NAMM 2010: Rodrigo Y Gabriela help design new NCX and NTX series acoustics/news/article/NAMM-2010-Rodrigo-Y-Gabriela-help-design-new-NCX-and-NTX-series-acoustics/W9/2010-01-16

Great deals on musical instruments

Yamaha introduce two new lines of nylon string acoustic-electric guitars designed in collaboration with the hot young guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela at Summer NAMM 2009.

The NCX series is a more traditionally shaped nylon guitar, while the NTX adopts a thin-line body shape and they convey a wide tonal range with emphasis placed on silky and rich mid-frequencies that are unique to nylon string guitars. The instruments incorporate fan-style bracing patterns that are identical to the designs used on Yamaha’s top-of-the-line handcrafted Grand Concert series guitar. Fresh new cosmetics include a striking new headstock shape, warm wood rosettes and a distinctive smiling bridge profile.

Both models are outfitted with a specially designed A.R.T. transducer-based pre-amp system that recreates the guitar’s true acoustic sound from the natural vibrations of the guitar whether the player performs a delicate fingerstyle piece or the more percussive Flamenco style.

“With these new guitars, Yamaha has been able to combine the traditional feel of the classical guitar with an updated look and the most pure amplified sound you can get,” said Dennis Webster, marketing manager, Yamaha Guitars. “The result of the combination of look, feel and sound is that the two hottest nylon string players on the planet are exclusively playing these new guitars.”

The NCX series includes models in both Rosewood and Flamed Maple back and sides. Designed for the traditional player looking to expand his or her sound in the studio and onstage, the models have a twelfth-fret neck to body joint and a traditional 52mm nut width. The NCX2000R and NCX2000FM are made with Master Grade Solid Hokkaido Spruce tops treated with Yamaha’s original Acoustic Resonance Enhancement process (A.R.E.), a proprietary manufacturing technique that accelerates the maturing process of the guitar, allowing a newly built instrument to develop its own unique personality quicker, producing a highly responsive instrument that sounds as if it has been played for years. The NCX1200 features a solid Sitka Spruce top and the NCX900FM features a solid Engelmann Spruce top.

The NTX series is designed for the contemporary player looking to expand on the traditional nylon sound. These versatile instruments offer a thinner body, fourteenth-fret neck joint, faster neck profile and a slick cutaway body design. Top tone-woods include solid Sitka Spruce on the NTX1200R, solid Engelmann Spruce on the NTX900 and solid Spruce on the NTX700.

“The new NX series guitars fuses old world craftsmanship with new world technology, something Yamaha does very well,” said Armando Vega, product manager, Yamaha Guitars. “The build quality of these guitars is amazing.”

Celebrating its 40th year of selling top-quality acoustic, electric and bass guitars in the United States in 2009, Yamaha was one of the first companies to bring quality Asian construction to the worldwide market. The venerable FG acoustic, introduced in the 1960s with the famous Red Label, is the world’s top-selling guitar model of all time. In 2008, Yamaha became the top-selling acoustic and acoustic-electric guitar brand in the United States, determined by sales volume and number of units sold, with the APX500 rising to the top slot in acoustic-electric models.