Yamaha 611 HFM thoughts please

invasion

Hi, Looking to get myself a new Guitar that is versatile, in the sounds I can get from it,  and a well made instrument. I don't want to pay over the odds for extra bling nice finish, that isn't going to make any difference to my ability or sound produced.  I like a wide range of music and styles including AC/DC, Clapton, Ry Cooder, BB King, Chili Peppers, Megadeath, Pearl Jam....the list goes on might of been easier to list what I don't like

So I would like to be able to get blues and country and occasional heavy rock sounds form my new guitar do you think this would do the job ? looks like a lot of guitar for the money appreciate any opinions 

thanks

HAL9000

I did own the 311H which is the 611's cheaper sibling. Well made and very versatile. My only issue was that the neck was too narrow at the nut for my liking. Might not be a problem for you but certainly something to bear in mind.

invasion

thanks for your input really appreciated

Does the 311 have the p90 and could you get convincing tele sounds out of the guitar ?

professorben

I've extensively played this guitar at the school I used to teach at.
( Yamaha dealership) it's a bloody brilliant guitar.
I will happily cover anything from Metallica to Frozen.......
The neck is quite slim, something to bear in mind, I'm a Les Paul/PRS guy do I found it unusually narrow, but that's just my opinion, I've heard it's quite vintage Fender in feel.

As with any guitar, I'd really suggest working out your budget and visit a couple of shop and try EVERYTHING at that price point ( give or take £100)
As you never know what might take your fancy.

Oh and try them all on the same day if possible, neck feels are hard to remember.

olafgarten

Yes, the 311 does have the p90. The Yamaha numbering system is [Model Range] [Number of Humbuckers] [Number of Single Coils], so the 611 is the 6 series, with 1 humbucker and 1 single coil.

EricTheWeary

I think these are great looking guitars and I've read a couple of glowing reviews. I tried one in a shop and found it surprisingly heavy (weight, not in a more esoteric sense)although beyond that I can't remember much :o3

stimpsonslostson

I had a 510V (single p-rails pickup) until quite recently, it was a great guitar: lovely to play and great sounding. 

My only criticism was that it somehow lacked what I can only describe as personality- whenever I played it I was reminded how good it was (& wondered why I didn't play it more), but it was never my number 1 "go to guitar" for some reason. 

cbilly22

A 611 will do anything you want it to. Well made and great spec for the price. I gig with one and have done for a while now. My backup is a 510v that's had a neck pickup fitted (crudely..lol). Owned plenty of Fenders and Gibsons but the Pacifica's just work for me. Try one, it will play and sound great, just a case of whether or not you like it.

HAL9000

invasion;1047327" said:

thanks for your input really appreciated :)Does the 311 have the p90 and could you get convincing tele sounds out of the guitar ?

Yup, P90 in the neck which is a really nice sound. My own view is that the bridge lacks the 'brightness' that Fenders have, and that the whole sound is somehow 'darker'. I don't recall ever trying to get a Tele sound from it, but suspect it wouldn't really have that Tele spank.

Edit - I'd also echo what others have said which is that although it's a perfectly capable guitar it does lack a certain something in the personality department.

simon

I recently bought a 611hfm for my 9 year-old son as his first electric guitar, together with a THR-10 amp from the Yamaha Music Store in London. 

Basic thoughts are that it seems very versatile probably due to the pickup combination. It seems well-equipped to deal with his fledgling love of everything from Blues to Classic Rock and Metal and even a bit of Indie pop. Quality of the components seems very good and it holds its tuning incredibly well. It also looks quite gorgeous due to the rootbeer flame maple top.

He finds it really easy to play too. We tried out a huge number of guitars to find the right one for him, including Strats, Teles, SGs and Les Pauls. 

The only slight negatives I can think of are weight: approx 8lbs and he finds it slightly heavy. A pound lighter would have been ideal. I don't think it has the best unplugged resonance of all the guitars he tried. I also think the fret edges are not as smooth as they could be, but he doesn't find that a problem at all.

If you're anywhere near London, it's well worth popping in to the Yamaha Music Store. We went many times and found the staff helpful, friendly and willing to let my son try a whole range of guitars. Might be worth calling ahead to check what they have in stock for you to try.

mrkb

I have one and love it - the (splitable) bridge HB and P90 options cover a lot of sounds. Only thing I don't like is the pots are flimsy feeling - will replace mine at some point.

cbilly22

mrkb said:

I have one and love it - the (splitable) bridge HB and P90 options cover a lot of sounds. Only thing I don't like is the pots are flimsy feeling - will replace mine at some point.

Agreed. First thing I did on my latest one was change the pots....and do away with the coil split as I never use it.

Pete24v

I quite fancy one, or the new 612vii... With a trem.

invasion

Thanks everyone really appreciate you taking time to help me out

sounds like it could be a winner as I said it seems like a lot of guitar for the money, Im guessing thats because maybe Yamaha isn't so desired, with younger players, that perhaps favour Ibanez Gibson, and Fender being more fashionable.

I was going to get  deluxe classic vibe tele but then see this and thought it would be more versatile. Interesting point about the pots what are you guys swapping them out with ? 

I think know where your coming from @HAL9000 @stimpsonlostson  about it laking personality (is that in the looks department) but I'm guessing when you play it that goes away it does kind of look sterile if that makes sense 

Thanks again 

HAL9000

Don't think it's anything to do with the looks - the flamed maple finishes on the 611 look really nice. My 311 was white with a torty guard which is one of my favourite combinations. No, it's something less definable than that like they've forgotten to sprinkle it with mojo dust in the factory.

invasion

@HAL9000 is it just because it  is not a desirable as say Fender or Gibson do you think? sort of a psychological thing..or are we talking sound wise ?

HAL9000

To be honest I don't really know. I don't think it's anything to do with the branding but as you say it could be a subconscious thing. It's certainly a good guitar, and the build quality can't be faulted. But for whatever reason I never really bonded with it, and not for lack of trying. Partly it was that the neck wasn't to my taste, but I think it probably went deeper than that. Looking at the other posts above it's clear that some people love it and others less so. As others have said you need to try one for yourself.

Edit - been thinking about this a bit more and think it's something to do with identity if that makes sense. A Strat is distinctively and recognisably a Strat. A Tele is distinctly and recognisably a Tele. Same goes for a Les Paul. To my ears my 311, though perfectly good, didn't really have its own distinct sound to make it stand out from the crowd.

invasion

@HAL9000 Jack of all trades maybe? which is what it is designed to be in my mind. The sort of guitar you can turn up to a gig and lay pretty much anything and come very close to the sound you want. the 611 has Seymour Duncan SP90-1n, Custom 5 maybe they would give it a bit more of that something special ?

I think it is Yamaha as a brand the sensible choice, if you don't let your heart rule your head..The brand your mum and dad would come back with for you instead of an Ibanez and spandex trousers. a great great guitar; but just not exciting but does the job and does it well

HAL9000

Yup, I think jack of all trades is probably a good description.

ThorpyFX

I bought one, and I can't see how they can cram that much quality into that price point. It's a great instrument. Can't fault it at all.

invasion

ThorpyFX said:

I bought one, and I can't see how they can cram that much quality into that price point. It's a great instrument. Can't fault it at all.

Probably means and shows just how overpriced all the other guitar manufactures are. I'm hoping to pick one up on Monday with a Backstar HT-1R just for home use obviously; I  think they should make a great pair