Tacoma C1C Chief

Pretty basic.....see other reviews for description. This one has a factory installed LR Baggs pickup system. Simple and excellent.

I bought this for my 18 year old daughter's graduation from high school.......she plays everything from folk & blues & fingerpicking to heavy strumming (bright eyes, cranberries, etc.) Very contemporary sound....not a heavy blues guitar like my Guild d-55. This guitar is VERY responsive to dynamic playing, so it basically gives back what you put into it. It can take a beating but also sounds beautiful fingerpicked.
Make no mistake though......this is NOT a good guitar for a campfire. The subtlety of the sound is not particularly LOUD...just very, very clean and responsive. Not a 'cannon' by any means, but certainly made to be played. Sounded fantastic unplugged, but amazing plugged in to a good amp. Will be great when she starts to record and play out.

As someone else stated in these reviews, it is made like a good piece of Shaker furniture.... basic joints, superbly matched cedar top, simple and artistic. Old-world craftsmanship. When I first got the guitar shipped, I played it to 'test it out' before giving it to my daughter. The action was a bit high for her style so i lowered it a bit. Tuners were tight and effective, possibly Grovers.

Seems pretty durable except the unlaquered cedertop.

n/a

I would reccomend this to anyone wanting a good entry-level pro guitar, for playing out or recording, or just fiddling in the living room. Not a 'beater' to take to a festival. The smaller body is great for girls or teens, but i would not reccomend it to any John-Wayne types out there... You won't see Johnny Cash playing this one in any old footage. Great American craftsmanship and a great buy for the money.

2000 model, USA made, cut-away, L.R. Baggs Pickup(rules!), cedar top, mahogany back and sides, bolt on AND glued neck which is unfinished which gives it a very natural feel. The top has a a satin finish, which makes it incredibly resonant, but incredibly easy to scracth. Oh well, looks don't affect the sound.

The biggest "little" guitar ever. Great tonal range plugged or unplugged. The L.R Baggs pickup and preamp is so much simpler and smoother sounding than the Fishman. Plus it only requires a small oval hole in the side of the guitar body, rather than the monster rectangle you have to lose when you get a Matrix. This guitar holds its own in an acoustic setting putting out great base tone. THe high range (above the 12th fret) has almost a mandolin quality to it and the natural reverb you hear when you put your ear next to the paisly shaped sound hole is nothing short of amazing. everything i was looking for-nothing i wasn't

I tried a bunch out to find one that had a natural ease. NOTE: most guitar stores (GUITAR CENTER) do not take care of their guitars. Make sure you play many of these guitars to compare and contrast. find one thats in good condition. you can't put a major scratch in this one with your fingernail.

Not a pretty site up close, but i've been giging with this guitar for almost 5 years. I've only done minor truss rod adjustments when the seasons change. i only use light gauge (12's) and never had a problem with any electronics. Light and comfortable body makes long gigs a breeze. Never bring a backup. I'd almost buy another just to look at. Watch that cedar top!

Only sent one e-mail and i got a response

Great guitar. I have a washburn D28S, and a old Ventura, and the Tacoma is a great, unique find that always gets attention when i play it out.

Standard, run of the mill Chief. Cedar top, mahogany sides, back and neck. Extremely light and, as a lot of others say, plays like a Les Paul if you are an electric player. It came with a Fishman Prefix Plus pickup and e.q. setup. Sounds great, a lot of variance can be atttained.

I've played for forty years and this is the best acoustic/ electric I have come across. It compliments my style(Combination of Clapton, SRV, Hendrix, Benson, Carlton, Duane and the old players) stays in tune (when played hard) and is so comfortable.

I bought this guitar at a pawn shop. It had been subjected to temperature extremes. The pickguard was bubbbled up, the neck had a severe warp and it generally looked like a POS. But, I saw Potential.

Don't know yet. It seems to be masterfully crafted.

40 years. List too long to name, main rig: Les Paul, Peavey Bandit ( which I've had for twenty years, sounds killer), Cry Baby, Zoom 707, Boss Flanger and an old Boss BE-5 multi-effects pedal.
This is a very good acoustic guitar for an electic player to use on stage, if you have never been comfortable (with an acoustic) before.

Another plain jane wonder! All solid woods. Mahogany body with a very mellow Western Red Cedar top. It has Tacoma's signature paisley soundhole on the upper left bout. This feature is both visually and acoustically unique. The finish is the usual thin satin and it has a clear pickguard. The neck is thin, fast and a little broad. Tuners are enclosed and hold tune very well.

This guitar really shines when it comes to sound. It is mellow with a very good range and a very mellow resonant base. The sound emanates from the soundhole very personally to the player. It is a different experience of sound, but it is great. It has to be played to experience this quality. I can play this guitar for hours on end.

Set-up was woderful. It felt like playing my old Gibson electric--no effort at all. I saw no flaws of any sort. Perhaps the soft cedar top is both the strength and weakness of the guitar. It is mellow beyond belief, but the soft cedar top is dented so easily that you have to be careful. It would not stand up to people who play hard. I suspect the top would would be splintered.

I wouldn't change the cedar top to spruce, but the lightly protected cedar is so soft that you must treat it carefully or get used to the dents and dings which are inevitable. I think of them as love bites!

This guitar is a beautiful sounding instrument with a very great weakness in the cedar top if you wanted to play it hard on stage. It requires a HSC if it is to go travelling! I think the sound is so great that I would play it to death and never look back if need be. Some instruments are beautiful,but less permanent, but still worth the price just for the experience.

My dealer takes great care of me and I have never needed warranty service.

I play an eclectic variety of gospel,country, folk and what have you. I have played for the better part of 40 years and love variety. I am a dedicated Martin player and have a stable of great guitars, but I like to experience the new, different, odd and unusual. Tacoma sometimes spooks people because it can look like a piece of furniture with the odd soundhole, sparse appointments and bolt on necks, but they have really done their research. What appears to be an ugly duckling turns out to be a real beauy.

