Designed for performers, A-series guitars share many things in common including a stunning fresh look, amazing playability, and the cutting edge S.R.T. (Studio Response Technology) piezo/pickup. They are distinguished by their body style (either dreadnought or concert), the combination of woods, and their preamp configurations.

The AC3R Concert Acoustic-Electric Guitar with SRT Preamp/Pickup is part of the A-series line of acoustic-electric guitars.

The AC3R concert-size cutaway is designed for today's player who requires a reliable workhorse that looks, feels, and sounds amazing in all applications.

The AC3R is a performance level bang-for-your-buck guitar offering quality build & materials such as; Solid Sitka Spruce Top, Mahogany Neck, Solid Rosewood Back/Sides, Ebony Fingerboard/Bridge and a neck profile that is a pleasure to play for hours on end.

SRT System
Bringing Back Lost Ambience; 's new proprietary Studio Response Technology (SRT) brings back the natural, ambient sound of an acoustic guitar, and it does it with the signal from the output jack. Using a sound modeling technique that utilizes data obtained through extensive analysis of four acoustic elements that are missing from conventional pickup systems- string and body resonance, ambience, vintage microphone characteristics, and professional micing techniques, SRT delivers The same tone that, until now, was only attainable by professional recording engineers in the world's finest studios is now easily usable by any player, on-stage or in the studio.

Using a sound modeling technique that utilizes data obtained through extensive analysis of four acoustic elements that are missing from conventional pickup systems- string and body resonance, ambience, vintage microphone characteristics, and professional micing techniques, SRT delivers a natural, studio-quality acoustic guitar tone. The same tone that, until now, was only attainable by professional recording engineers in the world's finest studios is now easily usable by any player, on-stage or in the studio. A sound that guitarists have long dreamed of is now a reality.

SRT Functions
The new SRT system lets you choose from three different high-end mic types as well as two mic positions that let you use techniques similar to those used in a recording studio. The system provides a total of six setting patterns. Click the buttons below the photos to hear the differences between various sound settings. The system also allows mixing of pickup and mic sound elements using the BLEND knob, and control of body resonance with the RESONANCE knob to create a wide range of rich, natural sounds.

SRT System
Bringing Back Lost Ambience; 's new proprietary Studio Response Technology (SRT) brings back the natural, ambient sound of an acoustic guitar, and it does it with the signal from the output jack. Using a sound modeling technique that utilizes data obtained through extensive analysis of four acoustic elements that are missing from conventional pickup systems- string and body resonance, ambience, vintage microphone characteristics, and professional micing techniques, SRT delivers The same tone that, until now, was only attainable by professional recording engineers in the world's finest studios is now easily usable by any player, on-stage or in the studio.

Using a sound modeling technique that utilizes data obtained through extensive analysis of four acoustic elements that are missing from conventional pickup systems- string and body resonance, ambience, vintage microphone characteristics, and professional micing techniques, SRT delivers a natural, studio-quality acoustic guitar tone. The same tone that, until now, was only attainable by professional recording engineers in the world's finest studios is now easily usable by any player, on-stage or in the studio. A sound that guitarists have long dreamed of is now a reality.

SRT Functions
The new SRT system lets you choose from three different high-end mic types as well as two mic positions that let you use techniques similar to those used in a recording studio. The system provides a total of six setting patterns. Click the buttons below the photos to hear the differences between various sound settings. The system also allows mixing of pickup and mic sound elements using the BLEND knob, and control of body resonance with the RESONANCE knob to create a wide range of rich, natural sounds.

Includes case.

Concert-size with cutaway Body Solid Sitka Spruce Top Solid Rosewood Back & Sides Mahogany Neck Ebony Fingerboard Ebony Bridge Rosewood / Mahogany Sound hole Rosette Rosewood Fingerboard Binding Mahogany Body Binding Die-cast tuners SRT System 63 Modeling Preamp SRT Saddle/Piezo Pickup Includes case

Make this solid wood guitar yours. Order today.

