Show Full Spec Comparison
| Yamaha LL16M ARE | A5R ARE | |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Brand: | Yamaha | Yamaha |
| Year: | 2014 | 2017 |
| Strings: | 6 | 6 |
| Made in: | China | Japan |
| Series: | L | A |
| Colors: | Natural | Natural |
| Left-Handed Version: | No | No |
| Body | ||
| Type: | Hollowbody | Hollowbody |
| Body Material: | Solid Engelmann Spruce with A.R.E. | Solid Sitka Spruce A.R.E. w/Scalloped Bracing |
| Sides Material: | Mahogany | Rosewood |
| Back Material: | Mahogany | Rosewood |
| Bridge: | Ebony | Ebony |
| Neck | ||
| Neck Joint: | Set | Set |
| Tuners: | Die-Cast Gold (TM29G) | Open Gear Chrome (Gotoh) |
| Fretboard: | Ebony | Ebony |
| Neck Material: | Mahogany + Rosewood (5-Ply) | African Mahogany (3-ply) |
| Decoration: | Dots | Dots |
| Scale Size: | 25.6" | 25.6" |
| Shape: | Acoustic C | Acoustic C |
| Frets: | 20 Medium Nickel Silver | 20 Medium Nickel Silver |
| Fretboard Radius: | 15.75" | 15.75" |
| Nut: | Plastic | Ivory Tusq |
| Nut Width: | 44mm (1.732'') | 43mm (1.693'') |
| Electronics | ||
| Pickups: | Passive System + SRT Piezo Pickup (Preamp / Passive) | SYSTEM71(SRT2 System) + SRT Piezo Pickup (Preamp / Active) |
| Hardware | ||
| Strap Lock: | No | No |
| Hardware Color: | Gold | Chrome |
Reasons to Get
Yamaha LL16M ARE over A5R ARE
Reasons to Get
Yamaha A5R ARE over LL16M ARE
Other Key Differences
Yamaha LL16M ARE vs A5R ARE
Shared Features
Yamaha LL16M ARE vs A5R ARE
Common Strengths
- Solid Top Wood
- Solid Side Wood
- Solid Back Wood
- Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
- Expensive Wood
Common Weaknesses
- Locking Tuners
- High-Quality Frets
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Luminescent Sidedots
- Strap Lock
- Top Pickup Brand
- 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- Active/Passive Preamp
Price History Comparison
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Hand Size Comfortability
After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both favor small hands .
Yamaha LL16M ARE:
Yamaha A5R ARE:
Beginner Friendliness
Both meet 3 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players. If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, you can't go wrong with either of them.
New Player Friendliness
Yamaha LL16M ARE- Easy-to-use bridge
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable shape
- Comfortable fretboard
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
- Soft Strings
- Locking tuners
New Player Friendliness
Yamaha A5R ARE- Easy-to-use bridge
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable shape
- Comfortable fretboard
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
- Soft Strings
- Locking tuners
Sound Quality Comparison
The most important thing that will determine the tone of an acoustic guitar is the wood. Let's take a look at the differences between both .
Woods Used in Both
Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.
Ebony is a high-end wood, so it is not cheap. It's only used for fretboards because it's also very heavy. It does an excellent job as a durable material while looking elegant. Find out more about Ebony.
Spruce has a light color with tight grain patterns. It's very stiff but relatively light. It's known for producing a well-rounded tone with a broad dynamic range. Find out more about Spruce.
Woods Used in the Yamaha A5R ARE
Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.
Winner: Yamaha A5R ARE.
Electronics
Both come with electronics that allow you connect them to an amplifier or interface for recording.
Winner:Tie.
Final Sound Quality Scores
Build Quality Comparison
When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Yamaha LL16M ARE compares to the Yamaha A5R ARE.
Country of Origin
The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Yamaha LL16M ARE is built in China while the Yamaha A5R ARE is made in Japan.
China has a bad reputation when it comes to building quality. However, times have changed and now respectable brands use China's cheap labor to build good instruments for a lower price. Don't discount a guitar only because it was built in China, but also expect more quality from countries like Korea.
Japan has a long history of high-quality guitar building. Little has changed in terms of their manufacturing and quality control over the years. Many guitars made in this country can be compared—and even beat—others made in the US.
Winner: Yamaha A5R ARE
Nut Material
If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.
The Yamaha LL16M ARE has a Plastic nut. This is a low-quality nut that you might want to consider upgrading soon. Bone and TUSQ nuts are the best for guitars with a fixed or simple tremolo bridge.
On the other hand, the Yamaha A5R ARE comes with a Ivory Tusq nut. Ivory used to be considered the best material for guitar nuts due to its beauty, durability, and the rich harmonics and sustain you could get from a guitar with it. However, the way to obtain it is simply unethical. Enter TUSQ ivory nuts, which are made synthetically to imitate ivory. Technically, it's better than ivory because it is consistent piece-to-piece, while natural materials can vary a lot, even if they're made from the same.
Winner: Yamaha A5R ARE.
Fret Material
Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.
Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.
Winner: Tie.
Tuners
Both come with regular tuners. The Yamaha LL16M ARE's are Die-Cast Gold (TM29G) while the Yamaha A5R ARE's are Open Gear Chrome (Gotoh)
Winner: Tie.
Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:
Yamaha LL16M ARE
- Expensive Wood
- Electronics
- Solid Top Wood
- Solid Side Wood
- Solid Back Wood
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- Made in China
- No High-Quality Nut
- No Top Brand Pickups
- Low-Quality Material Saddle
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
Yamaha A5R ARE
- Made in Japan
- Expensive Wood
- Ivory Tusq Nut
- Electronics
- Ivory Tusq Saddle
- Solid Top Wood
- Solid Side Wood
- Solid Back Wood
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- No Top Brand Pickups
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
Final Build Quality Scores
Playability Comparison
Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.
Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.
Nut Width
The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Yamaha LL16M ARE has the wider nut with 44mm (1.732'') vs 43mm (1.693''). This is a 1mm (0.039'') difference
This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Yamaha LL16M ARE, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.
Scale Length
The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.
In this case, both have a scale length of 25.6".
It's very similar to a typical long 25.5" guitar scale, but with an extra inch probably to compensate the saddle position in acoustic guitars. It should be pretty much the same as a 25.5" scale guitar.
It will allow you to strum hard without hearing so much fret buzz, even with lower tunings.
Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.
Neck Profile
No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.
Both the Yamaha LL16M ARE and the Yamaha A5R ARE have a C-shaped neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.
Fretboard Radius
Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.
Both the Yamaha LL16M ARE and the Yamaha A5R ARE have the same fretboard radius of 15.75". It's a radius that makes playing single notes (and bending, vibrato, sliding, etc) easier than on a classic Les Paul guitar. However, it's still more curved than some baritone and 7+ strings guitars.
Fret Size
Both have a Medium fret size. If you like feeling the fretboard when you play, but also appreciate some easiness to press down the frets, this size offers a good balance for that.
