Tacoma DF21

Beautiful quilted maple sides and back. The instrument is a dreadnought style. I was leaning more towards a cutaway at the time, but purchased the Tacoma anyway, because it just really 'spoke' to me.Slim neck; dimensions similar to my electrics; am able to use my Hercules brand guitar stands because of this, which is nice. Pickup built into saddle, but no volume knob. Cord plugs into strap pin at end of guitar. There is no strap pin near the neck heel. I deducted a point for this. I like to play with a strap on, even seated.Other than not having a volume knob, having only one strap pin, and not having a cutaway, I consider the DF21 a wonderful steel string flattop and am very happy with my purchase.

If I had to pick one thing that steered me towards this instrument more than anything else it would be the sound. This instrument hung on the wall next to half a dozen similarly priced Taylors. I understand that everyone has different ears, but to mine the Tacoma just sounded better. It has more volume than the Taylors that I compared it to; it really projects. The low notes sound deep and fat, and the treble notes are piercing. The DF21 is a very stout instrument. It resonates and sustains till the cows come home!

Being primarily an electric player most of my life, acoustics in general tend to feel a little 'stiff' in comparison. As I begin to play more acoustic, I plan on experimenting with string gauges. The action on the DF21 feels similar to the action on the Taylors I compared it to in the store. The finish on the wood is beautiful and the guitar seems to be solidly constructed. I don't think the instrument would have the resonant qualities that it does if any poor jointery had been employed in the construction process. The guitar seems to stay in tune quite well.

Haven't played live with this instrument yet, nor owned it for very long and so have little to base reliability or durability on. As I stated in the previous section on 'Action, Fit, and Finish', the DF21 appears to be solidly constructed, stays in tune well, and has a beautiful finish.

My Tacoma was built before Fender purchased the company, but I'm sure that if I ever have issues, the good folks at Fender will be very helpful and will bend over backwards to try and help, as they have done so for me previously on other product lines that they've purchased.

I've been playing approximately 30 years, primarily solidbody electrics. Purchasing the DF21 brought my current total to 6 instruments, the Tacoma being the only steel string acoustic. I also have an Alvarez MC90 classical guitar, a Gibson Les Paul, an Ibanez AS103 archtop, an old Charvel M5, and an old Kramer strat. If the Tacoma were lost or stolen I'd purchase another one, assuming I could find one and the price was reasonable. As previously stated, the DF21's sound sold me more than any one other thing. It's the main reason I chose it over the similarly priced Taylors. I'll probably add another strap button and a volume knob. Satisfied with my purchase and hope to get much playing enjoyment out of it.

I have the light, maple finish and it is a nice looking guitar. This is a 6 string standard acoustic guitar with no cut away nor electronics. It is very light weight. The back has a very pretty design with waves (I got lucky not to get the sunburst). It feels like a hand made guitar but I am not sure if it is. The quality and feel of the neck is not as high as the quality of a Taylor, but it is narrow and easy to play. The quality of construction of the body is very high which provides for the great sound. For the money, you won't find anything better than the DF21.

The sound is incredible - rich warm and plenty of projection. My friend told me that this sounded the best of all the guitars that I had played during my trip to the shop. I use it for playing and recording of jazz, fusion, and worship music. I have been playing music for over 25 years and did I ever get lucky to find this used at the music store.

I had trouble with the action when I first purchased it because I am used to electric guitars with low action and extra light strings. The action was high and made it difficult for me to play and was really tearin up my finger tips. I switched to extra light strings with the DF21 and that made all of the difference. The

You'll definitely want to take care of this one.

You'll never hear anyone complain about the sound of a DF21. God really blessed me with this guitar. I hope you can find one too.

Dreadnought. The other ratings have described the features. Gloss sunburst finish. Mahogany sides and back. Sitka spruce top.

I am truely impressed. It sounds like a much more expensive guitar. Pick one up and play something. I will be using this guitar for church. It is more than enough for my needs.

Beautiful sunburst finish. I'm glad I didn't end up with the cherry burst. Quality construction. This was exactly what I was looking in an acoustic and the price was great. I can't complain at all. If you can still find a DF-21, buy it while you can. I didn't really like the wave inlay. It is different but I would have prefered something else.

Definitely a solid guitar. I have not found any issues with it yet. I hope I dont.

I called them up for some questions and they were great. Very helpful.

If you can still find this guitar, you should definitely consider buying it. For the price range, I did not go wrong at all.

9 - Tacoma DF21 is a dreadnought with solid spruce top and SOLID flame maple sides and back. I was shopping for a jumbo cutaway with pickup. I played Martins, Gibsons, Taylors and various other brands as I had no set idea of what I wanted to spend or the exact configuration. My prior experience in trying out Tacomas indicated thay had a tone exceeding their price and this was certainly true here. I bought this guitar with the "wrong" styling and no pickup over my preconceived choice based entirely on the tone.