SPECIFICATIONS

A-Series All Solid Wood Concert Acoustic-Electric Guitar with SRT Preamp/Pickup

Nut Width: 43mm (1.69")
String Length: 650mm (25.59")

Custom Guitar's Friend Gold Coverage

Gold Coverage goes above and beyond the manufacturer's warranty to protect your gear from unexpected breakdowns, accidental damage from handling and failures. This plan covers your product for one, two, three or up to five years from your date of purchase, costs just pennies per day and gives you a complete "no-worry" solution for protecting your investment.

Gold Coverage Includes:

Unexpected and unintentional spills, drops and cracks Normal wear and tear Power surges Dust, internal heat and humidity

Other plan features include:

For products over $200, No Lemon Policy applies. If it fails for the same defect 3 times, it is replaced on the 4th breakdown. (Does not apply to failures due to drops, spills, and cracks) For products under $200 experiencing the above failures, a Custom Guitar's Friend gift card will be issued for the full price of the product + tax. Shipping fees covered if required for repair or replacement Plans are transferable in the event merchandise is sold Plans are renewable on new gear

*Limitations and exclusions apply. See terms and conditions for program details

Term for New Gear begins on date of purchase but does not replace the store return policy or manufacturer coverage.

Displaying reviews 1-10

Back to top

PreviousNext »

I would take one half point out of ten off the overall rating for the weak lows unplugged, but for me this was not an issue since when amplified, the lows are better represented. Better amplified sound than the dreadnaught body (A3R) to my ear. Rosewood sides and backs were worth the extra money to my ear.
I played a bunch of acoustic electrics in the under one thousand price range. I wanted the best amplified sound, since I have another acoustic for non-amplified applications. The Yamah SRT pre-amp works wonderfully. Three different mic models times two mic set-ups ensures you will find one you like for your chosen amp. Plus 3 band eq, and adjustable "resonance" means you have control over your tone. I intentionally induced feedback with high preamp volumes in front of the amp to determine that the feedback filter also works well, but did not have any feedback with my normal style of playing. If that wasn't enough, the on board tuner is easy to use. All these features work well. An included hardshell case just completes the awesome package. And don't forget that this baby is all solid tone woods!
Fit and finish on my guitar from Custom Guitars Friend was flawless. No cracks, scratches, glue drips, or other defects. I did notice some minor imperfections in the finish of guitars I tried at the local GC stores near my home, but none were significant enough to prevent me from making a purchase. The amplified sound is just what I was looking for. Best acoustic sound I could find in this price range. The AC3R is weak on the low end un-plugged, but very well balanced when amplified. I compared the amplified dreadnaught to the concert body of the A3 series side by side at 3 different local shops. I must have compared 8 or nine different guitars using 4 different amps against each other. At each one, I found the amplified concert body to be more pleasing to my ear than the dreadnaught, having a more balanced tone. It seemed the dreadnaughts had deeper bass and brighter highs but lacked in the mids. Rosewood side and back tone was well worth the higher price to my ear, compared to the mahogony models. Since the best amplified sound was what I was after, the AC3R was a clear winner.
With all the features of the pre-amp, great fit and finish, and an included hardshell case, a value rating of 10 does not do justice to this guitar, even without factoring in a discount coupon!

.I had to keep taking this guitar out of he case and playing it to make sure they had sent me the right guitar. Let me say, for this price point I have not seen anything that even closely compares. I play a Taylor 912ce and love the sound and neck. I just didn't want to worry about the Taylor getting stolen or tripped over on stage. The is a well made, great sounding guitar that I can take anywhere and feel confident that it will look and sound good on stage.

I was pleasantly surprised by the build quality. Even though this guitar was made in China, the factory has excellent quality control and other than the L series, I believe the "A" series are at the top of the heap.

I don't really care for the pick guard and wish they had used a clear pick guard instead, but my guitar is sunburst and I like the finish to stand out.

All in all, I'd recommend this guitar over any of the Taylor 1 or 2 series. I recently sold a Taylor 314ce and in many way the stands up to the Taylor. Being that I could buy 2 of the guitars for the price of one Taylor, I'd have to say that the is a guitar that you can't go wrong with.

