Tacoma DM9

This guitar has a Satin finish, IE no gloss. The woods are Mahogany, with a Sitka top.

Made in the U.S.A. It is an acoustic guitar, so what features are needed?

I originally wanted a non-mahogany guitar, with a sitka top. The thing is, the store only had one with a sitka top. Well, I played it, and was first impressed with the feel of the neck. The sound is very heavy for an acoustic, but with a certain light feel. For strumming, it's loud and deep. For picking/finger picking, it adds a richness to every note.

There are no flaws. The finish is wonderful, as I hate glossy acoustics. This also promotes the sound quality. There is a cool ivory like binding around the top and sides, and the hardware is beautiful.

I have had this out in the snow, which is kind of dumb, and I was VERY worried, but it didn't effect the look, sound, or any other part of the guitar. The tuners are perfect, and stay in tune VERY well. The guitar sound last longer than any Martin.

I do not like Fender, or most guitar companies these days due to their lack of respect for customers. With recent higher pricing and lack of quality on many items, I wouldn't trust them.

The Tacoma was made in '06, I believe, and I bought it in March of '09. It was in top quality. When Fender bought the company, most of us looked away in horror.

This is a wonder of a guitar. The feel, sound, and beauty all stun me every time I pick it up.

Finish: Satin. Love it. First Tacoma I ever saw was satin finish and I just really liked the understated simplicity of it. I prefer a guitar with a simple appearance over a flashy one, so the satin finish suits me well.

Made in U.S.A., all solid wood, dreadnought.

Neck: Wider than the necks on my other steel strings. Not as wide as my classicals, but a happy medium. I like a little wider neck, sot this has been a pleasant change. My fingers don't get in the way of each other. Equally comfortable fingerpicking or flatpicking.

Case: Tacoma's strengths are NOT in their cases. The handle was coming off the case on mine (I bought it used) but it was not that difficult to fix. Don't know how long the fix will last, but I'm definitely going to replace the case.

From the serial number it appears that my guitar was the twelfth one finished on June 19, 2001.

I was surprised by the sound of this guitar. LOUD, but rich and warm. A little heavy on the lower E string, but I've been playing for a while, so it's not anything I can't compensate for and live with. When I bought the guitar it had been sitting in its case unplayed for four years and the strings were DEAD. Even so, the sound was impressive and I knew when I put new strings on I wouldn't regret the purchase. I was right.

Setup was good. Interestingly, the original owner (not a player and why he put the guitar away for so long) had sanded the saddle down. When he told me this, I checked the intonation and (thankfully) it was perfect. Action is a little lower than I'd like and I get a little buzz, but that's not Tacoma's fault. I'll get around to replacing the saddle, but there's no rush.

With the exception of some pick dulling on the clear pickguard, it's hard to believe that this guitar is just over seven years old. The guy I bought it from was really careful with it or just never played it. No scratches or dings other that the aforementioned pick dulling. Tacoma's factory work appears to be flawless.

My only beef is the same that I have with just about every acoustic guitar manufacturer: What's up with the cheap, skanky plastic bridge pins and plastic end pins? I haven't bought a guitar in the last 36 years that I didn't replace the plastic bridge pins and end pins (when the guitar came with a plastic end pin) with ebony. That's the only reason I gave a 9 in this category. Definitely not a deal breaker, but they could do better.

UPDATE 9/9/2008:
This is just a follow-up clarification to my previous review in which I was voicing my distaste for plastic bridge pins and end pins. The DM9 does NOT have a plastic end pin, although I think my review made it sound that way. It has a big, honkin' metal (appears to be aluminum) end pin which is finished in gloss black and which installs and removes with an allen wrench. Tacoma's stated reason for that is so the instrument can be easily retro-fitted with a pickup jack if a pickup is installed later. Not how I'd finish out a handmade instrument, but that's just me.

Still, and this is for all the big name manufacturers (I won't mention names, but most people reading this will know the ones I'm talking about) who offer top-shelf, handmade guitars with cheap, acoustically dead, plastic bridge pins: Get a clue, y'all. Aesthetically and acoustically, plastic bridge pins don't cut it, and don't put a plastic, catalog-guitar end pin on a handmade guitar.

