Who owns a Takamine guitar?

teleman53 · October 13th, 2005, 02:01 PM

i want the 12 string EF381C i've played and now i just gotta save some money

nogin007 · October 13th, 2005, 10:28 PM

I don't have one, but am considering buying one. Last week I saw a Takamine solid body guitar, similar to a Gibson explorer. I ran a search, and they built it one year, and I guess got out of the electric guitar business, concetrating on acoustics.

Flaco · October 13th, 2005, 11:25 PM

I've got a 12 year old 1st series Steve Wariner limited edition. It's a great guitar that has aged well. Plugged in it sounds a little bright solo but it really fits into a full band sound well.

pohorsky · October 14th, 2005, 09:38 AM

A couple years ago I picked up a F360S-LH, and it has great tone.

teleman53 · October 14th, 2005, 11:27 AM

ok cool like i said i'm definetly thinkin about buyin one of their 12 strings but would like to what people who own their guitars think. anything bad about them (besides price) problems with customer service?

Joe-Bob · November 1st, 2005, 03:48 PM

I have an FP350SMCSB. It's the Flame Maple dreadnought with a cutaway and a sunburst finish. It also has their top-line pickup and DSP preamp. I like it alot, but I think the cutaway hurts the tone a bit compared to a non-cut. And I don't use the upper frets nearly as much as I thought I did. Next time I get an acoustic (Breedlove) I think I'll forego the cutaway.

teleman53 · November 3rd, 2005, 01:54 PM

i like the cutaway, i don't use it a whole lot but i'm glad its there since i only have room for one electric and one acoustic, gta figure out a way to fit a 12 string in my room. parents won't let me hang them, wouldn't be that big a deal but i share a room.

Joe-Bob · November 5th, 2005, 01:13 AM

I've got a half dozen electrics, so I don't really feel the need for a cutaway acoustic anymore.

Mr Joad · November 17th, 2005, 08:06 AM

I have the Ef 341 sc..the 6 string version of a 381...I have to say that is the best thing I ever bought! And compared to martins or taylors it is not pricy at all!

I will never part with mine..And I would die for the 12 stringed but as a student I don´t have the money. I am going to buy a yamaha fg 420-12a this saturday though! :D :D

teleman53 · November 17th, 2005, 01:33 PM

the 12 string version isn't that much more than the 6 string is it?

Mr Joad · November 18th, 2005, 05:55 AM

No it isn´t..maybe 50$ or so..but it took me two jobs and a year to get the 6 stringed.. :D everything is relative

franchelB · November 28th, 2005, 11:15 PM

I have a CD132sc. It's a decent guitar for the money.
I forget the model number but Takamine has a EG-523-12? that sounds pretty good, imo.

bobk · November 29th, 2005, 10:02 AM

single cutaway from 1986............plays amazing.....tiger striped maple front and back......awesome....transparent black finish..archtop and back......my favorite writin guitar

Joe-Bob · November 29th, 2005, 11:20 PM

Well, I didn't know we were including classicals. I have a Hirade H-5. Mas Hirade founded Takamine, and the Hirade line of classicals are amazing.

dieselten · December 14th, 2005, 04:42 AM

Back in 1976 or thereabouts I bought a Takamine F-450S...a millimetre-accurate and unashamed copy of the Martin D-41. It was so accurate that it fitted a Martin case I bought to keep it in!

I also had a Gibson Dove of the same vintage, and of the two, I liked the Takamine tone better but found the Dove slightly easier to play. I was into Leo Kottke, Peter Lang and John Fahey at the time and the Takamine spent a fair bit of time in either Open G or Open C tuning.

Ended up swapping both for a Fender Vibrosonic Reverb amp when I started playing pedal steel and Dobro.

I miss both those acoustics, but if I was able to get one back I'd probably opt for the Takamine and hope it had been treated kindly by the intervening thirty years plus of being played. There's something timeless about the classic styling and plain wood soundboard...the Dove was garish by comparison. Secondhand F-450S are rare...the guys who have 'em seem to be holding onto them.