.Needed a new acoustic and spent several weeks looking in the "high end" range. Money is not a huge thing for me and I wanted something that I would truly enjoy for a long time. When I came across this solid wood guitar (AC3R) - I instantly loved it. Initially, I quickly passed it by because the brand name was not one of my target brands, however, I kept thinking about the AC3R and I decided to do some research on the web. I was actually hoping the electronics would get mixed reviews or the quality would be suspect (to confirm my need to buy a more expensive brand). Every review I read seemed to really favor the SRT preamp along with the guitar's overall quality and sound. So, I decided to go back to the store and play it again. My only hesitation was the price relative to high-end guitars and I spent weeks trying to rationalize the higher price. In the end, I could not justify the added cost considering how much I enjoyed playing this guitar. Now that I've had it for nearly a month, I truly believe the only thing that separates the AC3R from guitars in the $2500-$3000 price range is an emotional reaction to the paint on the headstock.

. Well, I can't say enough about the sound and feel .
I beleive thay has realy been listening to the customer reviews and built a guitar that is totally a pleasure to play.I've had many top end handcrafted guitars in my fourty five years of playing and I probably will still purchase a martin or gibson sticktly acoustic someday but as far as a cutaway acoustic electric this is the best bang for your buck if I may use that cliche.
My favorite neck profile ever.
The sound of this concert size guitar is as good as any out there.
Some of wich are called auditorium or 000 or om.
Very comfortable to hold with a very nice feeling neck and top notch electronics.
The controls are a bit small but I adapted very quickly as I'm sure anyone would.
Very well built solid and proffesional feeling guitar.
I've used it on stage through a PA system with great results.
Very well finished inside and out.
I think I've found my keeper in electro acoustic guitars.
You can't top the value of an all solid rose wood guitar with state of the art electronics.
These hand selected tops have perfect grain for looks and sound.
As good as any guitar in it's class but at half the price in many cases.

.Again, it's all about value. For under $1K, you get a great guitar in the AC3R, great sound, great features, and comfortable to play. My friends have given this guitar huge kudos. Before you buy anything else, you owe it to yourself to at least try this guitar. If you still feel inclined to spend more money to by a "big name" guitar, do it. But for those who are looking for excellent value and a nice guitar, this is it.
This guitar offers a great blend of size, acoustic sound, comfort, playability, and electric tones. While it might be lacking the super deep bottom end of a dreadnaught, it still holds its own compared to most of the competition out there in the same price range (or higher priced guitars).
The contours, finish, appointments, it's all there. I have absolutely no complaints about this guitar. Ok, maybe one small thing.... a little less satin? I guess heavy coats of satin will protect the wood but it masks the sound? But still, this is a nice looking and well built guitar.
Compare this guitar to $1K plus competitors. You'll have a hard time trying to justify spending more money (unless you have unlimited resource$$$$). The SRT electronics alone offer great sound competition to the big name guitars.

.I got this guitar almost a year ago. I absolutely love her. I was a little leery at first because she wasn't made by one of the big, well-known companies, but she's just as beautiful as lots of Taylors, Martins, Gibsons, etc. A Taylor that costs two grand more than this would be a little better-sounding, but we all know that most of us don't have that kind of money.
She has a very chimey sound to her. It's not too bright, but not too dark either. Just right, in my opinion. The rosewood gives a very warm, pleasant sound, as opposed to mahogany which has a more harsh tone to it in my opinion.
The rosewood is also drop-dead gorgeous. Absolutely love the look of the back, and the mahogany binding compliments it just right.
The only thing that I don't love about her is the pre-amp. It's just a tad too bright. When I play live, I have to cut the tebs and boost the bass all the way, and then it's still kind of bright and twangy, but it's not that big of a deal. Also, the pre-amp has a lot of controls, and it doesn't have good instructions for it. I looked through all my papers and online, but I couldn't find any. Once you mess around with the pre-amp though, you can get lots of different kinds of sounds. It's just that they're all pretty bright. I do like that fact that it runs on AAs instead of 9Vs.
There is honestly nothing else that I don't love about this guitar. The case is great and durable. The sound is to die for. The woods are all absolutely beautiful. For it's small size, it has a lot of volume, which I really like. I don't like huge guitars; they're uncomfortable. She has a wonderful feel to her.
Just in case anyone's wondering, I use Elixers on her, and they sound great. I'd definitely recommend those strings for this guitar. Great sound.
Great guitar. Love her. Best guitar I've found in this price range.

