Tacoma DR20 Acoustic

A 1998 made in Tacoma Washington DR-20. Solid top acoustic guitar. Beautiful finish with the clear pick guard. Standard dreadnought size. Tacoma tuners, very nice! I purchased mine with a hardshell case.

I play mostly rock/blues and some folk stuff. I love this guitar. I played Larrivee's, Gibson's, Taylor's and Martin's,nothing else was even close to this guitar. For the money a Tacoma is THE BEST GUITAR you can buy. A wonderful sounding guitar for flat picking or fingerstyle. I've had several people tell me that they have never heard a DR-20 that sounds as good as mine.

The finish of this guitar is excellent. Great craftsmanship at Tacoma. Those guys know how to build an excellent guitar. The action from the fatory was a bit to high for my taste but after a short set up job, its now perfect. I've had this guitar for three years and it wonderful. Had the factory set up been better I would've given it a higher rating.

The more I play this guitar the better it sounds. It seems like it will last a lifetime. I've taken it to several jam sessions and have used it on number of live jobs, in the studio and in rehersals. Excellent all the way around. I never gig without a backup.

I've never had to deal with them.

I've been playing guitar for seven years. I also have a Gibson Les Paul Standard and a Danelectro U2. Both also purchased from the Pickers Exchange. I have a Marshall head and cab. I perfer to enjoy my Tacoma unplugged. I generally mic the guitar whenever I play it at a gig.

2000 model Hand Made in the USA ,With solid Sitka spruce top and solid indian rosewood back/sides with high gloss finish . Dreadnaught body with gotoh tuners comes with gigbag which sucks ,i give it a 9 becouse it doesnt come with a hard case

This guitar sounds incredible for the price good all around although just a little better for strumming .Has a bright but full sound to it

this guitar came right to my hands the day it came to the store and the action is a tad too high so im planning to have it lowered a bit .The top back and sides are the most perfect bookmatch ive seen before ,you cant even see where the two peices meet literlaly.Only when you look real close at the finish can you see that there a couple of little flaws like a little finish dripping but thats it , but hey what can u expect in an all solid guitar for under a grand.

this is a pretty solid made guitar ive only had it for a month so i wouldn't know how well it will last but it has a limited lifetime warranty which satisfies me.Ive hit gainst things before and it hasn't dented so its tough. I don't think any smart person would use a guitar without a backup so i wouldn't use it without one.

i only e-mailed the company once for a question and they were a little slow but were nice.

Ive been playing guitar for about 5 years and know my stuff pretty well.n't have any other guitars but my father has a taylor 514ce and personally(and some friends) think my Tacoma sounds better but that could just be becouse of my Rosewood preference.If this guitar was lost or stolen i would cry becouse i don't have the money to buy it again but i would try to get another or a DR-38 with ebony fretboard and bridge.What i love most is the dressing on this guitar that you get for 800 bucks .Abalone rosette,herringbone purfling and gloss finish .If your looking for a nice guitar thats pretty light on the wallet then look at one of these

American-made 1999 model, solid woods throughout, with Spruce top and Rosewood sides and back, all in a very, very nice gloss finish. Nice Abalone rosette, very nice four-color wood herringbone purfling and nice ivoroid binding on body and neck. Headstock is topped with Rosewood and logo is inlaid ivoroid. Neck is mahogany with smooth satin finish, with rosewood board and decent Abalone dot inlays, which are also on the string pegs in the bridge, which is pretty cool. The frets are medium-jumbo and of good quality. Tuners bear Tacoma's name and are very good quality. The buttons are small, which I find kinda cool. Mine came with a hard case; don't know why, 'cause I think these generally come with a gig bag. It's not a super high-quality case, but I'll take it over the Ziploc bag any day. For the money, I just don't know where you can get features like these. Strung with Gore Elixirs, which I consider to be the best you can get - a nice touch.

I mostly flatpick folk and rock stuff, and I like to have some projection when I bang, and this one does it with great clarity. I attribute this to the solid Rosewood sides and back. A friend came over recently with his early-90's Martin Shenandoah (Spruce & Birdseye Maple) and this just really outdid it in warmth and fullness, especially on the bottom. I know it's an apples to oranges comparison, but it just sounded better all-around to me. The highs shimmer and project well also, but I love it for the deep stuff.