I am in the process of buying a new Tacoma Roadking dreadnaught with the Spruce top just to see how the two compare. So, I am not sure if this will be a replacement or an enhancement, but I know that I will keep the Chief around for a good while---even if it is something of a hot house plant. Buy it, you'll like it.

The Chief has all the features that it needs: frets, sound box, neck ;) To be serious it's a simple guitar. The machines are precise and hold their positions. The transparent pickguard makes for a prettier guitar but I don't know yet how well it will protect the sound board.

I play R&R and some Jazz. This ain't no Jazz guitar, but it is first class for Rock and I would expect folk and country. The tone is bright but has an solid bass component. It's amazing the volume one gets out of such a small guitar.

The fit and finish are first class. I've looked carefully and haven't found a blemish. The action is a little higher than I'm used to (lazy electric guitar player am I). I'm not inclined to lower it, however, since it has such a smashing tone as it is very playable.

I haven't had it for that long but I think it will wear reasonable well with care. The Cedar top, which is responsible for part of it's lovely tone is very soft and I expect it to pick up dings in time. But that is just cosmetic. I'd trust this without hesitation for gigging.

I haven't had the opportunity to find out. However Tacoma is very helpful answering technical questions on-line.

I love this guitar. It has a unique and delightful tone, high playability, and is very pretty to boot. Highly recommended. I've been playing 25+ years.

im sure you know the features by now

Great sound plugged in.

action is pretty good

terrible, within two weeks of gigging not only were there lots of scratches but, wood was splintering off the top with every stroke. After about two months their was practiclly a hole right under the pick guard from playing. And I mostly play jazz.
After five months the whole top of the guitar was warped. The bridge was nearly lifted off the top. The guitar was unplayable. I had it refinished for about $300 but it's still too fragile to play on a regular basis.

not good. They blew me off

If it was made better it would be a great guitar

All solid wood, mahogany B/S and cedar top. Very nice top grade woods used throughout. Inside work appears to be meticulously crafted. Nice tuners..Gotoh? Non- glossy, rather lightly applied finish. Clear pickguard. Very sturdy 5 ply flatopped case, with not your run of the mill latches. Made in Indonesia, so it says?
All guitar parts are well finished and nicely crafted. Two strap buttons installed and looks as if the rear is drilled for a endjack like Taylors? Fingerboard and bridge are a very nice choice of rosewood, highly figured with orange and brown swirls. Looks to be highend graded.
All in all nothing much fancy here just good clean craftsmanship with very decent wood selections! I like the simple yet quality look it has. The body shape is original and quite thin with no tapering or arches. Sides are reinforced inside with strips tucked under what appears to be mahogany or cedar kerfing. Braces appear to be spruce. Bridge is plate maple. All cleanly glued.

This guitar has an infectous tone and draws your attention and holds it. It has a very midrangey tone with awesome note clarity and separation. Reminds me of a nice old f-hole jazz guitar. Low end is solid and highend sparkles. It is quite loud and projection is extremly good. I use Elixer Nano's and it has a very woody tone with these. It records enormously and has a diverse personality depending on attack. The response of this guitar is one of it's stronger points. It feels everything you give it and returns with a true clear acoustic tone. I enjoy using a swing style jazz chord bark as much as a fingerstyle scale. It is very versatile! By the way did I mention this guitar plays like a guitar strung with 09's...but without any buzzing. I have mediumss on it. Extremely nice action from the factory in ALL positions. Habit forming to play. I believe someone said above it was like a nylon guitar with steel strings and I have to agree. It has this strange persona about it. This guitar is like nothing I've played to date. Again vesatility is the bottom line with the Chief....the Chief, guess that's an Indian name..huh?

Could not find or see any area's of construction that could have been better. As I said before everything is very well built. Perfect contruction and great woods. I will mention the guitar is almost weightless, a pleasure to gig with!

Finish is light, no binding, finely well built. I have whacked the edges a couple times resulting in a dent or two. But it's to be expected as I play out with it often. And it is just a guitar of wood after all. No big deal for me, but I won't mark it perfect, cause no guitar is indestructable. No neck resets needed here! It looks allot like a Fender style neck. Easily replaced should the need ever arise. This guitar stays in tune better than some of my other higher end dovetailed guitars.

Haven't needed any support thus far.

I would replace it! I haven't found anything that plays and sounds like this guitar. I preferred the C1C's tone over the C3C's spruce and rosewood model. The Cedar & Mahogany seems to have better defined note separation and clarity, all with superior response.
I realize that everyone thinks people just say things at Harmony Central because they like to think they made the best choice. I try to play my other guitars but seem to gravitate toward this little wonder often. I have a Breedlove nylon, C Fox Sonoma, a D-28, 000-21, Washburn beater D-10, and a Guild D-40. But I have to truly say this is a great little ax and a joy to play. It's uniqueness is cool and it evokes comfort. All this and a fair price as well.

Mahogany and cedar, standard fair Chief. This onse is slightly used. With an I-beam pickup installed. It has been setup with what appears to be "old" bone nut and saddle, which is very nice! May even be fossilized bone, it is very brown looking. Anyway has the no pin style bridge. Which at first was a pain to deal with changing strings. The strings would pop up at the bridge as you wound the tuner. But then I learned to bend the ball end a bit, no problem now. Its very fast and doesn't require as much retuning on new strings. The rest is the standard all solid wood, satin finish which is almost non existent, but suffices just fine. I love the look of this guitar. It always gets a comment...it is very non conventional looking, but everyone who plays it won't give it back...I have to rip it from their hands!!!!Not much flash to comment on. I rate it a plain "9"

This guitar is addictive to play. It has a very defined string to string separation. You can coax all sorts of tone with different attack of the strings. It is bright, but has a very balance bottom. It fingerpicks nicely and is extremely loud with out being harsh. Solo work is a joy and projects well above my other guitars. It will cut through in a band setting so well. This has become one of my favorites. It has a unique tone and is not for everyone...but like I said before everyone who plays it is always impressed.

