Yamaha APX500 (08) review

  • £299
  • $460
Compact and bijou.

MusicRadar Verdict

Not the most fantastic acoustic tone but plug it in and it'll come to life!

Pros

  • +

    Good playability, amplified tone.

Cons

  • -

    Not the best acoustic tone.

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We found this best-selling electro-acoustic for just £189. That's over a hundred sheets cheaper than the recommended retail price!

The APX500 is a compact guitar. The small body makes it a great choice for electric players who need an acoustic in their arsenal but don't want to wrestle with a full-bodied dreadnought guitar. Other good bits? A quality onboard preamp with a built-in tuner.

The APX500's small body means it can't quite compete with the acoustic tones of bigger guitars. No worries, this little fella really starts to make sense when it's plugged in.

There's a huge range of tones available from the guitar's three-band EQ, and the guitar's compact size also means that swapping between the APX500 and your electric guitar won't seem like such a stretch. The slim neck helps too. So it's easy to see why the APX500 is such a big seller.

At £299 it's well worth checking out; at under £200 it's a stone bargain. OK, it's not an all-rounder like the Washburn but if you intend to plug your acoustic into an amp the majority of the time, the APX500 deserves to be on your must-try list.