My only area of less than 100% satisfaction. The action was pretty high when it came to me. I took it to my local luthier to lower it, which he prefers to do in increments. I am pretty happy now with where it's at, though I don't see much more room on the saddle to take it down, though he says he could. I'm just going to live with it and be happy knowing that I should never have to worry about buzzing. I should mention that I sold a Gibson ES-335 to get this, and the action on that, being a fine, fine electric, was really low. I've read other reviews that mention high action, so I'm wondering if that's just the way Tacoma sets 'em up. I may switch the strings to custom lights (.011-.052) as opposed to the lights (.012-.053), but I don't want to lose that sweet beefy depth. The construction is just plain top-notch. I don't see Martin, Larrivee, Guild or any of the custom boys putting 'em together any better.

Upon first picking it up, I noticed that it is definitely a light guitar. Others have mentioned this, too, and it was definitely lighter than my friend's Shenandoah. I don't know where the weight differs, though, and it doesn't give me the impression of cheapness or a lack of durability. It's a solidly made guitar that should last a lifetime. The finish is beautiful and deep. The one strap button is solid (I'd have liked one on the heel, but I understand why they don't put them on; some people don't like 'em there, and it's an easy install) and I definitely feel I can depend on this. I would gig without a backup if I had to, but that's never a good idea for anyone.

Another great feature - the warranty is lifetime and transferrable. So, if you bought one used, you could pay Tacoma fifty bones and have the warranty transferred. Does anyone else do that? I don't think so. I e-mailed the company to ask about registering the warranty, as the dealer I bought from forgot to send me the warranty card, and they were quick to respond and very helpful. I doubt I'll ever need the warranty, and hope I never have to get it repaired.

Overall, this is a beautiful guitar, regardless of the price. I feel like I stole it for what I paid. I didn't mention the dealer, because when they sent me the warranty card and receipt to send to Tacoma, they sent a receipt for $699. I'm thinking they sell 'em on eBay for cheaper than Tacoma wants them to, but I love this guitar and I'm not going to rat out the nice folks who sold it to me dirt cheap. Even at the usual "discount retail" of $800 or so, you won't find a better guitar. It holds up with and surpasses ALL the Martins, Larrivees, Guilds and others I've tried. Plus, you get some nice features and all solid wood put together by craftsmen. Tacoma is out there to give guitarists what they want: beautiful instruments with sound to match. They're not out to gouge you, so check them out.

Beautiful professional-level dreadnought acoustic guitar. Spruce top, rosewood back and sides, mahogany neck, rosewood overlay on headstock. Rosewood fingerboard, abalone dot inlays and soundhole purfling, 4-color wood binding on the body, ivoroid neck binding. No electronics. Didn't want 'em. Deep, deep gloss laquer on everything except the neck, which has the smoothest, fastest satin finish I've ever seen on an acoustic guitar. The only thing keeping this category from scoring a perfect "10" is that there was no strap button installed on the neck heel, and it came with a (admittedly high-quality) gig bag rather than an actual hardshell case. Otherwise, this is the best value in guitardom. Period.

I still keep going back and looking at my receipt just to remind meyself of how little I paid for this work of art. Before buying this Tacoma, I tried Martins, Larrivees, Taylors, Collings(-es?), Lowdens, Santa Cruzes, and even a few custom builders, but nobody--NOBODY--could make a guitar with this sound at anywhere near this price. My DR20 kept up with and even surpassed $2000+ instruments from the aforementioned makers. Strong, full projection. Wondefully complex overtones, and an uncanny balance for a dreadnought. I play mostly fingerstyle, and I never have a problem getting whichever string that I feel like to speak. Tacoma has broken the mold with its bracing and bridge patterns, and I, for one, am ecstatic. Plus, it came strung with Gore Elixir strings, which so far have lasted WAY longer than any string I've previously used, and still have that deep, bronzey chime of a new string after three weeks of hard playing. The plain steels will need replacing before the wound strings will, which is just weird. But who's complaining?

