Takamine EAN-30C

This guitar has a cedar top with solid mahogany back and laminated mahogany sides with a very thin satin finish. The binding is white plastic and as I mentioned, the rosette is very plain. It has an OM body style with a cutaway. The strings are anchored at the bridge as its does not use pins and it has a split saddle typical of high-end Takamines. It has classical style slotted headstock with beautiful gold tuners. I believe the scale is 25.5 and the neck is a wide 1 7/8 at the nut. It is basically a steel-string classical guitar. The pickups are also split undersaddle and the pre-amp is the Takamine CT-4B.

I play classical church hymns mostly, in a church with thick wool carpeting on the floor with this guitar. It is plugged into a Carvin AG100D amp just using moderate reverb. The sound that comes out of that combination is completely amazing. It fills the church with a bell-like sound. It is as if the guitar and the amp were made for each other. I own 4 other acoustic guitars and none sound like the EAN30C. To top it all off, I had to replace the strings with Martin SP Extra Lights because I injured my left hand by playing without proper warm-up. I discovered that the extra-lights made this guitar sound even better.

The factory setup proved to be satisfactory, and have not had a professional setup done. The fit and finish is flawless with characteristics of a much more expensive instrument. I am not wild about the very plain brown circle rosette, but then again, I am after total effectiveness and not just looks. I do have to confess that this is my second EAN30C. The first one I received from an online supplier had deffective electronics and had it exchanged. Weird for Takamine, but that sort of thing usually happens to me. I find the deffective one in a million.

The only gig I play is at the church, so I don't have much to say about this category. But I will say that I play the EAN30C far more than any of my other guitars, and it has never failed me.

Have not had any dealings with Manufacturer's support.

I have been playing on and off for 30 years. I own an Almasa Spanish-made nylong string classical, a Martin 6 string and a 12 string, and a beater Fender. As I mentioned before, the EAN30C is my favorite. It may not have the bass of the Martins or the delicate sound of the Almansa, but it has its own sound characteristic. Bells come to mind. I would certainly replace it immediately if it was lost or stolen. The neck is its best feature. It is easy to play and the steel strings don't feel like rubber bands as nylon tends to feel. This is a very unique guitar and I highly recommend it.

After looking for a "Wide Neck Steel String Guitar", for a number of years I have finally found the guitar of my dreams. I bought this guitar based first on the wide 1 7/8" neck. I like a classical style feel due to my long thick fingers. Added features that drew me to it were the cutaway and the onboard Takamine CT-4B tuner.It is an added plus that it has a solid ceder top and mahogany back and sides with a plain rosewood fretboard. The tuners are a beautiful gold and amber pearl. The finsh is rather thin, I an entirely finger style, no pick, and I have alredy started to ding the top with my fingernails. The case that came with it is very nice and a perfect snug fit. You must put the guitar into the case carefully, the tuning end out first and in last...or it won't go.

This guitar was made in heaven for me. I have always played my own music from the very start 30 years ago. I tried to learn others songs but always slaughtered them, part of the fault was I could never get the clear sounds I like. Now, I have my own 5 finger style and lots of original music. Up to this point I have never been a singer. With this guitar all of a sudden words have started to flow with the music. I use a Bose Loop recorder with this guitar and I am blown away by the sound and the effects I can get playing rythem and then lead with this guitar. You can vary the sound with the built in amp and the tuner ...ahhh...at last ... ease of getting it to sound right...built right in. This guitar is clear, crisp, deep, bright whether acoustic or plugged in.

Perfect, perfect, perfect action for me. Low, smooth, fast. Smaller body size wise than my Jumbo...but acutally fits me perfect. The finsh is thin according to the factory to give better sound. I have already got a few small fingernail dings on the front because of no pick guard. I can live with that because of the action and fit.

I have no idea how it will stand up to the use it will get. Long or short life, I will take very good care of it and buy another just like it if I wear it out. The buttons are solid and placed perfectly. It stays in tune, despite the changes in humidity. I won't take any backup with this guitar, unless I can find another just like it.

Don't have an opinion on this yet. Has a warranty?? Don't care unless it breaks and then I will find out. The dealer I bought the guitar from was great and I would do buisness with them again.