I'm currently looking for a nice dreadnought. I favour either the Martin D-28 or the Gallagher Doc Watson model. But I don't rule out a Takamine NV360S either. Have played a Takamine copy of the Martin D28-12 (the Takamine F400S) and it was nice. I actually owned a Martin D28-12 for a few years and although it was the best balanced guitar I every owned in terms of tone, The Takamine copy was more of a workhorse. Both the D28-12 and the Vibrosonic reverb amp went to a well-known guitar dealer in Sydney some years ago. The takamine 12-string was returned to the mate I borrowed it from nearly 20 years ago!

IMHO, the Takamines are good value for money, but with second-hand ones a lot depends on how well they have been looked after and how they have been played. Wood isn't by any means homogenous and two identical guitars off the production-line may change in time in different ways.

I do miss that F-450S though.

(edited for spelling)

westo387 · December 17th, 2005, 02:08 AM

i used to have a Takamine somthing or other, i cant remember the name to save my life. I sold it to my boss to help finance my stratocaster/amplifier purchase. I liked it a lot, damn thing had fantastic natural harmonics and a pretty nice action.

blue metalflake · December 27th, 2005, 03:43 PM

I played the 12 string a few nights ago.

A most impressive machine both acoustically and when plugged in. It was the one with built in tuner, pre-amps, etc - don't know the model

Lovely guitar and good value

Great Ape · January 2nd, 2006, 11:45 AM

I have the EAN60C, cutaway nylon string. It's got the CT4B preamp, which I think is maybe not the best for it. Any suggestions from you other nylon/electric owners?

h_berder · November 7th, 2006, 01:13 PM

I have an 16 years old EF 341 and it sounds amazing. chirping and cheeping away. :)

aunchaki · November 7th, 2006, 06:50 PM

Six months ago I found a used, all-mahogany, 12-string F-389 at Guitar Center for $179!!! It's a tank and sounds very mellow. I tried some of the cheap 12-strings (i.e. $199 new) with spruce tops. They all sounded brighter and bolder, but the all-mahogany Tak really blended all twelve strings together beautifully.

getbent · November 7th, 2006, 06:58 PM

I just picked up a tak 12 on craigslist week before last 80.00! it is from the 70's came with a martin case, I spent 40.00 getting it set up by my favorite guy and man, that thing is cool! I'd never owned a 12 string acoustic.. it is a really nicely made guitar and worth 3 times what I paid at least.

beachkos · November 9th, 2006, 07:31 PM

Here's my '77 factory lefty F-360 S that I purchased new in '77. This guitar just sounds better and better every year. It's just had it's 29th birthday back in October ! It's really aged well, has a great patina to it, and the sound is comparable to any D-28 that I've ever played. I think I'll keep it

f69tele · November 9th, 2006, 07:48 PM

They are good guitars, no doubt. Something affordable for the working musician. I've got one and all my buddies used to play them, but have gotten the "Taylor Fever" lately. I think for a band situation it's a great working guitar. No quality issues that I've been award of. Every once in a while you'll find one that sounds like a cigar box with strings on it unplugged, but for the most part they are easy on the ear and the pocket book. I think they could use some nut work to get them to play a little easier.

Don Miller · November 10th, 2006, 12:40 AM

Ive got an older Tak 12 string..it was our tax return in 1978...its a dead on copy of a D28-12...andfrom 5 feet you cant tell the difference... it has always been one of the easiest playing 12s I ever played...resale on them isnt that bad..and they frequently can be had at a good price...Ive gotten alot of use out of mine....

Theyre a good deal when you find one....

scudgebucket · November 10th, 2006, 02:16 AM

I own two Takamines. Both are very tasty. One is a 2004 EF341SC. Its a good knock-around guitar, and sounds great when its amplified. I like the built in tuner - very well designed and useful.

The other is a 1999 F-370SS. Stunner of a guitar. Its a very nicely appointed acoustic dreadnought. Sounds much like a Martin D-28. The back and sides are koa. The inlay is described as a Frank Lloyd Wright style of design. No pickguard. Its got a bone saddle and nut. I picked this baby up used for $350.

