Product: Takamine EF-381R
Price Paid: Australia 2295 USED
Submitted
01/25/2009
at
11:49pm
by
Grant
Features
:
9
Early 80s Takamine(Japan)EF-381R.
Jumbo cutaway model with solid spruce 'curved' top in natural
finish.
Rosewood back and sides, ebony bridge.
Rosewood finger board.
Very good quality frets and workman ship of binding and
finishing touches etc.
Typical high quality Built-in electronics for plugging in.
Very nice combination of features for an acostic guitar.
The tone is full, warm and broad with good bass
and balanced midrange and trebles.
Easily one of the nicest acoustics i`ve played to date and that
includes high end Taylors and Lowden acoustic jumbos.
This model is very similar to the one Ry Cooder has employed as his main acoustic over the years.
Sound
:
9
Big, warm and full with very good definition in all frequencies.
The tone is nicely balanced and projects really well.
The action is a breeze and a satisfying instrument to play
acoustically.
Plugged in the the big tone comes through and the on board
preamp really lets you dial in what you wish.
This model tends to suit both finger style and strumming with a pick.
A versatile guitar.
I can ealily get fat toned finger style jazz comping or crank it up and apply a plectrum to really ring through.
It will cover most acoustic styles no worries at all.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
9
High end Takamine guitars seem to really shine through on delivering tone, playability and workman ship quality.
The orininal frets are high quality as are all other components including the electronics.
Reliability/Durability
:
10
This guitar is around 26 years old and she is still in top nic.
The internal bracing is top notch, so the spruce sound board is still
in perfect condition.
The neck and action are very good.
Goes to show the stability of top quality timbers used.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Never required.
Overall Rating
:
10
I`ve played dozens of high end acoustics and this Takamine really holds its own.
I like Guild F-50R models too, but i think the Takamine
has the best alround package of quality electronics, tone and workman ship.
I don`t think this model with the curved solid spruce top is overly common.
If you happen to see one of thes guitars up for the taking, grab a good deal while you can.
It has a real rosewood body and quality spruce top.
This is a combination known for good deep tone producing warmth and clarity.
