Yamaha LL16-12 ARE Original Jumbo 12-String - Natural Reviews

This thing's fabulous. Equivalent or superior in sound, playability, and construction to any assembly line twelve string I've ever encountered including HD 12-28 Martins. String spacing is a little narrower than average for a twelve-string (one and three-quarter inch nut).

I'm simply blown away by how well this guitar performs. This is the first Yamaha I've ever owned and straight up purchased it because my incredible service engineer Josh recommended it. IMO This Yamaha out performs guitars that cost significantly more. I think this one is a keeper if it holds up to the daily grind. Thanks again Josh and Sweetwater!

I wanted a Martin. Badly. I have a D28 six string and knew that it a twelve string would be awesome. But before I pulled the trigger on that I wanted to explore all other less expensive options. I saw the Yami (the nickname for their outboard engines which are the best). All the reviews were glowing. So I bought this for 1/3 the price of the Martin. The $ Martin was on wait. I got it and started playing. The action was perfect. The fit and finish was almost perfect. The neck feels hairy toward the nut like it wasn't quite sanded enough. I can't see it, and it's still smooth and doesn't affect playing in any discernable way, it's just feels a tiny bit...hairy. No biggie. When I played it I was, initially, a bit disappointed. There is not a lot of low end. Unplugged it sounds just like the twelve string in Give A Little Bit. BUT THEN I plugged it in to a higher-end Fishman acoustic amp. Now it sounded perfect. Plenty of low with the bass know at about 10 o'clock. NOW it sounded as I hoped it would. Then this morning playing it unplugged, it sounded a bit more balanced with adequate low end. Again, not a lot of low end, but enough. If you want to know how it sounds unplugged I would suggest listening to a good recording of Give A Little Bit by Supertramp. Plug it in and it sounds much more balanced. My daughter made a good point (because she listened to it plugged and un and agreed with my assessment)...maybe they designed it that way. I am very happy. I have what I think is a very credible 12 string and I saved $. Hence, the five stars. Oh, and the woods are beautiful and look as good as my Martin's. (PS, I hate the ultra white plastic binding on the Martin. This has very nice wood binding.)

I have been playing guitar for a decade now. I own four other twelve string guitars, one acoustic 6-string guitar, and an electric guitar. Three of those guitars are Yamaha's. This one I have always had my eyes on and I wanted it so bad, the opportunity presented itself to buy it so I did. This guitar is the best guitar I have EVER played.

1. For a twelve string, action has been the big thing for me. Something both my Epiphone and Applause Balladeer have been terrible at. The action on this guitar is PERFECT, and I mean perfect. I can go up the fretboard and down the fretboard and make clear and clean chords without buzzing or having to mash down on the fretboard. The action is very similar to my other two Yamaha 12-strings I own (the FG 411CE-12 and the FG 820-12). However, the action on this guitar somewhat beats my other two Yamaha's.

2. The resonance and tone of this guitar is unlike anything I have ever heard in my life. My other four 12-strings don't hold a candle to the resonance and tone of this guitar. My FG 820-12 and FG 411CE-12 come close to this. Both my Epiphone and Applause Balladeer both don't have this kind of resonance and tone this guitar has.

3. This guitar looks beautiful. It has the special binding around the headstock of the guitar, something I wished Yamaha would've put on the FG 820-12. The wood used on the body is very similar in looks to my FG 830 I own. It is very aesthetically pleasing to look at and also is one of the contributing factors as to why and how this thing sounds the way it does.

This guitar has become the workhorse in my stable and you should add it as well. I can truly say this is the best guitar I own. Thank you to both Dontae Harris (who is no longer with the company who got me started) and to Ben Blanchard for taking care of me with excellent customer service and quick delivery time. This guitar was well worth the wait and I love it so much.

Its a very nice guitar. Has a very nice rich tone especially with elexir strings. I got one and I don't want to change it. Totally worth it.

Over the past 35 years, I have owned 8 or 9 12 string guitars.
Two were Guild 12 strings.
Last year I was ready to sell my current 12 string and try again for a 12 string that felt and sounded good.

This time I decided to give Yamaha another try.
I had a Yamaha 12 string in the late 80's that was a very nice guitar. It felt and played great but I found a Guild that sounded better and sold the Yamaha and got the Guild.
The Guild was a Jumbo and I found it to be too large to play sitting, which is 99% of my playing.
The Guild neck was very wide and my fretting hand hurt after about 1/2 hour of playing time.

Moving forward, my Yamaha LL-16-12 fits all of my needs.
The neck is thinner than the Guild, the body is smaller than the Guild.
The tone is deeper due to the Solid Rosewood back and sides.
I don't play plugged in so I can't give an opinion on the pickup.

This is the best 12 string that I have ever owned.
I highly recommend it to others.