This American made guitar is pretty damn perfect. I can't find any defects of any slightness. Inside work is clean and sharp. The neck is very very playable and is in tune everywhere. I even too the neck off once just to see how it worked. tuned right back up! Kinda like my Fender electrics..very cool!The finish is lite and non glossy..no maintenance and doesn't need polish. I LIKE THAT. I think the guitars great tone, versatility and volume are endowed by its lack of binding,finish and bone setup in part. One thing I noticed as well is there are reinforcement strips on the sides tucked under the kerfing inside. I have a 000-18 Martin and I noticed it is so lightly built the sides flex if you push on them. On the Tacoma the side are stout and don't flex easily like the Martin.(interesting)
Ala in all Very very good quality throughout!

I play the crap out of it...I bang it up week after week. Holding up well. No problems just a few scars. The satin finish is getting shiny in some spots and the neck has taken on a nice gloss from sliding hands. It has lots of character! SThe guitar is very solid even though it's cedar topped and lightly finished. I bend the neck all the time. Tuners are good and solid. Stays tuned for a set mostly. I do have a backup most of the time, which I keep tuned to an open C mostly.

Has a transfered lifetime warranty. They are genuinely helpful and customer oriented! Nice company who seem to enjoy what they do!

I've been playing 20 years or so.
You bet I'd buy another, it's my signature by now.
I love it's unique sound, look and feel. Comfort plus!
Like it just the way it is...plays like a Victorias Secrets model!
Very lot of cool vibes for the dinero.

Straight forward, Mahogany and Cedar, no binding at all. Just a nice little LOUD guitar! Plugged in it is an animal, period.

Loud, complex, woody and articulate. Huge tone for a small box. Very very resposive. Intonation is dead on. Stay in tune forever. Great electric like action.

Perfect...no kidding

A bit more fragile than the average guitar ...but who needs a tank to play? It is solid, even has side strips under the kerfing.

Warranty is run of the mill lifetime for defects. And can be transfered..but I'm keepin this little wonder!

Does it all does it well...resonds to fingerstlye real good...flatpicks too. Love open tunings on the guitar, with a bit of reverb.

Built on October 5th 2001 in the USA! I traded a Martin 000-15 even for this guitar. (Could never get enough tone out of this somewhat subdued and dull sounding all mahogany Martin) All mahogany is best suited for slack tuned open slide work IMO. Back to the Chief...It's
ALL solid wood, African or Honduran Mahogany back and sides, Western Red Cedar top. Has a very reddish rosewood fretboard, possibly Brazilian? Bridge is pinless style(which I really like) nicely swirled and finished colorful grain. Came with a really really nice Tacoma stamped hardshell case!
Headstock logo appears to be hot stamped or lazered? Kinda like wood burnt rather than white plastic as on newer models. Back of headstock has the same burnt "Made In USA" No rossetes on the puppy.
Nice selection of fine woods used throughout!! I only give it a "9" because it is built very plain Jane. No frills or artsy bunk. Just a working tool to create. I like that simple elegance! I don't think I have ever owned a more comfortable guitar to play. It is light and has a good fit while sitting or standing. And will fit in the overhead if you use a gig bag. Neck is bolted and intonation is perfect from top note to the bottom. Plays in tune everywhere. Also not a dead spot within ears distance. This guitar has a 1 3/4' wide, somewhat thin Les Paul feeling neck. With seems a tad more radius than most? It is extremely fast and comfortable, especially using fingerstylish slamming, pulling,dunking and multi string popping. Very sweet action indeed with no buzz even under pretty severe hard attacks. Cutaway allows for high bars and high fret riffs to be comfortably accessed in a hurry if need be. As you can tell I'm overall amazed by this guitar...

Ok hard to describe....Cool and very modern tone is emmitted from this guitar. *Very unusual* Not your run of the mill tone in anyway. It is a bit smaller in booming volume,due of course to cavity size. But projection is unreal better than any guitar I've owned. It cuts, slices and dices most other acoustics in any areana. Especially in a band setting! Fits lots of styles...I play everything from Celtic, Jazz, Blues, Folk, Rock, Bluegrass, Percussive World. Allot of Acoustic Alchemy covers and full band instrumental type stuff. It shines on percussive muted top banging funk. This guitar has a very well rounded, thick, full, rich tone with ear popping hamonics. Again I repeat it has an unusual tone that is bright, midrangy, and woody with a surprisingly large tight bass response. It works well for swing and with open tuned slide as well. The entire package is very well balanced tone wise. Plays a full tonal pallet and is very easy to coax muted overtones from any of its strings. Amplify the baby and watch out...it simply kills big guitars! It will compress a bit if flatpicked really hard on light gauge strings. But I've learned it doesn't need to be played really hard to be loud. I use allot of the same techniques I use on my Strat from time to time. Beaware this guitar projects acoustically for great distances! It mikes, well unbelievably good! The guitar has bit less sustain than say a rosewood & spruce auditorium/grand concert bodied guitar...but in my ears this is good. This may be part of the reason I have so much praise for this wooden parcel. The cedar plays a large part in this area I'm sure. It doesn't color notes with overly extended resonating sustain. I understand after owning this guitar why allot of nylon stringed musicians prefer cedar tops. Always had a *soft* spot in my heart for cedar topped guitars.(pun intended)It is truly an all around tone mini cannon!