I play a variety of styles including pop, folk, jazz and blues and therefore I tried a lot of different guitars. When I played the DF21, it felt alive like no other guitar I have ever played. The chords were beautifully harmonious and full. The treble notes were articulate as I would expect from a quality guitar but the bass notes had both a deep resonance and clear definition with snap I had not heard before in any guitar I played. The notes sustain "forever". My opinion is it sounded better than Gibsons, Taylors or Martins more than twice the price.

So far, it continues to impress me visually. I document all my guitars by taking digital pictures of front, back and serial number. Unlike one of the other reviewers here, I find the (vintage) sunburst a beutiful way to highlight the stunning appearance of the flames. The "wave" fret markers are clean, modern and unique in appearance. The action is about as low as I would want on an acoustic guitar to allow the note to sustain and sing yet it is an easy transfer from my electric guitars.

I have yet to put the DF 21 through the paces of live performance but every time I touch it I know it is pure qulaity and I fall in love with it again.

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If something happened to this guitar (gulp!) I would start looking for a replacement from Tacoma ASAP. I suggest anyone looking for an acoustic guitar to try one before Tacoma really catches on and they start pricing themselves in the Taylor, Gibson range.

Maple back and sides give this guitar both physical beauty and tonal beauty.

Sound is amazing. The treble is out of this world. I play in a modular building sometimes, and this thing is an acoustical sponge. My DF21 overcomes the surrounding and blasts a loud, clear sound to every corner.

You would just have to see it to believe it. I was afraid to play it when I first saw it hanging on the wall of the music store. Once I touched it I was hooked.
The action is perfect as long as I don't pound on it too hard. I haven't found a flaw in any part. The finish is wonderful.

I baby this thing, so I can't really say.

I still want other guitars, but this one will always be one of my favorites. It looks and sounds great, and it was worth every penny I paid for it.

Cherry Sunburst finish (ewwwwwwwwww....but I bought it for the sound). Solid figured maple back & sides (verrrrrrrry nice!), solid sitka spruce top, 20 fret mahogany neck w/rosewood fretboard, pearl "Wave" inlay (ewwwwww #2), rosewood bridge, 4-color wood rosette & top purfling, tortoise bound neck & body, 25 1/2" scale, 1 3/4" nut width, chrome tuning machines, cherry sunburst gloss finish.

All I can say is "WOW"...which is what I said when I wandered into the store (not to purchase a guitar, but because I was making a trip to the DMV NEAR that store) and grabbed this guitar. I own two Taylors, recently traded away a Goodall KSC and sold a Martin HD-28LSV. I've had Breedloves and Gibsons as well. This particular guitar--for my tastes and playing style--simply sounds as good (it sounds BETTER to me, but I recognize sound is subjective) and performs as well as ANY guitar I've had. MUCH better than most. I WANTED to hate it, as I LOVE my Taylors so much, but the truth is, this just sounds better, is more responsive, and more playable. I was as shocked as the next guy, as you can buy FOUR of these for what you can get a Goodall KSC. The folks at Tacoma have amazed me. Seriously..even if you're a hardcore Martin or Taylor man, give one a test drive. Close your eyes and listen--keeping an open mind and throwing aside any pre-determined thoughts. I bought it on the spot (again..unplanned) after sitting in the shop playing it for an hour.

Again, pretty amazing. I think the folks at Tacoma followed Bob Taylor's lead with their playable necks. This is as playable (more so for me) than my Taylors.

BUT... I grade it a bit down here, not on features per se, but because I think the sunburst finish is REALLY REALLY hideous (in my humble opinion). But I played the others in the shop of the same model w/o this finish, and they just didn't seem to sound quite as good and the neck didn't seem quite as good a fit. So I closed my eyes, followed my ears, and bought this one. You may like Sunburst, and this would be fine.

The Northwoods Big Leaf Maple on the DF21 series is pretty spectacular. You should check it out--both quilted and flame models--on the NATURAL finish versions. VERY VERY nice. Course..I still have this big, ugly red/yellow clown guitar! hee hee..but....ooooo how she sings!

Solid, sturdy guitar. This seems as well-built and reliable as any of my axes. It may be too soon to tell, but judging from the construction and craftsmanship, I expect no problems.

This is a fantastic value. I'm certain this guitar will be my "main" instrument. It's already cut into the playing time of my beloved Taylors (actually...they've rarely seen the light of day since I bought this thing). If you really want to be honest with yourself, throw aside any preconceptions, close your eyes, grab a guitar, and follow your ears. I'd bet that you'd be as amazed as me at what those folks in Tacoma Washington are able to do REGARDLESS of price. This guitar stands up to those I've had costing three and four times more.