Tacoma DM-8 Road King

I bought my Roadking in the spring of 2001. I needed a guitar to play with my country and western buddies. The guitar is very basic, not fancy, and a real value for the dollars. The craftmanship is very good, playability very good, but it is tempermental to large changes in weather. The fret board is fast and wide and the body is full enough to get as much bass as you want. I like the satin finish as opposed to thich plastic coatings because the sound doesn't get trapped in the wood and hears fuller to my ears. The guitar stays in tune and can easily be adjusted to individual preferences.

I play country,rock,folk and blues. The guitar stays in tune nicely but is tempermental to weather changes. If a cold front comes through the guitar will need to be retuned. The sound is sweet and full. It does not blast over others and some think this is a negative. I have played in and outdoors and other musicians will trade off to play my roadking. Each player seems a little suprised the first time at how easily it makes sound. When the strings are done the guitar lets you know. I have used 6 or 7 different brands and it makes no difference. The guitar just stops being bright.

My guitar hasn't any flaws that I have found. The action is very easy to set if you don't like the factory setup. The fretboard is fast and roomy. The one complaint in the fit is the way the string endballs are retained. The C gate must be watched while tightning up or you could pull out, even catch the top finish.

The guitar is reliable. I has not broken down while playing a gig. I believe in not beating up my musical instruments, so I attempt to keep them out of reach of others, except musicians. As my roadking ages it is sounding better and better. I leave it out on its stand in my home along with my electric, an ec1000, and I play it everyday. The battery doesn't last long to my taste, maybe two weeks with a lot of playing. I doesn't try to jump off its strap, and I can honestly say it has not let me down in any way during playing.

I have had no dealings with the company. In the long term this is good.

I have played the guitar in two periods of my life. The first was 1966 to 1980 and the second 1998 till present. I have four guitars, a Fender 12 string, a Spanish classical, my Tacoma acoustic electric and a ESP EC 1000 electric. The Tacoma and ESP plug into my GenzBenz amp. The ESP goes through a Line6 Pod. The Tacoma and ESP are played every day and the Fender and Classical every week. I played alot of other peoples guitars that were gathering dust, including Martins, Guilds and Taks. I tried out dozens of guitars and happened upon a roadking. It was the sound and ease of playing that brought me back to it a week later. The questions we can ask are in the hundreds but the one question that matters is does the guitar sound good to you. If it doesn't you won't play it for long. This was the question I had when I was looking and it is the question the Roadking answered for me. I like the Tacoma so much that if it were lost I would immediately go get another.

Tacoma's basic dreadnaught with a cutaway top and fishman pro electonics with piezo pickup. It has a solid sitka top with a solid mahogany back and laminated sides. It has a bolt-on mahogany neck that is a comfortable 1 3/4 in. wide at the nut. The whole guitar has a thin satin finish.

I play fingerstyle most of the time and the comfortable 1 3/4 inch nut width makes it very suitable for that. The guitar sounded good when new but now that it's 4 yrs. old, and has over a thousand hours of playing time on it [I have a teenager who plays it too], it's opened up to that mahogany sweetness that seems to improve each week. I agree with another post that said that the guitar is not the best for driving rhythm when unplugged. I get involved in bluegrass jams occasionally and find that the roadking falls short next to the other dreds playing. This is probably due to its shallower 4 1/8 in. depth and some volume loss from the cutaway and the fact that I'm playing next to the rosewood "boomers". But this guitar covers other genre perfectly. I have 3 sons that play in a band and I get to jam with them weekly. When I plug in to my Carvin AG-100, I find that the fishman prefix pro allows me to dial in the sound I need to play rhythm or lead in blues or classic rock jams. I can crank up the volume too, to be heard with the electric lead guitar. The "notch filter" on the fishman pro allows tweaking to eliminate any feedback. In a solo setting, the roadking is coming into its own with that bright full mahogany sound. James Taylor, Gordon Lightfoot and Beatles tunes sound great, plugged in or unplugged! I found that this guitar will let you know when the strings are getting old; the tone just dies! I use elixer nanowebs or GHS laurence juber 12's of the Roadking and it just sings!









when the guitar was new Because of the shallow depth [4 1/8 "]

A quality guitar but the action was a bit high when I bought it. A little filing on the bridge bottom fixed that. No glaring shortcomings on construction. The roadking is a very plain looking guitar. No rosette around a paisley soundhole or binding around the edges, but its beauty is in its simplicity and its sweet tone.