Factory setup is superb. No handmade flaws anywhere. This guitar has been sitting since 2001. A local dealer purchased several Tacoma's from a bankrupt music store. So this guitar spent most of it's life till I got it in a case unplayed in backup stock for a couple years. It was never displayed. When we opened the case, still plastic wrapped from factory the strings were perfectly in tune about a half step down. WOW! No scrutiny available in this Tacoma.

This guitar does stand lave playing. Has a few scar but remains as solid as any lightly built acoustic. I do use it without a backup most of the time. Well built in all manners of construction. Very nice craftsmanship! I rate it a "9" due to the lighter finish. Both strap buttons in place!

N/A

Been playing pro for years..had many many guitars 75% of which were mid to highend acoustics. Strats and Marshalls are my electric gear of choice... of course...(no tele's here dude) This guitar is an all around gem. Find one, play it and see if you agree. I have been doing mostly electric these days but my first love will always be the passionate acoustic guitar. Ever since I saw and heard Jethro Tull and other groups playing these smaller style acoustics. I knew I had to have one. And the Chief is the acoustic guitar worlds best kept secret. And it is design coolness with pure functionality! I see more and more musicians gravitating to smaller and smaller guitars. Hey why not...they amplify so much nicer, are way more comfortable and respond to the slightest touch. The upper bout soundhole makes complete sense. No brainer....So pick up a finer balanced small body and play it instead of it playing you.

OK, I traded this guitar away a few years ago, so my memory may not be too clear, but I do remember it fondly. I traded a Martin D-15 w/ OHSC straight for the Chief w/gig bag. Martin was good guitar but weak, the Chief was very user friendly. Nice 1&3/4" nutwidth, short 24&3/4" scale. Sorta like an acoustic Les Paul. Nice big fat tone. I never gigged with it, played it on the couch for a couple of years. I question durability, local music store where I did the deal had a few suffer damage from minor biffs. No electronics.Guitar is made in USA but company is Korean.(!?)

Lotsa fun to play, nice big unsophisticated tone. Worked well for both flatpicking and fingerpicking. I mostly fingerpicked it. Rich and full describes the sound nicely. Broke up a bit with heavy strumming, better for fingerpicking IMHO.I liked 80/20s better than phosphor bronze on this guitar. Note to all: try both 80/20s and phosphor bronze strings on your acoustics. Also try different string gauges..

Played great, fat frets, EZ action. Liked 80/20 lights (Martin Marquis). There were some minor finish flaws, but playability was not affected. It's a plain jane guitar. You want something flashy go buy a shiny piece of crap import.

Seems a bit fragile for gigs, very lightweight. Finish is nearly non-existent. Eh....

No experience.

I've owned lotsa stuff, I'm a long time (48 years) guitar sicko. I eventually traded it for a Peavey/Landola (handmade in Finland), one of the stone bargains in used acoustic guitars. They were only imported for 2 years, 94 and 95. The Peavey/Landola had higher quality construction and a nicer sound but the Tacoma was easier to play.. I wouldn't buy another one, I've moved on, but it was fun while it lasted.

Cedar top. Cutaway. Satin Finish. Paisley sound hole. No electronics

The sound of the Chief is great, as others have noted. I played a lot of guitars while searching for a new one. The first Chief I tried at Guitar Center sounded flat. They had a Roadking that sounded much better. Also looked at Martin, Ibanez, Ovations and Takamines. I liked the Takamines best, and almost bought an EAN-15. Then I figured I'd give the Tacomas another chance. Went to another music store and played a C1C and Roadking. The Roadking has a bit more sound, but it's dreadnaught body is not as sexy as the C1C, which sounded nearly as good. Lots of definition and sustain; just great for fingerpicking. The intonation is good all the way up. No buzz. I thought about it for a while and finally bought the C1C from a dealer on Ebay... something I was hesitant to do... but when the guitar showed up (yesterday) everything was as advertised, and it sounds really good. Just makes me want to play and play. I opted for a model without any electronics, beacuse I'd read several posts from people who had difficulties with their pickups (shorts etc.), so I'd rather install something fresh. I really don't want to cut a hole into the side for a preamp, and the standard Tacoma "Tone Bar" pickup may not cut it. The problem is, due to the offset paisley sound hole and slim depth of the box, it's fairly difficult to add many pickups. I considered the K&K Pure Western, but decided that it will be far too tricky to install (super glue) the 3 transducers to the bridge plate. A local luthier with Tacoma experience suggested I go with the Fishman Acoustic Matrix with an outboard preamp, which I'll likely do.

Guitar is mint. Beautiful, simple design; like a piece of Shaker furniture. I had the guitar delivered to my office, and everyone wanted to touch it as I wandered the halls pickin' and grinnin'. My wife, on the other hand, thinks it's plain and ugly... but what does she know?...;-)

Well put together. The bolt on neck is unusual for an acoustic, but works fine. I'm sure the cedar top will take a beating over time, but I buy instruments to play, not just look at, so that's not a problem.

Haven't been out with this yet. I've been gigging as a piano player for the past 9 years, although I've been playing guitar for 40 years. I usually bring my strat to rock or country gigs, since I still like to pick. I'll probably take the Chief on a gig once I get a pickup into it.

Been playing guitar since the Beatles were a new band. Switched over to piano a while back, because there's a lot more work and money out there for piano players, but I still love to play the guitar. I have a number of electrics - American Strat, '57 Les Paul Special, Ibanez MIDI guitar, as well as a beautiful handmade Bozo Poduniak 12 string and a crappy classical, but in all this time I've never had a nice 6 string acoustic. I bought a $75 cheapo guitar for my son off the HSN last year and figured it would be good enough to sit at home with, but I needed an acoustic for a gig and was embarassed to be seen with it (borrowed a friend's Ovation). So I realized it was about time to get a decent axe. Several friends have Taylors, and I like them, but couldn't see spending the bread on one. The Chief is unbeatable for its price. Nice to look at, smallish body, unbelievably light, loud and clear. Just a great instrument to have around. I'd never heard of Tacoma before a coupla months ago. If all of their guitars play as well as the Chief (what a dorky name) and Roadking (sounds like some sort of Buick) they're going to sell a lot of these. I am thrilled with this guitar.

