Anyone play Takamine?

[Jasmine]

I've seen the pics of guitars here, awesome lot they are. I am just getting into upgrading my instruments, and am currently playing my mid-80's Takamine Jasmine D-71 6-string which is one of the smoothest I've ever played.

 

I enjoy vintage instruments and currently looking at Guild 12 string (Madeira- sp?), Mossman 12-string (Tennessee Flat Top) or Takamine 12-string (400S).

 

Tell me of you experience with Takamine's - like any instruments there's great ones out there and then there are the dogs.

 

JJ

[guit30]

I briefly had this OM model, very pretty, solid top with bearclaw, but tinny tonewise and a real unfriendly neck, so I unloaded it. Also had a g330S, dreadnaught, but did not like the size, bottom bout was too big, have heard their upper ends are nice

jim

[DenverDave]

I used to have a Takamone N18. It was a beautiful guitar and, rare for a Takamine in general, sounded very good acousticly (unplugged). I had several very good acoustic players surprised at how nice it sounded by itself. I had to sell that Tak, and I currently own a EG544SC (Koa/solid Cedar) that is up for sale. That guitar sounds very nice plugged in and good by itself (typical Takamine). It's a great fingerstyle player that frets really easy and has a great look.

 

I also have a new Takamine due in tomorrow. It's a EG334SC model that will become my main stage guitar when the band I'm in starts gigging (hopefully by summer). My Paragon is way too expensive to take into country bars, and the 334SC nails the country tone I'm after.

 

Some of the older Taks - especially the MIJ ones were very nice guitars, though they are a bit hard to find.

[KATMAN]

I have a Takamine EGS430SC,that I have to admit is a great little guitar.I went into the music store looking to buy a Larrivee or a Martin.I saw this Takamine and din't really want in,I was trying different Larrivee's and Martins,shuffling between two music stores.On the following Friday,early ,I went into Blue Moon music,and thought,I've tried all these others and they're not doing it for me.So I plugged it into a Fishman acoustic amp and played away.Didn't take me long to figure for $300,I got a solid wood guitar,that feels and sounds great.I really love the solid cedar tops Taks,you can't beat 'em.

[Ovation]

I'm a huge Takamine fan. For all around great amplified sound and ruggedness they can't be matched as a stage guitar.

 

I've talked to professionals who use Takamines, they swear by the durability. One touring band guitarist laughed when I asked him why he wasn't playing a Martin, saying that the Martin wouldn't last a week on the road, while the Takamines take the moving around well and even stay in tune.

 

Takamine has three basic levels: the Jasmine series, the 'G' series (with a 'G' in the model number), and then the top of the line Takamines.

 

Excellent stage guitars that kick ass in the studio as well. Buy one and it'll probably last forever. I've got a 1992 EN10C everyone raves about when they play it. The EF341C is a legend appearing on nearly every country act stage.

[Cldplytkmn]

i've got an AN10 that i love playing live, but its kinda been a dog in the studio... it has a good sound, but it has a problem frequency that really shows up under the scrutiny of pro mics and pres...

 

i've never been thrilled by a tak 12er though... i'd say you're right on track looking for a guild.

[rockfan]

I have the EG-334RC.

Best investment I ever made.

 

[t60 fan]

My only Tak experience is a friend's Garth Brooks model - nuff said.

[kwakatak]

 

Originally posted by Jasmine I've seen the pics of guitars here, awesome lot they are. I am just getting into upgrading my instruments, and am currently playing my mid-80's Takamine Jasmine D-71 6-string which is one of the smoothest I've ever played. I enjoy vintage instruments and currently looking at Guild 12 string (Madeira- sp?), Mossman 12-string (Tennessee Flat Top) or Takamine 12-string (400S). Tell me of you experience with Takamine's - like any instruments there's great ones out there and then there are the dogs. JJ

 

 

I love my old MIJ F-360 but it's got a lot of miles on it. It's basically the laminated-top 6 string version of the F-400S that you mentioned. I'm at least its third owner and have had it for at least a dozen years. I've beaten the {censored} out of it in neglect before paying to have it repaired and properly set up a couple of years ago. Now it's my primary guitar and I spend at least 2 hours a day playing fingerstyle on it. I hope it lasts for another 30 years.

