Takamine or else ? Alvarez, S&P, Seagull, Epiphone, etc

[rocksteady Max]

the girlfriend of one of my friend wants me to help her find a decent Acoustic/Electric guitar for a gift for his birthday. Moneywise : less than 400$. I found couple of excellent used one on Kijiji (canadian version of craiglist) : an Alvarez and a seagull mini jumbo : both have preamp and piezo.
I've spent about an hour checking guitar for her. But now she's stuck on the idea that he wants a Takamine ... I don't know why she says that. But I have a negative opinion of Takamine (to me they're on the same level as Ovation) : they may be good for gigging plugged-in but forget it if you want a great acoustic tone. Am I right ?

Anyway, since I find it weird that she asks me to select the best price/quality guitar and she's stuck on her idea, I think I'm gonna let her decide on her own. I hate it when people only ask your advice to confirm and conform to their prejudices and if you argue against it with reasons they make a funny face ...

Am I the only one in my boat ? the only misanthrope here

[getbent]

been there and done that...

but, hey, you can probably find a good sounding takamine with excellent electronics for 400.00. Heck, the one our rhythm player uses cost me 125.00 on cl... so for 400.00 you should find a really high quality one.

the comparison to ovation is a good one.. the high end ovations are really good guitars (not my thing, but who cares about that.. that is only style) just about a gozillion big stars played them back in the 70's until the Taks came along... so, I'd say, if you can make your girl happy and get her what she wants... find her a cool Tak for 4 bills and maybe you can be her santa and she'll sit on your lap!

[rocksteady Max]

You're right GetBent : after all it won't be me playing the Takamine

For her sitting on my lap ... I think I lacked in clarity because she wants to buy an acoustic guitar to her boyfriend (who is also my friend), BF as fiancé !

But, again, I think that they're better guitar to be bought. Especially the one made by Godin (Seagull, S&P, Norman) who are made here in Canada, less than 200km from Montreal.

[Tele Fan]

Epiphone Masterbilts are great guitars and are in that price range. I don't have enough experience with the rest to give and educated opinion.

[getbent]

oh... wow, I misunderstood.
pretty much everyday I have people who already know what they want and they want me to figure out how to make it work... it sucks... but, that is the game and I choose to play.. so, I usually say "you bet" and see what I can come up with. The really good Taks like the Santa Fe etc... are good guitars... I really like the seagull's as well... but, her happiness and her confidence in what she gets seems to be settled... I stop arguing right there and go find the best thing I can within those parameters...

and I bit my lip later when they are shopping for what I would have gotten in the first place... it just doesn't matter.

[twangcaster1]

I don't think you're right on about takamine guitars at all, man. Takamine makes great guitars, you just need to make sure you get the right one. A Takamine you get for under $400.00 new is not going to be anywhere near as nice as a Takamine you pay $650+ for. And the Takamine guitars that are $1,000+ are every bit as good as any Gibson, Martin, Breedlove, Taylor, Larivee, or whatever. It just becomes a matter of personal preference at that point. However, you could get a mighty fine Takamine used for $400 and it would be a better guitar than what you could get new at that price.

[twangcaster1]

I've got a Takamine TAN16C and it is a great guitar and it has a great preamp in it, but I payed more than $400 for it.

[twangcaster1]

I also have an old Takamine F-349(one of the old Martin D-18 copies) and it sounds better than any real Martin D-18 that I have ever played next to it.

[rocksteady Max]

I will reconsider Twangcaster ! I reckon having on played by brother's Takamine and didn't like it much. Next time I go in the acoustic department I'll try a couple.

[twangcaster1]

Originally Posted by rocksteady Max

I will reconsider Twangcaster ! I reckon having on played by brother's Takamine and didn't like it much. Next time I go in the acoustic department I'll try a couple.

Yeah, you'll be surprised. Takamine makes everything from $200 junkers to $2,000 dazzlers. You get what you pay for, but even with the high priced Takamines, I still think you get a LOT more bang for the buck than you get when you buy a Martin or Gibson for the same price. To me, a $1,000 Takamine spanks a $1,000 Martin or Gibson with a wet cloth.