The most vunerable part of this guitar seems to be the edges that have no binding for protection. I understand that some of the newer models have this now which would certainly be a plus. The strap buttons are solid, but the thinner finish would certainly make it more injury prone. But it has been dependable for me. I always have a backup at a gig, usually my BIG BLONDE Guild 12 string.

No contact with Tacoma

I've been playing Off and on since the hootenanny days in the mid 60's
but regular for the past 7 or 8 years. I also have a Guild JF-30 12 string, a Kenny Hill classical guitar and a Kentucky mandolin. If I lost the Roadking, I would consider buying another, but upgrade the visual appointments and maybe convert to a rosewood version with the same electronic package. It is a lot of guitar for well under a thousand dollars. I played a Taylor mahogany dred a couple of months ago and it sounded like the old Roadking, only it cost 3 times a much. All in all, this is a sweet guitar that I get more attached to as time goes on.

Tacoma DR-8C Roadking cutaway acoustic made in Tacoma, WA. Spruce top, rosewood sides and back, bolt-on mahogany neck, rosewood on headstock. Same guitar as the DM-8 only in rosewood. This model was purchased with the Fishman transducer pick up with on-board controls (volume, 3 band EQ, notch filter, phase switch). Finish is satin, Gotoh tuners, rosewood bridge with 'C' shaped string cut-outs instead of bridge pins (more on this later). Came with decent Tacoma case. I beleive it is a 2000 model. Decent fret work and finger board finishing. Rather plain but nicely installed tortise shell binding. Paisley offet sound hole on upper bout with a clear plexi pick guard in the center of the playing area.

I play finger style as well as flat pick and this instrumnet is bar far the nicest sounding and behaving guitar that I own. Plenty of bottom punch that you expect from a dreadnaught and crystal clear highs (might be due to the rosewood). Great sustain. I previously owned a 1971 Guild D40 which had nice low and mid tone, but lacked clarity in the highs, this guitar's sound is radically improved over that vintage Guild. The bolt-on neck's profile is much more like an electric and allows extended comfortable playing (not available on the old Guild). When using the Fishman pick up and EQ, a lot of the acoustic tone still comes through without colors...unless you want colors. The EQ and notch filters are very adjustable to help correct amp and room nuances that might not be so good. The phase switch allows adjusting the pick up-to acoustic phase angle, in short, this is a feedback correction circuit to eliminate feedback from the acoustic "box" that all amplified acoustics have. With other round hole acoustics, you would have to use a sound hole cover to help prevent feedback at amplified levels. The guitar sounds great acoustic, even better and louder amplified. It does take some playing around to find the settings that make the pick up sound good with no feedback but once you find them, its a set-it-forget-it situation. The electronics are dead quiet, battery access is easy.

Guitar came set up very nicely, unsure if the store did anything (but I've never known Guitar Center to do anything except take them out of the box). Finish is satin, stain on rosewood looks thin, but very even and well applied. Top and binding are excellent. Joints seem tight and neck is contoured very well. The only complaint I have has to do with the 'C' shaped string cut outs on the bridge. These cut outs extend through the top and down into the body cavity and basically wedge the string ball end in small tapered slots. Only the slot holds the string ball in place-no pins. While attractive and somewhat interesting looking, in practial use, the string can dislodge while tuning up and begin to lodge in the bridge rather than the guitar top slot. Over time, this could cause grain splintering in the top or an enlarged taper slot in the bridge. I found that prebending the ball end of the string in a 'C' shape before inserting it into the cut out keeps the string from finding its way out of the cutout. Haven't broken a string yet, but I think conventional bridge pins would be a better arrangement.

I think that with normal care, this guitar should last forever. This is the first satin finish guitar that I've owned, all others were gloss finished. I have found that over time, the neck has become somewhat "glossy" from playing, not a bad thing as it helps the smoothness of the action. The neck strap button is in the perfect place under the neck to body joint (it's a bolt on neck). The output jack acts as the other strap button. I don't play out much, but I think this guitar is dependable enough to be your main acoustic without a back up.