[Kap'n]

Nice electronics, way above other OEM stuff until recently, but the acoustic feel and sound never really floated my boat.

 

Solid tops are a relatively recent development for Takamine.

[droge]

EAN10C owner here!! I simply love this guitar!!! It's great for all the fingerstyle-picking I do in my acoustic duo.

[kwakatak]

 

Originally posted by Kap'n Nice electronics, way above other OEM stuff until recently, but the acoustic feel and sound never really floated my boat. Solid tops are a relatively recent development for Takamine.

 

 

I don't believe that that's true. While my F-360 has a laminated top there was also a solid-top version available (F-360S). Mine has the Martin-shaped headstock and lettering which was disontinued in the late 1970s and I recall seeing a F-360S from the mid-late 1970s (based on the serial number that was stamped on the heel block) in a local store last year.

[seven7]

i've owned the gs330s (be sure and get all the letters and numbers right if you look for it as there are similar model names).

 

i first came across it on a day i was playing around the acoustic room of a large store. i played the usual 'big name brand' acoustic guitars. many that cost A LOT more than this guitar. anyways, out of all of the guitars i played that day, it and a taylor are the ones that stuck out to me most. the taylor was probably 3 times the price.

so later on i bought one of the taks from music123 hoping the one in the shop i played wasn't just a rarity. it wasn't. i love the sound of this guitar. unbelievable for the price. i wouldn't have guessed the solid cedar top would sound like it does though. it's brighter than i would've expected. i might still have it if i could ever get used to the size of a dreadnaught. i'm not the only one that thinks it's a good guitar. i've heard from quite a few others that do.

 

that guitar can be had for about $300 with hardshell case included from music123.com usually. it's a steal at that price. you can get it a lot of other places for the same without the hard case though.

no electronics, but i'd prefer to put what i want in a guitar anyways.

[Tweedledee]

I had a 1998 EF-341c (the "Bruce Springsteen model") for five years and I thought it was okay, but not very rich sounding. There wasn't a lot of complexity or air to the tone. It was very stoutly constructed and the neck was extremely playable, but in the end I bought a Martin (just the "cheap" 000-15 mahogany model) and the difference in tone is remarkable. The Martin is much "woodier" and rich sounding. I know it's just personal preference. Tons of people absolutely love Takamine guitars, and I've played a few that sounded quite good, but in general they just seem to lack something in the tone department that I'm looking for when I play an acoustic guitar.

[Jasmine]

I bought a new 6-string Tak/Jasmine in fall of 2004, thought I'd take a chance and bought a new cheap one, cost me about $250 altogether with case, I believe it was a ES45C - a cutaway. Now they say you get what you pay for - and I did - an el cheapo big time.

 

At first it played okay but I used it more and more, it jokingly got nicknamed it "Woody" cause most times it would play like a hunk of wood with rubber bands, no matter what strings I put on it. It was strange like it was fighting me and I rarely got the sound match out of it I wanted. But hey, I was spoiled by my old D-71, no comparison whatsoever.

 

So I ended up giving it away, couldn't quite bring myself to sell it, no matter what the price, just wasn't worth it. The person who has it now likes it, for that I am glad.

 

Just wanted to share that not all guitars/makes are the same. I've played some Taylors that were real rough/wooly and Martins that were tinny, so not every guitar is 100%.

 

Thanks to all of you on your feedback to my Tak question.