Workmanship and detailing are flawless, at any price range. There are NO gaps or misalignments anywhere on this beauty. Seams and joints are frighteningly smooth. Whoever made this guitar cared about his (or her) work. There's pride in this thing. Action was a little high for me, but my guitar shop took care of that before I took delivery of the guitar.

I see no reason why this guitar shouldn't last for decades. It's built very, very well. The finish is deep, the woods are top-quality, and the hardware is primo. Nice big frets, so they shouldn't wear down for years.

I cannot stress enough how helpful and prompt Tacoma's customer service is. When I first bought the guitar, I sent a little congratulatory email just to let them know how much I appreciated their handiwork, and I got no less than three thank-you emails within 24 hours. Personalized, too; not form letters. Then a few days ago, I emailed with a question on how to install a strap button on the neck heel, and I had a detailed, explicit set of instructions from Julian (very helpful man) within THREE HOURS. Try to get one of the big boys to be that prompt with you.

I have been playing for 15 years, and I've owned a large array of both acoustic and electric instruments: Ovation, Yamaha, Charvel, Gibson, Epiphone, Horabe (a classical). This guitar is at the top of the list in terms of value, quality, sound, and just general overall impression. If anybody--ANYBODY--steals, breaks, busts, folds, spindles, or mutilates my DR20, I will see that the person dies a horrible, painful death and serves an especially tormented stint in Hell. I will then sell that person's worldly goods and buy myself a few Tacomas. I will then resurrect said person, show them what I've done with their stuff, and then make sure they die horribly again.
Snap these instruments up before Tacoma realizes how great a deal they are and raises the price.

1998, US-Made. Wood varies from year to year. The 1997's had laminate back and sides, the 1998's have solid backs, and the 1999's have solid back and sides. All have solid Sitka spruce tops. Bridge is rosewood and tone-shaped. Abalone soundhole inlay. 4-color herringbone purfling. Gloss finish. Clear lexan pickguard. Smaller Gotoh-style tuners. Rosewood fretboard. Ivroid binding on body and neck.
The DR20 is a pretty nice combination of "stripped down" and pretty. I like the looks of their DM (mahogany-backed) guitar series better, tho'. I prefer the tortise-shell binding to the herringbone binding.
The DR20, for some insane reason, only comes with a gig bag from Tacoma and doesn't have a HSC. This gives a bad impression to the customer, and I'd rather they sold the guitar for $50 more and threw in the HSC. It gives the impression that the company feels their guitars are worth protecting.

Here's one of my beefs with this particular guitar (YMMV). I played a 1999 Tacoma DM16C, and it was one of the most beautiful sounding, well balanced, bright, crisp guitars I've ever played. So I ordered the DR20 expecting a similar sound (somewhat niavely, I realize). My DR20 has what could be described as a "warm" sound, but to me it's just not bright enough unless the strings are only hours old. This is, admittedly just my taste, and some prefer a warmer sound from acoustics. For recording, I have to throw new strings on it every session, and within three hours they start to sound dead.
The guitar is very light and resonant, and has excellent sustain. Less so higher up the neck, but that's to be expected.

The string action is just a hair high for my taste, but I'm mainly an electric player. Other than that, it's great. No buzzes, no intonation problems, the nut was just right. Fretwork and build quality was great. There was a very slight gap where the fretboard met the top of the guitar, but it's very minor and the only flaw in a very meticulously-built guitar.

Hmm... It's an acoustic first of all, and it's a very light one to boot. I wouldn't want to bang it around much, but the gloss finish is very durable and should stand up to the usual bumps and scrapes. I've heard great things about Tacoma's service department, so that makes me feel good about that end of things.

Calls were answered promptly and they were very helpful. Email from their web site (as often seems to be the case) is hit or miss. When they get it, it gets answered in a reasonable amount of time.

I've been playing guitar for 15 years, but have only been a serious acoustic player for about a year. I have about 9 guitars currently, including a nylon string acoustic, a Washburn EA20 cutaway semi-acoustic, and a Yamaha FX-series solid-top cutaway dreadnaught with a pickup.
I wish I had known about the back/side wood issue with regard to year in the Tacoma's. Also, the 1999's have an improved glue and bolt neck joint that I thought they all had. So, basically, the 1999's have better wood and a better neck joint than previous years. Had I known this, I would not have purchased a "last year's model".
If I had it to do over again, I'd probably buy a Larrivee for about the same price for the better wood, better neck joint. I've also come to realize that I really require a cutaway for my style of acoustic playing, so my next guitar will have one of those as well.

