Takamine EF-400S

I had been on the hunt for a new 12 string guitar. I have small hands and the Alvarez jumbo 12 that I had was just killing me after a few songs. I walked into the local Guitar Center and this guitar caught my eye because it looks like a Martin. I figured this is going to be terrible because the other Takamine that I had played from this era was a mess, but this guitar completely blew me away. The battery is a pain to change but I am not all that concerned about the electronics as I use it unplugged mostly

Unbelievable sound. Nothing else I played could hold a candle to it. You would have to pay over 2K to get a better sound.

This guitar plays like a 6 string. Very easy on the hands. The finish is nice and deep. My guitar was made in 1978 and it looks fantastic now even tho I bought it used. There are just a couple of scratches on it.

It was made in 1978 and it is still in one piece. Neck is not warped. Need I say more?

Never called them

I cannot believe I lucked into this guitar. Nothing new in the 1K range even comes close to it.

Made in Japan - 1980 /// 20frets /// spruce top with mahogany
back and sides . 3 x sliders - volume,bass,treble .
I don't know what the pick up is , it is a dreadnought with
a Martin type head stock .The tuners are open,which kind of concerned
me when I brought it, but they are fantastic, medium neck,and a fairly sturdy case .

I don't play any style inparticular,I'm an electric rock guy by nature that saw this guitar that caught my eye and when I played it,knew it was something special.
The sound was great when I brought it 25 years ago,now it is better.
The guitar is so loud,crisp and clear,both plugged and unplugged.
Using a touch of chorus and delay when run through a Roland jazz chorus,has been know to send people into rapures.
I do tend to use more Bass control more than the treble,and never need to play it with the volume cranked.

Never playing another 12string guitar,I guess the action is perfect
I've never felt the need to tweek with it,and any one who has played it says the action is great.I can't remember what gauge strings I have on it,but I know there fairly light,as I have a gentle right hand.The spruce face has changed colour I think,I have nothing to back that,but I reckon it has.The grain on every panel is beautiful,and looking after it,and being the light play that I'am,the instrument is in pristine condition.

I've only played maybe six gigs with it,one band I was in did
Wishbone Ash - Blowning free,that I used it for.I use it heaps but it is just for jams with mates.It is as good as new,the way I play it, the only reason I would need a backup was if an amp fell on it.

N/A

So this guitar in now 25 years old,and I believe it sounds and looks better with age.Anyone who plays it want to buy it.
I would agree with most of the comments made by other reviewers before me,Mike,Ron and Greg,that this is a superb guitar,and a valuable addition to any collection.
I would be crushed if it were ever lost or stolen,as it has been with me longer than my wife,I doubt that you would find one in Australia for sale,because I know I wouldn't sell mine.

I bought my Takamine EF400S in 1982. I am fairly certain it was made in '81. I bought it used at a music store. A 12 year old girl had bought it to learn on and traded it in for an electric. Lucky me! I stole it, er, bought it for $250. It is made in Japan and has a solid spruce top with rosewood back and sides. It has incredible electronics in it with only two slides, tone and volume.

The neck is about medium thickness and actually does not play much like a 12 string. The tuning pegs are phenomenal. It keeps a tune better than any other guitar I have either owned or played. The battery, though, is another story. It is inside the body and you have to take the strings off to get to it. Kind of a hassle. I pretty change the battery every string change so I don't have to worry about it.

Oh my gawd! This is the sweetest sounding 12 string I have heard/played. I fell in love with it when I bought it and it has gotten better with age. I play a lot of folk and contemporary Christian music and this guitar is perfect. Play it high on the bridge for a real crisp, bright effect or over the sound hole for a mellower, softer sound. The group I play with plays in a large, cathedral style church. The acoustics are amazing.(We actually had a symphony record there for the natural sound). Playing plugged in through the system, my Taki is breathtaking. I know, I know, nothing is that nice, but honest, it is. The sound is amazing with no effects.
I played in another church that was built more like an office building. Carpeting and a lot of stucco. I used a DOD stereo chorus played through a Midi-verb and also got a "cathedral" style sound out of it.

Awesome. Like I said before, it doesn't play like a "regular" twelve string. The fit and finish on the guitar was amazing. The action is incredibly low, yet, does not buzz. You can play chords high on the neck from the 9th to 12th fret and there is no pitch change and fingering is easy.

I have played just about every weekend since I bought this in 1982. I can't even imagine how many THOUSANDS of hours I have on it. I have done most maintenance myself, but I found this website looking for an authorized repair center in my area. I need some real minor neck work and would like the electronic internals cleaned and fine tuned. This guitar has been seriously used and abused and has always come through for me.