.I have the vintage sunburst model – gorgeous guitar to say the least, looking much better in person than in any picture. Not one flaw or blemish on the guitar, finish is perfect and very well done. Acoustically it sound much better than I expected, playing wise the action is a bit high but not enough to have it changed. My first strum made me smile, I'd never picked one of these up before and ordered it based on other reviews. I was not disappointed to say the least, the feel, sound and finish on this guitar is just what I was looking for. Honestly it feels and sounds like a guitar 3-4 times its price without question. The sound is fantastic unplugged, well balanced from the low end to the high, sounding as good or better than my 20 year old Larrivee. I bought it mainly as a gigging guitar for its plugged in ability. I will say this may shock some folks but I think the electronic sound of this guitar is ok, but not fantastic. Mine is low in the output as some have said. It does different sounds with all the options, but none to me sound truly natural, still sounding like a pickup in an acoustic guitar. I am not super disappointed, but maybe I came into it expecting too much based on all the reviews. It's a good electric sound, just not as good as I was hoping for. All that said, if you are looking for a quality acoustic guitar, this is the one to pick up. Finally crafted, great looking, solid built guitar that will only get better with age. I'd buy an A3R to go with it if I didn't already have so many guitars. Buy it!

.Agree with all the other reviews: this is an insanely good guitar, especially for this price. Just want to add a few comments. The preamp, wonderful though it is, is very low output. I often use an eq to boost it up to normal output. The quality of sound is not an issue. It is great. The other point is that it comes with it's own feedback buster rubber plug with logo on it. That seems very thoughtful of to include it. The case is terrific, with 4 or 5 clasps, leather wrapped handle. Visually a stunner. I got to help learn finger picking. Not so much bass it is true, but the definition and clarity more than make up in that department. Did side by sides with comparably and more expensive Martin and Taylors. Similar but different. leaves them in the dust regarding looks and build quality imho. Gets a 9.75 in my book.

.When I first received the guitar I was not sure how I felt about it. After all most of the guitars I own are ones that I have been playing for literally 40 years. Some even longer, like my '61 Strat and Guild D-40. I changed the strings and sanded the bottom of the bridge saddle and tiny bit (maybe 3/4 of a millimeter) to lower the action and now I absolutely love this guitar! While this might not be for everyone; I added slightly lighter strings ... the same gauge that I might put on one of my jazz guitars. This way if I want to jam with this guitar using the builtin electronics I can add a bit of gain (on my Roland Cube Street amp for example) and get a gritty, blues tone - which works very well by the way. It makes the guitar a little more versatile for my purposes. The electronics are very good, I feel, and I love the convenience of the builtin tuner - especially for quickly changing to other tunings like open D, etc.

provides a nice, soft rubber cover for the sound hole which works well for the scenario I outlined above. I felt that the case was adequate and well suited for this guitar with a perfect fit and plush interior. I bought mine as a "blemish" and saved a couple of hundred $$$ but have yet to figure out what makes it a "blemish" as it is perfect in every way.

I am in the fortunate position of having beautiful boat that I will often invite a friend or two to go for a cruise, play a little guitar, etc. I did not want to bring one of my 'priceless' vintage guitars out for these cruises and so I bought the A3R. This is why I bought the 'blemish' as I intended to be a little rough on it anyway. I no longer feel that way. Now it is right up there with any prized possession. My other guitars are still going strong too after all of these years. My classical and my SG2000 from the 70's are rock solid. makes a great product and happens to be the oldest musical instrument manufacturer in the world if I remember correctly. Enjoy it!

.I am a recreational guitar teacher., a retired music therapist. This guitar is wonderful for playing, teaching, and recording softer styles. I also plug in for praise/ worship at church.

.