Mark N · November 12th, 2006, 10:06 PM

I have a used EG334BC black electric acoustic cutaway, laminate top. Nice little guitar for me to get started in the acoustic world. I really want the EF341SC. There's all kinds of Taks on Ebay for decent prices

sharkydude50 · November 16th, 2006, 02:46 PM

Got a EG-10c back in '97 that is my #1. Very similar to what Pete Townshend played in the 90's on tour w/ The Who (except cedar topped). Cut away w/ electronics. Paid like $450 and have loved it ever since. Great git IMHO.

October 13th, 2005, 02:01 PM	#1 (permalink)
teleman53 Tele-Meister Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 321	Who owns a Takamine guitar? i want the 12 string EF381C i've played and now i just gotta save some money

October 13th, 2005, 11:25 PM	#3 (permalink)
Flaco Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Austin, TEXAS, USA Posts: 426 6 Photos	I've got a 12 year old 1st series Steve Wariner limited edition. It's a great guitar that has aged well. Plugged in it sounds a little bright solo but it really fits into a full band sound well. __________________ Shawn "Flaco" Jones

October 14th, 2005, 09:38 AM	#4 (permalink)
pohorsky Tele-Holic Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Bakersfield Age: 23 Posts: 722 48 Photos	I got one A couple years ago I picked up a F360S-LH, and it has great tone. __________________ Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday. John Wayne

November 1st, 2005, 03:48 PM	#6 (permalink)
Joe-Bob Friend of Leo's Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Dallas, Texas Age: 46 Posts: 4,023	I have an FP350SMCSB. It's the Flame Maple dreadnought with a cutaway and a sunburst finish. It also has their top-line pickup and DSP preamp. I like it alot, but I think the cutaway hurts the tone a bit compared to a non-cut. And I don't use the upper frets nearly as much as I thought I did. Next time I get an acoustic (Breedlove) I think I'll forego the cutaway. __________________ "German is the language God uses when He really means business." --FZ

November 5th, 2005, 01:13 AM	#8 (permalink)
Joe-Bob Friend of Leo's Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Dallas, Texas Age: 46 Posts: 4,023	I've got a half dozen electrics, so I don't really feel the need for a cutaway acoustic anymore. __________________ "German is the language God uses when He really means business." --FZ

October 13th, 2005, 10:28 PM	#2 (permalink)
nogin007 Tele-Meister Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 161	I don't have one, but am considering buying one. Last week I saw a Takamine solid body guitar, similar to a Gibson explorer. I ran a search, and they built it one year, and I guess got out of the electric guitar business, concetrating on acoustics.

October 14th, 2005, 11:27 AM	#5 (permalink)
teleman53 Tele-Meister Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 321	ok cool like i said i'm definetly thinkin about buyin one of their 12 strings but would like to what people who own their guitars think. anything bad about them (besides price) problems with customer service?

November 3rd, 2005, 01:54 PM	#7 (permalink)
teleman53 Tele-Meister Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 321	i like the cutaway, i don't use it a whole lot but i'm glad its there since i only have room for one electric and one acoustic, gta figure out a way to fit a 12 string in my room. parents won't let me hang them, wouldn't be that big a deal but i share a room.

November 17th, 2005, 08:06 AM	#9 (permalink)
Mr Joad TDPRI Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Turku Posts: 96	I have the Ef 341 sc..the 6 string version of a 381...I have to say that is the best thing I ever bought! And compared to martins or taylors it is not pricy at all! I will never part with mine..And I would die for the 12 stringed but as a student I don´t have the money. I am going to buy a yamaha fg 420-12a this saturday though! :D :D

November 17th, 2005, 01:33 PM	#10 (permalink)
teleman53 Tele-Meister Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 321	the 12 string version isn't that much more than the 6 string is it?

November 18th, 2005, 05:55 AM	#11 (permalink)
Mr Joad TDPRI Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Turku Posts: 96	No it isn´t..maybe 50$ or so..but it took me two jobs and a year to get the 6 stringed.. :D everything is relative

November 28th, 2005, 11:15 PM	#12 (permalink)
franchelB Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Irving, United States of Texas! Age: 43 Posts: 1,897	I have a CD132sc. It's a decent guitar for the money. I forget the model number but Takamine has a EG-523-12? that sounds pretty good, imo.

