With over 100 years of piano-making and decades of acoustic guitar design, you might expect that the engineers at Yamaha possess exceptional woodworking skills, and you’d be right.
#Yamaha nylon strings series
To increase the low frequency response of NX Series nylon-string guitars without sacrificing durability, Yamaha engineers made several refinements to their inside bracing, using precise measurements and experimentation to refine the natural characteristics of the tonewoods used in the construction of the instruments. Signature BracingĪs described in our “ Step Up to a Better Acoustic Guitar” blog, the internal design of guitar bodies - their bracing in particular - impacts how the sound from the strings resonates through the instrument’s body and therefore has a significant effect on the tone. In addition to being useful when recording in the studio or practicing through an amp at home, the Atmosfeel system provides excellent onstage sound with reduced potential for feedback. Together, this trio of controls provides a broad range of tonalities and sonic options. While these guitars sound quite natural with the piezo pickup and sensor alone, the mic signal adds a whole new dimension of clarity and width. When turned fully counterclockwise, 50% of the mic signal is added to the mix. When turned fully counterclockwise, you’ll hear a premixed blend of the transducer and piezo pickup.
Mic Blend determines the amount of mic signal. Master Volume, as you might expect, sets the overall output of the system, while Treble EQ cuts or boosts high frequencies using a peaking filter. These allow you to adjust Master Volume, Treble EQ and Mic Blend. The entire Atmosfeel system is controlled from a simple three-knob panel mounted on the left side of the guitar so it’s easily accessible when you’re playing the instrument.
#Yamaha nylon strings full
When these three elements are combined, the full frequency range of the guitar is reproduced in all its glory. Finally, the mini-microphone, mounted just inside the body near the left upper bout, provides additional low and midrange frequencies. It’s designed to reduce the harsh high frequencies often associated with this type of pickup - in essence, it captures only the guitar’s mid and low frequencies. The piezo pickup is equipped with individual string sensors and is located where the strings meet the bridge. This sheet transducer contact sensor, located below the saddle, is responsible for the higher-end treble frequencies and soundboard vibrations. The NCX5, NCX3, NTX5 and NTX3 models come equipped with the proprietary Yamaha Atmosfeel pickup and preamp system, which takes the best elements of a piezo pickup and a microphone and combines them with an ultra-thin synthetic sheet transducer. In this article, we’ll take an up-close look at the technical innovations that make these instruments unique.
The various models differ in terms of body size and neck width, as well as the tonewoods and electronics used, but they all sound great whether played acoustically or connected to an amp. Yamaha NX Series nylon-string acoustic-electric guitars combine the latest in modern technology with traditional build and look.