Yamaha A5M ARE Acoustic-Electric Guitar – Vintage Natural – Includes Original Hardshell Case – Used Excellent
The Yamaha A-Series sits at the top of Yamaha's acoustic-electric lineup, and the A5M represents the flagship mahogany expression of that series — a guitar built for serious touring and recording players who need both genuine acoustic voice and reliable, natural-sounding amplification. The traditional western cutaway dreadnought body pairs a hand-selected solid Sitka spruce top with all-solid mahogany back and sides, and Yamaha's A.R.E. wood torrefaction technology — a proprietary heat and pressure treatment that mimics decades of natural aging — gives the top a more open, resonant, broken-in voice right out of the case than a freshly built guitar would normally have. The custom-designed scalloped bracing extracts more volume and richness from that top, and the result is a dreadnought with powerful lows, clear highs, and the warm, quick-responding midrange that mahogany is known for. The high-comfort mahogany neck features a straighter taper for easier upper-fret access along with hand-rolled fingerboard edges that genuinely feel played-in from day one — a small touch that makes a real difference over a long set. The ebony fingerboard and bridge, TUSQ nut and saddle, and Gotoh open-gear chrome tuners are all premium appointments that reflect the A5's position as Yamaha's top-tier acoustic. The SRT2 electronics system is genuinely sophisticated — a piezo SRT pickup paired with mic modeling drawing on the characteristics of studio-standard microphones including the Neumann KM 56 and Royer R-122, controllable through volume, treble, bass, and a blend/mic-type switch. The result is a stage-ready, natural amplified tone that avoids the thin, quacky character that plagues lesser undersaddle pickup systems. Wood binding with cream accents, a tortoise pickguard styled after Yamaha's 1975 N1000, round out an instrument built for professional use night after night.
This one was just freshly set up and is playing great, with no fret wear, and presents nearly new throughout. Comes with the original hardshell case, all case candy, and original paperwork.
- Make: Yamaha
- Model: A5M ARE
- Series: A-Series
- Country of origin: Japan
- Body shape: Dreadnought, traditional western cutaway
- Top: Solid Sitka spruce with A.R.E. torrefaction treatment
- Back and sides: Solid mahogany
- Bracing: Scalloped
- Finish: Vintage Natural
- Binding: Wood with cream
- Neck: African mahogany, High Comfort profile, straight taper
- Fingerboard: Ebony, hand-rolled edges
- Fingerboard radius: 15.75"
- Scale length: 25-9/16"
- Nut: TUSQ, 1.693"
- Saddle: TUSQ
- Frets: 20
- Bridge: Ebony
- Pickguard: Tortoise
- Tuners: Gotoh open-gear, chrome
- Electronics: SRT2 system, SRT piezo pickup, mic modeling (Neumann KM 56, Royer R-122), volume/treble/bass/blend controls
- Modifications: None
- Condition: Used Excellent – freshly set up, no fret wear, presents nearly new
- Includes: Original hardshell case, all case candy, original paperwork
Ships carefully packed and insured for full value. International buyers are welcome — please contact us for a shipping quote before purchasing.
About Mill River Music
Mill River Music is an independent, human-powered music shop located in downtown Northampton, MA, run by a team of players, enthusiasts, and certified repair technicians. Every piece of used gear we sell is personally inspected, tested, and set up before it ships — we don't list it until we'd be happy to play it ourselves.
As Martin and Taylor certified techs, we hold our guitar work to a high standard, and we're committed to full transparency about the condition of everything we sell. No surprises.
When you buy from Mill River, you're supporting an independent local business that genuinely cares — about gear, about players, and about doing things right. We're here every step of the way. Reach out anytime.