November 29th, 2005, 10:02 AM	#13 (permalink)
bobk Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: New Jersey Posts: 102	i have an EF391ME single cutaway from 1986............plays amazing.....tiger striped maple front and back......awesome....transparent black finish..archtop and back......my favorite writin guitar __________________ #3,the Intimidator

November 29th, 2005, 11:20 PM	#14 (permalink)
Joe-Bob Friend of Leo's Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Dallas, Texas Age: 46 Posts: 4,023	Well, I didn't know we were including classicals. I have a Hirade H-5. Mas Hirade founded Takamine, and the Hirade line of classicals are amazing. __________________ "German is the language God uses when He really means business." --FZ

December 14th, 2005, 04:42 AM	#15 (permalink)
dieselten TDPRI Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Wollongong. Australia Posts: 37	Back in 1976 or thereabouts I bought a Takamine F-450S...a millimetre-accurate and unashamed copy of the Martin D-41. It was so accurate that it fitted a Martin case I bought to keep it in! I also had a Gibson Dove of the same vintage, and of the two, I liked the Takamine tone better but found the Dove slightly easier to play. I was into Leo Kottke, Peter Lang and John Fahey at the time and the Takamine spent a fair bit of time in either Open G or Open C tuning. Ended up swapping both for a Fender Vibrosonic Reverb amp when I started playing pedal steel and Dobro. I miss both those acoustics, but if I was able to get one back I'd probably opt for the Takamine and hope it had been treated kindly by the intervening thirty years plus of being played. There's something timeless about the classic styling and plain wood soundboard...the Dove was garish by comparison. Secondhand F-450S are rare...the guys who have 'em seem to be holding onto them. I'm currently looking for a nice dreadnought. I favour either the Martin D-28 or the Gallagher Doc Watson model. But I don't rule out a Takamine NV360S either. Have played a Takamine copy of the Martin D28-12 (the Takamine F400S) and it was nice. I actually owned a Martin D28-12 for a few years and although it was the best balanced guitar I every owned in terms of tone, The Takamine copy was more of a workhorse. Both the D28-12 and the Vibrosonic reverb amp went to a well-known guitar dealer in Sydney some years ago. The takamine 12-string was returned to the mate I borrowed it from nearly 20 years ago! IMHO, the Takamines are good value for money, but with second-hand ones a lot depends on how well they have been looked after and how they have been played. Wood isn't by any means homogenous and two identical guitars off the production-line may change in time in different ways. I do miss that F-450S though. (edited for spelling) __________________ Cheaper, lighter, faster - pick any two!

December 17th, 2005, 02:08 AM	#16 (permalink)
westo387 TDPRI Member Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 24	i used to have one i used to have a Takamine somthing or other, i cant remember the name to save my life. I sold it to my boss to help finance my stratocaster/amplifier purchase. I liked it a lot, damn thing had fantastic natural harmonics and a pretty nice action. __________________ Communism doesn't work because people like to own stuff. - FZ

December 27th, 2005, 03:43 PM	#17 (permalink)
blue metalflake Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: ireland Age: 55 Posts: 2,364 10 Photos	Tried the 12 string I played the 12 string a few nights ago. A most impressive machine both acoustically and when plugged in. It was the one with built in tuner, pre-amps, etc - don't know the model Lovely guitar and good value

January 2nd, 2006, 11:45 AM	#18 (permalink)
Great Ape Tele-Meister Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: uk Posts: 259	I have the EAN60C, cutaway nylon string. It's got the CT4B preamp, which I think is maybe not the best for it. Any suggestions from you other nylon/electric owners?

November 7th, 2006, 01:13 PM	#19 (permalink)
h_berder TDPRI Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: TURKEY Posts: 10	I have an 16 years old EF 341 and it sounds amazing. chirping and cheeping away. :)

November 7th, 2006, 06:50 PM	#20 (permalink)
aunchaki Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Western New York Posts: 1,308 24 Photos	Six months ago I found a used, all-mahogany, 12-string F-389 at Guitar Center for $179!!! It's a tank and sounds very mellow. I tried some of the cheap 12-strings (i.e. $199 new) with spruce tops. They all sounded brighter and bolder, but the all-mahogany Tak really blended all twelve strings together beautifully. __________________ Two Teles, One Strat, Two Acoustics (6 & 12 strings), One Solidbody Acoustic, Two Mandolins (4 & 8 strings), One Bass (5 strings)

