mis-priced them. Still a
sound idea, similar to the Parker Fly but less spendy.
--
icarusi
news:2012122121514885413-spam@jazzrascalscom...
> But the real WTF is the rotary 3 position pickup selector and no tone
> control. It looks great (indeed my kids love the look of it) but it's
> simply impossible to change sounds quickly in performance.
>
> Actually, the more I rant, the more I feel a blog post coming on. It's
> like someone got bored half way through the R&D, or the budget got cut or
> something. And yet Yamaha contined to produce them for seven years?
>
> Anyone else played one, got one or got stories to tell or gossip to
> whisper?
non-starter and the tuners were hard work. I picked up a Peavey Tele/piezo
at the time for a good price as Sound Control had mis-priced them. Still a
sound idea, similar to the Parker Fly but less spendy.
--
icarusi
JimmyB
Dec 21, 2012, 6:06:57 PM12/21/12
to
Brilliant concept until you get the peg winder out to put on a new set
of strings…
Message has been deleted
JimmyB
Dec 23, 2012, 5:02:51 AM12/23/12
to
> news:2012122121514885413-spam@jazzrascalscom:
>
>> http://uk.yamaha.com/en/products/musical-instruments/guitars-basses/el-
> I played one. Didn't really like it much. Sounded ok, but nothing
> special.
For all the hoopla about the revolutionary design, it's a fairly
conservative guitar. Through strung bridge, two alnico humbuckers,
passive circuit, rosewood fngerboard - just another lecky. And if you
try it in a shop, you sit it on your knee so you don't notice the
weight too much. But try a 3 hour rehearsal with your guitar hanging
off your shoulder, and it gets more appealing.
I'll have to start researching small bodied thinline semis now - whoops
there's that GAS again!
>
>> http://uk.yamaha.com/en/products/musical-instruments/guitars-basses/el-
>> guitars/rgxa2/?mode=series
>>
>> Seven
>>
>> years in production and now discontinued, although it's still listed
>> on the Yamaha site. Seems to me to be a brilliant idea which is flawed
>> in execution. And now that I've got one, like everyone else that's
>> written about it, I love it…. <snip>
>>
>> Seven
>>
>> years in production and now discontinued, although it's still listed
>> on the Yamaha site. Seems to me to be a brilliant idea which is flawed
>> in execution. And now that I've got one, like everyone else that's
> I played one. Didn't really like it much. Sounded ok, but nothing
> special.
For all the hoopla about the revolutionary design, it's a fairly
conservative guitar. Through strung bridge, two alnico humbuckers,
passive circuit, rosewood fngerboard - just another lecky. And if you
try it in a shop, you sit it on your knee so you don't notice the
weight too much. But try a 3 hour rehearsal with your guitar hanging
off your shoulder, and it gets more appealing.
I'll have to start researching small bodied thinline semis now - whoops
there's that GAS again!
0 new messages