Yamaha's New Silent Guitars Are Electric, Boast Acoustic Sound

This summer, Yamaha debuted its new line of SLG200 Silent Guitars in the United States, and they're now shipping to customers. The guitars feature a sleek body with an open design and integrated technology that produces sounds akin to "a full-bodied acoustic guitar." Yamaha is offering nylon and steel versions spanning three color options, all of which feature a headphone jack for plugging in the included earbuds (or your preferred headphones). When headphones are used, the guitars are nearly silent, allowing them to be used in shared living spaces, apartments, and other places where silence is necessary.

These Silent Guitars are electric and operate on batteries; they can be connected to amps, sound boards and other similar items in addition to headphones. Yamaha promises the guitars produce professional-level audio that is suitable for performances in addition to private playing.

Says Yamaha, the Silent Guitars feature a top bout made of mahogany that detaches for portability reasons. The guitar has an input for playing along with a smartphone or music player, and includes what Yamaha says is an "easy-access control panel".

There's an onboard tuner powered by a pair of AA batteries. Other features include a 6-crystal under-saddle piezo pickup, Studio Response Technology (SRT) pre-amps and pickups, and slimmer design than past guitars. The SLG200S and SLG200N models are priced at $1,015 USD.