End of rant. Thanks for giving me the floor again.

It's light, but just because a guitar is light doesn't mean it won't last. I have a 32-year-old high end Yairi classical that's light as a feather. I forgot to latch the top on the case one time, was late for a gig and in my haste to get out of the house grabbed the handle and took off. My guitar took off, too. Out of the case, hit the hardwood floor, first on the binding of one of the front lower bouts, then bounced in the air and landed face down. I didn't want to look. Put a ding in the binding (binding is rosewood and obviously pretty forgiving) and cracked the finish in a thimble-sized area, but I played the guitar that night. The sound was never affected and it still sounds great. That said, even though it's a very light guitar, I'm pretty sure the Tacoma can withstand whatever I dish out.

Hardware is good, stays in tune, finish appears to be a good finish and should hold up. Except for when I'm flinging my guitars out of their cases, I take pretty good care of them :-), so I don't worry too much about finish durability.

I would and will definitely be gigging with it without a backup.

Since the guitar was never registered by the original owner and Tacoma is now in another state, I'm pretty sure the warranty is a moot point. There's a very good luthier I've used for the last twenty years, so he's always going to be my first choice for repairs.

I've been playing since I got my first Sears Silvertone in 1960. I own or have owned Gibson, Fender, Martin, Alvarez, Yairi, Ovation and a boat load of off brands. This is my first Tacoma.

I did my homework ahead of time. Spent a lot of time at the Tacoma website, read a lot of reviews, and sorted what I thought were the subjective opinions from the objective ones. All the questions I had were pretty well answered.

If this guitar were stolen or lost I'd definitely try to replace it with another one.

I haven't found anything to fault with the guitar itself. My favorite feature(s) of the guitar, besides its sound is the satin finish and simple, but tasteful design. Understated elegance.

I tend not to compare guitars, especially acoustics. Too many variables and it would end up being like comparing apples and oranges. I bought this one because I was looking for a dreadnought and a great deal came up. I was considering Taylor, Martin, and Tacoma. Never expected to find anything this impressive, near mint, for $250. Talk about being in the right place at the right time.

As noted above, the only thing I wish it had was wooden bridge pins and a better end pin. Still gets a ten for value, though.

I'd pay full retail for this guitar and never bat an eye, but. . . yeah here's the caveat: When looking for an acoustic guitar always, always play the one you're considering buying and sample several of the same model if you can. You might be surprised how much variation there can be even within the same model from the same maker. I've found this to be true whether the guitar is a Gibson, Martin, Collings, Taylor, whatever. In this case I didn't really have that chance, but for the price it was a matter of whether or not I liked the sound. I liked the sound. At the end of the day, that's what it's all about.

Dreadnought, all solid construction (spruche top, mahogany back, sides & neck). No preamp, no cutaway, a simple, but very accurate wooden rosette, no fancy MOP-inlays, satin finish, a hard-to-see clear pickguard. Rosewood fretboard and bridge (asymmetric Tacoma-bridge). Usual cheap cream-colored bridgepins with abalone dots, don??t look very nice but do their job. Tortoise body- and neckbinding. Tacoma-branded tuners; Tacoma case included. Handmade in USA.

A perfect ten! This guitar - as said by the other reviewers - simply knocks out everything up to 1500, maybe 2000$. It can easily compete with mid-priced Martins and Taylors (D18, Taylor 300-Series etc). Very resonant, open sound, perfect dynamics, fat but tight low end, beautiful, crisp high end, very even overall sound (luthier??s quote: "Wow, sounds like a Martin! How much did you pay???"). Great for strumming and fingerpicking.

Prfect set-up. Very low action, yet almost no buzz even if you REALLY dig in hard with the plek. Strung with D??Addario EXP .012-.053, easy playability, very comfortable neck (either a very thin satin finish or even no finish at all, great feel). As said before, no fancy highgloss lacquer, but a very thin satin finish which allows perfect vibration of the top. Tuners are great. Perfect fretwork, can??t be done better, very good and solid looking fret wire. Absolutely flawless, there is NOTHING to complain about.