I never had to deal with them.

I have been playing guitar for almost 30 years, about 22 of which have been in various groups. I have played Taylors, Martins, Arias, Guilds, Yamahas (most overrated guitar on the market), Alvarez, Ovations (the top of the line models), well, just about every major well known brand and the junkie knock off cheap ones. I own another Takamine (M360) which is a gorgeous blonde maple. I also have owned a Yamaha, Ibanez, Alvarez, Horner and a couple of others I can't remember. My Taki EF400S blows them all away. If it were lost or stolen, I would sell my M360 and have a yard sale to try and raise the $1500+ dollars it would cost for a new one(yes, that is what list price is) I would pay it for this guitar. It is truly a classic and I would not trade it or sell it for anything.
As you can see from a couple of other raters, this is one special guitar.

Made in Japan in 1981. Features Takamine's old Martin-style ("lawsuit") headstock. 20 frets. EQ and Gain controls (sliders). Must remove strings to change battery!

Way back in 1981, this was a great sounding 12-string guitar, compared to others in the field. I still think it sounds great today - better than lots of the competition out there. A fairly rich/full sound with medium-light strings. Otherwise, a bit on the tinny side. I play the guitar without amplification and through various PA systems. Sounds great either way.

The action is very low, but there is no buzz. The fit and finish on this guitar was perfect. All the electronics have worked well since day 1.

The EF-400S has held up very well for more than two decades of teaching and gigging. It shows a little wear (nicks and dings), but sounds as good as the day I bought it. The bridge had to be reglued about 10 years ago, but I always used heavier gauge strings than recommended and tuned the guitar at A-440.

Never had to deal with Takamine.

I've been playing guitar for more than 30 years and had the EF-400S for more than 20 of those years. I feel no need to replace this guitar - it sounds great and plays great. The location of the battery (inside the body of the guitar) makes battery changes a pain, but this wasn't an unusual design shortcoming in 1981. A solid, working-man's instrument.

Made May 9, 1979 and I have had it ever since. !2 string Japanese made copy of a Martin D28, which it is in every way except the glue is better than Martin's.Originally had a control box next to the neck but battery replacement required taking the strings off! That's bad when it quits in the middle of a gig. I rewired it straight through the endpin, keeping the stock brifge peizos and EQ it with an amp or PA. I've been told there are 12 peizos in the bridge, one for each string but can't confirm. If so, that may account for it's beautiful tone. Tuners are impeccable.....they feel "rough" but tune fine and hold pitch forever. Nothing fancy here but all great.

This is the gold standard of electric 12 strings! I have played it for 24 years, much of that professionally under ALL conditions and it ALWAYS is so rich, full, and absolutely beautiful I am always surprised to hear how good it is and I never get tired of it. Great straight acoustic sound, too. I have tried many, many 12 strings over the years and owned several, but this is the one that blows them all away. RICH is the sound. Simply the best at any price.

Everything was, and still is flawless. The action is so low you'd think it would buzz or fret out.......but no.....it plays like butter. So smooth, and easy to grip for that never ending ringing sustain. The action accounts for a part of the great tone because you can actually play it instead of fighting the mechanics. Medium size neck, perfect for medium size hands. Simply the best.

24 years and still going strong. This guitar is so good and so reliable that it is truly hard to believe! Though I have always played it professionally, I never took any special pains to take care of it. I figured it was a working guitarand in my old days that meant non-stop partying after the gigs. This guitar has been frozen, cooked, kicked, dropped.......you name it. Yes it's banged up, couple of small hole in the top even, but plays and sounds better than when it was new which is really saying something. All stock until recently when I had to put on a new bridge saddle to compensate for some deck warping...and surprise me, the action is even better, lower, and smoother than before. This thing is indestructable! I must be bery lucky because no guitar I've ever heard of has stood up like this one. Pure gold....the very best!

I've never called them, never had a reason.

$450 was a lot of money in 1979. It would be three times that now I suppose, but price doesn't matter. $10,000 couldn't buy a better guitar. A 12 string that plays like a really good 6 string? Amazing. I've never played a 12 as good as this...anywhere....anytime....any price. I know guitars. I also have a Martin acoustic electric 6, PRS Santana, Gibson Les Paul, Fender Strat, Vantage 12 string (cheap but very good), Schecter semi hollow electric 12 string, and the other main guitar love of my life, an Ernie Ball Music Man John Petrucci. These are all great guitars. The Takamine stands right with them. It's the best acoustic electric 12 string ever made!