 

Check is in the mail,

JJ

[darkest_fugue]

i have a beat up 95 en10c that i bought from a gigging musician...it has its fair share of bangs and scratches and the wood has really worn down in a small area under the sound hole...plugged in this guitar sounds awsome...its basically as good as it gets....ive heard better unplugged but not much...it sounds more or less as good as my friends top of the line 30th aniversary 9 series taylor...apparently it was set up by a very good luthier before i aquired it it plays very well the action is as low as my les paul with no fret buzz...its also all natural and very lightly built...im not a huge fan of taks but ive played some really nice ones and this one is a keeper

[Ovation]

The EN10C is put together like a brick house. They don't make 'em like that anymore. Keep a hold of it.

[Uze Soap]

My dad had a Takamine that he bought in '92 with a case for a grand. He just recently lost it but man, he tore that thing up and it was still almost perfect. Below the strings he had worn the wood down so much there was almost a hole, and I've seen him toss that thing across the living room, and it wouldn't even go out of tune. It sounded absolutely beautiful from start to finish. I gotta get one, soon.

[apostrophe]

I LOVE my EG523SC!

 

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

(Just a quick note of apology to any Tak owners offended by my honest opinion...)

 

I've owned 3 but the only one I miss was the "Flying A" model (an acoustic/electric with a body shaped like a "Flying V" Gibson solid-body)...it, too, was typical Tak quality, but at least it looked cool.

 

If I couldn't afford American, I'd probably go w/ an Alvarez...lot of bang-for-your-buck there.

[light_without_heat]

My uncle gave me a Takamine a couple years ago and it was my first really great acoustic.

 

It was one of the lawsuit models from '79 and this thing is my favorite acoustic guitar that I have ever played on.

 

I have played 2-3 thousand dollar guitars that didn't sound as good. Perhaps it is my ears melding to the guitar's particular frequencies but I loooved this guitar.

 

Then I came across a Takamine 12 string acoustic/electric that just smokes ... one of the loudest guitars I've played. You can go from whisper quiet to full booming a room so no one can even talk over it's tonal mastery.

 

So yeah I guess I like the Tak...

[Sir_Les]

Owned a Takamine 2000 Ltd Edition for a couple of years. Was a fantastic guitar, but almost too much guitar for me. There were lots of patches to save settings so you could switch between sounds with a tuner built in and reverb.

The finish of the guitar was superb and the natural acoustic sound was good. also a very comfortable guitar to play. But as I said before, it was really too much going on for me. I like to use gear that is simple to set up and operate, stuff you just plug in and play. So was a bit of a mistake in buying it in hindsight!

I ended up selling it about 3 years ago, really cos I needed the money in the end. I would tend to buy a guitar that has a fantastic acoustic sound and work from there in the future....

[hotdog]

I have a Takmine Acoustic M EF360 SC with (factory installed midi)..I bought this over ten years ago and it was was used then .

I don't think many were made with the midi pickup.

It's been a great guitar as good or better now as when I bought it..One thing I like and should be on all guitars is , there's a button on the top side that turns off output to the amp..great when you stop playing just hit the button and there's no sound.

It has a three band EQ and pre amp but to put the 9 volt battery in you have to loosen up the strings and put your hand in through the sound hole..The battery lasts a long time which is good..

[Hudman]

I played a few newer models in the $800.00 and under price range at Guitar Center last spring. They have their own unique sound (IMO). I was unable to find one with enough bass response for my taste. It could have been due to old strings and poor setup on the floor models. I really loved the looks of all of the Tak's. They make gorgeous guitars at a real affordable price point.

[roadscholar]

I'm a hard-core Takamine fan. I've got four at the moment; '82 F309 (all-mahogany OO-size), '96 EF261SBL, '01 EF444STBS, and my favorite, a '96 EF317S (New Yorker-size body, solid spruce top, stunning Koa back & sides) I've owned 6 or 7 others through the years. I'm sure the G-series guitars are a good value for the money, but for me it's the Japan-built models only. Between '98 and '05, I played my Taks for over 1,400 gigs in 8 different countries, 2 continents, with no problems whatsoever.