Can??t say much about that. It is an all-solid wood guitar, so it needs to be treated more carefullyz than an instrument made from laminated "wood". Pretty sure that the top will withstand the string tension over the years. Plastic strap button looks ok, but I can??t say if it will survive when heavily used. Overall construction seems very solid though

Nover have dealt with them, hopefully never will have to :-)

I am mainly a bass player, play both electric bass and double bass. Additionally, I am a producer and I think I know how to distinguish good instruments from bad instruments, since I have very much experience especially with recording acoustic guitars (and know the sound fo high-end guitars).

The Tacoma DM9 was a real surprise to me. I definitely competes with most guitars I ever recorded, heard or played before. I could compare it to mid-range Martins and Taylors (prized 1500-200$), and also to instruments like all-solid Blueridges, Guilds etc of the same prize range like the DM9. I safely can say, that the Tacoma is definitely underprized. I payed 550??? for an instrument which beats out everything in its prize range by far. It definitely knocks out every guitar under 1000??? (approx. 1500$, but remember that guitars in the US generally cost the same in $ as in Europe in ???, since they are much more expensive here in Europe), and as I said sounds as good as 1500$/???-Martins and Taylors, as other reviewers said.

The only minor part is the case: it was made in Indonesia, and does not look very nice. But it is quite solid and does it??s job (protecting the guitar) very well. I think that this is a good thing: better spend the money on the guitar than on the case.
The clear pickguard does look a bit strange, I think that a tortoise pickguard would look much better on this guitar. but on the other hand it is VERY thin and allows the top to vibrate more freely than the thick usual pg??s.

Finally, I am still overwhelmed by this guitar??s sound and construction quality, which both are unique in its prize range.

DM 9 described well elsewhere, very simple to the point of being a little offputting, esp the lack of binding on the back. However, the satin finish gives it a nice aged look and the feel of an older instrument, like an old Gibson with a lot of finish worn off. Mine is from 2001, very little fret wear, minor face scratches, good Tacoma case. Very lightweight. Does have fairly fat 1 3/4 in. neck at nut, not my personal favorite. Standard long scale, also not my favorite, I like the shorter scale used on '60s Gibsons. The patented Tacoma bracing is certainly working great on this one. The clear pickguard is a nice touch, wish more companies would go this way. The price on the tag was $675 which was hard to deal with considering it could be had new for about that. I walked out, came back, got them down to $499 and that was all it took.

BIG, BIG, EXPANSIVE sound, LOUD and very well balanced with strong bass, a true marvel. I would use the word "woody" to describe the sound. Having played maybe 20 various Tacomas, I was expecting this to be good at least but not this good. Fortunately it had just been strung with Elixer reg light so it was up to full potential when I first played it. I expected to switch later to medium strings for more punch, but that's just not necessary, a nice break for the fingertips.

Bought used so someone else did the work to set up very nicely, low action. The spruce on the face is very grainy, dark lines a lot like my '68 Martin D 18, very nice. Inside the guitar looks well made, no excess glue, braces hand sanded.

With a 5 yr old instrument, no issues so far, don't expect any really.

No experience

This guitar sounds better than any Tacoma I've played other than a JK55. I have not played a JR55 which I'd expect to be better. The other DM9s have been ok to good as well as the rosewood Ds. The price here ($499) is more than it can be gotten on e bay, but then you either have to take what you get or pay a bunch for return shipping. I've owned about 40 guitars and currently have the following strung up with Elixers: '68 Martin D18, '71 Guild D50, '85 Guild D 50, 2001 Larivee J 10, Blueridge BG 160, 70s Yamaha FG 160. This Tacoma holds up very well in this company, even with the $1400 J10, (which is better), and the D 18, which is not as responsive as the Tacoma and it's got medium strings. You might want to check my writeup of the Blueridge BG 160 which is another great guitar in this price range. I do want to say that the Tacomas vary greatly in my experience, but it will be worth your trouble to search one out, just make sure you can play it before buying (or have an easy return policy). Comming on guitars like this Tacoma (and the Blueridge) is what keeps me charged and loving the instruments. Great guitars can be had for under $500 (IMHO).