American made lightweight guitar of mahogany and red cedar construction. I have the acoustic model with no electrics. Scott Krell at Ed Roman's World Class Guitars said that I could have it factory upgraded with several pickup and preamp options at a later date by the factory if I wished. Mahogany neck, back, and sides with a western red cedar top, all in a natural satin finish. This guitar is beautiful in an understated and elegant way. Everything about it seems to say "I was made to play and make happy sounds". There are no edge bindings, purflings, or fancy inlays anywhere on the guitar, just a few simple abalone dot inlays in the rosewood fingerboard. The design and style is inovative with the unique paisley soundhole in the upper bout, transparent pickguard, bolt-on neck, unique rosewood bridge, and strap button by the neck heel (no need to tie your strap to the headstock). The body is what I call a small jumbo style with a cutout in the lower bout for easy access to the upper frets. The body is thinner than usual with a flat back, but that does not seem to hurt the volume of sound. The guitar is extremely lightweight, but seems to be ruggedly constructed. Workmanship is first rate everywhere I looked and the back, sides, and neck are the same even shade of natural mahogany. The red cedar top is close grained and slightly thicker than the mahogany back. The halves are so well matched that it looks like a one-piece top. A first rate new design made from top grade tonewoods. It comes with a decent case made in Indonesia. The tuners are really nice and hold the tune well.

I bought this mail order without hearing it, based on what I had read about it. I would characterize the sound as bright and woody, with more volume than the size would indicate. I am happy with the sound, as I wanted it mainly for finger picking. A Martin dreadnought would have been too dark sounding without a pick. Not to knock the Martin, as I like that sound also, but not for fingerpicking. The red cedar top gives a lush overtone structure to the sound without a long break-in period, just as is characteristic of that tonewood. It will not boom out like a Martin with a spruce top and rosewood back and sides, if that is your trip. It also does not need a long break-in period in order to sound its best like a guitar with a spruce top. It is a nice comfortable little guitar to do some fun and easy fingerpicking on, and that's why I bought it. The sound changes considerably according to how you pick the strings. Elixir strings are standard, and they sound OK to me. The internal bracing is very nicely done, and that no doubt helps the sound immensely.

Mine came with a low action, just as I requested from Scott Krell. Ed Roman usually carries several in stock, and the sales ticket had "low action" written on it. The action was lower than my Rickenbacker 650D electric, but I adjusted that guitar for an almost-no-buzz action. The action can buzz quite a bit with a dropped tuning and hard picking style, but I play standard tuning and a moderate style, so not much buzz. The action is fast and the neck is slimmer than my Rickenbacker, but the same width as the Rick. The neck had less relief than my Rick, but I may increase the relief and that will decrease the tendency to buzz and raise the action slightly. The satin finish is very thin and offers little physical protection to the wood surface. I put a small dent in the back edge on the first night I played it. I expect it to have a lot of surface scars later in life, but it is very well made and will hang together, I do believe. Edge binding may protect the edges, but it would ruin the understated and elegantly simple design that sets this guitar apart (as well as raise the price with no increase in sound quality). It seems to be a return to a bygone era of guitar making, with a few modern twists. It was obviously built by real craftsmen with a passion for their work. It was made to play, and not just admire.

Outside of the fact that the thin satin finish will allow surface damage to the wood more than a thick hard finish would, it should hang together and play just as well as any other guitar out there. I can live with more damage to the finish in exchange for the better tone that the thin satin finish will allow. The design and workmanship is truly excellent. I think it would be utterly reliable as far as holding a tune and just being played on. It's not a beater guitar for rough camping trips.

Never dealt with the company.

I am not as familiar with acoustics as electrics, so I will not rate it a 10. It may very well be a 10 when price is considered. I do not believe it is the ultimate guitar in it's class when price is not a factor. That is not true of my Rickenbacker 650D, for instance. The 650D outperforms guitars that are several times its price, and rates excellent against all competition even when price is not considered. For pure sound quality and versatility, it may be the best Rickenbacker ever, even though it's the cheapest Rick in production. I think of the C1C Chief as being more different than the best. Acoustics are different than electrics in that tonewoods and workmanship account for more to achieve the final sound quality. Electrics rely more on electrical and mechanical design
and can therefore be highly automated in production and still end up with an outstanding instrument. That means affordability. Great acoustics are built by great craftsmen, and they can build a better instrument with more time to spend getting it voiced just right, and that means that higher prices really can bring a much better instrument (not that it always does). I am sure that lots of guitars can beat my C1C, but I bet that over 95% of them that do have a higher asking price. Tacoma has used modern engineering methods to produce a guitar that sounds great simply due to the fact that laws of physics are better utilized. That reduces other factors that must come into play to make a great sounding instrument, and that reduces the final cost. They also grow and process their own tonewoods, so that gives them a cost advantage over other big manufacturers such as Martin and Gibson. No acoustic has the "best sound", since to me you must match the acoustic guitar to the music whereas an electric guitar has much greater tone adjustment as well as the ability to change character by changing the amplifier. No acoustic can match the versatlity of a good electric hooked into different amps. The C1C can get a very wide range of tones for an acoustic, however. If you need a bright, lush, woody, and happy tone that can fit into a wide variety of styles, give the C1C a try. I did, and I would buy it again. It is definitely worth the money.

This is a 2002 American solid wood guitar, no glossy finish, no electronics, just great wood, strings and air. All the features you need, none that you don't. (You can always get the piezo version if you must).

