What's with Takamine?

deejayen

It's might just be a passing fad, as I didn't like the couple of Takamine guitars I tried many years ago, but I've now become interested in them!

However, the Worldwide website is difficult to navigate in that there are millions of guitars listed with strange model names, and no indication of price, or whether or not they're current models.  I've looked up a few, and they seem to be discontinued.  The website also lists only the most basic of specs (nothing about body dimensions etc).

The UK distributor (Rose Morris) only lists four current models.  I've emailed them, but they haven't replied.

My nearest dealer would be a few hundred mile round trip, and they only seem to have a couple of the Japanese guitars, one of which is the 2023 Limited Edition, which is also one of the four models listed by Rose Morris.

I phoned a dealer in the south today, as they had one particular model listed as 'Pre order'.  The person I spoke to was extremely brusque, and I didn't feel they were willing to talk Takamine!

I'm just curious - are Takamine guitars no longer fashionable, and is availability of the Japanese guitars in the UK really as poor as it appears to be?

I suppose I'm interested in them because of their pickup systems, as a few people have mentioned they can sound quite natural when played through a PA (and moving a bit of air).  I don't play live, but I always think there's a possibility I might hit the streets and do some busking!  The Japanese guitars seem to be well made, and have a robust neck joint, plus a finish which might hold up well to temperature swings etc.  I know some have narrow nut widths, but not all.  I suppose I'd have to try one to know whether or not their necks are okay for me.  I was thinking about buying one mail-order, but that's not possible if they're not in stock!  I suppose the other thing I'm unsure about is the tone... I've listed to a handful of Youtube videos, and can't really tell how they sound - I'm left wondering if they're a bit bland.  Again, I'd only know that by playing them and experiencing how they feel, respond, and sound.

guitarjack66

I had an OM/Concert model and was originally hoping it would be better than it ultimately was. Mine was a bit older and was Korean made under a US licence.

ICBM

The high-end Japanese ones are very good. The others... not so much.

Tannin

They seem to have an odd distribution model. Here in Oz a reasonable number of  shops have a handful of the middle models (i.e., close to the top of the made-in-China range) and a few shops have a whole heap of Takamines - pretty close to a whole shop full of them. 

Now to be a Taylor dealer, you have to carry a lot of stock, you never see a shop with just two or three Taylors, I suspect they have a list of about 15 models which all Taylor dealers must carry all the time. If you are not prepared to do that, Taylor won't sell to you. (The pattern is too consistent to explain otherwise.) The result is that if you walk into a shop which has a 2 Series Taylor, you'll also see a Baby, and a 314, at least four or five  high-end models, and so on.

Gibson have tried to enforce something similar recently, with the result that quite a few shops which have traditionally carried Gibson have said "Nope. I'm happy to carry three or four of the ones that sell but I'm not stocking all that dead wood. There are other brands. Bye." So now I'm seeing a number of the best and biggest acoustic dealers not bothering to carry Gibson. (Which as far as I'm concerned is a good thing, they have more room for nicer guitars from other makers.)

But with Takamine, it's different. Shops either carry a handful, if that, of the low to mid-range, or they are wall to wall Takamine with very little other stock at all. 

None of the places I go to or can easily get to are the wall-to-wall Takamine dealers, so I have not played as many examples as I'd like to have done. 

It is weird how Takamine - pretty much alone of all the major makers - have stuck to their tiny 42.5mm nuts. I have quite often had a lust attack over a given Takamine model, decided I'll drive to Sydney or Adelaide or whatever damn place has the thing in stock and try it out, only to read the fine print and discover that the neck will be crazy-small and quite unplayable.

Thankfully, they do also make guitars with a standard 44.5mm nut, but you have to hunt around for them.

Having sold given away my ancient plywood Yamaha 12-string, I no longer have any Japanese-made guitars. I'm not so keen on Yamaha because all their top-end stuff is spruce and rosewood and who needs yet another bloody rosewood instrument? I like guitars with interesting tones, not same-old, same-old. There aren't too many other Japanese makers left  A week or two ago I saw a lovely looking Takamine advertised, cedar top over ... um .. I think it was Sapele, 44.5mm nut, OM sized, no cutaway. Right down my alley! Unfortunately, I'm on 200% of my one-guitar-a-year budget already with a Brook on order for next year, so it's next stop 2025 for me.

ICBM

Tannin said:

It is weird how Takamine - pretty much alone of all the major makers - have stuck to their tiny 42.5mm nuts.

Of course this is something which makes them still attractive to me...

Redlester

As our friend @ICBM says, the Japanese models are well worth trying if you see one. The cheaper version can be very hit and miss. 

To be honest, it has long seemed to me that their distribution in this country has  been patchy. So far as I can see, it's been this way for a couple of decades. 

I am something of a convert, as I have had a pure acoustic Tak- yes, I know that they are well known for their electros- for almost 20 years. Lovely thing. 

deejayen

Thanks!

Yes, it's the Japanese ones I'm interested in.

I think I can probably adapt to most nut widths and string spacing, but prefer it if the necks aren't too thin. 

I've been thinking the cedar/sapele ones would be really interesting to try. 

You'd think they would offer custom options, a bit like Larrivee seem to do (perhaps they do in other countries) seeing as there's a lot of traditional craftsmanship in the Japanese factory. 

I always thought they were common here in the UK, but also remember that I tried them when I was working in England and would visit Denmark Street in London, so that would have been in the Rose Morris store they had\have there.