I have been playing for 32 years. I have 2 Alveraz guitars...a 6 and 12 string. I have a Finland made classical. A guitar center Mitchal Guitar classical cutaway. A Martin Backbacker with wide neck and steel strings. Finally I have an old Harmony electric. I have always found the wider neck style guitars I have are easier for me to get good sound out of. I used to put steel strings I my cheap classical and play them till they broke. I have bought and returned several guitars including a Zager, Taylor and Martin online looking for the perfect guitar...I found it in this one. Wide neck, steel string, cutaway, onboard tuner, great sound, easy to play...I love everything about it. I will play this guitar till I die, while my other ones look pretty and gather dust.

This was a very pretty guitar. Solid, satin mahagany back; laminated, satin sides and a satin cedar top and a cutaway. Wide, mahagany, "C"/slight "D" shaped neck, rosewood fingerboard and bridge. The on-board tuner was slick and it came with a very nice Takamine hard shell case. Not bad for $800.

This guitar has a very classical guitar sound, which is not surprising since it is essentially a steel-stringed classical and part of the reason I was interested in it. I also found the sound to be quite thin when played acoustically. It sounds much better plugged in. My biggest complaint was that the intonation was terrible. The nut was poorly cut as well, which may have been part of the problem.

The action was very high and the fretwork was extremely low, which was not a good combination. The tuners would not stay in tune for more than 15 minutes even when gently fingerpicked. There was also a whip mark along the headstock that was likely caused by the sub-par stringing job that it came with. Otherwise, a very pretty guitar.

This guitar was small, very light and felt pretty fragile. I fingerpick and take care of my instruments, so I am sure it would have lasted for years if I would have kept it.

I did not contact Takamine. I ended up sending it back to Musician's Friend who were very helpful and accepted it back without any hassle.

I have been playing for about five years and drift in and out of fingerstyle acoustic and fingerstyle Jazz on an electric. I wanted something that I could use for both since none of my acoustics have electronics in them. I also liked the idea of the wider neck. Overall, the guitar was average at best and below average at worst. The bad intonation, high action, poorly cut nut, low frets, careless stringing and very poor tuners just ruined this guitar for me. I did like the neck feel, the electronics, the fit and finish of the guitar's body and the on-board tuner. This was probably just a lemon. Most other Tak's I have played have been so much better. Big disappointment.

This was bought in 2005 on clearance. Its woods impressed me, as I am a fingerstyle guitar player. The finish is such that makes you think this guitar is extremely delicate and that just looking at it funny will ding the soft top. Finish is a thin bodied satin, just about enough to protect the wood. Takamine says that nothing to obstruct the sound is what they were after. The pickup is excellent and the preamp has foregone notching in favor of giving a built-in tuner. Pretty accurate for different tunings.
The wide neck allows you to do more flamenco-style innovations or transfer your classical guitar moves without having to compensate. What a great idea! I do miss the heavy polyester finish the old Takamines came with in the eighties!!!

OH baby!! What a sound! With due respect to my fellow reviewers who say "well it's not quite as ... as a Martin ...", or "acoustically it doesn't blow anyone away", all I can say is, in my humble opinion the quieter I play it, the better it sounds. This IS a great recording guitar indeed. It has such an intimate sound that sounds like a beautiful girl whispering in your ear. It compares to a classical guitar in response to touch. It can play quiet and sound great, and can play loud, surprising for a rather small box, and still sound big and up front. Amplified, it's just the cat's pyjamas!

As for Martins and Taylors, after playing this ean 30, I have no need to spend 3x the money for only slightly better sound. Maybe I just got an exceptional one, but, if you play classical and want a beautiful, organic sound, buy this guitar.

Action is superb. Fits my style. I like to play Peter White, Preston Reed, James Taylor, Leo Kottke type stuff. This guitar makes me a better player than I was. I play a little harshly with my left hand. I press hard. The smaller fret wires allow for less bending with dowward pressure. Especially good to know for all the crazy alternative tuners out there.
I really wonder if a thick shell of polyester would alter the sound that drastically. If it does, then I'll be more careful around stuff. I'm afraid of its delicacy. I'm having misgivings about taking it on gigs.