Different guitars suit different people. I tried literally dozens of acoustics before getting this one. I quickly gravitated to the Tacomas because they all seem to sound good and are much more competitively priced than the Martins or Taylors. (You can get a solid wood Tacoma for the price of a plywood Martin.) Then I tried almost the whole Tacoma line and three or four of this model before I picked out my guitar. This is not a jumbo, it is not a dreadnought, it does not sound like either. It is closer to a parlor guitar. The reason that I bought it was because it sounds fabulous and a little different; very individual, very woody. Great for fingerpicking.

There are no frills on this guitar but what is there is perfectly done.

This guitar will hold up as well as any acoustic guitar. It came with case and it is still in great shape after over a year of hard playing. I don't gig anymore so I don't need a back up.

I have spoken with Tacoma on a number of occasions and they obviusly care very much about the product they are selling. I have not had any problems with the instrument itself.

I have been playing for over 25 years, I have a bunch of other guitars, acoustic and electric. This is just about my favorite along wiht my '63 strat. I have more expensive accoustics but this is the one I pick up most often. I would get another one in a heartbeat if this were to disappear. I love this guitar for the sound, plain and simple. I have had comments from some people that they do not like the offset soundhole and the non-glossy finish. As far as I am concerned this just makes the guitar all the cooler.

The numerous reviews have covered this exhaustively, and I'll let you refer to them for details. Mine has the requisite six strings, mahogany body, cedar top, Fishman pre-amp, and weird little "paisley" shaped soundhole up on the left.

To me, the sound has such wide variations that it's hard to pin down. Sometimes I think it sounds boxy, other times it's rich. I will say that when you strum or pick in different locations on the body, you get a breathtakingly diversity of tone. The highs are very pronounced, and as another reviewer noted well, the entire top just resonates, regardless of the frequency pbeing payed. It;s a very lively guitar. At the store, I played through a Mesa Boogie of some sort that sounded just awesome. Ihaven't yet played it through my Hot Rod Deluxe or a PA.

No problems or complints whatsoever, but the case sems kind of cheesy to me, given the price of the guitar.

Looks to be quite stout.

N/A

My primary guitar is a Martin SP00016TR, and I have yet to play anything at any price that matches it. I feared that taking it to club gigs would eventually end in tragedy, and I needed something with a pickup, since microphones and soundboards are so inconsistent. This guitar totally serves my purposes as a distinctive, light weight gigging guitar that compliments my accompianist on his Taylor. We do a singer-songwriter duo thing around town, and this has such a wide variety of voicings that it suits virtually every style of song that we do, from super-quiet delicate pieces to more raucous ones. I picked it up for the novelty of the soundhole, and found myself intrigues. As noted elsewhere, the action and neck are ultra-playable. I'm terribly impressed.

What first attracts you to this guitar is it's simple and natural look. The Fishman pre-amp is the best on the market. Action is low with minimal buzzing. Every guitar comes with a set of Elixir strings...best sounding strings but not too durrable I've found.

I play a lot of rhythm. Everything from basic strumming to hard percussive palm muting. I've had my Tacoma for a year now and have been more and more impressed with it as time goes on. You have to play one!!!! The only reason I believe it doesn't rate up there with the Martins and the Taylors is because the Tacoma name hasn't been around as long and because people think you have to pay a couple grand to get the best sounding guitar. If you were blindfolded and handed this guitar you would probably guess you were playing a Taylor. The sound is bright and surprisingly loud. Each string can be clearly heard in each chord. If you're looking for a Taylor sound, check this guitar out, it's darn close. If you're looking for a Martin, this isn't it.

Tacoma is starting to make a name for its product line and they have gone far to give the best quality at a reasonable price. The action on this guitar is low! One of the reasons I decided to buy this guitar is because of the low action. Only drawback is you have to make some small adjustments to keep the fret buzz at a minimum. The only complaints I have are 1) the saddle looks cool but putting on new strings and making sure the string is securly in the right position is sometimes difficult 2) this may not be true for other Tacomas but the wiring to my Fishman pre-amp hangs loosly in the guitar and sometimes rests against the wood and vibrates...very annoying! I'm sure there's a way to keep this from happening though.

I play this guitar live every week. It has been played indoors and outdoors, in the cold of winter and the heat of summer. It is durrable! The finish is satin so it scratches easily and the wood is soft and light, without the protection of a lacquer finish, so it dings easily. I take good care of my instruments so after a year of constant use it still looks near new.

N/A

I'm a youngster by most standards...24 years old. I've played some of the best brands of guitar and although I favor the Taylor I can't afford one yet. The Tacoma's sound and quality will pleasantly surprise you! If it were ever lost or stolen I would buy another as soon as possible.

This is a very light, earthy and organic instrument. It just feels like a work of art to me. I played several of these models and found that there were some that had the electronics muting the acoustic voice whereas the models without the electronics sounded great. This model has the Fishman Prefix system that does NOT affect the acoustic voice and still allows the player the choice of an internal pickup system. The body is a somewhat small jumbo size with a single cutaway. It has a bolt-on neck, which doesn't bother me in any way. Very light, satin-like finish with an almost invisible pickguard.

I haven't bought an acoustic guitar in over twenty years. I have an Alvarez-Yairi Classical and a Yamaha steel string that I don't play often. I primarily play one of my 12 electric guitars or mandolins. When I saw this guitar, I was intrigued by its appearance, but was sold on its sound and feel. I primarily play jazz-rock instrumentals and blues. I found that playing this guitar (which I've only had a week) has improved my technique and touch on any electric that I would play afterwards. This may be true of most other practice on acoustic instruments, but this seems to make you dig in and feel the note more than any other acoustic I've ever played. The Taylors seem too delicate for my taste and the Martins I've played had too much of a "V" neck. The Larrivees seemed nice, but were twice the price. In summary, this guitar has a sweet, defined soul that brings out the best in me whenever I take it for a ride.