ABSOLUTELY THE WORST.....I finally got my guitar back from the 3rd place I had to bring it to. It was a "Fender Authorized Repair Center". They stripped the guitar of all its parts in order to "ship it out". Week after week it was "coming back coming back coming back". It never stopped. Finally I got a call from some kid saying, "hey, I found a guitar that has your name and number stuck to it. Do you want it or can I just toss it out?" Yes folks, my guitar was stripped clean of all hardware and left on a shelf in a warehouse. After getting it back and giving up ever making it playable for anything beyond slide, an amazing person fixed it as best as possible. He shaved the saddle down so it's little more than a sliver...and made it playable. I have it back and am so happy. If you're in the boston area, check out http://www.sweetandsound.com/. Chris did right by me. I've never been happier. That guy can fix anything! Thanks Chris!

New 2004 (When I bought it)
American made.
All solid woods.
Fishman matrix preamp / pickup system
(I ordered the guitar with the pickup from Tacoma as an upgrade)
Back and Sides are Mahogany
Top wood is Sitka Spruce
Neck is mahogany
Dreadnaught body no cutaway

I don't want the 6 to seem as though I am ripping the guitar for having poor features, but this is a very "Plane Jane" guitar as far as looks are concerned.

For the price there is no better sounding guitar. Very powerful bass responce and acurate clear trebles.

Extremely punchy (as I would expect from a dreadnaught) but sings out chords and single note runs.

I can't overstate that for this price range the sound of this guitar is amazing.

Guitar came set up nicely. I play a fair amount with drop tunings and so some slight adjustments needed to be made to avoid buzzing in low tunings.

Very nice Spruce top with medulary silking which adds a nice touch.

Again "Plane Jane" satin finish. The guitar is for playing not looking at.

Built very well. I have been playing with it on stage since I bought it, and it is very reliable. Always in tune and ready to use.

I had one of the side strap pieces of wood on the inside of the guitar come loose about a month ago. I took it to a shop and they fixed it up no questions asked.

Take good care of the guitar and the warranty will take good care of you.

I have been playing live regularly for the past 2+ years and this guitar is always with me. Very reliable, solid, great sounding, take it anywhere guitar.

I just got my McPherson acoustic this week!!!!! So I will be submitting my review on that later this year. I have a couple other acoustics and a vintage Fender Strat. Even though the McPherson is clearly going to be my recording guitar, I will still bring the Tacoma to the studio.

If the guitar was stolen I would certainly get another Tacoma, and quite possibly this same model. Would depend on how much "extra" cash I had lying around at the time... :-)

Mine is 2000 model, solid spruce top, mahogany back and sides, dreadnaught, US made, satin finish, mahogany neck with rosewood fretboard, rosewood bridge, gotoh tuners. I'll give it an 8 for this category, everything you need in an acoustic.

This thing is a cannon, very loud, but with a great tone. Can do anything from fingerpicking to full out strumming. I have tried may guitars since, including Gibsons, Taylors, etc. and none have sounded better than this. My benchmark.

I got this used at a pawn shop and the action was a bit high. My father in law helped me set it up and now it plays great. Nice low action with no buzzing or loss of tone or volume.

People always worry about the satin finish on these, but mine shows no signs of wear, and I think the satin finish contributes to the sound of these. Tuners are great, stays in tune forever. Very light in weight but I think it would take some abuse.

No experience here, I've heard both good and bad...

I've been playing guitar for 25 years or so, mainly electric until a few years ago. I have 3 other Tacomas now (this was my first), a Fender Tele, and a Raven West Fireball 2000. This guitar got me into Tacomas. If it were lost it couldn't be replaced because of the setimental value attached to it. But I would need another Tacoma dred then...

Ok, I don't want to repeat what previous reviewers have said so I'll just add on what others have left out. Basically, you get more than enough features with the DM9 around this price range. Reason why I give only a 9 is because comparing other guitars around this price, you don't get most or the best features. Even so, it's pretty close to 3rd place I say.

