Yamaha APX600M SMB Acoustic Guitar: Full Review

The Yamaha APX600M is a high-quality electro-acoustic guitar that delivers excellent tone, playability, and versatility for intermediate to advanced players. Part of Yamaha's long-running APX series, the APX600M combines superb acoustic guitar construction with built-in electronics to provide natural amplified tone.

This guitar features a concert-style cutaway body made from solid Engelmann spruce top wood paired with African mahogany back and sides. The use of solid spruce provides excellent resonance and articulation, while the mahogany produces a balanced, earthy tone. The thin matte finish allows the woods to vibrate freely.

At the heart of the APX600M is Yamaha's SRT pickup system, utilizing a trio of unobtrusive piezo pickups built into the bridge to capture the guitar's true acoustic tone. Combined with the ART preamp system, this guitar can handle anything from live performance to recording scenarios with ease.

With its excellent construction, electronics, and versatility, the APX600M is a great choice for intermediate to advanced acoustic-electric players looking for outstanding quality and amplified tone in a single package.

Build Quality

The Yamaha APX600M SMB acoustic-electric guitar features high-quality build materials and excellent craftsmanship. The top is made of solid Engelmann spruce, which is known for its balanced tone, while the back and sides are laminated mahogany for warm, rich tones.

The guitar has a thin, comfortable body depth and a slender mahogany neck for easy playability. The fretwork is well-executed with medium frets and smooth, polished fret ends. Overall the guitar exudes quality, owing to Yamaha's expertise in guitar manufacturing.

Every joint and seam is cleanly finished. The tuning machines keep the strings in tune reliably. Inside and out, the APX600M SMB shows evidence of meticulous hand crafting. It's clear Yamaha did not cut corners in material selection or construction methods.

In addition to the high build quality of the Yamaha APX600M SMB, there are other acoustic-electric guitars that feature superb craftsmanship and materials. For example, the Gretsch G9500 2704000579 is an all-solid acoustic-electric guitar made in the USA. It has a solid Sitka spruce top, mahogany back and sides, and a mahogany neck. The binding and rosette are made of high-quality materials as well.

Gretsch is known for making premium guitars, and the G9500 lives up to that reputation. It has expert bracing, fretwork, and finishing touches. The build quality ensures excellent resonance, sustain, and tone. While the Yamaha APX600M SMB and Gretsch G9500 differ in tonewoods and electronics, they share outstanding construction that makes them feel like true high-end acoustic guitars.

When evaluating the build quality of an acoustic-electric guitar, it's important to look at all the components. The wood selection, bracing, neck joint, bridge, fretwork, tuning machines, and electronics should all demonstrate careful craftsmanship. Cutting corners in any area can compromise the sound or playability. That's why brands like Yamaha and Gretsch pay close attention to every detail.

For guitarists wanting the best possible playing experience, build quality matters. The construction impacts the tone, resonance, tuning stability, comfort, and longevity. While excellent guitars can be made more affordable through smart engineering, there is no substitute for premium materials and meticulous hand craftsmanship. When you find a guitar with that perfect blend of design, materials, and workmanship, you have an instrument that will bring enjoyment for many years. Both the Yamaha APX600M SMB and Gretsch G9500 exemplify that ideal balance.

Sound Quality

The Yamaha APX600M features quality tonewoods and electronics that produce excellent sound across the tonal spectrum. The solid Sitka spruce top provides bright, detailed trebles and balanced mids. The mahogany back and sides add warmth and enhance the low end, providing a balanced and well-rounded tone profile.

The combination of a Sitka spruce top with mahogany back and sides makes this guitar very responsive. It has impressive sustain and resonance, projecting volume very nicely. The tone remains clear and focused when playing more aggressively.

The APX600M uses an SRT Piezo 3-way pickup system with an ART-based preamp. The undersaddle piezo pickup accurately captures the guitar's natural acoustic tone. The preamp provides EQ controls for shaping the tone - you can add more brilliance and snap with the treble control or boost the lows for a deeper bass response. The pickup and preamp system produce a very natural amplified tone without quackiness or harshness.

Overall, the APX600M delivers exceptional acoustic tone and amplification. It's versatile for playing anything from bright, detailed fingerstyle to warmer, resonant strumming. The guitar sounds fantastic plugged in or unplugged.

If you're looking for another high-quality acoustic-electric guitar option, check out the Ibanez AW5412CE. This model features a solid Engelmann spruce top and mahogany back and sides for a balanced, nuanced tone. The Fishman Sonicore pickup and Ibanez AEQ-SP2 preamp provide natural amplified sound with detailed dynamics and articulation. The AW5412CE has a graceful grand concert body shape with a soft cutaway for easy upper fret access. Overall, it delivers rich, complex acoustic tone along with excellent playability and amplified performance. The Ibanez is comparable to the Yamaha APX600M in terms of quality materials, electronics, and attention to detail. It's another great choice for an acoustic-electric guitar that excels at both acoustic and plugged-in playing.

Playability

The Yamaha APX600M features a modified dreadnought body shape with a 25.5" scale length that provides excellent comfort and playability.

The slim taper maple neck has a very accessible C-shape profile that feels great in the hand. It provides a good balance of grip and fast playability. The rosewood fingerboard is smooth and comfortable.

The nut width of 1.69" gives enough room for fingerstyle playing while still feeling compact for chord work and rhythm playing. The string spacing isn't too tight or too loose.

