Yamaha Storia II

Y
amaha is doing more
than most right now to
get its acoustics into the
hands of a wider range of
players. From its
Transacoustic models with
onboard reverb and chorus, the
compact travel-friendly CSFs
and the recent FGs that mix
vintage and cutting edge preamps,
we’ve been really impressed by the
company’s diversity – and
that includes price. The new
Storia series was a surprise
announcement and seems to be
aiming for the heart of the casual
house player with stylish look and
a wallet-friendly price point.
Except we found more than we
bargained for.
There are three numbered
models with diff erent fi nishes in
the Storia line. Same price point
for all but we took to this II more
readily. It’s got the highest
potential appeal with the natural
mahogany fi nish along with a
calling card of the Storia – the
coloured interior of the inside back
that adds a unique contemporary
touch. In this case it’s a dark blue.
The brass bridge pins are another
surprising touch and we like the
understated circle inlays.
But it’s when you get touchy
feely with this guitar that it really
sells itself. The bevelled body
edges matter far more than you
might think when it comes to a
fi rst impression; couple these with
the low action and it makes this
guitar feel welcoming and familiar.
It reminds us a little of our fi rst
play on Taylor’s Academy model; a
guitar designed to make life easier
for beginners. The Yamaha FS
concert size here is a little closer to
000 than dreadnought
dimensions, furthering comfort
for smaller players.
So far so good but how does this
Storia play? Really, really well
actually. It’s like the unfussy semi-
gloss fi nish, that actually feels
more towards satin, allows this
guitar to sing. There’s some of that
sparkle and resonance in the
higher end that we always hope for
but rarely get under a grand. A
little Martin-esque magic even. It
has the hallmarks of a mahogany
guitar; notes in the mids ring
strong and clear with a pick but a
low action encourages fi ngerstyle
too. And the dynamic response to
the gentler touch gives it the edge
that makes this guitar hard to put
down. The low-end is no slouch
– it has depth while allowing that
lovely high-end to shine bright.
This guitar can project.
It’s got a piezo too – passive so
no onboard controls but some
compression and EQ will see you
right for open mics.
As a beginner’s guitar, this is
a must-try because it plays as
good as it looks. But really we
think the Storia II is for anyone
who fancies an aff ordable acoustic
in their lives that performs well
above its asking price.
Rob Laing
THAT CERTAIN SPARKLE AND
RESONANCE IN THE HIGH-END
YAMAHA
STORIA II
A new acoustic series with a wide appeal
1
2
3
£354
TYPE: Concert-size
electro acoustic
TOP: Solid mahogany
BACK AND SIDES:
Mahogany (laminate)
SCALE LENGTH:
25" (634mm)
NECK: Walnut
FINGERBOARD: Walnut
ELECTRICS:
Yamaha SRT Zero
Impact passive
undersaddle pickup
HARDWARE:
Urea nut and saddle,
brass bridge pins,
abalone and synthetic
ivory soundhole,
open gear champagne-
gold tuners
OPTIONS: Storia I in
semi gloss Off White,
Storia III in gloss
Chocolate Brown
LEFT-HANDED: No
CASE: No
CONTACT: Yamaha
www.uk.yamaha.com
AT A GLANCE
FEATURES
SOUND QUALITY
VALUE FOR MONEY
BUILD QUALITY
PLAYABILITY
OVERALL RATING
SuMMarY
1
MODERN
VINTAGE
Yamaha claims the
Storia “transforms
the traditional
acoustic guitar into
a one-of-a-kind
statement piece” and
while we wouldn’t go
that far, features
like the coloured
soundhole interior and
brass bridge pins give
it a contemporary
style that stands out
2
COMFORT
The more intimate
FS concert size,
narrow neck, low
action and rounded
edges add up to a very
pleasing experience
that should appeal to
many players
3
PASSIVE PIEZO
The undersaddle
pickup’s compression
isn’t overtly quacky
due to the passive
nature, but we’d still
recommend a preamp
pedal for extra EQ
control if you plan on
gigging regularly
Photography: Olly Cur tis
SEPTEMBER 2019 ToTal GuiTar
REVIEW
99
TGR323.gear_yamaha.indd 99 14/08/2019 18:08