Haven't had a need to use customer support. Their web site is good though.

I've been playing for 34 years, the Guild D40 was my second guitar that I bought in 1972. I also own a Heritage H-535 electric, a "free" Epiphone strat copy (with better electronics), and a Regal resonator acoustic. If it were lost or stolen, I'd buy another Roadking. I love the tone and the comfort of the neck. You'd think that a smaller profile neck on an acoustic would rob some of the tone and sustain, but that's not true here. I can play this guitar for hours without fatigue, can't say that of other acoustics. I played Taylors, Martins (fat necks), Gibson, Laravee, Takamine, (so-so tone) Guild before finding this Tacoma. I've had it about a year and still enjoy it every day. I know the Tacoma series name for this is the Roadking, and maybe thats why they don't put much "flash" on this model, some would say it's quite plain looking. But the offset sound hloe really adds to the look.

All the standard features. US made in Tacoma Washington, solid spruce top, solid mahogany back, laminated sides, Mahogany neck, rosewood fretboard, Gotoh tuners, satin finish with clear acrylic pick gaurd. Two unique features are the off set paisley sound hole in the shoulder of the guitar and the thin neck. This gives the guitar and interesting look, sound, and makes it truly easy to play. This is a simple yet elegant guitar.

Wonderful rich sound. It is a nice medium tone not to muddy in the low or to bright in the highs. Suprisingly loud given the off set sound hole in the shoulder of the guitar.

I was just about to buy this guitar new when I walded into a little shop and found it used. I was working with a limited budget and could not believe my luck. However, this meant the guitar was not set up to my standards. I had to adjust the trust rod slightly and I still may file down the saddle slightly the next time I change the strings. These are only minor problems.

This guitar was a year old and nearly flawless. The front strap button is loose and will either need to be fitted with a thicker guage screw or will soon need to be filled with splints and re-threaded. The finish on the new guitar was thin but looked the same as the one on the used guitar I purchased. This gives the guitar a very natural appearance and as others stated also adds to the sound.

Have not ever worked directly from the company but have heard very good things from friends.

This is only my second guitar and I could not be more pleased. If I had not found this used I definately would have purchased the new one. If something does happen to this guitar I would definately buy it again. If I had more money I would probally go wtih the Tacoma DM-10. Tacoma is an amazing company. Their guitars are beautiful and compare with any Martin or Taylor which cost twice as much money.

US made in Tacoma Washington, solid spruce top, solid mahogany back, laminated sides, paisley shaped sound hole on the upper bout, Mahogany neck, rosewood fretboard, Gotoh tuners, satin finish with clear acrylic pick gaurd. I believe the bridge is Mahogany. Came with a well padded gig bag, but I put it in a hard case. Some would call this a very simplistic guitar in the way it looks, but I think it's a beuatiful looking instrument.

After 20 years my Ibanez was showing its age and I was ready for a new acoustic guitar. I played several guitars at the shop and was struck by the deep, bassy tone of this guitar. Having it home and playing it more I have a more developed opinion. The guitar has a great tone, but with the offset soundhole seems to lack the volume of guitars with their hole under the strings. It sounds great and plays well when strumming or fingerpicking. It's also a temperamental guitar. Perhaps because of the shallow, satin finish, the tone seems to change with the overall humidity of a given day. This guitar will also let you know when your strings are bad: strings that I would have let go awhile longer on my Ibanez sound like garbage on the Tacoma. Despite the personality shifts though, I still love the sound of this guitar.

Overall, this is a well though out and executed guitar, but lacks the appropriate attention to details. The guitar is beautiful and a joy to play. The two strap pins are well placed and is easy to hold. The neck is on the thin side and is the easiest I've ever played on. Construction is solid and materials are well chosen. I'd give a score of 9 but the guitar went out poorly inspected. Near the neck wher the top meets the side, the top overhangs a little where they failed to sand it down all the way. The edge of the soundhole and the neck are a bit rough, and there was some sawdust inside. A poor finish to a great start.

Overall the guitar is solid and seems like it will hold up well. The change in tone though suggests the need for a humidifier and some more guarded maintenance.