1998 Model, Mahogony/Spruce, Rosewood Neck, Minimal understated design. Wood is nice, again uderstated. I would have preferred a Satin finish to the back and sides. Nice grain in the Spruce Top and the design around the edge is first rate...woodworking is top shelf.

I like to finger pick Art Rock stuff ala Yes, ELP, Tull. I like folk and the new stuff too. I just enjoy all music but generally the clean sound of an acoustic. Tacoma makes a big deal about the choice of woods, bracing and construction to get it's sound. Well, they've succeeded to my ears. I like a solid rich bass and bell like mids without harshness and brightness in the mids and treble and I have it here. It's new so it's not quite there but I tried 3 others while auditioning and they were wonderful. Mine's a bit bright now; we will see. What struck me the first time I played it was the sustain...the notes just fade away and the projection is first rate (reminds me of the Lowdens in this respect). The overall sound could be warmer (perhaps a cedar top option?) but I love this guitar. It plays what I like to play very nicely.

When I got this guitar I was dissapointed at first. The action was heavy and quite high; nothing like the demo guitars I tried in the stores. I got the action lowered and the strings replaced and shazzam it plays as easy as the Taylors I tried. Fit and finish is first rate. Woods and finish clean and natural (prefer satin finish). I tried a lot of guitars, these I (liked): 1)all the Taylors (514C), several Alvarez (PD-100), Lowdens (OM's), Guilds, Takamine, Martin (Clapton model), Tacoma (DR20)...I searched and played everything I could and this guy won. Great price, great sound, easy to play!!

This is a very solidly built and crafted guitar. Seems quite rugged and it hasn't gone an iota out of tune yet...nothings moving!

Have not dealt with the company...no need!

Get a real case for it...I did!! Would I buy something else instead?? Perhaps the Lowden for it's sound, I liked the Taylor 514C but the price was 2x this guy and it's not any easier to play. Martin? The only one I really liked was 3x the price. This guy could be prettier but I'm willing to sacrifice that for a well crafted, easy playing, great sounding inexpensive guitar any day! Check it out.

A U.S.A made dreadnaught acoustic. Solid spruce top, rosewood sides, gloss finish (except for the back of the neck, which is satin), abolone soundhole trim, lightly textured transparent pick guard, 22 jumbo frets, Gotoh tuners. No electronics. It has sort of a curvy-shaped bridge that compliments the drednaught shape and unique headstock.
The transparent pick guard draws attention to its very light colored top. Roll it over and you'll find dark, smoky greyish brown sides and a similarly grained back but with a hint of a burgundy tint to it. This forms quite a sharp contrast against the satin-finished, brightly colored (almost orange) neck.
The features of this guitar precisly fit my taste but may not fit yours. I'll pass on assigning them a number.

The first time I picked up a Takoma DR-20, I decided it was the best sounding guitar I've ever played. I bought one that day. Now, a few months after the initial purchase endorphins have subsided, a few faults have reared their heads. This guitar has an enormously bright tone, ask it to solo and it will sing. The down side is that the bass characteristics seem overshadowed sometimes while finger picking or strumming. A set of mediums seemed to balance out the sound but the guitar's neck didn't appreciate it- it bowed slightly, raising the action. Don't take this as criticism, the guitar didn't come set up for mediums. I'm sure it would respond fine to heavier strings if I have it properly set up. So far, the sonic shortcomming hasn't been enough to warrant a trip to the guitar shop. I have it strung now with some Martin bronze lights I had laying around and the neck has returned perfectly straight.
I know this sounds corny but the best way to describe the sound is "Happy." For an up-beat jam its great- for a mellow ballad I switch to a different guitar. Again, I don't want to give the sound a score. It is definitly unique and not for those of you who consider Martin the ideal.