Bax Music have a few listed, but I think they're in Germany.

polotska

I briefly had a then-recent MIJ EF340-TT (now discontinued, I think) about 5 years ago. It was beautifully made and sounded great, but the neck was way too thick for me—genuinely painful to play—so I sold it. I don’t think the tree trunk neck and 45mm nut are typical of Takamines, but the models do vary.

TheMadMick

I have a Tak EN20C (MIJ) from 1997. The fact I still have it says all that needs to be said.

My friend has a cheaper 12string (Spruce / Maple, gloss finish) and it rings out good and true.

My experience has been positive but pretty much old hat now.

wrinkleygit

I have a snappily named EF261SAN , again from around ‘97, great workhorse, still going strong.

bertie

ICBM said:

The high-end Japanese ones are very good. The others... not so much.

I remember the earlier (90s) ones   having tops about as responsive as a cricket bat,   fine for really heavy strummers with forearms like popeye,  using a small dinner plate as a plectrum  - 

they were "the" go to for bands wanting a plugged in (horrid over compressed piezo sound) acoustic   - at least that's my memory of them

Tannin

bertie said:

I remember the earlier (90s) ones   having tops about as responsive as a cricket bat,   fine for really heavy strummers with forearms like popeye,  using a small dinner plate as a plectrum  - 

they were "the" go to for bands wanting a plugged in (horrid over compressed piezo sound) acoustic   - at least that's my memory of them

This is the bit that bugs me. If you build a sweet, responsive guitar, it's an absolute barstard to amplify and it sounds like shit through the front-of-house. 

If you unleash your inner Eko and build something as solid as the proverbial brick shithouse, it's as responsive as a blow-up plastic doll, but it doesn't feed back, it has no nasty habits, you plug it in to the PA and you are right to go with a great FOH sound right out of the box. 

OK, it's not as simple as all that, but there is a trade-off. My Mineur, for example, would be an absolute prick of a thing to set up for live gigs at band volumes, just about impossible. But in a quiet room it's the sweetest little fingerpicker you could ask for. Horses for courses.

hollywoodrox

I had an FD360SC in the 90s  superb I’d looked at Taylor ,Martin, Yamaha etc & ended up with the Tak it was a beauty  I must admit  that Glen Frey & a lot of the Eagles playing them did influence my decision. I’ve always fancied a Santa Fe but do t play much acoustic now to justify it ,plus I really dig hummingbirds and SJ as I dig Keef n Ronnie 

Redlester

bertie said:

ICBM said:

The high-end Japanese ones are very good. The others... not so much.

I remember the earlier (90s) ones   having tops about as responsive as a cricket bat,   fine for really heavy strummers with forearms like popeye,  using a small dinner plate as a plectrum  - 

they were "the" go to for bands wanting a plugged in (horrid over compressed piezo sound) acoustic   - at least that's my memory of them

Exactly this. Just as Ovation were the go-to plug in acoustic sound of the 80s, so many of us have images in our minds from the early/ mid 90s of various touring rockers belting away on cutaway Takamine dreadnoughts- they did rather corner that market. 

They probably still do a line in those rather more generic models. However, the NEX series guitars are lovely, and the one I mentioned above is a dreadnought with lots of richness and subtlety. 

It does help a lot that the japanese models are a) generally very well built and b) take some interesting chances with woods and combinations of wood. Cedar, for example, has long been a staple of the Tak lineup for tops. My guitar has a cedar top and rosewood back and sides. Plenty of low end 'punch' rather than 'thump' when strummed hard, and very mellow when finger picking. 

Edit- re-reading that, I'm not sure I've distinguished very well between a thump and a punch!!! Let's drop the figurative language and just say it is less boomy- still very loud in the lower frequencies- but not overwhelmingly so.

 

susbemol

The UK distributor is KORG UK (https://brands.korg.co.uk/), not Rose Morris.

Might be worth getting in touch with them directly: https://www.takamine.co.uk/pages/support

deejayen

Thanks for correcting me - for some reason I thought I'd seen mention of Rose Morris as being the distributor.  However, the Korg page was the one I used to contact them - still no reply, but I'll try another method if I haven't heard from anyone within the next few days.

TDubs

I enquired about a particular model I wanted to try back in 2021 as I couldn’t find anyone who stocked it.  I emailed takamine@korg.co.uk and had a response back from the Takamine national sales manager in about 4 days. He was really helpful and offered to get a model sent to a store for me to try.

deejayen

Thanks - that's good to know!

Lon,prs

I just got a Takamine GN51CE NEX electro acoustic 

After my 20 yr old Tanglewood which i gifted to a local homeless lad as his was stolen, it's great..
I only play at home for me so I don't care about anything else..but putting it through my Boss Katana set on acoustic  it's great sounding love it..

It does say made in China which I didn't expect to see...but seems OK for the price. And I always wanted a Takamine so I now have one

boogieman

I think they’ve dropped out of favour nowadays. I had a Koa/ spruce dreadnaught up to a couple of years back, a F370SS made in 98 or 99. The SS stands for solid back, solid sides. It was one of the few models they made with no pick up. I bought it in a blow out sale at Unplugged in West London, part of the appeal was the silly low price, something like £500 under the normal retail. It was very nicely made, beautifully finished throughout and koa is a stunning looking wood, but I found it curiously bland sounding after the initial honeymoon period, quite bright with not a lot of the bass clout you’d normally expect from a good dread. It certainly wasn’t a patch character-wise on the Martin OM that has replaced it. My stepson has the Tak now and absolutely loves it though. I would definitely try before you buy. 

Soupman

I've not had much experience of Taks. I have a couple of friends who have them, they look nicely finished.
I've been told they have a good pickup system, but sound better plugged in.
Anecdotal so who knows. Always liked the look of them.