I love this 12'er! At first I thought the A.R.E. thing was a gimmick and didn't expect anything special. But I cannot find any other reason why this particular 12 string sounds (almost) as good as my 16 year-old Westerly Guild F-512. 12-string guitars take a lot of guff. But that's because most people don't understand them. They're counterintuitive. Yeah, they sound good strumming. But where they really shine is playing finger style on one. You're going to need a thumb pick and maybe a couple of finger picks which take some time to get proficient with. Also. The secret about the B and high E strings. Tune them to the same pitch — then let them go out of phase a cent or two. Instant chorus!

I already owned a Yamaha ll16D (6 string) and it plays and sounds like a top of the line Martin... While I also have a Gibson 185 Custom I still spend more time on the Yamaha.... so with that experience in mind I decided to try the 12 sting version. Now paying close to a grand for a Yamaha acoustic is not the norm but this line of guitars may be one of the best in the industry.

The guitar came with the lowest action I'd ever seen on a 12. I had light strings installed at Sweetwater as well as a strap button. Outside of that the rest is just what Yamaha sent. The fit and finish are flawless. The wood grain is tight and the tuners are fine.

As for the sound.... WOW. I have owned many 12's over the years with mostly mixed results. This one sings. The fret board width and neck thickness fit my hands perfectly. The A.R.E process they use makes a real difference in how these guitars sound.

Overall..... I'm thrilled. Thanks to Kurt and his great staff for all the help.

My first twelve string and I love it. I haven't owned several dozen high end guitars. I've owned a few. I'm very selective and careful in choosing what I like and then I stick with it; sometimes for decades. My first guitar was a Yamaha and I've always been sorry I didn't hang onto it. Reading and digesting these reviews coupled with a good dose of nostalgia guided me to this one. I had some reservations about twelve strings in general regarding tuning and keeping it in tune. Nothing to it. This guitar is remarkable in its ability to stay in tune. It is truly quite easy to play and sounds fantastic and full. I have short muscular farmer fingers and find this guitar quite easy to play. I attribute this to the shape of the neck which I find quite comfortable. Fit and finish is first rate. It looks great in a less is more fashion and I couldn't be happier. In the month or so I've had it this guitar has been in daily use without an issue. It arrived set up just the way I like it. At this price this guitar is a tremendous value and I have no problem in recommending you get yourself one if you can. Get with Ryan Murray at Sweetwater Sound and he'll fix you up. Enjoy yourselves and don't forget to practice.

My very first 12-string, purchased 44 years ago, a Conn F-27-12, had back and sides made from rosewood and a five-piece neck. To this day, that guitar has been the standard by which I've judged every 12-string I've owned since. Although several have come close, this has been the only one that has beaten it.
In the first place, there aren't a lot of production 12-string guitars that have rosewood back and sides. Of those out there, this is the only one with a street price under $1K. To my ears, nothing beats the sound of rosewood for low end push, something which I think is necessary in a 12-string to offset the high end from all of those octave and doubled strings.
Aside from the rosewood back and sides, this also features a five-piece rosewood/mahogany neck. Having played 12-strings for over forty years, I know that neck stability can be an issue--and one of the ways guitar makers have tried to offset the extra tension from the strings is by using laminated necks instead of a one-piece neck. It's less expensive than trying to rout channels for two truss rods and allows the guitar maker to offer a [slightly] narrower neck/fingerboard and probably just as effective.
Cosmetically, the guitar seems unassuming, with the abalone inlay in the rosette being the most visible cosmetic feature, but a close look at the grain of the maple binding around the top, back, sides, and heel cap on the neck shows this is a very classy lady.
But the proof of the guitar is in the sound and this has it in spades--more so than any other guitar in the under $2K price range [and I've played them all].
If there is any drawback to this guitar, I think it is the gig bag it comes with. It is good for those who might be shlepping this around to open mic nights, to church on Sunday or something like that. But if one is doing any serious gigging, they need at least a hybrid case, if not a hardshell case. That's why when I got this, I swapped cases with my Yamaha FG820-12, which had been kept in a Gator Transit GTDread-12 case.
Still, in all, it's a great guitar for the price.

Got this guitar in the mail and have not been able to put it down. Being able to play a 12 string out of the box (just tuned it and played) for 6 hours says a lot for it. I've had a few other twelves over the years(Westerly guilds, older yamaha,Seagull, early 80's US washburn, Alvarez) and none have been anywhere near as comfortable. It is very articulate and balanced too, the twelve sting jangle is there but there is also some bass to go along with it.

I have fairly short fingers so I appreciate the neck shape, it is about perfect. The action is great for a 12 string and playing anywhere on the neck is quite comfortable. .Great craftsmanship, very good fretwork, I haven't found any finish flaws. and the guitar feels very solid.

I wish it came with a solid case but the soft case is quite substantial and will protect the guitar well.

My sweetwater rep was awesome, helped me through the sale and I think gave me very honest advice in choosing this guitar over some other 12's I was considering. I am very very happy with the purchase. I was a little leary of buying before having a chance to play it, but Yamaha L series guitars I've played have been very consistent.

