Long story short, 20 years of playing string instruments, somehow I never owned a proper concert guitar. Got hooked through a YouTube channel where a guy plays film scores on a nylon string guitar that just don't sound right to me when I play those on a regular steel string acoustic. So a few weeks ago I started researching what's available in 2023,
And here comes the NCX-3, cheapest concert guitar from Yamaha that comes with the atmosfeel pickup system. I was expecting something better than piezo but I wasn't prepared for how incredible it is. Shockingly good and organic sound, very authentic, signal that is also easy to work with. I run it through headrush pedalboard for reverbs and EQ with fantastic results.
Unplugged it has a very direct sound (leaning towards the bright and sharp side, but in a good way), rich in harmonics and with pleasing overtones and solid sustain. Move your picking hand up the neck and it gives you this amazing wet mellow sound that you usually hear coming from seasoned masterclass guitars.
As for the craftsmanship it is made well and it has a very premium feel to it, maybe due to ebony? Out of the box it needed some time to warm up and set to tuning. I had to adjust the neck to taste, factory setup was a bit high for my liking, intonation and fretwork are perfect. I think the body is a little thinner than a traditional concert guitar but it doesn't have a negative impact on sound. Sides allow for suction-cup based guitar supports, no need for any stickers to mount a support and save your back in the process.
What I like the most about this guitar is that I feel that I don't deserve it and it makes me want to sink hours into practice, to give it some measure of justice. Because for now it is definitely more capable at producing beautiful sounds than I am capable of playing it how it should be played. Highly recommended!