Hardware is tight and precise. Tuners are excellent. I learned one Preston Reed song and after playing it about 10 times, I now have a pronounced shiny spot on the cedar top. I am not crazy about the finish. My G Series is armor-plated and has been a superb stage guitar. This one, however, makes me nervous. However, those are just cosmetic concerns. On every other level, I can't see anything pooping out on me with this. It's well made, no doubt about it.

Limited lifetime warranty. Impressive

I've been playing Takamines and have bought just them. That wasn't planned. My first was in 1982 when Takamine was touted as the best guitar for the money. It lasted me 15 years until I realized that I should get a wider neck. Along came I at a flea market where there was a G Series Takamine that played like butter. Made my dreadnought sound shrill and hard to play. I was very happy with my EG 140 sgc, until I saw the EAN 30. I melted. The price made me buy it. If it was its regular price, I would have walked away, and gone home, figure what I could sell to get this guitar next year. That's how worthwhile it is to me. It performs and records well. If I lost it, I would not hesitate to buy another. Right now, I only have eyes for this guitar. As far as what I wish it had, besides the old polyester finish (did I mention that yet?), I wish it had a steel-string guitar's headstock. The classical style doesnt allow me to bend the b string at the headstock, something which I had become accustomed to doing. So in my book this guitar only gets a 9.9

I have to take exception to some of the reviewers. No offense intended. First, the body stye is NEX (concert grand) not EFX (thinline). It has a slotted headstock and like others said, it could be called a "steel string classical", appropriate, but not technically correct. Great electronics, 4T-nb or something like that, too lazy to go check right now with built in tuner. Recent (last couple of years) have reenforced tuners so they don't break like one reviewer reported. This guitar is for finger style and does not need a pickguard to diminsh the sound. If you use a pick, well, you could have a pickguard put on.

I must take exception again to other reviewers. While this guitar is not real loud when played with the fingers, what is? Try it with a pick and its very loud. On the other hand, the sound quality is incredible. Great sustain and tone. The sound of this guitar DID blow me away. It sounds exceptional amped but can certainly be played mic'ed or acoustic. I never had any interest in learning finger style guitar until I saw this model. It turned me into a finger picker. That's how awesome this gutiar is.

Absolutely beautifully made. The action, fit and finish are on par with the top Taylors I have ever seen at three to four times the price. FLAWLESS.

1) It will and does withstand live playing.
2) The hardware is solid.
3) The satin finish is not as protective as the "plastic wrapped" guitars. It will get dinged a scratched easily. So handle with care if appearance is a factor. I give it a 9 because of the delicate finish, but I wouldn't buy the "Saran Wrapped" model if it were available.
4) Only came with one. Had another installed with a good, deep well threaded screw.
5. Yes. I would gig without a backup, but this is kind of a specialty gutiar, so I take another anyway for different styles.

They answer my emails quickly - that's all I can say. Wouldn't be fair to give it a 10 on that basis but wouldn't want to downgrade them without a reason.

Been playing 20 years. Play a Dale Unger American Archtop also. Check those out. Awesome. Way less than a Benedetto. Play the two blindfolded and tell me the difference.
If it were lost or stolen, I'd buy another, but lord help the thief if I ever catch him. This guitar is everything and more than it claims to be. The neck, finish and sound are what I love. I hate that I ever have to put it down.
If you are a one gutiar kind of guy, this may not be your guitar unless you play the same style all the time. But if you have a few, this is a guitar that would be a great part of anyone's arsenal.

I received this guitar as a wedding gift ( what a Gift!) and have had it for about 8 years. It was purchased new by my friend in 1990. the actual model is en-30c which they later changed to the current model number ean-30c. a "Classical width" neck has a satin finish. though after owning this guitar for 8 years, the finish in some areas now has a gloss finiah, where your arm rests against the guitar. this has a cutaway with onboard pre-amp. no tuner like the newer models. the headstock is like a classical with gold tuners. unfortuantely, the tuners break quite easily. I have had to replace them three times! and they are hard to find. expensive too. Granted I broke them at a youth camp twice.

THe sound, ahh the sound. that is where this baby for me does it. Warm mellow, small bodied guitar sound. Tight midrange controlled bass. this guitar records well, I've played on various records in the northwest area. fits into the mix well. It has a wonderful parlor feel to the live sound, when plugged in it fills out more in the bass region. I play for our church often and the guitar often gets complements to the nice sound.