[Chucksolo69]

I have a vintage Takamine acoustic that I would NEVER part with. I got it from a friend whose wife left him and he was getting rid of all the stuff she left at his/their house. He just up and gave it to me; I was floored when he did that. It is a Takamine F340 and it looks exactly like a Martin right down to the headstock. According to the serial # it was made on September 11, 1974 and it was the 9th guitar made that day. It is a sweet sounding guitar. Even a low end Takamine can sound great though.

[B Valley]

I'm really sold on Epiphone acoustic/electrics. The PR5-e is a good choice for sound, comfort, and the feel of the neck.
http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/p...tar?sku=518640
At about $300.00, they're a good choice in my book.
If she's set on Takamine, the NEX series is a good buy too.
http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/p...tar?sku=515250
A little closer to $400.00, but great sounding as well. And I really appreciate the smaller cutaway style of both these guitars. They're great sittin'-on-the-couch guitars.

[aunchaki]

Originally Posted by Chucksolo69

I have a vintage Takamine acoustic that I would NEVER part with.

+1 I also have an older Tak that will never leave me. I love them. That said, my opinions are not everyone's opinions. There are real reasons why Taks (or Ovations, or [gasp!] Fenders) are not everyone's cup of tea.

Still, next time you're in the store, play a few more. I think they're pretty good guitars at every price point.

[mfguitar]

For my money in that price range you will get a better Seagul than a Tak; I really like the fit, finish and balance. Should you want a booming bass however I would go in a different direction. Taylor Big Babies can be had for that money, no elecric though. The barebones Martins are really nice as well.

[charlie cash]

Are you going to shop for guitars with her, or is she going to order one online? If you can, make a list of several good choices and inclue a Takamine or two on the list. Then go shopping with her so she can hear/see the differences in the guitars, and make a more educated decision.

[HOBBSTER01]

A good used Takamine EAN-10C will usually run in the $400-$600 range.
IMO it's hard to find a better acoustic.

[superchicken_VI]

If she wants a Takamine for him, or knows that he has a predisposition towards one, I wouldn't fight it. In that price range, I'd probably be looking at the Seagull or an Alvarez myself, but Takamine makes good guitars.

I know if I told my wife that I wanted a Fender Standard Telecaster and she came home with a G&L, I'd be very happy with either one. However, if she came in with a Peavey Generation, I wouldn't be quite so pleased. I know what I like, and if he does too, it's worth sticking with what he thinks.

[rocksteady Max]

That's what I'll do Superchicken ! anyway I'm not the one who will end up playing the guitar. If he didn't want a Takamine I'll just blame it on her :P. But now she saw the Godin 5th Avenue ... I've told her to wait for the after Holidays special so we can go to the store to try all those guitars. I'm gonna play them side by side and we'll decide this way.

[J. Hayes]

Epiphone Masterbilt. I have one which I wouldn't part with for anything. I don't need any money so this guitar stays in the collection. It's my favorite acoustic when I don't need to be "plugged in"............JH in Va.

[rhh7]

This is the Seagull Coastline Grand, a parlour guitar, which I would love to have:

[Magpel]

Hi, first post at this great forum...

I have experience with the Taks, Alvarez and Seagulls in that price range, and I definitely preferred the Seagulls---especially or maybe even only the cedar top ones. They have an almost Larivee-ish balanced quality.

Good luck!

[sixstring6]

I have a 1977 12 string tak that I would not part with. I also have 2003 six string with all the electronics. It sounds awesome plugged in and okay unplugged. Strings can make a huge difference. Also, a cut-away takes alot of your unplugged sound away. I'd buy a big body Gibson if I had the money, just for that big unplugged sound.
Anyways, for the money a Tak is a good guitar. Personal preference is what it's all about.

[aunchaki]

Originally Posted by sixstring6

Also, a cut-away takes alot of your unplugged sound away.

I don't mean to hijack this thread (on Christmas, of all days!), but I've wondered about this. I do not really play in the upper registers (above, say, the 10th fret), so I've not been interested in a cutaway acoustic. Still, I'm always looking for that great deal on eBay, that diamond in the rough.