I generally prefer medium guage strings. This is my only guitar with lights and that is just because it came set up that way from the factory. With the lights, the action is perfect for my style though I have heard some complain it's a bit high. I think this perception is due to the jumbo frets rising higher from the neck than the frets of most guitars. Play this guitar as hard as you wish anywhere on the fretboard and you'll find not a single buzz. I can't tell you haw nice that is. The fit and finish are absolutely flawless- no joke! Every part meshes with amazing precision. It has a quality apperance that rivals more expensive brands. Sure, I don't get to say "I have a Taylor" but I can rest easy knowing that sombody in Washington state really gave a damn about what he was building.

I'm now playing my second DR-20. In the past, I did all my set-up work myself. What a mistake that proved to be. A trussrod adgustment I made shortly after I bought the guitar resulted in a split in the back of the neck. With the help of Precision Guitar of Mt. Pleasant, SC (from whom I did not purchase the guitar) Tacoma waranteed it. The moral of the story: leave guitar work to the professionals. I think if I have enough sense not to tinker with it, this guitar could last a lifetime.
I don't gig, however I can see no problems if I was to. It's as solid as a rock.

I spent quite a bit of time on the phone with the folks at Tacoma when I split that neck. And I have to admit that I presented them with an ambiguous situation. In the end, they gave me a new guitar and I am forever thankful. Should you buy one, do yourself, and Tacoma, a favor and have any work done on it done professionally.

If it was stolen, I would replace it with the same model. If it was lost? Well, there's no chance of that.
The sound isn't perfect, but I doubt I'll ever hear a guitar that is. Call me shallow but the look of it means alot to me. When I come home from work and see it in its stand, its brightly finished top almost says "Hey wanna play- c'mon, it'l be fun. It is.

Dreadnought acoustic. Beautiful guitar: solid rosewood back and sides, solid spruce top, four color wood purfling, white binding on body and neck, abalone rosette and dot markers, translucent pickguard, unique headstock shape. Visually, this is a very striking guiar that looks something like a Martin D-35.
The neck is 1.75" wide at the nut, the fretboard has a 20" radius. The neck has a slim profile, i.e., not as chunky as a Martin.
It came with a nylon gig bag, which seems riduculous for a guitar of this quality. I bought a hardshell case for it immediately.

This guitar sounds great. Good bass, very clear and bell-like treble. Compresses a little when strummed hard, but very satisfying overall. I've got an Ovation Legend and a Seagull SM-6, and while I like them both, neither compares tonally with this guitar - they're not even close.

The fit and finish were flawless - this guitar is obviously very carefully constructed. The action is the only thing about the guitar that I'm not unreservedly enthusiastic about. It came with medium gauge strings (i.e., .-13's) and was set up with a lot of relief. With this setup, the volume and sustain were fantastic, but the combination of relatively stiff strings, lots of relief, and a very flat fretboard made it a challenge to play -- at least for me.
I almost immediately switched to light strings, but even with the generous relief I was getting some fret buzz on the high E and B strings. I've tweaked everything to the point where I've eliminated most of the buzzing even though I subtracted some relief. Still, the action is not for the faint of heart, i.e., it's not as playable as either my Seagull (very low action) or my Ovation (low action). It's not as low as most of the Martins and Taylors I've come across, either. I'm planning to have a profesional set-up done to see if I can improve it a bit more.

It seems to be very well built. The tuners are Gotoh and seem solid. Everything else seems first class.

Haven't had any dealings with Tacoma yet, so I can't comment on their support.

I've been playing for 25 years. In addtiion to Ovation and Seagull acoustics I mentioned above, I play a Fender Strat Plus, a '72 Telecaster Custom, and an Epiphone Les Paul Custom.
If this guitar were stolen, I'd buy another one. In today's market, finiding a solid spruce and rosewood guitar for $769 seems an unlikely proposition. For example, $769 will barely buy you a plain-Jane Martin D-1R made with laminated rosewood. Thus, to find a guitar at this price that not only is of solid rosewood and spruce but that has visual appointments that rival a Martin d-35 or Taylor 814 is incredible. I'd advise anyone considering a Taylor or Martin to check out the Tacoma first - you might decide to go for it and save yourself $750 in the process! Great guitar.