No problems here. It came stock with Elixir strings and there was no buzzing to speak of. Clean, well-made instrument.

too soon to tell, but I'm optimistic

no contact

I've been playing for over 30 years and have amassed too much equipment to list here. I had an oppurtunity to purchase many other items before I bought this, but when I played this guitar, I knew I wanted it. If it were stolen, I would get another one just like it.

Cedar top, mahogony sides and back. Rosewood fretboard. Clear plastic covering for a pickguard. There are no pins in the saddle. Instead the strings bind the ball ends behind curled openings in the saddle. Clear satin finish. The wood seems to dent or scratch easily. Wide rather flat fretboard. One and 11/16ths inch. This is a good thing for an electric guitar player that wants to play acoustic every now and then. I can play songs on this acoustic that I thought I would only be able to do with an electric guitar.

The whole top of the guitar seems to vibrate. You get a pronounced presense with the guitar. When chording the top three strings do not seem to have a crisp treble sound. Rather there is more of a flat mellow sound. Solid presense though. Good bass. Attack to the strings seems compressed or not as pronounced. So, if you have a staccato pick attack, followed by a soft passage...you sound changes are a bit minimized. The guitar was pleasing and addictive to me right off. It plays rather easily and gets a good clear sound. Not a big Martin D28 sound, but then at this price I wasn't expecting a Marshall.

Again, the fretboard is rather wide and flat. Makes an electric guitarist feel right at home as the action is low too...with the strings buzzing against the frets. This enables me to play many things that I thought I could not play on an acoustic guitar. The finish is a soft satin finish. The guitar scratches and dents easily. But, it seems to cover up nicely with polishing.

Have not had it long enough to make any definitive comment.

They respond quickly to questions on the internet. Seems that some of these guitars, prior to 2001, were made with laminated mahogany sides. However, I have not got an answer from them yet about whether mine was made with laminates or not (based on the serial number).

I got a great deal for what I paid for this guitar. A solid wood (I think) very good playing American guitar with a hardshell case. Could not beat the price. If I was more serious about playing an acoustic guitar and was going to make a lifetime investment I would look that the Santa Cruz D28 or a Martin. I am biased toward the Martin since I previously owned a D35. Just did not play it enough to keep it.

Where to begin... 22 frets, solid cedar top, mahogony back and sides, and a natural finish with no polish This baby is USA made, very nice. Fishman electronics, tons o' options, and excellent if you ask me. If you can't get the sound you're looking for, then it must be insane. The neck is on the wide side, so take that as you will. It is a cutaway and has a soundhole on the top left of the body. That gives you great tones throughout the range of the guitar.

This guitar has a sound that will either fit your style or not. I play originals which fit into many genres. If you want a guitar to play bluegrass, folk, or old style blues (and most anything in between), then this is your guitar. If you wanna play dave matthews, look elsewhere. This guitar really has a bright, warm-ish, and striking tone that sticks out in a band. If you are just playing rythm, this may not be the guitar for you. The sound throughout the range of the guitar is what gets me. Its fluid and you get hearty bass all the way up to the extreme high end. Great sound.

The factory set up for this guitar fits me perfectly. Its not the best action I've ever used, but its far from the worst. Overall, very good. The whole fit and feel of the guitar is top notch, very solid. The one thing that I can say wrong with it is sometimes I feel like I may hurt it, simply for the reason that this guitar is insanely light! However, I haven't. I take good care of my guitars and anyone who would buy a guitar this nice should too. The strings also stay in tune very well, and this thing gets a lot of playing, so it says something. Not the best, but really close.

The guitar has shined here. I gig a lot, so this thing has gotten tested in this department. It's really held up great. I can depend on this guitar for anything I need. I usually gig with a backup, but I have played without one occasionally. I would only do that with this guitar.

Haven't had to deal with them.

I've been playing for quite some time and I own my share of gear. When I started looking for a new gigging acoustic I spent most of my time looking at Taylors. I loved their sound and feel. Then I picked up the Chief one day and started playing. I kept playing, for some time before a salesman who had noticed me playing the same guitar for about an hour came up and asked if I had fell in love. This guitar is all that I want in an acoustic. I will say that if you get into stuff like action, the Taylors have this thing beat, not by much, but they do. But the sound of this guitar is what gets you. If it gets, lost, stolen, broken, or abducted by aliens, I'll buy the same thing. I expect to be playing with this guitar well into the future.

American made, solid woods, 2001 model, mahogany back and body with western red cedar top. Funny little teardrop soundhole in the upper bout. Satin finish, all natural color. Grand Concert shape. A guitar made with a high scientific input, but with old fashioned woody looks. A very appealing overall package.

I use mine to fingerpick and strum. It suits both very well because it's a pretty loud guitar and fingerpicking works well, yet the action is fairly low and when I strum with light picks, it blasts out the most articulated tones like a canon, with no fret buzz. I've never seen a guitar where I could strum a chord and hear each individual note in it. This one is it.

The overall tone isn't as boomy as my Martin DM, not as bright as my Yamaha Compass or a Taylor. It's more like the rich tone of a higher end Martin that has aged well and accumulated some balance across the bass and treble. I've only had it 4 months, so we'll see how it ages, but right out of the case it had a tone that was impressive as hell.

The factory setup was very good. The action was very low, but it doesn't buzz under hard strumming. The cedar top lays on the mahogany sides and the edges have no binding. They are finished perfectly smooth. You would be hard pressed to find anything the slightest bit off about this guitar. Tuners are heavy and hold for weeks at a time. Frets are jumbo and beautifully finished. The nut is tight around the Elixir strings, so when I go to a slightly smaller guage I prefer, I'll see how well they work. If they rattle, I'll go back to the Elixirs to preserve the tone I bought at any cost.

This guitar is extremely lightweight, possibly giving one the impression it might not tolerate abuse. For me, it's strictly a recording guitar, not something I take on the road, so this doesn't apply.