I've had no warranty claims but have corresponded via email and they've been friendly and responsive.

I've been playing accoustic and electric for 20+ years, mostly for myself and in church bands. Despite its flaws, I still love this guitar and would buy it again. It's was a great value for the sound it puts out

US made, solid spruce top, solid mahogany back, laminated sides, cutaway deadnought sized but 4&1/8" deep rather than the more normal dreadnought 4&7/8", with offset paisley shaped sound hole on the upper bout. I bought the "E" suffix model with the piezo pickup on board but no controls on the guitar. It's got easy access to the battery through the large soundhole, I guess you call it active electronics. Mahogany neck, rosewood fretboard, dots only. All of the finish is satin and while the top wood is fine grained the rest is pretty rough. It is the plainest full size guitar I ever saw- but I didn't buy it for looks- the sound is excellent. It's kind of a sleeper in that way. The bolt on neck has no heel and meets the body at the 15th fret. It is very much like an electric neck setup and the best guitar ever to get at the upper end of the neck. Good Gotoh tuners, nice strong case- no more cheesy gigbags from Tacoma I hear. 2 strap buttons! and perfectly placed too- without the heel on the neck the neck side strap button goes right under the neck. Insides had sawdust and poor attention to detail- doesn't hurt anything but I never saw that on their more $$$ guitars. Hi grades for design and 2 strap buttons- knocked down by finish work

Very good sound output- balanced, not too bassy. Fine for finger style, sounds tinny with a thin pick, I wound up using 2mm jazz picks to mellow the sound. I plug it in to a Line 6 Amp and it sounds fine to me. There's a lot the amp can give or take away so I will leave it at that as I don't have an acoustic amp to try it with. I like the sound of this guitar very much compared to the C3C Chief I own. I like the sound of a big body guitar- sustain and overtones are there on this one. I sold a Taylor 712 because it was to small sounding for my tastes.

Perfect action from the factory. fast neck, excellent intonation even up at the 15th-17th frets which you can reach easily on this guitar- it amazes me. Fret work is good- nothing special but no errors. "String EZ" bridge has 3 crescent shaped holes that you stick the ball end of the string in and they catch in the corners- also pop out while you are tensioning them. It's nice not having to pry out pins but I have to stick a bic pen top in the hole to keep the string in while I wind it up. As I said earlier this is the plainest looking guitar I ever saw. Everyone making "cheap"(inexpensive) guitars tries to dress them up with fake or cheesy purfling and soundhole trim. Tacome did none of it and that is to their credit. Good materials, design, execution= good sound.

While the guitar seems light, I believe it will be durable. The hardware is fine, strap buttons secure,and while the finish seems barely there, it is more soaked into the wood than on it so I don't think it will fade away. Would I use it without a backup- sure.

I have had no warranty problems with this guitar but I did with my DR 20 and they took care of it no problem- bad piezo pickup. They respond to e-mail and seem like fine folks to me.

I have been playing off and on for 35 years- too many off to be very good but during the last 5 years I have been through about 15 guitars looking for what I wanted to keep and this is one of the keepers, along with my Schecter Tele, Papoose, Gibson J200, Tacoma Chief C3C, National Resophonic Estralita and a Heritage 445 dreadnought.. It's the road guitar, camping guitar, don't worry about it guitar- it's probably too ugly to get stolen and if I left it behind somewhere people would run after me to give it back! Not really... I would buy it again if I backed over it with the car. I love the neck on it, especially the ability to use the high register, and I love the way it's different. The Guild D4, Martin DM, Fender, Yamaha, Ibenez, Epiphone guitars in the inexpensive($500) range are all the same- not Tacoma- and they did it for a reason- neck and sound are excellent. Unique interior bracing and offset sound hole mean the top won't cave after a few years. I chose it to fill a spot in my collection, the "all around" spot, unless you're running a beauty contest. The J200 has a fuller tone, Hareitage a stronger bass, etc., the DM8 Roadking does everything pretty well. If I was doing it all again today I would look also at the new DR8 with the rosewood sides and back - and maybe a better overall finish with purfling etc. But in the end I like my plain jane Roadking just fine the way it is.