Some potential diamonds have cutaways. I'm not saying I'll never own a cutaway acoustic, I'm just not looking for one. If the effect on the unplugged sound is noticeable, I may cross them off my list entirely.

Opnions?

[rocksteady Max]

Originally Posted by Magpel

Hi, first post at this great forum...

I have experience with the Taks, Alvarez and Seagulls in that price range, and I definitely preferred the Seagulls---especially or maybe even only the cedar top ones. They have an almost Larivee-ish balanced quality.

Good luck!

Welcome on board Cedar top guitars makes exquisite fingerstyle intrument : I always keep my S&P mini jumbo close by.

[ye olde fretmonkey]

I also wouldn't rule out any of the others in the Godin line, like Norman, A & L, S & P or La Patrie. Very, very nice guitars for the $$.


(don't forget Blueridge either)

[gitano718]

I've played Takamine's and Seagulls in $500 price range but I definitely agree with J. Hayes on this one. I have an Epiphone Masterbilt AJ500 that not only rings sweet and clear but projects like a cannon. Also check the Blue Ridge BR's. Nice copies of the Gibson J45's.

[rocksteady Max]

Originally Posted by aunchaki

I don't mean to hijack this thread (on Christmas, of all days!), but I've wondered about this. I do not really play in the upper registers (above, say, the 10th fret), so I've not been interested in a cutaway acoustic. Still, I'm always looking for that great deal on eBay, that diamond in the rough.

Some potential diamonds have cutaways. I'm not saying I'll never own a cutaway acoustic, I'm just not looking for one. If the effect on the unplugged sound is noticeable, I may cross them off my list entirely.

Opnions?

Some very serious people are saying that cutaway doesn't influence much on the sound of an acoustic guitar. They even propose a test to justify their claim. Tap on the soundboard of a regular acoustic guitar at different places. Compare the resonance of the various spot hitted. You'll notice you get almost no resonance at the place where the cutaway would be. I wouldn't be steered out of a good deal because of a cutaway as long as the guitar sounds great. I'll never buy an acoustic sight unseen. 1st : you don't know how it sounds 2nd : I don't want nightmares about the UPS truck for a week ...

Merry Christmas and good luck

[rocksteady Max]

Originally Posted by ye olde fretmonkey

I also wouldn't rule out any of the others in the Godin line, like Norman, A & L, S & P or La Patrie. Very, very nice guitars for the $$.


(don't forget Blueridge either)

I will rule out La Patrie since it's a classical guitars line. There is one thing in the world I can't stand : somebody strumming on a nylon-stringed classical guitar. My next-door neighbor does that, sometime on saturday morning at 8am ... OUchhhhh !!!

[Ignatius]

I have a Takamine N-10 that I like less and less the longer I own it. I don't have experience with the higher end Takamines but at the lower end of the scale I think there are FAR better choices, IMO.

[bradpdx]

I owned a Tak EN-10C for a couple of years, and it was much like the other Taks I have had - really practical as an amplified stage guitar and pretty darn wimpy as a straight acoustic. No poop once the plug comes out.

I realize that this is beyond the original poster's intention, but I just gave up on Taks as real acoustics. I now use only Martins (HD-28 and 000-16GT) with Baggs pickups and that really works, both plugged and unplugged. I do a lot of acoustic gigs (solo and band as a lead player) and the HD-28 is just a terrific workhorse.

[jvanhorn]

I have a Takamine NEX 541, basically a smaller version of the great 341. It plays just fine, although I admit that it really comes alive plugged in. Still if she is just playing in a small room it sounds just fine. In the price range you want.

[rangercaster]

Don't overlook Yamaha CPX or APX series ... my CPX5-s(solid top) was $299

[Seagull25th]

I just bought the 25th Anniversary CW Flame Maple EQ.

This is the Spruce top with the cutaway. Not only is it beautiful, it is amazing to play. The fingerboard and the tone are sublime.

I paid $550 Cdn.

The dealer that sold me this one sells S6's for $280 Cdn.

I would reccomend the S6.