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MusicYo Yo-200S Acoustic Guitar
by Chris Bereznay
Reposted with permission from Music Gear Review
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| Many times I've spoken with beginning guitarists out there looking for a new acoustic guitar that is both easy to play, well manufactured and affordable. Usually I'd recommend something from Fender, Washburn or Ovation - and more often than not something in the $400 - $500 range. About a week ago, a Yo-200S acoustic guitar from MusicYo! arrived at our doorstep. The YO-200S Acoustic Guitar is manufactured specifically for MusicYo! and is a dreadnought style acoustic with a SOLID spruce top. It also has a tapered Mahogany neck and a Rosewood fretboard which make it extremely easy to play. In addition, the action on this guitar is set really low, unbelievably low for that matter, and has virtually no discernable fret buzz. In other words, it plays beautifully, even further up the neck around the 7th and 9th frets - which is uncommon for an inexpensive guitar. Banging out barre chords in this area of the fretboard will not leave your hand cramped like many other acoustic guitars with higher action and less playability.
The finish on the YO-200S was spotless when I received it. I was looking very hard for seams or anomalies in the craftsmanship and was having trouble finding anything at all. Did I mention that this acoustic goes for $89.99 on MusicYo!'s site? Although the guitar is very clean and sharp looking, it doesn't really have any real uniqueness or outstanding qualities to it in my opinion. This is a players guitar more than it is a show guitar. As I mentioned earlier, this acoustic is perfect for someone just learning to play or something that's looking for a campfire / outdoor or "beater" guitar - although I doubt you'd abuse it after playing it. This acoustic also includes die-cast machine head tuners. I've had very little problems with staying in tune and the only strike against these tuners would be that they're generic. However, for the price, what would you like, Gotoh's?
So how does it sound. Nice. I've played better sounding acoustics, but at several times the cost. The YO-200S from MusicYo! really benefits from the solid spruce top and there is definitely a noticeable difference between it and my Alvarez Regent with laminate top. It's a much warmer and full bodied sound. As I was banging through all of my favorite acoustic jams from artists like John Mellencamp and Jimmy Buffett, one thing was clearly evident: This instrument can project some volume. Although the sound is nice and warm, the projection is pretty impressive at the same time. The guitar performs equally well when finger-picking a nice quiet passage, or strumming heavily during the chorus of rockin’ tune. I’m so impressed that MusicYo! can offer a guitar with these characteristics at the price they do. The only thing I wouldn’t be able to test is how the guitar holds up in a variety of conditions, including stage and studio, campground and backyard. We just won’t have it that long. What I’ve seen so far, though, is impressive and for $89.99 I don’t think you can go wrong with the YO-200S.
Here's some specs from MusicYo!'s site:
This SOLID-TOP MusicYo acoustic offers the exact SAME quality, features and sound as other guitars costing 2-3 times more! Solid Spruce Top for GREAT acoustic tone that gets even BETTER with age! Tapered Mahogany neck with Rosewood fingerboard for great playing comfort and smooth fingering. Die-Cast Machine heads for precise, stable tuning!
Technical Specifications
- Top: SOLID North American Spruce
- Back and Sides: Mahogany (laminated)
- Neck: Mahogany with U-channel Adjustable Truss Rod
- Neck Profile: Tapered
- Construction: Set-Neck
- Fingerboard: Rosewood
- Bridge: Rosewood
- Saddle: Intonated, PVC
- Machine Heads: Die-Cast, Chrome
- Nut: PVC
- Nut Width: 1.68"
- Frets: 20-Medium Nickel/Steel
- Headstock: Mahogany Face with Gold Yo-Logo
- Scale Length: 25.5"
- F/B Inlay: Pearl Dots
- Pickguard Color: Tortoise
- Body Binding: Single-layer, Black
- Case Option: Fits in MusicYo Acoustic Gigbag and TKL Molded Acoustic Case
- Pickup Option: Works with Shadow SH330 Sound Hole Pickup or Shadow MegaSonic-2 EQ/Preamp
- Suggested Strings: MusicYo Acoustic Medium or Acoustic Light
- Finishes: Natural (Gloss)
BOTTOM LINE:
We now have three acoustics in house. An Alvarez Regent, my personal Ovation Celebrity Deluxe and the MusicYo! YO-200S. I can say without a doubt that the YO-200S is currently the one I reach for most. It actually has lower action and is easier to play than my Ovation - which was surprising to me to say the least. I'm just dying to hear how this will sound through our PA system once we receive an acoustic pickup system for it. That's the only strike against it right now, I wish it had a built in preamp and pickup. For now, I'll have to suffer with my Ovation when amplification is necessary.
Once again MusicYo! comes through with a product with unbelievable value. I'm beginning to think some of our readers are going to think we're biased here, but folks I can tell you that for the price - just about everything from MusicYo! beats the competition hands-down. Their no frills, straight-from-the-manufacturer-to-you-through-the-internet approach is about nothing more than giving you quality tools to make music at incredible prices. You can't go wrong.
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