Finish is coming off near the lower edge of the soundhole because there is no pickguard. heavy picking. well built guitar, no complaints. It is finished like a medium range hand built guitar. the action is a little high and i have had to work on it some.

the tuning gears have broken on me a couple of times. bummer of a deal because you can't buy these tuners locally. hard to find. The guitar has withstood thousands of hours of live playing without really busting on me. the batteries last forever. been through three national tours.

Been playing for about 20 years. 15 professionally. would I buy it again? I would save an extra thousand and buy a taylor 814ce. the guitar is a fingerpickers dream. love the wide neck hate the tuners. I own a variety of acoustics and this one gets played most.

A 2002 steel string fingerstyle guitar with a wider than normal neck. It has what Takamine calls their FX cutaway body which is essentially the same size as a Martin OM although a little more round than than the Martin. A solid cedar top with dark stained mohogany back, sides, and neck. The fingerboard is rosewood and is 1 7/8" wide at the nut with 14 frets clear of the body. The bridge is a rosewood classical style with no pins. The split saddle provides the best intonation I've ever seen on an acoustic guitar. It also has a classical style slotted headstock with very nice gold tuners. The entire guitar is finished in a satin finish with the grain filled and sealed unlike other satin finished I've seen where the grain was left open. It has Takamine's own CT-4B II onboard preamp with buit in chromatic tuner. The scale length is 25.5", perfect for a fingerstyle guitar.

I have played fingerstyle on nylon string guitars for about 16 years. This guitar reminds me of a steel string classical guitar if there ever was such a thing. For the small body it is very loud with warm bell-like tones and plenty of high end sparkle. It does not have the booming bass of a D-28 but rather a tight punchy bottom end. The notes sustain very well. The strings that came on the guitar made it sound a little bright for my tastes so I exchanged them for a set of Elixirs and am very impressed with the sound. Amplified it sounds very good with no boominess and only a hint of piezo quack.

The guitar came set up very well with a low action. In fact a friend of mine who plays mainly electric guitars commented on how low the action was. It will buzz if pushed too hard is near perfect for my style of playing. I could not find any flaws anywhere in the finish or setup. As I stated earlier the intonation even beyond the 14th fret is perfect.

I've only had this guitar a few days so I can't really comment on long term durability. I do however have a G series satin finished Takamine that has been played at church weekly for the past 3 years and has held up very well. I expect no less from this instrument.

I have not been in contact with them so I can't really comment on support. It does however come with a lifetime warranty.

Before buying this guitar I tried several other steel string guitars designed for fingerstyle play by Morris, Tacoma, Borgious, and Rainsong. Although the Rainsong did sound a little better all of these guitars are atleast double the money of the Takamine. The Takamine guitar is exceptional in sound, playability, fit and finish. I would not hesitate to purchase another if needed. The thing I like best about it is the wider neck. It really makes fingerstyle playing much more comfortable. If you like to strum chords then this is probably not the guitar for you.

A satin-finished, cutaway auditorium-sized, slotted headstock, wide neck steel-string guitar presumably designed as a ?steel-string classical?. Purchased used, but it was like new and appears to be a 2001 or 2002 model. Country of origin is Japan. There are 21 narrow frets on a wide (1 7/8? at nut) rosewood fingerboard. It has a solid cedar top and solid mahogany back and sides. The neck is a slightly different color than the back (less red) ? perhaps it?s cedar or a different grade mahogany. The preamp/piezo pickup is Takamine?s own CT-4B, which includes the usual active vol-bass-mid-treble sliders as well as a built-in digital tuner which, when activated, disconnects the output signal to the amp so that you can tune quietly (nice feature). The bridge has a compensated saddle and pull-through holes (no pegs) for string anchoring. I?m not sure who makes the tuners (Schaller? Gotoh?), but they are excellent ? gold with amber pearl buttons on a slotted (classical) headstock. The scale of the instrument feels short (I am used to classical guitars), but it plays well and in tune all over the neck. It came with a perfectly fitting hardshell case.