No experience, but I've heard some good things...

$700 for a guitar of this quality with a hardshell case is a steal. The case weighs twice as much as the guitar and it's made with the same high quality the guitar is.

Lost or stolen - hell yes I'd want another one.

I compared it to a few other guitars when I bought it, mostly Martins. I was actually looking for something else and just pulled it down off the wall because I'd seen so few Tacomas and I just wanted to try it. I fell in love. I bought a different guitar that day to fit my needs and went back for the Tacoma a week later.

Mahogany top and back, Fishman electronics w/more suff than you'll ever need. Finish is natural with no polish. Single cutaway w/soundhole in upper left corner. Bought w/case. Made in USA!!

I play mostly fingerstyle, origionals and covers from Duran Duran to YES & Genesis. The sound is amazingly loud for a guitar of this type. VERY balanced up the neck.(capo on seventh fret and play "Here comes the sun"!!!) Sound tends to be more sharp than warm and can really cut through in a band. I noticed that the type of pick used on this thing really makes a differance. A Dunlop stubby rounds out the attack for a warmer sound and a fender thick produces VERY sharp attack...a feature I haven't noticed on other acoustics. It came with Elixer strings and I like em for their smooth feel. I imagine that standard wound bronze would make it even brighter...YOWWW!!! I bought this for playing out and it works great. If your looking for the quiet-at-home sound of a Breedlove, this guitar isn't going to make it. But as a workhorse it's great. By the way, this guitar's VERY light!! Excellent for all-night gigs!

The action was a bit high from the factory but I'm not partial to the Martin school. A little bit a shaving did the trick. The contruction is perfect...not a flaw to be found. Tacoma's own tuners are first rate. The neck is on the wider side which is what I like...very comfortable. The frets are on the high side which makes it difficult to slide but you have to give up somthing for the focused tone.

Even with it's light weight this thing should last...very well constructed. The "unfinished" surface won't scratch like a polished one, but it does take a little getting used to! I'm replacing my 12 string w/this guitar for gig work. It's the only acoustic I carry.

Haven't had a problem.

I've been playing on and off for 20+ years. I own a plethora of Electrics but this is my only giging acoustic. I would probably buy another if it were stolen. It doesn't look like anything else and that's a strong point for me. It does what I ask...what else do you want?

This guitar is great... I wanted to get a solid top Takamine or Taylor but couldn't afford the prices. I heard some things about Tacoma and was very interested. The nice thing about these guitars is that are made here in the U.S.A... Washington to be specific. Also, it has a Solid Western Cedar Top, Solid Mahogany Back and Sides, and it sounds better than any of the more expensive brands out there for far less.

This guitar sounds great. It has a rich full sound and doesn't hum or rattle like the Fender acoustic I used to have did. I have only been playing for about 5 or 6 months so I don't really have my own style yet, but I play a variety of stuff and this guitar suits pretty much anything.

I bought the guitar used this past January. I guess someone had got it as a Christmas Present and played it two or three times. Everything was great when I bought it. It has stayed in tune very well... In the 4 months I've had it I had to tune it maybe three times. The action is great and the finish isn't glossy just the natural look of the wood which I like.

I really only play at home but I haven't had any problems and I don't see why anyone would. It is a quality guitar that will definitely endure as long as you take care of it.

I haven't had to deal with them yet

Befor this guitar my first Acoustic Guitar was a Fender, and I was very disappointed in it. The Tacoma is much better as far as quality, components and value go. I also like the design of the guitar. I think that the off-set asymetrical sound hole is very unique. I would definitely buy one again if I needed to.

1998 USA made - 22 fret rosewood fingerboard - Solid western cedar top, solid mahogany back, mahogany sides. It has some electronics, but I'm so acoustic I don't know what they do. I don't even have an amp. Here's their description: Fixed active preamp with Volume, Notch, Low, High, Contour, Brilliance, Frequency, and a phase switch paired with a Fishman piezo-electric film pickup. I give the guitar an nine because I love the natural finish, the mahogany sound and smell, and the cutaway access to the higher frets. If I knew what the electronics were I might give it a ten.

I play classical (Bach), fingerpicking blues (Clapton - unplugged of course), and a little sixties rock (Beattles and such). I also pretend to play Floyd and the like when no one else is around to laugh. I really like the sound of this guitar. It can sound very full in the bass range, which is good for some of the melodic base lines that Bach puts together, and still has a bright upper range for the blues solo type stuff. On the whole, the guitar leans more toward bright and loud rather than earthy and muffled, however, which makes some of the blues stuff harder.

I haven't changed a thing. It fits me well. The action is just right - low enough to be extremely playable, but it doesn't buzz on me when I hit a chord hard. Like I said, I love the natural finish. The wood used for the top and bottom looks great. The best compliment that I can give it is that I can play things well now that I couldn't play at all before I bought it. Part of that is learning, but a lot of it is the guitar's action.

This guitar seems very solidly made. I'm careful with it because I could scar the wood pretty easily - natural finish you know - but I think I would have to knock it against a pretty solid wall a couple times before anything important would break. I'm not even close to good enough to play a gig (though that doesn't stop some), so I won't hazard a guess as to it's playability in concert. In all, this seems like a really solid instrument.

I haven't dealt with the company. It's supposed to have a lifetime warranty for defects, but having failed to discover any, I don't know what their response would be.

I've been playing seriously for all of three years. Obviously, I'm still a beginner and I haven't played other guitars extensively. My previous guitar was an Ibanez steel string acoustic made from plywood worth maybe, oh, $200 bucks. This guitar is obviously better. In shopping for this guitar over the course of a month I also played several Gibson, Washburn, and Fender models. Obviously, I liked this one better. I was trying to buy a guitar that would suit me for the next 10 to 20 years, and I think I made the right choice. I'd buy it again.