November 7th, 2006, 06:58 PM	#21 (permalink)
getbent Moderator Doctor of Teleocity Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: San Benito County, California Posts: 10,610 37 Photos	I just picked up a tak 12 on craigslist week before last 80.00! it is from the 70's came with a martin case, I spent 40.00 getting it set up by my favorite guy and man, that thing is cool! I'd never owned a 12 string acoustic.. it is a really nicely made guitar and worth 3 times what I paid at least. __________________ 'never pet a burning dog'

November 9th, 2006, 07:31 PM	#22 (permalink)
beachkos Tele-Holic Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Newburgh, New York Age: 54 Posts: 641 5 Photos	F-360 S Here's my '77 factory lefty F-360 S that I purchased new in '77. This guitar just sounds better and better every year. It's just had it's 29th birthday back in October ! It's really aged well, has a great patina to it, and the sound is comparable to any D-28 that I've ever played. I think I'll keep it __________________ "The key to avoiding a shark attack isn't necessarily in being able to swim faster than the shark, rather the key lies in being able to swim faster than the person you're swimming with. " Beachkos - circa 1972

November 9th, 2006, 07:48 PM	#23 (permalink)
f69tele Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: New Ulm, TX Age: 40 Posts: 310	They are good guitars, no doubt. Something affordable for the working musician. I've got one and all my buddies used to play them, but have gotten the "Taylor Fever" lately. I think for a band situation it's a great working guitar. No quality issues that I've been award of. Every once in a while you'll find one that sounds like a cigar box with strings on it unplugged, but for the most part they are easy on the ear and the pocket book. I think they could use some nut work to get them to play a little easier. __________________ I usually don't do requests, unless somebody asks for them...

November 10th, 2006, 12:40 AM	#24 (permalink)
Don Miller Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Anchorage, Alaska Age: 57 Posts: 606 14 Photos	Ive got an older Tak 12 string..it was our tax return in 1978...its a dead on copy of a D28-12...andfrom 5 feet you cant tell the difference... it has always been one of the easiest playing 12s I ever played...resale on them isnt that bad..and they frequently can be had at a good price...Ive gotten alot of use out of mine.... Theyre a good deal when you find one....

November 10th, 2006, 02:16 AM	#25 (permalink)
scudgebucket Tele-Meister Join Date: May 2003 Location: Cupertino, California Posts: 109	2 taks.... I own two Takamines. Both are very tasty. One is a 2004 EF341SC. Its a good knock-around guitar, and sounds great when its amplified. I like the built in tuner - very well designed and useful. The other is a 1999 F-370SS. Stunner of a guitar. Its a very nicely appointed acoustic dreadnought. Sounds much like a Martin D-28. The back and sides are koa. The inlay is described as a Frank Lloyd Wright style of design. No pickguard. Its got a bone saddle and nut. I picked this baby up used for $350. __________________ ...there was a Never Ending Tour, but it ended in '91. The Money Never Runs Out Tour, Why Do You Look at Me So Strangely Tour, Principles of Action Tour, Outburst of Consciousness Tour, The One Sad Cry of Pity Tour, and others too many to mention.

November 12th, 2006, 10:06 PM	#26 (permalink)
Mark N Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Woodstock, NB, Canada Age: 37 Posts: 629 8 Photos	I have a used EG334BC black electric acoustic cutaway, laminate top. Nice little guitar for me to get started in the acoustic world. I really want the EF341SC. There's all kinds of Taks on Ebay for decent prices Last edited by Mark N; January 11th, 2007 at 09:27 PM.

November 16th, 2006, 02:46 PM	#27 (permalink)
sharkydude50 Tele-Meister Join Date: May 2006 Location: South Florida Posts: 170 9 Photos	Got a EG-10c back in '97 that is my #1. Very similar to what Pete Townshend played in the 90's on tour w/ The Who (except cedar topped). Cut away w/ electronics. Paid like $450 and have loved it ever since. Great git IMHO. __________________ Sharkymon- Acoustics Baby Yeah!