Yamaha AC5R A.R.E Vintage Natural 2025 Electro-Acoustic Guitar

This is a Yamaha AC5R A.R.E Electro-Acoustic Guitar in Vintage Natural finish. Made in Japan in 2025, this guitar features an all-solid construction comprising a Solid Sitka Spruce top treated using Yamaha’s Acoustic Resonance Enhancement (A.R.E) technology, Solid Rosewood back and sides, Mahogany neck and 20 fret Ebony fingerboard with matching bridge. A TUSQ nut and saddle are fitted, with a set of GOTOH open-gear tuners. The guitar comes fitted with a Yamaha SRT2 Pickup and Preamp system with controls for volume, bass, treble, pickup blend, mic blend, and AFR on/off function.

The Mahogany neck plays very well, with a ‘Straight Taper’ profile which might be described as a soft ‘V’ shape. This offers a smooth and responsive playing experience across the register and encourages ergonomic thumb positioning up and down the register. The Ebony of the fingerboard is luxurious under the fingers, and with its 15.75” radius is practical for a wide range of styles and techniques. The generous cutaway enhances access to the upper frets, really opening up the full range of the instrument.

The acoustic voice of the Yamaha AC5R A.R.E is rich and beautiful, and is very well balanced thanks to its relatively small concert-size body. This small stature helps it to avoid the ‘boominess’ often associated with larger bodies such as the dreadnought, bringing the less powerful high frequencies into focus. The A.R.E treatment can be thought of as an artificial ageing process, opening up the Sitka Spruce in a way similar to that of an instrument which has been played for years. The on-board pickup and preamp system faithfully conveys the acoustic voice of the instrument, adding the versatility required for live and recording situations.