Members colliewobble Posted October 3, 2005 Members Share Posted October 3, 2005 My wife has had a Takamine F-310 acoustic for a long time...we've been together 20 years, she had it for several years before that. This is a 000 style guitar, with the Martin-style "lawsuit" logo, no electronics. She doesn't play any more and so it's pretty much been my guitar. I recently bought a Takamine EG523SC, a mini jumbo electric acoustic, for my 50th birthday. Well, I gotta say the old guitar just sounds far superior to me. Granted, it has aged for almost 30 years. The new one has maple back and sides, and is really bright and crisp sounding. The old one is mahogany back/sides and sounds warm, sweet and balanced. Maybe the new one will take a while to warm up. I used the old one today on a recording project. With a Duncan Woody soundhole pickup and a nice acoustic guitar patch on my DAW, this guitar totally smoked the newer one. For recording, the tone I got was much better than the overly bright piezo quack from the new guitar. So it's settled. The new one will be my stage guitar for standard tuning stuff. In fact, it sounds amazing plugged in. The old one I'll use for recording and playing open tuning and slide stuff, with the Duncan soundhole pickup. It's amazing how good this little guitar sounds with a new set of strings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Etienne Rambert Posted October 3, 2005 Members Share Posted October 3, 2005 30 years ago, Takamines were really fine guitars. The Mahogany makes a difference too. 30 year old Mahogany guitars just sing. I have a Mahogany Guild D-25 (1972). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted October 3, 2005 Members Share Posted October 3, 2005 I also have one of the older Takamines model F-360. When I was looking at new guitars I gave Takamine a token look but they sounded like crap. That's when I decided I'd be better off just fixing it up and save up for a different brand. When I do get a new guitar I'll probably keep the old Tak on for playing outside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members colliewobble Posted October 4, 2005 Author Members Share Posted October 4, 2005 I used to have a Tak F-360 12 string that was awesome. Got hungry and sold it a long time ago. It played so nice...wish I still had it. My only other acoustic was an Ovation a/e Standard Balladeer that I bought way back in 1976. It had a 5-piece neck. One of the pieces must have warped or something because I never could get the guitar in tune. It sat in its case for a couple years, so I sold it and used the money to help finance an ES-335. I'm probably in the minority here who likes Takamines. I also like Yamaha products...some of the best musical instrument values out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted October 4, 2005 Members Share Posted October 4, 2005 Bear in mind the EG523SC has a solid top so it will take a little time to open up. Once it does it may sound a bit better than your old 12 string. I was looking at that one a couple of years ago but I couln't quite warm up to the tone. It looked pretty, but looks weren't enough for me. BTW, a question about your old 12 string. Are you sure of the model number? I thought the 12 string version of the F360 was the F400? Did it have a soid top or laminated top? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Herb Hunter Posted October 4, 2005 Members Share Posted October 4, 2005 There are so many variables that influence the way a guitar sounds. When all of these variables happen to fall into the optimum range, the results are a great guitar that sounds better than other examples of the same brand and model. Such guitars are rare. A few years ago, I bought an excellent sitka/mahogany guitar and a month later was in a showroom that had a sitka/rosewood that sounded so much better than other sitka/rosewoods just like it that I had to have it. I traded in my Twin Reverb Reissue to acquire it. I don't know anything about Takamine guitars but it could be that the newer ones may have improvements over the older ones but you happen to have an unusually good older one that was made when all the planets were in alignment so to speak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members darkest_fugue Posted October 5, 2005 Members Share Posted October 5, 2005 ive heard new takamines sounding great and old ones sounding crap and vice versa but it makes it all the more fun to find a guitar that sounds good...im lucky to have picked up a 10 year old tak EN10C....the previous owner was a heavy handed bastard and its full of battle scars but it sounds devine the eletronics are perfect and it has an action as low as my les paul with no fret buzz....what more can you ask for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members lalatingstrings Posted October 5, 2005 Members Share Posted October 5, 2005 oooo yes it does baby,yes it does..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fstpicker Posted October 5, 2005 Members Share Posted October 5, 2005 Originally posted by kwakatak BTW, a question about your old 12 string. Are you sure of the model number? I thought the 12 string version of the F360 was the F400? Did it have a soid top or laminated top? I was just going to say that! There were no F-360 12-strings. Only F-385 and F-400. If it was solid top, it usually would have an "S" designation after the model number....as in F-400S. The older F-385's never were solid tops to my recollection. Only the new EF-385's are solid top now. I used to own a 1990 FP-400S for over 14 years. Sold it out of desperation last year and miss it terribly. One of the very best sounding 12-strings out there. Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted October 6, 2005 Members Share Posted October 6, 2005 I see them on ebay every so often just to see what these "lawsuit" Taks go for. Not that I'd sell mine (F-360 laminated top) since I'm kind of attached to the old POS. It's pretty beat so I doubt I'd get more than $100 or so for it. BTW, here's a F400 on evilbay: http://cgi.ebay.com/TAKAMINE-F-400S-SOLID-TOP-12-STRING-ACOUSTIC-GUITAR_W0QQitemZ7354818544QQcategoryZ33030QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Raymar Posted October 7, 2005 Members Share Posted October 7, 2005 I bought a Takamine acoustic about 10 years ago, don't recall the model but it didn't have a cutaway, just a standard martin type body but damn it was very nice, great feel and sound. I had it for almost a year before somebody stole it before I paid it off. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitar_god Posted October 7, 2005 Members Share Posted October 7, 2005 I have an old G330, its a cheap guitar but sounds great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Terry Allan Hall Posted October 8, 2005 Members Share Posted October 8, 2005 Originally posted by colliewobble My wife has had a Takamine F-310 acoustic for a long time...we've been together 20 years, she had it for several years before that. This is a 000 style guitar, with the Martin-style "lawsuit" logo, no electronics. She doesn't play any more and so it's pretty much been my guitar.I recently bought a Takamine EG523SC, a mini jumbo electric acoustic, for my 50th birthday.Well, I gotta say the old guitar just sounds far superior to me. Granted, it has aged for almost 30 years. The new one has maple back and sides, and is really bright and crisp sounding. The old one is mahogany back/sides and sounds warm, sweet and balanced. Maybe the new one will take a while to warm up.I used the old one today on a recording project. With a Duncan Woody soundhole pickup and a nice acoustic guitar patch on my DAW, this guitar totally smoked the newer one. For recording, the tone I got was much better than the overly bright piezo quack from the new guitar.So it's settled. The new one will be my stage guitar for standard tuning stuff. In fact, it sounds amazing plugged in. The old one I'll use for recording and playing open tuning and slide stuff, with the Duncan soundhole pickup. It's amazing how good this little guitar sounds with a new set of strings. A girl I occ. work with has a similar pre-law suit Tak, except hers has the palathetic p/u and preamp...one of the best sounding Taks I've ever heard, plugged or un-plugged. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Heretiz Posted May 5, 2020 Members Share Posted May 5, 2020 Hi, I have a Takamine F-385M 12 string guitar. Soooooo, what does the"M" stand for? (Note: I thought I read that "S" stood for Solid top,) Make: Takamine Guitar Model: F - 395M Year: 76 05 1179 --- ( May 1976 - number 1179 built) Color: Blond Style: 12 - String Acoustic Thanks Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mikeo Posted May 5, 2020 Members Share Posted May 5, 2020 2 hours ago, Heretiz said: Hi, I have a Takamine F-385M 12 string guitar. Soooooo, what does the"M" stand for? (Note: I thought I read that "S" stood for Solid top,) Make: Takamine Guitar Model: F - 395M Year: 76 05 1179 --- ( May 1976 - number 1179 built) Color: Blond Style: 12 - String Acoustic Thanks Terry Mahogany back and sides. Maybe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted May 6, 2020 Members Share Posted May 6, 2020 4 hours ago, Heretiz said: Hi, I have a Takamine F-385M 12 string guitar. Soooooo, what does the"M" stand for? (Note: I thought I read that "S" stood for Solid top,) Make: Takamine Guitar Model: F - 395M Year: 76 05 1179 --- ( May 1976 - number 1179 built) Color: Blond Style: 12 - String Acoustic Thanks Terry The letter "M" in a Takamine model number typically means "Maple" back and sides. The Takamine archive shows an F395MS. Does it look anything like your guitar? https://www.takamine.com/F395MS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted May 6, 2020 Moderators Share Posted May 6, 2020 ^ except that is a Guild... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted May 6, 2020 Members Share Posted May 6, 2020 19 minutes ago, daddymack said: ^ except that is a Guild... Nope, that is a Takamine knockoff of a Guild. Go to the Takamine.com page for that model and see for yourself: https://www.takamine.com/F395MS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted May 6, 2020 Moderators Share Posted May 6, 2020 well, you're right...discontinued...likely a lawsuit... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted May 7, 2020 Members Share Posted May 7, 2020 21 hours ago, daddymack said: well, you're right...discontinued...likely a lawsuit... Yep. I did specify "the Takamine archive." A quick web search turned up a handful on Reverb.com and elsewhere. Most were described as "lawsuit" guitars from the late 70's, usually '77, one seller had no clue but guessed early 80's. Anyway, we know what the "M" means. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted May 7, 2020 Moderators Share Posted May 7, 2020 Misrepresentation? 😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted May 7, 2020 Members Share Posted May 7, 2020 3 minutes ago, daddymack said: Misrepresentation? 😉 That too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Gibson29 Posted May 7, 2020 Members Share Posted May 7, 2020 I think the ‘M’ stands for “meh”. You probably could add a “hogany” after that, but without further numbers and photos, who knows? ”Lawsuit” guitars always make me hopeful that something is special, even though I know that designation is pretty much just a marketing ploy. So, I am knee-jerk susceptible to marketing. Oo..a light just went on in my head! Aagh! Too bright! Shut it off! I prefer the safety of mediocrity and fantasy!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted May 8, 2020 Members Share Posted May 8, 2020 “Lawsuit” isn’t marketing, it’s myth. There were no lawsuits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Gibson29 Posted May 8, 2020 Members Share Posted May 8, 2020 7 hours ago, kwakatak said: “Lawsuit” isn’t marketing, it’s myth. There were no lawsuits. ..and that makes for excellent marketing! It also makes the neighbor kid feel better about his crappy old beat up Yamaha with 10 winds around the tuner posts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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