The action on the APX600M is set medium-low from the factory. It's low enough for easy fretting and fast riffs, yet still has enough height for a strong projection when strumming hard. The action can be further customized to preference with the truss rod.

Overall the APX600M offers outstanding playability right out of the box. The neck shape, nut width, and factory setup provide a very playable experience ideal for both beginners and experienced players.

Hardware

The APX600M features quality hardware that gives it great tuning stability and resonance. The tuning machines are sealed die-cast chrome tuners that feel very solid and hold tune extremely well even under heavy playing. The bridge is also noteworthy, made of rosewood and featuring a compensated saddle for proper intonation across all six strings. This helps keep the guitar in tune not just at the open position but also up the neck. The nut and saddle are both made of synthetic bone, which is an ideal material that prevents string binding while transferring vibrations efficiently. Overall the hardware is typical Yamaha quality, very durable and designed for optimal functionality. This is a guitar that can handle being gigged and transported regularly without going out of tune.

Electronics

The Yamaha APX600M features proprietary under saddle piezo pickups and an active 3-band EQ with built-in tuner. This combination provides excellent tonal control and versatility.

The piezo pickups accurately capture the guitar's natural acoustic tone. There are two pickups, one under the bass side and one under the treble side of the bridge. This allows you to blend the bass and treble response to taste. The active preamp boosts the pickup's output for proper amplification and effects processing.

The preamp has three bands of EQ - lows, mids, and highs. This lets you shape the tone by boosting or cutting frequencies. It's great for dialing in your ideal acoustic sound. There is also a semi-parametric mid EQ knob that gives you even more midrange control.

Other onboard electronics include a chromatic tuner and a feedback-reducing Phase switch. The tuner mutes the output for silent tuning on stage. The Phase switch prevents feedback issues by inverting the signal of any frequencies that are feeding back.

Controls are straightforward with knobs for volume, bass, mid, treble, mid EQ frequency, and tuner/phase switch. The preamp runs on a 9V battery or optional AC power supply.

Comfort

The APX600M SMB has a cutaway design that improves accessibility to the upper frets, making it very comfortable to play. The body shape is nicely contoured and the weight is evenly distributed, providing good balance whether seated or standing.

At around 4 lbs, the APX600M SMB has a light and comfortable weight for an acoustic-electric guitar. The slim neck profile and smooth satin finish make it easy to play for extended periods without fatigue. The cutaway allows easy access to even the highest frets.

Some reviewers have noted that the wider nut width (1.73 inches) takes a little getting used to, but provides more room for intricate fingerings. The smooth neck and slim profile allow for fast playing up and down the rosewood fingerboard.

The APX600M SMB gets high marks for its comfortable ergonomics. The cutaway body style and light weight provide hours of fatigue-free playing. The smooth neck and well-balanced design make this an exceptionally comfortable acoustic-electric guitar.

Versatility

The Yamaha APX600M SMB acoustic-electric guitar offers excellent versatility for players looking for a guitar that can handle both studio recording sessions and live performances.

With its cutaway body design and slim neck, the APX600M provides comfortable access to the upper frets, making it a great choice for lead playing and soloing in a variety of musical styles. The guitar's acoustic tone provides a lush, warm sound when unplugged that suits mellower genres like folk, country, and pop.

When amplified, the APX600M's SRT pickup system reproduces the guitar's natural tone very well, allowing it to also work for higher gain styles like rock and blues. The guitar's preamp provides 3-band EQ and built-in reverb, giving you tonal flexibility when plugged into an amp or PA system.

Overall, the APX600M transitions seamlessly between the stage and studio. It has the acoustic resonance for intimate studio work but also the amplified power to stand out in a live mix, making it a highly adaptable guitar.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Solid spruce top provides rich, full sound and good projection
• Cutaway body allows easy access to upper frets
• Mid-size dreadnought shape is comfortable for most players
• Fishman Sonicore pickup captures natural acoustic tone
• Onboard tuner, EQ and feedback control for amplified playing
• Attractive sunburst design with black binding

Cons

• Not as loud as a full dreadnought
• Electronics can add buzzing or static noise
• Action may be too high for some players out of the box
• Not made in USA like some Yamahas

Overall, the Yamaha APX600M offers very good bang for your buck if you want a stylish, versatile acoustic-electric with quality hardware and electronics. While not perfect, there are more positives than negatives for an intermediate player looking to upgrade.

Verdict

Overall, the Yamaha APX600M SMB is a well made acoustic-electric guitar offering impressive sound quality along with easy playability.

As a professional-grade stage and studio instrument, it has an excellent feature set including a durable matte black finish, rosewood back and sides, and Yamaha's SRT Piezo pickup system. The guitar projects warm balanced tones thanks to its solid Spruce top and Mahogany neck, delivering both rich bass and bright detailed trebles.

While it may not have as much midrange complexity as similar guitars by Martin or Taylor, the APX600M SMB compensates with excellent playability through its thinner neck profile and cutaway design. It's a versatile guitar suitable for fingerstyle, strumming, and hybrid picking techniques. The active preamp provides clear amplified tones whether plugged into a PA system or guitar amp.

Considering its quality components and construction, the APX600M SMB is very competitively priced against comparable stage-ready acoustic-electrics such as the Taylor 114e and Martin GPC-X2E. Overall it represents great value for serious guitarists wanting the signature Yamaha sound and reliability in a gig-worthy package.