Product: Tacoma DR16CE4
Price Paid: US $1,200.00
Submitted
03/16/2005
at
08:48am
by
Kyle S.
Features
:
9
Mine is a 2004 model, made in Tacoma, WA before Fender bought the company. I bought it from Maple Street Guitars in Atlanta, GA. It is a deep dreadnought with cutaway. Made of solid rosewood back and sides, stitka spruce top, mahogany neck w/ rosewood fingerboard, Gotoh tuners, Fishman Prefix Plus, clear pickguard, and a high gloss finish. Not strap button on the neck, but they do provide a placement diagram for adding one. Mine also came with a plush looking case. However the case completely sucks. The nice handle came apart after six months and the locks pop open by themselves. But my rating is for the guitar not the case.
Sound
:
8
This guitar is loud. And it has a nice balanced tone. It is not shrill like some Taylors or deep and bassy like a Martin. This is no copycat. The cathedral sound really resonates in the body.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
9
I waited six weeks for the factory to build this guitar. When it came the action was low, just how I prefer it. I did swap out the strings for Martin SP's and it helped brighten up the sound. They forgot to put the pickguard on, but they shipped it out ASAP. This guitar was pristine with no blemishes or flaws. And I must say that as hard as I play it, the strings stay in tune. And honest to God, I have never broken a string on this guitar.
Reliability/Durability
:
8
The guitar is very reliable, I don't gig with a backup and like I said I have never broken a string on it. However, one concern I have is with the clear pickguard. Although a clever idea, I have noticed over the last year dirt and grime building up around the edges, which is slowly leaving an outline of the pickguard. I can see that getting real ugly over the years.
Customer Support
:
8
Like I said I had to wait for the guitar to be built and the company kept in touch with my dealer throughout the process. They actually got it completed earlier than expected. Since then they have been sold to Fender. I have dealt with them too and they were nice and quick, but a tad disorganized.
Overall Rating
:
9
TThis is a great guitar for the money. My friends who play it are always taken back by it. And when I tell them the price they are floored. I would definitely recommend buying this guitar. As their reputation grows I am sure the price will too.
Product: Tacoma DR16CE4
Price Paid: US $1229
Submitted
09/30/2000
at
08:31pm
by
Ed Beasley
Email: elbeasley at earthlink<dot>net
Features
:
10
1999 model made in Tacoma, WA. 14 medium-jumbo frets frets to big dreadnaught cutaway body, solid rosewood back and sides, solid spruce top, mohogany neck with bound rosewood fretboard, flawless high gloss finish, abalone fret markers and soundhole trim, Fishman Prefix Plus electronics, Gotoh Tuners, nice and snug archtop hardshell case.
Sound
:
10
Big and beautiful sound, crisp highs, punchy lows, balanced mids and tons of sustain. I play mostly singer/songwriter stuff, both flatpicking and fingerstyle and the guitar works great like that. When I plug in, I use a Peavey Ecoustic 112 and combined with the Fishman electronics, most any sound is possible. The sound of this guitar was the number one reason I bought it. I love the looks and feel, but the sound blew me away.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
10
This guitar played like a dream right off the rack but I don't know how much credit goes to the setup man. Action on the wonderfully smooth low profile neck is nice and low. The top is perfectly bookmatched with tightly grained spruce. The guitar is light but built rock solid and just doesn't go out of tune. Overall quality of construction is strictly top shelf. The only other brand I found to have as much bang for the buck is Larrivee (I have one of those now too).
Reliability/Durability
:
10
I'm not a professional musician but take this guitar out a lot to festivals, camping trips, friends houses. It's snug as can be in it's case and just has a solid feel to it. Every guitar player knows that "feel" and this guitar has it in spades.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
No problems to report.
Overall Rating
:
10
I've been playing a little over 2 years now. Started on an imported a 70s Aspen AD35 that I still own and like. I traded a real nice Ovation 1612 for a mohogany Larrivee parlor guitar to travel with. I also own a Pignose guitar that's loads of fun. All my guitars are insured and if some tragedy were to befall my Tacoma. I'd immediately buy another just like it. Side by side comparisons with similarly priced Martins, Gibsons and Taylors showed the Tacoma to be far superior. I plan to own my Tacoma for a long time.