I played some of the Chinese guild 12's and some mid range taylors and martins while looking at 12's and I would have had to spend at least twice as much to get a guitar that can touch this one.

The Yamaha LL16 12-string again punches well over its price tag. Excellent build quality with great fit and finish. Beautiful spruce, rosewood, and ebony tone woods and good hardware.. In my opinion it has a wonderful bright, but balanced tone whether plug in or unplugged, Very comfortable to play, Truly perfect setup out of the box! Check these out. It's again is a whole lot of guitar for the money. Of course, working with Sweetwater's Andy Rice is a pleasure. Buying from Sweetwater makes buying a guitar easy and you know you're getting a great A+ product that they stand behind.

I received my new Yamaha 12 string, 7 days after ordering it from Sweetwater. The process was easy and informative. The surprise came within the first hour after ordering when I got a call from a sweet water sales engineer; he wanted me to know he had his hands on my guitar and was shipping it out that day! I am impressed. Ben Robinson was very helpful and answered my questions and also sent me a picture of the very guitar I would receive days later. The shipping was a little slow but I was able to track it across the USA. It was exactly as advertised; inspected, set up, {in tune}, and ready to play right outta the box. The action is perfect and the guitar is a pleasure to play. This guitar is better sounding than many of the more expensive guitars I tried before I purchased. Rich tones, good electronics. I would gladly buy another guitar from Sweetwater. Thank you

Wow!! Is right, great guitar right out of the box. I tell you this 12 string guitar is worth every penny, sounds amazing great craftmenship, I"ll put it up against that midrange Taylor or Martin any day. Thanks guys

I got this guitar in the mail from Sweetwater today and I couldn't be happier. I had them switch out the saddle and upgrade it to a bone saddle. The action is perfect, intonation perfect, just about everything perfect on Sweetwater end of the deal. This guitar sounds better than guitars I've played that sell for two or three times as much. If your in the market for a high quality acoustic without paying over a grand this is definitely an amazing guitar. Cheers Yamaha!

The new LL16 12 string by Yamaha is an awesome 12 string. The solid rosewood back & sides is the real reason it sounds so good! It also stays in tune pretty good too. Don't think twice about buying it, you will not be sorry! At it's price it's a bargain and sounds as good as many others that cost way more!

If you are looking for a spruce over solid Indian rosewood 12 stringed guitar that's very easy on the budget and very easy to play look no further, Yamaha builds a quality guitar. There's a lot of features packed into this guitar that so many other "expensive" models wished they had. Firstly, this is by far one of the easiest 12 string guitars that I have played! And I've played a few. The nut width on this guitar is about 1-3/4" and the scale length is really great even if you have smaller hands like I do. Out of the box, it plays great, very minimal setting up to suit your preferences. The fit and finish are excellent, love the ebony fret board and bridge, the neck is wonderfully smooth and this guitar frets like buttah! Just a small amount of "bling" makes this guitar very easy on the eye too. Great for strumming or finger picking, this guitar really sings, you can really dig in if you take a notion! The passive pick up in the guitar is a really great addition, plugged in she sound great as well. A special thanks to my sales engineer Keith Owen.

I backordered this guitar and while waiting I seriously considered getting a different one for far more money because I had time to think about my expectations of a $... acoustic guitar, let alone a 12 string. I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised. I could find no flaw, setup was perfect, intonation appears to be as good as it gets. Details are excellent and execution is wonderful! It sounds beautiful and has a great balance of lows to highs. An Engelman spruce top which is beautiful and solid rosewood back and sides. Frankly its underpriced! I love this guitar and Ive only had it a couple of days. Im sure it will open up and become even better sounding. Oh and finally its LOUD! You will be heard with this guitar!

It took a few days to find what I was looking for with this guitar. Kept the original shipping boxes for two weeks thinking I was going to return it. But every day that I played it I liked it a little more. Now I'm kind of attached to it.
It is a sweet sounding guitar. I only have a GS Mini and a Yamaha FS5 to compare it to. Compared to them it has deep base. And if you don't have a 12 string search "David Gilmour on 12 strings" A guy asks him "why a 12 string?" He strums it a bit and says "just listen to that and you tell me."
He is right.

Fret boards a little narrow but I can play an A chord just fine on it.
Ya. I like it.

Plays sounds and looks good out the box. Smells of glue so brand new. Will sound and smell better with age play time. Customer service was second to none. Thanks Lindsey...

JUST GOT MY GUITAR,PLAYS GREAT,WHAT I DON'T LIKE IS THERE IS NO VOLUME AND TONE CONTROLS ,YAMAHA NEEDS TO FIX THIS ,WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER YAMAHA GUITAR, GOING TO TRY TO FIX IT, IF I CAN'T I WILL BE SENDING IT BACK