3dog Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 I was doing research on the Yamaha line of so called silent guitars and didn't find anything on this forum. What interest me is the form factor, the electronics combined with the sound. Looks like they started out with a nylon string version and then went to both nylon and steel versions along with a nylon version that has some classical guitar characteristics. There are some threads on a Classical Guitar forum. The oldest reference to them I could find is a 2004 youtube video of Lee Ritenour going from an acoustic to a Yamaha SLG series guitar on Night Rhythms. Not much about the history on the Yamaha site other than the user manuals but I still could not verify when the first model came out (SGL 100N). Apparently the nylon versions did not have a truss rod so you can't use steel strings on those models. The new models have modeling or sampled sounds but the older ones just had EQ and some basic effects. They all have aux in and aux/line out so you can earphones but they are not completely silent. I won a bid on an early nylon one (SLG110N) to add to my electric and acoustic steel collection. Might also get an older steel version and add my Fishman Triple Play midi pickup as it will not work with nylon strings. I had the blues so I started playing. Now everyone around me has the blues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitefang Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 I brought those up in here before too, and didn't get any response either. I first saw one of them in a stand on the "stage" area at a small casino the wife and I used to go to in Windsor Ont. about 18 years ago. The players were on break when we got there, and never did return by the time we left, so I never got to hear how it sounded. I thought it was both kinda cool AND strange looking. So let me know how you like it. Whitefang I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3dog Posted June 28, 2017 Author Share Posted June 28, 2017 According to this article on the history of Yamaha guitars http://www.guitarworld.com/gear-news-electrics/looking-back-50-years-yamaha-guitars/30507 they were first introduced in 2001. I had the blues so I started playing. Now everyone around me has the blues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitefang Posted June 29, 2017 Share Posted June 29, 2017 Thanks for whacking the rusty old memory banks back in alignment. I'm either thinking some things took place longer ago than they did, or NOT as long ago as they did. As long as I remember to unzip and pull it out BEFORE I pee, I figure I'm doing OK. Whitefang I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markblues Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 I love Yamaha guitars in general But the silent guitars just don't cut it for me. They sound very unnatural Mark Hussey Solo Guitar Arrangements http://www.markhussey.com/arrangements Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3dog Posted July 4, 2017 Author Share Posted July 4, 2017 I received the old nylon version that I bid and won on Reverb. I have the steel newer version coming in a few days. No regrets so far. The form factor is perfect for me and the sound is great with headphones or an amp. I like the clean sound so this is everything I was looking for. Even without headphones or amp you can still hear a good representation of what you are playing but not very loud. I had the blues so I started playing. Now everyone around me has the blues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitefang Posted July 5, 2017 Share Posted July 5, 2017 So, does the "body" of that thing have much "flex" to it? I play my ax while seated with the lower curve resting over a thigh and my forearm sometimes resting on the upper. Seems to me that Silent would BEND a bit if I did that with one. Whitefang I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3dog Posted July 5, 2017 Author Share Posted July 5, 2017 The detachable upper body is wood and is very sturdy about the width of an electric rather than an acoustic. I had the blues so I started playing. Now everyone around me has the blues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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