Sounds good, but still lacking clarity in that price range. Again, I'm not comparing with cheaper or more expensive guitars here. I only rate this with other guitars around this price. Don't sound as bright as the Taylor E110, but then again, it's playability is better than the Taylor.

The action is surprisingly low for this price and the only problem is the thinness of the woods. I feel like it'll get a dent if I accidently bump into something hard. Keep in mind that the pickguard is transparent but overall finish is pretty nice.

All in all, this is a great guitar. If you have to buy it for the full price, make sure it's what you want. I got it at a great bargain so I'm not complaining. Its strength is how light it is to carry and you feel like you're carrying a airless backpack when playing. The weakness is of course the case that comes with it. If you really love guitars and want to invest your savings on a solid guitar, this can make a good first guitar but if you want an upgrade from your older $100 or $300 guitars, then get something more expensive. Unless you are picky like myself, this may be your favorite guitar. For me, I'll have to keep saving for another guitar. =)

Follow up

I miss it

Used to be good

Used to think it was good

Ah, where to begin. So, if you scroll down, you'll see I really enjoyed my guitar (BB). Great, beautifully sounding instrument, or at least that's how I remember it and how it sounds in all my recordings. I had a major problem where the neck met the body--the brace below the neck seemed to have sunk in, and the top and neck did the same thing. You could shove a pencil between the strings and the neck at the 12th fret with room to spare. I brought it back to Mr. C's in Marlborough in September of 2004. They sent it back to Tacoma for warranty work. Tacoma has been bought by Fender. Tacoma sent the guitar back saying it could only be shipped from an authorized Fender dealer. Chris at MR. C's brought it to Action music (a Fender dealer where he also works). Action music sent the guitar back to Tacoma. Fast forward to MAY OF 2005. Still don't have the guitar back. No one can give me an answer of where the guitar is or when I'll get it back, only that it's been shipped to Tacoma for repair work. Now, I could be wrong, but 8 months seems a little extreme doesn't it? I had a problem with some voodoo labs pedals--fixed in two weeks. Had a problem with Reverend, fixed in a week. Had a problem with Tacoma....8 MONTHS and still no resolution!!!!! ABSOLUTELY FRUSTRATING! It's too bad, the guitars sound great, but until this is remedied I have this desire to tell everyone not to buy them based on the customer service alone. If there's any customer service reps out there, PLEASE CONTACT ME. Thank you. --Marc Carlson

It is USA made, beautifully simple with all the FEATURES an acoustic guitar needs. It is an acoustic guitar, unless the neck or tuners are missing, I dont see how it could not get a 10. I dont get the guys that give a 7 on features for one of these, what more do they want, an automated hand to play for them?

For me, the sound is perfect. It is a bright sound that seems happy even when playing minors. It also has excellent sustain and it is very loud and responsive. I love the tone, maybe a Martin or a Gibson sounds just as good, but I dont want anything but my DM9

Well I dont know if the store I bought it from or Tacoma set this guitar up, or if it never needed setting up. A guitar of this quality shoudnt need anything but a neck adjustment. If your 'luthier' wants to start filing frets, either get a new luthier or send the guitar back for defects. The action is very low, but not so low that hammerons and string bending is a chore. Beautiful satin finish, with tortoise shell binding, ultra simpple yet what is there is beautiful, I love the clear pickgard too, a hunk of plastic would ruin its beauty.

These guitars are fragile, and you dont want to bang them around, but honestly you would have to be an idiot to ever do enough damage to a guitar to say that solid wood is not fragile. As long as you dont slam it on a piece of steal or something, it shoud last forever.

Well i have been playing seriously for the last year and off and on for the last three. I have gone through a few electrics but cant see myself ever selling or trading this guitar. I would replace in a heartbeat, I have full faith in the Tacoma brand and believe they are as good if not better than gibson, martin etc, for the price though, they cant be beat. By the way mine is a 2001, it was my first guitar, and it will be my main axe for the rest of my playing days.