I play Atkins-inspired fingerstyle on nylon-string classicals and for years have searched (to no avail) for a production grade steel string acoustic with a wide neck. I?ve found it with this guitar. It is essentially a steel-string classical. The neck is 1 7/8? at the nut, and with the slotted headstock and smaller body size, it feels like a classical. It is not particularly loud, but then it is designed to be plugged in. The sound through my SWR California Blonde is excellent ? well balanced with no boominess. Balance is more important to me than loudness anyway. I do get a lot of fret (finger) noise from the medium-height action, but that is most likely a result of my unfamiliarity with steel strings (technique). This guitar is a good choice for a fingerstylist looking for a bigger neck than is offered on virtually every other production steel-string available. A strummer with small hands, however, will probably not like it.

The guitar was set up very well, with medium action ? not low enough to cause fret buzz, not high enough to be unplayable. New strings helped the sound. Takamine?s reputation for good, inexpensive, quality guitars has not been damaged with this model. The list price is about $1300 with a case, so it isn?t exactly cheap, either, but far less than a custom guitar. And to get a neck like this one, you would most likely have to have one custom-built. This one is stamped second, but I can find no flaws in the fit or finish, so I?m not sure why it?s a second.

I won?t hesitate to gig with this guitar. I play solo and don?t abuse my instruments, so I expect everything on this guitar will last and hold up to weekly sessions. I don?t like the satin finish, but that keeps cost down and doesn?t affect tone. I?d also prefer an ebony fingerboard rather than rosewood, and I wish the frets were larger ? they used really small ones. I also don?t care for combination strap button jack inputs ? the jack would be better placed on the lower bout, but again, cost?.. But it?s well-balanced, plays in tune, and everything works as it?s designed to. I?ve had no problems with it.

Since I haven?t had to deal with them, I can?t honestly reply. Although I can say that I contacted Takamine by email with questions about the guitar before I purchased it, and they replied within a day or so.

I?ve been playing fingerstyle guitar for 30 years and have owned several instruments in that time but most have been nylon-string classicals. So it is difficult for me to compare this to other steel-strings. But for the classical or fingerstyle player who is looking for a nice-sounding, wide neck, inexpensive steel-string to complement their collection, this is an excellent choice. However, they are hard-to-find (a nationwide chain store I checked with had ZERO of them). I don?t think Takamine makes too many of these because the demand is simply not there ? most people want a smaller sized neck. The big neck, though, is this steel-string?s best feature for me. A lot of companies these days seem to be building nylon-string guitars with narrower necks for steel-string players (Taylor, Godin, Yamaha, etc.) but this one goes the other way ? it is a steel string made for classical players. And the built-in digital tuner is a plus, as well. I was thrilled to discover this model and would definitely search for another one if it was lost or stolen.

Year made: 2001, I believe. It's a very new model and I hadn't even seen it listed on the Tak website. It may still not be on there.
Frets: 14 to the body, soft cutaway.
Strings: Braced for STEEL not nylon.
Solid Cedar top, laminated mahogany B/S.
Electronics: Split saddle piezo, with volume, bsss, mid, highs, and an "exciter" for increased highs.
Finish: Satin
Size: Similar to a 00, though much more rounded.
Tuners: Classical style, since headstock is slotted.
Neck: 1 7/8" at nut, again, similar to a 00, but rounded in back like a classical.

This is a unique hybrid, that I stumbled upon by accident. I had given up finding a budget level or even somewhat higher priced electric-acoustic, smaller bodied, wide-neck, braced-for steel, instrument.

A poor man's electrified small-bodied Olsen, SORT OF.

I believe the suggested List Price is over $1000 MSL, though it can be had for quite a bit less. Came with case.

This is not a guitar that will, unplugged, blow anybody away, though it rings a long time. It is meant to be amplified, and played as a FINGERSTYLE instrument, though it can hold up to moderate strumming.

Very good workmanship, as mentioned before. No problems. Action is nice and low, without buzzing. Feels very comfortable.

The one I own is marked "second" which is why I got it for such a low price, but I have yet to find the flaw that made it a "second."

Feels very durable, and solid. No complaints.

No dealings with company yet.

Overall rating is a 9. An excellent, economical alternative for those who don't want to take their $2K Lowden "S" or vintage Martin 00 out on gigs.

I've played over 30 years, and have owned many guitars. This Takamine, especially considering its price, is unique. If it was ever stolen, I'd buy another as soon as I could locate one.